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And then there are only four remaining. The world’s biggest stage is nearing its conclusion and there has been a major shakeup in the teams remaining. After dominating the group play South America lost all but one of its quarter-finalists, as Europe assumed control over the soccer world yet again. Gone are the perennial South American powers Brazil and Argentina, both at the hands of European foes, and so is pesky and determined Paraguay at the hands of Spain…ahem, Europe once again. The struggles of European powers such as Italy, France and England in the group stage has been already forgotten after an impressive run by European nations in the quarterfinals. The lone South American torch bearer left is Uruguay, a country of just over 3 million people, who hope to join Brazil as the only other South American nation with three or more World Cup trophies.
The semifinals are set. Uruguay faces off against the Netherlands in the first semifinal on Tuesday while Germany takes on Spain in the Wednesday’s game, the latter being viewed as the final before the final by many experts.
Here is a preview of Tuesday’s semifinal:
URUGUAY – NETHERLANDS (Tuesday 1:30 C.T., Cape Town – Green Point Stadium, ESPN)
It is the “lesser” of the two semifinals first in Cape Town, as Diego Forlan and Uruguay face off against Wesley Sneijder and the “Oranje.”
Up to this point in the tournament no attacking pair has been more impressive than the duo of 
Diego Forlan (pictured right) and Luis Suarez.They are both scoring goals, creating chances for one another and other teammates, but the most impressive part of their game is the fact that they both come back and help on defense. They are both unselfish, extremely quick and great passers, too. The best part about this duo is that they play great together and feed off of each other, something missing from other top duos in the World Cup, in particular Spain’s twosome of Fernando Torres and David Villa.
The problem for Uruguay is that they will miss Luis Suarez too much following his red card against Ghana. Along with Suarez, Uruguay will also miss starting defender Jorge Fucile due to suspension. These two suspensions will affect how Uruguay plays against the Netherlands. In my opinion, Uruguay will play more defensive and will wait for the right opportunities to counter attack. If Uruguay is able to beat Holland, it will be the country’s first time in the final since they won it all in 1950.
As for the Dutch, they will be without two key players as well in defender Gregory Van Der Wiel and the Manchester City defensive midfielder Nigel De Jong. Netherlands is coming off a stunning upset of world #1 Brazil, something that looked even less possible after Brazil went up 1:0 in the early stages of the game. The “Oranje” will continue to depend on the playmaking of 
Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben’s mazy runs on the left wing and yet-to-be-found consistent scoring touch of Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie.
The Dutch will have more of the ball most likely, they will create more chances and they will hope to neutralize Uruguay’s counter-attacking scheme. I think that in the end the loss of Suarez is too big to overcome for Uruguay, which should pave the way for the “Orange Machine” to go to its first World Cup Final since 1978.
PREDICTION: Netherlands 2 – Uruguay 1
The group stage is over. Long and boring at times but hard fought nevertheless. Controversial, for sure.
The Round of 16 is over. Short and full of action, full of heartbreak and glory. More controversy followed and fans from England and Mexico are blaming FIFA for the early exit, in some ways rightfully so. Blown calls cost both teams momentum in the round of 16 games and they both ended up losing those games. Were they beaten by better teams? Yes, but one can never predict what could have happened if Lampard’s goal had been allowed or if Argentina’s was erased because of the missed offside call.
With the round of 16 completed it is time to turn the page and focus on the quarterfinals. On Friday Brazil plays Netherlands in the early game, while Uruguay faces off against the U.S. nemesis Ghana. Saturday’s games include the mouth-watering affair between Argentina and Germany, and in the late game European champions Spain entertain Paraguay. Here is a preview of Friday’s games:
NETHERLANDS – BRAZIL (9 a.m. CT, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium)
It’s the five time champions Brazil against the Dutch machine that has yet to click on all cylinders. Brazil has gotten better as the tournament has gone on and are coming in this match extremely confident following their 3:0 thrashing of Chile. 
The defense appears to be the best remaining in the tournament (especially since Portugal’s exit at the hands of Spain) and the likes of Kaka (pictured left), Luis Fabiano and Robinho are finally hitting their stride. This is bad news for the rest of the teams and in particular Holland, who are winning but not in stylish fashion.
The Dutch are full of talent and belief. The fact that they haven’t played up to their potential but won every game thus far speaks of the talent available on the “Oranje” squad. The passing of Wesley Sneijder, the yet-to-be-seen scoring prowess of Robin Van Persie and the return of Arjen Robben all contributes to the strength of the Dutch. When Holland plays like they are capable of, even the mighty Brazil might find it hard to stop them. One thing is for sure: It will be an entertaining match and there should be goals.
PREDICTION: Brazil 2 – Netherlands 1
URUGUAY – GHANA (1:30 p.m. CT, Soccer City Stadium – Johannesburg)
The two surprise quarter-finalists meet with a gigantic chance to advance to a World Cup semi finals. Uruguay has not gone to the semis in over 50 years while Ghana are hoping to be the first ever African team to advance to the semi finals. Since the tournament is taking place on the African continent it would be a great story if an African team makes it into the semis.
Uruguay has been impressive. They started off slow in the stalemate against France but have improved in every game since. The trio of Suarez, Forlan and Cavani has been very effective and will present major problems for the Ghanaian defense. In a tournament dominated by South American teams, Uruguay has flown under the radar, however, a win against Ghana will get everyone’s attention.
The African heart is still beating and Ghana hopes to continue its awesome display on Friday against Uruguay. Following the win against U.S., 
the Black Stars hope that their best player Asamoah Gyan (pictured right) is fit enough for the games against Uruguay. The Ghanaian team is strong, quick and will certainly not fear the South American opponents, at least not this South American opponent. The problem with Ghana is that their buildup is great but they have missed many goal scoring chances in the group stage. I believe that changes in this game.
PREDICTION: Ghana 3 – Uruguay 2 (after extra time)
My predictions are usually way off (for some reason), however, I do believe I may get lucky with these two picks. Anyone cares to disagree, please let me know.
One Goal.
That has been the motto of the 2010 Blackhawks.
One goal: To bring the Stanley Cup to Chicago after 49 long years of futility. Not an easy task for a franchise, so down in the drain a couple years ago, its own games were not televised locally. An absolute disgrace for a city as proud as Chicago and for a franchise that is one of the “Original Six.”
Well, that motto has taken a slightly different route since Sunday night. One win. That’s what the new motto should be and is within the organization and all the Blackhawks fans included. The Hawks are up 3:2 in the Stanley Cup Finals and on the brink of hoisting the cup that’s eluded the franchise and the city for nearly half a century.
It is hard not to get carried away when one is so close to something so precious. It’s almost like being given the go-ahead sign by a beautiful girl at a bar to approach her and talk to her. It’s almost like being a kid in the candy store, an arms reach away from a cake that’s been on your mind all day and is now sitting in front of you, but you are not supposed to eat it. It’s hard to say no to such an opportunity. Extremely hard. Yet that’s what the Blackhawks need to do now. Resist temptation.
With the way the Hawks played Game 5, it makes it even more difficult to be even keeled and not think about finishing the job on Wednesday, or even be extremely optimistic. But, one needs to look no further than Games 3 & 4 and realize that this Flyers team will not back down from any challenge or any deficit. They have proven this earlier in the playoffs and once again in the Finals against the Blackhawks.
The Hawks are saying all the right things before the epic Game 6: They are not taking the Flyers lightly and they are expecting an extremely tough game. That, however, is to be expected. After someone beats you twice on their home arena, you probably should not take them lightly. And the Hawks won’t!
The most probable scenario is that there will be a Game 7 on Friday at the United Center. The home team has dominated in this series and it’s hard to imagine that the tide will change now all of a sudden. The Hawks have the momentum now but that’s meant nothing in this series thus far. They had the momentum going into Game 3 at the Wachovia Center, yet Philly found a way to make its home ice neutralize that Hawks’ momentum.
For the sake of every Blackhawks fan out there, everyone hopes that tomorrow night is the last game and “our” boys can lift the Cup and end this long drought. It would help everyone’s blood pressure in Chicago if the series ended tomorrow night. If only things were this simple, but we live in Chicago and we have seen our teams fail in the past in crucial situations. Everyone remembers the Cubs in 2003, so excuse those who are pessimistic.
People are going to be cautiously optimistic going into tomorrow’s game. They will hope for the best but deep down expect a Game 7. If the Hawks win, the whole city will celebrate for several days, while the city bosses will be figuring out when and where the victory parade is going to take place. If they lose, a very nervous and stressful two day period will follow.
Let’s all hope the latter never actually happens.
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If you lost a ton of money on the game, there is still good news, Superbowl Commercials– the battle of the advertisers to come up with the most memorable and effective commercials. They make us sing, they make us laugh and they hope we remember their product. Here is a list of my favorite Superbowl commercials.
Vinnie’s favorite Superbowl commercial picks.
1. Mars Inc. – Mars’ Snickers ad, featuring Betty White as a football player, was my favorite part of an underwhelming first quarter. Betty White’s self-deprecating humor is phenomenal. At any age she will always be my “Golden Girl”. This definitely was the first memorable commercial of the Super Bowl, and even more credit for leaving an impression that lasted the entire game.
2. Google Inc. – Google won me over in 60seconds. It told a compelling love story without utilizing graphics, crazy camera tricks, or hell, even an actor. Yet it grabbed the emotions and showcased how Google is a tremendous part of our lives. Anyone in the ad game should have learned something from Google’s tactics keep it simple, efficient and effective
3. Homeaway.com – This was a hysterical remeeting of the Griswalds, the family we all remember from the famous National Lampoons vacation films. This commercial snatched my attention and made me aware of a company I had never even heard of. Plus, the site itself seals the deal. I logged onto homeaway.com, which continued the ad’s momentum with a well-done and funny introduction. Ads exist to leave an impression and cause an action. This one accomplished both. The fact that I – and many others – visited homeaway.com right after it aired proves it only takes “one funny ad.”
4. Denny’s Inc. – OK, that screaming chicken was creepy. I enjoyed watching Denny’s multiple ads. “Nanerpus” F’N rocks! Plus Tues from 6am-10 am we all get free breakfast and I just might participate.
5. Frito-Lay Inc. – I could not turn my head without seeing a Doritos commercial. Besides a boring first-quarter commercial featuring a guy and a dog, and a not-funny commercial in which a guy lays inside a Doritos-filled coffin watching television during his own funeral, the one I ABSOLUTLEY LOVED was the little kid that slaps the guy in the face and tells him “don’t touch my mother and keep your hands off my Doritos.” Classic!
My crap list.
1. GoDaddy.com – Didn’t we see these Danica Patrick commercials last year. Seriously? For real? How desperate of an ad could they come up with? Hey “GoDaddy” I love a massage between two beautiful women as much as the next guy (probably even friggen more than that guy) but we’re in the middle of a game. Give us a commercial with substance or at least have a wardrobe malfunction and then take the heat for it.
2. Anheuser-Busch Co. – I hesitate to include Anheuser-Busch on my crap list, so I will start this on a positive note. First; I loved the Bud Light commercial that ripped off the television show, “Lost.” I also really enjoyed the Bud commercial where the whole community came together to make a human-bridge so a truck can cross and make its beer delivery. But there also was the painfully long Budweiser commercial featuring the friendship between a calf and a Clydesdale. It was neither funny nor heart-felt – what the hell was Bud thinking? Anheuser-Bush is also to blame for the Michelob commercial featuring Lance Armstrong. Beer commercials are at their best when they make people laugh – not when they try to show us a disingenuous lifestyle of the average beer drinker. This ad, unfortunately, took the latter approach and wasted the endorsement of Armstrong, who by the way is pretty friggen ridiculous. While Anheuser-Bush had some hits, it wasted too much of its more than 5 F’N minutes of Super Bowl ad time.
3. CBS Broadcasting Inc. –, Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno, David Letterman. Where was Conan? CBS – could have done so much more with the talent that was on that couch. “It makes me sick.” In the words of Abe vigoda “it was never personal.”