2010 World Cup Quarter Final: What Would The Script Be?

The party is about to reach it's final parade, the heat is reaching it's peak as the 2010 World Cup finally gets into the dying stage with only 8 teams left to challenge the prestigious cup, which final will be contested on July 11. Looking at a rough view of the past round and the contestants on the quarter finals, I can say that the script hasn't really stepped out of the track as the teams that will take on each others are those having the more favor compared too their opponents.

Aside from Ghana, that maybe wasn't being rooted that highly above USA, the other teams are pretty much those being touted to enjoy this quarter final after the small shock in the group  stage. Now the question left is what would the script be after this? as four strong teams with equal value set out to cancel each others, which left out other four teams that many says to be a much more predictable encounter, well it should be unless there's another twist on the tale.

The first game of the quarter final is an 'on paper' mouth watering clash of the Titans between the Netherlands against Brazil, however that's on paper as the fact we could probably see a very tactical battle that could stress out both teams fans with a very tight, cagey, firey battle. In a basic view, Brazil would be a slightly more favorite, simply because the players that they have  along with the way that they play which is compact, solid and tough to break. But the Dutch's fans shouldn't just surrender to the fate, as if there's a twist of the script than this would be  the story Robben and co should write for themselves. For sentimental reason, I'm rooting for Holland to win this one although I know beating this Brazil would take some doing, but I'm just too sentimental to care about the non Samba boys that plays Italian  kinda a style even if they are a sure favorites to  win the cup.

Second match would the the game that attract the African native more as the only representative of the continent is trying out to write an epic footballing history as Ghana are set to embrace another South American power, Uruguay. Despite all of the home crowd support, the Black Star might just feel the task is a mountain to climb as they will play without several key members due to suspension. While the Uruguayan is somewhat the surprise of the tournament for me, from a horrendous indiscipline team in the South American qualifiers they turned into a defensively solid team that improves their attacking strategy each games in the World Cup. Although, the African sentiment might be rising above, I can't resist the solidly aspiring Lugano-Perez-Forlan-Cavani-Suarez bond that keep this former champion on course for a surprise spot in the tournament final stages.

Third match is the game that I feel would be a mouth watering game as Argentina and Germany looked set to treat the fans with some of the best attacking piece of football that people would want to see. Off course that if both team doesn't get a bit toocautious and play the waiting game, people might root Germany due to Argentina uncertain defensive line but the same thing is worth asking to the Der Panzer's defending methods. Overall, I can say that both team have a pretty similar character as they are more appealing when they attack rather than defending, so although Demichelis is an error prone I don't really see the German's have a much more solid defensive display aside from their last ditch tackles in previous games. Both are penetrable, it depends on which have more flair and calmness in dealing with each others' thread, tough call although I a like the idea of Argentina winning the cup but that Oezil kid from Bremen just catch me cold, my advice, don't support just try to enjoy this one.

The fourth game is a match that most people would bet on the ala Barca Spanish team would cruise easily, well if the script can't be re-written, that scenario is something you can't avoid. However, I somehow found a lifeline for Paraguay as long as they can keep frustrating the Spanish and somehow be clinical unlike Portugal the other day, than it could be another Swiss like game for Xavi and co. This is another game that I can't really say which sides I'm favoring as both doesn't amuse me that much, the South American is a bit dull up front while the Spain can be really boring once they find a brick wall ahead of them as they just pass the ball around in circles all the time.

Well, this World Cup somehow looked scripted as the storyline before the tournament begins seems to set up the effective Brazil to battle against the "possessive" Spanish, and that scenario is still pretty much on the cards if you would look closely on the table. Personally, I would hate the idea of a scripted and predictable World Cup, that's why I'm rooting for some alternative end to this scenario, a new ending that we use to see in some video games. I would love to keep the question of "What Would The Script Be?" until the end of the cup, when the final game set to kick off. Although the story maybe something that comes along as the tournament progress, it would still be better than watching a tale that was set even before the first kick off.

written by Dewa Nugraha