I hesitate to say it more forcefully if Arjen Robben really is injured, but Holland has the offensive firepower enough to overcome any defense. Bet the house on it. (I’m so glad WordPress has the capability to edit posts later.) Dutch people say the team has all the talent but none of the killer instinct to win, but I think it’s entirely within them. Their last two losses in the 2008 European Championships and the 2006 World Cup were anomalies. In the Euros the Dutch were dominant and then ran into the Russians playing out of their heads (and coached by the great Dutchman, Guus Hiddink) and deservedly lost, but remember the foul-plagued World Cup game against Portugal? 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards? Deco and Giovanni van Bronckhorst were thrown out but they sat together in the aisle at the bottom of the stands? Another aberration.
By the way, why can’t American names be like the Dutch? Why shouldn’t my full name be Kent from San Francisco?

I watched Mexico vs. South Africa. Mexico only has two impressive players, Joe of the Saints and Carl Candle. Oh! Sorry, those are their translated names. I mean Giovanni Dos Santos and Carlos Vela. Everything sounds more exotic in Spanish. Would Antonio Banderas have the career he had if he was called Tony Flags?

Question of the day: is “Uruguay” spelled the same in every Roman alphabet language?