by Matt - US Soccer Daily
Soccer junkies couldn’t ask for more this weekend, as MLS conference finals, World Cup qualifiers, and marquee friendlies all combine for one spectacular Saturday. So get in front of your TV, get your laptop ready, and spend your Saturday on the couch taking it all in. Here’s what I’ll be watching (and my predictions that are sure to be wrong):
Friday, 11:25 PM ET – Galaxy v. Dynamo
So technically this starts today, but with the bulk of it being played in the wee hours of Saturday morning, it can’t be ignored. The two best teams from the West made it through the first round and will now square off for a spot in the MLS Cup final. Landon Donovan’s torrid run of form has spanned essentially the entire summer and is now covering most of the fall, as he shows no signs of slowing down. He’ll have to tangle with a stingy Houston defense that was able to keep Seattle off the score sheet for 210 minutes of first round play. The Dynamo will be without backline regular Mike Chabala due to yellow card accumulation.
Prediction: Galaxy win and move on to the MLS Cup final. MLS and ESPN officials rejoice that David Beckham will be in the league’s biggest game of the year.
Saturday, 2:00 AM ET- New Zealand v. Bahrain
For the insomniacs out there, tune in to the second leg of the OFC-AFC playoff. Everything is up for grabs in this one, as the first leg finished in a 0-0 draw in Bahrain. New Zealand have looked like a much more confident side since the Confederations Cup, where they earned a draw against Iraq for their first ever point in a senior FIFA competition. Because of away goals, Bahrain can advance with a win or a non-scoreless draw. A sold-out Westpac Stadium will be supporting the Kiwis, who will be looking to get back to the World Cup for the first time since their lone appearance in 1982.
Prediction: New Zealand win in dramatic fashion to move on to South Africa.
Saturday, 10:00 AM ET- USA v. Slovakia
With qualification secured, the whole process of trimming and finalizing the roster begins in earnest, with Saturday’s match in Bratislava serving as the first test for some fringe players brought into camp. Eddie Johnson and Jeff Cunningham will try to wow Bob Bradley and fill some of the void left by Charlie Davies’ unfortunate injury, while Chad Marshall, Jimmy Conrad, and Clarence Goodson will all be vying for the starting centerback spot next to Carlos Bocanegra. With several dangerous players in the attack, Slovakia will provide a solid test for whoever gets the nod.
Prediction: USA 2 – Slovakia 1. The US will concede a goal due to some backline unfamiliarity, but they’ll pull out the win thanks to a goal from one of the forwards mentioned above that will surely send the message board world into a state of chaos.
Saturday, 12:30 PM ET- Algeria v. Egypt
You could choose to watch the England-Brazil friendly in Qatar at noon, but with much more on the line, I’ll be tuned into some CAF qualifying in Cairo. Algeria have a 3 point lead and +4 goal differential advantage over Egypt heading into this one. Egypt can move on by winning by 3 goals or more, while Algeria can lose by 1, draw, or win to make it to their first World Cup since 1986. If Egypt wins by 2, the two sides will square off in a one match playoff in Sudan next Wednesday to see who moves on.
Prediction: It would be really dramatic and intense if these two teams did play a playoff on Wednesday, but I think Algeria will get the necessary result on Saturday and book their ticket to South Africa. The Algerians have only allowed 2 goals in 5 third round matches and no more than 1 in any game, so it will be a tall task for the Pharaohs to make up the goal differential.
Saturday, 3:00 PM ET- Ireland v. France
France have been underwhelming to say the least in UEFA qualification, but lucky for them they have FIFA to give them a boost, which came in the form of the much-publicized, oft-criticized playoff seeding system. Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland squad will have a huge chip on their shoulder and some confidence that they can play with the big boys after narrowly missing out on a home win against Italy last month.
Prediction: Ireland win. Although I am still angered by FIFA’s decision to seed the playoffs and still think it was a cheap way to sully the integrity of the competition, I’m making this prediction with my head, not my heart. Ireland’s display against Italy showed that they can hang with the elite, and they have plenty of extra motivation heading into their home leg.
Saturday, 3:30 PM ET- Portugal v. Bosnia and Herzegovina
If you choose to watch the Ireland-France match, you can at least catch the final half hour or so of this game. It seems that the fates are conspiring against the Portuguese, who will now be without Cristiano Ronaldo thanks to an ankle injury that he aggravated in last month’s qualifier against Hungary. So despite FIFA’s best efforts, qualifying for the World Cup will still be very difficult for Portugal. Bosnia and Herzegovina have several talented strikers, including Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko, who will likely cause some problems for the opposing defense. The match will be played in Lisbon.
Prediction: Draw. Portugal have not been dominant at home, dropping points in scoreless draws with Albania and Sweden and losing to Denmark. Their offense will surely suffer some without Ronaldo in the lineup.
Saturday, 8:00 PM ET- Chicago Fire v. Real Salt Lake
Last year, it was Real Salt Lake who were ousted in the conference final by a streaky lower seed playing in the wrong conference, as New York stunned them at Rio Tinto to move on to the MLS Cup. Jason Kreis and company will try to play that role of spoiler this time around when they head to Toyota Park to take on the Fire. Expect another sell-out and passionate crowd similar to the one that took in the second leg of the Fire’s first round tie with New England.
Prediction: Fire win. RSL will try valiantly to keep their run alive, but Blanco, Pappa, and McBride will prove to be too much to handle. Elsewhere, MLS and ESPN officials will resume rejoicing after finding out the Cuauhtemoc Blanco will also be making the trip to Seattle for a matchup featuring the league’s 3 biggest stars and 2 biggest international attractions.
Saturday, 9:00 PM ET- Costa Rica v. Uruguay
Costa Rica will host the Uruguayans, who find themselves in an inter-continental playoff for the third consecutive qualifying cycle. Expect the turf and raucous environment at Estadio Saprissa to play a huge role in this game, two things that the South American side has probably never seen anything quite like. After their collapse at the end of the USA match, the Ticos will be looking to get a leg up in the first match in an effort to become the fourth CONCACAF side headed to South Africa.
Prediction: Costa Rica win. Though Mexico showed that good teams can come into Saprissa and knock off the Ticos, I expect that the home side will be able to pull out the win over Uruguay.
There’s definitely plenty more on tap tomorrow, but I think I got most of the big stuff covered. Enjoy your Saturday everybody.
