It will be Argentina vs The Netherlands in the second World Cup semi-final match to be played on Wednesday. The match will begin at 4 p.m. Eastern time.
Argentina, which won (1-0) vs Belgium in the quarterfinals is about an eight to five favorite to win in this battle between the finalists of the 1978 World Cup.
The Netherlands won on penalty kicks vs upstart Costa Rica after neither team scored in either regulation or extra time in their quarterfinal game this past Saturday.
I predict Argentina will score at some point in extra time and win (1-0).
In the first World Cup semi-final match to be played Tuesday, it will be Germany vs Brazil.
The host team Brazil will be without their great player, Neymar. The match is considered even. My prediction is that Germany will win (1-0) in regulation time.
Most of the World Cup games played so far have been what great. I anticipate that the two semi-final games and the finals will be tremendous.
This past week the Chicago Cubs swept a three game series at Boston’s Fenway Park vs the defending world champion Red Sox.
It does little to change the horrible history regarding the Cubs and the past decade’s great positive change in the Red Sox’ fortunes.
The Cubs have not won a World Series in 106 years. They have not won a pennant since 1945.
On the other hand, the Red Sox, who endured an 86 year title drought, have won three World Series titles in the past ten seasons.
It will be Roger Federer vs Milan Djokovic in what is sure to be a very compelling men’s tennis final at Wimbledon tomorrow.
Federer will be bidding for his eighth men’s title while Djokovic will be in his 10th final in the last 13 major tournaments.
Each player got a break in his draw to get to the finals.
Federer avoided Rafael Nadal, who was upset by 10 to one underdog, nineteen year old Nick Kyrgios in the round of 16.
Djokovic avoided playing defending champion Andy Murray who lost in the quarterfinals.
Originally I thought Federer, then too much criticism of Djokovic moved me toward Djokovic, as the so called “experts” are usually wrong.
Final thought: As with multiple choice questions back in school, go with the original feeling: Federer to win in four sets.
Roger Federer
Tomorrow is the women’s tennis final at Wimbledon with Petra Kvitova, a slight favorite, vs 20 year old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada.
I predict Eugenie Bouchard will win in the maximum three sets, vs Petra Kvitova.
There also will be two quarterfinal games in World Cup soccer tomorrow. I have already predicted Costa Rica to upset The Netherlands.
In the other quarterfinal soccer match, my prediction is that Belgium will upset Argentina. It is a shaky vote going against Argentina and their great player, Lionel Messi.
Tomorrow I will offer my prediction and preview the men’s tennis final to be played on Sunday.
Eugenie Bouchard
At a baseball dinner some years back, I spoke with Ed Kranepool about the 1969 World Champion New York Mets.
Kranepool shared first base duties with Donn Clendenon on that team.
Each man’s father died before they could know him. Both men homered in the World Series (Clendenon 3 times and was the Series MVP).
We talked of how that team, though a 100 to 1 shot at the beginning of the year, was a 100 win team that does not get enough credit for its greatness.
They get credit as a miracle team and a great story but not enough praise for the superb platoon team that performed so well in the season.
Miracle team, great story, but also a great team. All that applies (as time goes by) in remembering the 1969 New York Mets.
Yesterday Belgium advanced to the quarterfinals with a (2-1) victory vs the United States.
The match was scoreless until extra time, the fourth match to go into extra time in the last five. Belgium scored two goals before the U.S. team answered with one.
The match ended (2-1) with Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois making a great stop. Tim Howard, the United States team goalkeeper, was fantastic in defeat.
Belgium moves on to face Argentina in a quarterfinal game on Saturday. Argentina also won in extra time yesterday defeating Switzerland.
Three World Cup quarterfinal match-ups are set.
On Friday, Brazil is the favorite facing Columbia. I think Brazil will struggle, but win in regulation time, say (1-0).
On Saturday, I will pick upstart Costa Rica, a 3 to 1 underdog in its match vs The Netherlands. Costa Rica will win after regulation time. Thus, I am predicting a Brazil vs Costa Rica semi-final.
In another game on Friday, Germany is a slight favorite vs France. Two very good teams. France to win after regulation time.
The baseball season is just past the halfway mark and the Los Angeles Dodgers have moved within percentage points of the San Francisco Giants in the N.L. West Division.
L.A. was a big favorite to win the division before the season. Now they are considered overwhelming favorites to win the division.
While I think and have thought all along that the Dodgers would win the division, do not write off the Giants.
One other thing for all their rating and paid for stars, the Dodgers have notNational League West Update made the World Series since 1988.
The Giants won it all in both 2010 and 2012. Also the chance to be one of two NL wild card teams makes the divisional race so much less important.
The national game tonight is that most over rated of rivalries: the New York Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox.
That rivalry never compared to the one between the Giants and the Dodgers, both when it was New York (Giants) vs Brooklyn (Dodgers) or even with more distance between the teams, San Francisco (Giants) and Los Angeles(Dodgers).
The Yankees won the pennant over the Red Sox by winning the last two games of the regular season vs them in 1949. That was stirring.
In 1978 the Yankees won their entity and the Red Sox were eliminated when the Yankees won a one game playoff for the A.L. East title at Boston.
The rest of it, including the Red Sox’ great comeback in the 2004 ALCS was wild card induced.
I love the game of baseball but with a wild card, ESPN coverage, and “force fed” Yankees/Red Sox telecasts I will go along with the many who do not watch baseball.
They cite boredom for not watching. I choose not to watch because with a wild card and other factors, the powers that be have significantly hurt a game I love.
Andy B Sports 