Final Round Preview

Here's a look at the four quarterfinal matches being played this Friday and Saturday, June 21-22. One interesting note on scheduling and conditioning: For reasons unknown to anyone outside FIFA, each game features a mismatch in rest time, with one team coming in with five days rest, and the other with only three. The teams with the advantage on that score: England, Senegal, Germany, and Spain.

Brazil vs. England (Friday, 1:30am)

This one's already being touted as the "real" championship game; indeed, these are the two teams who've looked the best so far in the tournament, and whoever wins here will be heavily favored to win their next two games as well. England knocked out the other South American power, Argentina, in the first round "Group of Death," and look extremely solid on both ends of the field. They've posted three straight shutouts, and the attack roared to life in the last outing, a 3-0 drubbing of a solid Danish squad. David Beckham (Mr. Posh Spice) may have the worst haircut in the Cup, but with him serving up balls for a finally fit Michael Owen, it could be a long afternoon for the suspect Brazilian defense. On the other hand, that much-maligned back line totally shut down Belgium last time out, and in any case, if the Samba boys give up three, they could always come back and score four.

Above all, this promises to be a gorgeous matchup of contrasting styles: Brazil's ball-control wizardry makes them the most fun team in the world to watch for their individual skills, while England's precise long-ball game and geometrical teamwork make them almost as entertaining in a more cerebral sense. If you're going to watch any one game this year, it's a good bet that this is the one not to miss.

USA vs. Germany (Friday, 6:30am)

Then again, there's the home-team attraction later in the morning. Hardly anyone takes the Americans' chances seriously, but then again, what's new? Germany is bigger, stronger, more experienced, more disciplined ... I could go on, but you get the idea. They also manhandled the U.S., 4-1, in an exhibition "friendly" barely a month before the WC started, while missing several starters. So on paper, this game is the big mismatch of the quarterfinals. But like they say, that's why they don't play games on paper. If the U.S. can weather the opening onslaught -- I'm sure the better-rested Germans will be out to physically intimidate them -- they may just have a chance. Except against Poland, when they gave up two goals early, the U.S. has shown a remarkable ability to hang tough, frustrate their opponents, and then use their speed on the flanks to counterattack with deadly efficiency. The longer this game stays even, the better chance the U.S. will have to do just that.

Goalie Brad Friedel may have to come up big for the U.S. to survive, but he's already done that several times; if the Americans survive to the semifinals, Friedel may come out of this tournament being considered the best keeper in the world.

Spain vs. South Korea (Saturday, 1:30am)

This is another paper mismatch: Spain is one of the deepest, most talented squads in the world, and South Korea is, well, a bunch of nobodies. But of course, those nobodies just knocked off an even more talented Italian team, while Spain was being outplayed by an underdog Irish side who did everything to them except hit penalty kicks. Then there's the home-field advantage -- the Korean Red Devils clearly get a big lift from their 50,000-strong "12th man," and it may have given them an edge with the referee as well. (One Korean fan went so far as to burn himself alive before the last game, reportedly so that his spirit could be with the team on the field.)

The other Korean advantage thus far has been their conditioning; they've outworked every team they've played so far. But that may not be in their favor this time around. They come into this, only their second day game of the tournament, on just three days rest, after a grueling overtime comeback against Italy, and with several injuries on a roster whose depth was suspect to begin with.

Senegal vs. Turkey(Saturday, 6:30am)

Anyone putting money down before the tournament on either of these teams making it to the quarterfinals, let alone both, could have cleaned up. But here they are, and they both had to get past pretty tough opposition to get here, so I guess we have to take them at least somewhat seriously. Senegal, of course, became the Cinderella story of the tournament when they knocked off France in the first round, and I must say, I was greatly impressed with their ball skills in that game, and against Denmark as well. But as I noted here last week, they looked absolutely lost in the second half against Uruguay, allowing three unanswered goals. So I was surprised by their comprehensive dismantling of a pretty good Swedish team; now they try to become the first African team to make the WC semifinals. Turkey has never been that far either, but they ousted host Japan last time out, and though they're not as well-known as other European squads, they have as much talent as just about anyone.

Semifinals (Tuesday-Wednesday, June 25-26)

U.S.A./Germany vs. Spain/South Korea (Tuesday, 6:30am)

Brazil/England vs. Turkey/Senegal (Wednesday, 6:30am) -- N.B.