It’s time to get introspective and to think back to the entire World Cup tournament thus far and to ask you to pick out your favorite moment. It could have been a goal, it could have been a save, it could be anything World Cup 2010 related.

This is a tricky question because there have been so many wonderful moments. The injury-time winner by Landon Donovan against Algeria. The incredible last few minutes of the Uruguay against Ghana game where the unthinkable happened. Carlos Tevez’s rocket for Argentina against Mexico. The goal by South Africa to open the tournament. The senile Raymond Domenech refusing to shake hands with South Africa’s manager at the game of their game. Seeing Fabio Capello make a mockery of Stuart Pearce. Any of David Villa’s beautiful goals for Spain this tournament. And so on.

But for me, my favorite moment of the World Cup was the unbelievable goal by Giovanni van Bronckhorst against Uruguay. It was one of those shots that reminded me of the 1978 World Cup by Nene Cubillas of Peru where the ball seem to be sucked up into the top corner of the net. Except, for van Bronckhorst, the goal came from open play. Despite all of the issues with the Jabulani ball, he hit it so inch-perfect that it sailed into the top corner past the reach of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. It was a shot that no goalkeeper in the world could stop. Even the way the ball hit the top corner of the post and went in was perfect. It’s the type of shot that someone can take fifty times and only get it so perfect one time.

Not only does the thunderstrike go down as the best goal of the 2010 World Cup, but it’s also one of the best goals ever scored in any World Cup.

How about you? What’s been your favorite moment of the 2010 World Cup? Share your story in the comments section below.

Through some fortuitous timing on my part, and the benevolence of my wonderful wife, I was able to spend a large part of our recent honeymoon in South Africa…for the 2010 World Cup!  Since arriving back Stateside, I’ve attempted to settle back into a life devoid of 24/7 football and the sweet hum of the vuvuzela.  In reflecting on our trip, I wanted to share a few impressions and musings from our experience, the football portion, of course.

My wife and I arrived in Johannesburg from London the day of the US/England match.  As soon as we set foot in the OR Tambo Airport, we were greeted with the sight of colorful FIFA World Cup signage and booths hawking the latest World Cup gear and novelties.  The first question we were asked in customs was whether we were there for “the football.”  During our ride from the airport to our temporary residence in JoBurg, our driver was eager to discuss the World Cup; even while admitting he was more of a rugby fan.  He impressed upon us, as hosts of the World Cup, the casual South African soccer fan had been transformed into a full-fledged fanatic for the duration of the World Cup.

Our first match was the Netherlands blanking Denmark 2-0 at the Soccer City stadium.  The build up to the match was incredible.  While the traffic was thick en route Soccer City, the cast of characters entering the stadium was entertaining to say the least.  There were busloads of Danish supporters furiously waving their country’s flags.  This only spurred the Dutch fans walking beside the buses to reply with a frenetic chorus of vuvuzelas and their own flag waving.  Particularly amusing were the fans who had indulged in a few pints too many, and with no other option, were forced to handle their business on the side of the road.  All of this before we made it within a mile of Soccer City.  One of the cool sights along the way was seeing the level of entrepreneurial spirit exhibited by the vendors stationed along the path to stadium.  While you would expect the standard vuvuzela, replica soccer ball, or t- shirt, you could also find numerous national team specific wares, specifically targeted to the fans of the day’s match.  This day, it was all Denmark or Netherlands, from the flags being sold, to the pallets of face paint made available for willing patrons to have their nation’s flag painted on their person; all for a few South African Rand, of course.  Right before entering the stadium you could even pick up a pair of earplugs, just in case you wanted to drown out one of those recently purchased vuvuzelas.

While on the subject, a note about the vuvuzela.  There has been much made about the annoying nature of the instrument, and although I can sympathize with the unsavory hum while viewing at home, the vuvuzela is actually much less intrusive when present in the and around the stadium.  Much of the vuvuzela blowing is done in call and response fashion, and unless someone is blowing one right into your ear, you can pick up the musicality and interplay of the sounds much better in person.  Unfortunately, when you have 85,000 people all doing their own personal call and response, the interplay is lost in a cacophony of sound, thus the steady humming buzz you hear during broadcasts. I found the vuvuzela to be a unique addition to my experience…that being said, the random vuvuzela blowing outside of my window at 3 am was a tad annoying.  One final note on the vuvuzela, one of the funniest signs that I saw during my time in South Africa was a sign at the entrance of a shopping mall imploring people to please refrain from blowing vuvuzelas while on mall property.  Never mind that just about every sporting goods store and novelty shop within the mall had vuvuzelas for sale.  Again, the reach of World Cup fever is bigger than just the stadiums that host the games.

Our second match, Brazil/Ivory Coast, had an even more festive atmosphere than the Denmark/Netherlands build up.  The vuvuzelas were joined by drums and outlandish costumes.  We saw an Ivory Coast fan decked out as an elephant, faux elephant tusks and all, only to be rivaled by a Brazilian fan with fake four foot arms protruding from his Brazilian jersey.  There were joyful odes to Maicon and Luis Fabiano from the bus drop off point to the front gate of the stadium.  The crowd cheered every challenge and every corner.  One surreal portion of the match was Kaka’s sending-off for his second yellow card.  Without TV commentary, I’d venture to say the crowd didn’t know exactly what had happened, other than the fact that it was a bad situation.  The confusion on the pitch did little to quell the lively atmosphere in the stands.  When Didier Drogba scored the lone Ivory Coast goal, you would have thought that Ivory Coast had just advanced to the next round of the tournament the way the fans celebrated in their eye catching bright orange parka jackets.  While the final score line wasn’t indicative of a close game, the experience was still a memorable one, so much so that my wife claimed herself Brazilian for the evening (that’s not her on top of the celebratory pile though).

As much as I would have enjoyed having tickets to every match for the in-person experience, I realized that this wasn’t a reality; I was on my honeymoon after all.  Luckily, for matches for which we didn’t have tickets, the atmosphere in the many fan parks (we attended one in Cape Town that was set up to have the feel of a giant pub under a tent) was electric.  One of the more memorable moments was watching the South Africa/Uruguay match in one of the fan parks in Cape Town.  While South Africa’s performance on the day was far from their best, hearing the fans sing the National Anthem of South Africa was incredible.  For a nation with a bitter history of apartheid and racial segregation, the unified singing and the shared passion for the country’s national soccer team expressed a sense of pride that was inspiring.  As often as I’ve listened to my own country’s national anthem, during the World Cup, I came to view the singing of each national anthem as more than a routine precursor to the sporting action about to unfold.  Each anthem announced of a team, a country, its people.  Truly magical.

When our time in South African had come to a close, I was definitely sad to leave, in part because I was leaving behind a beautiful country with friendly people, but also because the reality set in that once I was back home, and at work, I wouldn’t be able to freely watch and talk about the games all day.  Thank goodness for fond memories and ESPN3.

Let’s face it, England were quite poor in their opening game match of the 2010 World Cup with the United States, but I whole-heartedly believe that it’s not all doom and gloom just yet and England fans have seen nothing near the best that will come from the Three Lions throughout the rest of this month long tournament.

I’m taking nothing away from the US who put on a great show. For much of the match, the US looked the better team, but also looked like the team that wanted it more. What an incredible job they did in closing down England players, bossing the midfield and defending when England pushed for the winner. 

The US played with heart and determination and easily could have won the match when Jozy Altidore skinned Jamie Carragher down the left side of midfield and cut in towards goal only for Robert Green to push the shot onto the post, Green redeemed, if only slightly.

But the thing I noticed about England’s performance allowed me to convince myself that in all actuality, the draw wasn’t such a bad result for England (more specifically, it proved to me that Gareth Barry will allow England to change their formation and congeal upon his return). Remember, Italy drew the US in 2006 and went on to lift the trophy. Great teams take a few games to gel, to find their best eleven and to figure out what works best for them as a unit playing in a different country with a different atmosphere. There were some positives to build on for the next match v Algeria.

Rooney came alive somewhat during the second half after an extremely quiet first. Rooney is a player that hasn’t been at his best in the past few months, but seems to be slowly building back towards what we know he can do. Steven Gerrard looks the part of captain as he was able to get forward and score England’s opening goal. Aaron Lennon looked decent when he was actually able to run at defenders, but remained quiet for large spells during the evening. If Lennon can find that killer ball to go along with his blistering pace, England will find a winner in their next match.

The positive way to look at things for England fans is to realize that the weaknesses that were shown against the US, (the back line, the goal keeping, etc.) have always been known and understood. Hey, at least no new glaring weaknesses have surfaced with this England team. It will now be time to move on with a point, take what can be learned from this match and get three points in the next one and progress to the round of 16. World Cups aren’t won or lost in the opening game and Green’s monumental error that allowed the US to equalize is saved 99 out of 100 times. If anything, England just need a little luck.

England did in fact dominate possession, create more chances, and were able to push more players forward and support attacks than the States were able to muster. The US were just able to hold on and to defend well enough and deny England the winner with so many players back in support of the defense.

On the other hand, England is England, and England will always be England. The midfield combination of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have yet to convince me that the two of them can ever function together as an attacking unit in such close space. When Gareth Barry returns to Fabio Capello’s plans, then and only then will the both of them be able to coincide effectively on the same pitch at the same time. Gerrard will likely play on the left side of midfield which will allow Lampard more room to himself in the center of the pitch while Barry protects the back four, an asset they really need.

I’d love to see Capello place Gerrard slightly behind a forward Rooney and utilize an attacking midfield three in Lampard, Lennon and James Milner, if fit. Barry in front of Terry and Carragher would give the England back line some much needed stability. Speaking of,…

More question marks now surround the back line, more specifically the back two than ever before. Carragher looked himself upon his arrival and way off the pace. Former captain John Terry looked indecisive and also slow at times. My initial thoughts of Ferdinand’s absence not effecting England that much may easily be proved wrong in the next two group stage matches.

It’s not all doom and gloom for England just yet. Can Gareth Barry be that small key that will unlock England’s bigger picture of success? Can Rooney re-find the incredible form he showed for club this past season? Although there are questions that Fabio Capello will want answered from his players soon, for England, it could have been worse and should likely get better.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to make your predictions for the 2010 World Cup. Who will advance from each group, and who will go on to win the tournament?

The top two teams from each group will advance past the Group Stage and into the round of 16. Then it’s into the quarter-finals, then semi-finals and finally, the World Cup Final on July 11.

During the past week, you’ve probably been listening to the World Cup Buzz Podcast where Richard Farley, Kartik Krishnaiyer and Laurence McKenna have been making their predictions and telling us who they think will go through each group. Now it’s your turn.

Please go ahead and review the following groups and then post in the comments section below who YOU think will advance from each group and who will win the tournament. After the tournament ends, let’s see who ends up being the closest to getting all of the answers right!

The groups are:

Group A:

• France
• Mexico
• South Africa
• Uruguay

Group B:

• Argentina
• Greece
• Nigeria
• Korea Republic

Group C:

• England
• Algeria
• Slovenia
• United States

Group D:

• Germany
• Serbia
• Ghana
• Australia

Group E:

• Holland
• Japan
• Cameroon
• Denmark

Group F:

• Italy
• New Zealand
• Slovakia
• Paraguay

Group G:

• Brazil
• Ivory Coast
• Portugal
• Korea DPR

Group H:

• Honduras
• Spain
• Chile
• Switzerland

Again, please post your answers in the comments section below.

Thanks to reader Scott Alexander for the excellent article idea.

England will meet the US squad on June 12th at Rustenburg in South Africa and fans in the US are already anticipating what will probably be one of the most watched games in the States. Unfortunately, history is not on the US squad’s side. England have appeared in thirteen tournaments and made it to at least the quarterfinals seven times. The US, on the other hand, has eight appearances in the tournament and has made it to the quarterfinals once. As far as team matchups are concerned, England definitely has the advantage having played the US nine times and only lost twice. I don’t think that will stop the enthusiastic US side from taking it to England but you see the difficulty they face.

On the England fan and media side, a simplistic, arrogant view has been predominant concerning the US squad. They appear to underestimate the US squad and, although the England team rightfully is the favorites in this group, may find themselves to be in for quite a surprise against an eager US side. Just one example of this arrogance is England’s The Sun when they summed up this idea by printing a headline with the word “easy” being an acronym for England, Algeria, Slovenia, and Yanks.

I think a major problem with the US fans and media, however, is their unjustified belief that the game against England amounts to some sort of grand significance. To listen to some fans and media, one might think that beating England was more important than getting out of the group stage. During the US international friendly with the Czech Republic on Tuesday, I was amazed at the amount of times the announcers brought up England. I understand that this is the first game for the US in the tournament but the obsession seems to hinge on unhealthy. Even the new US shirt seems disrespectful to the talented US teams in the last decade or so by celebrating a 60 year old win against England that didn’t result in advancement from the group stage. Why are the US fans so concerned with beating England?

• US fans view this as a chance to prove themselves.

With most American soccer fans watching the Premier League and possibly even having England as their “second” side, there’s the hope that the birthplace of football will give the US some credit. However, I don’t believe that beating England will do this. Constantly qualifying for the World Cup and having players at top clubs accomplishes this much more convincingly. Plus, even if the US demolishes England, a loss at this point in time to the US will still be seen as a fluke in England and will gain little respect.

• Many US fans view this as a rivalry.

It seems many US fans view England as a rival and see this as the equivalent of an international derby. Maybe it’s because of our close political ties or the amount of ex-pats living in the US. This rivalry, however, doesn’t seem to be a shared one. Paul Bestall wrote an excellent article last week describing the regular, England fan’s view of the US squad. His view is that England does view the US as a threat – but just like any other team out there. He writes, “…as with Algeria and Slovakia, the team are expected to win. Nothing more, nothing less.” I feel similarly – that English fans want a win against the US but it wouldn’t mean anything more than a win against Slovenia. England fans just don’t seem to share the US fan’s intense feelings about the game, only the expectation that they should win. The US already have a shared rivalry and it’s Mexico not England.

• Beating England will bring exposure to the sport in the US.

I’ve heard this argument a few times (and many times from people I respect) and it still doesn’t make any sense to me. The argument is that by beating England people will start to see their national side as real contenders and take notice of them. The US beat Spain, an arguably much more talented side than England, last year and it didn’t seem to raise any awareness other than with the enthusiast. I believe common sense should lead you to understand that (as said before) continuous advancement in the tournament and quality US players signing for top clubs should be the main goals for the US in order to raise awareness of the sport. Beating England or Spain without these two goals being met is not enough.

In addition, I think anyone that thinks the US will beat England is letting one of the above reasons cloud judgment. Would US fans take a similar stand on a matchup between Greece and Germany or Egypt and Argentina?

The question of who will win aside, US fans should not be so concerned with England. If the US squad and their fans really do want to prove themselves to the world and advance the game in this country, they have to forget about England and focus on the tournament.

ESPN’s saturation of World Cup coverage into the United States has added another source. Sirius/XM radio announced today that the sattelite radio provider will broadcast ESPN Radio’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

ESPN Radio’s coverage will be spearheaded by American announcer JP Dellacamera, the primary play-by play announcer for the USA’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Dellacamera will be joined by color analyst Tommy Smyth, one of the longest serving soccer analysts in the U.S. Both announcers have a wealth of World Cup experience with Dellacamera announcing the previous six World Cups for various networks and Smyth has called 2,500 international and club matches with three World Cups to his name.

During the last stage of group play, matches will be played simultaneously. During this time Sirius/XM will devote an extra channel to World Cup coverage. ESPN Radio has not announced who will announce those matches.

“The anticipation for the World Cup has been building for four years and for soccer fans there is no bigger event,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM’s President and Chief Content Officer.  ”SIRIUS XM and its extensive array of channels will deliver every minute of every match, and ensure that fans can follow all the action involving every team from anywhere.”

This is great news for American fans with 9-5 office jobs. Many of the matches will be played during normal business hours, and it is much easier to listen to the radio covertly than watch matches on a computer. It’s also further evidence that the coverage of the tournament will be so immense, and access so that coverage so easily accessible, the World Cup will be unavoidable by Americans this summer.

You have to feel for a player of the calibre of Michael Ballack and for fans of Germany. Things haven’t always gone swimmingly for Ballack at Stamford Bridge since he joined in 2006, but there is no doubt he is Germany’s most accomplished player of his generation. Be it at Munich, Leverkusen or the national side, Ballack has been one of the most consistent performers in the last 10 years of European football.

My first reaction to the challenge by Kevin-Prince Boateng on Saturday was it was a nasty little challenge. Numerous replays have simply strengthened that belief and it was the end to a little spat that had been running for the previous 15 minutes in the F.A. Cup Final. Now, Boateng is not alone in having a spiteful side to his play, but the irony of the impact it would have on his and Ballacks summer is now becoming apparent.

June 23rd has now gained a new significance in the World Cup as it is the date that Ghana play Germany in South Africa. Now normally, any game which features a player going against a side who have lost a player due to a nasty challenge would be interesting. Add the fact that the player is Germany’s captain and talismanic leader and the stakes are indeed raised, but there is an even more tantilising twist to this tale.

You see, up until April, Kevin Prince Boateng was classed as a German international, having represented the national side at both Under-16 and Under-19 levels. Now he has been granted permission by FIFA to represent Ghana at full international level and is expected to make the cut for the World Cup squad named by Ghana’s manager Milovan Rajevec. It’s a new move and one that should be applauded, though I doubt FIFA had this kind of comeback in mind when they allowed him to join up with Ghana.

Now the game has a whole new dimension for both sides. It was always going to be a pivotal game for both sides, with the dangerous Australians and Serbia making up a tough group. I’m not one for advocating revenge, but I’ve a feeling certain members of the German squad will be gunning for Boateng. Not only for the injury that Ballack has sustained, ruling him out of the World Cup but for turning his back on his country of birth.

I appreciate the draw a country could have on a player, but the decision seems to be made based on taking the easier option for me. Boateng’s career has certainly stalled whilst he’s been in England, he has the air of a player that sometimes looks like he can’t be bothered. His appearance for Portsmouth against Coventry in this season’s F.A. Cup run was peculiar to say the least. At one point in the second half, he was too injured to run but magically had the ability to dribble and shoot when the ball was played to him.

Since being at Portsmouth, he’s certainly gained some playing time, but his spell at Tottenham was a dreadful indictment of the previous regimes slapdash transfer policy under Daniel Commoli.The only thing that shocked me was that Tottenham managed to get anywhere near the £5 million they paid out for him.

Poor Michael Ballack, suspended for the 2002 World Cup final, will now probably never play in a World Cup again. He’ll be 37 by the time Brazil rolls around in 2014, so time and common sense is against him. Boateng, all being well, could be on the cusp of a wonderful career for the Black Stars over the next decade or so. So all German eyes will be on Johannesburg on June 23rd as the two sides clash. By the way, did I mention Kevin Prince Boateng could be there with his brother, Jerome. Trouble is, Jerome’s been picked by Germany in their provisional squad. Talk about a twist having a twist.

Well it’s not been the best season for either of England’s first choice centre halves so far. Enough has been written about John Terry’s problems and Rio Ferdinand’s chronic back injury to have caused meltdown on Google through searching for both issues. Thankfully, Terry’s form seems to be picking up again and Manchester United seem to have cured Ferdinand through a calming spell of rehabilitation.

The issue for England would seem to be cover for both players with several high profile replacements injured, retired or bang out of form. Capello has already shown that he rates Matthew Upson, and for all his Premier League problems, Upson is clearly the first choice as a back up centre half for the Italian. He’s been dependable and reliable for England when called upon though and is clearly on the plane to South Africa.

The only question mark would be West Ham United’s struggle in the relegation battle they currently find themselves in. Could relegation leave a hangover that could affect him? It will be interesting to see, but Upson should be strong enough to deal with whatever happens to West Ham. After that though, it becomes a bit of a lottery with a major question mark over another player Capello clearly rates, Ledley King.

What can be said about Ledley King, he simply defies science and common sense. King has been suffering for 4 seasons with a chronic knee injury that he picked up in pre-season training back in 2006. Now with no cartilage in his left knee, it is simply bone grinding on bone every time he plays, King has to have at least 5 days rest to recover. The problem is that fluid builds up in the knee, swelling it up after any vigorous exercise but it’s incurable.

For a player in this day and age to be able still perform without any real training week to week is astounding. Harry Redknapp rightly calls him a freak for being able to still continue at the top level and this will probably be his last major tournament for England. Even at 29, the toil of the injury will surely bring an end to the career of surely one of English football’s brightest talents far too early. Fully fit, it wouldn’t have surprised me if King had become a regular starter for his country. Unfortunately, we will never know.

Of the other two outstanding centre halves of this generation, one is seemingly more injury ravaged than King and the other retired after being consistently overlooked by Steve Mclaren. Jonathan Woodgate must have run over several black cats in his career, which like Kings, promised so much but has petered out in to a continual battle to even make it on a treatment table, never mind a pitch. When fit, Woodgate was a superb ball playing defender who could score a couple now and again. Time is certainly against him and he has no chance of being fit for the World Cup and maybe even the beginning of next season.

Jamie Carragher has stuck to his decision made back in July 2007 after being consistently overlooked by Steve Mclaren and no amount of pleading has seen him make himself available for selection. I kind of understand why he’d had enough, but hells bells, World Cups don’t just grown on trees. Yet, regardless of that, Carragher along with Wayne Bridge seem certain to stick to their principles. It’s a shame and Carragher is certainly deserving of more caps than he won.

Of the remaining contenders, Joleon Lescott has had a terrible season by the standards he set whilst at Everton. Injuries and criticism over the way he handled his £23 million move to Manchester City have certainly seemed to weigh on Lescott’s mind this season. Of course, his career at City along with his relationship with Kolo Toure is still in it’s infancy and it should settle down eventually, question is, will it settle down in time for the World Cup?

Phil Jagielka is another high profile candidate only recently returning to playing after a 9 month lay off through injury. He’s certainly impressed since joining Everton in the summer of 2007, but it could be a little too soon for him. He’s another that has impressed with the chances available to him at international level and looks set to be involved with the England set up in the European Championship qualifying rounds when they begin in September 2010.

The outstanding English centre half who is not an England regular for me this season has been Michael Dawson. It’s ironic that if King and Woodgate were fit, Dawson wouldn’t be playing, never mind captaining the side in King’s absence. In fact over the last 18 months, Dawson has come on leaps and bounds and has been playing excellently all of this season. Strong in the air, reliable and passionate, Dawson in my opinion, clearly deserves to go to the World Cup.

I was amazed when Ryan Shawcross was called up but Dawson overlooked once again, because he’s simply a better player at the current time. I doubt Capello picked the Stoke defender to deflect the criticism over the Ramsey challenge, but it was still a surprise. A pointless one in the end as he didn’t even get on the pitch, but the experience will have stood him in good stead. Shawcross is definitely one for the future though, along with Jagielka.

So for me, the final choice comes down to John Terry and Rio Ferdinand as first choice centre halves,  Matthew Upson and Michael Dawson and Ledley King, dodgy knee as well to make up 5, taking my squad to 12 players so far. King, despite the knee issue, offers cover in both central defence and midfield and deserves his last chance after cruelly missing out in 2006. So who would you choose?

When Fabio Capello was appointed England manager, people asked me what my thoughts were on the matter. My viewpoint at the time was that it would bring clarity to whether the England national team was still a football power or not. After all, if Capello couldn’t turn England into a winning football team, then no one could.

By transforming the England national team into a winning side, Capello has restored faith not just in England but in international football and World Cup qualifiers. It’s amazing what a few wins can do. Now all of a sudden many football fans, myself included, actually look forward to international matches more than we did before.

Sure, I’m biased but I feel that a formidable England national team will make the 2010 World Cup a more exciting tournament. Part of the reason is the England supporters who will literally invade South Africa and turn it into a party atmosphere, but it’ll also be exciting to see another team challenging for the Copa Mundial other than the typical trio of Brazil, Italy and Germany.

There’s a long way for England to go before they play at a level of World champions, but I like what I see so far. As long as Capello learns and adapts as the England team progresses, the next two years will be exciting times for England fans.

Where can you find England against Kazakhstan on US TV tomorrow? The important 2010 World Cup Qualifying match will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel beginning at Noon ET/9am PT.

This is part of the deal that Fox Sports International announced in May whereby Fox Soccer Channel has the TV rights to England’s home matches for the next four years.

In team news, John Terry will miss the match due to an injury. In his place, Rio Ferdinand will captain the team. The last piece of news is that Wayne Rooney has shaved the hair off his head (seriously).