Group A: France 0 : Uruguay 0

France have done it again. They managed to turn their large assortment of vastly talented and technically superior superstars into a boring and uncreative non-team. Yes, that was what many expected from the qualifying, but just as many hoped that they would pull it together, that these players would realize that this may well be the biggest moment of their career and to put individual differences aside to achieve a common goal. It is also true however, that France has had a tendency in the past to play together more effectively or "to gain momentum" as pundits will call it a another million times until they receive enough death threats from annoyed fans pleading with them to stop saying that sentence before someone sends Zakumi the leopard World Cup mascot into football-kitty-heaven.

Just as an aside, in the sports world certain phrases like "gain momentum" have a tendency to gain momentum and like a snowball get used by more and people until they lose all meaning. Yes it described the situation fairly well the first time someone came up with it but the first guy who copied it got the ball rolling on a crime against my viewer sensibilities. I need a bad-analogy break.

What France needs is a vision. What they have instead is a midfield of highly gifted players that seem to have no idea what the hell they're supposed to do out there exactly. Ribery, arguably one of the top 5 wingers in the world, more than once decided to dribble himself into oblivion. He may beat two or three defenders but number four usually denied him his glory. Toulalan and Abu Diaby are central midfielders that are neither holding midfielders, nor destroyers, nor play-makers. Thus they don't really serve a role at all. They both tried to justify their presence on turf at multiple times, Toulalan with harmless long-shots and Abo Diaby with skill full power-rushes that ended nowhere. I kept trying to remember the France line up because in my head there were only ten players on the field until I figured out that Govou was also playing. The midfielders and the lone forward Anelka seemed like isolated islands, as artistically as autistic-ally, trying to force the ball into the net without being much aware of their surroundings. The most dangerous they seemed when the right backs Sagna and Evra came forward and provided crossings into the box. You can't blame Anelka really, his job was to get the ball and put it into the net but big target men need to be fed with balls. He starved. Thus, twice he decided to get the ball himself. Once that resulted in him being outside the box with no one there to score and once it meant that he was offside. If he had let the ball through Govou would have gotten it and probably scored.

Still France, has so much talent if they just get their shit together and assume a tactical position that makes any sense whatsoever they can still make a big impact in this tournament maybe even win it all.

Now to Uruguay. Uruguay may have just emerged as the secret favorite to win this group. Admittedly their style of playing is defensive and destructive but their defense stands like a rock and and Diego Forlan is exactly the kind of world class forward that only needs one chance to score against the rocky defense of South Africa and a Mexican team that seems troubled with counterattacks from the wings. They played for their standards fairly fair however and only one time tried to break an opposing players leg for which the offender rightfully got ejected. I don't want to be held to those predictions however because this game is complicate! OK?! So Uruguay doesn't advance don't come to me being all complainy about how I don't know what I'm talking about. I just give the analysis. I have no idea what happens. Maybe Forlan gets injured tomorrow because he drops a shampoo bottle on his toe (yeah that's happened before. poor Canizares)

Still, I am especially excited for the Mexico - Uruguay match up because Mexico has one of the most innovative offenses in this World Cup and I want to see how their do against the well-organized Uruguay defense.