"WTH" Moment of the Day....Dancing Baby Doing The Samba in Brazil!!!!!

"Lakers vs Celtics Game 7...Get Ready!!!!!" by Ronald Carthen

I knew the Lakers would win this game, but I didn't expect the Celtics to wave the white flag in the middle of the second quarter. Kobe Bryant drop 26 points and grab 11 rebounds to lead the Lakers to defeat the Celtics 89-67 to even the series 3-3 and will play one of the biggest Game 7's in NBA history. The winner of this game will be the NBA Champion and I know doesn't want to see the Celtics win an NBA title on their home floor.

Kobe Bryant led the charge but it was how the team shared the ball and played together that earned them a victory and live to fight another day. Pau Gasol was one assist away from a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. As long as Gasol continues to play well in this series, the Lakers will not be stopped. Ron Artest scored a total of 24 points on 8-for-33 shooting and 3-for-14 from three-point range thru Games 2-5. It was about time he showed up in Game 6 as he drop 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

How about the performance from the Lakers bench. They outscored the Celtics bench 25-13 and made everything so easy for the Kobe and the rest of the Laker starters. Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic combined for 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting. If anybody stoled the show in this game it was Shannon Brown. In the third quarter, he had two of the best dunks you'll see in the postseason. With the Lakers up 58-40, Kobe dished it to Brown for a breakaway dunk on transition as his head was up to the rim. Then a few plays later, Gasol throw an alley-oop pass to Brown for one of the sickest one-handed alley-oop dunks you'll ever see.

The Lakers defense surprised me big time in this game. They held the Celtics to the second-worst NBA Finals scoring performance with 67 points (Utah Jazz scored 54 points vs Chicago Bulls in 1998). The Lakers D held the Celtics to only 33.3% from the field. When the Lakers went on a 17-7 run in the first seven minutes of the second quarter to led the game 45-25, the Celtics waved the white flag. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett combined for only 25 points in this game, while Ray Allen had 19 points and was the only Celtics that showed up. Rajon Rondo played one of his worst games of the playoffs dropping only 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting, six assists, and three turnovers.

The biggest concern for the Celtics is Kendrick Perkins, who left the game with a sprain right knee in the first quarter. I don't think Perkins will miss this game, but I don't expect him to play so many minutes. This is going to be a huge problem, especially when they were outrebounded 52-39 in this game. There's no way Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis will be able to shut down Gasol or Andrew Bynum on the offense or defensive side of the ball.

I originally pick the Lakers in seven games and I better stick with it. I can't wait for this game on Thursday night. So every one get your dinner and party ready because this will be the biggest Game 7 that you'll ever see.                   

Birdman ft Lil Wayne & Tyga "Loyalty" official video!!!!!

B.O.B. ft Hayley Williams "Airplanes" official video!!!!!

Katy Perry ft Snoop Dogg "California Gurls" official video!!!!!

"WTH" Moment of the Day....Seattle Cop Punches a 17-year old Girl in the Face!!!!!

"Texas and the rest of the Big XII stick together" by Ronald Carthen

I'm so glad that Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma St. will stick together and stay with the Big XII. Texas played a huge role on the decision of heading to the Pac-10, but as soon as the Longhorns said no to Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott's invitation, Oklahoma an Oklahoma St. followed while Texas A&M said no to the the Pac-10 and the SEC. Everybody knows all four schools stayed in their conference because of money, it's the only thing that matters in college athletics these days.

Texas had a meeting on Monday with the other nine remaining schools to in the conference to talk about a Fox Sports TV deal that Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe put together. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma St. would earn at least $20 million a year, while the the other schools could earn between $14 million and $17 million. Last year, the schools divided between $7 million and $10 million each depending on how many appearances they made on regional and national TV.

Now the Pac-10 and Scott will be looking for at least one more member to get 12 teams by 2012 when Colorado joins the conference. Utah from the Mountain West conference is a likely candidate to join the this conference.

Even though Nebraska, who's heading to the Big Ten in 2011, and Colorado are leaving the Big XII, I'm glad the rest of the conference will make a ten-team conference work in 2012. For a second there, I really thought I was going to see the Pac-10 become second best conference, behind the SEC, in the country. This was going to ruin both basketball and especially football. Can you imagine Texas and Oklahoma not in your conference anymore. How about the Kansas Jayhawks basketball program, how will they get the best players in the nation with Kansas State, Baylor, Missouri, and Iowa State in their conference? Now the Pac-10 is back to the same USC or the field football conference and one of the worst basketball conference in the country.

The Big XII will not have a football conference championship game by 2012, but the Red River shootout between Texas and Oklahoma will be a much bigger football game now. This game will determine who will win the conference championship year after year.

Even though Nebraska heading to the Big Ten hurts a little bit in football, this conference will survive as long as you have the Longhorns and the Sooners. I didn't mention Colorado because nobody cares about this school in football and especially basketball. They will not hurt anybody's pockets anytime soon.

I think it's great to see the Big XII survive, but man they were this close from being as bad as Conference USA, the Sun Belt, or the WAC.

Rhymefest "Prosperity" official video!!!!!

Junior Reid ft Cassidy "I'm So Crazy" official video!!!!!

Styles P ft Sheek Louch and Mr Tyler Woods "Mr Invincible" official video!!!!!

"Paul Pierce and the Celtics are one win away" by Ronald Carthen

Paul Pierce played his best game in the NBA Finals by far. Pierce drop 27 points to lead the Celtics pass the Lakers 92-86 to lead the series 3-2 and are one win away to their 18th NBA Championship. Kobe Bryant scored 38 points and did everything he could to keep the Lakers in this game, but too bad his teammates weren't on the same page. I can't wait to see how this will shape out in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Check out what else I learned in Game 5 of this series.

Paul Pierce is stepping up at the right time!!!!!

Ron Artest did everything he could to stop Paul Pierce, but Pierce has had the better of him in the last two games. Pierce drop 27 points on 12-for-21 shooting in 43 minutes of this contest. Pierce was getting into the Lakers heads the entire night. Kobe was so pissed on how Artest couldn't stop, he told Phil Jackson "Let me guard him." Pierce's biggest play of the game came with the Celtics up 87-82 with 38 seconds left in the game. After Artest missed both free throws and the Celtics called a 20 second timeout, Kevin Garnett threw a long pass inbounds pass to Pierce. Then as Pierce was about to head out of bounds, he found Rajon Rondo and threw a touchdown pass to him for an easy layup to extend the lead to seven and put the Lakers away for good. Pierce has scored 46 points and shot 19-for-33 from the field in the last two games. As long as Pierce plays well, the Celtics will be tough to beat in LA.

"Kobe vs. Celtics" didn't work for long!!!!! 

Kobe Bryant was the only Laker that showed up and wanted to win this game. Kobe drop 38 points on 13-for-27 shooting while the rest of his starters scored a combine 34 points on 12-for-36 shooting. He only scored 10 points at the end of the first half, but in the second half he went off. In the first eight minutes of the third quarter, he drop 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting. He scored 23 straigtht Laker points between the 4:23 mark in the second quarter to 2:13 left to go in the third quarter. He was the first player to score 20 straight points in a playoff game since LeBron James, when he scored 25 straigth points for the Cavaliers in double-overtime win over the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. It was amazing how he was playing "1-on-5" and he was still able to keep the Lakers in the game. I could say something about Kobe shooting 9-for-32 in the last three fourth quarters, but last night he did what he could to win this game. The only other player in double-figures last night was Pau Gasol with 12 points, but he didn't show either. I know I said Kobe has to play well in the fourth quarter, but his teammates have played in enough big games to know that they have to step up. Despite last night's loss, Kobe became only the second player to score 600 points in the playoffs three times. The only other player to do that was Michael Jordan (1992, '93 and '98).

Where was the rest of the Lakers?????!!!!!

Did the rest of the Lakers stay on the team bus? I haven't seen Kobe work so hard without his teammates since Kwame Brown and Smush Parker were in the starting five. While Kobe drop 38 points, the rest of the team scored only 48 points (34 from starters and 14 from the bench). It was good to see Andrew Bynum play 32 minutes, but he only had six points and one rebound in this game. Pau Gasol was the only other player with 12 points but Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins abused him all night with a lot of physical contact. You can tell his boby was taking a beating with a few cuts and brusies on his body. Please don't get me started with Ron Artest. You can't miss both free throws miss throws like that with your team down 87-82 with 40 seconds left in the game. Artest and Derek Fisher combined for 4-for-18 shooting and combined for only 16 points. The Lakers have to win back-to-back at home to win the NBA Championship. The last team in the NBA Finals down 3-2 and won back-to-back home games to win the championship was the Houston Rockets over the New York Knicks in the 1993-94 season.

KG, Rondo, and Allen stepped up in Boston!!!!!

I know Paul Pierce was happy to see his other starters step up in this game. They scored a combine 52 points and help the team shoot 56.3% from the field while the Lakers shot only 39.7%. Kevin Garnett once again destroyed Pau Gasol with 18 points and 10 rebounds. It feels like I'm watching the 2008 NBA Finals all over again. Rajon Rondo finished with 18 points on 9-for-12 from the field and eight assists, but seven turnovers is not a good sign at all. Rondo has to make better decisions with the ball or else it could cause this team the championship. Ray Allen scored 12 points but I can't believe he has missed his last 16 three-pointers since his 32-point performance in Game 2 of the finals. The Celtics have to learn to keep a lead as well. The Celtics were up 87-75 with less then four minutes left in the game, but Kobe cut the lead to five with 1:30 left in the game. They better play much better in the fourth quarter in LA or else it could come back to hurt them in Game 6 or possibly Game 7 of the Fianls.                          

           

Miguel ft J. Cole "All I Want Is You" official video!!!!!

Eminem, Royce Da 5'9, Mr. Porter Freestyle on Westwood Show

Big Boi "General Patton" official video!!!!!

"Nicki Minaj vs Lil Kim...Really?????" by David Wynn

Nikki Minaj vs Lil Kim? One Question: Why?


My people, my people. We went from Harriet Tubman to Fannie Lou Hamer to Oprah to this nonsense. I don’t even know where to start. Even in today’s nonsensical rap environment, this “beef” takes home the prize for dumbest sh** I have ever heard. Not since Lil Romeo and Bow Wow exchanged corny battle jingles have two more irrelevant artists battled it out. Apparently Lil Kim has taken exception to the fact that Nikki Minaj has not paid homage to her female MC prowess and taken her style. I guess wearing crazy hair styles and rapping about your poonanny was a patented style of Lil Kim. Ok, fair enough. And the fact that Diddy dropped his association with Lil Kim the moment she got locked up and now cosigns every Nikki Minaj move probably does not do a lot for Lil Kim’s feelings. But this is a classic example of a veteran in the game being sensitive to the success of a newcomer. (LL Cool J vs Canibus anybody?)

Let me first point that neither one of these women has dropped an album (Lil Kim in ages and Nikki Minaj has never) to make them relevant. This is a classic example of why beefs today are so wack; Because they never take place on wax, just Youtube and blogs. Stupid comments made, not to beats, but to DJs and blog sites.

By the way if we’re going off looks, Nikki Minaj wins hands down. At least her assets are real.

"WTH" Moment of the Day...Vince Young gets in a fight at a Strip Club!!!!!

Jay-Z brings out Kanye West on "Run This Town" at the Isle of Wight Festival!!!!!

"Mortal Kombat" Video Game Trailer!!!!!

"Glen Davis and Nate Robinson steal the show" by Ronald Carthen

Glen "Big Baby" Davis has had a good series, but I didn't expect him to go off like he did last night. Big Baby, Nate Robinson, and the rest of the Celtics bench took over in the fourth quarter as they led the Celtics to a 96-89 win to even the series at 2-2. I couldn't believe the Lakers starters allowed them to ball out of control like that. Not to mention how Lamar Odom couldn't defend Big Baby and how Nate was scoring at will. I don't expect the bench to play that well again, but it was great to see your bench players step up. By the way, where has Kobe Bryant been in the last two fourth quarters of this series? Let's take a look of what I learned in Game 4 of this series.

"Big Baby," Lil' Nate, and the Celtics bench stepped up when it mattered!!!!! 

Doc Rivers went with Suns coach Alvin Gentry's approach and stick with his bench players to takeover in the fourth quarter. The Celtics bench scored 21 of the team's 36 points in the fourth quarter in 9:09 of the quarter. Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to victory. "Big Baby" has stepped up for the majority of this series, but this was his best game of the series. Did you see how he bullied Lamar Odom in the post? He went left with his shoulder and was able to get easy layups. Odom can't let that happen despite the fact that Davis is much wider then he is. I'll always enjoy the moment when the Celtics were up 68-64 when Tony Allen missed his layup and "Big Baby" grabs the rebound with the put back and the foul, especially when Nate Robinson jumped on his back as Davis was drooling like a "Big Baby." Nate played 17 minutes and made his mark while Rajon Rondo was on the bench. Nate drop 12 points and even made Odom scared to put a hand up as he was hitting some jumpers and floaters. Come on Odom he's 5-9 are you kidding me? The Celtics bench outscored the Lakers bench 36-18 in this contest. The Lakers role players have to play much better in a very important Game 5 in Boston on Sunday.

Where is Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter?????!!!!! 

Once again Kobe Bryant, who finished with 33 points, played well in the first three quarters then he was very tired in the fourth quarter. Kobe scored 12 points but he was only 2-for-6 from the field. Kobe has combined for 14 points on 3-for-12 shooting in the last two fourth quarters of this series. Yes I understand he played a total of 87 minutes in the last two games, thank you Phil Jackson for playing him too much, and was double-teamed on some of those possessions, but facts are facts he's not shooting the ball well. He didn't handle the ball well either as he had seven turnovers the entire game.  Tony Allen better stay on Kobe as much as possible if the Celtics want to win this series. He has done a great job shutting him down at times in this series.

Paul Pierce bullies Ron Artest the entire game!!!!! 

What ever happened to Ron Artest on the defensive end against Paul Pierce? Pierce led the Celtics with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. He was able to drive to the basket, hit jumpers, and draw fouls as much as he wanted. Artest never looked as bad on defense as he did in this game. Pierce only made 7-for-23 baskets in the last two games prior to this game. What's up with Artest in this series on the offensive end. He's only averaged 8.0 points and only shot 11-for-34 in this entire series. Artest better wake up on offense sooner or later but it's when he doesn't perform well on defense is when he falls apart.

Andrew Bynum's knee not getting any better!!!!!

Andrew Bynum only played 12 minutes in this game but didn't step on the court at all in the second half. You knew something was wrong with his knee as he was showing signs of discomfort on the basketball court. As he head back to the bench at the start of the third quarter, you knew he wouldn't be back in this game. The Lakers better be thankful they have two days off, as they hope his knee will get better for the next game.

Fouls, Fouls, and more Fouls!!!!!

I've never seen horrible officiating in my life like I've seen in the NBA Finals. Both teams combined for 44 fouls in this game. It wasn't like they were obvious fouls, they were nothing but touch fouls or when a player bumps into him and the defensive player was called. For instance Rasheed Wallace's second and third of his fouls were insane. Tell me why he was called for playing great defense. Get it together refs this is the NBA Finals not the Summer League.     

Travie McCoy (ft T-Pain & Young Cash) "The Manual"

Gucci Mane "Everybody Looking" official video!!!!!

"WTH" Moment of the Day....Salma Hayek jumps out of chair during an interview while snake came on the set!!!!

Ol Skool Video of the Week....Ice Cube "Today Was A Good Day" official video!!!! chosen by Ronald Carthen

"World Cup Predicitons Round of 16" by Ronald Carthen

I can't wait to set my alarm in the morning and get ready to watch the first World Cup match of the day between South Africa and Mexico. I enjoy watching 32 soccer teams and many soccers fans show great passion to the greatest sporting event every four years. Today we take a look at who I think will win the 2010 World Cup. A couple of days ago I chose the top teams of each group that'll move on to the second round. I can't wait to show everyone who I think will take home the golden trophy and brag for the next four years how they took some of the best soccer players around the world. Here are my predictions and let the debates begin.

Second Round
(1C) England over (2D) Ghana
(2B) Nigeria over (1A) France 
England will meet Nigeria in the Quarterfinals 

(1G) Brazil over (2H) Switzerland
(1E) Netherlands over (2F) Paraguay
Brazil will meet Netherlands in the Quarterfinals  

(1B) Argentina over (2A) Mexico
(2C) USA over (1D) Germany
Argentina will meet USA in the Quarterfinals

(1H) Spain over (2G) Portugal
(1E) Italy over (2E) Cameroon
Spain will meet Italy in the Quarterfinals

Quarterfinals
(1C) England over (2B) Nigeria
(1G) Brazil over (1E) Netherlands
England will meet Brazil in the Semifinals

(1B) Argentina over (2C) USA
(1H) Spain over (1E) Italy
Argentina will meet Spain in the Semifinals 

Semifinals
(1G) Brazil over (1C) England
(1B) Argentina over (1H) Spain
Argentina will meet Brazil in the Finals

Finals
(1B) Argentina over (1G) Brazil
Argentina wins the World Cup for the first time since 1986!!!!!

"Derek Fisher saves Lakers in Boston" by Ronald Carthen

Kobe Bryant was so tired in the fourth quarter as I thought the Lakers was going to fall apart at any minute. Who would of ever thought Derek Fisher would drop 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a 91-84 win over the Celtics and lead the series 2-1. I feel bad for Kevin Garnett for playing such a great game but where was Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and especially Ray Allen. Allen was 0-for-the entire basketball game. Let's take a look of what I learned in Game 3 of this contest.

Derek Fisher takes over Boston in the 4th quarter!!!!!

Kobe played well in the first three quarters of the game, but in the fourth quarter he struggled and he was gasping for air at times as he was looking very tired. Fortunately for Kobe, Derek Fisher came to the rescue and save the Lakers from a possible humiliating loss. Fisher only scored five point in the first three quarters of the game, but in the fourth quarter he took over the game like Rajon Rondo did in Game 2 of the finals. Fisher drop 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the four quarter and finished with 16 points in this contest. My play of the game was when Fisher took it down court, while the Celtics were not getting back, and made the toughest layup in the playoffs and the foul to extend the lead to seven with less then a minute left in the game. Kobe's reaction was priceless when he was pumping his fist and was happy to see his 35-year old teammate stepping up when it mattered most.

Kobe Bryant was great until the 4th quarter!!!!! 

Kobe Bryant had another brillant performance, at least in the first three quarters. Kobe drop 29 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks. In the fourth quarter, you couldn't tell he was looking so great. He only scored four points on 1-for-6 shooting when he is suppose to shine the most. You can tell he was out of gas and looked very fatigue. His shooting in the last two games has been a bit of a concern as well. The Celtics defense has made Kobe shoot only 18-for-49 in the last two games. He's only shooting over 39% in this entire series. On any other night when Kobe played as bad as he did in the fourth quarter, the Lakers would lose this game. The Lakers can't expect Fisher to play this well in the fourth quarter again. Kobe better figure out a way to make better shot selections. I will say his leadership continues to make his teammates better, especially when Kobe missed his shot, ran after his own offensive rebound and throws it to Andrew Bynum for a layup and the foul on Kevin Garnett. That showed heart and a lot of guts on that play.

Kevin Garnett bullied Pau Gasol all night long!!!!! 

Can you believe Kevin Garnett attacked Pau Gasol and made him look Ga-Soft like he did in the 2008 NBA Finals. KG drop 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in this contest. He was very dominate in the paint as he was aggresive to the basket. He caught easy alley-oops, did a few spin moves, and made Gasol look scared to play some defense. In the fourth quarter, he continued to lead the charge to cut the Lakers lead 82-80 with more then 2:00 minutes left in the game, but that was as close as the Celtics would get in this game.  He tried to set the tempo of the game on scoring the Celtics first six points of the game, but too bad the rest of his starters didn't feed off his energy. Gasol only made 13 points on only 5-for-11 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. If he thinks the Lakers will continue to win as he struggles he can forget it. He has two more games in Boston and he better show up.

Where was the rest of the Celtics starters?????!!!!!  

Kevin Garnett played well but where was the rest of the starters on his team. Did they know that they were playing at home and had to win Game 3? The rest of his starters scored 33 points on 11-for-39 shooting, that's unacceptable. Don't get me started on Ray Allen as he went 0-for-13 shooting and only scored two points after playing the biggest game of his career when he made 32 points and eight three-pointers. I knew he wouldn't score 30 or more points again but this was outrageous. I'll give Rajon Rondo credit for eight assists in this game, but he only scored 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Can someone tell me where is Paul Pierce in this series? Pierce only scored 15 points but look at what's going on in this series. He's only averaging 16.3 points and only shooting over 36% shooting in the NBA Finals. The sad part was Luke Walton defended him almost as much as Ron Artest and he still couldn't get his shots. Let's see if he steps up in Game 4 in Boston, and by the way Pierce, you will have to win the championship in LA.

Lamar Odom finally shows up last night!!!!! 

Welcome to the NBA Finals Lamar Odom it's about time you showed up. Odom came off the bench and finally showed up in this game. After only scoring eight points on 3-for-9 shooting, he played 28 minutes and drop 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting. Thank you for finally playing some ball and now just maybe you can step up the rest of the NBA Finals. You are going to have to play well especially how good the Celtics bench has played in the last couple of games.       

Trey Songz "Already Taken" official video!!!!!

Redman "Lookin' Fly" official video!!!!!

"2010 World Cup Group Stage Predictions" by Ronald Carthen

I'm so excited that it's three more days until the World Cup in South Africa. Every four years I look forward to watching 32 teams battle on the soccer field to prove who's the best in the world. Today I'll break down who will be the top two teams in each group that will make it to the Round of 16. On Thursday, I'll predict who'll win the World Cup. Get ready soccer fans for a great event and let the debates begin.

Group A

1) France
- Forwards Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka will look to avenge their 2006 World Cup defeat over Italy and win the country's first WC since 1998.

2) Mexico
- Mexico has advance in the second round in thier last four World Cup appearances, but have they have not advance out of the second round since 1986. 37-year old Cuauhtemoc Blanco will have to lead the charge with great young players Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos, and Efrain Juarez, who all played for the 2005 U-17 World Cup team.

3) Uruguay
-  This will be their first WC appearance since 2002 and they haven't advance to the quarterfinals since 1970, when they finished fourth. Forwards Luis Suarez and Diego Floran will have to come up with big goals in the match in order to make the round of 16.

4) South Africa
- A host country has never failed to reach the second round, but I think South Africa will be the first. Steven Pinnear and Katlego Mphela will have to bring their European experience to this event.

Group B

1) Argentina   
- Lionel Messi, world player of the year will try to lead Argentina to their first WC title since 1986. Coach Diego Maradona led the team to the WC in '86 and now must lead his country to the grand prize.

2) Nigeria
- Nigeria missed the World Cup in 2006. Obafemi Martins and Ayegbeni Yakubu will look to send Nigeria to the second round for the first time since 1998. This is the club's fourth WC appearance.  

3) South Korea
- Park Ji-Sung and Ki Sung-Yong are looking to give South Korea the same success they had in the 2002, when they finished in the semifinals as the co-host of the WC.

4) Greece 
- This is only the second WC appearance for this club. I don't think Georgios Samaras and Theofanis Gekas will have enough fire power to succed in this tourney.

Group C 
1) England
- Losing captain Rio Ferdinand was a big lost for England, but I think Wayne Rooney will make it out of the quarterfinals for the first time since 1990, when they finished fourth in the WC.  

2) USA
- Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey will look to avenge their terrible 2006 WC and make it back to the round of 16 like they did in 2002, when they made it to the quarterfinals.

3) Slovenia
- Goalkeeper Smir Handanovic and Slovenia's defense allowed only four goals in 10 games of the qualifying group. They haven't made the round of 16 since 1990, when they were Yugoslavia.  

4) Algeria 
- This is Algeria's third WC appearance and their first since 1986. Antar Yahia and Yazid Mansouri will not be enough for this team to advance.

Group D
1) Germany
- Michael Ballack is out of the WC, but forwards Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski will score enough goals to get out of this group and look to give Germany their first WC title since 1990, when they were East Germany.   

2) Ghana
- Ghana made their WC debut in 2006 and advanced to the second round of the tourney. Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari will try to make this team become the first African to make it to the semifinals.

3) Serbia
- This will be Serbia's first WC as a seperate nation. Dejan Stankovic and Milan Jovanovic will look take this team to the second round for the first time since 1998.    

4) Australia
- This will be Australia's third WC appearance. In 2006, they made it as far as the second round. I don't expect Tim Cahill and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and help this team to get out of this tough group.

Group E
1) Netherlands
- Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben will look to give this country their first ever World Cup. They haven't advance out of the second round of the World Cup since 1998.    

2) Cameroon
- Cameroon hasn't made it to the second round since 1990. Samuel Eto'o and company are looking to make a great run after missing the WC in 2006.

3) Denmark
- This will be Denmark's fourth WC appearance and their first since 2002. Denmark has always made it out of the first round but I think Nicklas Bendtner and Denmark will miss the first round for the first time.

4) Japan
- Japan has made it to the World Cup three times since 1998. Shinji Okazaki and company will not advance in the second round like they did in 2002. 

Group F
1) Italy 
- The defending WC champs will play well in this group. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Andrea Pirlo will keep this team in line for another WC title.  

2) Paraguay
- Paraguay has never made it past the second round of the WC. Oscar Cardozo and Roque Santa Cruz will help this team advance to the second round, but will they advance to the quarterfinals is the big question.

3) Slovakia
- This will be Slovakia's first WC since 1990 and their first as an independant country. Robert Vittek will look to give this team the first WC title but they won't get pass Paraguay. 

4) New Zealand
- This will be New Zealand's first WC appearance since they made their debut in 1982. Ryan Nelsen and Shane Smeltz will look to give their country something to watch but it won't last.

Group G
1) Brazil
- Brazil is the only team to play in every World Cup. Kaka and Luis Fabiano will look to give Brazil their first WC since 2002. I hope they play better then they did in 2006, when they lost in the quarterfinals.

2) Portugal
- Cristiano Ronaldo will look to give Portugal their first World Cup title. They finished fourth in the 2006 WC.

3) Ivory Coast 
- Didier Drogba's broken arm will hurt the Ivory Coast's chances in this tourney. I don't see them playing well without him in their second WC appearance.

4) North Korea  
- This is North Korea's second World Cup and their first since 1966. Hong Yong-Jo and his squad don't stand a chance. 
Group H
1) Spain
- David Villa and Fernando Torres will look to win Spain their first WC. They should have no problem getting out of this group.

2) Switzerland
- Switzerland has made it to the second round five times but hasn't made the quarterfinals since 1954. Tranquillo Barnetta and Alexander Frei will pass Chile and make it to their third straight second round appearance.

3) Chile
- This will be Chile's first World Cup since 1998. Alexis Sanchez and Matias Fernandez will not be enough to get pass Switzerland and move to the next round.

4) Honduras
- This is only Honduras's second WC appearance and their first since 1982. Carlos Pavon and David Suazo will not be enough to get pass this group.     

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"Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo take over LA" by Ronald Carthen

My brother told me if Ray Allen goes off and have a great game, the Celtics would win Game 2, but I didn't expect Ray to go off like this last night. He drop 32 points and an NBA Finals record eight three-pointers in a game to help the Celtics defeat the Lakers 103-94 and even the series at a game a piece. That was the Lakers first home playoff loss since last season's Western Conference Finals. Ray may have been the star, but Rajon Rondo, who recorded his fifth career playoff triple-double, that took control in the fourth quarter and determined the outcome of the game. Take a look at what I think of last night's game while Celtics fans continue to celebrate while the Lakers fans are hating at the moment.

Ray Allen destroys LA with a three-point performance of a lifetime!!!!!  

What a difference a game makes for Ray Allen. In Game 1 of the series, Ray's five fouls limit him to play only 27 minutes and only drop 12 points. In this game he dropped 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting and 8-for-11 at the three-point line. Ray hit his first seven three-pointers and help the team shoot 11-for-16 from three-point range, unlike the last game when they were only 1-for-10. He scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half to set the tone for the game. What was so amazing was that most of his three-pointers weren't even contested. He took advantage of some screens and had so much space to make his three-pointers it was insane. I don't think he'll drop 30 again in this series, but I would not count him out in the next three games in Boston.

Rajon Rondo's 4th quarter gave the Celtics a victory!!!!!

Ray may have been the star, but Rajon Rondo was the reason for this victory. Even though Ray had a great game, he only drop five of his 32 points in the second half. With the game tied 72 in the start of the fourth quarter, you would think Kobe Bryant would take over this game. With Kobe in foul trouble, Rondo took advantage of the situation. Rondo scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter while Kobe was too hesitent to defend him. Rondo's biggest plays came with more then 2:00 left in the game. When the Celtics were only up 93-90, Rondo blocked Derek Fisher's 25-foot three-pointer and then hit a jumper on the next Celtics possesion to extend the lead to five. Then when the Celtics were up 99-93, with 46 seconds left, Rondo runs up behind Kobe and steals the ball to put the Lakers away for good. Rondo finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists to record his fifth career playoff triple-double. The Lakers better figure something in Game 3 or else we'll have a future NBA Finals MVP on our hands.

Kobe Bryant's foul trouble cost the Lakers a victory!!!!!

Kobe Bryant's foul trouble played a huge role in this basketball game. I have to admit his third foul, when he barely touched Ray Allen with 3:20 left to go in the half, and his fourth foul, when Rondo fell down while going after the ball, was pretty bad calls and it change the momentum of the game. While Kobe was on the court, the ball movement was great, but the Lakers looked a little scared at times to make plays while Kobe was on the bench. The Celtics were up 42-28 with more then 7:00 left in the half, but Kobe led the Lakers with a second half charge and hit a big three-pointer to cut the lead to six at the half. Then the Lakers started the second half with an 11-2 run to take a 59-58 lead. Then Kobe's fourth foul and fifth foul in the second half hurt him on defense and allowed Rondo to look like the best point guard in the league. Kobe finished with 21 points and played 34 minutes in the game. This was the first time he didn't scored 30 points in five games.

Lakers frontcourt was better then the Celtics frontcourt!!!!!

The Celtics may have won the game, but Doc Rivers has to be concerned on how Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins played on the offensive end. They combined for only 28 points and just 8-for-23 from the field. Pierce did draw some fouls and went 6-for-6 at the free throw line, but there's no way they will continue to win games that way. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest combined for 52 points on 14-for-30 shooting. Gasol and Bynum's size plays a big role in this series. They combined for 13 of the Lakers 14 blocks while the Celtics only had three blocks in this game. The Lakers have to continue to take advantage in the paint and defend the post very well.

Celtics bench came up big in this game!!!!!  

The Celtics bench came up huge in this game. They outscored the Lakers bench 24-14 and came up big when the team's starting frontcourt struggled. Glen Davis came up huge, while KG continues to struggle in this series. Davis was huge in the start of the fourth quarter with a two-handed jam to give the team a 76-72 lead and a big hook shot to tie the game at 78. He finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of action. When Rondo needed a rest on the bench in the start of the 4th, Nate Robinson was ready to explode. With the Celtics down 80-78, Nate Robinson hit a big three-pointer to give his team the lead. Then on the next Celtics possesion, Nate made a lay up to extend the lead to lead. He wasn't even scared to get physical with Andrew Bynum to draw a foul. He finished the game with seven points in six minutes. Where was Lamar Odom in this series? Odom has only scored eight points on 3-for-9 shooting in this series. Lamar better get it together soon or else the starters are going to have to step it up a notch.                                       
                
            

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"Kobe and the Lakers focused in Game 1" by Ronald Carthen

I knew the Lakers would win this series but I didn't think they were going to make it look this easy and defeat the Celtics 102-89. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were more physical on defense, never thought I would say that, and they made fastbreak and second chance points look so easy. Can you believe the Lakers outscored the Celtics 16-0 in second chance points and 48-30 in the paint? I couldn't believe it either. Kobe was so determined to win this game, he ignored Chris Rock while he was telling jokes as he was sitting on the bench. Where was Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen did they even show up. Take a look at what I learned from Game 1 of this contest.

Kobe Bryant's Revenge has begun in the Finals!!!!!

Kobe Bryant was ready to get his revenge on the Celtics for ruining his 2008 season. Kobe dropped 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. He has now scored 30 or more points in 12 out of 17 playoff games this season. He shut down Rajon Rondo, who finished with only 13 points and eight assists, and had a huge block on Tony Allen's dunk attempt. He played a big role on the Lakers going on an 11-2 run to give the Lakers an 84-64 lead heading to the fourth quarter. He and Paul Gasol combined for 53 points while the Celtics starters combined for 73 points. I've never seen Kobe look so determine to defeat an opponent then I can remember in his 13-year career. He's probably sitting at home like an evil genius watching game film of what could be done to get better and defeat the Celtics. This will be no different in Game 2 and you can expect him to continue to guide his team with the same intensity as they did in Game 1.

Pau Gasol dominates Kevin Garnett, what a difference two years makes!!!!

Pau Gasol learned a lot from the 2008 NBA Finals and made Kevin Garnett look very soft in Game 1 of this series. Gasol drop 23 points and 14 rebounds while KG couldn't get it going at all in this game. It was so easy for Gasol to score in the paint and he looked more aggresive then KG, never thought I would say that. With Paul Pierce struggling to get baskets and Ray Allen in foul trouble, it was difficult to ask for KG to take over a game. KG scored only 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting in 34 minutes of the game. He even missed an open layup with 5:30 left to go in the game. Not to mention he let Jordan Farmer come in the lane to get an easy layup, come on KG!!!! Gasol just looked more comfortable on the floor, especially when he sprint down court to catch a long pass for a dunk with 6:21 left to play. I've told everyone that KG doesn't look like himself and this series will continue to prove it.

Paul Pierce was shut down by Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant!!!!!

Paul Pierce doesn't do a great job against good defenders. Pierce scored 24 points on only 6-for-13 shooting. He needs to figure out how he can get some more shots in this series. Ron Artest, who finished with 15 points, set the tone for this game when he and Pierce tangled with each other and both went to the ground in the first couple of minutes of the game. Pierce only scored 11 points and 5-for-8 shooting on Artest and scored only 8 points on 0-for-2 shooting on Kobe. Pierce was able to draw seven fouls against both Artest and Kobe. He'll continue to act like he was fouled and get to the free throw line every chance he gets. If Pierce can get at least 20-25 shots a game, the Celtics could come back in this series.

Ray Allen's foul trouble hurt the Celtics!!!!!

The Celtics fininshed with 28 personal fouls but I never thought I would see the day that Ray Allen would have five fouls in a basketball game. I know it's tough to guard Kobe but man you have to question some of those fouls that were called. On his fifth personal foul, Kobe shot a jumper and barely hits Allen's hand. Allen was frustrated throughout the night and he should. He only played 27 minutes and drop only 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting. If they think Pierce will help out Allen defendig Kobe will help they are insane. You can't stop Kobe I've told you that time and time again.

Andrew Bynum played a big role on an injured knee!!!!! 

Andrew Bynum didn't play in the 2008 NBA Finals, but he made a huge difference in this game. You mean to tell me that Kendrick Perkins couldn't stop an injured Bynum. He was there when the Lakers were moving the ball in transition and when the Lakers were showing great ball movement. Bynum finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes with a tear meniscus in his knee. As long as he continues to show he can move on his injured knee, the Lakers won't be stopped.  

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"LAKERS-CELTICS NBA Finals Preview" by Ronald Carthen

We may not get a "Kobe vs. LeBron" NBA Finals, but you can't get any better then the Lakers and the Celtics in the NBA Finals. This will be the 12th time that both teams will meet in the finals and the second time in three years. The last time these teams meet was in the 2008 playoffs, when the Celtics defeat the Lakers 131-92 in Game 6 to win the NBA title and Paul Pierce won the Finals MVP. I remember how angry Kobe Bryant was when he walked off the court while Kevin Garnett and his teammates celebrated and embraced that they finally accomplished their goal. Here we are again as we will see an epic NBA Finals for the ages. Will Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen celebrate as the two-time champs or will the defending champs Kobe Bryant and the Lakers get their revenge and win back-to-back titles. Check out my breakdown of what to expect from both teams and who I predict will win this series. Enjoy the article and let the debates begin.

Who will stop Kobe Bryant? No one so get used to it!!!!! 

The Celtics defense is the most amazing defense the league has seen in a while, but how will Ray Allen or Paul Pierce stop a man that looks determined to win it all again. Kobe is averaging 29.4 points on over 48% from the field and over 40% three-point shooting and averaging 6.2 assists. Check out how his points per game increased in each round: West 1st Round vs. Thunder (23.5 ppg), West Semifinals vs. Jazz (32.0 ppg), and West Finals vs. Suns (33.7 ppg). He has scored 30 points or more in 11 of 16 playoff games this year. I would like to challenge any Celtic to shut him down in the finals.

Rajon Rondo is going to destroy Derek Fisher!!!!!

Rajon Rondo is having a breakout postseason year and it will continue against 35-year old Derek Fisher. Fisher has been bullied by many point guards in the playoffs. Check out the opposing point guards Fisher has faced: Russell Westbrook (averaged 20.5 ppg on over 47% shooting, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists), Deron Williams (averaged 22.0 ppg and 8.8 assists) and Steve Nash (averaged 17.7 ppg on over 52% from the field and 11.8 assists). Rondo has averaged 16.7 points and 10.0 assists this postseason. He will be the Lakers major concern heading to the finals. Kobe is going to have to help Fisher defend Rondo or else Rondo can possibly be the NBA Finals MVP.

Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest will be very interesting!!!!!

Paul Pierce averaged 21.8 points over 43% shooting and averaged 6.3 assists in the 2008 NBA Finals. This time he'll face a totally different beast and his name is Ron Artest. Artest is going to make sure that he will not feel comfortable what so ever when he gets the ball. In the first round against the Miami Heat, he averaged 19.6 points and in the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic, he averaged 24.3 points. When he faced LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Semifinals, Pierce only averaged 13.5 points whil LeBron was defending him. If LeBron can defend him what makes you think Artest won't do any better. Pierce better find a way to draw some fouls and get to the line or else this will not be a good series for him at all.

Pau Gasol can't get Ga-Soft on Kevin Garnett again!!!!!

Pau Gasol has averaged 20.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and shooting over 56% from the field this postseason. He will have a difficult time against Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins in the post but he should be much better. In the 2008 NBA Finals, Gasol only averaged 14.7 points against KG and the Celtics. He can't do that again or else the Lakers will not win the NBA title this year. KG is only averaging 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. He should be healthy but does he look a little injured to you. He didn't look good in the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic as he only averaged 10.3 ppg. Offensively he may not be the same player but defensivly he will be huge in this series. He will have to shut down Gasol once again to increase the Celtics chances on winning the title.

Kendrick Perkins will have to be careful or else he'll miss a game!!!!!

Kendrick Perkins has six technical fouls this postseason, with one rescinded when he walked away from a confrontation and was called for a technical foul and was ejected from the game with two techs in the game. If you get seven techs in the playoffs you will be suspended for one game in the playoffs. You know Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, and even Kobe will try to get into his head and will try to get him angry enough to miss a game in the finals.

Andrew Bynum's knee will be a huge issue in this series!!!!!

Andrew Bynum didn't participate in the 2008 playoffs with an injury in his left knee and missed the finals. He'll participate in the NBA Finals but he'll play with a small tear meniscus in his right knee. Bynum's minutes dropped in each round of the playoffs: Thunder (29.7 minutes per game), Jazz (24.8 minutes), and Suns (18.2 minutes). I'm not sure if Bynum will be ready to be physical against the Celtics. If he takes one shot to the knee he's done. The Lakers will be lucky if he can play 25 minutes a game in this series.

Home advantage will be huge for the Lakers but the Celtics are dangerous on the road and at home!!!!!  

The Lakers went 8-0 at the Staple Center this postseason, but the Celtics went 6-3 on the road this postseason, including starting the series 2-0 against the Magic on the road in the Eastern Finals. The Lakers must start the series 2-0 to have a great chance of winning this series. The Lakers start the first two games in Los Angeles then play Games 3-5 in Boston and will play Games 6-7 back in LA. If the Celtics win one game in LA, they'll be very relaxed in Boston. The Celtics are 7-2 at home while the Lakers are only 4-4 on the road in the playoffs. Game 1 will be the most important game in the Finals in a long time.

It's prediction time and man what a tough decision!!!!! 

The Celtics starting five with KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, and Perkins have never lost a playoff series. There's always a first time for everything and the Lakers are about to prove it. I'm taking the Lakers in seven because I think Kobe will be so motivated to win this series it's insane. Get ready for a great playoffs and I hope both teams give us a finals we will remember.                                                         

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2010 World Cup Preview (Group B)!!!!! by Ronald Carthen

Today we continue with part two of our World Cup preview with Group B of the 32-team tournament. We take a look at Lionel Messi and Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, and South Korea. This will be one of the toughest groups in South Africa. Take a look on who I predict the top two teams will move on to the 16-team second round of this tourney. Here are my predictions and let the debates begin.   

   

1) Argentina (FIFA rank: 7th)

- Argentina will be one of the favorites to win the World Cup. It took them the last game of the qualifying tournament to qualify with a 1-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo, where they havn't won since 1976. They will be led by coach Diego Maradona, who scored five goals and led Argentina to a WC final victory in 1986. This country hasn't won the WC since then but coach Maradona is ready to give this team the golden ball. The team will be led by forward Lionel Messi, the best player in the world in my opinion. The Barcelona forward was the 2009 player of the year and led his team to the Summer Olympic gold medal in 2008. He scored 34 of 49 his goals with Barcelona in the Spanish Primera Division (8 in the UEFA Champions League). Midfielder Javier Mascherano is the team's national team captain. Mascherano has won gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He's the defensive midfielder for Liverpool in the Premier League. Another striker you want to watch out for is forward Carlos Tevez. Tevez has made 50 appearances with the national team. He scored 23 of his 30 goals with Manchester City in the Premier League this season.

 






2) Nigeria (FIFA rank: 21st)  
- Nigeria defeated Kenya 3-2 to advance in the World Cup thanks to a lost earlier in the qualifying tournament when Tunisia lost to Mozambique in their final game. The team will be led by coach led by former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback. The 61-year old coach led Sweden to knockout rounds in the WC in 2002 and 2006. He will be the team's 23rd coach since 1949. Forward Obafemi Martins has scored 16 goals in 21 international appearances. He scored six of his eight goals for Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga. Yakubu Aiyegbeni will be the team's best striker in the tourney. Yakubu scored 16 of his 20 goals with Everton in the Premier League this season. Peter Odemwingie will be a good swingman for this team. Odemwingie scored six goal and six assists for Lille in the French Ligue 1.

3) South Korea (FIFA rank: 47th) 
- South Korea finished first over Japan and Australia in the Asian zone group to advance in the World Cup. This will be their eighth appearance in the WC. They only made it out of the first round once, when they finished fourth in the WC as the co-host country with Japan. The team will be coached by Huh Jung-Moo, who became the coach in 2007. He guided the team in 1998 in the WC and said he'll step down after the tournament no matter what. Midfielder Park Ji-Sung will play in his third WC. The Manchester United Midfielder scores three goals in the Premier League. His experience will be huge for this team. Ki Sung-Yueng scored five goals for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. His accuracy will be big for this team. Lee Chung-Yong will be a good swingman for this tourney. He plays for Bolton in the Premier League and was a member of the 2008 Olympic team.

4) Greece (FIFA rank: 13th)
- This is will be Greece's second World Cup appearance. Their last appearance was in 1994 when they were eliminated in the first round. They made it to the WC with a group that featured Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg. The team will be led by 71-year old coach Otto Rehhagel, the oldest coach in the WC. This will be Otto's first WC appearance and man does he have a tough group. Theofanis Gekas scored 10 goals in the European qualifying group and will be a striker you will have to watch out for in this tourney. Georgios Samaras scored 10 of his 13 goals for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. Georgios was eligble to play for Australia but he decided to stay.

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Kobe's redemption tour 2010: Next stop-Boston by Chris Wallace

Memories are sometimes lost in the everyday shuffle of life and its happenings. It was only two years ago..two Junes ago..two NBA seasons ago..however you want to put it, Kobe Bean Bryant hasn't forgotten nor have his purple and gold teammates who sat through the nightmare and humiliation of being destroyed by 39 points in the clinching game of the 2008 NBA Finals. And for good measure, Boston fans made sure the Lakers remembered this one as they rocked their team bus, threw rocks at them and sent them onto their hotel more beaten and battered mentally than they have ever been.


As Kobe, with tears in his eyes, marched through the parade of streamers, balloons, fans and Celtic players celebrating on that fateful night two years, he glanced briefly over at the players as they danced, laughed and celebrated winning something that he felt was his. Following that game, Paul Pierce and other Celtic players even took verbal jabs at Kobe stating that he was "overrated" and even Pierce went as far to say that he "was better than Kobe." Kevin Garnett bullied Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom damn near into submission and even jawed consistently with Kobe during the series. And James Posey even smirked at Kobe a number of times as he walked away in frustration throughout the series.

Interestingly enough, the NBA Gods have found a way to bring these two teams together again to battle for what these two teams have consistently won over the years: the NBA Title. And if Kobe's performance against the Suns and his stone-faced, one-word answers were any indication of his focus and desire to defend his title, the Celtics are in for an epic performance from one of the all-time greats and the game's pre-eminent star. As Kobe declared this matchup "sexy," the physicality that will be sure to take place between these two years will surely be far from that and in fact, the war of words have already begun. The "Beat L.A." and "We want Boston" chants had already started in each team's respective conference finals series and players carefully selected words not to insult their respective opponents at that time. But from day one, as much as Kobe wouldn't have minded facing his old buddy Shaq in the NBA Finals or beating Dwight Howard into submission again, nothing makes his blood boil more than a chance at redemption against the hated Celtics especially after the manhandling, humbling defeat in the 2008 NBA Finals. That, perhaps, was one of the low moments in the career of Kobe when he's had a career full of the opposite.

And at 31, this could potentially be his final chance to beat the green and validate, even more, a career that has him on the fast track to the Hall of Fame the day he retires. No one felt that the Celtics would be here this season and there's reason to believe they won't be back. But for Kobe, seizing the moment is all he cares about. His game filled with rage, he remembers what happened to his team two years ago in Boston. Having already obliterated the Suns, who eliminated him in 06 and 07, the mission is now Boston and the images of two years ago are burned into his soul....until Kobe hoists the trophy for the fifth time sometime in mid-June!

2010 World Cup Preview in South Africa (Group A)!!!!! by Ronald Carthen

Today we begin our preview of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which begins on June 11th. 32 teams around the world battle for the biggest prize in soccer. You only get to see this every four years so you better enjoy while it last. We begin with the Group A which features France, Mexico, South Africa, and Uruguay. I'll preview each team and let you know in each order how they'll finish as the top two teams in each group will move on to the 16 team knockout stage. Enjoy my predictions and let the debates begin.

     

1) France (FIFA rank: 9th) 
- The 2006 runner-up was very lucky to get past Ireland thanks to defender William Gallas' extra-time goal to finish second to Serbia in qualifiying Group 7 Stage. Captain and forward Thierry Henry will always be remembered for using his hand to set up the game-winning goal against the Irish to move on to the WC, but he's one of the best forwards in soccer. Henry will be the only player from the 1998 World Cup championship team to play in this event. The Barcelona captain could be playing on the bench since coach Raymond Domenech uses a 4-3-3 formation. Midfielder Franck Ribery is one of the best wingman from German Club Bayern Munich. Ribery will be able to get his goals and set up great shots for his players to get the goals his team needs. Forward Nicolas Anelka is one of the better scorers on this squad, but has never scored a goal in the WC. Anelka has scored 11 of his19 goals from Chelsea in the Premier League this season. Defender William Gallas will have to be a force a defend any forward that's ready to hurt their chances at the cup. Forward Yoann Gourcuff emergence will have to be a key as well. Gourcuff scored eight goals and 11 assists this season with France and Broaduax.

2) Mexico (FIFA rank: 17th)
- It took Mexico three coaches to advance to the WC. Coach Javier Aguirre came back to the team after Hugo Sanchez failed to qualify the team to the 2008 Summer Olympics and Sven-Goran Erikson coaching the team to only 13 games and six defeats. Aguirre lead the team to five straight wins to advance to the WC. Mexico has reach the second round for times and that's as far as they go. They havn't made the quarterfinals since 1986 and they are ready to take the next step with this football club. 37-year old forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco came back to Mexico and missed the 2006 WC after having differences with then coach Ricardo La Volpe. 21-year old forward Carlos Vela will bring great youth to the squad. He's not seeing much time with the team but he's was the leading scorer for the U-17 WC team in 2005. Defender Rafael Marquez will play a big role on defense to shut down forwards in this event. The Barcelona defender has won two UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, a Spanish Super Cup and the Catalonian Cup.

3) Uruguay (FIFA rank: 16th)

- Uruguay made the tournament after a qualifying fifth out of a 10-team South American group with 62-year old coach Oscar Washington Tabarez will coach for this team for the first time in 20 years. Uruguay missed the last WC in 2006 and was out hasn't reach the second round since 1990. The team will be led by forward Diego Forlan, who scored 18 of his 22 goals this year with Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Primera División this season. Forward Luis Suarez, the captain of Dutch club Ajax, scored 35 goals this season and will be a huge striker for this team.              

4) South Africa (FIFA rank: 83rd)
- This will be the biggest soccer event in this team's history. They are the host country so they already automatically qualify. They may become the first home country to not advance in the second round. The team is led by Midfielder Steven Pienner, who plays for team Everton, is the biggest profile name on the squad. Midfielder Aaron Mokoena has played in the most country appearances and will surpass 100 this year. Forward Katlego Mphela scored two goals againt Spain in the third-place game of the Confederations Cup and will not be overlooked in the WC this year. 

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