Day 11 Fearless Predictions

Italy ties New Zealand and with that we have officially welcomed you to the World Cup of randomness. I am not sure what to make of all these supposedly football powerhouses playing so poorly, maybe they are just not very good. Regardless, the Brazilians looked great in their victory over the Ivory Coast and Paraguay continued South America's fantastic form with a deserved victory over Slovakia. Day 11 sees the Iberian peninsula in action while Chile & Switzerland will look to seize control in Group H. Onto the picks!

Day 11

Portugal - North Korea

With Brazil's victory over the Ivory Coast, the Portuguese need to win this game and win the game convincingly in order to secure second place in the group and a potential first round match-up against the winner of the Chile & Switzerland match-up later in the afternoon. I expect Portugal to overcome North Korea with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his first goal for Portugal in 18 months.

Portugal - North Korea (2-0)

Chile - Switzerland

The winner of this game will be in pole position to finish in first place in Group H. Chile play a very attacking possession style of football. The spine of the team is the same as the 3rd place team from the 2007 U20 World Cup in Toronto, and the majority of those players are playing in Europe's top leagues. The Swiss will keep their defensive structure and try to hit Chile on the counterattack or via the set-piece. Keep in mind that the Swiss have not conceded a goal in their previous 5 World Cup matches, phenomenal.

Chile - Switzerland (1-0)

Spain - Honduras

Perhaps everyone has overrated Spain, but this is still an immensely talented team that won the Euro in 2008. However, could they be tired? The majority of their players play in La Liga and the Champions League, and participation in both competitions is strenuous and energy sapping. Regardless Spain should and must win against Honduras. I expect the Spanish to play a little more direct, not always looking for the perfect goal, and eventually dominate Honduras.

Spain - Honduras (3-0)

OVERALL RECORD

14-15