Euro 2012 Fearless Predictions - Day 10

After one of the most dramatic days in the tournament, we turn our attention to Group B where every team has a chance to advance to the knock-out stage. Since I am on my way to Toronto after a fantastic wedding weekend on the eastern shore of Maryland, the fearless predictions will unfortunately be short yet again.

Euro 2012 Fearless Predictions - Days 6-8

You could argue I have been lazy, but I would rather say I have been pre-occupied. See, I have traveled down south to the coast of Maryland for the lovely wedding of two good friends from business school. Unable to post any fearless predictions, has clearly left my readers in a loop, but here is recap of what I would have predicted.

Euro 2012 Fearless Predictions - Day 2

Whoa, I think I barely survived Day 1 at the Euro. This is the beauty of this tournament, you honestly have no idea what to expect. So let's just jump right into Day 2.

Euro 2012 - Group B Preview

Group B at Euro 2012 is truly a 'Group of Death.' Two of the proverbial favorites for the title, Germany and the Netherlands, along with talent-filled Portugal and the always dangerous Denmark comprise Group B. All six matches between the teams will be fascinating encounters that should produce some of the best football at the tournament.

Fearless Predictions - Women's World Cup - Day 6

Live from New York . . . . it's your fearless predictions. Yes, it's true I have embarked on a little holiday, leaving Toronto and Canada in the good hands of Prince William and Pippa's sister Kate Middleton. Regardless, do not expect the same tenacity with the fearless predictions but here they are regardless.

Fearless Predictions - Women's World Cup - Day 2

After achieving perfection on the first day of the Women's World Cup, there is only way to go from here . . . . and unfortunately that is down. I must say the view from the top was rather lovely. Onto the predictions.

Women's World Cup Preview - Group B

Group B, at first glance, looks relatively straight forward as both Japan and England are favored to advance to the knock-out stage. However, Mexico should not be discounted as they recently beat the United States in the Concacaf qualifying tournament while New Zealand could always be a darkhorse.

Who Can Still Qualify?

Group A

Uruguay need only a draw to progress to the next stage in first place. Should they lose and France or South Africa draw, they will qualify in second place. Should they lose and one of France and South Africa wins, it will come down to goal difference.

Mexico need only a draw to progress to the next stage in second place. Should they lose and France or South Africa draw, they will qualify in second place. Should they lose and one of France and South Africa wins, it will come down to goal difference.

France require a win over South Africa; and for Uruguay and Mexico not to draw; and to secure a superior goal difference to the losing side of the other fixture, in order to qualify in second place.

South Africa require a win over France; and for Uruguay and Mexico not to draw; and to secure a superior goal difference to the losing side of the other fixture, in order to qualify in second place.

Group B

Argentina need only avoid defeat against Greece to qualify in first place. Defeat is fine, too, unless it is by three or more goals, and South Korea win, in which case they will finish third. Second place is possible if they lose by a high margin to Greece but are not leapfrogged by South Korea.

South Korea are guaranteed to qualify in second place if they win and Greece drop points; or if they win by a higher margin than Greece; or the same margin whilst preserving a goals scored superiority.

Greece will finish second if they secure more points than South Korea. If they win and South Korea win, then it comes down to three-way goal difference, in which the Greeks must score two goals more than the Koreans.

Nigeria must beat South Korea and hope that Greece lose to Argentina. Only this set of results will see them qualify in second place while scoring more goals than both Greece and South Korea.

Group C

Slovenia will qualify for the next stage with a draw against England. They can also qualify in second place - or even first - with a narrow defeat, providing that Algeria win only by a slim margin against the United States.

United States will guarantee qualification with a win over Algeria, and will finish first if Slovenia can only draw at the time, or if England win by a narrow margin. A draw will be enough if Slovenia beat England, or if Slovenia and England draw while the USA preserve a better goal record than England. The only scenarios that see the USA finish first instead of second is if they secure a better goal difference than Slovenia whilst the Europeans draw with England; or if England beat Slovenia and the USA retain a better goal difference than them. Meanwhile if the USA lose they are definitely out.

England are guaranteed to progress if they defeat Slovenia. They can also qualify in second place if both matches end in a draw and they score three more than the United States do in their tie with Algeria (e.g. 3-3 and 0-0.) Defeat eliminates England entirely, as does a draw if either USA or Algeria pick up a win. First place is possible for England only if they win and the USA and Algeria draw, or Algeria win.

Algeria cannot win the group but can qualify in second if they beat the USA and Slovenia win; draw; or lose by a significantly greater margin than Algeria currently possess.

Group D

Ghana need only avoid defeat to qualify. If Serbia beat Australia and Ghana and Germany draw, Ghana finish second. If Serbia beat Australia and Germany beat Ghana, Ghana finish third.If Australia draw with Serbia and Ghana retain their goals scored advantage over Serbia in a one-goal loss, Ghana qualify in second; a larger margin of defeat results in a third place finish. If Australia beat Serbia and Ghana lose, Ghana qualify in second place.

Germany will qualify in first place with a win over Ghana, assuming Serbia fail to beat Australia by a three goal margin. A draw with Ghana will see them through in second if Australia and Serbia draw; or if Australia win without repairing their goal difference. Any other scenario results in elimination for the Germans.

Serbia will qualify with a win over Australia. They will finish second in doing so unless Ghana and Germany draw; or if Germany win and Serbia can repair their goal difference over them. A draw will be sufficient for Serbia to qualify in second place if Germany lose; or if Germany win and Serbia secure a better goal record than Ghana.

Australia will qualify in second place if they beat Serbia and Ghana beat Germany. They can also qualify in second if they win and Ghana and Germany draw, providing that Australia  can overcome a mammoth goal difference margin of seven; or if Germany beat Ghana and Australia can overcome a their goal difference margin vis-a-vis the Africans. Realistically Australia need a win, and a Ghana win.

Group E

Netherlands have already qualified and are likely to finish first. They will only finish second if they lose and if the winner of the Denmark-Japan fixture can secure a better goal record than the Dutch.

Japan will qualify in second place with a draw or a win against Denmark. They can win the group if the Dutch lose and the Japanese can secure a superior goal record while winning versus Denmark.

Denmark will qualify in second place with a win against Japan - no other result will suffice. They can win the group if the Dutch lose and the Danes can secure a superior goal record while winning versus Japan.

Cameroon are eliminated.

Group F

Paraguay Paraguay will qualify for the next stage in first place with a win against New Zealand. They can also finish second if they lose and Italy and Slovakia draw; or if Slovakia beat Italy while repairing their goal difference deficit over the Paraguayans. Any other scenario results in elimination.

Italy will qualify with a win over Slovakia. They will also qualify if they draw and Paraguay defeat New Zealand; or if they draw while Paraguay and New Zealand draw, while scoring more than New Zealand. Should Italy and New Zealand both draw by the exact same scoreline then a drawing of lots will take place to determine qualification. Italy can only finish in first place if they win, while Paraguay and New Zealand draw and Italy achieve a better goal difference than Paraguay. Or, if Italy win, New Zealand win, and Italy achieve a better goal difference over New Zealand.  Any other scenario will result in elimination.

New Zealand New Zealand will qualify in first place with a win over Paraguay unless Italy also win with a bigger scoreline. They can also qualify in second if they draw and Italy and Slovakia draw, and while doing so also score more than Italy (e.g. 1-1 and 0-0.) Should New Zealand and Italy both draw by the exact same scoreline then a drawing of lots will take place to determine qualification. Any other scenario will result in elimination.

Slovakia cannot finish first. They will finish second if they win and New Zealand fail to beat Paraguay. They can also qualify in second place if they win and New Zealand defeat Paraguay, providing that the Slovakians can repair their goal difference deficit over the South Americans.

Group G

Brazil have already qualified for the last 16. A draw is all they need to clinch top spot.

Portugal need only a draw to qualify, but a win will see them top the group. They will also qualify if they lose and Ivory Coast fail to win. They can still lose in the event of an Ivory Coast victory so long as the two results don't result in a swing of nine or more goals. Should Portugal lose 3-0 and Ivory Coast win 6-0 then lots will be drawn to determine who progresses.

Ivory Coast require a win, coupled with a Portugal defeat, which ensures a minimum nine-goal swing to progress. A 6-0 victory and a 3-0 Portugal defeat will be mean a drawing of lots.

North Korea are eliminated.

Group H

Chile only need a draw against Spain to qualify as group winners. They will also progress even if the lose and Switzerland fail to beat Honduras. A win will guarantee top spot.

Spain will qualify top of the group if they defeat Chile by even a single goal and Switzerland do not beat Honduras by two goals or more. If Spain can only draw with Chile, they will only progress if Switzerland fail to beat Honduras. If Spain lose, they can still advance provided Switzerland also lose by an equal or bigger margin.

Switzerland will make the last 16 if they defeat Honduras and Spain can only draw with Chile. If Switzerland only manage a draw, they can still go through if Spain lose to Chile. Switzerland can finish top of the group if they win and Spain beat Chile, but they must have a better goal difference than both Spain and Chile. If Switzerland and Spain are levelled on points, goal difference and goals scored, the Swiss will go through having beaten Spain.

Honduras cannot finish top of the group. They can only finish second if they beat Switzerland and Spain lose to Chile, and they record a better goal difference than the Spaniards.

Day 12 Fearless Predictions

The final group games start on Day 12, and two groups will be settled at the end of the day. Both Group A & Group B are in action and all the teams are theoretically alive for the knockout stage, so the games should be exciting and with the Greeks in action, I am sure that I will be fired up as well. Speaking to the Greece -Argentina match, I will be hosting a live chat at 2:00 p.m. EST during the match, so readers can interact with me during the match. There might be times where I will be incoherent and unable to type but for the most part it should be a good session. Onto the picks!

Day 12

France - South Africa

Wow, what a disaster the French team have been, considering the amount of talent that this team possess. Patrice Evra will be dropped from the team due to his altercation with the coach and I suspect several changes will be made to the starting line-up. For South Africa, they are in danger of becoming the first host team to not qualify for the knock-out stage. I think the French situation  is out of control and see South Africa playing worry-free football and winning the game for their people.

France - South Africa (0-2)

Mexico - Uruguay

Both teams need a draw to advance to the last 16, and somehow these things always work out. I am not suggesting collusion or anything along those lines, but these things always work out, that's all I am saying. Furthermore, both teams will be looking for a relaxing game before their Round of 16 matches. A bore draw is on the cards.

Mexico - Uruguay (1-1)

Nigeria - South Korea

The Nigerians need a victory against South Korea and must hope for Argentina to beat Greece, to have any chance to advance to the Round of 16. The Koreans are through to the next round with a draw or victory coupled with an Argentine victory. This match should be wide open and I expect Nigeria to win the match.

Nigeria - South Korea (2-1)

Greece - Argentina

Ahhhh, if only the gods could evoke the memories of 2004 then Greece perhaps will have a chance. I suspect that King Otto will play a defensive game looking to play for the draw and then hopefully use the counter-attack to grab a vital goal. Argentina on the other hand are practically through to the Round of 16 and I expect Diego Maradona to rest some of his veteran players.

Greece - Argentina (1-1)

OVERALL RECORD

17-15

Day 7 Fearless Predictions

Back to below .500, I really am an expert, aren't I? Day 6 saw Uruguay and the one-man show of Diego Forlan dominate South Africa, while the Swiss and Chileans recorded 1-0 wins over Spain and Honduras respectively. It was extremely disappointing to see another favorite under perform, but let's not talk about that, we are onto Day 7 and the picks are in.

Day 7

Argentina - South Korea

Both teams recorded victories in their first match at the World Cup. A victory for Argentina will see them climb to the top of Group B while the South Koreans can also climb the summit with a victory of their own. Maradona has taken the brunt of the pressure off the Argentines with his larger than life personality, while the Koreans exhibit a workmanlike attitude toward their football. In this match I see Lionel Messi pocketing his first goal with a second scored by substitute Diego Milito.

Argentina - South Korea (2-0)

Greece - Nigeria

Greece were extremely poor in their match against South Korea and will need a more determined effort against a Nigerian squad that played well against Argentina. I see Greece scoring a goal, their first in a World Cup, but allow two to the Nigerians and at the end of the day will be in last place in Group B. I expect Nigeria to use their speed along the flanks to expose the slower Greeks.

Greece - Nigeria (1-2)

France - Mexico

With Uruguay's dominant victory over South Africa, this match represents a must win for both teams if they are trying to finish first in the group. Mexico are the more cohesive team and I see them coming away with a 2-1 victory. The French are an absolute mess and if Gallas can't play in the back, I don't see any hope for Les Blues.

France - Mexico (1-2)

OVERALL

8-9

Day 2 Fearless Predictions

Let's keep the good times rolling, shall we?

Day 2

South Korea - Greece

Ahh, my beloved Greeks. Remember I am not impartial I am emotionally invested in the game, and I think two headed goals which would be Greece's first goals ever in the World Cup will lead 'The Pirate Ship' to the big win. However, I have been wrong before and will be wrong again, so don't bet on the game.

South Korea - Greece (1-2)

Argentina - Nigeria

This, in my humble opinion, is a walk in the park for the Argentines. Lionel Messi gets his first goal of the tournament and Maxi Rodriguez adds a second while the Nigerians will struggle to form any attempt of what might be considered as an attack on the Argentine net.

Argentina - Nigeria (2-0)

England - United States

Well, this is the big game of the day isn't it? This game will probably draw the largest TV audience ever for a football broadcast in the United States. However, with all the momentum that soccer is building stateside I think the Brits are just too damn talented for a plucky US squad. Should be a great game, but Rooney and Lampard do the honors for the Three Lions on this day.

England - United States (2-1)

OVERALL RECORD

1-1

Group B Preview

Overview:

Group B is definitely going to be a little more personal than the other groups with the inclusion of my beloved Greek national team. While, they may not be able to re-kindle the magic of 2004, trust me, when I tell you this I will be there watching every game, screaming at the top of my lungs, jumping up and down, and occasionally removing items of clothing as the clock ticks to 90, don't ask me to explain. So where to begin, let's just start at the top where Argentina should find themselves at the end of the group stage. Argentina has enough fire power with Messi, Aguero, Milito, Tevez and Di Maria to field two teams, however the problem with any Argentine team is discipline and defense, and I am not 100% sure Maradona will be able to control those emotions. As for the Nigerian Super Eagles, they recently placed Swedish manager Lars Lagerback in charge. Lagerback will organize the squad but this version of the Super Eagles is not as talented as previous editions and with the loss of John Obi Mikel through injury, things could get tough. South Korea does not have the star power of Argentina but do possess an organized team led by Park Ji-Sung, but it must be noted that they have yet to win a World Cup match outside of South Korea. The Greeks have been very disappointing in the near lead-up to the World Cup but with the doggedness of King Otto Rehhagel leading the charge perhaps another miracle is in order.

Players To Watch:

Argentina - Lionel Messi - Messi is arguably the best player in the world, and this is his opportunity to further illustrate that. Messi was phenomenal this last domestic campaign with Barcelona the only question is if he can replicate his form with Argentina. Maradona has built this version of the Argentine squad around Messi, so all the appropriate measures are in place for him to have a great tournament.

Nigeria - Peter Odemwingie - Born to a Russian mother and Nigeria father Odemwingie was probably the best player for Nigeria during the recent African Cup of Nations. Known as Osaze to the Nigerian faithful a strong World Cup will lead to a host of suitors for his services. Odemwingie has explosive pace and has a propensity to attack from the left.

Greece - Giorgos Karagounis - The current captain for the Greek national team supplies all the set pieces for 'The Pirate Ship.' He plays with unmatched tenacity and emotion, and should be the fulcrum for the Greek attacks. Karagounis also would not hesitate to get stuck into a tackle and could see his fare share of yellow cards.

South Korea - Park Ji-Sung - Park is the key member of the South Korean squad and he captains the national team. Although he is carrying an injury into the World Cup, Park will be looked as the key member for the squad. Furthermore, with a younger squad, the South Koreans will look to Park for leadership and his experiences in Europe with Manchester United.

Projected Order Of Finish:

Argentina

Greece

Nigeria

South Korea