Sunday's dull, chippy and mostly joyless championship game between Spain and the Netherlands was a fitting end to a tournament that, for the most part, anyway, failed to live up to the hype. Not to say that there were not some dazzling moments in South Africa, but from start to...

Come Sunday, either Spain or the Netherlands will win the World Cup for the first time. That's a big deal, especially when you consider that both teams have long competed for the unwelcome distinction for being the best team to never win the World Cup. After Sunday that debate will...

The commentators, analysts and politicians all had it wrong. In the beginning, they all decried that the World Cup belonged to Africa.

Of the six African teams at the tournament, only one -- Ghana -- survived the group stage. So, Africa was out.

But wait!

The World Cup is moving right along, and it's hard to believe that we are already in the quarterfinals. With some time off before matches resume on Friday, here is a quick primer on each of the four games.

Game 1: Brazil vs. Netherlands...

June 24th, 2010 was a great day for soccer. For on this hallowed day tiny Slovakia -- a small eastern European country with an otherwise insignificant soccer history -- defeated the mighty and evil Italians. The ignominious 3-2 defeat knocked the Azzurri out of...

Does get any better than England vs. Germany at the World Cup? Of all the great match-ups in the round of 16 at the World Cup, none offer the intrigue and excitement of England against Germany. It's a huge game, not just...

Is Landon Donovan's 91st -minute, game-winning goal the biggest goal in US Soccer History? Probably. In order for soccer to be accepted as a legitimate sport here in America, it was vital that the US advance out of Group C. Anything less would have surely been...

Coming off their epic 1-1 draw against England (or win, depending on how you look at things), the US has a huge upcoming match against Slovenia. With Slovenia sitting on three points and leading the group, the US must approach the game with a...

Like any great sporting event, the FIFA World Cup has its own history. Great teams, glorious goals, virtuoso talents, dynasties: it has it all. Amidst the glory of Italy, the brilliant goals of Brazil and Germany's efficient dominance, there is also the dark side of the World Cup....

A few days into the FIFA 2010 World Cup is as good a time as any to take a look back at what we saw, observe any emerging trends and evaluate some of the performances.

The Ball:

Much ink has been split criticizing the official World...

So who will win the World Cup? That is, after all, the question everyone is asking themselves these days. If past results can be used to predict future results, you would be smart to guess the winner would be Brazil, Italy, Germany,...

The World Cup has long been an opportunity for young soccer players on the rise to prove their worth and show their stuff on a global stage. While genuine stars attempt to cement their status as the World's best (see Zidane, 1998;...

The World Cup can be a little bit much for the average Amerian soccer fan. Sure a little footie is great, but the non-stop soccer fest that is the World Cup is overwhelming for casual fans of the game who would rather not debate Theo Walcott's...

Devoted fans of Manchester United were left feeling confused and bitter following England's unceremonious defeat against Portugal in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup. First, striker Wayne Rooney excited the World Cup stage in disgrace, earning a red card and a...

For the first time in the 80-year history of the FIFA World Cup, the world's biggest sporting event will be played in Africa. Some have heralded the competition, hosted by South Africa, to be a triumphant event for the country and the continent, while others look at the...