The Whole Delivery

While most people are still surprised to hear that Clint Dempsey is a rapper, yours truly has been on his alternate profession since it all started. From 2006, with his rap alias Deuce, it's Dempsey with the late Big Hawk and XO repping Texas music pretty good in the era when the Houston Chopped and Screwed scene was at its most prominent. The World Cup Flashback Friday edition, it's the 2006 American World Cup theme anthem "Don't Tread." More to come today, stay tuned. 

Postgame Version  Photo from Getty Images  Goalkeeper Fatau Dauda and defender John Boye were the determining factors in the US going through over Ghana, with Portugal realistically out of it because of goal difference.  Germany really could have found the opener early on, but good backline defending by the US kept them scoreless. The US even countered with a few moments on the other end, but it was all about Omar Gonzalez remerging as a vital cog for Jurgen Klinsmann's side.  But both Gyan and Portugal had their opportunities today, with Ronaldo guilty of spurring four golden chances to sum up how dreary his World Cup was. Paulo Bento had to deal with injuries (Coentrao, Almeida, Meireles, Postiga) and stupidity (Pepe) in these three matches, but his tenure looks set to be over.  For Kweshi Appaih's side, against a Portugal team that could have been exhausted after Manaus, they could not produce outside of Gyan's leadership. They fell behi...

It takes quite the achievement to top Lionel Messi on a day where he scores two goals at a World Cup, but that is what one young exciting Swiss has done. Xherdan Shaqiri's hat trick makes him the standout player of Day 14. Messi's two latest goals were matched in the same game by 21-year old Nigeria rising force Ahmed Musa , who was at his best against Argentina and showed why he is one of African football's luminous talents. Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic had fine departures to a World Cup that surely will not hurt their reputations. They earned the goals their performances in the previous two matches warranted and will be a major part in a Bosnia side that will be tough in Euro 2016.   While Shaqiri got all the praise, Gokhan Inler 's captaincy to a Swiss revenge victory over Honduras four years in the making shouldn't be overlooked. The Napoli man showed his underrated value with another solid display in midfield, including delivering the key pass...

Best XI For Day 5  The undisputed choices were Muller, Kroos, and Khedira. Muller obviously with no further explanation needed, with Kroos showing once again how great his passing is no matter if he is deep or forward in the midfield. Sami Khedira has found maybe his best after a long term injury absence. Manager Jogi Low needed that so badly in his sea of injuries that now unfortunately includes Mats Hummels.  The rest was not so straight forward, but Hummels and Mehrdad Pooladi definitely deserved their place.  The Borussia Dormund man's fine header broke the game open for Germany before Pepe tried to break Muller's head, while Merhdad did so well to hold firm on the left for Iran while also providing a great ball that Ashkan Dejagah could have given the Persian princes a great victory.   Geoff Cameron throughout the day did as best a job on Asamoah Gyan as a centerback could do and wasn't responsible for that tremendous backheel he set up Ayew ...

Final Thoughts For Croatia:  1) Stipe Pletikosa has been a reliable goalkeeper for so many years for Croatia, but may have seen his final night as his nation's #1. Monaco's Danijel Subastic surely would have at least saved at least two of those goals that went in, including that poor Nyemar penalty, and may have saved all three of them. It is something that Niko Kovac will ponder a lot on over the next few days 2) Kovac will be relieved to have Mario Mandzukic back in the lineup, as Nikica Jelavic showed tonight how far he has fallen from just last year. He offered nothing of significance despite a nervy defense and lively play from Ivica Olic on the left.  3) Considering it was an off night for Ivan Perisic, and the match was always going to be difficult for playmakers Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, Kovac can take confront in his side showing that they have the quality to cause major problems to anyone, anywhere. This performance will certainly make them ...

Photo from Getty Images Projected Lineup:                        Hart  Johnson  - Jagielka  - Cahill - Baines         Henderson -Gerrard- Lallana                           Rooney             Sturridge       Sterling Key Bench Options: Wilshere, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Smalling, Jones, Shaw Team Runthrough  Once again the usual mix of internal pessimism and external castigation of the England program has visited us for another World Cup. Chants of "overrated" despite no one rationally rating the side to be a World Cup title contender has crept in, while the chorus of doom and gloom has pervaded over the country despite being encouraged by its bright young talents.  Roy Hodgson was slammed two summers ago for hi...

Photo from Getty Images Projected Formation:                            Cilessen                  De Vrij- Vlaar- Martins Indi Janmaat                                                   Blind                                     De Jong -  De Guzman/Cassie                                     Snjeder                    Robben             Van Persie    Key Bench Options: De Guzman/Cassie, Huntelaar, Depay, Lens, Verhaegh, Veltman, Wjnaldum   ...

Photo from Getty Images Europe  Projected Formation:                       Buffon  Abate - Bouncci - Chiellini - De Sciglio                          De Rossi           Verratti/Motta        Pirlo  Candreva                                  Marchiso                            Balotelli    Key Bench Options: Immobile, Motta, Insigne, Barzagli, Parolo, Aquilani, Cerci   The Runthrough A surprising runner up finish at Euro 2012 and a relatively smooth qualifying campaign for the four time world champions Italy hasn't stopped intense pressure from being placed onto the shoulders of manager C...

Photo from Getty Images Europe Projected Formation                     Bravo                       Medel- Silva - Jara      Isla                                         Beausejour                        Diaz                          Valdivia      Sanchez                  Vidal                       Vargas  Key Bench Options: Orellana, Carmona Albornoz, Mena, Pinilla, Jose Rojas, Felipe Gutierrez   The Runthrough:  Besides Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal...

Projected Formation                         Ospina Zuniga -   Zapata - Yepes - Armero                  Aguilar - Sanchez          Rodriguez- Guarin- Cuardado                          Gutierrez  Key Bench Options: Martinez, Ramos, Bacca, Ibarbo,  Quintero, Alvarez Balanta      The Runthrough        Before the misfortune of seeing Radamel Falcao go down with a devastating ACL injury in January with Monaco, there was still  major fears for the Colombian nation about their shaky central defense that could ruin their long awaited return to the World Cup Finals.  Falcao's expected loss for the tournament was a psychological blow, but with the new golden generation of attacking talents available f...

Photo From The Mag Projected formation:                               Barry           Aurier  -   K.Toure -    Bamba  -Boka                                                        Tiote    -   Die                                Toure                    Kalou              Gervinho                                                              Drogba  Key ...

Getty Images South America  Projected Formation:                             Muslera  M.Pereira  -   Lugano  - Godin - Caceras                       A.Pereira- Gagano  Ramirez                                        Rodriguez                       Suarez      Cavani  Key Bench Options : Stuani, Lodeiro, Fucile, Forlan, Coates, Rios, Perez  The Runthrough :     Oscar Tabarez was the top tactician of the 2010 World Cup, making the key switch of moving Diego Forlan to the playmakers role and insetting Edison Cavani into the starting lineup that propelled Uruguay to a tremendous fourth place finish in So...

 Photo from Getty Images Projected Lineup:                             Dauda (Kwarasey)        Inkoom    - Mensah  -    Boye   - Asamoah (Afful)                                                   Rabiu                            Muntari   -     Boateng  J.Ayew/Waris                                             Andre. Ayew                                        Gyan            ...