Injuries Abound and Second Guessing Myself

I know everyone is concerned with the injuries to Drogba, Ferdinand, and Robben, but it appears that even the most casual soccer player is not immune. I rolled my ankle five minutes into my game on Sunday. Rehab is going well. My team of medical experts have called it a mild sprain and I should be back on the pitch in 1 to 2 weeks.

These injuries are really racking up. Maybe even great athletes weren't meant to play in tournaments like this after the long, grueling European season. I can't say I'll cry to many tears about Drogba or Ferdinand, but I'm standing by my pick for the Netherlands to win the Cup. So walk it off, Arjen! I also just read that Portugal will be without Nani. In my opinion, that's a pretty big deal. Cristiano Ronaldo likes to wander into the middle of the park, and losing the speed and service that Nani provides out wide is just going to mean less space for Ronnie to do his thing. I didn't much care for Portugal's chances before, and I think even less of them now.

Also on the subject of picks... I caught a bit of the Germany-Bosnia friendly last week. I know Bosnia is not a powerhouse, but I worry I might have pronounced the death of German football a tad prematurely. I won't revise my picks because that's cheap, but it seems that even if Podolski and Klose completely vanish in this tourney, the Mannschaft have plenty of folks who can step up. I'm definitely worried about that pick.