The World Cup is right around the corner, only 98 days away. 74 national teams played intense friendly matches on Wednesday to get ready for it, with different objectives.
Some of them wanted to try out new players to see if they have what it takes to be n the 23-man World Cup roster, while others wanted to either validate or find their identity as a team.
Knowing all that, I decided to grade some of the teams that had something to prove in their last serious test before the biggest competition in sports, which starts on June 11.
United States (L 2-1 vs Netherlands): C. The Americans got slapped in the face with a harsh reality check as they were thoroughly dominated by a Dutch squad that is a firm candidate to win it all. Landon Donovan didn't gravitate like he had to, and forward Jozy Altidore was the only one who concerned the Netherlands defense. However, the late rally and almost tying the game after facing a 0-2 deficit raises their grade a bit.
Argentina (W 1-0 vs Germany): B. Finally, a sign of progress that seems to be finding an identity. Beating Germany in Germany is no joke, but it isn't a guarantee of better things to come, just a stepping stone. The defense looked solid, but it is important to find at least one left or right defender that is actually one and not a converted central defender. Messi once again didn't have a good showing, but he is trying.
Spain (W 2-0 vs France): A. This team scares me. They make things look so easy. They dispatched France in Paris with an easy 2-0 win during which it controlled the ball and made a powerful offense that includes Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery look like harmless little puppies.
Germany and France: F . Germany has no offensive punch and serious issues with their goalie, and France continues to look lost without being able to take advantage of all the talent it has on paper. If Wednesday was a guideline of things to come, Germany won't get past the Round of 16 and France could be in serious jeopardy of being eliminated in the first round by Mexico and Uruguay.
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