You don't want me as a fan

Let's take a look at how I thought the first few games of the World Cup would turn out in order to make my previously articulated brackets work. My predictions:

• Game 1: Costa Rica d. Germany
• Game 2: Poland d. Ecuador
• Game 3: Paraguay d. England
• Game 4: Sweden d. Trinidad & Tobago
• Game 5: Cote d'Ivoire d. Argentina

OK, granted, at least two of those -- Costa Rica and Cote d'Ivoire beating relative powerhouses Germany and Argentina -- would have been major upsets, but at least two of the above games should have been pretty much no-brainers, with the England-Paraguay match supposed to be a good match.

This is the reality:

• Game 1: Germany d. Costa Rica, 4-2 in what turned out to be a relatively exciting game since the Central Americans made the Germans work for it
  
• Game 2: Ecuador d. Poland, 2-0 in a really impressive rout
  
• Game 3: England d. Paraguay, 1-0 in a deserved trouncing -- England played very well and Paraguay has no more Chilavert
  
• Game 4: Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago draw (which is pretty much a major Trinidadian victory in everyone's eyes, including the Trinidadians)
• Game 5: Argentina d. Cote d'Ivoire, 2-1 in a game that started out boring but got more exciting as things went on
  

As I mentioned to someone today, this all goes to prove my expert knowledge... in film.

So when I say I'm gunning for the Netherlands, Mexico and Portugal tomorrow -- well, perhaps you should expect some impressive work by Serbia and Montenegro, Iran and Angola respectively. Egad.