Germany V. Italy

This should prove to be a great match. I expect it to be a defensive struggle, but we should see some excellent soccer from the Germans, who have featured one of the Cup's better attacking sides. Unfortunately, FIFA, that bureaucratic monolith of myopia, has suspended Germany's Torsten Frings for his bitch-slapping of an Argentinan player, after Argentina initiated a handbag session after the Germany-Argentina match.

Will Germany be happy that it was an Italian news channel that dug up and presented the video evidence that got Frings suspended? Hmmmm. Doubt it.

Aside from the fact that Argentina started the fight (and so far, I don't believe any Argies have been punished), suspending Frings from his team's most important match to date, seems a bit out of proportion to the "crime." (by this reasoning, Wayne Rooney should serve a lifetime ban for his soccer boot-near-vasectomy of Ricardo Carvalho)

In the videos I've seen Frings was guilty of nothing more than a love tap to Julio Cruz during a moment of Argentine-created madness. Suspend the sentence entirely. Ban him for a game in the next international match after the World Cup. Don't reward Argentina for their action by hurting Germany and the World Cup by removing a key squad member for a silly (but probably deserved) smack across the mug.

That being said, Germany wins without Frings, 2-1. Ballack finally gets on the scoreboard with a big game. Oliver Hinz weighs in on the match.

Wayne Rooney explains his views on the incident that led to his red card in the Portugal match. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the lad earlier. I really like the way he plays football. He's very intense, but I don't believe he'd intentionally try to ground another guys groin to dust (though it certainly looked bad on the replay, and yes, he was fouled before the incident; should've gone to ground, Wayne). Read to the end of the story. C. Ronaldo's actions causing pain for others.