World Cup 2010 Week 4

I woke up this past Saturday morning after only four hours of sleep to watch the Argentina v. Germany game. Tingling with anticipation, I prepared a breakfast feast of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil on whole wheat toast with a side of avocado and settled into an armchair. I was expecting a battle of the best, but instead Germany slaughtered Argentina almost effortlessly. From the moment I watched Germany play their opening bracket game I knew they would go far. The German team runs like a machine – pushing aside the inherent stress and emotion of the World Cup in order to get the job done. They are solid through and through. Like most other teams, Argentina, despite the attacking prowess of Messi (who finished his World Cup 2010 run without a goal, poor guy), let emotion dictate their play of the game. So, somewhat disappointed but also mesmerized by the German play, I awaited the afternoon game of Spain v. Paraguay.

I expected Spain to CRUSH Paraguay, but Saturday was a day contrary to my expectations. The game started out even enough. Spain, as usual, played down to their inferiors while Paraguay upped the ante. I joined my good friend and her Spanish boyfriend at a bar overrun with Spaniards. They ordered Spicy Chicken Wings and Nachos Supreme while I sipped a Blue Moon and ate my fresh market heirloom tomato and tuna salad brought from home (on the sly, of course). The game became exciting only after the war of the penalty kicks, in which Paraguay missed their golden PK opportunity and Spain countered only seconds later with a PK of their own. I felt bad for Alonso, who after a somewhat badly kicked first PK that went in, had to retake it (and missed) because his teammates ran into the box too early. It was a stroke of luck for Paraguay and realization for the Spanish that they could very possibly lose. Luckily, Spain pulled through and got the goal they needed.

Despite a great start for South American teams, Europe has managed to weasel its way back into favor. The biggest game of all is today, Wednesday July 7th at 2:30PM EST when Germany takes on Spain. It is my opinion that the winner of this game will most likely win the Cup.

Get the recipes:

Mozzarella Sandwich

Heirloom Tomato Salad

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!