With J Hutcherson -- Given the standard response to the FIFA Rankings, here's an idea likely to gain about as much traction as you'd expect. Allow teams to bet a portion of their rankings points on games. If you think you've got another team's number, prove it the old fashioned way.
Throw in a few controls so you don't have small countries gladly handing over tons of points for the privilege of losing to the World's elite or other attempts to game the system. Sound ridiculous? Well, since none of us have actually been allowed to use the FIFA calculator that determines the current rankings, maybe not so much.
FIFA could still do this within the current system, since they're by default already in the business of handicapping to determine the World standings. Let us know before a game kicks off how many rankings points are on offer win, lose, or draw.
All of that to make a simple point. Spain might be the World's number one, but there's an open question as to what that actually means in practice. The way Brazil has been playing, who do you think wins a best of five series on a neutral site?
Say it with me now, Brazil. A team the United States faced last week. That experience made Sunday's win against Egypt possible in more ways than the obvious. Having played Italy and seeing them drop their next game against Egypt, the US was in a pretty good position to know there was a chance Brazil would run all over the Italians.
To paraphrase Kaka, Brazil really is getting better with every game played. In their way, so is the United States. Scoring that third goal against Egypt is the proof of that, because the working mentality was that just winning didn't count on that day. 3-0 did, regardless of what Brazil showed against Italy.
Spain doesn't play the same type of game as Brazil, and is unlikely to overwhelm the US plans as early. Since Bob Bradley has altered those plans accordingly, this is a game that should stay even. Short of South Africa pulling off their own miracle match tomorrow, it should also give Brazil all the scouting they need regardless of who goes through.
For Spain, what Brazil will likely to see is a team that gets by with one-dimensional play because of their man-to-man skill. For the United States, it's a different look than their Group B meeting. That's as tough to deal with.
If the USA has an advantage this afternoon, that would be it. Breaking down expectation and pushing their game on that day. When it works, that day becomes their day. Game on.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
