It’s Argentina…

Captain Mario Kempes celebrates winning Argentina's first World Cup in 1978. Is history about to repeat itself?

AFTER two and a half weeks of slugging it out over three group matches per group and eight knockout matches we have the final eight teams for the 2010 World Cup Finals and it’s time for me to really stick my neck out and make a projection of the final overall winner (some 14 days before the finalists will even be known). So here goes:

Quarter Finals

Netherlands 2 – 2 Brazil (Brazil)

Uruguay 2 – 1 Ghana

July 3, 2010

Argentina 3 – 2 Germany

Paraguay 1 – 1 Spain (Spain)

Semi Finals

July 6, 2010

Uruguay 2 – 2 Brazil (Uruguay)

July 7, 2010

Argentina 3 – 1 Spain

Final Rankings

4th: Spain

3rd: Brazil

(Brazil 2 -1 Spain)

2nd: Uruguay

1st: Argentina

(Uruguay 2 – 3 Argentina)

So there we have it, based on nothing more than the law of averages (that the average number of goals scored in the competition to date is indeed average), I am projecting that Argentina will win their third World Cup (and Maradona’s second in total) with Uruguay (the inaugural hosts and winners) becoming bridesmaids for the first time ever.