The World Cup: Previews and Predictions
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on April 14, 2010 in Sports
At long last, the World Cup is heading to Africa. As an American who found his passion for the beautiful game in a few dingy bars in Kenya, I think it is fantastic that an African nation will play host to this year’s event. African fans are amongst the world’s most passionate, and the World Cup could not have gone to a more deserving part of the world.
At HKS, the soccer culture is surprisingly vibrant. Dozens of students are followers of clubs in Europe, South America and the US, countless HKSers play in the Harvard indoor soccer league, and many have plans to attend the World Cup this year (including yours truly). Soccer is truly a global sport for a global school.
To make this little rant/preview appeal to everyone, I’m going to provide some basic background for the newbies, and also give my predictions on the tournament (for the already-fans out there). Let’s get straight to it.
How It Works: Thirty-two nations make the World Cup. The countries are placed into eight different “groups” of four for the tournament, and each team plays the other three teams in its group once during the tournament’s “group stage.” A winning team in the group stage match gets three points, a loser gets zero, and a draw means one point for each team. Once all the group stage games are completed, the top two teams in each group (as determined by points earned in the three group games) goes onto the “knockout stage.” Then it’s single elimination, knockout, just like the NCAA tournament. There are no ties in the knockout games – a draw means extra time, and if necessary, a penalty shootout to determine a winner. In the knockout stage, the 16 teams become 8, then 4, then 2, then 1, and we have our World Cup winner.
Previews and Predictions: Oh boy, the fun part. Some previews, predictions, and players to keep an eye on – they may not always be the stars, but they are key for their team’s success.
Group A – France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay: The French, losers in the finals in 2006 (headbutt, anyone?) should be licking their chops over a pretty easy draw. The hosts are toast though. Players to Watch - Ribery & Gourcuff (France), Forlan (Uruguay), Vela & Marquez (Mexico), Pienaar & Dikgacoi (South Africa); Prediction – Winner: France, Runner-Up: Mexico.
Group B – Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea: Argentina looks good here, but shouldn’t get too cocky – the other teams are solid, and I think South Korea will give them a run for their money. Players to Watch - Messi, Veron, & Di Maria (Argentina), Yakubu (Nigeria), Park & Lee (South Korea), Samaras (Greece); Prediction - Winner: Argentina, Runner-Up: South Korea.
Group C – Algeria, England, Slovenia, USA: The Yanks vs. the Brits. The American Revolution, Part 2. No funny wigs though. Oh, and also the US will get beat this time (though it should be a tight game). Players to Watch - Donovan (USA), Rooney & Gerrard (England), Ziani (Algeria), Novakovic (Slovenia); Prediction - Winner: England, Runner-Up: USA.
Group D – Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia: Though not the recognized “Group of Death,” each team in this group is excellent. Expect the unexpected here. Players to Watch – Schweinsteiger & Ozil (Germany), Essien & Gyan (Ghana), Cahill (Australia), Vidic & Stankovic (Serbia); Prediction - Winner: Ghana, Runner-Up: Germany.
Group E – Cameroon, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan: The Dutch should cruise, and the Danes were dominant in qualifying. But expect this one to be decided in the last match day in the group. Players to Watch – Van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder (Netherlands), Eto’o (Cameroon), Bendtner & Poulsen (Denmark), Nakamura (Japan); Prediction - Winner: Netherlands , Runner-Up: Denmark.
Group F – Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia: 2006 World Cup Champions Italy have a pretty easy group. And I hate to say it, but I think New Zealand will concede a lot of goals. Players to Watch – De Rossi & Cannavaro (Italy), Cardozo (Paraguay), Nelsen & Smeltz (New Zealand), Hamsik & Stoch (Slovakia); Prediction - Winner: Italy, Runner-Up: Paraguay.
Group G – Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal: The Group of Death. Some mouth-watering games in here. Portugal vs. Brazil is a must see. Actually, Anyone vs. Brazil is a must see. Players to Watch – Kaka & Maicon (Brazil), Ronaldo (Portugal), Drogba (Ivory Coast), Hong (North Korea); Prediction - Winner: Brazil, Runner-Up: Ivory Coast.
Group H – Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland: Spain is going to dominate here. One of the best teams in the world, and they play great football. Chile is a nice little sleeper pick too. Players to Watch – Xavi & Villa (Spain), Inler & Frei (Switzerland), Palacios (Honduras), Fernandez & Sanchez (Chile); Prediction - Winner: Spain, Runner-Up: Chile.
Knockout Round 1: France beats South Korea, Germany beats England, Netherlands beats Paraguay, Brazil beats Chile, Argentina beats Mexico, Ghana beats USA, Denmark beats Italy, Spain beats Ivory Coast.
Knockout Round 2 (Quarterfinals): Germany beats France, Netherlands beats Brazil, Argentina beats Ghana, Spain beats Denmark.
Knockout Round 3 (Semifinals): Netherlands beats Germany, Spain beats Argentina.
The Final: Two goals from David Villa beats one from Wesley Sneijder. Spain are Champions of the World!
HKS to Overhaul Town Hall, Eliminate Student Space
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on April 29, 2009 in News
When HKS students return from their summer breaks in the fall of 2009, they will find a very different school than the one they left. Most notably, returning students will find that Belfer’s Town Hall – the site of countless student group meetings, informal interactions, and events – will no longer exist in its current form. Read more
HBS-HKS Debate
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on April 15, 2009 in Features
HBS and HKS face off during the two schools’ annual debate.
HBS and HKS Butt Heads in the Forum
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on April 15, 2009 in HKS News, News
On April 8, students from HKS and the Harvard Business School (HBS) – inspired more by their common interests than a sense of rivalry – came together for the annual HKS-HBS debate. The evening’s topic was global capitalism and the role of government. Read more
PAEs, SYPAs Bring Stress and Excitement to HKS Second-Years
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on March 11, 2009 in HKS News
As the snow melts and winter turns slowly into spring, second-year students in the MPP and MPA/ID programs are increasingly feeling the pressure of their respective capstone masters projects: the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) for MPPs and the Second Year Policy Analysis (SYPA) for MPA/IDs. Read more
Citizen Conversation with… Professor Daniel Hojman
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on February 25, 2009 in Citizen Conversation with..., News
Prof. Daniel Hojman is an economist and professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he has been on the faculty since 2005. Prof. Hojman’s research centers on theories of behavioral welfare economics. He also focuses on political economy issues such as media markets and polarization. The Citizen caught up with Prof. Hojman to discuss the financial crisis, his teaching, and his thoughts on Harvard. Read more
International Day Lights Up the Forum
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on February 25, 2009 in Culture, HKS News
On Friday, February 20, hundreds of Kennedy School students, accompanied by friends and family, descended on the Forum for the Second Annual International Day Celebration at HKS. The evening was marked by a number of student performances, which ranged from an international fashion show to individual musical performances to group dances.
Senior Associate Dean Joseph McCarthy, who along with Dean David Ellwood spoke at the event, was one of many to enjoy the evening’s entertainment.
“You know that the Kennedy School is full of people with amazing life experiences and great GRE scores,” McCarthy said. “But when you come to events like this and realize that people have all these other talents as well, it’s such a treat.”
Students were equally impressed with the showcase.
“It was absolutely amazing to see the entire globe condensed into our Forum,” said Dave Baumwoll (MPP ’10). “It was a privilege to be there, and the performances were really fantastic.”
Some students thought the performances left lasting impressions. “I thought the various traditional dances were particularly interesting,” said Yasser Baki (MPA ’10). “And I definitely think girls should wear saris around the Kennedy School more often!”
The night was not only a treat for the audience, but it was an opportunity for students to showcase their talents and their traditions. For some, it was a chance to learn and perform songs and dances from cultures other than their own.
Youssra Marjoua (MPP ’10), a Tunisian-American who performed in a group Bollywood dance medley, said, “It was a wonderful opportunity to bond with a group of friends and perform some really fun Indian dances for the community. But more importantly, it gave me a chance to appreciate the cultural traditions that motivate the dances we performed.”
“This is by far my favorite HKS event and it was a real pleasure to organize it,” said Paul Isaachsen (MPP ’09), a member of the event’s organizing committee and a performer. “Hopefully it will become one of the enduring traditions of the school.”
Dean McCarthy agreed. “After this event last year, I thought ‘why haven’t we had this type of event every year?’ I’m so glad that this is becoming an HKS tradition. I just love it.”
For Dean Ellwood, the event also carried a deeper significance. “With all that’s going on around the world, it is great to have an uplifting event like this,” he said. “There was so much talent on display, such a strong sense of community, and some really phenomenal international fashions to top it all off! Maybe there is hope for the world after all.”
Obama’s Pull Felt in HKS Classrooms
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on February 11, 2009 in HKS News, News
Barack Obama’s ascendancy to the White House has had a major impact on life at the Kennedy School. Most notably, it has raised overall enthusiasm about government at the school, despite a bleak economic future. However, Obama’s election is also causing some problems at HKS as many of the school’s star faculty members leave to take coveted spots working alongside Obama in the government. Read more
Tragedy in Mumbai Rocks HKS Community
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on December 10, 2008 in HKS News
For many at HKS, the recent attacks in Mumbai and the ensuing siege was an international tragedy. But for others, the disaster hit much closer to home. Read more
A Historic Night at HKS
by Syon Bhanot, News Editor on November 19, 2008 in HKS News
November 4 began like any other day at the Harvard Kennedy School. Students bustled to and from class, and the standard hum of conversations on three different floors filled the forum. But as the day progressed, the sense of excitement began to rise - it was Election Day at HKS. Read more
