[PREDICTIONS] Argentina has played and beaten Nigeria at the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. But it did not portend well for the Argentines the rest of the way. Formore on Saturday’s games and Soccer America’s predictions …
SOUTH KOREA (0-0-0) vs. GREECE (0-0-0)
June 12 in Port Elizabeth
Kickoff: 7:30 a.m. ET.
Referee: Michael Hester (New Zealand).
PREDICTIONS:
Paul Kennedy: South Korea 1-0
Ridge Mahoney: Greece2-1
Mike Woitalla: Tie 0-0
THE LOWDOWN:
Greece lost allthree games — two against Group B rivals Argentina and Nigeria — in its only previous appearance in the World Cup. South Korea was winless in its first 14 games before beating Poland, 2-0, in2002.
ARGENTINA (0-0-0) vs. NIGERIA (0-0-0)
June 12 in Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
Past World Cup Meetings: 2002 — Argentina 1-0; 1994 — Argentina 2-1.
PREDICTIONS:
Paul Kennedy: Argentina 3-0
Ridge Mahoney: Argentina 2-0
THE LOWDOWN:
The first World Cup meetingbetween Argentina and Nigeria in 1994 turned out to Diego Maradona’s last game for Argentina. He was suspended for doping before the next game. Like in 1994, Argentina went winless after beatingNigeria in 2002.
USA (0-0-0) vs. ENGLAND (0-0-0)
June 12 in Rustenburg
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. ET. Television: ABC/Univision.
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil).
Past World Cup Meetings: 1950 — USA1-0.
PREDICTIONS:
Paul Kennedy: England 3-2
Ridge Mahoney:Tie 2-2
Mike Woitalla: USA 2-1
THE LOWDOWN:
Only once has the USA scored two or more goalsat the World Cup and lost. That came in 1950 when it fell to Chile, 5-2, in its final game. Only twice in the last three World Cups has England given up two goals — in its 2-2 tie with Sweden fouryears ago and in its shootout loss to Argentina in 1998.