Mirage

Don't read too much into the Tigers recent five game win streak. Yes, they're pitching well and getting some timely hits. Heck, even Gerald Laird's managed four hits the last two games. Yes, Gerald friggin' Laird!

I have no doubt, though, that the recent success is due to inferior competition. Both the Pirates and Nationals are last-place National League teams. They're not good. It's great the Tigers are taking care of business, but it doesn't mean they're ready to compete with the Twins, White Sox, or even Royals yet.

They've got the Mets, Braves, and Twins coming up. That should be a truer test.

US Nats

Typical pre-game hype with the US/Slovenia coming up. Donovan said the US doesn't deserve to advance if they can't beat Slovenia, and then Slovenian midfielder Andrej Komac guaranteed a Slovenia win. Yawn.

Donovan's right. The US does not deserve to advance, if they can't beat Slovenia. It certainly won't be easy, though. Slovenia is only a country of 2 million people (roughly the population of New Mexico), but they qualified out of the brutal UEFA region. They took down Poland, Northern Ireland, and the mighty Czechs. Then they topped Russia in a playoff. Slovenia is no joke. But, yes, the US should still win.

The Slovenian top players certainly match the club pedigree of their American counterparts. They play at West Brom, Inter, FC Gent, etc. They don't have any superstars, but, alas, neither do the yanks. It should prove to be a back-and-forth match, with Slovenia taking a defensive approach. They'll wait for their opportunity to break down the shaky US defense. The yanks, meanwhile, will likely insert Torres into the lineup and try to control possession. It's doubtful the Slovenians will be able to match the speed of Altidore or Donovan, so look for Bradley and Torres to try to spring them all game long. There could be a ton of offsides calls.

The US will get the result if they can avoid stupid penalties - needless red card(s), fouls near the box, or, gasp, the dreaded penalty shot.

In the meantime, enjoy this little bit of genius...