The Legend Grows

David Beckham once again proved he is unrivaed worldwide when it comes to free kicks. After getting a few chances Sunday against Ecuador, you knew it was only a matter of time until the English captained burned the opposition. Even though England didn't play that great, the team continues to look like a true contender.
As for England's next opponent, Portugal will be a few men down after the sea of red cards in its round of 16 victory over Holland. I caught bits and pieces of the match and was shocked to see how many players had been sent off. I truly felt the pain of those Dutch fans, considering I sat in the same Nuremberg stadium a few days back when the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup.
The England-Portugal quarterfinal should be very interesting since both countries have a history of being underachievers. That being said, one of them will be two wins away from the trophy by next Saturday.
Now that Ecuador - one of three 'surprise' teams to reach the knockout stage - is out, I'll be interested to see how the other teams in similar situations perform. Our next look comes today when Australia takes on Italy. I truly believe the Socceroos can win this match after watching both sides multiple sides this World Cup. Australia's performance against Brazil - a 2-0 loss in which the Aussies looked better much of the match - should provide some confidence.
I give Australia a much beter chance than Ghana against Brazil two days from now.