If you love hot weather and soccer Met Life is the place for you today

Hot steamy weather and hot passionate fans will both invade Met Life Stadium later this afternoon as two Gold Cup quarter-final matches will be played. At 4:30 in the meat of the heat Trinidad and Tobago and Panama will square off for a slot in the semi-finals and at 7:30 a great matchup of CONCACAF top clubs with Mexico's El Tri taking on Costa Rica's Los Ticos at 7:30pm. Both Mexico and Costa Rica will view this tournament as a failure if they don't advance. Incredible pressure on both to play well, win and keep-up with the USA men's team who cruised past Cuba yesterday 6-0 to book their own semi-final slot.

Met Life Stadium promises lots of heat and lots of heated action. A perfect spot for a soccer-loving Heat Miser today.

World Cup Today -- Day 19

Mexico deserved better. Look, the USA and Mexico are arch-rivals but that Arjen Robben diving penalty kick was bullshit and everyone on the globe knows it. Even Robben said he dove in the game but earlier (which PROVES once again and finally in his own words, Arjen Robben is a professional diver who puts Cristiano Ronaldo to shame. Mexico deserves fair officiating as does any team. Who to blame? We all know Robben's a diver, let's focus on the referees whom, if they pulled out yellow cards for simulation against a diver early in the tournament, the diver would have to make a decision if the next dive might be worth sitting out a game on a second yellow in the next few games. Until the referees hold up yellow cards for diving, it's gonna continue. Look, if NFL referees never called defensive pass interference on pass plays those guys would grab, hold and molest any and all receivers. Officials are in charge of cleaning up the malfeasance on the pitch in Johnny's opinion. They're not doing it.

Brazil is whistling past the graveyard for now but the grim reaper is at the other end and he wears Columbia yellow.

Today's matches can be called Underdog Monday. We had South American Saturday so today is Underdog Monday. Looking to revel in the success of Costa Rica both Algeria and Nigeria hope to stand tall against powerhouses Germany and France. First off the goal scoring machine of France takes on Nigeria at noon EDT. We have high hopes of wild upsets and crazy bracket busters but, well, yeah. Johnny has looked at this game and no matter how the Rubik's Soccer Cube is moved it lands on 3-0 France. But wait, there is a second game, the Desert Foxes of Algeria, playing their best soccer in their nation's history against ruh ro, Germany. Johnny has looked at this game and no matter how the Rubik's Soccer Cube is moved it lands on 3-0 Germany.

So yes, today might be not the day to overload on the soccer if you have things to do. Massive upsets DO happen but today maybe not so much. We hope for competitive matches and lotsa golazos nonetheless.

France vs Nigeria noon
Germany vs Algeria 4pm

World Cup Today -- Day 13

So, we have our first knockout rounds set; Brazil will play Chile in what promises to be an offensive showing while Mexico, so strong in making it out of Group A, lands The Netherlands. Ouch. More on this game on the weekend.

We'll have two more groups find out just who their top two sides will be playing by 6pm this evening. England who has already been eliminated will play group winner Costa Rica at noon. Costa Rica can actually rest players against England. Who had that happening? Italy and Uruguay play a match to the death game today with the Azzurre the winner of all ties. Uruguay has to win to go through and yes, they well could. Still it's hard to pick against Italy who only need a tie today. In another group finale Greece who has no hopes plays the Ivory Coast who can advance should things break their way. Japan and Columbia will be playing later with Columbia already having won the group (and looked really good in doing so). Japan needs points, period.

Costa Rica vs England noon
Uruguay vs Italy noon

Ivory Coast vs Greece 4pm
Japan vs Columbia 4pm