This is the day in the semi-demi finals when teams that will lose to other better teams play each other for the right to lose later to other better teams.

• Italy vs. Australia - who cares?
• Switzerland vs. Ukraine - who cares at all?

Saturday's Germany Argentina game, by contrast, may be the final that never was - because, as right now, the winner of that game is looking like the best team overall. Yet I have not seen Brazil, France or Spain. This work week stuff and European time zones are killing me or at least this passing excuse for laziness me.

The more I think of the Dutch game yesterday the more I think how dirty they were. It is like that really dirty check Brian Trottier put on Bob Gainey around 1982 or so when Trottier was my favorite player yet he boarded Gainey blind side and just about snapped his neck. The first two Dutch yellows were clearly an attempt to put Ronaldo out out of the game - which happened - and the second half fights started after Holland did not kick the ball out or to Portugal after an injury suspended play. Super bad manners. Who came up with these plans?

I will never look at Gouda the same way.

Seemingly peaceful cheeses