Brazil pulled out big plays for a big win over Argentina Sunday. The 3-0 scoreline is a lot more convincing than the game itself. Pull back the unfortunate own-goal and nudge the post rattler an inch to the right and it's just a 2-1 game. However, the woulda coulda shouldas count as much in soccer as they do in every other sport. I'm sure Argentina will use this as a motivator for their next two matches over the next two years, which in all likelihood will be World Cup qualifiers.

I've been reading the Beckham coverage here and there, and there isn't a better piece than Nancy Armour's piece the Californian ran Sunday. In short: Beckham isn't going to meet the expectations of the optimists, nor the pessimists. It's the downers that drive me craziest; they claim that Beckham will not make soccer the top sports in America, therefore he'll fail. That's a strawman expectation held by no one but the ditziest Hollywood entertainment reporters. Pele, the '94 World Cup, the '99 Women's World Cup: they all converted small numbers of non-fans into fans. (For me, it was July 4, 1994, USA-Brazil.) At this point, we have a first-division league in its 12th season, and the guy who scored the first goal in the league's history is playing in the fourth division. Beckham will convert some Eurosnobs into people who'll watch MLS, and some non-soccer people into soccer people. Worth the money? Maybe.

Meanwhile, over in Asia, Iraq won its group with a stunning 3-1 win over Australia, which is probably rueing the day it decided to move to Asia.* That sets up Iraq vs. Vietnam in the quarterfinal, which I'd say Iraq stands a chance at because the game will be in Thailand, not Vietnam. I'm curious whether this is a fluke or Iraq will be  serious competitor for a World Cup berth. I'm sure a Cote D'Ivoire miracle is too much to hope for, but a solid run by the team sure couldn't hurt. Also in Asia, South Korea is at the bottom of its group with a game to go after it lost to Bahrain. It now faces Indonesia in Jakarta and needs a win, and for Saudi Arabia to beat Bahrain.

*See, Australia was in Oceania, and it won that confederation's half-berth to the World Cup almost every time. But half a berth means a playoff with the other helf-berth holder. They lost on away goals to Iran in 1997, then lost a tight one to Uruguay in 2001, before deciding they'd had enough and wanted to jump to Asia, which has 4.5 berths. That decision was finalized in 2005, before the end of 2006 qualifying. Australia had to play Uruguay again and won on penalty kicks to play in their first World Cup since 1974. Next time, they'll play in Asia, where I think the competition is going to be stiffer than they'll expect, but at least it won't be a two-game series that knocks them out. Probably.