For the record, I wanted to thank Kartik Krishnaiyer for calling my ¨wise¨ words ¨prophetic¨. It is cool to have a colleague recognize you that way, but I can't take all the credit. I also have to give credit to my friend Ibrahim Dabo. For years, he is the one that told me that the Pharoahs were a team to watch. I just have to give credit to myself for going to see what the ruckus was all about.

The US media (along with media from other circles in the world) completely underestimated this Egyptian side, as they have with various African teams in the past. Let's start with that fraud that we called the Sendoff Series back in 2006. It was a series that was used to promote the US team prior to the World Cup. It was the US playing a series of sacrificial lambs to make the team and fans feel legit. They wanted justify that vaunted FIFA ranking that ESPN harped on ad nauseum. Then Morocco came in and exposed every deficiency that the US had. I had the pleasure of sitting next to one of the knowledgable people in US Hispanic soccer media, Eduardo Biscayart, and he said that Ghana would tear this team apart. He was short of telling me who would score and when. If Morocco bloodied their nose, Ghana knocked them out. WSD´s Kenny Hassan is hilarious when he mocks the US Soccer collectivity... ¨Ghaner? Who are they? We'll beat them.¨ As much as it brings out a belly laugh when I hear him say that, he is spot-on. The difference now is that the US is in a much deeper hole and have no shot to get out of it.

To many Egypt were the third best side in this group- except here in the US. When I was twittering a few weeks ago, US Soccer talked about the media guide on their South African Airlines flight that said that the US ¨would play Egypt in the final match of the group phase. They most likely will not get out of the group stage.¨

Welcome To South Africa!

Egypt may have Amr Zaki and Mohamed Zidan injured, but they will be just fine. Hassan Shehata's team is exactly that- a team. Gone are the days where he depended on cancers like Mido to win a game. Their possession-oriented, helter-skelter offense will leave the US center backs vulnerable once again. Mohamed Aboutrika might be clogged up in the middle by the US midfield, but that does not mean that Mohamed Shawky or their young and inexperienced forwards will not step up.

Regardless of the result today, Egypt can now look at the big teams face-to-face and not be subconsciously forced to flinch because of the stature of their opponent. Are they they an upper echelon team at the international level? Yes, for now. Their performance in the Confederations Cup won't mean jack if they do not qualify for the tournament being played in South Africa NEXT YEAR. They are behind the eight ball on that end after losing to Algeria two weeks ago. One thing is for sure, if Egypt were playing in CONCACAF, they would have already qualified... but let's leave that argument for another time. I won't be able to watch the game, I have more important things at the personal level (aka my daughter's recital), but I sure as hell will have In Game Now, iFooty World, and Tjek Soccer on my iPhone.

Now that they shocked the world... is that going to be a building block or a detriment? They are going to face a team that is not just going to throw the kitched sink at them, they are thrrowing the toilet and the bathtub as well. This will obviously be big game for Egypt as they will now have to play with the proverbial bull's eye on their back. How are they going to react to that? If history teaches us anything... they haven't done too well.

We'll talk more tonight.