Canada gets things started with a game against South Africa.  Canada comes in off a 1-0 win over Italy on Thursday and needs to have an even stronger showing against South Africa if the red-and-white are to be ready for China on Saturday and the ensuing playoffs.  South Africa, on the other hand, is still winless (0-5), and facing a 4-1 team doesn't bode well for its chances of getting its first win.

 

The Netherlands will improve to 2-4 on Thursday thanks to a forfeit win (7-0), what with Colombia having withdrawn.  With the Dutch having a game scheduled Saturday against Australia, who's currently 5-0, the writing appears to be on the wall for the 2005 European Championship third place finisher.

 

The New Zealand versus Great Britain game is huge for the Kiwis if they're to have any chance of staying alive in the fight for a playoff spot.  At 2-3 the White Sox are in a do-or-die situation, but will be facing a Great Britain team that ¨C as their opponents thus far will attest ¨C just won't go away.  New Zealand suffered a discouraging defeat on Thursday, falling to the USA 15-0.  They'll need to chalk that up to the opponents having been the 2004 Olympic gold medalists and just focus on beating the British.

 

Italy and DPR Korea will be another close game for spectators and media alike to watch.  DPR Korea has really been a contender here throughout the tournament and isn't ready to quit.  Italy has to be quite down on themselves at this point.  The 2005 European champions are just 1-4 and might be ripe for the picking as a result, though like any other team, they certainly won't quit.

 

Botswana seeks its first on-the-field win on Day 6 when they face Chinese Taipei.  Botswana has lost four straight games since opening the tournament with a win by forfeit from their game against Colombia.  Chinese Taipei got their forfeit win over Colombia on Thursday, so they come in at 2-3 and appear to be in a chase with Greece and Venezuela for two of the four playoff spots in Pool B, so look for Chinese Taipei to be more than ready when they take the field against Botswana.

 

The games get one better than the next after that.

 

Australia and Japan square off in a matchup of 5-0 teams.  Everyone will remember that Australia got its first Olympic Softball silver medal in 2004 by way of 2000 Olympic silver medalist Japan taking the bronze in Athens.  Both have scored 39 runs so far in the 2006 world championship, although the Aussies have only given up one run and Japan three.  Australia won the 2006 Canada Cup, while Japan won the 2005 Japan Cup and 1^st World Cup of Softball.  Need anymore be said?

 

Greece plays Venezuela in a game that will go a long way toward determining which of these two teams makes the playoffs and which doesn't.  Greece had a solid outing on Thursday in defeating the Netherlands while Venezuela was getting hammered by Australia, 9-0.  Both teams are 3-2, though some might say that Venezuela is lucky to not be 2-3, what with the circumstances that led to their extra inning win over Chinese Taipei on Wednesday night.  Were they?  We'll see.

 

To close things out, China and USA go at it in the day's second game of 5-0 teams.  This will be a good test to see if China is as good as their record indicates, and could possibly be a preview of a future game between these two teams on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.  Each has allowed just one run thus far.  China coach Michael Bastian will have to have his players ready and alleviate any nervousness of bringing a 5-0 record into a game before their home fans against an unbeaten U.S. team that is the defending world champion.  Easier said than done.