The matchups are as follows:

Venezuela will meet the lean mean Dutch machine in Miami.  And may I just offer them (the Venezuelans) my sympathies in advance.  I mean, don’t get me wrong.  The Venezuelans aren’t TERRIBLE.  They have a few players I wouldn’t kick out of my lineup-guys like Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Ramon Hernandez, Melvin Mora and Carlos Guillen.  But, whatever.  They’re playing the Dutch.  And the Dutch are, well, the Dutch-a team fast developing a reputation for turning serious lineups into Hollandaise sauce.

Dutch manager Rod Delmonico seems to know this, and he recently said, “After the wars that we’ve been through, I don’t think I’ll worry about who we tee it up against.”

I just love a good mixed metaphor.  Second only to the direct expression of one’s actual meaning.

The USA and Puerto Rico will also square off in Miami today. And David Wright wants us to know that he refuses to talk trash about his opponents.  Why?  Because so dang many of them are players for the Mets. (Use of the word “dang” an attempt to capture the voice of David Wright.)    I don’t know when an unwillingness to trash talk became newsworthy, but I guess everyone just loves to hear about whatever adorable thing Dee Dubs happens to be doing at any given moment.

In any case, I hate to do it, but I’ve got to root against the red, white and blue on this one.  Well, not technically seeing as that Puerto Rico is red, white and blue in more ways than one, but they remain a favorite.  Sorry, Jeet. I’ll totally have your back if and when you ever play Mexico.

And speaking of Mexico, come Sunday, they’ll be playing the Koreans in San Diego. In an effort to elucidate the upcoming challenges of Team Mexico’s run for the semifinals, Mexican infielder Jorge Cantu commented, “Well, I mean, Korea and Japan are pretty much both the same team.”

Yikes.  Meaning what?  That all the players could get away with sharing a driver’s license?

But Cantu clarified his seemingly questionable comment by saying, “They play the little game.”

Ah, I see.  “The little game.”  Of course, “the little game” may be a reference to the Japanese-Korean centuries old conflict over a couple of rocks in the Sea of Japan.  It may also just be Cantu’s way of saying small ball.

Either way, something tells me that, given certain historical tensions, Japan and Korea would prefer not to be dubbed “pretty much the same team.”  I mean, come on, Cantu.  The whole point of this frickin’ contest is to prove that your country is better than someone else’s without actually having to kill anyone.  Get with the program.

Last, but certainly not least, Japan will play Cuba on Sunday in a rematch of the 2006 final, which ended in a 10-6 Japanese victory.  So, here’s the chance for Cuban retribution.

And where better, I ask, for the settling of an old blood feud than San Diego?  That place?  It’s got an edge.  And by edge I mean a killer whale named Shamu.