When the American founding fathers named July 4th as Independence Day, little did they know that in the year 2006 soccer fans in this country would watch a game invented by their arch-enemy: the English.

For most Americans, July 4th means barbecues, parades, fireworks, overcooked hot dogs and, most importantly of all, no work. Thankfully, die-hard soccer fans in America will be able to celebrate the day by watching the Germany against Italy semi-final, which promises to be a fantastic match.

I’m confident that the Italians can pull off a slim victory against the Germans. The boys from Deutschland will still be recovering from their grueling match against Argentina, and suffering plenty of knocks and bruises. The Italians, meanwhile, are starting to fire on all cylinders with Luca Toni finding his form just at the right moment.

For many of us in the States, this will be our first opportunity to watch a weekday World Cup match live on TV because the games are played during business hours on the East Coast in America. Tuesday’s kick-off will be at 3pm ET. Prediction: Italy 2-1 Germany.