Americans Falter at the World Junior Championship

Predictions aren't worth much in hockey. Especially in a short tournament. Especially when the players are teenagers, many of them known only to a small handful of hockey scouts. The World Junior Hockey Championship provides an annual reminder of that fact, which might help account for the tournament's enduring popularity among dedicated hockey fans.

Team USA will play Finland for the bronze medal Thursday, after a 5-1 loss to Russia in Tuesday's semifinal. It's considered a disappointing result for the Americans, who were a gold medal favorite.

The Russians will play Canada for gold. Canada defeated Finland 4-0 in an earlier semifinal, setting up another chapter in hockey's most historic rivalry.

The Americans looked like a powerhouse going into this tournament, loaded with projected NHL players. But a lacklustre showing in preliminary games - one win, one loss, one tie - left them on a hard road in the playoffs. They beat the Czechs on Monday, but facing Russia barely 24 hours later proved too much. Forward Phil Kessel, tagged by many as the next great American hockey player, often looked dangerous, but finished the tournament with just one goal.

Compared to last year's championship team - which steamrolled all opposition with current NHL players like Sidney Crosby, Jeff Carter and Dion Phaneuf - Team Canada 2006 looks ordinary. There's little flash and dash and not much of a power play. Where they excel is on defense, allowing just one even-strength goal in the tournament.

The Russians have more scoring power and 11 players returning from last year's silver medal team. They're also older and bigger, making them the favorites over a Canadian team that wasn't supposed to make it this far. Not if you believe in predictions, at least.