3 weeks away. I can't wait. Let the chatter begin. Michael Ballack out for Germany was a late surprise thought I somehow think it won't hurt them as much as many may expect except on st pieces. Gotta think Spain and Brazil are the favorites but I also like the Ivory Coast, England, Germany and the Dutch to have good shots. Go US and Japan!
(http://herbertmensah.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/2010.jpg)
Never really played but it's fun to watch...Go USA !
Go England and US. I will watch when I can.
fuck im so excited for this
i cant believe brazil left ronaldo, ronadinho, and rubinho off the team..craziness
I like England's team. May just be because I'm partial to Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole. :P
QuoteI like England's team. May just be because I'm partial to Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole. :P
Oii, another Blues fan. ::) Not a Joe Cole fan? They are everywhere these days. Congrats on your recently completed double. You guys were clearly the cream of the Premiereship this year.
As probably the only American that is a fan of a non Big 4 squad (Everton), we had a brief, exciting run during the season when we had Donovan on loan to pair with Tim Howard and the Everton offense actually looked more explosive with Landon around. It was nice to see our supposed "best" offensive player make a noticeable impact in the EPL.
I also forgot to mention Argentina, who no one seems to be picking and I'm not sure why. If it's not the U.S. or Japan, it sure would be great if this is the year that an African nation finally pulls it off. It's only a matter of time and nothing would be better than to do it on their home continent.
I can't wait for this. I don't follow European soccer nearly as close as I'd like to so I'm not that familiar with the names. But the quality of world cup soccer and the passion always makes for some amazing television.
QuoteGo England and US. I will watch when I can.
Who are you pulling for come June 12, hmmmmm?
Ruckus, I pull for the Toffees. One of my teammates/roomates in college was Irish. Huge Everton fan. Not really too many "casual" fans overseas, I suppose. Anyway, he rubbed off on me. I was emailing with him when Donovan went on loan. He tried to act like it was not big deal, "We'll take him - for free" were his exact words. He was obviously impressed witht the spark he gave them by the end, though. What's with your Japan love?
QuoteQuoteGo England and US. I will watch when I can.
Who are you pulling for come June 12, hmmmmm?
Ruckus, I pull for the Toffees. One of my teammates/roomates in college was Irish. Huge Everton fan. Not really too many "casual" fans overseas, I suppose. Anyway, he rubbed off on me. I was emailing with him when Donovan went on loan. He tried to act like it was not big deal, "We'll take him - for free" were his exact words. He was obviously impressed witht the spark he gave them by the end, though. What's with your Japan love?
Toffees [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Yeah we already got big plans over here fot the 12th. My best friend in undergrad back in the day was a pure Scouser who wore a Duncan Ferguson jersey every day. He was my intro into the EPL and have been an Everton guy since.
As for my Japan love, I'm born there, I'm half Japanese and its my first language.
QuoteQuoteQuoteGo England and US. I will watch when I can.
Who are you pulling for come June 12, hmmmmm?
Ruckus, I pull for the Toffees. One of my teammates/roomates in college was Irish. Huge Everton fan. Not really too many "casual" fans overseas, I suppose. Anyway, he rubbed off on me. I was emailing with him when Donovan went on loan. He tried to act like it was not big deal, "We'll take him - for free" were his exact words. He was obviously impressed witht the spark he gave them by the end, though. What's with your Japan love?
Toffees [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Yeah we already got big plans over here fot the 12th. My best friend in undergrad back in the day was a pure Scouser who wore a Duncan Ferguson jersey every day. He was my intro into the EPL and have been an Everton guy since.
As for my Japan love, I'm born there, I'm half Japanese and its my first language.
I haven't even looked at the schedule. So US and England play each other? Damn, I'll go with England. Honestly, America is not a soccer mecca.
But MJ, you're American :'(
The U.S. have agreat group draw. If they could draw with England, let alone beat them, the U.S. will be in fantastic shape. No Davies really hurts the U.S.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteGo England and US. I will watch when I can.
Who are you pulling for come June 12, hmmmmm?
Ruckus, I pull for the Toffees. One of my teammates/roomates in college was Irish. Huge Everton fan. Not really too many "casual" fans overseas, I suppose. Anyway, he rubbed off on me. I was emailing with him when Donovan went on loan. He tried to act like it was not big deal, "We'll take him - for free" were his exact words. He was obviously impressed witht the spark he gave them by the end, though. What's with your Japan love?
Toffees [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
Yeah we already got big plans over here fot the 12th. My best friend in undergrad back in the day was a pure Scouser who wore a Duncan Ferguson jersey every day. He was my intro into the EPL and have been an Everton guy since.
As for my Japan love, I'm born there, I'm half Japanese and its my first language.
I haven't even looked at the schedule. So US and England play each other? Damn, I'll go with England. Honestly, America is not a soccer mecca.
All the more reason to pull for the U.S., MJ?
I've got big plans, too, Ruckus. Been looking forward to this matchup. Also, this WC in particular. Loving all the easily accessible times! Like you said, any point(s) against England will be a huge boost, especially a win. If we can't advance past the group stage it will be huge disappointment. We're going to need Gooch healthy and free of any breakdowns. Don't know much about the Japanese team. I'll cheer em on, though!
Glad to see a thread on the World Cup! I can't freaking wait for this thing to kick off! I'm a huge fan of the original football and I too am a big follower of the EPL. I'm one of those Americans who pulls for a big 4 squad (ManU). Although, living in NE Ohio and being a Browns fan, ever since Randy Lerner bought the Villa, I have since taken a vested interest in that club as well. I will say, it was nice to see Spurs crash the party of the Big 4 and I can't say I'm all too heartbroken to see Liverpool not qualify for Champs League play next season! ;D
As for the teams I like in the WC? Of course I will be rooting for the US above everyone else and England is a close second. And even though they have to play each other in their first match, I couldn't be happier with their group overall. I think England should advance out of the group stages rather easily and I will also be very disappointed if the US can't advance as well! Bradley's tenure as the MNT coach may ride on whether or not the US advances past the group stage.
QuoteI also forgot to mention Argentina, who no one seems to be picking and I'm not sure why. If it's not the U.S. or Japan, it sure would be great if this is the year that an African nation finally pulls it off. It's only a matter of time and nothing would be better than to do it on their home continent.
Ruckus. My guess on nobody picking Argentina would be because of how they struggled just to make the field of 32. But, with that said, anytime you have a Lionel Messi on your roster, you are a team that is going to have to be reckoned with!
Quote But, with that said, anytime you have a Lionel Messi on your roster, you are a team that is going to have to be reckoned with!
True dat! He is on a whole other level right now.
I'm psyched that there is some interest here. Cheers guys.
Too be honest JT, I don't know too much about the Japanese squad either. There star midfielder Nakamura made some headway with I wanna say Rangers in Scotland but I'd have to look that up. Besides their veteran Nakata (who won't be playing I think), they haven't had any other players crack top level Euro leagues. Let's just say aGainst top competition, they are physically outmatched across the field and lose most fifty/fifties,and lack pace and dynamic skill. :-/ BUT, they;ll run and scrap for all 90 minutes and then some.
You guys are right about Argentina in their struggle to qualify but they did it when it mattered. Messi is RIDICULOUS, but that said, Argentina has class all over their squad. :P
And there it is, a Man U fan. ;D
Good to see ya here ILB
Go España!!
So much fun with the world cup coming this summer :) Sweden didn't even qualify... so I'm gonna go with Spain. I think they have a lot of strong players ( I may or may not be a huge Barcelona supporter :))... and it´s gonna be great fun to see what Messi can do for Argentina :)
QuoteAnd there it is, a Man U fan. ;D
Good to see ya here ILB
Yeah yeah... 8-)
But I didn't just jump on the ManU bandwagon yesterday! :P
I've been a fan of ManU since the days when King Eric started bringing the trophies back to Old Trafford! 8-)
QuoteQuoteAnd there it is, a Man U fan. ;D
Good to see ya here ILB
Yeah yeah... 8-)
But I didn't just jump on the ManU bandwagon yesterday! :P
I've been a fan of ManU since the days when King Eric started bringing the trophies back to Old Trafford! 8-)
Do y'all remember that commercial way back when. Was it Nike? He popped his color and uttererd "au revoir" then ripped a shot through the devil/demon. Awesome!
Then there's this nugget...
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Eric_Cantona_kung-fu_kick.jpg)
Ah yes! Kung Fu Fighter! ;D
And here's that Nike commercial:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBr534DFZ0g[/media]
I dont follow soccer at all, but the World Cup is great...I'll be watching
Do we still have Alexi Lalas and Coby Jones?
QuoteDo we still have Alexi Lalas and Coby Jones?
Yeah. Only they work for ESPN now. :P
I reckon Spain could go quite deep into the tournament - they might win it - class players all over the pitch.
I like the fact we've got Capello as manager, at least he can change things if it's going wrong during a match - unlike previous managers who ran out of ideas.
Argentina could do well too.
If B. Munich win the CL this saturday Germany will be pumped for the tournament.
QuoteI reckon Spain could go quite deep into the tournament - they might win it - class players all over the pitch.
I like the fact we've got Capello as manager, at least he can change things if it's going wrong during a match - unlike previous managers who ran out of ideas.
Argentina could do well too.
If B. Munich win the CL this saturday Germany will be pumped for the tournament.
I don't think there is a more talented squad than Spain, yes not even Brazil this year. To think that a player like Fabregas can't get in because of Xavi and Iniesta and well as the likely best striking tandem in Torres and Silva. I haven't seen much of Pedro Rodriguez but I hear he's great. Just saw clips of him on some FSC reruns.
As for Capello, it's hard to imagine that one coach can make such an immediate difference on an international side but he has transformed, who for the most part are the same core from 4 years ago, and made them legitimate contenders. Will they be able to overcome an early deficit and get a little more aggressive and creative when necessary?
I will be routing for Bayern Munchen.
Ahhhhh, the wait is agonizing.
totally psyched for this! got big plans for june 12th @ a little place called nevada smiths :D anyone else???
of course i'd like to see the us do well, we should at least make it out of the group stage. the team has improved quite a bit since '06, so hopefully no walk of shame this time round. it truly would be a walk of shame as we are good enough to make it out of the group stage AT LEAST. no charlie davies is a huge blow & i'm wondering who can fill his boots. who is going to be our main goal scorer? donovan is good for a few but, who else? there is comfort in having tourettes tim in goal. he is phenomenal. so that's a big comfort. i had the pleasure of being @ giants for the us vs argentina (who were ranked either #1 or 2 in the world @ the time) in a "friendly" & he came up BIG in that match. we drew w/ argentina, beat fucking spain (?!?!?!) and did very well against brazil. us soccer has made massive improvements.
favorites to win is a tough one for me. i'd love to see england take it -they've got a fantastic squad & capello certainly has transformed them into a more positive side. they've got a really good squad, there's quality all over the pitch. i think they've got some solid guys to help out w/ their injury problems in defense. probably, their biggest trouble area is in goal. so that's a bit of a worry. but, rooney is a menace & he's been on fire in the prem this past season. look for him to have a great tournament. yes, i really like to see england take it. plus, i want my boy gerrard to show that he is truly one of the best players in the world ;)
spain are insanely good. just look at the names who aren't in their 1st team! any other country would gladly have those guys. of all the teams competing, this one has the best team on paper. i think they've got the best player in the world for almost every position. they are spoiled with talent! it's just crazy. when they are on, they play beautiful football. the question is, can they perform to their potential? if they do, i think they will come out winning the whole thing. and i wouldn't be upset about it either. oh, and i'd love to see my other boy torres take the golden boot 8-)
Quote no charlie davies is a huge blow & i'm wondering who can fill his boots. who is going to be our main goal scorer? donovan is good for a few but, who else?
Donovan is definitely vital in setting up the pace of our play. As far as goals, I'm hoping for and expecting a big tournament from Dempsey!
QuoteQuote But, with that said, anytime you have a Lionel Messi on your roster, you are a team that is going to have to be reckoned with!
True dat! He is on a whole other level right now.
Danny Milito gave a little more late reverence to his name and team yesterday. Did Bayern ever stand a chance? Only TWO shots on target with 2 goals :D
QuoteQuote no charlie davies is a huge blow & i'm wondering who can fill his boots. who is going to be our main goal scorer? donovan is good for a few but, who else?
Donovan is definitely vital in setting up the pace of our play. As far as goals, I'm hoping for and expecting a big tournament from Dempsey!
i, too, hope that dempsey can turn it on. he's good but gets caught in posession too much for my liking. i want him to prove me wrong & will gladly eat my words if he does.
what about jozy? he didn't have the best spell with hull but he didn't really get the chance to play consistently. he's still young and i don't think he's one for the lone striker role, not yet anyway. but i watched him play many a game for the red bulls & i know mls isn't rated too highly, but that kid terrorized defences when he was playing week after week. that's how any player, especially a striker, finds their form.
In reply to the original post, without ever wishing injury on any player, I guess it's a bit of righteous karma that Ballack has been ruled out of the tournament. Injured by a nasty tackle the likes of which he has dished out for years. The loss of an arrogant, dirty player like him is no bad thing.
Reality check for all England fans (and I am one):
Every time it comes to the World Cup we hear that England has a great chance of victory. Someone here said that England has a squad with "quality" right through it. I'm sorry, but your knowledge of football must be sadly lacking.
How many of the current England squad do you think would actually make it into the starting line-up of Spain, Argentina, Italy, Brazil? I would say that Wayne Rooney is the only possibility. Yes Capello has made a good impression, turning the team into a proper team rather than a bunch of prima donnas, but he has a limited quality of player to work with. No way would the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard make it into those teams. And as for the mediocrity around them.....forget it!
I don't expect England to get beyond the quarter final stage (again), but I sincerely hope they prove me wrong and you can all come back here and slate me afterwards.
Totally agree that Spain and Brazil must be the two favourites; and I also agree that Ivory Coast could be dark horses. Obviously with it being in Africa it's a great chance for one of the African teams to step up.
One of the key things I think will be the condition of the playing surfaces. African Nations Cup tournaments are traditionally made up of pitches with hard / poor playing surfaces. If they are then skillful players will always prevail (another negative against England). I'm assumimg it will have been made clear to SA that playing surfaces need to be of a high standard for a World Cup but it could be a key factor if they aren't.
Nice to hear from you on this one Paulie. Have you gotten back into the swing of baseball yet? ;)
As for Ballack, while he has scored big goals for Germany in past competitions, I never really understood his fame. He has always been strong in the air and takes free kicks well. However, he seems extraordinarily slow afoot, both straight ahead and laterally, and thus seems to leave himself in horrible defensive positions, thus leading to many of his poor tackles out of frustration. At first, I thought his loss wouldn't be the end all for Germany. After watching Schweinsteiger bumble around in the middle for Bayern Munchen in the CL Final, I think I've begun to understand the value of Ballack for Germany.
As a Cubs and Jets fan, I am well versed in disappointment. That said, don't you think that you have a better chance than you have had in the past, even if you think that still means you'll be out by the quarters. I agree with your assessment that only Rooney would make squads such as Argentina, Brazil and Spain. I would disagree that the likes of Lampaard would not make a squad such as Italy. Besides Capello, at least you won't be relying on the likes of Peter Crouch (I hope) and while I don't know what you're final 23 man squad will look like, hopefully you'll have a little more pace on the wings. Could someone enlighten me on how England was so successful in the qualifying stages? I only read the results and I was curious as to how they went about thoroughly deconstructing their qualifying group.
As for the quality of the pitches in South Africa, I imagine that they will be of high quality. I'm not sure that FIFA would allow a half assed resurfacing of pitches to be used. That said, you say that poor pitches will always benefit the more technically skilled team. Couldn't it be argued that teams that play conservatively and might rely more on long balls down field and crosses to create their chances to would be less affected by a poor pitch just as much as say a skilled, technical squad such as Brazil might find their passing in tight spaces negatively affected?
Ha, no I haven't gotten back into the baseball at all yet! I noticed that the New York Mets beat the Yankees the other day but that's as far as my knowledge goes this season.
In answer to your question, apart from the Capello factor, I think England have worse players this time around than the last time. We only have one world class striker in Rooney. The rest of the attack is pretty weak. Gerrard is the pick of the midfielders, but he's hardly shone for Liverpool this season. Lampard may cut it in the Premier League with Chelsea but he's no world class midfielder in my opinion (too slow and not that skilful). Walcott is exciting and could be the surprise.
My major concern though is the defence. Did you see the friendly tonight against Mexico? This was a home game for England and Mexico could have had four goals by half time! If you compare England's back four now to previous teams it's way weaker. Goalkeeper is a weakness - personally I'd go for James. We have really struggled to replace Gary Neville at right back. He got a lot of bad press from non-Man Utd fans but he was a fantastic defender, as well as being a superb crosser of the ball going forward. I'm a West Ham fan for the record. We used to have Ferdinand and Campbell at the peak of their powers, now we have one of them who has struggled with injuries all season, John Terry who is quite frankly a one-paced donkey, or Ledley King who can barely manage to play one game a week! Ashley Cole is coming back from a broken ankle and isn't the player he was four years ago. As a group of individuals the England team reeks of mediocrity. Yes Capello has done a good job, but the qualifying group England steamrollered through was a very poor one. Beating all those teams should be the norm.
Yes you're right a poor playing surface could play into the hands of a direct long ball team. I don't know enough about the other teams in the competition to know if there any teams like that though. All I'm saying is that skill usually rises to the top in these situations, and England are by no means at the top of the tree in that department.
I do hope I'm wrong, but I think people get carried away by the hype of the Premier League and the press in this country. We ain't as good as we think we are.
By the way, I reckon Peter Crouch will be in the final 23!!
QuoteSomeone here said that England has a squad with "quality" right through it. I'm sorry, but your knowledge of football must be sadly lacking.
How many of the current England squad do you think would actually make it into the starting line-up of Spain, Argentina, Italy, Brazil?quote]
yes, i said that england has quality throughout their squad. in my opinion, the epl is the toughest league in europe & i believe the majority of england's national squad play in the epl. it may not be the most attractive football, but it can be effective. england qualified for the finals with relative ease. if they are in-form & stay injury free, i think they will progress pretty far. i'm not saying they are favorites to win, but i would like to see that happen. (i would really, REALLY love to see the us win. what can i say - hope springs eternal!) so, i stand by what i said previously.
however, i did not say that any of the guys on the england squad would make it into the starting line-up of any other national team. hopefully you were not inferring that i did but if so, please don't put words in my mouth & then say that my knowledge of football must be sadly lacking. that just ain't right.
having said that, i do think a few of them could; if they were in-form, fully fit & had trained with (insert country's) national team ;D
when it comes down to it, spain & brazil are clear favorites. they are the 2 in-form teams. argentina can't be counted out but they had a shockingly poor qualification so... that's a bit shaky.
the thing about sport is that on any given day, the underdog CAN beat a higher ranked team. stranger things have happened. all i know is that i'm really looking forward to seeing how this all pans out!
I certainly didn't mean to put words in your mouth. I asked the question about how many of England's players would get into those four top teams to highlight the fact that I don't think England have "quality all over the pitch." I think they have it in a few positions only.
Sorry if I was bit strong in my generalisation about your knoweledge of football being sadly lacking. It was lazy writing on my part, and an ill-considered generalisation.
Sport divides opinion all the time and I guess that's one of the great things about it. Like I say, I think Gary Neville was one of the best right backs England has ever had, but I know plenty of people who thought he was useless. I think John Terry is massively overrated in England. In my opinion he is way too slow, not good in the air, and lacks skill. He's probably saved by his reading of the game and his positioning in the Premiership. But I believe it will be exposed when he comes up against better players. Lots of people think he's a great player though, including many journalists.
I personally think the English Premier League is in one of it's weakest states for a long time. With the exception of Torres and Drogba the world's best players still prefer to play in Spain or Italy because the quality is better. I wish more England players would try to improve themselves by playing in Spain or Italy, but the lure of the money in England is too great. Mediocre players in England can earn shitloads more cash than anywhere else.
It's not often England get to play the USA in any sports that matter so it will be great for the game over there. I hope it's a good game....with a narrow England victory!
Out of interest, what's the perception of David Beckham like in the USA?
I'm not getting the buzz surrounding Spain. Sure, they have one of the most talented squads out there. But like England, I feel like Spain is one of the biggest choke artists going in the World Cup.
The more I think about it, the more I like Argentina. They just thumped Canada 5-0 in their last tune-up minus Messi and Inter's CL hero Diego Milito!
And really, how can you argue against Brazil. Brazil had made 3 straight finals (winning 2) before not even making the semis in Germany.
Does anyone have an opinion on how well France will do? They are probably my LEAST favorite squad in the tournament right up there with Italy, but you can't argue with the success that both Les Bleus and The Azurri have had in recent World Cups. France struggled in qualifying and if it wasn''t for the 'Hand of Henry' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QNHlFDbxvY&feature=related) may not even be playing in South Africa. But as always seems to happen, the French not only qualified, but they also got a more than favorable draw... ::) I'm really hoping that karma gives France a swift kick in the ass in this World Cup!
Quotei, too, hope that dempsey can turn it on. he's good but gets caught in posession too much for my liking. i want him to prove me wrong & will gladly eat my words if he does.
what about jozy? he didn't have the best spell with hull but he didn't really get the chance to play consistently. he's still young and i don't think he's one for the lone striker role, not yet anyway. but i watched him play many a game for the red bulls & i know mls isn't rated too highly, but that kid terrorized defences when he was playing week after week. that's how any player, especially a striker, finds their form.
I think Jozy is really going to have to step up now that Davies isn't going to make the 23 man roster.
And speaking of finding your form from playing week after week, how about Edson Buddle? He's tearing it up with Landon Donovan out in LA for the Galaxy. He's coming into camp in excellent form. I'm kind of hoping he can continue that form enough to at least make the squad!
Anyone tuning in tonight to watch the US take on the Czech Rep. on ESPN? With Bradley announcing the 23 man roster tomorrow, tonight's match is do or die for several players.
I don't think you need karma to discount France. They aren't the team they used to be. I'd put them on a par with England....quarter-finalists at best.
Spain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Do we need to have some sort of fantasy World Cup predictions going on in this thread?
Quote
Spain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites.
Sure, Spain winning Euro 2008 may help them remove the 'chokers' moniker they've been branded with. But let me see how they perform on the World stage before I'm fully ready to dismiss them as choke artists...
I just went through a World Cup wall chart to predict all the results. There's me saying England and France being "quarter-finalists at best" and according to my fantasy predictions they meet in the quarter-finals!! Oops! If it happens you can toss a coin for that game.
My fantasy predictions end up like this for the knockout stages (winners in bold):
Last 16
France v Nigeria
England v Ghana
Germany v Algeria
Argentina v Uruguay
Holland v Slovakia
Brazil v Chile
Italy v Cameroon
Spain v Ivory Coast
Quarter-Finals
Holland v Brazil
France v England
Germany v Argentina
Italy v Spain
Semi-Finals
France v Brazil
Argentina v Spain
Final
Brazil v Spain
You might say it's a conservative prediction, but World Cups tend to pan out that way!
Let's hear your predictions.......
hmmm okay
i see Engerland bowing out early because a lot of their hawtness is gone
France v Argentina
Argentina (Boca! Boca!)
QuoteI don't think you need karma to discount France. They aren't the team they used to be. I'd put them on a par with England....quarter-finalists at best.
Spain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Do we need to have some sort of fantasy World Cup predictions going on in this thread?
I agree with all of this. Why don't you think Euro '08 was enough Beer? There' really only two international competitions worthwhile for top Euro sides and Spain won the last one. I find it unfair that a group of players from a current generation be continually subjected to an undeserved reputation/stereotype (from a past generation) that they already have overcome. I find it unfortunate that should they somehow not advance to the semis, they will again be tagged as such.
I would love to do some WC fantasy. Someone wanna set it up?
Quotehmmm okay
i see Engerland bowing out early because a lot of their hawtness is gone
France v Argentina
Argentina (Boca! Boca!)
Well done Penny...well done. And Peter Crouch is hawter than Beckham and Owen combined so shove it. :P
QuoteQuotehmmm okay
i see Engerland bowing out early because a lot of their hawtness is gone
France v Argentina
Argentina (Boca! Boca!)
Well done Penny...well done. And Peter Crouch is hawter than Beckham and Owen combined so shove it. :P
you mean bill walton circa 1978? mm? whu?
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2010/5/21/1274450894002/Peter-Crouch-Ledley-King--006.jpg)
QuoteQuoteQuotehmmm okay
i see Engerland bowing out early because a lot of their hawtness is gone
France v Argentina
Argentina (Boca! Boca!)
Well done Penny...well done. And Peter Crouch is hawter than Beckham and Owen combined so shove it. :P
you mean bill walton circa 1978? mm? whu?
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2010/5/21/1274450894002/Peter-Crouch-Ledley-King--006.jpg)
Was wondering which stunning photo of Crouch you might have up your sleeve. That's a compliment to be compared to Walton circa 78. Just ask those dudes in the Deadheads thread. ;)
;D ;D ;D
Edit: I can't fix this on my stupid phone
no worries, paulie. i admit that i don't really FOLLOW follow the spanish league. i watch some matches and all. but mainly it's just the prem & champs league and of course the world cup when it rolls around. most of the coverage is via the english media so i may very well be getting brainwashed!
regarding beckham, i think most of us in the US were excitied when he 1st came over. hell, the stadiums that usually have tons of empty seats were packed when beckham was in town. but i think most of us know that he's past his prime. he's good on set pieces & can play great passes & he does work real hard for the team. so, gotta give him that. plus i think his name & reputation really helped MLS as a whole. even folks who don't follow soccer know who david beckham is & wanted to see what all the fuss was about. oh, and as an added bonus for the ladies - what a fox!
iLB - i don't follow MLS too closely but i hear edson is on a real hot streak. if he keeps it up, i think bradley's got to give him the green light. do you think he & jozy would link up well up top? i'll have to check him out in the friendlies for sure.
Penny - i'm with you on the lack of hawt. although i do find gerrard to be extremely sexy. but let's face it, with their bodies, you could just put a paper bag over their head and then who cares ;) although, crouch reminds me a little too much of skeletor...
i'm gonna go with spain v argentina in the final. spain to win it.
QuoteiLB - i don't follow MLS too closely but i hear edson is on a real hot streak. if he keeps it up, i think bradley's got to give him the green light. do you think he & jozy would link up well up top? i'll have to check him out in the friendlies for sure.
Well. Buddle did make it along with another journeymen of sorts in, Hercules Gomez, who has been tearing it up down in the Mexican League. Gomez came on as a sub on Tuesday and made an immediate impact and eventually scored what was at the time the equalizer for the US.
As for your question about whether he and Jozy could work well together up top, I think they can. Jozy didn't play on Tuesday and Buddle was paired with Eddie Johnson and did OK working with Eddie. I just like the prospect of keeping the combo of Buddle up front with Landon out on the right. They seem to be working well together in LA so I'm pleased to see Bradley giving Buddle a chance.
Here's a link to the roster:
U.S. 23-man World Cup roster (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5222503/ce/us/united-states-sets-23-man-roster-south-africa?cc=5901&ver=us)
Kind of a surprise to see Demarcus Beasley getting the nod as well. For him to beat out both Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers is quite surprising to me. Especially after Beasley's abismal performance in that Confederations Cup final last summer, I thought his days with the US squad were all but over (at least that is what I was hoping for anyways). He must be doing something right in camp.
ILB - I couldn't agree with you more on your assessment of Beasley. My disdain for him is unparalleled. If he was a rapper, I'd name him "Dispossessed." I really loved Rogers' activeness in the Czech Rep. game and thought he deserved a spot. I recall Kljestan's long strike against Sweden in a friendly last year being very impressive but I sometimes find it shocking how someone in the central midfield can disappear for such long periods of time that I don't even know that he's in the game.
I guess we got what we got and we'll see where it gets us. Hopefully Saturday's game and for sure the Australia match in SA will let us know how Bradley intends to use this roster.
What did you guys think about our central defense? Gooch's lateral agility his horrible and I feel like he'll be constantly exposed against quicker strikers. I've always like Demerit. Goodson looked OK at times against the Czechs and his header back off the back post corner to Gomez was the reason for that beautiful goal. Unfortunately, he was a disaster at times defensively that more than made up for that moment of offensive class.
Quote
What did you guys think about our central defense? Gooch's lateral agility his horrible and I feel like he'll be constantly exposed against quicker strikers. I've always like Demerit. Goodson looked OK at times against the Czechs and his header back off the back post corner to Gomez was the reason for that beautiful goal. Unfortunately, he was a disaster at times defensively that more than made up for that moment of offensive class.
I think our D will make or break us. I like Gooch in the middle, but man, he is SO prone to stupid mistakes. The header he got beat on made him look foolish. I know we can't really look too much into last week's game, but our D looked terrible. I thought our offense looked decent, especially considering we were without our best players. There was about a 15 minute span in the second half that was world class. Anway, really looking forward to Saturday's match and especially our match against the Aussies.
QuoteQuote
What did you guys think about our central defense? Gooch's lateral agility his horrible and I feel like he'll be constantly exposed against quicker strikers. I've always like Demerit. Goodson looked OK at times against the Czechs and his header back off the back post corner to Gomez was the reason for that beautiful goal. Unfortunately, he was a disaster at times defensively that more than made up for that moment of offensive class.
I think our D will make or break us. I like Gooch in the middle, but man, he is SO prone to stupid mistakes. The header he got beat on made him look foolish. I know we can't really look too much into last week's game, but our D looked terrible. I thought our offense looked decent, especially considering we were without our best players. There was about a 15 minute span in the second half that was world class. Anway, really looking forward to Saturday's match and especially our match against the Aussies.
I'm definitely not putting too much stock into Tuesday's loss. That wasn't close to our A roster and when you combine the fact that there were guys fighting for spots who may have been overplaying a tad, it had the makings of a bad result. I'll be more interested to see how the US comes out vs. Turkey tomorrow and much moreso against the Aussies in SA.
As for Gooch, yes he didn't look all that great, but remember this was his first competitive match since his injury. You can't expect him not to have some rust to shake off. Not to mention the fact that he's still dealing with being able to trust himself on that knee. That said, I'm kind of worried that Bradley may be expecting too much from Gooch too soon. Hopefully Gooch will show some of the form that made AC Milan sign him last season.
Did anyone watch the Turkey friendly? Did anyone recognize that team in the 2nd half that was playing in front of a home crowd in Philadelphia?
Findley and Torres were revelations for me. Dempsey should not play up front. Feilhaber solid. Goodson bad. Spector good and bad.
I know its just one half against a Turkish side that had brought in subs too but I can live with Jozy and Findley up front with Torres for Ricardo Clark.
It's the first time I felt as if this team has the potential to consistently create opportunities when they need to. Their first goal was sublime.
I didn't get a chance to watch the Turkey friendly. Did Dempsey play up front just the first half or the entire match? I couldn't tell from watching the highlights of the match.
Dempsey has even admitted he doesn't feel comfortable playing up front as he doesn't feel that is his natural postition so I think Bradley is being quite foolish if he can't even listen to his own players.
In other news, did anyone catch that Giuseppe Rossi (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5165898/ce/us/world-cup-2010-espn-magazine-giuseppe-rossi-make-history-world-cup-just-not-us?cc=5901&ver=us) was left off the final 23 man roster for Italy? Rossi is an American born and raised in Jersey that chose to go and try to make Italy's national team as opposed to staying home and being an almost sure thing to make the US squad. Well, now he has neiter and he can have fun watching the World Cup at home just like the rest of us!
I guess because he didn't choose to stay home and play for his home country, now he's staying home period! Dare I say karma? 8-) Can't say I'm shedding any tears for young Mr. Rossi! ;D
QuoteI didn't get a chance to watch the Turkey friendly. Did Dempsey play up front just the first half or the entire match? I couldn't tell from watching the highlights of the match.
Dempsey has even admitted he doesn't feel comfortable playing up front as he doesn't feel that is his natural postition so I think Bradley is being quite foolish if he can't even listen to his own players.
In other news, did anyone catch that Giuseppe Rossi (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5165898/ce/us/world-cup-2010-espn-magazine-giuseppe-rossi-make-history-world-cup-just-not-us?cc=5901&ver=us) was left off the final 23 man roster for Italy? Rossi is an American born and raised in Jersey that chose to go and try to make Italy's national team as opposed to staying home and being an almost sure thing to make the US squad. Well, now he has neiter and he can have fun watching the World Cup at home just like the rest of us!
I guess because he didn't choose to stay home and play for his home country, now he's staying home period! Dare I say karma? 8-) Can't say I'm shedding any tears for young Mr. Rossi! ;D
I saw the story but I can't say I know much about Rossi at all.
As for Dempsey, he played up front with Jozy in the 1st half and looked awful. They brought in Findley up front to pair with Jozy in the 2nd and moved Dempsey back. Findley was spectacular. He brought pace and skill, and as Dempsey mentioned in the post game, that pace allowed for much more vertical spacing that made them so much more dynamic offensively.
QuoteAs for Dempsey, he played up front with Jozy in the 1st half and looked awful. They brought in Findley up front to pair with Jozy in the 2nd and moved Dempsey back. Findley was spectacular. He brought pace and skill, and as Dempsey mentioned in the post game, that pace allowed for much more vertical spacing that made them so much more dynamic offensively.
Glad to hear Bradley made the change moving Dempsey in the 2nd half. Maybe it will finally sink in with Bradley that Dempsey isn't comfortable playing up front?!
I hope your right. That combination in the second half worked! Is anyone gonna be watching the Aussie game tomorrow morning? That game should tell us a lot about who is gonna play and what combinations that Bradley will be using. Should be fun~!
Win is a win. US could have scored at least 6 goals. The central D in the air looked terrible. It angered me that Bradley didn't use Torres. The Socceroos looked atrocious.
Drogba now may be out? Ferdinand out. Essien out. Wow....
QuoteWin is a win. US could have scored at least 6 goals. The central D in the air looked terrible. It angered me that Bradley didn't use Torres. The Socceroos looked atrocious.
Drogba now may be out? Ferdinand out. Essien out. Wow....
I forgot to set my DVR. My twins had soccer camp at 9 am and I totally missed it AGAIN?! I heard some grumblings about Bradley not putting in Torres. Almost like he is favoring his son a bit too much or something?
Saw the highlights and you are right about the US having plenty of scoring chances. They can't afford to miss chances like they had today vs. better teams! And at the same time, the US is also fortunate to have only given up 1 goal. If the defense doesn't start to shore things up before their match with England, things could get ugly for the US!
QuoteQuoteWin is a win. US could have scored at least 6 goals. The central D in the air looked terrible. It angered me that Bradley didn't use Torres. The Socceroos looked atrocious.
Drogba now may be out? Ferdinand out. Essien out. Wow....
I forgot to set my DVR. My twins had soccer camp at 9 am and I totally missed it AGAIN?! I heard some grumblings about Bradley not putting in Torres. Almost like he is favoring his son a bit too much or something?
Saw the highlights and you are right about the US having plenty of scoring chances. They can't afford to miss chances like they had today vs. better teams! And at the same time, the US is also fortunate to have only given up 1 goal. [highlight]If the defense doesn't start to shore things up before their match with England, things could get ugly for the US![/highlight]
I completely agree though I'm sure the English are thinking the same about their D, particularly with Ferdinand out.
5 days and counting.......
QuoteI completely agree [highlight]though I'm sure the English are thinking the same about their D,[/highlight] particularly with Ferdinand out.
[highlight]5 days and counting......[/highlight]
Very true as well! Not to mention that England isn't exactly secure in their GK either.
Saturday can't get here soon enough! It's going to be a looooooong week! :D
definitely a few ill-timed injuries...
is drogba definitely out? i read something yesterday that said his surgery was a success which lead me to believe he may play at some point. anyone???
england losing ferdinand has got to be quite a blow. hopefully gerrard will step into the captain's role & rally the squad. for replacement center half they have king, carra & dawson (all of whom are solid, when they are on their game) to work with. the goalie issue is what makes me the most nervous, still.
robben & pirlo both injured. not sure if either are definitely out, i only saw headlines...
are there more injuries this time or is it just me? it's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out.
only a few more days. woo-hoo!!!
Drogba is not out of the WC entirely. From what I read, he is questionable depending on how quickly he heals after surgery for Ivory Coast's opener and should be ready to go by at least their 2nd group stage match.
As for the injuries overall. It sure does seem like there are a lot more prominent names going down to injury in the days leading up to the competition than I ever remember.
I did hear this morning on ESPN that they would be shocked if Altidore wasn't in the starting 11 for the US vs. England so that is good news for the Americans!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRPRwG1_ayk[/media]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRPRwG1_ayk
The injury tally is beginning to be ridiculous. Robben won't be fit, Nani is out and now Iniesta went down.
Good to see Jozy good to go though Buddle and Findley looked just fine out there as well.
I liked this...
The American Ambassador to London and his British counterpart in Washington have wagered a meal on their respective sides winning the hotly anticipated tie.
US Ambassador Louis Susman and Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the UK Ambassador, have now become embroiled in a sledging match, in a series of cables sent between aides on both sides of the Atlantic.
The bet was proposed by a member of the American Ambassador's staff, who wrote: "We will understand if you decline, given the outcome of the last such encounter", in reference to America's victory over England in the 1950 World Cup.
Martin Longden, press secretary to Sir Nigel, responded that the win was exactly how the Ambassador prefers his steak – "somewhat rare".
He continued: "Even for such an exceptionally optimistic nation as the United States, I am struck by the confidence with which your ambassador proposes this wager.
"It is testament, I assume, to the generosity of your great nation, since the British ambassador does not anticipate paying out."
In a jocular riposte Philip Breeden, of the American embassy, wrote: "It is true that our soccer (a fine English word we have kindly preserved for you) history is not as long and illustrious as yours.
"However, as your generals noted during World War II, we have a unique capability for quickly identifying and advancing talent."
Staff at the British embassy – a quarter of whom are American – will watch the match on a large screen at the headquarters in Washington, BBC News reported.
An official said: "We're not doing anything more grand. We'll leave that to the final."
good to hear that jozy is ok. it'll be good to have some options up top. i hope that all 3 of them (altidore, buddle & findley) can keep the goals a-comin! hell, why not start all 3 on sat??? just send wave after wave @ the brit's shaky defense. don't let 'em out of their own half. we can shred them to pieces! (joking, but only slightly)
seriously, iniesta too? i think spain are ok in terms of cover but, he sure is delightful to watch. that's a shame. i couldn't care less about nani tho & quite frankly would love it if portugal don't make it out of the group stage. bunch of diving, whiny little bitches.
it really is too bad about all of these injuries but maybe it'll make for some nice surprises. it's not really that fun when the teams that you expect to dominate do just that. i love it when the underdog wins.
BRING ON THE GAMES!
CANNOT WAIT TIL FRIDAY!!!
You are very perceptive about our shaky defence! This is a potential banana skin for England.
I also love your description of the Portugese.....classic!
I'm starting to look forward to the games now, but I reckon those fucking trumpets they have handed out in Africa are going to become seriously annoying. I reckon it could spark some good old fashioned fighting in the stands!
QuoteThe injury tally is beginning to be ridiculous. Robben won't be fit, Nani is out and now Iniesta went down.
Good to see Jozy good to go though Buddle and Findley looked just fine out there as well.
Robben's injury is not that serious,
he won't be playing the group games but expect him to be kickin ass in the finals.
QuoteI liked this...
The American Ambassador to London and his British counterpart in Washington have wagered a meal on their respective sides winning the hotly anticipated tie.
US Ambassador Louis Susman and Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the UK Ambassador, have now become embroiled in a sledging match, in a series of cables sent between aides on both sides of the Atlantic.
The bet was proposed by a member of the American Ambassador's staff, who wrote: "We will understand if you decline, given the outcome of the last such encounter", in reference to America's victory over England in the 1950 World Cup.
Martin Longden, press secretary to Sir Nigel, responded that the win was exactly how the Ambassador prefers his steak – "somewhat rare".
He continued: "Even for such an exceptionally optimistic nation as the United States, I am struck by the confidence with which your ambassador proposes this wager.
"It is testament, I assume, to the generosity of your great nation, since the British ambassador does not anticipate paying out."
In a jocular riposte Philip Breeden, of the American embassy, wrote: "It is true that our soccer (a fine English word we have kindly preserved for you) history is not as long and illustrious as yours.
"However, as your generals noted during World War II, we have a unique capability for quickly identifying and advancing talent."
Staff at the British embassy – a quarter of whom are American – will watch the match on a large screen at the headquarters in Washington, BBC News reported.
An official said: "We're not doing anything more grand. We'll leave that to the final."
That was pretty darn good Mark. ;D Without accompanying pictures of these clowns, I got a good kick out of just picturing what they look and sound like.
QuoteQuoteThe injury tally is beginning to be ridiculous. Robben won't be fit, Nani is out and now Iniesta went down.
Good to see Jozy good to go though Buddle and Findley looked just fine out there as well.
Robben's injury is not that serious,
he won't be playing the group games but expect him to be kickin ass in the finals.
I wish I knew what it was like to know that you'll make it out of the group stage even without one of your top players. :-[
Quotegood to hear that jozy is ok. it'll be good to have some options up top. i hope that all 3 of them (altidore, buddle & findley) can keep the goals a-comin! hell, why not start all 3 on sat??? just send wave after wave @ the brit's shaky defense. don't let 'em out of their own half. we can shred them to pieces! (joking, but only slightly)
seriously, iniesta too? i think spain are ok in terms of cover but, he sure is delightful to watch. that's a shame. i couldn't care less about nani tho & quite frankly would love it if portugal don't make it out of the group stage. [highlight]bunch of diving, whiny little bitches.[/highlight]
it really is too bad about all of these injuries but maybe it'll make for some nice surprises. it's not really that fun when the teams that you expect to dominate do just that. i love it when the underdog wins.
[highlight]BRING ON THE GAMES!
CANNOT WAIT TIL FRIDAY!!![/highlight]
I'm with ya ynwa. Basically 24 hours from 1st match and I am restless with anticipation. Saturday is gonna be ugly. Bloody Marys for the morning matches, big party for the US/England match followed by tix to the Mets/O's game. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to the ballpark by then. ;D
I always found it intriguing to compare national cultures and social norms against their football squad's diving, playacting rate.
I used to take pride in the blue collar nature of American soccer and the refusal to resort to such "Italian" tactics. :-X Then I watched what Fulham and the EPL did to Dempsey.
QuoteThat was pretty darn good Mark. ;D Without accompanying pictures of these clowns, I got a good kick out of just picturing what they look and sound like.
Well, here's your guy, Louis:
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01397/louis-susman_1397754c.jpg)
And ours, Sir Nigel:
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01002/nigel-sheinwald-22_1002950f.jpg)
Not exactly your typical English football fan! Although this one supports dirty Leeds:
(http://girldujour.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/english-football-fan.jpg)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704575304575297040201936332.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop
Just in case anyone missed Spain's 6-0 demolition of Poland earlier this week, here are the goals:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSVosC73KAk[/media]
The second is just ridiculous; Iniesta's vision and touch sublime.
Agreed on the Iniesta set up. That entire goal from start to finish was brilliant.
So anyways....
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
I kinda wish the live times over here were late into the night but no complaints. Will just have to DVR the weekday games. No text messages or internet tickers for 3 weeks. Will watch every game in the evening without knowing the results. Let's go Mexico!
45 minutes to kick off. Bring it on! Here's hoping for a good game...
Yep. The wife even wants to watch. She never wants to watch when I have an EPL match on. Maybe, just maybe she's finally cracking. Soon footie matchs, next Jacket shows.
Robert Green.....oops! He's the goalkeeper for my club team and we've seen a few blunders this season so it's no surprise. Expect lots of England fans now saying they would have picked James. Yes, that's the same fans who would have been calling him Calamity James for the last few years. Our keepers just aren't world class, which goes for most of our team.
From the England point of view it was a 6 out of 10 performance. Johnson had a good game for once, as did Gerrard and Heskey. But most were very average, and Milner, Wright-Phillips, and Lennon were woeful!
How was that for a US team performance? I haven't seen enough of your team before but it looked pretty solid. England played a lot better in the second half and should have won if they'd showed a bit more composure in front of goal. Could have been a different story though if that fella had scored that easy header for the US! Was that Altidore?
Anyways, the group is now wide open. Good luck to the US in your next two games, that's a great start to build on.
England......must do better!
...and that's what happens when you pick an ex-Norwich scummer to be in the national team (from an unbiased Ipswich point of view).
Agree with your analysis, PW. I couldn't understand Milner starting if he was only fit enough to play 30 minutes, and we had Joe Cole available.
All's not lost, though, but there'll be hell to pay if we don't do a proper job on Algeria this Friday.
Good luck to the USA in the next two - hopefully we can both go through with 7 points...
Quote
Good luck to the USA in the next two - hopefully we can both go through with 7 points...
After watching that Algeria v. Slovenia match this morning, I will be VERY disappointed if both England and the US don't advance out of this group. I was hoping for a scoreless draw, but Algeria had to ruin that by giving up that late goal.
Still, I wasn't very impressed with either squad which is why I feel it will be a BIG disappointment if the US and England don't come away from their next 2 matches with max points.
QuoteYep. The wife even wants to watch. She never wants to watch when I have an EPL match on. Maybe, just maybe she's finally cracking. Soon footie matchs, next Jacket shows.
LOL! My wife can't get past the annoying vuvuzelas that play throughout the entire match. She did sit down and watch about the last 20 minutes or so.
However, seeing as how she is almost as much into MMJ as I am, I can't complain about her lack of interest in the beautiful game too much. :P ;)
First and foremost, I'd like to thank Mr. Green. On to the match.
For the American squad, I agree with you PW that Altidore HAD to finish that header in the box. It was a perfect service and he didn't have much to do with it at all. Following our traditional early concession of a goal, I was impressed with our composure and ability to dictate play in the 1st half. An early equalizer could have changed the game for sure. I liked that Bob Bradley started Cherundolo who played a very solid game. His choice of Findley up front with Altidore made a lot of sense because of the vertical space he creates with his quickness. The only issue I have is that he is the only one on our squad with that skill set so its difficult to add tempo if necessary in a late switch when Gomez and Buddle are both similar players with less pace. Most impressive to me was the job that Bradley and Clark did in the midfield. Clark held well and Bradley showed great vision, composure and even some creativity throughout the game. Howard was excellent. That boot to the chest looked painful.
As for England, the early gem by Gerrard was a stunner for us. Heskey did well on the play. I was surprised by the choice of Heskey but his performance more than justified Capello's decision. I just felt that our lack of quickness in the central defense would be better exposed by Defoe but I guess he was never an option in the game for Capello. We didn't get much of an explanation on the Milner situation. Was that the original plan by Capello to take him out early or did it have to do with him taking an early yellow? Wright-Phillips and Lennon were iffy at best, particularly the former. I know Capello has been concerned with using J. Cole who hasn't seen much match play but I'm sure he would have been an upgrade. Lampard seemed almost non existent to me except for that nice left footed strike he took from distance. I enjoyed how at the end, Gerrard took a corner instead of Lampard. I'm curious how that was determined. ;D
That said, England looked much stronger in the second half and controlled for a majority of it. It was just surprising how ineffective they were at integrating Rooney unless he came up high to take it.
All in all, I'm more than happy with one point. However, with Slovenia earning three points, this group just got very interesting.
In other matches, the Nigerian keeper Enyeama played the match of the tournament so far. That guy just got himself a TON of money coming to him after that one game. Forgive me for speculating but after that uninspired (to say the least) performance by Nigeria, I had to think that some fix was on with some players, particularly those in the midfield, who gave the ball away seemingly intentionally throughout the game and refused to press the ball late in the game behind and allowed Argentina to just pass the ball around. Truly a painful match to watch. Without Enyeama, the score would have been at least 5-0.
South Africa looked impressive in executing their counterattacking game plan against Mexico. Mexico needed to convert at least one of their many early opportunities but didn't. If ever one point can be a disappointment for an underdog, the Bafana Bafana defender's mistake of playing on the 3 Mexican players for their equalizing goal would be a justifiable cause of that disappointment. Just an awful play.
France [smiley=thumbdown.gif]
My little brother who lives just outside Seoul said that it was complete mayhem over there after South Korea's impressive performance against Greece. Greece looked rather uninspired for the entire match except for a 20 minute span in the second half.
The Friday match against Slovenia looms HUGE
Having watched Germany yesterday, whoever finishes second in group C is in for a tough game...
This was ok 2 years ago at euro 2008, just hope we'll play as well as those first 2 games then...
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/146271/cf5a4c8d/nederland_frankrijk_met_jack_.html
QuoteHaving watched Germany yesterday, whoever finishes second in group C is in for a tough game...
Agreed though I wouldn't put it past Ghana to surprise and win the group. So impressed by the youngsters, particularly the Turkish guy who I won't try to spell and Muller. Klose missed so many other opportunities. He could have had a hat trick at the half.
QuoteThis was ok 2 years ago at euro 2008, just hope we'll play as well as those first 2 then...
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/146271/cf5a4c8d/nederland_frankrijk_met_jack_.html
The taxman returns! Denmark'll make ya look ugly but the Dutch deserved the win. De Jong's challenges were ridiculous.
[size=14][ch26085][ch26412]! [ch26085][ch26412]! [ch26085][ch26412]![/size]
so far, the only match i've been able to see start to finish was the england vs USA on saturday.
my thoughts have pretty much been covered by you guys on that one. the "butterfingers" jokes have been flying left, right & center. i had to blink a few times to believe it actually happened. i'll take it though! and it's a good thing rob green is english and not columbian. that's all i'm gonna say on that :-X both teams should make it out of the group stage. algeria was shocking & slovenia, well, i really think they got lucky there. still, there's a bit more pressure on the US & england but both really should win their remaining matches. especially if the other teams play like they did yesterday.
it's tough to tell for sure just from highlights, but it seemed that a lot of the matches were pretty lacklustre. wish i'd been able to watch the germany one yesterday though. i haven't had a good lok @ them yet & i've been hearing a lot of hype since yesterday.
hope everyone is enjoying the matches so far!
QuoteQuoteThis was ok 2 years ago at euro 2008, just hope we'll play as well as those first 2 then...
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/146271/cf5a4c8d/nederland_frankrijk_met_jack_.html
The taxman returns! Denmark'll make ya look ugly but the Dutch deserved the win. De Jong's challenges were ridiculous.
Wasn't a great match, but 6 more of those with the same result is better than 3 top games and going home with nothing.
De Jong should've been sent off, imho.
Elia did well though.
Also, I have to say that Germany could play so well, because Australia put on a pretty weak effort.
Well, maybe I just don't like the thought of Germany playing well... ;)
QuoteQuoteAlso, I have to say that Germany could play so well, because Australia put on a pretty weak effort.
Well, maybe I just don't like the thought of Germany playing well... ;)
I too am not ready to buy the hype everyone is pouring over Germany. Australia is one of the weaker sides in the tournament IMO. The US beat the Aussies 3-1 in their last friendly before the Cup and if it wasn't for Findley's inablity to finsih, it should have been 6-1!
Add to that the the Aussies had to not only play a man down, but the man sent off was arguably their best player in Timmy Cahill for one of the weakest red cards I have ever seen!
That said, I'm still hoping the US can somehow find a way to win their group so they don't have to square off against the Germans in the round of 16...
Don't count out Ghana. They are young but amazingly fast and skilled.
QuoteDon't count out Ghana. They are young but amazingly fast and skilled.
I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Ghana come out on top of this group.
BTW, did anyone watch the Brazil/North Korea match today? They showed the N. Korean fans in the stands and the announcers made mention of the fact that N.Korea actually went to China and payed professional actors to go and play the role of N.Korean fans. Un-freaking-believable eh??? So glad they got beat, although I was hoping Brazil would put a bigger hurting on those commies than the 2-1 result they settled on.
I was cheering for the North Koreans. I've had my fill of the tens of thousands of Brazilians in Toronto and the North Korean players, their families and the rest of the populace face an uncertain future, imprisoned and facing starvation at the hands of a mad dictator.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Spain start their tournament today.
In other news, we English have developed our own version of the vuvuzela:
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s174/mafwhite/vuvuzela.jpg)
It's going to give us the competitive edge on Friday.
That's what I'd like to see done to everybody who blows one of those fucking annoying trumpets!
So far this has to be the most boring World Cup in living memory. All teams are now super fit, and they are all so well organised that they are just cancelling each other out.
I also agree about not getting too carried away with the Germans just yet. Australia are pretty poor. After all, as someone said, the USA beat them 3 -1 so they can't be very good at all......
:P :P :P
I've caught a few matches, usually bits of halves before work and at lunch. Saw Brazil's first goal yesterday, which was amazing.
I'm rooting for the Dutch now.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/14/article-0-0A071DFB000005DC-622_634x409.jpg)
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/16/article-1286788-0A082CA1000005DC-723_634x498.jpg)
QuoteI've caught a few matches, usually bits of halves before work and at lunch. Saw Brazil's first goal yesterday, which was amazing.
I'm rooting for the Dutch now.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/14/article-0-0A071DFB000005DC-622_634x409.jpg)
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/16/article-1286788-0A082CA1000005DC-723_634x498.jpg)
Oh my.
It felt wrong cheering for the Swiss, but I'm glad they won.
QuoteQuoteI've caught a few matches, usually bits of halves before work and at lunch. Saw Brazil's first goal yesterday, which was amazing.
I'm rooting for the Dutch now.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/14/article-0-0A071DFB000005DC-622_634x409.jpg)
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/16/article-1286788-0A082CA1000005DC-723_634x498.jpg)
Oh my.
that's a lot of blonde.
I prefer brunettes, but...
(http://euro2008girls.com/pics/german-girl-10-499x564.jpg)
QuoteSpain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Switzerland - 1
Spain - 0
If Spain have removed the tag of biggest choke artists at the World Cup, they sure aren't doing a very good job of showing it... :P
On a slightly different note; does anybody else wonder how the name 'Schweinsteiger' came into being?
Because I think it means as much as 'Pigfucker'. :o
Anyway; the Swiss, imo, did not deserve to win...
I thought Argentina looked fantastic at some points today. There won't be many teams that cope with Messi, Tevez and the rest running at them for 90 minutes.
Greece/Nigeria has been a strange game. Feeling pretty sorry for the Nigerians.
Finally, you can now enjoy the world cup atmosphere live on the interweb whilst browsing your favourite sites:
http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/www.mymorningjacket.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?board
I live in Toronto's massive Greektown (over 20 blocks of shops, businesses and restaurants). I'm almost afraid to run some errands right now.
QuoteI live in Toronto's massive Greektown (over 20 blocks of shops, businesses and restaurants). I'm almost afraid to run some errands right now.
Probably a good time to pick up some freebies ;)
QuoteQuoteSpain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Switzerland - 1
Spain - 0
If Spain have removed the tag of biggest choke artists at the World Cup, they sure aren't doing a very good job of showing it... :P
There's a long way to go yet. Let's see what happens. As we speak the Germans are having a blip.....
QuoteQuoteQuoteSpain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Switzerland - 1
Spain - 0
If Spain have removed the tag of biggest choke artists at the World Cup, they sure aren't doing a very good job of showing it... :P
There's a long way to go yet. Let's see what happens. As we speak the Germans are having a blip.....
I also said I wasn't going to trump the Germans horn either even though they looked like world beaters against lowly Australia. I just thought it would be Ghana that proved my point, not Serbia.
And I would say the loss to Serbia is more than a blip for the Germans. The Germans are almost now in a must win situation if they want to advance out of this group and that won't be easy vs. Ghana. Of course, I'm assuming Ghana takes care of business vs. Australia... :D
Yeah, this group with Germany, Serbia and Ghana is the true group of death. I know Serbia was a lot of prognosticators' dark horse pick but they didn't show it against Ghana. This morning, I think they did better, but I'm not sure of the outcome without the HORRENDOUS referee. He controlled the game. If ever, the integrity of a match should be questioned, this was it. How many times have you seen a striker get sent off on two (bullshit) yellows in the 1st half alone?! Germany is just lucky that Serbia didn't score more goals than they did because they had many chances in the second half and it could have meant a lot for the tiebreak scenarios.
If Ghana beats Australia, we'll be looking at a crazy third match day for this group.
Spain will be fine I believe.
holy smokes my nerves are SHOT! i really thought the USA were going out after that awful 1st half performance (actually, that 1st goal by slovenia was pretty sweet). heck of a fight to get back 2 goals & that 3rd one should have counted. there was no foul whatsoever!!! actually, there could have been a penalty for 2 challenges on USA players on that play. what a bunch of BULLSHIT.
My nerves are shot, too. Total horseshit call. Our guys have bounced back well. First, after that quick goal from England then second half today. Still feel pretty good about our chances of advancing (assuming we beat Algeria).
Oh, I've been pleasantly surprised with Michael Bradley! He's had a pretty good Cup, so far.
trying to be a patriot here, but i'm really having a hard time getting behind a sport where there isn't a decisive winner, especially in the sports biggest event. and scoreless ties? really? should those teams be awarded gold foil stars for participation like kindergartners?
don't get me wrong, you've got to be an incredible athlete to play soccer but this whole playing an entire game and it being able to end in a tie is beyond this meathead's comprehension.
Quotetrying to be a patriot here, but i'm really having a hard time getting behind a sport where there isn't a decisive winner, especially in the sports biggest event. and scoreless ties? really? should those teams be awarded gold foil stars for participation like kindergartners?
don't get me wrong, you've got to be an incredible athlete to play soccer but this whole playing an entire game and it being able to end in a tie is beyond this meathead's comprehension.
it's just a point system.
After this first round I'll make some calls and see if they'll change it up for you. :) (there won't be any more ties after this initial Group Stage)
QuoteQuotetrying to be a patriot here, but i'm really having a hard time getting behind a sport where there isn't a decisive winner, especially in the sports biggest event. and scoreless ties? really? should those teams be awarded gold foil stars for participation like kindergartners?
don't get me wrong, you've got to be an incredible athlete to play soccer but this whole playing an entire game and it being able to end in a tie is beyond this meathead's comprehension.
it's just a point system.
After this first round I'll make some calls and see if they'll change it up for you. :) (there won't be any more ties after this initial Group Stage)
ha ha, I admitantly don't know much about soccer at all. i played the "other" football for 11 yrs.
Quotetrying to be a patriot here, but i'm really having a hard time getting behind a sport where there isn't a decisive winner, especially in the sports biggest event. and scoreless ties? really? should those teams be awarded gold foil stars for participation like kindergartners?
don't get me wrong, you've got to be an incredible athlete to play soccer but this whole playing an entire game and it being able to end in a tie is beyond this meathead's comprehension.
you are not alone in feeling this way. it's natural to want a difinitive "winner" every time. especially if that's what you're used to. you go through that whole rollercoaster of emotions & are left feeling cheated.
i grew up playing so i'm used to it but admittedly, sometimes it's very annoying. or maybe the better word is dissatifying??? but then there's the whole points system (not gold stars) so it does make sense in the end. there's a total of 3 points available for each of the teams to "earn". you get all 3 with a win, 1 a piece with a tie (you split the points since neither bested the other) & 0 with a loss. it's just the rules of the game.
just playing devil's advocate here: why, in say... basketball, is 1 basket worth 1, 2 or 3 points? why not just 1 point for each basket? why, in football, is a touchdown worth 6 points? why not just 1? it's the rules of each sport.
the good news for you is that once the group stage is done, there will be a difinitive winner for every game. hang in there!!!
(http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_sow_experts__8/ept_sports_sow_experts-808658848-1276878832.jpg?ymwPTUDD0_8KCZZQ)
Quote(http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_sow_experts__8/ept_sports_sow_experts-808658848-1276878832.jpg?ymwPTUDD0_8KCZZQ)
Awesome picture. Took some balls for donovan to take it (how often do u beat a keeper near post) and I'm psyched to see someone try it on. You'll never win if you don't score and you can't score if you don't take a chance.
That was a beautifully executed goal from Donovan. There was nothing else on, he weighed up the situation and struck it exactly where he wanted to. Brilliant goal, one of the best of the tournament so far.
As for England.....OH FUCKING DEAR! I refer you to my comments at the start of this thread!
Couple of things on my mind:
First of all, I'm fed up with the coverage of the supposed foul on the free kick. Before the kick was even lined up, I was yelling to my friends that I'd be upset if the US scored on this play to win the game when Altidore completely dove to earn the spot. I think the ref did it justice, whether intentionally or not, by calling the phantom foul. Originally, I was wondering whether the ref was going to book Altidore for diving on the play. Karma points. Just my opinion but my conscience is now clear. Win and in baby! :)
Secondly, Donovan's goal was solid. That keeper's a flincher! ;D Bradley's was as well. BUT, I can't stand American broadcasters not calling the game properly and further misinforming the casual American soccer fan. On the first goal, at no point did the analysts mention what a TERRIBLE challenge it was by the Slovenian #5 to attempt a slide tackle and miss my many feet, allowing Donovan to break free with nothing but space and the keeper. It was a HUGE mistake! Just as notable was the lack of emphasis on the perfectly executed head on by Altidore to set up Bradley. It wasn't the most difficult play but it was still very well done. :)
First of all, I thought that you couldn't get much worse officiating than what I saw in the Serbia v. Germany match. Well, that didn't take long to change my stance on that as the referee in the US match was one of the worst I've ever seen?!
First of all, what the hell was the yellow card on Findley for??? (not that I'm complaining as I have felt starting Findley has been a mistake and now we won't have to worry about it as he is lost for the next match 8-) ) And that should have been this ref's crowning moment for worst call in the match but he did himself one better by disallowing what would have been the winning goal for the US. And then that douche doesn't even have the balls to expain himself?? At least FIFA's board of officiating is going to review this referee's performance and they may not let him officiate another match in the tournament. He doesn't deserve to officiate another match after his downright attrocious officiating in that match.
Oh well. as ynwa said, that was one hell of a fight back by the Americans! I almost wish they hadn't had a disallowed goal though because knowing the US SHOULD have won that match makes the draw tougher to swallow! But a point is better than none and seeing that England result makes it win and you're in for the US against Algeria and I like our chances!
And as disappointing as England have looked, they are in the same boat as the Americans! Win over Slovenia and they're in!
Well, you know I agree with you on the Germany/Serbia ref. Ruud Gerrit and Roberto Martinez agreed just now that Dempsey should have been straight red carded inside the first couple minutes for that flying elbow. I mean, we got lucky too. I think it's fair to say that the referee was awful but I don't think we can say that we deserved the win.
Honestly, none of you guys were bothered by Altidore's playacting?
England's game last night was... frustrating.... :-/
I also agree with Ruckus on the "phantom foul" I honestly just finished telling my friend the same thing when he was complaining about the call.
Cameroon/Denmark was an interesting game today.
Just brilliant:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t62Y0Z56rI[/media]
Quote
Honestly, none of you guys were bothered by Altidore's playacting?
When every other team in the world draws phantom fouls, I'm not going to get all bent out of shape when one of our guys takes advantage of it. Like it or not, it is a part of the game until FIFA does something to clean it up. And it doesn't excuse completey ignoring the following set piece where not one, but two US attackers were freaking tackled in the box. Not to mention the disallowed goal.
BTW, wrt Dempsey getting away with that elbow, I would say Findley's yellow on what wasn't even close to being a hand ball more than made up for that no card on Dempsey. That ref's calls were far more egregious towards the US than they were towards the Slovenians.
Phantom fouls and diving are two aspects of the "beautiful game" that non-fans or even casual fans will ever accept... nor should. There's no honour in this behaviour or the acceptance of it. Watching players writhing in pain after little or no contact is sickening. Duncan Keith, Oscar Robertson, Ronnie Lot they ain't. I also hated watching de Rossi do a swan-dive in the first half which led to a penalty kick goal against New Zealand. I hope FIFA eventually grows a pair and finally cleans-up some of the unsportsmanlike aspects of the game.
QuotePhantom fouls and diving are two aspects of the "beautiful game" that non-fans or even casual fans will ever accept... nor should. There's no honour in this behaviour or the acceptance of it. Watching players writhing in pain after little or no contact is sickening. Duncan Keith, Oscar Robertson, Ronnie Lot they ain't. I also hated watching de Rossi do a swan-dive in the first half which led to a penalty kick goal against New Zealand. I hope FIFA eventually grows a pair and finally cleans-up some of the unsportsmanlike aspects of the game.
tru dat. im trying to watch ITA/NZL right now but it's so hard. i just can't stand the diving. i don't care if it has become part of the game or whatever. these sally sensitives need to man up. we played tougher ball in elementary school gym class and none of us rolled around on the grass for 2 minutes after slight contact to the back of the head. and i can't believe these commentators seem to accept the diving. ::)
*feel tug on shirt*
*fall in opposite direction*
*penalty kick???*
*goal*
>:(
QuoteQuote
Honestly, none of you guys were bothered by Altidore's playacting?
When every other team in the world draws phantom fouls, I'm not going to get all bent out of shape when one of our guys takes advantage of it. Like it or not, it is a part of the game until FIFA does something to clean it up. And it doesn't excuse completey ignoring the following set piece where not one, but two US attackers were freaking tackled in the box. Not to mention the disallowed goal.
BTW, wrt Dempsey getting away with that elbow, I would say Findley's yellow on what wasn't even close to being a hand ball more than made up for that no card on Dempsey. That ref's calls were far more egregious towards the US than they were towards the Slovenians.
I agree. Yes, it is ridiculous. But, I'd say the U.S. arguably does it less than a good majority of other teams.
I also don't think Dempsey warranted a red. Yellow, sure. I don't see too many 50/50 balls without elbows flying. It didn't look too intentional.
Good point, Ruckus, on Donovan's gift. Still, he capitalized perfectly and had great vision as he was attacking the goal. Had the keeper come off his line, he knew exactly where his guys were for any easy dish. I read where he said after the game he was aiming for the keeper's head. You can see from the picture in this thread he did a pretty good job of that. ;D
U.S. really needs to get over the bad foul call. Nothing we can do about it now. Just figure out a way to beat ALG. I really don't want to read for the next few months how we were "robbed".
Wow. Portugal destroyed North Korea. That was both beautiful and merciless.
QuoteWow. Portugal destroyed North Korea. That was both beautiful and merciless.
I have no idea what happened to North Korea in the 2nd half. Well, at least one top European squad showed up. ;)
QuoteWow. [highlight]Portugal destroyed North Korea.[/highlight] That was both beautiful and merciless.
yes. yes they did. the game was completely ripped wide open after portugal's 2nd goal. north korea had to come out & chase so there was all kinds of space for the portugese to exploit. and they suuuuure did.
I agree wholeheartedly with you JonT that the US play the game with much more dignity than most other competing nations although Dempsey and Altidore seem to have picked up terrible habits overseas. However, when you see the likes of De Rossi and Drogba, nothing compares.
I watched Dempsey's elbow over and over on my DVR and the only conclusion I can come up with was that it was intentional. You're right that arms fly on 50/50s all the time but it sure seemed like he gave it an intentional extra at the end. It was definitely worthy of a yellow. Yes, the ref was wrong on Findley's yellow. US don't deserve a win where they don't show up for the first 45 minutes in an important World Cup match. They control their own destiny. Take advantage.
Oh wait I know...Let's talk about bad refereeing. I watched at live speed as it happened, Luis Fabiano's second goal for Brazil against the Ivory Coast. I thought, did I just see TWO hand balls not called on the same play? ::) :o >:(
QuoteI agree wholeheartedly with you JonT that the US play the game with much more dignity than most other competing nations although Dempsey and Altidore seem to have picked up terrible habits overseas. However, when you see the likes of De Rossi and Drogba, nothing compares.
I watched Dempsey's elbow over and over on my DVR and the only conclusion I can come up with was that it was intentional. You're right that arms fly on 50/50s all the time but it sure seemed like he gave it an intentional extra at the end. It was definitely worthy of a yellow. Yes, the ref was wrong on Findley's yellow. US don't deserve a win where they don't show up for the first 45 minutes in an important World Cup match. They control their own destiny. Take advantage.
Word. 8-)
Had ENG beaten ALG we would still be in a "win and in" situation. Their draw opened up our possibilty of drawing and still advancing. Still, I would have rather ENG won and we would have faced an already eliminated ALG side. They definitely aren't too skillful, but man they were scrappy against ENG. Still, we should advance and to be honest if we can win one match in Group play we really don't deserve to advance, imo.
I never said I like diving aspect of the game. I merely said you shouldn't act as if we should down the US when they are the ones drawing a foul from a dive when it happens against them all the time. I guess I abide by the old adage of if you can't beat them, join them. At least we aren't the freaking Italians who are the kings of drawing phantom fouls!
QuoteI agree wholeheartedly with you JonT that the US play the game with much more dignity than most other competing nations although Dempsey and Altidore seem to have picked up terrible habits overseas. However, when you see the likes of De Rossi and Drogba, nothing compares.
Yes. Dempsey and Altidore definitelty seem to be picking up some bad habits from playing on the other side of the pond. But as you said, they have a loooooooong way to go to reach the depths of guys like De Rossi, Drogba and possibly the worst offender in Christiano Ronaldo.
QuoteI watched Dempsey's elbow over and over on my DVR and the only conclusion I can come up with was that it was intentional. You're right that arms fly on 50/50s all the time but it sure seemed like he gave it an intentional extra at the end. It was definitely worthy of a yellow.
I'll give you that Dempsey's elbow should have earned him a yellow. I think had he been looking at his victim as he was planting his elbow, he definitely would have drawn at least yellow, if not red. But the fact that he wasn't looking as he was landing the elbow may have given him his reprieve.
QuoteUS don't deserve a win where they don't show up for the first 45 minutes in an important World Cup match. They control their own destiny. Take advantage.
AGREED!!! :)
Don't mind me Beer. ;D I've already angered enough of my friends with my take on the whole US/Slovenia game. I agree, I can't stand Italy for the way they play the game. You know, the funny thing is that though I may be a little off on this, I feel like Ronaldo has gotten a little better recently in his playacting as compared to three or four years ago.
The Spain/Honduras game was officiated by the Japanese referee crew. It's the second time I've watched them and I felt they were excellent again. Among the many things that FIFA must correct is the completely arbitrary nature of yellows given to dives. Drogba was pathetic on one play against Brazil and I don't think De Rossi has gotten one and he shamelessly dove in both Italian games so far and neither have been carded. Meanwhile, two Germans were booked in their 1st game for less obvious transgressions.
I hate the fact that I'm somehow going to have to avoid all human contact and internet info on Wednesday so I can watch the game fresh after work in the evening. I was able to do it last Friday so we'll see.
QuoteDon't mind me Beer. ;D I've already angered enough of my friends with my take on the whole US/Slovenia game.
No worries mate! ;)
QuoteI hate the fact that I'm somehow going to have to avoid all human contact and internet info on Wednesday so I can watch the game fresh after work in the evening. I was able to do it last Friday so we'll see.
I hear you. I have had to do this with every US match so far. For their opener vs. England I had to run to the grocery store late in the afternoon and forgot I was wearing my US Soccer hat and I was so sure someone was going to spot my hat and give away the result. :D Luckily I just avoided making eye contact and got what I needed (first and foremost beer to watch the match) and got the hell out of the store! 8-) )
And last Friday, I had to go to an assembly at my twins school for a summer camp program. One of their friends fathers is also a huge soccer fan and he was there wearing his US jersey and I just avoided him and thankfully I was successful on that occasion as well! 8-)
We shall see if I can make it 3 for 3 on Wednesday! :D
Best of luck to both England and the USA this afternoon. If I have the maths right, if we both win, we're both through. Fingers crossed.
We're closing our offices this afternoon at 2pm, and the entire company is heading to the pub. Don't expect much in the way of posting from me tomorrow either way!
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!
The Heart Attack Gang does it again! We missed way too many opportunities and Algeria's keeper was a mad man but we got the job done!!!!!! It doesn't get any more intense than that. Thank you, Donovan!!!
QuoteBest of luck to both England and the USA this afternoon. If I have the maths right, if we both win, we're both through. Fingers crossed.
We're closing our offices this afternoon at 2pm, and the entire company is heading to the pub. Don't expect much in the way of posting from me tomorrow either way!
Sweet, we both made it thru. Now if Deutschland can make it thru this afternoon, I'll have three teams to root for.
Wow! That USA win was the first time in my life I have had any emotional response to a soccer game.
USA! :)
(http://i.imgur.com/cPVVj.jpg)
Quote(http://i.imgur.com/cPVVj.jpg)
That is hilarious (and disturbing). ;D
Seriously a great win for USA!
I was watching the stream, which is a little behind, at my desk and we have cable in the lobby. Heard the entire lobby go nuts and had to wait 20 seconds to see what happened...what a 20 seconds it was!
Excuse my excitement, but I think we just went from about 2 minutes away from being eliminted to a very reachable semi-final appearance. We get Ghana (winnable) and then the winner of Uruguay/South Korea (winnable). We would then get Brazil or Portugal and go directly home. A Semi appearance would be quite an accomplishment for the good ole USA.
QuoteHOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!
The Heart Attack Gang does it again! We missed way too many opportunities and Algeria's keeper was a mad man but we got the job done!!!!!! It doesn't get any more intense than that. Thank you, Donovan!!!
the heart attack gang is right! jozy missed a sitter & dempsy should've put in that rebound from the shot he hit the post with. good lord, that was insane! i'm glad that we went out on full attack mode & just kept at it. i was listening to one of the pundits on ESPN or FSC last night saying that the USA doesn't quit - man, aint that the truth!
so, everything is as it should be so far (imho): USA & england advance & france is out ;D
Holy Shit is right. I had to DVR the match and I watched it last night and all I kept thinking was I can't believe the US is going to be sent packing on a scoreless draw?! And the other thing I was thinking was how different this World Cup would have been if the US didn't keep getting GOOD GOALS DISALLOWED?! This is becoming quite maddening! First the US has to live with the disgraceful performance of that head official in the Slovenia match and as if trying to outdo the man from Mali, last night the sideline official makes yet another complete gaff of a call in calling back Clint Dempsey's goal where he was CLEARLY onside! That would have saved many a fan a lot of heartburn and blood pressure medicine as the match went on!!! :D
And I also couldn't believe we were going to be sent home by a bunch of chicken shit Algerians who seemed more content in playing for a scoreless draw by packing it in defensively knowing that would send the US home as opposed to actually coming out and fighting for a chance to advance which a win could have done for them?! I thought that was a pretty poor showing by the Algerians and that is putting it mildly!
But, in one last rush started by a beautiful outlet throw by Timmy Howard that caught the Algerians shorthanded on defense, the US finally broke through and live to fight another day!!! 8-)
BTW, how HUGE was that goal for the future of the sport of soccer here in the States? The US was on the verge of a maddening 0-0 draw which would have sent them home. New 'fans' trying to get interested would have jumped ship for sure with tthoughts of this is why I hate soccer. Instead, the US delivered in dramatic form yet again and who knows what the television ratings will be for their game with Ghana on Saturday! 8-)
Lastly, the match with Ghana will be a rematch from the 2006 World Cup when Ghana knocked the US out of the tournament on yet another very contraversial referee decision. Ghana was awarded a penalty from a Ghana player diving in the box. And it was in stoppage time of the first half no less?! Maybe, for once the US can be the beneficiaries of some shoddy officiating?!?!
Quote
BTW, how HUGE was that goal for the future of the sport of soccer here in the States? The US was on the verge of a maddening 0-0 draw which would have sent them home. New 'fans' trying to get interested would have jumped ship for sure with tthoughts of this is why I hate soccer. Instead, the US delivered in dramatic form yet again and who knows what the television ratings will be for their game with Ghana on Saturday! 8-)
Definitely. Also, as shitty as the foul call against SLV was, it actually helped kick-start a lot interest. I had friends that have never given two shits about soccer talking about that call. Our great comeback and then the disallowed goal got people interested in yesterday's match. Then for it to end the way it did really couldn't have been scripted any better.
Quoteso, everything is as it should be so far (imho): USA & england advance & france is out ;D
Now, if only Slovakia can find a way to upset Italy and sent the Azzurri packing... ;D
And that just might be a possibility as the Slovaks lead 1-0 late in the first half!!! ;D
EDIT:
And this World Cup just keeps getting better and better! Not only were France sent packing early, but the Italians can also now start dusting off the golf clubs as they are taken down by Slovakia!!! ;D
I couldn't be freaking happier as my two least favorite sides don't even make it out of the group stages!!! 8-)
The one thing I like about the US going through is that it makes two CONCACAF teams advancing, and Honduras didn't embarrass themselves either. CONCACAF is a tougher pool than its given credit.
QuoteQuote
Now, if only Slovakia can find a way to upset Italy and sent the Azuri packing... ;D
And that just might be a possibility as the Slovaks lead 1-0 late in the first half!!! ;D
OH. MY. STARS.
slovakia come thru with the shock win! and they absolutely deserved it. going into the match in last place & almost completely written off, they took the game to the defending pworld champions. what a great 1st goal & from there you could see they believed they could pull it off. italy showed no urgency until it was too late. their defending was laxidasical (sp) and they were just totally devoid of any creativity up top. they left it way too late to finally kick it into 2nd gear. the only good thing i can say about them is that they made the final 10 minutes or so interesting.
God i love it when the underdog wins!
WOW! So unfortunately, I was foiled in my attempt to go through the work day without learning of the US/Algeria result. As such, I had to back out of a get together for a DVRed first viewing of the match at a friends house. Apparently, around the 80th minute mark, all my friends became completely dejected because they assumed I would have still showed up had the result been positive. Man were they apparently surprised! :D There was no way I could poker face it for 90+ minutes. So, I ended up watching it alone late in the evening knowing what the final score was and when the goal was scored. Even knowing all that, the game was so exciting from beginning to end. WOW!
Luckily the Dempsey call didn't hurt them. I don't fault Algeria for how they played however. They got good chances and in the end, they just weren't that strong a side.
And now..........how 'bout them JAPS!!!!???!!!!!
(http://www.stikcustomizers.com/walloper/products/Blue_Samurai.jpg)
Oh man did we put it to Denmark. Keisuke Honda has been amazing all tournament. Denmark was so lethargic. I can't imagine how it must have felt to be a Danish fan watching them play that way in a must win game.
I love it. US in! Japan in! Germany in! All is well :D
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w[/media]
Quote[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w[/media]
that's pretty special right there!
That was great. A little bit too much focus on the chanting of "USA" at the end, but the reactions when the goal finally goes in are fantastic.
Was I seeing things or did the cameraman at one of the early reactions use the moment to get a shot of a girl's ass in denim shorts? I think he did, and if he did, I like his style!
Now the World Cup really starts.......
QuoteThat was great. A little bit too much focus on the chanting of "USA" at the end, but the reactions when the goal finally goes in are fantastic.
Was I seeing things or did the cameraman at one of the early reactions use the moment to get a shot of a girl's ass in denim shorts? I think he did, and if he did, I like his style!
[highlight]Now the World Cup really starts.......[/highlight]
I know what you mean Paulie, but for the likes of the US and Japan, it truly began 3 games ago. And now to eliminate PK's completely and go to Golden Goal even if it takes 3 days and goes to 70-68 in the 5th set.
Come on USA - you can do Ghana!
EDIT: Extra time
EDIT AGAIN: Unlucky chaps. Good game, though.
we blow
Ok.
What a rotten game. For a neutral viewer, this wasn't what I expected. This is a pretty dissappointing world cup so far.
And this isn't gonna me make me popular 'round here, as this is an American board, but I think Ghana deserved the win; when you just look at the talent on the pitch...Ghana should've had 2 or 3 goals in the first half, they played excellent. I don't understand why the US never shows in the first half, keep their attacking for the 2nd.
America isn't the most technical team out there, but so what. This was the first complete match saw of them. And you guys are right; they never 'dive', don't whine, though Dempsey has some tendencies...
If there was a prize for being Lionhearted, America would win it every time, no questions asked. That's not the problem. If only they played a bit more clever; cuz to be honest, when the team USA players get exhausted, there's not much they can fall back on; they don't have a great technique.
But the potential is there man.
You've got like, what, 400 million inhabitants? We, as the Dutch, have 16 million. If we've got 100 talents, USA should have 10,000. But soccer/football ain't where the money's at in the States, or am I wrong?
Btw; American Football, apart from being the awesome sport it is, why is it still called football; when so rarely a ball is being touched by a foot?
On a side note; it's early sunday morning at the moment, so I'm pretty smashed... :D It has cost me about half an hour to get the obvious grammar mistakes out of my message...
On another side note; Landon Donovan is your main man? LOL, with all due respect, the guy works hard, but what the fuck does he do with the ball every time he has to take a corner or a free-kick? Turns it around for a 100 times...
I guess it's on college level when USA players are being trained properly for the first time?
Goddamn, man; you've got the potential! And the fans in the stadium are great; even when they're behind, they still cheer, maybe even harder; that's the way it should be... 8-)
So there.
QuoteOk.
What a rotten game. For a neutral viewer, this wasn't what I expected. This is a pretty dissappointing world cup so far.
And this isn't gonna me make me popular 'round here, as this is an American board, but I think Ghana deserved the win; when you just look at the talent on the pitch...Ghana should've had 2 or 3 goals in the first half, they played excellent. I don't understand why the US never shows in the first half, keep their attacking for the 2nd.
America isn't the most technical team out there, but so what. This was the first complete match saw of them. And you guys are right; they never 'dive', don't whine, though Dempsey has some tendencies...
If there was a prize for being Lionhearted, America would win it every time, no questions asked. That's not the problem. If only they played a bit more clever; cuz to be honest, when the team USA players get exhausted, there's not much they can fall back on; they don't have a great technique.
But the potential is there man.
You've got like, what, 400 million inhabitants? We, as the Dutch, have 16 million. If we've got 100 talents, USA should have 10,000. But soccer/football ain't where the money's at in the States, or am I wrong?
Btw; American Football, apart from being the awesome sport it is, why is it still called football; when so rarely a ball is being touched by a foot?
On a side note; it's early sunday morning at the moment, so I'm pretty smashed... :D It has cost me about half an hour to get the obvious grammar mistakes out of my message...
On another side note; Landon Donovan is your main man? LOL, with all due respect, the guy works hard, but what the fuck does he do with the ball every time he has to take a corner or a free-kick? Turns it around for a 100 times...
I guess it's on college level when USA players are being trained properly for the first time?
Goddamn, man; you've got the potential! And the fans in the stadium are great; even when they're behind, they still cheer, maybe even harder; that's the way it should be... 8-)
So there.
Soccer is a novelty in America; and for being a novelty we did pretty good. Most of the nations view the World Cup as the "end all be all", so they should do better.
I'd put a team of 14 year old New York kids on a basketball court against a Dutch pro team any day, and basketball isn't even our "main sport". ;)
QuoteQuoteOk.
What a rotten game. For a neutral viewer, this wasn't what I expected. This is a pretty dissappointing world cup so far.
And this isn't gonna me make me popular 'round here, as this is an American board, but I think Ghana deserved the win; when you just look at the talent on the pitch...Ghana should've had 2 or 3 goals in the first half, they played excellent. I don't understand why the US never shows in the first half, keep their attacking for the 2nd.
America isn't the most technical team out there, but so what. This was the first complete match saw of them. And you guys are right; they never 'dive', don't whine, though Dempsey has some tendencies...
If there was a prize for being Lionhearted, America would win it every time, no questions asked. That's not the problem. If only they played a bit more clever; cuz to be honest, when the team USA players get exhausted, there's not much they can fall back on; they don't have a great technique.
But the potential is there man.
You've got like, what, 400 million inhabitants? We, as the Dutch, have 16 million. If we've got 100 talents, USA should have 10,000. But soccer/football ain't where the money's at in the States, or am I wrong?
Btw; American Football, apart from being the awesome sport it is, why is it still called football; when so rarely a ball is being touched by a foot?
On a side note; it's early sunday morning at the moment, so I'm pretty smashed... :D It has cost me about half an hour to get the obvious grammar mistakes out of my message...
On another side note; Landon Donovan is your main man? LOL, with all due respect, the guy works hard, but what the fuck does he do with the ball every time he has to take a corner or a free-kick? Turns it around for a 100 times...
I guess it's on college level when USA players are being trained properly for the first time?
Goddamn, man; you've got the potential! And the fans in the stadium are great; even when they're behind, they still cheer, maybe even harder; that's the way it should be... 8-)
So there.
Soccer is a novelty in America; and for being a novelty we did pretty good. Most of the nations view the World Cup as the "end all be all", so they should do better.
I'd put a team of 14 year old New York kids on a basketball court against a Dutch pro team any day, and basketball isn't even our "main sport". ;)
Yup.
Best players in the Dutch basketball competition are Americans who've failed to get in the NBA...
Hats off to the US for a great tournament. I agree with much of what you said Taxman. I also think Ghana was the better side. Again, the US didn't show up for the 1st 45 minutes. Ghana sat back and absorbed more than they should have to start the 2nd half and they got burned.
However, when they needed it, they got it. No one has really called out Tim Howard but he really made two goalkeeping mistakes in the Slovenia match and this one. If I recall correctly, one of the 1st half Slovenia goals came from the right side just inside the box that was slotted just right of Howard towards the far post. Unfortunately, Howard seemed to have lost his line and protected way too much of the near post so that the goal just past his fingertips actually just settled into the middle of the net. So in a similar play last night (one that should never have gotten to Howard had the D pressed the ball immediately instead of letting the guy into the box and tee it up), it seemed like Howard again somewhat lost his bearings and this time overcompensated and gave up way too much of that near post. Even if he was anticipating a cross, that just wasn't the right line. I love Everton. I love Howard. It hurts me to criticize him. However, for all the praise that is heaped upon him, he needs to be questioned also. It was a difficult play but he needed to make that save on the near post. That said, it was a great strike.
Congratulations to Ghana. I really respect their style and seem like they'll be a force to be reckoned with for the next four to eight years with this great, younger generation of players.
South Korea and Uruguay was a solid game. South Korea was the better side but unfortunately, defensive miscommunication and error led to the 1st goal and Suarez's 2nd goal was pure brilliance.
These quarterfinals match ups are ludicrous. England/Germany? Portugal/Spain? Mexico Argentina? :o :o :o
QuoteHats off to the US for a great tournament. I agree with much of what you said Taxman. I also think Ghana was the better side. Again, the US didn't show up for the 1st 45 minutes. Ghana sat back and absorbed more than they should have to start the 2nd half and they got burned.
However, when they needed it, they got it. No one has really called out Tim Howard but he really made two goalkeeping mistakes in the Slovenia match and this one. If I recall correctly, one of the 1st half Slovenia goals came from the right side just inside the box that was slotted just right of Howard towards the far post. Unfortunately, Howard seemed to have lost his line and protected way too much of the near post so that the goal just past his fingertips actually just settled into the middle of the net. So in a similar play last night (one that should never have gotten to Howard had the D pressed the ball immediately instead of letting the guy into the box and tee it up), it seemed like Howard again somewhat lost his bearings and this time overcompensated and gave up way too much of that near post. Even if he was anticipating a cross, that just wasn't the right line. I love Everton. I love Howard. It hurts me to criticize him. However, for all the praise that is heaped upon him, he needs to be questioned also. It was a difficult play but he needed to make that save on the near post. That said, it was a great strike.
Congratulations to Ghana. I really respect their style and seem like they'll be a force to be reckoned with for the next four to eight years with this great, younger generation of players.
South Korea and Uruguay was a solid game. South Korea was the better side but unfortunately, defensive miscommunication and error led to the 1st goal and Suarez's 2nd goal was pure brilliance.
These quarterfinals match ups are ludicrous. England/Germany? Portugal/Spain? Mexico Argentina? :o :o :o
Agree 100% with all of this.
I will add that I was very happy with Michael Bradley. I have always been indifferent about him but he had a fantastic tournament and has plenty good years left in him.
On England's World Cup chances.........I told you so!
Now watch all the stupid English fans lay the blame on the foreign manager............
Fucking foreign manager.
;)
Seriously, that was amongst the worst England performances I've ever watched. No heart.
America is dominating this World Cup.
Unfortunately it's South America.
Seriously though, I've enjoyed watching these games sooo much. The skills are just sick. I guess I'm down to rooting for Germany and Japan. I like the way Japan plays.
So. Did Bob Bradley do enough to save his job with the US performance in this World Cup? Personally, I have mixed feelings on the matter. I am strongly of the opinion that the US won their group DESPITE of Bob Bradley. Every match left me scratching my head as far as the starting 11 he was putting out there. Things like continuously starting Findley when I felt he would have been far more effective coming off the bench. And then his biggest gaff of continuously going with Ricardo Clark?? I guess Bradley hadn't seen enough of an abysmal performance from Clark in the first half of that Slovenia match so he had to give him another shot? And Ricardo Clark obliged in full by creating the turnover that directly led to Ghana's first goal?! :-/
Personally, I think Bradley was fortunate his players pulled out the group win. Sure he seemed to make the correct adjustments at the half, but had he put out the correct starting 11 at the start of the match, would the US have had to continue to fight from behind in each and every match?
All in all, I would not be surprised in the least to see the US go in a different direction. This pattern of giving up early goals didn't just start in this World Cup. It has been a recurring problem all throughout qualifying. If it wasn't for the never quit attitude of his players, who knows if the US even qualifies for South Africa?
I just think it is time to see what someone else can do. Perhaps Juergen Klinsmann? I know he turned down the job before Bradley got the job, but that was because the MLS wouldn't cooperate and release players to play in the Gold Cup and Copa America. He still lives in Cali where he is raising his family. I think US Soccer has really made incredible strides since he turned down the opportunity and I think Klinsman just might be the man to take the US to the next level.
BTW, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati apparently isn't all to happy with the early exit for the US either:
Gulati says U.S. 'capable of more' (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5335896/ce/us/us-soccer-president-sunil-gulati-says-team-failed-expectations&cc=5901?ver=us)
Even though my two favorites (US and England) are out, there are still some real juicy matches coming our way!
I can't wait for Spain v. Portugal tomorrow! Amazing that one of those 2 tournament favorites will be gone after the first round of the knockout stages.
And then there's a couple of dandy quaterfinal matchups with Argentina v. Germany and the Netherlands v. Brazil (I'm assuming they go through as they are leading 2-0 over Chile as I type this). IMO, this would make a fantastic semi final but these four teams are meeting in the quarters?!
Should be some incredibly entertaining football to watch over the next few days and it will only get better! 8-)
Quote
I will add that I was very happy with Michael Bradley. I have always been indifferent about him but he had a fantastic tournament and has plenty good years left in him.
I totally agree with you man. I was quite indifferent to Bradley and had never really seen any of the qualities that he supposedly possessed. He wasn't spectacular but he certainly held his own at times in the middle and of course that goal was special.
QuoteAmerica is dominating this World Cup.
Unfortunately it's South America.
Seriously though, I've enjoyed watching these games sooo much. The skills are just sick. I guess I'm down to rooting for Germany and Japan. I like the way Japan plays.
Well it was a fun ride for the Blue Samurai while it lasted. Hopefully they continue to make strides to become more dynamic offensively. Wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Honda and Endo get calls from other European clubs now though I guess Honda plays for CSK Moscow already.
My newest man crush is clearly for Mesut Ozil of Germany. That 21 year old Turk/German is simply amazing. His composure on the ball, ridiculously deft touches, big left foot, and fluidity have been a joy to watch. Now if he'd stop going to ground so easily :-/
QuoteSo. Did Bob Bradley do enough to save his job with the US performance in this World Cup? Personally, I have mixed feelings on the matter. I am strongly of the opinion that the US won their group DESPITE of Bob Bradley. Every match left me scratching my head as far as the starting 11 he was putting out there. Things like continuously starting Findley when I felt he would have been far more effective coming off the bench. And then his biggest gaff of continuously going with Ricardo Clark?? I guess Bradley hadn't seen enough of an abysmal performance from Clark in the first half of that Slovenia match so he had to give him another shot? And Ricardo Clark obliged in full by creating the turnover that directly led to Ghana's first goal?! :-/
Personally, I think Bradley was fortunate his players pulled out the group win. Sure he seemed to make the correct adjustments at the half, but had he put out the correct starting 11 at the start of the match, would the US have had to continue to fight from behind in each and every match?
All in all, I would not be surprised in the least to see the US go in a different direction. This pattern of giving up early goals didn't just start in this World Cup. It has been a recurring problem all throughout qualifying. If it wasn't for the never quit attitude of his players, who knows if the US even qualifies for South Africa?
I just think it is time to see what someone else can do. Perhaps Juergen Klinsmann? I know he turned down the job before Bradley got the job, but that was because the MLS wouldn't cooperate and release players to play in the Gold Cup and Copa America. He still lives in Cali where he is raising his family. I think US Soccer has really made incredible strides since he turned down the opportunity and I think Klinsman just might be the man to take the US to the next level.
BTW, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati apparently isn't all to happy with the early exit for the US either:
Gulati says U.S. 'capable of more' (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5335896/ce/us/us-soccer-president-sunil-gulati-says-team-failed-expectations&cc=5901?ver=us)
I never really liked Bradley but I guess I'm not too knowledgeable as to who some potential replacements are going to be. Is Klinsman going to be offered it again Beer? Not that I'm a fan of his commentary but Lalas did not mince his words concerning his less absolute admiration for Bradley.
QuoteQuoteAmerica is dominating this World Cup.
Unfortunately it's South America.
Seriously though, I've enjoyed watching these games sooo much. The skills are just sick. I guess I'm down to rooting for Germany and Japan. I like the way Japan plays.
Well it was a fun ride for the Blue Samurai while it lasted. Hopefully they continue to make strides to become more dynamic offensively. Wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Honda and Endo get calls from other European clubs now though I guess Honda plays for CSK Moscow already.
My newest man crush is clearly for Mesut Ozil of Germany. That 21 year old Turk/German is simply amazing. His composure on the ball, ridiculously deft touches, big left foot, and fluidity have been a joy to watch. Now if he'd stop going to ground so easily :-/
I wish I could go back in time so I could name my son Mesut!
QuoteMy newest man crush is clearly for Mesut Ozil of Germany. That 21 year old Turk/German is simply amazing. His composure on the ball, ridiculously deft touches, big left foot, and fluidity have been a joy to watch. Now if he'd stop going to ground so easily :-/
David Villa.
http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/143977/%5bGossip%5d-Larissa-Riquelme-Busts-Out-Major-Cleavage-For-World-Cup.htm
Here's Paraguayan lingerie model Larissa Riquelme cheering on her team in the World Cup. She's already promised to run the streets naked if Paraguay wins....
I want to be reincarnated as her cell phone :o
Quotehttp://www.411mania.com/movies/news/143977/%5bGossip%5d-Larissa-Riquelme-Busts-Out-Major-Cleavage-For-World-Cup.htm
Here's Paraguayan lingerie model Larissa Riquelme cheering on her team in the World Cup. She's already promised to run the streets naked if Paraguay wins....
[highlight]I want to be reincarnated as her cell phone[/highlight] :o
;D
Those fucking Germans...
Losing their star-player (even if he's a cunt) and then proceeding to play the best football of the tournament, game after game! Maybe it was a blessing!
No fucking way!
There's a deep trauma surrounding footbal, in the Netherlands, it's called the 1974 world cup final. Holland should've won it..but the Germans did.
I wasn't even born then, but I can't stand to watch those images...
Holland played the best football then...Germany does now.
Every game the German's played so far, I was rooting for the opposing team; but they deserved every win; great team-playing!
Fuck!
And that Suarez; what a fucker. I hated him already, but he's got the only red card in world cup history to make someone a hero...
Normally you'd hit the brakes when someone appears in front of your car, in his case I'd hit the gas. I hope he performs well in the world cup, so he gets the fuck out of the Netherlands. Scamming the game with every step he takes; urgh, I can't describe my distaste of playesr like him!!!!
Roll on 1/2 finals!!!!!! 8-) 8-) 8-)
QuoteThose fucking Germans...
Losing their star-player (even if he's a cunt) and then proceeding to play the best football of the tournament, game after game! Maybe it was a blessing!
No fucking way!
There's a deep trauma surrounding footbal, in the Netherlands, it's called the 1974 world cup final. Holland should've won it..but the Germans did.
I wasn't even born then, but I can't stand to watch those images...
Holland played the best football then...Germany does now.
Every game the German's played so far, I was rooting for the opposing team; but they deserved every win; great team-playing!
Fuck!
And that Suarez; what a fucker. I hated him already, but he's got the only red card in world cup history to make someone a hero...
Normally you'd hit the brakes when someone appears in front of your car, in his case I'd hit the gas. I hope he performs well in the world cup, so he gets the fuck out of the Netherlands. Scamming the game with every step he takes; urgh, I can't describe my distaste of playesr like him!!!!
Roll on 1/2 finals!!!!!! 8-) 8-) 8-)
;D I love that you guys call it the half finals. I'm not busting your balls. My sister in law, who is German, can't stop talking about the halb finale. In English, we call it the semifinals.
Congrats to your men in orange Tax. I think they deserved the win over Brazil but it was a tough game to watch. No man with a set of balls can genuinely root for the shenanigans of Arjen Robben. I would have stepped on him too. Way to recover from the defensive lapse in the 1st half. The second goal was a set piece gem. Kuyt's flick on was money.
It has been a joy to watch this young German team come together and play at such a high level. Eight goals against England and Argentina? That bullshit yellow card for the hand ball on Mueller is going to hurt a lot. He has been so instrumental for the German side and was not deserving of missing the next match. I gave Schweinsteiger grief for his performance in the Champions League final but he as been excellent all tournament. My apologies Bastian.
QuoteThose fucking Germans...
Losing their star-player (even if he's a cunt) and then proceeding to play the best football of the tournament, game after game! Maybe it was a blessing!
No fucking way!
There's a deep trauma surrounding footbal, in the Netherlands, it's called the 1974 world cup final. Holland should've won it..but the Germans did.
I wasn't even born then, but I can't stand to watch those images...
Holland played the best football then...Germany does now.
Every game the German's played so far, I was rooting for the opposing team; but they deserved every win; great team-playing!
Fuck!
And that Suarez; what a fucker. I hated him already, but he's got the only red card in world cup history to make someone a hero...
Normally you'd hit the brakes when someone appears in front of your car, in his case I'd hit the gas. I hope he performs well in the world cup, so he gets the fuck out of the Netherlands. Scamming the game with every step he takes; urgh, I can't describe my distaste of playesr like him!!!!
Roll on 1/2 finals!!!!!! 8-) 8-) 8-)
Why such a downer on Suarez? Because he cheated? What hypocrisy there is at the moment regarding Suarez's handball. Some were comparing it to Maradona's "hand of God", some calling for Suarez to get a two match ban so that he misses the final if Uruguay beat Holland. What a load of rubbish! Suarez cheated like any other player would. A Ghanaian player would have done the same in that situation. It only got so much attention because it spoiled Africa's party!
What about players who feign head injuries and then look around before getting up? Didn't Mensah get tickled in the throat and then roll around for a few minutes as if he'd been hit by Bruce Lee during the same game?
Let's face it - football is now based on cheating. Teams are so evenly matched they will do anything to try to gain the slightest advantage. Most footballers now cheat in some way. Whether it's diving, screaming in agony, feigning injury, or trying to get fellow professionals sent off most of them do it. What makes me laugh is that when it is done to them they react like the cheat has committed the most outrageous act imaginable. Then in the next few minutes they will do exactly the same thing themselves. Look at a Manager's reactions when a player of his own side dives - the Manager reacts as if his player has been hacked down. If his own player commits a bad fould he reacts as if the opponent has dived.
NOBODY with any power wants to do anything about cheating in football. Not the players, not their Managers, not the club Chairmen, and not the custodians of the game. Mr Blatter loves the controversy, the newspaper headlines and the media coverage of his "great game".
The only people who do seem to want to cut cheating out of the game are the fans. But the fans are too stupid to do anything about it. It made me laugh the other night to see two Captains, before the biggest football match of their career, have to read out a pre-written statement about "kicking racism out of football."
How about FIFA starting up the "Let's Kick Cheating Out Of Football" campaign? FIFA's current view is that we don't want our players being racist....but we don't mind them being devious, conniving con men!
As for the football I've given up predicting! Everyone was saying it was going to be Brazil or Argentina picking up the trophy. Now it looks like Germany can't lose. Interestingly enough, on the betting site I use over here Spain are still slight favourites but I'm not sure why. Spain are winning ugly (like the Germans used to), and Germany are playing like Brazil.
Anyway, I hope it's a great bit of quality cheating that wins the final! ;D Maybe the Uruguayans kidnap Klose before the final and put in a stooge Uruguayan lookalike to miss the deciding penalty in the shootout!
Ok, it wasn't pretty, but for the first time in 32 years, we're in the final. Probably gonna lose it again, but wtf.
And I never liked Suarez, paulie_walnuts. He cheats with EVERY move he makes. ALWAYS! (ok, I don't really know why I don't like him...)
But yes, everyone faking an injury to get a free-kick or get someone else a yellow/red card should get sent off themselves.
How about that kick De Zeeuw got in his face though? ouch! :o
VIVA ESPANA!!!!
What a performance from Spain. That was a superb display - the way they passed the ball around was superlative, their control was impeccable, and after they had got the goal their defence was immense. If Torres had been fully fit I believe that Spain would have been unbeatable this tournament. The fact he is not has given the other teams a chance against them because they aren't putting away teams with lots of goals.
For me though that was the best game of the tournament so far. Did anyone notice the lack of diving and cheating? It was just two great teams pitting skill and technique against each other. Kudos to the Germans - they are a great team too and threw everything at the Spanish after the goal.
Favourite moment of the game was when Iniesta, surrounded by four Germans, took a fifty yard throw from Casillas on his chest, took one touch with his foot and laid it off to a team mate.
I hope the final is as good, and it will be nice to have a new country as World Cup holders.
That boot De Zeuw took was nuts. You're right about the match PW. There was no fouling and no diving. A joy to watch really. It played out as expected and similar to the Euro '08 final. Germany just couldn't launch a good counter except for the one at the end of the 1st half where Ozil went down. Dee Snider should have scored in the 1st half on his header so it was nice to see the old man redeem himself in the 2nd half with that great header.
I guess I don't really care who wins as long as it is a good match.
QuoteQuoteSpain used to be the biggest choke artists but I don't think they are anymore. They have such technically gifted players, and players playing at the top of their game. They deserve to be favourites. And you're right, don't rule out Brazil or Argentina. My doubt with Argentina is that they have Maradona in charge. It would be hard to find a worse candidate for a football manager than that!
Switzerland - 1
Spain - 0
If Spain have removed the tag of biggest choke artists at the World Cup, they sure aren't doing a very good job of showing it... :P
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48321000/jpg/_48321860_009788711-1.jpg)
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48322000/jpg/_48322045_009789186-1.jpg)
How are they doing now? ;)
Congratulations to Spain - deserved winners for sure. Technically the most gifted team in the tournament, and they also showed tremendous resolve in defence. They won the tournament without a recognised centre forward being full fit.
All in all though one of the poorest World Cups I can remember. FIFA need to address the issue of using technology to get the important decisions right. But most of all they need to address the cheating, diving, screaming, and conning of nearly all the players.
Next year the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand......now that's a proper tournament! Does the USA look like qualifying?
Quote
Spain will be fine I believe.
Yup, they were the best side and deserved it. It could have been prettier but the Dutch did it to themselves. So glad Arjen Robben wasn't crowned a World Cup Champion. It'll now be interesting to see the moves that are made.
I'm looking forward to seeing Inter/Man City in 3 weeks but I wonder who will even be on those sides. Hopefully I can see Sneijder, Maicon, Tevez and the like. When AC Milan and Chelsea played last year, all the top players started so here is to a repeat of that.
What a boring game. Not the kind of game that makes a semi-casual fan like me want to waste 3 hours again. Best part of the game was when De Jong Bruce Lee'd that dude in the solarplexus ;D