World Cup Thread

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We were robbed! Although, at the time Finlay got the yellowcard I was so angry at him that I said, "Serves you right!" .

By the way, what is up with England? its like 70 min now...
 
Yes, USA gets lucky (the England match wasn't because of US skill, neither the Italian one, the Italians always play bad in their group and then kick it up once they are out), but US still play like girls. Very weak and lazy. Not much skill with the foot, and lack of brain power when it comes to being creative or at least making plays. It's so boring watching them play I hardly do it. Euro club football is the way to go if you want to stay awake watching some good football. Either way, we shall see how this world cup continues.

Looks like USA had a bit of bad luck when their goal wasn't counted after coming back in the game.

Claudiu, your reasoning just doesn't make sense. They were "lucky" to beat Spain 2-0 last year? Lucky to tie England 1-1? Lucky to tie Italy 1-1 despite being a man down most of the 2nd half? And the playing like girls quip is just juvenile (great response, Kathleen!). Remember, the US had 3 times as many fouls called today as Slovenia, and, 3 red cards in 5 games in the confederations cup last year, and 3 reds in the last World Cup. In what way is that weak? Or soft? If anything it's the opposite. And the US players, unlike most other countries, don't flop and roll around crying every time an opponent gets near them. So really none of your claims are founded. I think you'll be eating a little crow when the US advances Wednesday. I would recommend A1 Sauce - makes it go down a bit easier. ;)

As for the game today, the refereeing was absolutely atrocious. Not only was the disallowed goal an awful call (we still don't know what it is, and likely never will), but he blew multiple calls throughout the game, including a mysterious yellow on Findley after the ball his his face and bounced off his shoulder. And he called the game early. Craziness. The US played horribly in the first half, but they really won this game 3-2 - at least. A win over Algeria gets them through...
 
Before this World Cup started, I would've said three draws and the US would go home. With ENG playing the way they are, I'm starting to think one more point would put the USA through because I wonder if ENG can match Slovenia's intensity.
 
USA! Landon Dononvan swept it into the goal in the 91st minute to advance the US to the knockout round!
 
From ESPN:

Appearances at finals



1930: Third place
1934: Round 1
1950: Round 1
1990: Round 1
1994: Round of 16
1998: Round 1
2002: Quarterfinals
2006: Round 1





Overall record: Played 25, Won 6, Drawn 3, Lost 16



Best performance: The U.S. finished third in its first World Cup -- back in 1930. The Americans opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over Belgium -- their first victory on soccer's grand stage. The U.S. added another 3-0 win over Paraguay before losing to Argentina 6-1 in the semifinals.


Still, in modern times, don't forget the U.S.'s run to the quarters in 2002. The upstarts opened the tournament by shocking Portugal 3-2, finishing 1-1-1 in pool play. The run continued with a 2-0 win over Mexico in the round of 16, before a loss to Germany in the quarterfinals.
 
Loss was 1-0. There was a bad missed call in the match that could have changed the game. A German player committed a hand on the goal line in the box. An appeal was made for a penalty kick. It was disallowed. Even a lot of Germans disagreed with that decision. At one time there were quite a few YouTube videos of that botched call.


Edit: Here you go [video=youtube;hXQvQLUj6No]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXQvQLUj6No[/video]
 
Yes, USA gets lucky (the England match wasn't because of US skill, neither the Italian one, the Italians always play bad in their group and then kick it up once they are out), but US still play like girls. Very weak and lazy. Not much skill with the foot, and lack of brain power when it comes to being creative or at least making plays. It's so boring watching them play I hardly do it. Euro club football is the way to go if you want to stay awake watching some good football. Either way, we shall see how this world cup continues.

Looks like USA had a bit of bad luck when their goal wasn't counted after coming back in the game.

Claudiu, your reasoning just doesn't make sense. They were "lucky" to beat Spain 2-0 last year? Lucky to tie England 1-1? Lucky to tie Italy 1-1 despite being a man down most of the 2nd half? And the playing like girls quip is just juvenile (great response, Kathleen!). Remember, the US had 3 times as many fouls called today as Slovenia, and, 3 red cards in 5 games in the confederations cup last year, and 3 reds in the last World Cup. In what way is that weak? Or soft? If anything it's the opposite. And the US players, unlike most other countries, don't flop and roll around crying every time an opponent gets near them. So really none of your claims are founded. I think you'll be eating a little crow when the US advances Wednesday. I would recommend A1 Sauce - makes it go down a bit easier. ;)

As for the game today, the refereeing was absolutely atrocious. Not only was the disallowed goal an awful call (we still don't know what it is, and likely never will), but he blew multiple calls throughout the game, including a mysterious yellow on Findley after the ball his his face and bounced off his shoulder. And he called the game early. Craziness. The US played horribly in the first half, but they really won this game 3-2 - at least. A win over Algeria gets them through...

The England tie was an own-goal on England side. The Italy tie was an own-goal on the Italian side. And you didn't mention the Brazil game they played (up 2 and then lose it all the way? c'mon). The good game I give them credit for is beating Spain 2-0. They haven't been a major force that people look to and say "they are good." Just look at their wins, they haven't played consistent football where they dominate the competition. The only time they do that is when they play the central american teams because those truly are bad. With Mexico the games usually go either way, they are pretty well balanced. The Team is mediocre, I won't say they [edited by Moderator], or really good. They have a little bit of everything. Donovan is the main player that has speed and can score, defense wise they have onyewu. The main thing that I see when I look at the US team, is what you mentioned, the spirit they play with which is honorable, and not crying at every foul (even though its part of the game). But overall, the team doesn't have any impressive history, it seems like the games they've played so far they have squeezed through, which made for more dramatic football. But they need to step up and deliver if they want to stay in the competition.

Of course my quip was juvenile....I am a juvenile, but I wouldn't expect a grown man (or women, can't tell by the screen name) to answer back in a juvenile way. And, mind you, I like Bullseye sauce, not A1 ;).

Either way, we will see how far they go this year. Don't get me wrong, just I don't think the team is that great, I still want it to do good with the hopes that it will only get better in the States.

---------- Post added at 04:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------

US still play like girls.

A compliment to both parties.

Good one Kathleen! ;)

---------- Post added at 04:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:02 PM ----------

Yes, USA gets lucky (the England match wasn't because of US skill, neither the Italian one, the Italians always play bad in their group and then kick it up once they are out), but US still play like girls. Very weak and lazy. Not much skill with the foot, and lack of brain power when it comes to being creative or at least making plays. It's so boring watching them play I hardly do it. Euro club football is the way to go if you want to stay awake watching some good football. Either way, we shall see how this world cup continues.

Looks like USA had a bit of bad luck when their goal wasn't counted after coming back in the game.

Claudiu, your reasoning just doesn't make sense. They were "lucky" to beat Spain 2-0 last year? Lucky to tie England 1-1? Lucky to tie Italy 1-1 despite being a man down most of the 2nd half? And the playing like girls quip is just juvenile (great response, Kathleen!). Remember, the US had 3 times as many fouls called today as Slovenia, and, 3 red cards in 5 games in the confederations cup last year, and 3 reds in the last World Cup. In what way is that weak? Or soft? If anything it's the opposite. And the US players, unlike most other countries, don't flop and roll around crying every time an opponent gets near them. So really none of your claims are founded. I think you'll be eating a little crow when the US advances Wednesday. I would recommend A1 Sauce - makes it go down a bit easier. ;)

As for the game today, the refereeing was absolutely atrocious. Not only was the disallowed goal an awful call (we still don't know what it is, and likely never will), but he blew multiple calls throughout the game, including a mysterious yellow on Findley after the ball his his face and bounced off his shoulder. And he called the game early. Craziness. The US played horribly in the first half, but they really won this game 3-2 - at least. A win over Algeria gets them through...

Just one article upon the many that stress the same points I did:

Why soccer is not so popular in the US as elsewhere

by Ronald Collins

"It is accepted as common knowledge by now that football, or as we Americans call it "soccer" is the world's most popular sport. But because of the brand of soccer Americans are subjected to and the heavy emphasis on education over sports Americans may never equal their European counterparts. The World Cup is one of the only sporting events in the world that begins with a pool consisting of virtually every nation on Earth, (the actual tournament viewed on television every four years is formally referred to as the World Cup Finals). Yet during World Cup '06 in Germany, the Detroit Free Press failed to publish a single staff-written article on the tournament. Why is it that as sports-crazed as America is, it still pales in comparison to the European devotion to the game.


One reason could be that Americans are not impressed by our American professional league, Major League Soccer. The first fault of the M.L.S. is that it follows the pattern of other American sports. The vast majority of the players in this league grew up going to school and putting soccer second, until a certain age soccer was supposed to be "fun", not competitive. Andrei Markowitz, a behavioral scientist writes in his article The Olympianization of Soccer in America "...on June 4, the day before the United States was to make its World Cup premier against heavily favored Portugal, the Ann Arbor news featured two lengthy articles on local girls' soccer and only one on the World Cup."

As Gavin Casey, coach of West Burnie High School, one of the most successful high school programs in Maryland says "With serious athletes, fun only happens when everything is being properly executed." This over-emphasis on the American idea of "fun", along with the mentality that education comes first, results in American soccer players that are nowhere near the level that their European counterparts are able to reach due to intense professional training starting as early as eleven years old. In the English Premier League spectators are likely to see players unleashing 90+ m.p.h. shots from thirty yards away, and aiming for a spot in the goal no bigger than the diameter of the ball itself, an impressive feat by any standards. Yet in America you're lucky to see that same shot hit the goal at all, its more likely to fly yards over the goal or go wide by multiple feet. The professional coaching that these European players receive, starting at very young ages yields a much more impressive brand of football than soccer mom's or recreational American leagues could ever produce.
The way talent is identified in America is another difference between American players and European players that contribute to the lower quality soccer Americans struggle to support. As mentioned earlier soccer in America follows the same basic structure as other American sports: recreational leagues, then select youth teams, high school varsity, then college. The problem with this system is that no serious, intense training happens until maybe their high school varsity team, often not until college. Years of valuable coaching opportunities have already been wasted encouraging kids to simply have fun. In contrast, European kids who choose to play soccer are identified and coached as professionals at very young ages. When a mother or father feels that their young son or daughter, (usually around age five to seven) may have a knack for football, he sends them not to a normal primary school (the equivalent of elementary school) they send them to a football academy where they take a less intensive curriculum and focus primarily on football. Upon graduation from these academies (normally around the age of eleven or twelve,) the best kids are chosen to attend the youth program of various professional organizations from across Europe. Identifying premier talent at such a young age allows soccer players to be some of the most masterful tradesman of their craft, few other sports can say that its athletes have been trained at professional training grounds since the age of eleven. This attention to identifying talent produces much more entertaining brand of soccer to watch on television. Americans, on the other hand, are asked to support athletes that, to be accurate, have had an inferior soccer education to that of European athletes.

One final, and often overlooked, reason Europeans support the sport so much more than Americans lies in the history of football in Europe. Many people when discussing why America hasn't fallen in love with the sport like the rest of the world tend to forget how long parts of the world such as Europe have been playing the sport. America supports sports teams that were founded from as early as the 1920's to as recent as the last few years. Europeans support teams that were, on average, founded over a century ago. Manchester United was founded in 1878, another club lesser known to Americans but who actually don the title of England's most successful club, is Liverpool, who were formed in 1892. Many Americans know the team Barcelona, home to international superstar Ronaldinho, and many also know Real Madrid, David Beckham's home before coming to America, but what many don't know is that these two teams have one of the most bitter rivalries in sports history, dating back to the beginning of General Francisco Franco's rule of Spain in the early 1900's. Franco banned the Catalan language, which was spoke by millions of people, not to mention those people were nearly all Real Madrid supporters, sparking a political rivalry unmatched in world athletics.
I don't believe it is America's fault for not supporting soccer the way people in Europe or other parts of the world do, people forget many countries have over a century head-start on us. Besides, America has a long history of efficiency when we contribute enough funds to a given cause, and with the signing of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy for $250 million over five years, I'd say we're off to a good start. "

In Europe you get a shot over 90mph on target, over here you'd be lucky to get one even close...the way they pat eachother on the back saying it was fun (as opposed to competitive)...is what makes Americans look childish and a little girly when it comes to football.
 
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I watch more than my fair share of EPL games here in the U.S. and the EPL has just as many shankapotomous shots as any other league (especially since the top 4 are filled with foreigners).

Beckham has been a massive failure in America by the way. As an aside I'd put MLS level with any Championship side as far as talent and quality go.
 
Right there with you, Benjamin.

Accurate 90+ shots have been flying around over here for years. I have the hands to prove it. :)
 
The French being defeated ... isn't that the first rule of modern history?

I knew Beck was an idiot (did he really say that?) but that's too far even for a semi literate neocon. Of the great powers over the last 100 years you've probably got to give France number two place after Germany for percentages of battles won. They're higher than us, that's for sure.
 
Congrats to the US national mens team for putting on two exciting matches (the most exciting, In my humble opinion) :applause:

Its not the same watching the goal in highlights... the time winding down, the missed shot by one of our guys beforehand, the picked-up intensity of play... one of the more spectacular ways to win a match. :)

Just think: they face Ghana in the round of 16 and after that s. korea or uruguay...
 
France and now Italy both out of the World Cup.

Love it!

In 1998, I was sitting at an outside table at an Au Bon Pain restaurant in Cambridge, Mass, when I heard a great ruckus. As it drew nearer, I began to understand the words being chanted: "Allez les Bleus." Suddenly we were engulfed in the mass and the Brazilian pennants were no longer to be seen. Quick-witted as I am, I discerned that France had won the World Cup, which I had been assiduously avoiding.
 
Dear friends,

I can really say I know much about Soccer/ football. Up until now, I was quite ignorant. South Africa is generally a Rugby mad country. I believe that the World Cup will change is. I am quite please with Bafana Bafana, our national team. We were only playing in the World Cup, because we were the host nation. At least we drew against Mexico, 1-1, in the opening match and victored over France, 2-1 in the last match. The 0-3 against Uruguay was unfortunate.

I am currently working at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. The South African Police Service has taken over the security of four of the stadiums after the Security Company's personnel started to strike, due to "low" wages. Except for devotional messages/ sermons and pastoral work in the Police, I've been doing operational work due to the abovementioned. It is an unbelievable atmosphere. The Brazilian, Argentian and Honduras fans seems to be the most lively fans. Why are all US fans (okay, most of them) painting their faces with the Stars and Stripes?

I fear vuvuzelas may become a permanent fixture in world soccer. South Africans generally know how to blow the things properly. It is interesting to see how people from other countries buy the stuff and try to blow it. It takes about up to half time for some to get a sound out of the vuvuzela. Unfortunately they then can't stop blowing it.

Regards
 
That face painting thing is a carry over from fans of NFL American football. I just wish they wouldn't paint the Stars and Stripes on their faces. I also wish Olympic athletes would quite draping themselves in the flag. It is a desecration! Don't they know their Flag Code? I guess not. You can take the boy out of the Scouts but you can't take the Scout out of the boy.

I have spent time in both Argentina and Honduras. Behind the USA they are my favourite teams. I have watched major games in both countries, too. The fans there are great. I was in Honduras in October when USA beat Honduras. It was somewhat eery to go outside after the match and hear a complete nation in stunned silence.

I had been wondering how you were doing over there. Thanks for the update.
 
I had tipped an Argentina v Germany final. However if they both win their last 16 games they will meet in the quarter finals. Prediction modified to Brazil v Argentina although I would prefer and hope for a Holland v Argentina final
 
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