world cup

[benecios]

I know its no consolation but you guys can hold yout heads high whatever the result which is more than you could say after the capitulation against the Czechs.

 

[benecios]

All the soccer cynics should watch this and maybe they might see the attraction with the beautiful game.

 

[rdawson808]

Lippi looks pissed. Or is he worried about the reaction back home?

b

 

[matadorpoeta]

great game. the u.s. proved themselves today, except for some bonehead plays that left them with 9 men, they played well.

mcbride doesn't know how to play, and he is useless unless the ball is in the air. i can't believe the u.s. doesn't have a better center-forward.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Lippi looks pissed. Or is he worried about the reaction back home?

b

i have to blame some of the dirty play on the coach. if you know you have the more talented team, you should stress to your players not to play dirty.

i would stress it anyway, but that's me...

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

great game. the u.s. proved themselves today, except for some bonehead plays that left them with 9 men, they played well.

mcbride doesn't know how to play, and he is useless unless the ball is in the air. i can't believe the u.s. doesn't have a better center-forward.

I think our problem is that we do in Eddie Johnson, but he is young and coming off injury. That said, he should be in the Ghana game. Like you say, McBride is only effective in the air.

b

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

I think our problem is that we do in Eddie Johnson, but he is young and coming off injury. That said, he should be in the Ghana game. Like you say, McBride is only effective in the air.

b

there should be about 100 guys in this country that can play better than mcbride. with all the youth development programs, college teams, and mls, the national team fields a 32 year old who can't play with the ball at his feet?

now the u.s. has to kill ghana and hope for the best.

 

[rdawson808]

I need an explanation.

They keep saying we need Italy to beat the Czechs (and we need to win). Here's the table as is:

Italy 4pts +2diff
Czech Rep 3pts +1diff
Ghana 3pts 0diff
US 1pt -3diff

So if we win, we have 4 pts and if we win by more than 5 goals (yeah right) and the Czech Rep win they'll have 6pts. That puts them 1 and us 2 over Italy on goal diff right? I can see it's easiest if we win and the Czechs lose, then we're a point clear. But does the head-to-head count before goal difference?

bob

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by benecios

All the soccer cynics should watch this and maybe they might see the attraction with the beautiful game.

unfortunately, the cynics likely missed today's game.

for the cynics in this forum, the u.s. just tied italy 1-1 while playing almost the whole 2nd half with 9 men against italy's 10. and it was anybody's game for most of it.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

I need an explanation. They keep saying we need Italy to beat the Czechs (and we need to win). Here's the table as is: Italy 4pts +2diff Czech Rep 3pts +1diff Ghana 3pts 0diff US 1pt -3diff So if we win, we have 4 pts and if we win by more than 5 goals (yeah right) and the Czech Rep win they'll have 6pts. That puts them 1 and us 2 over Italy on goal diff right? I can see it's easiest if we win and the Czechs lose, then we're a point clear. But does the head-to-head count before goal difference? bob
the head-to-head doesn't count. edit: if the goal differential is the same, they go by how many goals the team has scored. if that's the same, i believe the head-to-head comes into play.

 

[LA Guy]

Very nice Italy US game, although the ref was a little heavyhanded, to say the least. He seemed to have been rattled by the lectures FIFA probably gave all the refs. I lost count of how many yellow cards he issued, and the only the Italian ejection (the elbow was pretty serious) was called for. It used to be that the red was reserved for blatantly dangerous tackles, and even then, often a yellow was enough.

As for Italians diving, they have opera in their blood. I would like to see fewer cards for all these so called fouls, and a great many more issued for bad acting.

 

[countdemoney]

And you wish the same would happen in the NFL with prima donna receivers getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct every time they whine for pass interference.

Bookings would help with the flops as would free kicks. Knowing that a free kick going the other way would destroy any build-up would certainly make some offensive players think twice about the flopping.

 

[skalogre]

Watching the game right now... had it recorded. Due to goddamn IE popping up MSN showing the ******* result first page I know they tied (GRRRRR) but so far the predictions of pundits during the Euro cup regarding European teams switching to the old Italian style of compacted defense coupled with overhead attacks on left side attacks came true. Watching Italy play is like watching Portugal or especially Greece again in the Euro cup. Defensive football is back with a vengeance. Anyway, good news for all the Americans here, you survived against Italy which is potentially a leathal opponent for almost any team bar maybe Brazil. The fact gli Azzuri screwed up and had an own goal helps of course

Question. What the hell is the deal with the shoving by some of the American team? Especially that Oyewu (sp?)? Edit: US versus Ghana should be interesting. Both teams that go for a more hard attack style of footy. Interesting to see how they both adapt. One more. Mastroeni's foul maybe was not a red card call. I rewound it a couple times, probably too severe. I also think that as weird as it sounds, playing a heavy defence style does not suit the modern Italian team, even if they have traditionally favoured it.

 

[rdawson808]

I'm glad to see Kasey was named Man of the Match. Kasey and I went to high school across town from each other, though we never played against each other. He is two years older and always played varsity while I was a short and kinda slow mostly-jv/sometimes-varsity player. That said, I did burn him one day in a pick-up game of keep away at a local park with a couple of our coaches one summer.

bob

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by countdemoney

And you wish the same would happen in the NFL with prima donna receivers getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct every time they whine for pass interference.

Bookings would help with the flops as would free kicks. Knowing that a free kick going the other way would destroy any build-up would certainly make some offensive players think twice about the flopping.

I think that I agree completely with every point in your post. It's almost as annoying to see receivers motioning for pass interference as it is to see soccer players (the Azzuri are particularly bad) throw up their hands and put on that look of despair and incredulity. At least with American football players you don't have to look at their faces.