World Cup

[MarshCappa]

2-2.....oh and here comes the stretcher and medical team for the slovakian with hurt feelings. I hope he lives.

[mosholu]

US looked good in the second half but they still need to have more production form their strikers. The defense, especially no. 5 looks very shakey at times but they have shown they have the fight which is a lot more than I can say for England. Absolutely terrible performance! The midfield is again way too high in the other team's zone and looking uncomfortable on the ball. They seem to lack any plan for getting the ball in the box and set plays which should be a strength have found them sorely lacking. They will get hammered in the press which will only add to their pressures. US has a very good chance of going through with a win vs. Algeria who do not really look like they can play like they did this afternoon twice on the trot.

[Clogston29]

Does anybody still think that a draw with England was a good result?

Loved watching nz draw Italy today. Italy will probably still advance, but it would make the world cup for me if neither France or Italy advance.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[mosholu]

Yes, because it was the first game of the cup and they were playing the pre-cup favorite from their group. Other than one shot in the second half the US really did not produce much on the offense so to come out of it with a draw by way of a gift goal I would say was a good result.

[luds]

My stomache is turning following the US vs. Algeria. Tied in the the 77th minute.

[Tattoo]

What a comeback by the US!

Donovan just added a zero to his paycheck with that goal!

Man that was awesome!

[luds]

Yeah, I just tackled a co-worker. Thanks god for ESPN radio. Can't wait to watch the replay tonight.

Too bad we had to listen to JP Delacamero's call of the game.

[FishermanTim]

No offense, but there are a hundred other things I'd rather be doing than watching soccer.
(It's like watching golf, and we all know watching golf is like watching flies f#*k, as George Carlin once said.)

Give me a good game of Irish football, or even rugby for that matter.

The only good thing is that most matches are broadcast in the mornings, so if I wasn't working, I'd have something to watch other than Jerry Springer and The Price is Right.

Seriously, I could get into it, but I don't have the time to watch a full match, and if I can't watch the entire thing, it's pointless to start.

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

No offense, but there are a hundred other things I'd rather be doing than watching soccer.
(It's like watching golf, and we all know watching golf is like watching flies f#*k, as George Carlin once said.)

Give me a good game of Irish football, or even rugby for that matter.

The only good thing is that most matches are broadcast in the mornings, so if I wasn't working, I'd have something to watch other than Jerry Springer and The Price is Right.

Seriously, I could get into it, but I don't have the time to watch a full match, and if I can't watch the entire thing, it's pointless to start.

Who cares if you don't like soccer than why are you posting in here start an Irish football thread!!!!
US got another bad call in the beginning of the game should of been 2-0.

[mosholu]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

No offense, but there are a hundred other things I'd rather be doing than watching soccer.
(It's like watching golf, and we all know watching golf is like watching flies f#*k, as George Carlin once said.)

Give me a good game of Irish football, or even rugby for that matter.

The only good thing is that most matches are broadcast in the mornings, so if I wasn't working, I'd have something to watch other than Jerry Springer and The Price is Right.

Seriously, I could get into it, but I don't have the time to watch a full match, and if I can't watch the entire thing, it's pointless to start.

Rugby has its merits but Irish football is football for kids who took the short bus.

[luds]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

No offense, but there are a hundred other things I'd rather be doing than watching soccer.
(It's like watching golf, and we all know watching golf is like watching flies f#*k, as George Carlin once said.)

Give me a good game of Irish football, or even rugby for that matter.

The only good thing is that most matches are broadcast in the mornings, so if I wasn't working, I'd have something to watch other than Jerry Springer and The Price is Right.

Seriously, I could get into it, but I don't have the time to watch a full match, and if I can't watch the entire thing, it's pointless to start.

Thanks for sharing but the "I love soccer, I hate soccer" thread was a few weeks ago.

[Clogston29]

italy out

[luds]

2010 FIFA World Cup™: Round of 16
Uruguay vs. South Korea - 26 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
United States vs. Ghana - 26 Jun 8:30pm (South Africa Time)
Germany vs. England - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
Argentina vs. Mexico - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
Netherlands vs. Slovakia - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
Brazil/Portugal vs. (Chile/Spain/Switzerland) runner-up - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
Paraguay vs. Japan - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)
(Chile/Spain/Switzerland) vs. Brazil/Portugal - 27 Jun 4:00pm (South Africa Time)

[cableguy]

Germany vs England is going to be a great match...good way to start a Sunday

[mosholu]

Tough loss for the US after a great effort to get to the second round. Have to question the coach's decision to change a couple of players and also their inability to bring into play any width into the attack. That being said there is a lot to build on for 2014 as the core of the team will still be available. Imagine Jozy and Edu with four more years of experience plus Donovan and Dempsey still at an age where they can be productive if they stay away from injuries.

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by mosholu

Tough loss for the US after a great effort to get to the second round. Have to question the coach's decision to change a couple of players and also their inability to bring into play any width into the attack. That being said there is a lot to build on for 2014 as the core of the team will still be available. Imagine Jozy and Edu with four more years of experience plus Donovan and Dempsey still at an age where they can be productive if they stay away from injuries.

I don't know man this is pretty optimistic. I saw a team with some major issues on D. They need to fix the early goal thing. I'm not impressed with their performance at all and I think this is a setback for progressing the popularity of the sport in the U.S. While the rest of the worlds top teams recharge the U.S. always seems to be trying to find it's international identity. Time for Pats trianing camp talk!

[luds]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

I don't know man this is pretty optimistic. I saw a team with some major issues on D. They need to fix the early goal thing. I'm not impressed with their performance at all and I think this is a setback for progressing the popularity of the sport in the U.S. While the rest of the worlds top teams recharge the U.S. always seems to be trying to find it's international identity. Time for Pats trianing camp talk!

I agree that they were not all that impressive but the last thing this tournament has been is a set back as far as the popularity of US soccer goes. The ratings were great and if you turned on the TV you heard about the US team and how they were doing. They dominated Sports Center. It was really disappointing for the team to lose to Ghana again but at least they didn't take a step backwards.

[Raven]

when i READ or hear the word "cup" i think of a ladies bra size
or coffee and nothing else

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by Raven

when i READ or hear the word "cup" i think of a ladies bra size
or coffee and nothing else

Lord Stanley is rolling in his grave!

[Raven]

[mosholu]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

I don't know man this is pretty optimistic. I saw a team with some major issues on D. They need to fix the early goal thing. I'm not impressed with their performance at all and I think this is a setback for progressing the popularity of the sport in the U.S. While the rest of the worlds top teams recharge the U.S. always seems to be trying to find it's international identity. Time for Pats trianing camp talk!

I read an article which addressed your last point. Basically the theory was that all the great football nations have a national identity when they play. With Italy it is defense, with Brazil they attack, etc. Until the US forms that identity so that youth playing in the junior teams all grow up in the national system they will always be starting from square one as each coach has his own plan. With a German youngster the transition to the national side does not require that much effort because the Under 21s played the same system.

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by mosholu

I read an article which addressed your last point. Basically the theory was that all the great football nations have a national identity when they play. With Italy it is defense, with Brazil they attack, etc. Until the US forms that identity so that youth playing in the junior teams all grow up in the national system they will always be starting from square one as each coach has his own plan. With a German youngster the transition to the national side does not require that much effort because the Under 21s played the same system.

Yea, exactly! I heard one Irish announcer say that we are the most educated team in the world. Meaning that almost all of our players played in the NCAA. He said that as long as the US continues to develop it's young talent that way they will never win. Think about it, they are 22 by the time they play for the US and all are coming from different college teams with different styles. If we had a true junior team or system these kids wouldn't be going to college at all but instead being groomed for the next level with many of the same kids, so by the time they reach world cup level they have been playing their national style for years and years. We'll never win the world cup at this rate with this system or lack there of. I don't consider the US a world class team at all. World class to me is consistency year after year. So far the US is just consistently unknown in their style. They keep switching coach's and tactics and never truly develop a youth program which will keep us in the lower teir. It's kind of ironic that we are the most educated but no one can figure that out. Most of our team this year is over 22 with this being their first national experience. Germany on the flip side is mostly comprised of 22 or under players with many years of national experience. It's interesting, while it may be growing in popularity here we don't have a national strategy on how it should be carried out for the US to ever really be considered a cup threat. If they could keep this group together and add a few pieces to the D maybe they can do better but I honestly don't think they'll do it.

[Clogston29]

The us's style is basically to play predictable, high school style soccer - just at a higher level. Good hustle and teamwork, but no style or imagination.

It'll be a really hard thing to change. I don't buy into the whole, we just need to attract out best athletes to soccer argument. I think they are fine from an athletic standpoint, not from a soccer standpoint. American players aren't plucked up and put into development programs and youth teams of elite clubs at 14-16years of age like they are in Europe and other parts of the world (kind of like juniors for hockey in canada). because of this, they develop playing with inferior players and coaches, and develop to be only good enough to stand out in that system. just look at the style and level of play in the MLS.

just a few examples. rooney (who was very disappointing in the cup) was with united at 16. giggs (my favorite player as a kid) too. remember when holland was churning out stars like kluivert, van de sar, bergkamp, gullit - they were all coming out of the Ajax youth progam (although in hind sight, steroids may have had a lot to do with it). Spain and Portugal have both built their current teams out of their national development programs from U14 to U21 to olympics to full squad. The African and South American countries have development camps, often sanctioned by european clubs looking to farm talent, where success is a way out of poverty - a level of motivation very few american players have.

i'd love to see the US soccer federation bring in Klinsman either as a coach or a consultant to help develop their program from the ground up. there's no reason that the US, with our population and diversity, cannot become an elite (say, top 5) team in the world.

[Raider Ronnie]

Anyone else been watching the news lately with the reporter in Framingham because of the huge Brazilian population ?

Bay State Brazilians Primed For World Cup Match - Video - WCVB Boston

I'm watching the reporter and saying to myself,
WHY THE HELL IS THE INS NOT DOING IT'S JOB ???
70% of them in Framingham are ILLEGAL !
(this info assured to by a legal Brazilian I work with)

[SurfCaster413]

Am sorry call me an ignorant american but one word describes the world cup for me " JOKE "

[numbskull]

Congrats to Spain. Intriguing team to watch and a very deserved win. (which is a strange thing to say about a team that won by scoring a total of seven goals in 8 games). Iniesta and Xavi are a joy to watch.

Fascinating game today and a very tough test. I thought Holland looked like thugs....but you do what you gotta do and they almost pulled it off.

I was disappointed in the Germans. I think they had the wheels to take it to Spain, but lost their coaching nerve and played too conservatively. Enjoyed their other games, however. That kid Mueller looks like the real deal.

Kudos, too, to Paraguay and Uruguay. Both tactically great teams that put scares into teams full of much better players. Forlon was immense. MVP of the tournament in my eyes. Wipes out those memories of him missing the easiest goal ever while with ManU.

A fun month. Great theater, top class skill, low class acting, plenty of controversy, overall good reffing (a few major gaffes aside), neat venues, HDTV.............. a great show by a great sport.