Official World Cup 2010 Thread - Page 4

Listen I'm still on my student World Cup spectator pass. I'm allowed to watch but I need supervision.

So add some smilies in there when correcting me Dad.

OK here's where I need schooling. If they both draw, and the goal difference is the same, isn't it decided in the "goals for" column? Or is it draw lots no matter how many goals have been scored?

Argentina looks mighty nice.

In the days of dawn - not to be confused with Zinedine Zidane - France had a World Cup-winning football team that was respectful; it lost that this year. What the coach did after the France game with South Africa is beyond the pale...

France Coach Spurns S. Africa Coach after Match
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_16...-10391697.html

Every one associated with this French coach should condemn his actions; no one in France should ever speak his name again.

~

WIN USA/BEAT ALGERIA!!!

Nice game. A bit frustrating for the first 91 minutes or so...

And I have to say, Americans here in Hong Kong are assholes. They damn near smashed up the bar. Thank God for an experienced bar owner, who put temporary plywood tables up. The Brits here get excited but they only riot on home ground.

Now US and England both go through. It can only get crazier in the second round.

So the US wins group C.

Apparently the USA has to score twice before the goals are actually counted!!!

FIFA needs to work on its on-field referee talent! This is getting discouraging!


CONGRATS TO USA ON ADVANCING!!! Bravo Landon Donovan!

Welcome to the beautiful, painful, unfair world of football fandom.

The thing is, the US dominated that game more than any other game I've seen this World Cup. They just couldn't convert when it really mattered. Until the end, which was just like all the other blown chances in the game, except that there was just one more rebound this time.

Well we do know they dominated it to the tune of at least one more goal. Perhaps now with two blown goal calls in as many games there will be a bit of a review with more on the line.

I doubt it! FIFA has shown itself to be completely oblivious to the fairness doctrine it preaches. While USA has shown itself completely capable of winning despite the fact of playing against both the opposing team and the FIFA referees!

Anyone notice that USA advanced on top of Group C without the apparent use of any forwards/strikers? We have evidently pioneered the use of Attacking Midfielders/Striking Mids!

Soccer has long been replete with attacking midfielders. The problem is that a lack of offence often leads to despair in soccer. I have no idea why teams even try to defend a one-goal lead, instead of going directly for the second. All hunkering down does is immediately hand the momentum to the opposing team.

You simply must have at least one striker/forward in soccer. The U.S. came within two minutes of injury time of learning that the hard way. I'm glad they advanced, but this 'no forwards' thing you speak of is insanity.

USA will win HANDS DOWN!!! Actually I'm rooting more for another country because Americans would stick it up in the worlds face if they won.

Having watched several games, I can honestly say the US are much weaker than most of the South American sides, especially both Argentina and Brazil. They may get past Ghana, but they will surely lose to Uruguay in the next round.

I do believe Argentina will go all the way this time.

Here is my prediction so far for the knockout round:

USA beats Ghana by one goal. (Lucky)
Germany beats England by two goals.
Uruguay beats South Korea by at least two goals.
Argentina beats Mexico by at least two goals.

Then for the Quarters:

Uruguay beats USA by 2 goals.
Argentina beats Germany by 1 goal.

Let me see if I can find a bracket online...

Ok... I've got Argentina beating Brazil in the final. Uraguay beating Paraguay for third.

I share your admiration of Argentina and Diego's players but I am also impressed with Portugal and Germany and their attacking-minded offense. That said, I support USA going all the way to the finals...

I think USA going all the way would be great for American soccer.

Like many American kids, I played AYSO for 8 years, having played every position on the field. I played briefly in high school, but I was a skinny kid with relatively weak kicking legs, so never got any attention from coaches. And I broke my leg badly in my last AYSO Spring season, so that affected things as well.

But I never could understand why pro soccer hasn't taken off in the US. I find it a far better spectator sport than American Football, which I never developed a taste for.

I thought Beckham coming to LA would help, but it didn't.

But if the US wins the World Cup, things may get slightly better... slightly. And any improvement will be good.

I'm also an England supporter, just because. And I like Mexico's passing game, and would like to see them do well.

But I admire skillful play. Donovan doesn't come close to approaching Rooney or the South Americans. The Americans are good tactical players, but not very good individual players.

One thing you'll notice is frequent apparently un-targeted centering of the ball into a mixed group of players, hoping for the best outcome. The Americans do this again and again, which one could say is a good strategy, because you've got to get lucky sometimes, right? But other teams rarely leave things to chance in this way. They will find an open player before doing anything. And they have the individual ball-handling skill to be able to do that for far longer than the Americans can.

Now Italy is the victim of the bad offside call...

And Italy out! Did it seem like the referee didn't want to call the game? Four minutes' injury time were announced. Seven minutes passed.

Regrettably this World Cup may be best remembered for its poor FIFA officiating and on-field theatrics...

The refereeing's the same standard as at the last few World Cups. The on-field theatrics are no more noticeable. Honestly, I remember more complaining about the referees at the last World Cup.

This World Cup's probably going to be remembered for the weird first round where the favourites all got scares and Italy and France went out, and for the vuvuzelas. Not for the refereeing. There've been mistakes, but not that many. Definitely nothing like Maradonna's handball in '86 or Klinsmann's diving in '90 yet.

Was very happy to see Italy knocked out today. Their play in the last cup final was absolutely despicable.

I will say this: America plays some frustrating/exciting ball.

Italy and France have both gotten their walking papers before the quarters. I am loving this World Cup.

Tomorrow is Brazil v Portugal. The G20's in Toronto and everybody's using the downtown and highway shutdowns as an excuse not to go to work!

With Kaka out on Brazil's squad, I am picking Portugal for the upset... looks like both teams advance anyway out of this Group...

Well that was a hell of a lot of nothing. Brazil did not look impressive without Kaka and Robinho. And this was the first match I saw Cristiano Ronaldo play in, and he was nothing special, though I can see why the ladies would support him.

So is most of the world. We can do without the soap opera that was the French team this year and the Oscar-winning theatrics and diving of the Italian team.

So... tonight is US v. Ghana. My wife and I will go down (2:30am HK time) to watch the match. I have predictd the US wins by one lucky goal.

Anyone else watching?

Very happy Japan is through. The country went wild yesterday. Those two free kicks were impressive, as was Honda's maneuvering that set up the last goal. Denmark crashed not so nicely.

Do or die for USA today vs. Ghana.... I am nervous... USA needs to score early and often then go into defensive posture against Ghana...Most everything in our town closed for match...everyone in front of television to watch our beloved USA Men's National Team...

USA 2: Ghana 1....

GO USA BEAT GHANA...

Uruguay knocked Korea out 2-1.

Won't be able to stay up for the USA match...

I know what you mean. Despite it being Sunday and thus no-work day tomorrow, it will be hard for me to stay up until 430am tonight. And for you it's much worse. You should have slept and gotten up early for the match!

It's so nice of those English blokes to explain to the Americans watching on ABC what happens with extra time and penalty kicks.

Well... really disappointed.

I thought the Americans deserved to win for effort and skill on that one. I think the Ghanan keeper was the star of the match. And I think Tim Howard cost the US that last goal by not coming forward to defend on that ball.

Ghana just looked more confident and had better execution overall. A good effort by Team USA...but it wasn't enough.

GO BRAZIL!

Was still up at the beginning of the match and ended up watching the whole thing. The US really played well; they can go home proud. They really tried all the way to the end.

Congrats to Ghana, who are now representing their entire continent.

In a bar now trying to drown my disappointment.., so sad... we should have done better!

Sepp Twatter says there's no need for goal-line technology, or honest players. Mind you, in the first half hour England went from pants to shite in a particularly impressive way.

Jesus.