The Official World Cup Thread

[sethuel1]

I think I'm a huge jinx. I have a terrible record both in person and watching team USA games on TV.

 

Edit: BTW Ginger's Ale House on Grace and Ashland was rocking at the start of the game. I'm sure the Globe Pub was too

 

It was rocking for about 4 minutes (I was in the back room). Then the Czechs scored and the press (Comcast Sports Net, I think) wandered around trying and failing to get interviews with the POed clientele.

[lowest]

now that i have calmed down some into a depression...

 

-EJ was our only player who gave a crap

-reyna is the only player who can complete a pass

-where did convey's crossing ability go?

-dmb CANNOT start/play on the right

-one good run to draw the yellow isnt good enough. donovan needs to play in the midfield. we cant afford for him to go missing if hes playing.

-McHead touched the ball maybe 5 times. if he is to be useful, he needs a real strike partner (and service).

-give credit to the czechs. we were severely outplayed, and outcoached. rosicky couldve had 3.

-did anyone else forget JOB came on in the second half?

 

really the only positive for me was EJ, and he still had his rough moments.

i am incredibly dissapointed in arena. donovan has a tendency to disappear- starting him up top wont help that. beasley has been out of it for awhile and should not have started, based on form.

 

we have to destroy italy and ghana- a mighty tall order.

 

...now i need to calm down again

 

and on a side note: italy should be 3-0 up on ghana right now- they are dominating. toni missed an early sitter, then nailed the bar.

[Outshined_One]

Ghana and Italy keep playing with fire when it comes to defense. This game could already be 3-2 at the rate things are going.

[Outshined_One]

About bleeping time some one scored.

[lowest]

ghana still has a chance if they get out of the half only down by one.

[adamb0719]

Beasley has 45 minutes to get it going before Dempsey begins to get loose. Hope he breaks out like he is more than capable of.

 

I missed the game today. How did Beasley do? I played HS soccer with him, and really wanted to see him play today.

[WindyCity]

Beasley has 45 minutes to get it going before Dempsey begins to get loose. Hope he breaks out like he is more than capable of.

 

I missed the game today. How did Beasley do? I played HS soccer with him, and really wanted to see him play today.

 

In a word: notsogood

 

Then again, I'm having a hard time finding anyone that played with anything resembling talent -- with the possible exception of EJ who at least seemed determined to attempt to put the ball on net.

[circlechange]

Beasley has 45 minutes to get it going before Dempsey begins to get loose. Hope he breaks out like he is more than capable of.

 

I missed the game today. How did Beasley do?

Read the last two pages. dmb = DeMarcus Beasley = not exactly collecting the compliments

 

I played HS soccer with him, and really wanted to see him play today

So did the rest of America.

[lowest]

Beasley has 45 minutes to get it going before Dempsey begins to get loose. Hope he breaks out like he is more than capable of.

 

I missed the game today. How did Beasley do? I played HS soccer with him, and really wanted to see him play today.

 

In a word: notsogood

 

Then again, I'm having a hard time finding anyone that played with anything resembling talent -- with the possible exception of EJ who at least seemed determined to attempt to put the ball on net.

 

dmb was our worst player imo. he had one defensive play in the second half. otherwise he was pretty much useless- slowed down our attack and had no first touch.

but then again, no one was good.

[lowest]

mary, mother of jesus! how did kingson save that?!

[Outshined_One]

Ghana's goalie has really impressed me.

 

But Italy has a much better sense of anticipation and placement than Ghana. Every time Ghana gets some one in position to make a shot or make a break for it, Italy has a man right on him. They're just a better coached team.

[Jon]

That's a push!!

[Outshined_One]

The announcer on Telemundo really loves Pimpong.

[Outshined_One]

One of the things I absolutely love and hate about soccer:

 

Guys who get stretchered off the field...then roll right off the stretcher and go running back onto the field full speed within a matter of moments.

[Jon]

Blow

your

whistle

[lowest]

thats a penalty

[WindyCity]

Ghana is getting robbed.

[lowest]

2-0 now. sucks to be ghana; how unlucky can you get?

[Outshined_One]

That second goal was an impressive brain fart.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I haven't been so disappointed in watching a sporting event in a long time. US looked absolutely dead, they have to play much, much better on Saturday to stand any chance of advance.

[soccer10k]

We need to tie this thing.

 

Teams leading by two at half are 73-0-4 in World Cup history :(

 

Well if it helps one of those 4 ties was against the US in 2002

 

Which game? We beat Portugal 3-2, tied South Korea 1-1, lost to Poland 3-1, beat Mexico 2-0 and lost to Germany 1-0. No 2 goal comebacks for a tie there.

[soccer10k]

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Hopefully the U.S. can stun the world and make a great comeback and at least tie it.

 

Yeah, hopefully I win the lottery tomorrow too.

 

I really don't expect them to score a goal. Maybe someone a little more knowledgeable on the subject can correct me if I'm wrong, but if the score stays the same, wouldn't the U.S. need the Czech to win out to have the best chance to advance?

 

Yes. If the Czech Republic wins out that means every team in the group will have at least 1 loss (Ghana a guaranteed 2 since they lost to Italy as well). If the US beats Ghana and Italy then they'll advance. If they beat Ghana and tie Italy, then it would come down to goal differenctial. In otherwords, the US would have to absolutely destroy Ghana and hope the Czech Republic stomps on Italy. The latter is unlikely because the Czech's would only need a tie in this situation. This is why we NEED to beat Italy. If the US would have lost by 1 goal, that would have been different. But right now we are down 5 in goal differential to Italy.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I saw from the 25th minute til the 3rd goal at lunch, and I just finished watching the Ghana-Italy game on tape.

 

 

We're boned.

 

No doubt we were the worst team in the group today, although that's partly a reflection of the group. I like Marco's comment about lacking creativity, because that's what it was. We had a lot more possession, but everytime we'd go to make a move we'd play a predictable ball, a poor one, or both. CZR really capitalized on their opportunities too. Beasley pretty much disappeared, but I have to say Pope was the worst player I saw today. Not only was he poor at his job of defending, but he kept playing terrible balls forward that either couldn't be handled, or gave away any advantage we were gaining. I was also pissed that Dempsey never came in, because he can help with that lack of imagination. I guess Arena thought Convey would be a good matchup on that side, but after halftime it was blatantly clear he wasn't getting anything done, and Wolff warming up(and I assume came in, I didn't see the last 14 mins) was even worse.

[Marco4]

I thought Claudio Reyna might do a bit more to that end, as well, but he was fairly anonymous. The Czechs are highly fancied, and they showed why today, but their defence will be shown to be more suspect by teams with a bit more about them; Italy, for example, on today's performance.

[soccer10k]

I wonder what would have happened in the game had Reyna's shot gone in and made the score 1-1. I wonder if that would have given the team a much needed energy boost.