The Official World Cup Thread

[soccer10k]

Final Group G Standings

Team          W    D    L    P   GS   GA   GD
Switzerland   2    1    0    7    4    0    4
France        1    2    0    5    3    1    2
South Korea   1    1    1    4    3    4   -1
Togo          0    0    3    0    1    6   -5

 

Switzerland and France advance.

 

I'll post Round of 16 matchups and dates later tonight.

[Marco4]

I want to point out (at this stage) that I've been behind Spain and Switzerland throughout.

[shnsajax]

Considering our next world cup experience in europe is not for another 20 years we have a little bit of time :) . I would settle for +80% of the national team playing in Europe with 25% of the youth program players playing in Holland. If I had it my way Dempsey might as well start shopping for an apartment somewhere nearby rather than coming back to the US.

 

Bruce Arena IMO might be the most important person in US soccer history. From the early 90's creating the powerhouse he had at Virgina to DC United he has been their every step of the way throughout the growth of American soccer. I really don't know if he has anything left to contribute, and that he might have finally peaked. Right now the US needs to really focus on player development. Coming up with what will be a much younger team in 2010, it is probably time to go in a different direction.

 

Still even with that, the biggest problem with the US this world cup was the draw. They did have a lot of bad luck getting in this group, then with thier 1st two matches. Don't underestimate the US record in 2008 and 2009. We don't need a 2-8 record just to gain experience. This past World Cup the US was 1 slot away from getting a #1 seed, and probably a much more favorable group. That is something that is always very big and important.

 

10 of the 18 World Cups have been played on European soil so it's likely that the US will (assuming they qualify) play 2 World Cups in Europe by 2026.

 

I agree that Bruce Arena has been extremely important to US soccer in the past but I believe that the phrase is "what have you done for me lately?" Bruce Arena was perfect for the team in the past but I don't think he is right now.

 

While I agree the draw was very tough, I think the main problem was the US's #5 (and #4 at one point) FIFA world ranking. I know it's not their fault that they were ranked higher than they were. But it's the media's fault for misinterpreting this. The media saw the high ranking and assumed that the US was good enough to make it out of this group and made it seem like a foregone conclusion. The media ignored the fact that the FIFA rankings take into account a countries previous 8 years of internation competition. This will be dropped to the previous 4 years in July 2006 though. Had the US been accurately ranked, likely somewhere in the teens and therefore behind Italy, there wouldn't have been nearly as much hype surrounding the team.

 

EDIT: I agree that a 2-8 record wouldn't help a ton, it would be much better than beating up on CONCACAF teams all the time. That doesn't help us either.

 

I thought they agreed to the rotation system in selecting the world cup. Starting with Africa in 2010, South America 2014, Central/North America 2018, Asia/Oceana 2022, Europe 2026. I could be wrong on this.

 

They do need better diversity in friendlies by far, I agree with that completly. I agree with that on Arena, and I think they will give him the time to decide he wants to leave rather than let him go just out of respect. I would love to see the federation go out and buy Guus Hiddink, once Austraila are out.

 

It doesn't help that the US media is very clueless when it comes to soccer.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There's Nothing that Peter Crouch can't do

[wolf stansson]

I don't know if anybody already posted this, but Reyna did indeed announce his retirement. He said he wants to go into coaching.

[sweetpeteman]

I don't know if anybody already posted this, but Reyna did indeed announce his retirement. He said he wants to go into coaching.

 

Only from World Cup play. He will still play for Manchester City and wants to spend a year in the MLS.

[soccer10k]

I thought they agreed to the rotation system in selecting the world cup. Starting with Africa in 2010, South America 2014, Central/North America 2018, Asia/Oceana 2022, Europe 2026. I could be wrong on this.

 

I looked online and it appears that South America would host the 2014 World Cup (likely Brazil). I couldn't really find anything after that though.

[soccer10k]

Here is the Round of 16 schedule. All games times are listed in Pacific Time. The winners of each game on one day will play eachother in the Quarterfinals (i.e. Germany/Sweden v Argentina/Mexico).

 

Saturday June 24

 

Germany v Sweden 8 AM on ABC

Argentina v Mexico 12 PM on ESPN

 

Sunday June 25

 

England v Ecuador 8 AM on ABC

Portugal v Netherlands 12 PM on ESPN

 

Monday June 26

 

Italy v Australia 8 AM on ESPN

Switzerland v Ukraine 12 PM on ESPN *

 

Tuesday June 27

 

Brazil v Ghana 8 AM on ESPN

Spain v France 12 PM on ESPN *

 

* I'm not comletely sure on which channel these two games are being televised. On soccernet it doesn't list a channel but on ESPN.com's tv listings it says both are on ESPN.

 

EDIT: Here is an actual bracket for the remainder of the tournament so you can see potential games.

[Marco4]

I just looked back through everyone's predictions for who would qualify from the group stages; everyone thought more or less the same thing, but both Ghana and Australia went unpicked by anyone and Sweden were something of a surprise.

 

So there you go.

[Banedon]

ESPN has an article about Arena and whether or not he'll coach another World Cup team. Sounds like he may not want to. They speculate that the Germany head coach may be a leading replacement candidate. Found this at the end...I don't know much about soccer, but I know what I've read here about Donovan.

 

Arena also expects Landon Donovan to bounce back from his poor World Cup. Donovan finished the tournament with just one shot, none on net, and showed little enthusiasm for challenging defenders.

 

"He's still 24 years old," Arena said. "Don't write him off at this level."

[soccer10k]

ESPN has an article about Arena and whether or not he'll coach another World Cup team. Sounds like he may not want to. They speculate that the Germany head coach may be a leading replacement candidate. Found this at the end...I don't know much about soccer, but I know what I've read here about Donovan.

 

Arena also expects Landon Donovan to bounce back from his poor World Cup. Donovan finished the tournament with just one shot, none on net, and showed little enthusiasm for challenging defenders.

 

"He's still 24 years old," Arena said. "Don't write him off at this level."

 

My biggest fear is that Landon Donovan, at 24, has peaked as a soccer player because he refuses to go play in Europe. He is stunting his growth as a player by playing in the MLS and will never become the player he could be. If he grows some balls and goes back to Europe he has the potential to be a world class player and one that can take over a game. My fear is that if he stays in the MLS then what we saw in the World Cup this year is about the best we are going to see.

[Marco4]

Lukas Podolski continues his goal-scoring from the previous game; 1-0 Deutschland.

[soccer10k]

2-0 Germany.

[Jon]

Germany/Brazil matchup, please.

[soccer10k]

Germany/Brazil matchup, please.

 

Germany will likely have to get by Argentina first, which I'm not sure they'll do. A Brazil-Spain second round matchup could be entertaining as well.

[Jon]

What a joke.

[soccer10k]

Wow. I have to agree with Marcelo Balboa. Neither of Lucic's two yellow cards were warrented. Both were fouls but he shouldn't have received either one. Maybe the first one, but definately not the second card. This game is over as Germany is up 2-0 and playing 11 v 10. Welcome to the second round.

[Mark Priors Calves]

Of all the second round matches, the Netherlands-Portugal match looks like it should be the best.

[soccer10k]

Of all the second round matches, the Netherlands-Portugal match looks like it should be the best.

 

I'm looking forward to Argentina-Mexico and I think Brazil-Ghana could be surprisingly entertaining although with Essien unavailable to play (2 yellows) it might not be.

[Marco4]

Of all the second round matches, the Netherlands-Portugal match looks like it should be the best.

 

I'm looking forward to Argentina-Mexico and I think Brazil-Ghana could be surprisingly entertaining although with Essien unavailable to play (2 yellows) it might not be.

 

France vs. Spain for me.

[soccer10k]

Of all the second round matches, the Netherlands-Portugal match looks like it should be the best.

 

I'm looking forward to Argentina-Mexico and I think Brazil-Ghana could be surprisingly entertaining although with Essien unavailable to play (2 yellows) it might not be.

 

France vs. Spain for me.

 

That should be a good one as well.

[soccer10k]

Eric Wynalda just took another shot at Bruce Arena. I don't remember the exact quote but it was something about it being a novel idea to have two forwards in the game.

[E.J.]

Haha. English fans are rioting against German fans in Germany. There's a mob scene right now in Germany.

[Jon]

Wow Mexico.

[Outshined_One]

Was the guy who scored that offsides? It was hard to tell.