The unofficial World Cup Thread,

[naut]

Never was a fan of Korea after the distasteful shenanigans that allowed them to progress in 2002, so no shed tears on my part that they are going home.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Why doesn't the US and whoever they play just skip the first 20 minutes of the match and give the opposing team a goal? It would save some time.

@ Psychonaut; could you elaborate?

CR

[johnhughthom]

@ Psychonaut; could you elaborate?

A ridiculous number of refereeing errors in their favour at the 2002 World Cup.

[seireikhaan]

Wow, dive a bit more while you're at it, Ghana.

[Crazed Rabbit]

At least we didn't go out on a reffing error.

Some of Ghana's flops were truly pathetic - almost as much as the ref's lack of making them get up.

CR

[johnhughthom]

Das ist modern soccer.

[gaelic cowboy]

Hard luck America well done

[Marshal Murat]

Urgh. There wasn't anything missing from the US except that spirit which animated us during the 2nd half. I just wonder what would've happened if our players were actually the cream of the US athletic crop.
Here is a perfect example of why Americans don't get into soccer. While enormously enjoyable to watch (now that it actually makes sense), the game seems to reveal the inherent problem with American soccer. While the World Cup is now sweeping the USA, there is no long-term appeal for US soccer. I'm not all that tempted to watch an MLS game or an international friendly. Maybe it's marketing or something, but therein lies the real disappointment, that after now we will again become exceptionally underwhelmed by soccer until Brasil in 2014.

[||Lz3||]

Urgh. There wasn't anything missing from the US except that spirit which animated us during the 2nd half. I just wonder what would've happened if our players were actually the cream of the US athletic crop.
Here is a perfect example of why Americans don't get into soccer. While enormously enjoyable to watch (now that it actually makes sense), the game seems to reveal the inherent problem with American soccer. While the World Cup is now sweeping the USA, there is no long-term appeal for US soccer. I'm not all that tempted to watch an MLS game or an international friendly. Maybe it's marketing or something, but therein lies the real disappointment, that after now we will again become exceptionally underwhelmed by soccer until Brasil in 2014.

So you need them to go up to the semifinals or the final itself to get the people involved? Perhaps it's just that football is not for everyone. It was a good world cup for the US. They got a draw against England, you may brag about that.

So, tomorrow games:
Deutschland 1 0 England
Argentina 1 2 México (what? )

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Do there happen to be honour points for exact prediction of the result, but only in the wrong time frame?

2 - 0

2 - 1

[johnhughthom]

Do there happen to be honour points for exact prediction of the result, but only in the wrong time frame?

Do you mean if, for instance, the Germany-England game is 0-0 after 90 minutes and finished 2-0 would you get bonus points? Nope.

[LeftEyeNine]

When teams are equal in overall power, individual efforts or set pieces determine the difference between. So it was for USA versus Ghana. Gyan proved that he is a beast. Despite it was minute 116, he was closing down and chasing the USA defence. The enormous stamina he possesses is the main reason behind being picked as the sole forward of Ghana so far. You may have noticed how Bocanegra bumped him like a truck with broken brakes having to stop and seem shaken afterwards. But Gyan was there to keep his balance and hit the ball to the blind spot any keeper has -the head and the surrounding space above the shoulders.

Without Ayew, I don't see them getting any creative in the fresh moments of the next game though. They'll need luck -a lot of it. We've been proved today that running around like crazy is not a valid option against Uruguay; they have exclusively talented feet to change the course of the game any moment.

Thanks for the great progress taken and display anyway, USA. I'll be rooting for the underdogs in the determined clash. Gogoghana.

Germany 2-2 England (Germans on penalties)
Argentina 1-1 Mexico (Argentina on extension)

[Marshal Murat]

2 - 0
2 - 1 extra time

[drone]

The US players looked gassed. All the effort spent catching up in the Slovenia game, plus the effort to beat Algeria in injury time, plus the short time off killed them. They could have used the extra day England got. They came out in the second half, controlled everything and had Ghana reeling, got the penalty, then just stopped. When it went to overtime I knew they were done. If they had gotten the points they deserved against Slovenia, they could have eased up some for Algeria and had something left for this game.

That said, Feilhaber should have started. And Altidore needs to work more on holding/controlling the ball. If he's not sent through with a good pass behind the defense, he looks useless.

[naut]

Yet to watch the USA game. May just watch the goals. But, I'm glad I was right on the ET. Tonight's games are more tough to call. England and Germany you feel is fated for penalties, it's just meant to be. Mexico can beat the Argies, whose defence is horrible (Gutierrez?!?! Veron!?!?!), but Mexico's finishing is often sporadic at best.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

Portugal is not a quarter-final. We don't beat North Korea 7-0. Brazil lost 1-0 with them and Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to finish his career in Pyongyang... Do not believe? Watch the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jb610TPkAw

the Brazilian defeat...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVc...eature=related

I wonder...with such oficial state propaganda will they be shot for the humiliating defeat? after all, the people think they won...

[Tellos Athenaios]

@drone:
It's your defense that was just too weak/slow to respond, the USA was quite lucky not to have been handed a bigger defeat. Notice how Asamoa could pretty much walk wherever he wanted to and the defense caught up only after the fact most of the time for the first half? Ghana was really the much better team on the field, pure on technique/class they had the USA running all over the place in the first half.

[Romanic]

1 - 1
2 - 0

[Louis VI the Fat]

I'm not all that tempted to watch an MLS game

Neither am I, neither am I.



Every tournament, there are endless stories about how this is the final breakthrough for soccer in America. It never is, and won't be this time. Football in the US will just continue as is. Which is, it is doing just fine.

The internet and globalisation have awoken many Americans to the global drama of the world cup. Not content to be left out, a lot of them watch it, join in the excitement. Then mostly forget about soccer for the next four years ago. But what of it? There are so many sports that are only ever watched by any large amount of people at very high profile events. Athletics at the Olympics, cycling at the Tour de France, tennis at Wimbledon. It's the WC event and the team's wins, more than the sport itself, that has drawn most American viewers. By next week soccer will have been forgotten in America again.

I thought the US team was great fun this WC. I for one always get out the popcorn and get me a front row seat for the American football team. They always deliver at a world cup. Not in any truely outstanding football, but in an open and positive style, played with great spirit, and with just the right amount of naivity to look fresh instead of tactically immature. Three awesomy games this time, one slightly less so. Pity they had to go out.


America's defense did look weak at both goals today. The other thing that hampers America, every WC, is they don't know how to play the referee. To their credit, their sporting culture isn't interested in that.

~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~

I've never been any great fan of Brazilian style. South America is all about Argentina and Uruguay for me. How I love the football on both shores of the River Plate! I think Brazil and Uruguay to meet in the semis. Hoping for 1950, but Brazil will propably bore its way to the final.

If not Uruguay, maybe the Dutch can surprise us with some sensation and stop the yellow peril.


This other half of the tournament is far more interesting. So looking forward to Portugal-Spain and England-Germany! I'm fine with all four of these teams winning their games. I'll pick somebody to root for during the games.



I'll stick with my earlier prediction of 1-1 at ninety minutes, Germany to win on penalties AET.

1 - 1
1 - 0

[Marshal Murat]

. The other thing that hampers America, every WC, is they don't know how to play the referee. To their credit, their sporting culture isn't interested in that.

That frustrated my old man to no end, to see guys just fall to the ground and roll around in pain and agony (I'm looking at you Ghana player who fell, was carried off the pitch, and then miraculously walked away )

[naut]

I wonder...with such oficial state propaganda will they be shot for the humiliating defeat? after all, the people think they won...

Please don't tell me you believed those. Those are parodies, funny, but not real North Korean footage. You can tell because in the first one they used South Korean commentary, and you hear the commentator saying: "Ji-sung Park!"

In North Korea they didn't show the Brazil game, however, they broadcast the Portugal game live. Queue outrage.

[naut]

England 1 - 1 Germany (Penalties with Gerrard missing and Defoe having one saved.)
Argentina 2 - 1 Mexico (If Mexico can finish their chances I can see this one being 2 - 1 the other way, Argie defence is horrible.)

[InsaneApache]

England 1 - 0 Germany
Argentina 1 - 1 Mexico



Hard luck Yanks, you are after all my second team. Got to be with having two septics in the family.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I am genuinely worried for the North Korean players. I've read a bit of what defectors had to say might happen, and it doesn't sound pleasant.

CR

[Fragony]

I am genuinely worried for the North Korean players. I've read a bit of what defectors had to say might happen, and it doesn't sound pleasant.

CR

heh last team is still hauling rocks, didn't know you are interested in football CR ;)

[Rhyfelwyr]

1 - 1 (England to win on penalties, buhliiieeve)
2 - 0

[KukriKhan]

The other thing that hampers America, every WC, is they don't know how to play the referee.

I've noticed that, too.

Kukri going on on a limb today and picking Germany and Mexico in upsets.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

I am genuinely worried for the North Korean players. I've read a bit of what defectors had to say might happen, and it doesn't sound pleasant.

CR

It can't be worse than what happened to the Iraqi players when Saddam's son was in charge.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Ouch. England almost tied it up in just 30 seconds. I can see how the second goal was seen incorrectly by the ref though. You guys really need some sort of instant replay.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Gah! Why can't all the games be as tense and dramatic as this game!

Edit: I think that that referee will never be in any important games like this.