Official 2010 World Cup Thread

[Henry Sugar]

couple links to fire you up

The World's Reaction to Landon Donovan's goal  (HT:  Chili)

Unofficial US Soccer Anthem - "Represent" by Weezer

[MU B2002]

The reaction video gives me chills.


1pm CST tomorrow correct?

[reinko]

The reaction video gives me chills.


1pm CST tomorrow correct?

Coverage starts at 2pm EST, kickoff at 2:30pm

[tower912]

Pathetic early defense.   Weak goal.  Nice shot, but uncontested.   Ghana is the aggressor.   US has started slow in every game, but once again they need to end the cranial rectum insertion. 

[tower912]

After outplaying Ghana for the entire second half, a completely brain dead play by the defense.    Beautiful goal, though. 

[MUEng92]

Just when soccer starts to pull me in, the pathetic, embarrassing dives by these players just pushes me away again.  Why does this have to be part of the game?  I don't know what to call it other than embarrassing.  They aren't remotely believable, yet the time still keeps ticking and the ref does nothing.  And the stupid little time wasters that "any team in that position would do the same".  Then change the fricken rules.  Here's an idea.  Have a start/stop switch on the clock.

That game was like eating a great meal at a nice restaurant and when dessert comes out it's a nice moldy piece of cake. 

Oh well, wake me up in 4 years and I will watch again.

[ErickJD08]

Just when soccer starts to pull me in, the pathetic, embarrassing dives by these players just pushes me away again.  Why does this have to be part of the game?  I don't know what to call it other than embarrassing.  They aren't remotely believable, yet the time still keeps ticking and the ref does nothing.  And the stupid little time wasters that "any team in that position would do the same".  Then change the fricken rules.  Here's an idea.  Have a start/stop switch on the clock.

That game was like eating a great meal at a nice restaurant and when dessert comes out it's a nice moldy piece of cake. 

Oh well, wake me up in 4 years and I will watch again.

I was just talking about the same thing.  Two reasons soccer will never be big in this country.  First, we are capitalists.  We are putting out a poor product on the field and no one will buy.  If we put a good product on the field, we would buy.  Second, americans are hard nosed and appreciate "tough guys".  Soccer players are the biggest nancies on the face of this Earth.  And the issue is that the game encourages dives.  I don't mind falling down.  We all know players flop to try and force a call BUT GET BACK UP.  The rolling around on the ground screaming bloody murder and then getting up and running around for another 30 minutes is where I cringe.  Sorry soccer.  Just not made for Americans.

[MUEng92]

We are putting out a poor product on the field and no one will buy.  If we put a good product on the field, we would buy. 

I don't have a problem with the American team.  In fact, when I realized Steve Cherundalo was the little brother of a girl in my sister's class back in grade school and high school, I was really pulling for him/them really hard.  I don't no better, but they seemed to be on the same level as the other teams.

It is just some of the things that are "part of the game" that annoy me to no end and keep me from being all in.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I was just talking about the same thing.  Two reasons soccer will never be big in this country.  First, we are capitalists.  We are putting out a poor product on the field and no one will buy.  If we put a good product on the field, we would buy.  Second, americans are hard nosed and appreciate "tough guys".  Soccer players are the biggest nancies on the face of this Earth.  And the issue is that the game encourages dives.  I don't mind falling down.  We all know players flop to try and force a call BUT GET BACK UP.  The rolling around on the ground screaming bloody murder and then getting up and running around for another 30 minutes is where I cringe.  Sorry soccer.  Just not made for Americans.

The reality is that soccer players are actually tough as nails, but they go through these faux charades to try and get sympathy and fouls.  It's unneeded, but these guys aren't really hurt on the field.  That's the sad part about it.

[tower912]

They flop like the Badgers and whine like Bo Ryan.   

[ErickJD08]

I don't have a problem with the American team.  In fact, when I realized Steve Cherundalo was the little brother of a girl in my sister's class back in grade school and high school, I was really pulling for him/them really hard.  I don't no better, but they seemed to be on the same level as the other teams.

It is just some of the things that are "part of the game" that annoy me to no end and keep me from being all in.

They aren't that good.  To put it in perspective, Donavan is touted as the best US player ever and he probably isn't a top 20 player in the world.  Here is a comparison.  Champions League = NBA and MLS = Euro Basketball.  I think only 5 US players play in the Champions League.  And I don't think any of them play on an elite team.  That's like Basketball in the Olympics where the US is going against Poland and US's whole team is in the NBA while Poland might have only a couple of players from the NBA.  The skill level is not even close.  I think the MLS is helping the US cultivate talent but it is not in the same ballpark.

[ATWizJr]

Tough loss. Back to the drwing board, I guess.  You'd have to be a lot younger than me to have any real expectation of seeing a US World Cup championship in your lifetime.

I mean a men's team World Cup championship of course.  Thank God for the women's national team.

[brewcity77]

They aren't that good.  To put it in perspective, Donavan is touted as the best US player ever and he probably isn't a top 20 player in the world.  Here is a comparison.  Champions League = NBA and MLS = Euro Basketball.  I think only 5 US players play in the Champions League.  And I don't think any of them play on an elite team.  That's like Basketball in the Olympics where the US is going against Poland and US's whole team is in the NBA while Poland might have only a couple of players from the NBA.  The skill level is not even close.  I think the MLS is helping the US cultivate talent but it is not in the same ballpark.

Donovan may not be top 20, but I would certainly put him in the top 50, and when you consider the number of leagues there are, that's not too shabby. Had we won today, he would have been a lock for the World Cup All-Star team, and may still get on it with his three goals and brilliance in the midfield. He's probably been one of the five best players at this tournament, along with Diego Forlan, David Villa, Javier Mascherano, and Mesut Ozil.

While we don't have anyone in the top teams, add a big *yet* asterisk to that. Michael Bradley is rumored to be headed for Arsenal. Tim Howard and Landon Donovan could both find themselves the subject of transfer rumors in the coming months. Jozy Altidore's solid season for Hull, coupled with good play here could get him a chance to actually play for Villarreal if they move the Jersey traitor, Giuseppe Rossi. Considering the sport scarcely existed here 20 years ago, that's not bad.

Tough loss. Back to the drwing board, I guess.  You'd have to be a lot younger than me to have any real expectation of seeing a US World Cup championship in your lifetime.

I mean a men's team World Cup championship of course.  Thank God for the women's national team.

I would say it depends on how old you are. 20 years ago, Paul Caligiari hit a wonder-goal against Trinidad & Tobago just to get us to qualify for Italia 1990. Now we are a lock to qualify in CONCACAF and are a constant in the FIFA's top 20 rankings. We're not yet a major power, but my expectation is that by 2030, we will have won our first World Cup. I think that if we don't do it as host nation in 2022 (expect us to win the bid) that we will have a great swell, similar to the early days of MLS only on a much bigger scale because this time the infrastructure for the sport is already in place, and we will take one of the next two, wherever they are played. If you're 70 or younger and in decent health, I think you have a decent sniff at seeing one.

[wildbillsb]

Oh, crap!  You had me hooked until your last sentence.  If that's true, I ain't gonna make it cuz I'm a very old Warrior.  I  watched George Andrie play split end for M.   That's how old I am.

[brewcity77]

Oh, crap!  You had me hooked until your last sentence.  If that's true, I ain't gonna make it cuz I'm a very old Warrior.  I  watched George Andrie play split end for M.   That's how old I am.

Well, cross your fingers on 2018 or 2022 then. Neither are impossible, provided our continued development. We have talent in the pipeline. Give us a couple more Landon Donovan types in the next 8 years and we could challenge in England...provided we actually learn how to win on European soil between now and then.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I played in high school on one of the top teams in the state of California.  We played against Cobi Jones and Eric Wynalda.   I thought Wynalda was the single greatest American player I went up against head to head, and that included Cobi.  There just wasn't any talent around him to help.  Part of the problem has been that even when we do come up with a very talented player, if you don't have complimentary players, doesn't do you a lot of good.  It's like having a great QB but an offensive line that is so bad the QB is on his back all day.

[GGGG]

Athletes are also going to have to stick with soccer instead of migrating over to the other sports. 

[cheebs09]

I think that is the major thing holding us back and I believe Reilly did a piece on it. Our top athletes are in the NBA, NFL, and MLB whereas in Europe the sport of choice is soccer. I know Tirico was saying how shocking it must be when a country the size of Oregon with 1/10th the population beats the US, but in Ghana people are playing soccer like we used to play sandlot baseball or pickup basketball.

[ATWizJr]

Oh, crap!  You had me hooked until your last sentence.  If that's true, I ain't gonna make it cuz I'm a very old Warrior.  I  watched George Andrie play split end for M.   That's how old I am.

I'm with you,  By 2030 If I'm still around, I'll probably know that I like soccer but I won;t remember why!! 

PS Remember Art Felker!

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://deadspin.com/5574387/heres-the-lego-version-of-usa+ghana-youve-been-dreading

[JWags85]

NEDERLAND!

That is all.

[brewcity77]

Well, this World Cup just got a lot more interesting. 

[MU B2002]

I have never seen a team as skilled as Brazil completely lose their sh*t like that.  What is Melo thinking?

Oranjie Oranjie Oranjie!

[MUfan12]

I have never seen a team as skilled as Brazil completely lose their sh*t like that. 

Until Germany-Argentina today. Wowza. Total domination.

[MU B2002]

germany has looked  fantastic.