*World Cup Game Discussion Thread* (SPOILERS)

[SirFozzie]

I've left the other thread for non-spoiler discussion. Please give up to 24 hours of leeway in posting results and other discussion to the main thread, use this thread for game discussion.

Today's Games:

Group A

Germany v Costa Rica (Allianz Arena) 12 Noon Eastern
Ecaudor v Poland (Arena AufSchalke) 3 PM Eastern

[Celeval]

OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT GOAL BALLACK JUST...


...er, here's hoping for some good matches today.

[SirFozzie]

OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT GOAL BALLACK JUST...


...er, here's hoping for some good matches today.

My predictions?

Germany 3-1 Costa Riva
Ecuador 1-1 Poland

[RendeR]

I'll take the longshot, Costa Rica in the opening day upset 2-1 on a late penalty kick.

[cartman]

I'll take the longshot, Costa Rica in the opening day upset 2-1 on a late penalty kick.

The penalty would have to involve a defender picking up the ball and starting to play rugby. Otherwise, the ref doesn't leave the stadium alive.

[Logan]

The penalty would have to involve a defender picking up the ball and starting to play rugby. Otherwise, the ref doesn't leave the stadium alive.

Fair point.

[SirFozzie]

AAAAHHH!!! BBC JUST DROPPED IT!

[Celeval]

Ha-ha

[Celeval]

First poor refereeing decision - missed an obvious corner for Germany.

[Celeval]

1-NIL!

[Logan]

GOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!


Guarantee I'm the 4th person to post that.

[cartman]

Beautiful left footed strike.

[Celeval]

Very nicely placed shot into the upper right corner.

[Logan]

Beautiful left footed strike.

Right footed.

[Lathum]

great shot!

[cartman]

Right footed.

I didn't see him turn. If it was right footed, even more impressive, since it went from the left side of the field into the upper right corner.

[Celeval]

Right footed.

But he's apparently a lefty, so it's still off-foot. Either way, damn nice shot.

[Celeval]

I didn't see him turn. If it was right footed, even more impressive, since it went from the left side of the field into the upper right corner.

The reverse angle made it look like in off the post - perfectly placed.

OOOOH, nearly 2-nil.

[cartman]

Costa Rica is completely overwhelmed so far. Germany is doing whatever they want to the Los Ticos.

[MIJB#19]

Great, I leave the tv for two minutes and miss the first goal. :(

But I didn't miss the 1-1. :D

[st.cronin]

GOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL

[cartman]

Spoke too soon. TIE GAME!

I thought he was offsides, but it was close

[Celeval]

Costa Rica is completely overwhelmed so far. Germany is doing whatever they want to the Los Ticos.

Nice timing.

[Lathum]

wow, I'm shocked so far. I expected a feeling out period between the two teams.

[SirFozzie]

I really wish I had an ISP with ESPn360

[Logan]

Ummm...yeah, I'm hooked.


Any way to get all WC games played on my flex Fridays?

[Celeval]

2-1! Great teamwork in the middle.

[MIJB#19]

Torfest so far.

[cartman]

GOAL! Germany goes back on top.

Wow, definitely not a slow paced game at all.

[Passacaglia]

So this is the sport that supposedly results in boring 0-0 matches, right? Just checking.

[RendeR]

Well my prediction is shot to hell =)

Oh well, at least this game isn't boring me to tears so far.

[Coffee Warlord]

This is WILD.

[MIJB#19]

So this is the sport that supposedly results in boring 0-0 matches, right? Just checking.
That only happens when two good teams play against each other. :D

[MIJB#19]

Apparently the weather is slowing Germany down now, giving Wanchope and buddies a chance to stay within 1 goal.

[Celeval]

All this talk about Frings is making me hungry.

[Celeval]

Okay, time to watch 15 minutes of GT beating the College of Charleston. :-D

[SirFozzie]

Internet: All 52 matches carried by ESPN/ESPN2 will be simulcast on the network's broadband service, ESPN360. Of course, only about 8 million homes can get ESPN360, but ESPN has thought of that, too: From June 26 through July 19, it will offer free access to ESPN360 to everyone in the U.S. with a broadband connection, obviously hoping consumers will like what they see and call their Internet provider to request the service.

Hooolly shit.

(too bad it's not June 9th to July19th :D)

[MrBug708]

Spoke too soon. TIE GAME!

I thought he was offsides, but it was close

I missed the original,but it looked like he was offsides by a decent amount of space...

Good game thus far...even if I have to watch it in Spanish

[ice4277]

Sweet. My pre-game prediction of 2-1 Germany is holding up. Germany is playing a dangerous game on defense. Great start to the Cup!

[ice4277]

I missed the original,but it looked like he was offsides by a decent amount of space...

Good game thus far...even if I have to watch it in Spanish

I actually thought that, at worst, they were even. So in my mind, they (surprisingly) made the correct, close call in favor of an attacking player for once!

[RendeR]

Is it just me or is costa rica playing like their feet are stuck in mud?

[MrBug708]

Good possession by Germany there

[cartman]

GOAL! 3-1 Germany.

Nice save initially by the keeper, but he couldn't deal with the rebound.

Los Ticos can't overcome a 2 goal deficit.

[SirFozzie]

and my prediction is on track :)

[Crapshoot]

Lahm is looking really really good at this point...

And how the heck does one access ESPN 360 ?

[st.cronin]

I think Germany has a decent chance to pull this game out.

[moriarty]

Lahm is looking really really good at this point...

And how the heck does one access ESPN 360 ?

He was money for me in FM2005 until Man Utd bought him away. Good to see he's come far after my tutelidge. :)

[ice4277]

Lahm is looking really really good at this point...

And how the heck does one access ESPN 360 ?

Your ISP has to subscribe to it. I think the majority of people are not able to get it, unfortunately.

[ice4277]

I think Germany has a decent chance to pull this game out.

Tom Brady agrees.

[cartman]

Well, how about that. It's now 3-2. If Costa Rica can salvage a draw, that will be huge for them.

[SirFozzie]

Your ISP has to subscribe to it. I think the majority of people are not able to get it, unfortunately.

Yup, only 8 million high speed broadband folks get it, that's why they're trying the free preview ina couple weeks

[moriarty]

This is getting ridiculous. I can't believe I forgot to set up my Tivo.

Is this germany's first time playing the offside trap or what?

[cartman]

And that seals it. A beautiful 25 meter strike from outside the penalty box for Germany. 4-2 with 4 minutes left.

[Neuqua]

That was one of the sweetest shots I've ever seen.

Looks like Germany is going to take this one.

[Celeval]

I must be hungry. I think the announcer just called him Toasted Frings.

[cartman]

That was an entertaining game to kick things off. Congrats to Germany. I think CR was a tougher test than they expected.

[SirFozzie]

Germany's defense has to be considered suspect to give up two to CR.

[Desnudo]

Both CR goals it looked like the fullback didn't pull up with the CBs. I wonder if crowd noise caused it.

[Crapshoot]

Yeah, the German offside trap is going to be taken apart by a team that's good on the counter - or with a pacy striker - like say, England.

[Desnudo]

I think so too. CR really should have gone to more long balls over the top for their forward to run onto. They kept trying to build up with short passes and didn't have the numbers forward to do it.

[marshall881]

The quality of service from the CR midfield was sorely lacking.

[SirFozzie]

2nd game about to start

[cartman]

Very chippy game so far, lots of cheap fouls.

Must be interesting, with a Japanese ref trying to communicate with Polish and Spanish speaking players. :D

[cartman]

First goal by Ecuador on a header.

[RendeR]

ECUADOR GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Sorry, had to...dunno why....

[cartman]

I hope they keep showing crowd shots of the hot Ecuadorian girls. I love HD.

:D

[moriarty]

I hope they keep showing crowd shots of the hot Ecuadorian girls. I love HD.

:D

I love soccer in HD too, but is your ESPN feed like mine? I have the score/clock banner 3/4 of the way up the screen. So rather than being at the top of the screen and out of the way like every other program, it's blocking part of the action. WTF ESPN, how difficult is it to get that right?

[cartman]

It's not at the very top, but maybe the width of the bar down. Now that you mention it, that is kinda strange, since there is just a little bit still visible above the bar.

[Ajaxab]

Does anyone else out there think the game comes across as somehow more authentic with commentary from British announcers (even if it's someone I don't particularly like listening to, Tommy Smith)?

[cartman]

Does anyone else out there think the game comes across as somehow more authentic with commentary from British announcers (even if it's someone I don't particularly like listening to, Tommy Smith)?

Yep, it's not authentic until you get the Scottish guy with the accent so thick, you can't even tell he's speaking English. :D

[Crapshoot]

Does anyone else out there think the game comes across as somehow more authentic with commentary from British announcers (even if it's someone I don't particularly like listening to, Tommy Smith)?

Oh yeah - I'd much rather listen to the English announcers, because they know the game, and they know the quirks and the language (I hate when they call it the "field" instead of "pitch", or the use of "speed" as opposed to "pace", and so forth) and the history and club details - and they never, ever use the bloody word "soccer." :D

[RendeR]

Ok, that Polish player deserves an emmy award, thats the best daytime TV acting I've seen in YEARS.

[MIJB#19]

So, are people finally convinced that the German defense isn't so good at all? :)

[RendeR]

They didn't impress me any.

[Plundun]

Very whistle-happy ref so far in the Ecuador-Poland game. There were some situations that I would have liked to seen again but the producer neglected to show them.

The Ecuadorians are holding up surprisingly well to the physical Poles winning two aerial challenges for the goal, and generally frustrating them.

[aran]

I've been impressed with Ecuador so far. Strong defense. They've not even made half the mistakes that Poland has been making.

[sovereignstar]

Yep, it's not authentic until you get the Scottish guy with the accent so thick, you can't even tell he's speaking English. :D

You need help with deciphering accents.

[st.cronin]

ecstasy for ecuador!

[aran]

Goal for Ecuador!

Well played. They are looking quite good on defense. If they sharpen up their play in the offensive end,they should be formidable.

[DaddyTorgo]

WHOA ECUADOR!

[aran]

Considering how Costa Rica played, Ecuador has a reasonable shot at advancement...

[DaddyTorgo]

awww...i'll miss england/paraguay tomorrow but i'll home in time for argentina vs. ivory coast

[aran]

I think I'm going to dust off the old VCR to record Eng v. Paraguay...

[DaddyTorgo]

I think I'm going to dust off the old VCR to record Eng v. Paraguay...

lol. we dont even have a VCR anymore. need TIVO. grrrr

[SirFozzie]

*points and laughs at DT* :D

[DaddyTorgo]

*points and laughs at DT* :D

I KEEL YOU NOW!!!!

*boot to the head*

[SirFozzie]

Wow, two Foz-isms in one post. Congrats DT... now go punch a tree, and the student will have become the Master

[cartman]

You need help with deciphering accents.

When I lived in London, there was a guy on Sky Sports I couldn't understand at all. I worked with a guy from Glasgow, so I was used to hearing a Scottish accent. But this guy was completely non-intelligble to me. I could only catch about one out of every four words he was saying.

[sovereignstar]

When I lived in London, there was a guy on Sky Sports I couldn't understand at all. I worked with a guy from Glasgow, so I was used to hearing a Scottish accent. But this guy was completely non-intelligble to me. I could only catch about one out of every four words he was saying.

Oh. I was just referring to how you thought it was Scottish when Tommy Smith is Irish.

[cartman]

Oh. I was just referring to how you thought it was Scottish when Tommy Smith is Irish.

I completely overlooked you mentioning him by name in your original post. My part about the Scottish accent was in reference to the guy I saw on Sky Sports, not Tommy Smith.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm looking forward to actually being able to watch the games tomorrow.

[AlexB]

When I lived in London, there was a guy on Sky Sports I couldn't understand at all. I worked with a guy from Glasgow, so I was used to hearing a Scottish accent. But this guy was completely non-intelligble to me. I could only catch about one out of every four words he was saying.

Andy Gray? Wow - take a bow so: that's simple!

Admittedly I was introduced to the Glaswegian accent by Jock Wallace: there were many times as a 5-6 year old that I was kinda bemused by the big scary Scotsman who mumbled incoherently ;) This was a man who when confronted by customs for having an extra bottle of whisky, simply necked it to remove the problem :D

[Ryan S]

Andy Gray? Wow - take a bow so: that's simple!

It might have been one of the many Scottish guys they use on the Soccer Saturday show, possibly Alan McInally....

I am amazed (but pleased) at how few bookings we have seen in the first two games. Normally the first few days are chaos as the referees try to get to grips with their new directives, but it looks like we are going to be spared that mess this year.

[cartman]

It might have been one of the many Scottish guys they use on the Soccer Saturday show, possibly Alan McInally....

I am amazed (but pleased) at how few bookings we have seen in the first two games. Normally the first few days are chaos as the referees try to get to grips with their new directives, but it looks like we are going to be spared that mess this year.

See, since you typed this, I had no problem understanding you... :D

Come to think of it, I believe it was McInally that I couldn't understand. I originally wanted to say Ally McCoist, but I can understand him, at least most of the time.

As for the refs, I was sad to see Byron Moreno wasn't on the FIFA list. I was hoping he'd get to call the Italy-US match. :D

[Celeval]

England up to a very early start.

[terpkristin]

Great kick by Becks, unfortunately it will be credited as an own-goal by Paraguay.
That was 2:46 in.

/tk

[Celeval]

Ugh, worst possible start for Paraguay - give up a goal in the first four minutes, then lose your keeper to injury.

[terpkristin]

Yikes, Paraguay had to use a sub in the 7th minute to replace the GK. That sucks.

/tk

[terpkristin]

Wow, that was some impressively tight calling on the 6-second rule by the official. I like tight calling of that.

2nd fastest WC goal for England, they scored in the first minute in 1982, apparently.

/tk

[Celeval]

Balboa was defending that yellow card on Gerrard, but I didn't see what was wrong with it.

[TroyF]

Some chippy fouls here. Looks to be just a matter of time before England break them down and get the second.

[Crapshoot]

Okay, this Play by Play sucks - badly. This is what happens when you put a baseball guy because he's your "guy', instead of getting a proper football guy - his PBP is delayed, because that's how it works in baseball, and he doesn't seem to know what the hell he's doing.

[Crapshoot]

Gah - this is driving me nuts. Crouch is dribbling in the corner, and the idiot (Dave O Brien) is talking "excitedly" about the cross out to the wing, as if its a goal scoring opportunity - and he doesn't talk that away when they actually have a goal scoring chance. UGh.

[Passacaglia]

Musberger's pretty bad, too. Although, that's stating the obvious.

I'm a little bummed. Didn't set an alarm, because I'm always up before 7. Woke up at 8:15, so I missed a few minutes (and a goal), and am watching in my jammies. Ah, well.

[Crapshoot]

Musberger's pretty bad, too. Although, that's stating the obvious.

I'm a little bummed. Didn't set an alarm, because I'm always up before 7. Woke up at 8:15, so I missed a few minutes (and a goal), and am watching in my jammies. Ah, well.

Roffle - my story, except I did set an alarm, and woke up at 9:15. I'm bummed as well, because O Brien is significantly affecting my enjoyment of the event - he has no clue what the hell he's talking about, and it shows. Why not let Tommy Smyth (who's mediocre, but at least knows the game) do it instead of O Brien; he doesn't know any of the terminology, he can't pronounce the names, and he doesn't know when to be excited (like someone just shot - he doesn't say something, waits 10 seconds, then starts describing what's happening- GAH!). I think I'm going to tear my hear out if I keep hearing this guy.

[Celeval]

That was a pretty bad dive by Pereires.

[Cringer]

DO what I am doing.

Watch the game on UniVision. I didn't even know the game was on ABC until right now, so I have had it on the spanish channel. :)

[Crapshoot]

HD mon... :D

[Cringer]

HD mon... :D

blah. :p

[Ajaxab]

Okay, this Play by Play sucks - badly. This is what happens when you put a baseball guy because he's your "guy', instead of getting a proper football guy - his PBP is delayed, because that's how it works in baseball, and he doesn't seem to know what the hell he's doing.

Agreed. Dave Revsen (sp?) is horrible. I'm off to see if I can find BBC radio coverage of this game online and turning the sound off.

[moriarty]

HD mon... :D

Ah, the local idiots at ABC here forgot to turn on the HD feed until 20 minutes into the game. :mad:

Agree the annoucers sucks. Balboa drives me just as crazy.

1st half - thought Gerrard, Cole, Crouch, and Becks played well. Cole looked shaky in the back, disappointed in Lampard ... and Owen is non-existent.

They need some better crosses.

[ice4277]

Balboa sucks as usual. I actually think O'Brien is decent. *Shurg*

[Crapshoot]

O Brien's gotten a little better in the 2nd half - its almost as if someone showed him a broadcast of how to do it. Still, I would have preferred a football commentator - I don't see how taking an amateur who's never done it before is given a platform for the world's biggest stage.

[Crapshoot]

DOla, England don't look particularly inspiring - heck, it does seem like there's absolutely no offensive initiative.

[ice4277]

Yeah, the game has turned rather dull. I can see Paraguay coming back on a quick counter and equalizing.

[terpkristin]

That was an ABSURD foul call.

/tk

[TroyF]

DOla, England don't look particularly inspiring - heck, it does seem like there's absolutely no offensive initiative.


Not at all. They are going to screw around and end up with a tie if they aren't careful. They should be attacking a lot more. No excuse to only have one at this point.

About time the official calls a dive on the guy from Paraguay, this is getting ridiculous.

[Crapshoot]

Not at all. They are going to screw around and end up with a tie if they aren't careful. They should be attacking a lot more. No excuse to only have one at this point.

About time the official calls a dive on the guy from Paraguay, this is getting ridiculous.

Aye - what worries is this looks awfully like Lisbon, circa 2004 against France - Paraguay don't have a Thierry Henry, but Cruz and Valdez are both top notch strikers who can nip behind that line. They're playing so deep, in a virtual 4-4-1-1 right now - and I don't see much inspiration.

[Crapshoot]

What a save!

[Eaglesfan27]

Not at all. They are going to screw around and end up with a tie if they aren't careful. They should be attacking a lot more. No excuse to only have one at this point.

About time the official calls a dive on the guy from Paraguay, this is getting ridiculous.

Agreed on both points. Also, I agree on the earlier HD point. After watching one game in HD, I don't think I could ever willingly go back, no matter how much the announcers are annoying me.

[TroyF]

Beckham may be overrated by some people, but my God he's an incredible passer. It's amazing to watch what he can do with the ball sometimes.

[Crapshoot]

Beckham may be overrated by some people, but my God he's an incredible passer. It's amazing to watch what he can do with the ball sometimes.

No doubt - as a right sided midfielder, he's one of the best in the world. Becks is one of the world's 40 best players - the problem is that the hype suggests he's top 5. IN the England squad, I would argue only Gerrard and Rooney are better.

[terpkristin]

Well that tackle was all shin, no ball.

[TroyF]

Well that tackle was all shin, no ball.

While England is playing some poor football and I think they'd deserve a draw here, the ref has been terrible for much of the match. How he can call the foul against Crouch and then let the one on Downing go is beyond me.

[terpkristin]

While England is playing some poor football and I think they'd deserve a draw here, the ref has been terrible for much of the match. How he can call the foul against Crouch and then let the one on Downing go is beyond me.

I agree. I'm supporting England in their group, but after the first ten minutes or so,their playing as been somewhat uninspired. But the officiating has been ludicrous.

/tk

[Crapshoot]

The call against Downing was pretty absurd - the ref seems to have no clue. As long as there are no red cards, it should be okay.

[terpkristin]

Not a real surprise, Cole is coming out of the game.

Hargreaves in.

/tk

[TroyF]

OK, after watching the last call, the ref should be asked to leave Germany and move to the USA so he can ref the Finals.

Now I know where Stern gets his officials.

[terpkristin]

I wonder if these are the "replacement/substitute" or "part-time" refs that they talked about before the tournament started...

This was some horrific officiating.

/tk

[cthomer5000]

Question about the own goal decision... that looked like a pretty solid shot to me, so why wasn't Beckham credited with the goal?

Who makes the official call on that, the on-field ref or some sort of scorekeeper?

[Critch]

That was awful, glad it's over. England were pretty bad but never really looked in trouble either.

For the coverage, I gave up on ABC and watched the second half on Setanta with German commentary. I couldn't understand a word, but the screen wasn't covered in graphics and the picture quality was much better. I wonder if ABC intentionally toned down the picture quality to make their HD look better?

[moriarty]

Well that was a typical Sven lead peformance. No inventiveness on offense. Joe Cole made a few runs, otherwise the offense consisted of overplayed crosses, long balls to Crouch, and Lampard shooting from outside the box.

Blah, England isn't going too far beyond the group stage playing like that.

[Eaglesfan27]

Question about the own goal decision... that looked like a pretty solid shot to me, so why wasn't Beckham credited with the goal?

Who makes the official call on that, the on-field ref or some sort of scorekeeper?

I'm not sure about who makes that call, but I would call it an own goal as well. He jumped and tried to head it wide of the goal. He miscalculated. I would have given Beckham the goal if it just inadvertently deflected off of a player who wasn't actively trying to head/direct the ball wide of goal.

[Celeval]

Question about the own goal decision... that looked like a pretty solid shot to me, so why wasn't Beckham credited with the goal?

Who makes the official call on that, the on-field ref or some sort of scorekeeper?

Not sure who makes the call, but it was pretty clearly off the head of the defender, hence the own goal decision.

[AlexB]

3 points, decent start but awful 2nd half performance.

Thought Joe Cole played pretty well, Gerrard was good in the 1st, Becks and Crouch were OK too. Got nothing from either full back, and at times Terry and Ferdinand were less than convincing.

But the ref didn't help by penalising Peter Crouch every time he challenged for the ball (presumably for being too tall :confused: ), and they only had two moments where they looked slightly dangerous. Don't think they had a decent effort on target.

TV here was showering praise on the performance at half time, which puzzled me as I thought we were no better than average tbh, but the second half was terrible offensively. The lack of attacking options (in terms of both personnel and creativity) without Rooney showed itself - we had no-one who could replace Owen: either Cole or Gerrard had to be alongside Crouch rather than just behind him if we were going to hit it in the air to the big fella every time.

But, I guess winning the first game is what really matters.

[MJ4H]

I thought Crouch was pretty awful, myself.

[cthomer5000]

Not sure who makes the call, but it was pretty clearly off the head of the defender, hence the own goal decision.
Well, contact alone isn't enough to cause that decision. I'm guessing the fact that it was clearly an intentional contact by the defender probably made it an own goal. I'm just curious on what exactly the thought process is when (whoever) makes the decision.

[AlexB]

After they took Owen off he (Crouch) wasn't great, as he had no support, and hasn;t got the pace to get away from the defence himself. His game is to be the first target of a ball played up, lay it off to a teammate to allow the support to help the attack, and then get in the middle to try and get on the end of crosses.

He did all of what he was supposed to do well, but there weren't really any good crosses for him (bar one where he allowed himself to be blocked off too easily)

[Oilers9911]

Roffle - my story, except I did set an alarm, and woke up at 9:15. I'm bummed as well, because O Brien is significantly affecting my enjoyment of the event - he has no clue what the hell he's talking about, and it shows. Why not let Tommy Smyth (who's mediocre, but at least knows the game) do it instead of O Brien; he doesn't know any of the terminology, he can't pronounce the names, and he doesn't know when to be excited (like someone just shot - he doesn't say something, waits 10 seconds, then starts describing what's happening- GAH!). I think I'm going to tear my hear out if I keep hearing this guy.

Shame you gents don't have access to Sportsnet from here in Canada. We get the British announcers for every game.

[MrBug708]

That was a bit more then 10 yards given...more like 13

[Jonathan Ezarik]

I like Peter Crouch. I really do. He's seems like a nice guy and he works hard. Having said that, there is no way he should be starting for England. England had no offense today because all they did was try to float the ball in for Crouch. For a guy that's 6'7" this should be no problem, but he never seems to win these balls because he doesn't have the strength to battle with defenders.

Of course, Sven has created this problem for himself. Who else plays up front with Owen? Walcott? :rolleyes:

[GrantDawg]

I suck. I taped the the England match (on HD) and had every intention to watch the full match. About 15 minutes in I open the laptop on reflex, and of course the first thing I see is "England wins 1-nil on own goal." Nothing kills the excitement of watching a match like knowing the final score, and knowing the only score was less than two minutes in.

[Coffee Warlord]

Sweden is just having a helluva time finishing anything.

Go T&T! (Gotta root for the Carrib teams)

[GrantDawg]

Avery John hits the showers.

[RendeR]

Holy hell what a complete acting job by that swedish player. "OH god FOUL call a FOUL please, he tripped me!!"


Gah, get off the pitch you freak.

Go TT!

[RPI-Fan]

I suck. I taped the the England match (on HD) and had every intention to watch the full match. About 15 minutes in I open the laptop on reflex, and of course the first thing I see is "England wins 1-nil on own goal." Nothing kills the excitement of watching a match like knowing the final score, and knowing the only score was less than two minutes in.

I actually made it through the work day and through all last night without finding out the score, and I watched yesterday's games early this morning. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

wow. the swedes are completely unimpressive here to me up a man.

[Cringer]

Way to go T&T. Hislop was damn good.

[DaddyTorgo]

Hislop had some AMAZING saves there just in the second half (which was all i saw getting in from work). Wow...T&T, even if they do nothing else, has done huge here to send a wakeup call to Sweden (who was a #1 seed going in don't forget)

[sovereignstar]

What an awesome performance by Trinidad and Tobago.

[GrantDawg]

European sides (save Germany) disappoint.

[Coffee Warlord]

And we're not long for the last match of the day.

Go Ivory Coast!

[MrBug708]

The TT defense did a good job to limit the open shots. I think I saw two decent shots by the Swedes all game

[DaddyTorgo]

can't wait to see Argentina in an hour. WOOHOO

[RPI-Fan]

Hislop had some AMAZING saves there just in the second half (which was all i saw getting in from work). Wow...T&T, even if they do nothing else, has done huge here to send a wakeup call to Sweden (who was a #1 seed going in don't forget)

I'm pretty sure Sweden wasn't seeded...

[MIJB#19]

Question about the own goal decision... that looked like a pretty solid shot to me, so why wasn't Beckham credited with the goal?

Who makes the official call on that, the on-field ref or some sort of scorekeeper?The FIFA reportedly created a special unit of officials to determine for every goal whether they were own goals or not. The verdict should be out soon.

[Critch]

Wow...T&T, even if they do nothing else, has done huge here to send a wakeup call to Sweden (who was a #1 seed going in don't forget)

No they weren't, England were the #1 seed in this group.

Well done to T&T. Sweden looked old and had no ideas, T&T rode their luck. I'm just disappointed that it'll probably make the group easier for England.

[Joe]

Trinidad was awesome, but Tobago was a bit disappointing...

[Coffee Warlord]

The TT defense did a good job to limit the open shots. I think I saw two decent shots by the Swedes all game

Their defense was decent, but I think a lot of it was absolutely pitiful crosses into the box by the Swedes.

[DaddyTorgo]

No they weren't, England were the #1 seed in this group.

Well done to T&T. Sweden looked old and had no ideas, T&T rode their luck. I'm just disappointed that it'll probably make the group easier for England.

Sweden wasn't the #1 seed? I thought they were, thought I heard them say that on the TV. LOL...ah well...regardless, Sweden certainly should have done better, especially being a man up for 45 minutes on a side that (on paper) was weaker.

Sweden did certainly look old and tired, the shots that they managed to even take were mostly directly at Hislop (and his positioning was perfect) or weak enough that they were mostly easy saves.

I couldn't believe that the entire half they were just pounding the ball down to the target men and trying to slip into the box that way. If you're a man up you hafta build the ball up patiently, bring #'s forward and use the extra man to your advantage to get someone open in the box. But Sweden seemed intent on playing over-the-top.

[GrantDawg]

Trinidad was awesome, but Tobago was a bit disappointing...

A+ line.

[Critch]

Sweden wasn't the #1 seed? I thought they were, thought I heard them say that on the TV. LOL...ah well...regardless, Sweden certainly should have done better, especially being a man up for 45 minutes on a side that (on paper) was weaker.

That's your problem then, you were assuming the commentary team knew what they were talking about :)

I think they did say Sweden was a #1 seed when they were trying to make an analogy to an NCAA upset.

[GrantDawg]

And to say the WC is unimportant in the States...

I have had ESPNHD for a good while but no ESPN2HD. Not through the Bowl games. Not through the Baseball season last year (where play-off games were). BUT, I do now suddenly have it before the WC. :)

[MIJB#19]

European sides (save Germany) disappoint.
Germany looked terrible. Personally I had Ecuador rated at or above the Poland level, so that wasn't really surprizing. England didn't need to do anything to win given their early mead (but I have to be careful here, didn't see much from that game) and I expected them to struggle versus Paraguay. Sweden did disappoint, somehow their star players Ljungberg, Larsson and Ibrahimovic can't connect well.

All in all, you're probably right about these four disappointing a bit, but not on the same level.

[GrantDawg]

Germany looked terrible. Personally I had Ecuador rated at or above the Poland level, so that wasn't really surprizing. England didn't need to do anything to win given their early mead (but I have to be careful here, didn't see much from that game) and I expected them to struggle versus Paraguay. Sweden did disappoint, somehow their star players Ljungberg, Larsson and Ibrahimovic can't connect well.

All in all, you're probably right about these four disappointing a bit, but not on the same level.

Never said "same level." Poland from every expert I heard was expected to win. England looked rough for 88 minutes. Sweden had a one man advantage for a whole half. I would say all have been dissapointing.

[MIJB#19]

Never said "same level." Poland from every expert I heard was expected to win. England looked rough for 88 minutes. Sweden had a one man advantage for a whole half. I would say all have been dissapointing.
I'm not saying you are wrong, or that I disagree on the statement. Just saying that I wasn't totally shocked to see Poland lose. Trinidad & Tobago not losing 3-0, that's a surprise. Poland was disappointing, as was Sweden. England? who knows, the expectations for them are always put too high and winning 1-0 over Paraguay is a good score.

Plus I'm a little bit touchy to see "Europeans disappoint", don't take it personally, even though I did a bit. :)

[Critch]

Never said "same level." Poland from every expert I heard was expected to win. England looked rough for 88 minutes. Sweden had a one man advantage for a whole half. I would say all have been dissapointing.

To be honest, I haven't been impressed by anybody yet.

[AlexB]

Never said "same level." Poland from every expert I heard was expected to win. England looked rough for 88 minutes. Sweden had a one man advantage for a whole half. I would say all have been dissapointing.

I agree we disappointed second half, but I thought we were OK first half: didn't set the world on fire, but we were OK. Just lacked a little bit of quality in the final pass/shot, but build up play and pressing without the ball were good 1st half. I'd say we only disapointed for 45 minutes.

[rexallllsc]

Larsson looked absolutely terrible.

[Critch]

Larsson looked absolutely terrible.

He's only started 7 games in the last two season, really looked too past his best to be a worthwhile partner for Ibrahimovic for the full 90 mnutes. Only time he was noticable in the second half was when he lost the ball and got booked.

[Cringer]

To be honest, I haven't been impressed by anybody yet.

Do you want to see a picture of me? :cool:

[st.cronin]

Not a soccer fan by any means, but I thought England and Germany looked pretty good.

I definitely think the US will win, though.

[DaddyTorgo]

Argentina v. Ivory Coast is about to kickoff.

And can I take this tangent to wonder aloud why Riquelme hasn't made his "big-money" move in Europe yet? I think if Argentina has a good showing at this WC he certainly ought to move to something more high-profile than Villareal.

[Joe]

I'm not saying you are wrong, or that I disagree on the statement. Just saying that I wasn't totally shocked to see Poland lose. Trinidad & Tobago not losing 3-0, that's a surprise. Poland was disappointing, as was Sweden. England? who knows, the expectations for them are always put too high and winning 1-0 over Paraguay is a good score.

Plus I'm a little bit touchy to see "Europeans disappoint", don't take it personally, even though I did a bit. :)

He said european sides, not europeans. You don't play for a european side do you? :D

[Cringer]

Not a soccer fan by any means, but I thought England and Germany looked pretty good.

I definitely think the US will win, though.

As someone who has not been a big fan for very long I feel reading some of these comments that I am like a Mexican at the 49ers/Cardinals game in Mexico City last year. I just am not sure of some of the finer points of the game so I think everyone looks pretty good. To the knowledgeable fan though, the teams look pretty sad.

[Galaxy]

Best game, in terms of the talent of teams, so far?

[rexallllsc]

I loved that the England-Paraguay game started today just as Paraguay kicked off. Great coverage, guys :)

PS - Marcelo Balboa is horrendous as an announcer - either that, or he's been told to seriously dumb things down.

[MIJB#19]

He said european sides, not europeans. You don't play for a european side do you? :DI missed my opportunity. Sigh... ;)

[Eaglesfan27]

This is the game I'm most looking forward to today.

[MIJB#19]

Argentina vs. Ivory Coast. Finally a real game! :D

[terpkristin]

I fell asleep for the Sweden v. TT match, but I have it recorded.

Definitely looking forward to this match.
/tk

[Cringer]

If I get MLSLive.tv today, I will end up watching 4 games today. Guess I am liking soccer.

Hmm, I should put on my Houston jersey, I can pretend it's an Ivory Coast jersey for now. Go Ivory Coast. I cheer on all South American teams except Brazil and Argentina. edit:(Meaning I am cheering against Agrentina, not that I think Ivory Coast is in South America)

[Cringer]

Wow. I thought that was a goal. But hard to say it was all the way in. Gees man.

[MJ4H]

Hmm, that was very close to being in.

[biological warrior]

Yet another case for Instant Replay.

[DaddyTorgo]

missed the hand-ball though. grrrrr! and damm that was close to being in on the header. argentina settling in and starting to bring the pressure i think, we'll see how long ivory coast can withstand it

[MJ4H]

That last look makes it look like he kept it out.

[DaddyTorgo]

no goal on the header though, i agree with that.

and there's no way instant-replay would ever work in soccer

[Eaglesfan27]

After watching it multiple times on the TIVO, I think it was just stopped short of completely crossing. Very close either way.

[terpkristin]

Ditto on all counts.
It looked from the off-field angle that the ball went in, but on the replay near the goal line, it looked like it didn't cross completely.

This is already a fantastic match. :)

/tk

[Eaglesfan27]

Bad pass there. They should have made something more with their number advantage.

[DaddyTorgo]

Bad pass there. They should have made something more with their number advantage.

true. they need to get some shots on goal, keep the IC goalie rattled after that near-miss

[DaddyTorgo]

GOALLLLLL

beautiful ball by riquelme set that up

[terpkristin]

And that, my friends, is why they teach you how to react to set plays. That wasn't exactly a textbook defense...

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

And that, my friends, is why they teach you how to react to set plays. That wasn't exactly a textbook defense...

/tk

yeah. the SECOND that thing hit the ground i went "goal!"

there's no way at basically ANY level that that wouldn't result in a goal 9.5 times out of 10

[terpkristin]

yeah. the SECOND that thing hit the ground i went "goal!"

there's no way at basically ANY level that that wouldn't result in a goal 9.5 times out of 10

Absolutely.

[DaddyTorgo]

Absolutely.

course the IC keeper bears some of the blame for that, if i'm the keeper in that situation (which i have been)...ANYTHING into the 6 yard box I run people over cuz it's MINE

[terpkristin]

course the IC keeper bears some of the blame for that, if i'm the keeper in that situation (which i have been)...ANYTHING into the 6 yard box I run people over cuz it's MINE

As to that, I'll defer to the expert. ;) I haven't played keeper since I was 9.

Meanwhile, IC looks SLIGHTLY deflated right now, while Argentina seems to have stepped it up just a hair.

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

As to that, I'll defer to the expert. ;) I haven't played keeper since I was 9.

Meanwhile, IC looks SLIGHTLY deflated right now, while Argentina seems to have stepped it up just a hair.

/tk

i didn't catch his positioning quite right (i'll have to wait for the HT replays to be sure) but it didn't seem to me that he came off his line for it. Yep and there we go a replay...he didn't come off his line AT ALL there. And he needed to be out there, even if it was just to punch the ball away.

[MIJB#19]

It's sad to know I have to root against these two teams, because these two deserve playing 7 games.

[DaddyTorgo]

oooh. wow that's great defending by...Ayala? Nice...that's what solid defense does for you, cuz Drogba could have done so much more with that ball

[DaddyTorgo]

horrible give-away there. and kalou needed to do MUCH better with that ball, even if it was to not shoot. what a waste

[Eaglesfan27]

Beautiful attack by the IC. Very nice save by the keeper for Argentina!

[DaddyTorgo]

WOW. that was a hell of a save! Kita helped him though by heading it right at him, although he didn't have much of a choice.

[Cringer]

Nice knees.

[terpkristin]

SAVED WITH THE LEGS!

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

END TO END FOOTBALL ACTION!!!

[MJ4H]

this is a Great Fucking Game(TM)

[DaddyTorgo]

whatever happened to Cambiasso? Real Madrid had him a few years ago and I thought he was headed for GREAT things in Europe, and then he just...dropped off the map almost.

[Celeval]

So far, best match of the cup.

[Eaglesfan27]

Such a great pass and Saviola with a very nice finish.

[DaddyTorgo]

whoa. beautifully beating the trap by Saviola!! and just a sweet touch

[Cringer]

poop.

Argentina is not too bad. ;)

[DaddyTorgo]

Riquelme ---> Saviola = the beautiful game

[rexallllsc]

No doubt - as a right sided midfielder, he's one of the best in the world. Becks is one of the world's 40 best players - the problem is that the hype suggests he's top 5. IN the England squad, I would argue only Gerrard and Rooney are better.

Unfortunately, it seems that Gerrard is terribly misused by Sven.

I agree though, Beckham looked better than I thought he would today.

[rexallllsc]

That was awful, glad it's over. England were pretty bad but never really looked in trouble either.

For the coverage, I gave up on ABC and watched the second half on Setanta with German commentary. I couldn't understand a word, but the screen wasn't covered in graphics and the picture quality was much better. I wonder if ABC intentionally toned down the picture quality to make their HD look better?

I think it was just that match, because the quality (non-HD) was way better for the Sweden game. I did notice that, though.

[terpkristin]

FIFAWorldCup.com RSS feed has an article that Villar (Paraguay's starting keeper) is out 2-3 weeks with a calf injury so is likely out for the remainder of the tournament. Talk about a blow!

/tk

[MIJB#19]

whatever happened to Cambiasso? Real Madrid had him a few years ago and I thought he was headed for GREAT things in Europe, and then he just...dropped off the map almost.He plays for Internazionale these days. Incidentally he was elected into the European team of the year by the European soccer magazines.

For those wondering who the others are:
Cech (Chelsea & Czech Rep), Cris (Lyon & Brazil), Lucio (Bayern Munchen & Brazil), Puyol (Barcelona & Spain), Juninho (Lyon & Brazil), Lampard (Chelsea & England), Ronaldinho (Barcelona & Brazil), Cambiasso (Internazionale & Argentina), Toni (Fiorentina & Italy), Eto'o (Barcelona & Cameroon), Messi (Barcelona & Argentina)

[terpkristin]

Here's the article on Villar I was referring to http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060610/1/7bdd.html

Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar is unlikely to play any further part in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ after he injured his calf just eight minutes into Saturday's Group B opener against England. Villar left the field in tears after sustaining the injury when making a clearance under pressure from Michael Owen. Speaking after the South Americans' 1-0 defeat, Paraguay coach Anibal Ruiz said his first-choice goalkeeper would be absent for "two or three weeks," which could well rule him out of the rest of the tournament.
"The information I have is that he got a leg injury when he tried to kick the ball," said Ruiz. "He will take at least two or three weeks to recover. It is a calf injury."
Back-up goalkeeper Aldo Bobadilla replaced Villar and made several important saves during his sixth international appearance. However, for Paraguay the damage was already done with the unfortunate Villar having been beaten just four minutes into the match by a Carlos Gamarra own goal.

[Critch]

At last, two good teams and a great game. Hardly a stray pass, strikers who know how to take chances, great off-the-ball play, no 10 men behind the ball desperation defending.

It finally feels like the World Cup has started.

[DaddyTorgo]

He plays for Internazionale these days. Incidentally he was elected into the European team of the month May.

oh i know he's playing for Inter. I'm just surprised that I dunno, he's not more of a "name" player, because he was SO highly touted coming up.

[aran]

It looks like Argentina has IC quite on their heels. I won't be surprised if Argentina scores another goal or two. They are just slightly sharper as a team.

[MIJB#19]

oh i know he's playing for Inter. I'm just surprised that I dunno, he's not more of a "name" player, because he was SO highly touted coming up.
Did you catch my fix. ;)

[Critch]

oh i know he's playing for Inter. I'm just surprised that I dunno, he's not more of a "name" player, because he was SO highly touted coming up.

Yeah, I agree. I've always thought Cambiasso deserves to be ranked near the best, but he rarely gets mentioned. Always in control.

Real Madrid shipped out Cambiasso and Makelele and replaced them with Graveson. Mad.

[DaddyTorgo]

Did you catch my fix. ;)
yep :)

edit: oops but i didn't notice it. so nope

[MIJB#19]

:)
Just saying that, for a guy playing at Internazionale making it into the team of the year means he does get noticed and does get a lot of credit from the media.

[DaddyTorgo]

:)
Just saying that, for a guy playing at Internazionale making it into the team of the year means he does get noticed and does get a lot of credit from the media.

true. i didn't notice your fix actually. but yeah that's enough recognition. like critch, still not sure why real madrid would ship off him and makelele and replace them with graveson (ugh)

[AlexB]

Just adding my vote for the best match (and the most impressive two teams) so far...

[MIJB#19]

true. i didn't notice your fix actually. but yeah that's enough recognition. like critch, still not sure why real madrid would ship off him and makelele and replace them with graveson (ugh)
Because it's Real Madrid? They've got a feeling for finding good players ans not getting anything out of them. :D

And then your point is very valid. Defensive midfielders hardly ever get the big media attention goalscorers get. I honestly didn't realize Cambiasso had such a good season, until I read his name in the team of the season two weeks ago. If you'd ask me to name the 50 best players in the world, I wouldn't mention him. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

Because it's Real Madrid? They've got a feeling for finding good players ans not getting anything out of them. :D

And then your point is very valid. Defensive midfielders hardly ever get the big media attention goalscorers get. I honestly didn't realize Cambiasso had such a good season, until I read his name in the team of the season two weeks ago. If you'd ask me to name the 50 best players in the world, I wouldn't mention him. :)

Haha. True that (re: DM's).

[Crapshoot]

Argentina v. Ivory Coast is about to kickoff.

And can I take this tangent to wonder aloud why Riquelme hasn't made his "big-money" move in Europe yet? I think if Argentina has a good showing at this WC he certainly ought to move to something more high-profile than Villareal.

FWIW - he did - he was at Barcelona, but they focused more on the fact that he's slow (and Barcelona has a great, up tempo system) and is a classic playmaker - Barcelona didn't play that way. He works well at Villareal, which is definitely a team on the up, becuse he has Senna in the midfield to do the dirty work for him, and all the plays run through him. He needs to be the focal point of an attack for his brand of genius to work, and it wasnt going to happen at Barca.

[Crapshoot]

Sweet!

[Eaglesfan27]

Wow. Nice goal by the Ivory Coast!

[terpkristin]

Wow, when they didn't convert that goal I was upset, but then on the follow-up they got it, that was a fantastic effort!

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

FWIW - he did - he was at Barcelona, but they focused more on the fact that he's slow (and Barcelona has a great, up tempo system) and is a classic playmaker - Barcelona didn't play that way. He works well at Villareal, which is definitely a team on the up, becuse he has Senna in the midfield to do the dirty work for him, and all the plays run through him. He needs to be the focal point of an attack for his brand of genius to work, and it wasnt going to happen at Barca.

right. i know he came over to Barca, but he barely lasted there IIRC and I'm just speculating that if he has a good WC then perhaps a team larger than Villareal will take another look at him and make a move for him. Villareal is a team on the up, but they're not a "Major" team. IMO he'd work well in Italy for example.

[MrBug708]

Yay!

[Crapshoot]

Dola, is it just me, or does Drogba looked far more inspired at international level than he does with Chelsea ?

[st.cronin]

COTE D'IVOIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[terpkristin]

Hmmm and all of a sudden IC looks alive again.
They looked dead on their feet for most of the 2nd half and then WHAM.

/tk

[Crapshoot]

right. i know he came over to Barca, but he barely lasted there IIRC and I'm just speculating that if he has a good WC then perhaps a team larger than Villareal will take another look at him and make a move for him. Villareal is a team on the up, but they're not a "Major" team. IMO he'd work well in Italy for example.

Nah - cattenacio would stifle him, and while he could be a playmaker becuse of the slower pace, none of the big teams would accomodate him the way Villareal does. A similar example might be Matt Le Tissier at Southhampton, back in the day - although he wasn't in Riquelme's class.

[DaddyTorgo]

Nah - cattenacio would stifle him, and while he could be a playmaker becuse of the slower pace, none of the big teams would accomodate him the way Villareal does. A similar example might be Matt Le Tissier at Southhampton, back in the day - although he wasn't in Riquelme's class.

waving that off?? wow that was a late flag

[terpkristin]

IC just got lucky.
But it was definitely offside.

/tk

[MrBug708]

Oo..easy call

[DaddyTorgo]

aaaah, passive offside...i see. i was looking down typing a response.

[Crapshoot]

Yeah, looks offside - good call.

[MrBug708]

That was stupid

[Crapshoot]

Dola, this has been a great game to watch - almost as fun as Germany - Costa Rica

[MIJB#19]

Now that was a game. Too bad Ivoery Coast didn't draw, but somehow I have a feeling this is better for my country's chances... :)

[Crapshoot]

Now that was a game. Too bad Ivoery Coast didn't draw, but somehow I have a feeling this is better for my country's chances... :)

By the way, I still think Van Basten is nuts for leaving out Seedorf and Makaay. Seedorf seems to think (or at least seems to hint) that there was a racial element to that, which is an old problem in Dutch squads (right ? between the Surinam born players and the Dutch born ?)

[tanglewood]

Nah - cattenacio would stifle him, and while he could be a playmaker becuse of the slower pace, none of the big teams would accomodate him the way Villareal does. A similar example might be Matt Le Tissier at Southhampton, back in the day - although he wasn't in Riquelme's class.

Rumors have been swirling in England for the last two weeks that Alex Ferguson is VERY interested in Riquelme. Of course, I seem to remember him paying big money for a word class Argentine playmaker before...