The Best of Views From Life On A Bench
Okay maybe this is lame, but we can’t think of anything to write at the moment. It’s finally stopped raining here in the DC area and between that and the All-Star and moving… we haven’t really be on the up on what’s going on in the world. Simmons sort of stole our youtube thunder for a good five months with his column the other day… And since Congress is now on break until Labor Day (I think) and hasn’t done much as it is over the last few weeks… well… we don’t have anything to say for once. So instead, we’ll focus on the best of VFLOAB.
Yes, we were a mini sensation in the Guardian during this World Cup. So to make life easier on everyone, we’re going to link all our e-mails that have captured the hearts and minds of the Guardian minute-by-minute staff since the start of this World Cup… so without Freddy Adu (note all dates given in the European style since well, they are):
25/4/2006 – Vallarreal vs Arsenal (9 min): Okay this isn’t the World Cup, but it was our World Cup tune up. And it’s funny.
10/6/2006 – England v Paraguay (after 11 min): So this is how we got the World Cup started… we had woken up at 8:30 on a Saturday and were ready for the football. And we were rewarded with this. It would mark the beginning of two things: 1) This was the first e-mail that made fun of making fun of the piss poor TV production and announcers here in the States. Everyone in the US would soon follow doing the same. 2) This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with Georgina Turner.
15/6/2006 – Sweden v Paraguay (24 min): I was cold, I needed something to get my blood and creative juices flowing again… so I went back with the tried and true, what are they wearing, question. Bang.
18/6/2006 – Brazil v Australia (Halftime): I like this one because I finally got a Crouch joke in, it’s funny, and Georgina gets me a shout out… again…
18/6/2006 – France v South Korea (67 min): I did the double dip, but unfortunately, I can’t be very proud of this shout out.
19/6/2006 – Switzerland v Togo (halftime): The great troll of 2006.
21/6/2006 – Argentina v Netherlands (‘round halftime): Georgina gives me love again… and I give Liberty’s Kids it’s proper due, a shout out to the World. What a great TV show.
27/6/2006 – France vs Spain (pre-match banter): All in all, sort of funny.
So that’s seven shout outs… our favorite is getting the Liberty’s Kids some love. Enjoy and best to all.
28.6.06
Quarters
Yeah, it's sort of pointless to put this up after the fact... but we wrote it before the fact (trust us) and just didn't get it posted until now... see if we were right.
So we’ve found ourselves in the quarterfinals of this here World Cup… we get two days off before they start kicking the ball around again on Saturday. Since we don’t feel like getting wet, and there isn’t much else to talk about, let’s talk some World Cup!
Germany v Argentina – Just looking quickly at each of the quarterfinal match ups, this appears to be the best of the bunch. Both teams have played some pretty football and are tied for the lead in goals scored (10 each along with Brazil). Both teams haven’t lost or tied a game (same goes with Portugal and Brazil)… Argentina became the favorites to win the World Cup a few weeks ago after they destroyed Serbia/Montenegro… and Germany who weren’t given much of a chance has look pretty convincing in all four victories.
But here’s the thing, Germany hasn’t played anyone. Their best win is a 2-0 victory over Sweden. Argentina has beaten both the Dutch and Mexico, not to mention a Cote d'Ivory team that’s better than the Ukraine and probably England too. But then again Germany is at home. But Argentina has look so, so good… but Germany is Germany, they’ll grind out a win like always, right?
I don’t know… I can’t call this one. Right now I’m thinking Argentina wins 3-2… but maybe Ballack plays the game of his life and inspires Germany to victory? I’m not sure… but it’s a shame that one of these teams is going home before the semis.
Since we really can’t decide, enjoy this video, why there is a naked guy and a guy in black face, I’m not sure but… thanks That’s On Point, you rock.
Italy v Ukraine – Italy was given a fight against Australia, but managed to pull out a victory as Totti scored a penalty on the last kick of the game. Although they’ll be without two top defenders, I can’t see Ukraine giving Italy much of a game. Easily the worst team in the quarterfinals, both Mexico and Spain deserve better than to be at home right now watching a piss poor Ukraine team. Italy rolls with ease winning 2-0 with goals from Toni and Totti.
England v Portugal – England has been pretty bad in their four games. But they have three wins and a tie… so they’re doing something right correct? That something right is playing really, really, piss poor teams. The best team they’ve played is Sweden, who they managed a 2-2 draw with. Meanwhile, Germany destroyed Sweden 2-0.
So Portugal 1-0 right? As the great Leo Corso says, “Not so fast my friends…” Portugal will be without Deco and maybe Cristiano Ronaldo. The English luck continues. But it also doesn’t mean I think they’ll win.
England’s back line has played pretty well, I’ll give them that. Although Paul Robinson looks a bit shaky in goal at times, they’ve only allowed two goals in four matches. Wayne Rooney looked pretty good against Ecuador and if Frank Lampard could find the effin net, England might have won 3-0…
But that brings me to my problem with England. Frank Lampard is so so so so not good. He’s missed more chances this World Cup than I can count. He’s always shooting high or wide… it’s brutal. Meanwhile, poor Stevie Gerrard is left playing a holding position and it’s killing this team. If Gerrard is playing off Rooney on Saturday, England wins 4-0 or something. I’m not kidding. Instead, I got to watch Lampard look like crap. So while the English media gives Beckham crap the real problem, in my eyes, is Lampard (and when he’s out there Crouch). (Why is Beckham getting crap? I’m not sure… maybe it’s a Jay Mariotti type situation where people are stirring the pot? Becks’s has only been apart of half of England’s goals (Lampard – none) and doesn’t cost them defensively (he’s a good defender)… so he doesn’t have ideal pace, his crosses have been fantastic this World Cup; it’s not Becks fault that Peter Crouch and Lampard blow).
Here’s the thing… England could win this World Cup. I know it’s crazy, but they’ve gotten this far by playing like crap. The suspensions and injuries on the Portuguese side is another stroke of luck for the English. They could easily find themselves in the semis facing a tired Brazil or French team… but they have to start playing better. They have talent, Rooney, Terry, the two Coles, and Gerrard are all fantastic players. Beckham, Rio Ferdinand,
Personally, I’m torn. English fans are smug assholes, maybe the worst out there if you ask me. They don’t give anyone credit, and then overact to their own team on top of it. It’s annoying. I don’t want them to get any joy out of this, they really are just like Red Sox fans. But at the same time, I like the guys on the English team and I love London. Yet again, Portugal is pretty awesome and how could I not love a team that wears maroon? But the suspensions and injury to Ronaldo is going to be too much for Portugal to over come. England wins 2-1… but if it goes to penalties…
Brazil v France – Hey look it’s the replay of the 1998 final! France looked great against Spain, they went down early to a fantastic Spanish side, but fought back, got some inspired play from Zizou and Vieira and lookie here, they’re in the quarters. But can they beat Brazil?
For a team whose weakness is suppose to be in the back, Brazil has only allowed one goal. Sure the best team they’ve faced has been Ghana (without Essien remember) and Ghana couldn’t finish to save their lives, but they’ve still only allowed one goal. So what’s going to happen here?
I have no clue. You figure Brazil is good for two goals. France has Henry who could bag two goals also. In my eyes, France’s Ribery has been one of the best players I’ve seen this World Cup. What if Vieira and Zizou play great again?
Brazil hasn’t dominated a game like you’d expect them too. The two time World Footballer of the year, Ronaldinho, hasn’t done much so far in the World Cup. Could this be the game where he shows everyone why he’s the World Footballer of the year two times running? And don’t forget about a Ronaldo, and who looks like he hooked himself up to the Bill Simmons rejuvenation machine last week. And then there is Kaka too… so?
It’s got to be Brazil 3-2 in a thriller and what will go down as the best game of the tourney. Henry scores one and hits a post, Zizou gets one too, but two from Ronaldo and one from Kaka does the trick.
So we’ve found ourselves in the quarterfinals of this here World Cup… we get two days off before they start kicking the ball around again on Saturday. Since we don’t feel like getting wet, and there isn’t much else to talk about, let’s talk some World Cup!
Germany v Argentina – Just looking quickly at each of the quarterfinal match ups, this appears to be the best of the bunch. Both teams have played some pretty football and are tied for the lead in goals scored (10 each along with Brazil). Both teams haven’t lost or tied a game (same goes with Portugal and Brazil)… Argentina became the favorites to win the World Cup a few weeks ago after they destroyed Serbia/Montenegro… and Germany who weren’t given much of a chance has look pretty convincing in all four victories.
But here’s the thing, Germany hasn’t played anyone. Their best win is a 2-0 victory over Sweden. Argentina has beaten both the Dutch and Mexico, not to mention a Cote d'Ivory team that’s better than the Ukraine and probably England too. But then again Germany is at home. But Argentina has look so, so good… but Germany is Germany, they’ll grind out a win like always, right?
I don’t know… I can’t call this one. Right now I’m thinking Argentina wins 3-2… but maybe Ballack plays the game of his life and inspires Germany to victory? I’m not sure… but it’s a shame that one of these teams is going home before the semis.
Since we really can’t decide, enjoy this video, why there is a naked guy and a guy in black face, I’m not sure but… thanks That’s On Point, you rock.
Italy v Ukraine – Italy was given a fight against Australia, but managed to pull out a victory as Totti scored a penalty on the last kick of the game. Although they’ll be without two top defenders, I can’t see Ukraine giving Italy much of a game. Easily the worst team in the quarterfinals, both Mexico and Spain deserve better than to be at home right now watching a piss poor Ukraine team. Italy rolls with ease winning 2-0 with goals from Toni and Totti.
England v Portugal – England has been pretty bad in their four games. But they have three wins and a tie… so they’re doing something right correct? That something right is playing really, really, piss poor teams. The best team they’ve played is Sweden, who they managed a 2-2 draw with. Meanwhile, Germany destroyed Sweden 2-0.
So Portugal 1-0 right? As the great Leo Corso says, “Not so fast my friends…” Portugal will be without Deco and maybe Cristiano Ronaldo. The English luck continues. But it also doesn’t mean I think they’ll win.
England’s back line has played pretty well, I’ll give them that. Although Paul Robinson looks a bit shaky in goal at times, they’ve only allowed two goals in four matches. Wayne Rooney looked pretty good against Ecuador and if Frank Lampard could find the effin net, England might have won 3-0…
But that brings me to my problem with England. Frank Lampard is so so so so not good. He’s missed more chances this World Cup than I can count. He’s always shooting high or wide… it’s brutal. Meanwhile, poor Stevie Gerrard is left playing a holding position and it’s killing this team. If Gerrard is playing off Rooney on Saturday, England wins 4-0 or something. I’m not kidding. Instead, I got to watch Lampard look like crap. So while the English media gives Beckham crap the real problem, in my eyes, is Lampard (and when he’s out there Crouch). (Why is Beckham getting crap? I’m not sure… maybe it’s a Jay Mariotti type situation where people are stirring the pot? Becks’s has only been apart of half of England’s goals (Lampard – none) and doesn’t cost them defensively (he’s a good defender)… so he doesn’t have ideal pace, his crosses have been fantastic this World Cup; it’s not Becks fault that Peter Crouch and Lampard blow).
Here’s the thing… England could win this World Cup. I know it’s crazy, but they’ve gotten this far by playing like crap. The suspensions and injuries on the Portuguese side is another stroke of luck for the English. They could easily find themselves in the semis facing a tired Brazil or French team… but they have to start playing better. They have talent, Rooney, Terry, the two Coles, and Gerrard are all fantastic players. Beckham, Rio Ferdinand,
Personally, I’m torn. English fans are smug assholes, maybe the worst out there if you ask me. They don’t give anyone credit, and then overact to their own team on top of it. It’s annoying. I don’t want them to get any joy out of this, they really are just like Red Sox fans. But at the same time, I like the guys on the English team and I love London. Yet again, Portugal is pretty awesome and how could I not love a team that wears maroon? But the suspensions and injury to Ronaldo is going to be too much for Portugal to over come. England wins 2-1… but if it goes to penalties…
Brazil v France – Hey look it’s the replay of the 1998 final! France looked great against Spain, they went down early to a fantastic Spanish side, but fought back, got some inspired play from Zizou and Vieira and lookie here, they’re in the quarters. But can they beat Brazil?
For a team whose weakness is suppose to be in the back, Brazil has only allowed one goal. Sure the best team they’ve faced has been Ghana (without Essien remember) and Ghana couldn’t finish to save their lives, but they’ve still only allowed one goal. So what’s going to happen here?
I have no clue. You figure Brazil is good for two goals. France has Henry who could bag two goals also. In my eyes, France’s Ribery has been one of the best players I’ve seen this World Cup. What if Vieira and Zizou play great again?
Brazil hasn’t dominated a game like you’d expect them too. The two time World Footballer of the year, Ronaldinho, hasn’t done much so far in the World Cup. Could this be the game where he shows everyone why he’s the World Footballer of the year two times running? And don’t forget about a Ronaldo, and who looks like he hooked himself up to the Bill Simmons rejuvenation machine last week. And then there is Kaka too… so?
It’s got to be Brazil 3-2 in a thriller and what will go down as the best game of the tourney. Henry scores one and hits a post, Zizou gets one too, but two from Ronaldo and one from Kaka does the trick.
The Lucky Lads
First and foremost, get well soon to one of our favorite journalists, Peter Gammons. Pete Gammons suffered a brain aneurysm on Tuesday and after hours of surgery, is in the ICU in a Boston hospital. A favorite of VFLOAB for years, we wish Pete Gammons a speedy and healthy recovery.
So as we’ve been ‘rolling in the ocean/trying to catch her eye’ over the past few days trying to enjoy this World Cup, a few things have caught our eye. So let’s just get those out of the way.
The Washington Post has an interesting interactive blah, blah, blah on the upcoming MIDTERM elections in Novembers (yeah remember that day we go to a school and we get to choose between cyanide and Sodium thiopental, and then the news makes a big deal out of it, but we see little change but read about corruption, war, and weird sex stories in the newspaper? That’s coming up). So check out the interesting battles that we really should start paying attention too. But then again, I’m not paying attention to shite until the Democrats start paying attention to me and others of us who give this a thumbs down to the War and GOP in general… GOP Lite isn’t going to get the job done guys. Though, we’ll take this new found stance as a good sign… Yay signs! "We're going to do anything it takes to stop the congressional pay raise this year, and we're not going to settle for this year alone," Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a Capitol news conference.
"They can play all the games the want," Reid said derisively of the Republicans who control the chamber. "They can deal with gay marriage, estate tax, flag burning, all these issues and avoid issues like the prices of gasoline, sending your kid to college. But we're going to do everything to stop the congressional pay raise."
Okay, so it’s not the greatest thing ever said, but Reid sounds really good until that last sentence (even though we agree with him). It’s interesting that with all this shit going on in this country the GOP is wasting our time and money (remember it’s your tax dollars that pay these morons and their staff) talking about gay marriage and flag burning (two of the most pointless, who gives an eff?, ‘you GOPers do know that people are actually dying in the world today’ type topics in the history of American politics). Isn’t it good to know that with gas prices as high as they are and the cost of higher education almost out of control and the gap being the rich and middle class growing by the minute, not to mention the war in Iraq, that the GOP is tackling tough issues like gay marriage and flag burning? What are we going to say in twenty years when 100 people own everything in this country; we’re all trying to make a few bucks to see the fam in the burbs of some Rust Belt city but can’t make it because Wal-Mart just jacked up their prices? Are we really going to care if Jay Mariotti got married to Ozzie Guillen or that you can’t burn a flag any more? And has anyone ever seen an American burn an American flag? Does this take place a lot in Georgia and I’m just not aware? Someone tell me it actually does happen a lot so it actually sort of doesn’t make sense that they’re even… I AM STOPING BEFORE MY HEAD BLOWS UP.
So we finally, after reading more and more about this Dane Cook guy checked him out on youtube… not funny. Not even kind of funny. In fact, this is four minutes of my life I want back (WARNING: if you watch it, don’t blame me). It’s not even like train wreck funny. It’s just stupid. Yelling, bad dancing, and more yelling isn’t funny. And it never was… I don’t get it…
Just a guess, but this stuff with Gaza, the Israelis, and Palestinians… not going to end well. Why can’t they just all stop being stupid?
I know we’ve been sports (WORLD CUP) heavy here at VFLOAB for the past few weeks, and you probably don’t want to hear about this… but tough. But the fall of Andy Roddick is pretty amazing. We’re closet tennis fans here at VFLOAB as we’ve stated many times, but we’re not even sure what happened to Andy. Maybe it’s the A-Rod nickname… who knows. But James Blake is poised to leave the outskirts of London as the best American tennis player in the world. We think this is a good think. Blake is charismatic, a good story, from Fairfield, CT (good town), and has a really hot girlfriend (even though this is a crappy picture).
50 years ago this month, Ike (President Dwight Eisenhower) signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act which created the modern US interstate highway system. It’s sort of amazing how this law completely changed American life. From the continued growth of the ‘burbs to the rise of companies like Wal-Mart and hotel chains, the Federal-Aid Highway Act pretty much impacted us in more ways than we probably know. And not always for the better. While the interstates helped create the amazing infrastructure that this country has depended on to move people, products, and goods over the years; it’s also had its drawbacks. Most towns in America all look the same, and while we may have regional differences (simply divided: the South, Northeast, Midwest, Planes/Rockies, West, and Texas), it’s nothing like you’d find in the UK or France, let alone Spain or Italy. In a bizarre twist, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots between the death of cities (along with lack of funding especially in the 1980s) to the building of the interstate system. The rise of the ‘burbs, in the end, has been a negative force in this country, disconnecting people from communities and leading more independent and individualistic lives. Well let the Economist finish this off for us:
Carmakers and retailers are not the only ones to relocate because of the interstates. People have too. Besides linking distant places to each other, the system has encircled many urban areas with “beltways”, which let motorists move between surrounding suburbs without having to bother with the cities. Once commuters began whizzing (on a good day) around those beltways, centrifugal force did the rest, propelling office space, staff and tax revenues away from the centre…
The interstates replaced social interaction and serendipity with speed and efficiency, and some have lamented the change ever since. By 1962 John Steinbeck was writing about the disappearance of antique stores, factory outlets and “roadside stands selling squash juice”. He complained that the new roads would make it “possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing.”
The interstates paved the way for fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken, which set up shop near the access ramps. Besides changing the way that motorists eat, the new highways also transformed the ways in which companies moved their goods. One reason that Wal-Mart became a cost-cutting behemoth was because it exploited the logistical advantages of the new system faster than its competitors did.
So as we’ve been ‘rolling in the ocean/trying to catch her eye’ over the past few days trying to enjoy this World Cup, a few things have caught our eye. So let’s just get those out of the way.
The Washington Post has an interesting interactive blah, blah, blah on the upcoming MIDTERM elections in Novembers (yeah remember that day we go to a school and we get to choose between cyanide and Sodium thiopental, and then the news makes a big deal out of it, but we see little change but read about corruption, war, and weird sex stories in the newspaper? That’s coming up). So check out the interesting battles that we really should start paying attention too. But then again, I’m not paying attention to shite until the Democrats start paying attention to me and others of us who give this a thumbs down to the War and GOP in general… GOP Lite isn’t going to get the job done guys. Though, we’ll take this new found stance as a good sign… Yay signs! "We're going to do anything it takes to stop the congressional pay raise this year, and we're not going to settle for this year alone," Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a Capitol news conference.
"They can play all the games the want," Reid said derisively of the Republicans who control the chamber. "They can deal with gay marriage, estate tax, flag burning, all these issues and avoid issues like the prices of gasoline, sending your kid to college. But we're going to do everything to stop the congressional pay raise."
Okay, so it’s not the greatest thing ever said, but Reid sounds really good until that last sentence (even though we agree with him). It’s interesting that with all this shit going on in this country the GOP is wasting our time and money (remember it’s your tax dollars that pay these morons and their staff) talking about gay marriage and flag burning (two of the most pointless, who gives an eff?, ‘you GOPers do know that people are actually dying in the world today’ type topics in the history of American politics). Isn’t it good to know that with gas prices as high as they are and the cost of higher education almost out of control and the gap being the rich and middle class growing by the minute, not to mention the war in Iraq, that the GOP is tackling tough issues like gay marriage and flag burning? What are we going to say in twenty years when 100 people own everything in this country; we’re all trying to make a few bucks to see the fam in the burbs of some Rust Belt city but can’t make it because Wal-Mart just jacked up their prices? Are we really going to care if Jay Mariotti got married to Ozzie Guillen or that you can’t burn a flag any more? And has anyone ever seen an American burn an American flag? Does this take place a lot in Georgia and I’m just not aware? Someone tell me it actually does happen a lot so it actually sort of doesn’t make sense that they’re even… I AM STOPING BEFORE MY HEAD BLOWS UP.
So we finally, after reading more and more about this Dane Cook guy checked him out on youtube… not funny. Not even kind of funny. In fact, this is four minutes of my life I want back (WARNING: if you watch it, don’t blame me). It’s not even like train wreck funny. It’s just stupid. Yelling, bad dancing, and more yelling isn’t funny. And it never was… I don’t get it…
Just a guess, but this stuff with Gaza, the Israelis, and Palestinians… not going to end well. Why can’t they just all stop being stupid?
I know we’ve been sports (WORLD CUP) heavy here at VFLOAB for the past few weeks, and you probably don’t want to hear about this… but tough. But the fall of Andy Roddick is pretty amazing. We’re closet tennis fans here at VFLOAB as we’ve stated many times, but we’re not even sure what happened to Andy. Maybe it’s the A-Rod nickname… who knows. But James Blake is poised to leave the outskirts of London as the best American tennis player in the world. We think this is a good think. Blake is charismatic, a good story, from Fairfield, CT (good town), and has a really hot girlfriend (even though this is a crappy picture).
50 years ago this month, Ike (President Dwight Eisenhower) signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act which created the modern US interstate highway system. It’s sort of amazing how this law completely changed American life. From the continued growth of the ‘burbs to the rise of companies like Wal-Mart and hotel chains, the Federal-Aid Highway Act pretty much impacted us in more ways than we probably know. And not always for the better. While the interstates helped create the amazing infrastructure that this country has depended on to move people, products, and goods over the years; it’s also had its drawbacks. Most towns in America all look the same, and while we may have regional differences (simply divided: the South, Northeast, Midwest, Planes/Rockies, West, and Texas), it’s nothing like you’d find in the UK or France, let alone Spain or Italy. In a bizarre twist, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots between the death of cities (along with lack of funding especially in the 1980s) to the building of the interstate system. The rise of the ‘burbs, in the end, has been a negative force in this country, disconnecting people from communities and leading more independent and individualistic lives. Well let the Economist finish this off for us:
Carmakers and retailers are not the only ones to relocate because of the interstates. People have too. Besides linking distant places to each other, the system has encircled many urban areas with “beltways”, which let motorists move between surrounding suburbs without having to bother with the cities. Once commuters began whizzing (on a good day) around those beltways, centrifugal force did the rest, propelling office space, staff and tax revenues away from the centre…
The interstates replaced social interaction and serendipity with speed and efficiency, and some have lamented the change ever since. By 1962 John Steinbeck was writing about the disappearance of antique stores, factory outlets and “roadside stands selling squash juice”. He complained that the new roads would make it “possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing.”
The interstates paved the way for fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken, which set up shop near the access ramps. Besides changing the way that motorists eat, the new highways also transformed the ways in which companies moved their goods. One reason that Wal-Mart became a cost-cutting behemoth was because it exploited the logistical advantages of the new system faster than its competitors did.
22.6.06
United States - 1, Ghana - 2
I know this is a little late, but oh well...
Before we get to the US/Ghana game… what the Hell is up with the White House wanting journalist to leak their sources? First it was (half heartily) wanting Judith Miller and that dude from Time to give up their sources in the Valerie Plume case. And now this… they’re putting pressure on the federal judge to make the SanFran Chronicle writers give up their sources in the BALCO case. Us on the left, or at least me and another guy I know, have been saying for a few years now that “At least we’ve got our first amendment rights” but it appears that Bush is now taking the first step of taking those away too. AWESOME. I can’t wait to not be able to speak my mind and be fed bullshit from the administration and then read about it as FACT in the Post. (Yes, that’s a dig at the Washington Post’s lack of reporting leading up to the War in Iraq where they sold their soul to be fed the bullshit the White House fed them for the sake of ‘reporting it first’. Nice call on that one PostPeople. You still look like fools and I wish the NYTimes and Journal would take you to task for it).
Okay, no on to world peace… ummm… the World Cup. Let’s just cut to the chase, the US lost 2-1 to Ghana today. They’re out of the World Cup. Ghana moves on to play Brazil on Tuesday. As for why the US lost… let’s cut to the chase again.
“All around the pitch there is quality, but no Essien, Nedved, Gerrard, Ballack, Ronaldinho, Saviola, Figo, Robben.” -- Michael Davies
And that sums up the United States 2006 World Cup.
I could, and will, write more… but that’s it right there. That’s the reason the US is going home and not getting ready to face Brazil. Disagree with some of those names if you will (Figo? I guess he’s been aiight this Cup but still) but that’s the point. The US, at the end of the day, lacks that one player who can dominate a game. If we learned anything from this World Cup, it’s that Landon Donovan is not and will not be that player, so let’s just lay that to rest.
Did the US deserve to lose this game? Probably not… a 1-1 or 2-2 draw seems fair. But McBride hit the post and the ref gave Ghana a very generous penalty. But that wasn’t the only reason why the US lost. But let’s just get the who penalty stuff out of the way first.
The penalty, which basically destroyed any hope that the US had, was a bad call. There’s no other way around it. But two things:
1) Bocanegra’s clear was pit…i…ful. Maybe he didn’t realize that Ghana’s Pimpong was in the middle… I don’t know. But he should have given up the throw instead of kicking it 500 feet in the air and leaving Gooch alone on an island with Pimpong in the middle of the field at the edge of the box.
2) Gooch played the ball, he didn’t push Pimpong, and it should not have been a penalty… it was a bad call. But instead of getting pissed at the ref (who was terrible, though terrible for both sides); I’m going to get pissed at FIFA much like this Guardian blog entry. Has FIFA ever given a good reason as to why there are not two refs on the field at all times? One behind and another in front of the play. I bet we'd see diving, missed calls, and dubious calls cut by more than half and the game would have a much better flow and truly be 'beautiful.' There is no way a 35/40 year old man can watch twenty-two 25 year old males who can run at near Reggie Bush, err, Thierry Henry, like speed while kicking, passing, and fighting for balls in the air and on the ground. I think the second ref is the answer. Does any other sport only have one umpire/ref 'watching' the entire game? Of course, this makes too much sense so who am I kidding?
I mean could you imagine an NFL game being called by one ref and two side judges who don’t do anything? Can you imagine a baseball game umped by one man in Blue? Of course not, you’d see blown calls and dubious decisions left right and center. So why hasn’t FIFA caught on to this? They need two refs and they need to start doing this tomorrow.
Oh well… moving on. Most interesting ‘subplot’ of the US team during the World Cup had to be DeMarcus Beasley who, depending on who you talked to was either complete rubbish or totally missed used by Arena (okay maybe only VFLOAB thinks that, but something weird was going on there). VFLOAB has no clue. He was brutal in the first game against the Czechs. Against Italy he came on and played well, even netting a goal that was disallowed. Today against Ghana he set up the US only goal, had a few nice tackles, but didn’t seem to go forward nearly enough. I’m sure Arena wanted him to play more of a holding midfield… but why waste Beasley in the middle holding? Or was Beasley refusing to go forward all the time? What was going on there?
And speaking of Arena, there’s no way he’s back after getting completely and totally out coached in all three games. I felt like I was watching Tony La Russa coach US soccer. That’s not a good thing. I’m not sure if the US has no creativity, or that Arena won’t let them be creative. The system not only didn’t work, it depended on other teams playing flat and the US getting calls… both of which didn’t happen. The fact that Eddie Johnson saw something like 60 minutes of play is shocking considering he’s the only US forward that can score with his feet. God bless Brian McBride, I love the guy, but has anyone ever seen him score a goal with his feet? But back to Arena, he was out coached in all three games. The team wasn’t ready to play against the Czechs. He almost cost the US the Italy game by not using the last sub. And today against Ghana, the 4-5-1 spelled doom for the get go… then he waited far too long to bring on Eddie Johnson after the second Ghana goal. When Renya had to go off, Johnson should have been brought on. The US played far too conservative to advance in this tournament. And I’m blaming Arena for that.
I’m not sure anyone other than Clint Dempsey had a good World Cup for the US. Keller, besides that nice save in the Italy game, didn’t do anything to install confidence. The back line wasn’t bad, but poor marking against the Czechs killed them. Eddie Pope had a very bad Cup… he was responsible for two of the goals scored against the US, and maybe even three. Gooch did have a good Cup and Cherundolo was a pleasant surprise I thought. The midfield, which everyone figured was the US strong point, had a pretty bad time in Germany. Beasley’s problems are well chronicled. Landon Donovan was MIA against the Czechs and the first half against Italy, and then failed to have any impact against Ghana. Renya seemed flat… Convey played well and did a lot of running, but not much else at the end of the day. The US showed they were a much, much better team when Dempsey was on the pitch and if it wasn’t for him, would be going home in even worse shape. The forwards didn’t do much either… McBride didn’t bag a goal, and since he can only use his head, he needs someone that can play off him. Either Eddie Johnson can’t do that, or Bruce Arena is too scared to find out. Donovan playing a forward roll was a disaster.
But the US will look back and think… if only Renya’s daisy cutter had found the net to tie it up 1-1 against the Czechs… if only Convey kicked it on net instead of a field goal in the first half against Italy… if only McBride was onside against Italy when Beasley scored… and if only McBride didn’t hit the post and tied it up 2-2 against Ghana. And if only we had one good ref…
But that’s the way it goes. Three and out… a point against Italy all the US has to show.
So on to South Africa for the United States. Hopefully it will be known as “Freddy Adu’s Coming Out Party”.
Before we get to the US/Ghana game… what the Hell is up with the White House wanting journalist to leak their sources? First it was (half heartily) wanting Judith Miller and that dude from Time to give up their sources in the Valerie Plume case. And now this… they’re putting pressure on the federal judge to make the SanFran Chronicle writers give up their sources in the BALCO case. Us on the left, or at least me and another guy I know, have been saying for a few years now that “At least we’ve got our first amendment rights” but it appears that Bush is now taking the first step of taking those away too. AWESOME. I can’t wait to not be able to speak my mind and be fed bullshit from the administration and then read about it as FACT in the Post. (Yes, that’s a dig at the Washington Post’s lack of reporting leading up to the War in Iraq where they sold their soul to be fed the bullshit the White House fed them for the sake of ‘reporting it first’. Nice call on that one PostPeople. You still look like fools and I wish the NYTimes and Journal would take you to task for it).
Okay, no on to world peace… ummm… the World Cup. Let’s just cut to the chase, the US lost 2-1 to Ghana today. They’re out of the World Cup. Ghana moves on to play Brazil on Tuesday. As for why the US lost… let’s cut to the chase again.
“All around the pitch there is quality, but no Essien, Nedved, Gerrard, Ballack, Ronaldinho, Saviola, Figo, Robben.” -- Michael Davies
And that sums up the United States 2006 World Cup.
I could, and will, write more… but that’s it right there. That’s the reason the US is going home and not getting ready to face Brazil. Disagree with some of those names if you will (Figo? I guess he’s been aiight this Cup but still) but that’s the point. The US, at the end of the day, lacks that one player who can dominate a game. If we learned anything from this World Cup, it’s that Landon Donovan is not and will not be that player, so let’s just lay that to rest.
Did the US deserve to lose this game? Probably not… a 1-1 or 2-2 draw seems fair. But McBride hit the post and the ref gave Ghana a very generous penalty. But that wasn’t the only reason why the US lost. But let’s just get the who penalty stuff out of the way first.
The penalty, which basically destroyed any hope that the US had, was a bad call. There’s no other way around it. But two things:
1) Bocanegra’s clear was pit…i…ful. Maybe he didn’t realize that Ghana’s Pimpong was in the middle… I don’t know. But he should have given up the throw instead of kicking it 500 feet in the air and leaving Gooch alone on an island with Pimpong in the middle of the field at the edge of the box.
2) Gooch played the ball, he didn’t push Pimpong, and it should not have been a penalty… it was a bad call. But instead of getting pissed at the ref (who was terrible, though terrible for both sides); I’m going to get pissed at FIFA much like this Guardian blog entry. Has FIFA ever given a good reason as to why there are not two refs on the field at all times? One behind and another in front of the play. I bet we'd see diving, missed calls, and dubious calls cut by more than half and the game would have a much better flow and truly be 'beautiful.' There is no way a 35/40 year old man can watch twenty-two 25 year old males who can run at near Reggie Bush, err, Thierry Henry, like speed while kicking, passing, and fighting for balls in the air and on the ground. I think the second ref is the answer. Does any other sport only have one umpire/ref 'watching' the entire game? Of course, this makes too much sense so who am I kidding?
I mean could you imagine an NFL game being called by one ref and two side judges who don’t do anything? Can you imagine a baseball game umped by one man in Blue? Of course not, you’d see blown calls and dubious decisions left right and center. So why hasn’t FIFA caught on to this? They need two refs and they need to start doing this tomorrow.
Oh well… moving on. Most interesting ‘subplot’ of the US team during the World Cup had to be DeMarcus Beasley who, depending on who you talked to was either complete rubbish or totally missed used by Arena (okay maybe only VFLOAB thinks that, but something weird was going on there). VFLOAB has no clue. He was brutal in the first game against the Czechs. Against Italy he came on and played well, even netting a goal that was disallowed. Today against Ghana he set up the US only goal, had a few nice tackles, but didn’t seem to go forward nearly enough. I’m sure Arena wanted him to play more of a holding midfield… but why waste Beasley in the middle holding? Or was Beasley refusing to go forward all the time? What was going on there?
And speaking of Arena, there’s no way he’s back after getting completely and totally out coached in all three games. I felt like I was watching Tony La Russa coach US soccer. That’s not a good thing. I’m not sure if the US has no creativity, or that Arena won’t let them be creative. The system not only didn’t work, it depended on other teams playing flat and the US getting calls… both of which didn’t happen. The fact that Eddie Johnson saw something like 60 minutes of play is shocking considering he’s the only US forward that can score with his feet. God bless Brian McBride, I love the guy, but has anyone ever seen him score a goal with his feet? But back to Arena, he was out coached in all three games. The team wasn’t ready to play against the Czechs. He almost cost the US the Italy game by not using the last sub. And today against Ghana, the 4-5-1 spelled doom for the get go… then he waited far too long to bring on Eddie Johnson after the second Ghana goal. When Renya had to go off, Johnson should have been brought on. The US played far too conservative to advance in this tournament. And I’m blaming Arena for that.
I’m not sure anyone other than Clint Dempsey had a good World Cup for the US. Keller, besides that nice save in the Italy game, didn’t do anything to install confidence. The back line wasn’t bad, but poor marking against the Czechs killed them. Eddie Pope had a very bad Cup… he was responsible for two of the goals scored against the US, and maybe even three. Gooch did have a good Cup and Cherundolo was a pleasant surprise I thought. The midfield, which everyone figured was the US strong point, had a pretty bad time in Germany. Beasley’s problems are well chronicled. Landon Donovan was MIA against the Czechs and the first half against Italy, and then failed to have any impact against Ghana. Renya seemed flat… Convey played well and did a lot of running, but not much else at the end of the day. The US showed they were a much, much better team when Dempsey was on the pitch and if it wasn’t for him, would be going home in even worse shape. The forwards didn’t do much either… McBride didn’t bag a goal, and since he can only use his head, he needs someone that can play off him. Either Eddie Johnson can’t do that, or Bruce Arena is too scared to find out. Donovan playing a forward roll was a disaster.
But the US will look back and think… if only Renya’s daisy cutter had found the net to tie it up 1-1 against the Czechs… if only Convey kicked it on net instead of a field goal in the first half against Italy… if only McBride was onside against Italy when Beasley scored… and if only McBride didn’t hit the post and tied it up 2-2 against Ghana. And if only we had one good ref…
But that’s the way it goes. Three and out… a point against Italy all the US has to show.
So on to South Africa for the United States. Hopefully it will be known as “Freddy Adu’s Coming Out Party”.
20.6.06
Italy vs USA
Almost DeMarcus, AlmostSeeing that Saturday’s Italy vs USA match was the most important soccer game in American in 12 years, and you could argue, ever, VFLOAB was there to capture the events of the game. Here’s what transpired.
2:20pm – Welcome! We’re about 40 minutes from kickoff and I’m a nervous Nelly. I have nothing to add right now.
2:24pm – ABC7 is showing “Re/Max” right now, which apparently is a discussion about the schools in Washington, DC “east of the river”. The river being the Ancostia River, which has more in common with the slums of Lima or Rio than say, Virginia or Maryland.
2:29pm – After Ghana’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic the US chance look much better than they did two hours ago. Of course if the US does anything with this remains to be seen.
3:31pm – Naturally, ABC opens with U2’s “Vertigo”.
3:35pm – Just shot this off to the Guardian: “Naturally, ABC's opening song for the pre-game show is U2's "Vertigo". I think that was for millions of Irish-Americans who are feeling left out since the US is playing Italy and every Italian-American has had to make a huge decision on who to root for today.”
Not by best I know, but all I could really think off.
2:36pm – ABC is showing pictures of American fans who happen to be female jumping up and down and being attractive… the Cub effect is in full force!
2:38pm – Oh no… Landon Donovan is starting at striker… I am not happy about this. Donovan played like crap against the Czechs but Beasley was the scapegoat because he’s black… okay maybe not because he’s black… but Donovan got off easy compared to Beasley if you ask me. Only changes are Bocanegra starting at left back over Eddie Lewis (and let’s face it, it’s not like Bocanegra could be worse). Clint Dempsey is starting in replace of Beasley… not a bad move if you ask me. Mastroeni still in the starting line up over O’Brien. I can’t believe Eddie Johnson isn’t playing… you’d figure his pace would be worth something.
2:43pm – I think ABC put Brent Musburger in charge of studio duties just to make me happy. You forget how great it is to hear Brent’s voice on a Saturday. I just got really excited about college football. On WISCONSIN!
2:47pm – Making sure any conflicted green, white, and red tattoo wearing, Italian flag decal on the car bumper Italian-American is unsure on who to root for, ABC keeps playing the Hendrix “Star Spangle Banner”.
2:50pm – The Guardian just asked for some original humor since they don’t want to knock the American commentators again… so I shot off another e-mail (btw, this will be my last one): “My mother in Chicago just called me to say that she's finally been convinced to the root for the US. I asked why she was going to root for Italy, she said it was because "Americans can't win *everything*!" I quickly reminded her the Argentina won the gold medal in basketball, Sweden won the gold and World Championships in hockey this year, and that Japan won the World Baseball Classic. But if nothing else, it does show that us Americans don't want to take over *everything*!” [Read the Guardian’s Minute-by-Minute report of the game here]
2:54pm – As the players stand and come out of the tunnel, my heart is pounding… it’s like the White Sox are in the World Series all over again.
2:55pm – The Italian national anthem… most of the players are singing… this is crap to be honest… ahhh! Turn the head! A man in just a Speedo is singing the Italian national anthem… to be honest, it sounds a bit fascist.
2:56pm – Now this is a national anthem, say what you will about the “Star Spangled Banner” and I have, but it’s got drums and symbol crashes which every anthem needs… I think there are a shit load of US military personal since it sounds like this is a pro-American crowd… I like being American at the moment… don’t remind yourself Bush is president Bobby! Too late… but from the sound of things, this sounds like a big time pro-American crowd just going by the national anthems.
3:00pm – And we’re off! US is in white and the Italians are in blue… I think I’m right about this being a pro-American crowd because a lot of boos were heard when Pope was called for a foul.
2min – Perrotta crosses into Toni in the US box, but two US defenders are there and Toni can’t do anything with it.
3min – Free kick for Italy, nothing comes of it, US tries to release Convey, but nothing happening. BTW, if I say ‘Italy’ or ‘US’ without saying who the person was to do something, that’s because I’m sort of at the mercy of Dave O’Brien who may be the worst announcer ever. And that’s saying something with Joe Buck alive and well.
5min – Totti turns it over and takes out… fucking tell me who it was O’Brien!... and gets a yellow card. It was Dempsey according to the replay. Not a bad start here for the US. And yes, this stadium is probably 60% filled with Americans or so it seems.
7min – Donovan is doing something! He jumped for two bouncing balls and puts some pressure on the Italian back line.
8min – Cross into the box for Donovan… nothing happening. Goal kick for
9min – Onyewu is called for his third foul, he likes to use his hands… I heard Marck Cuban wants to sign him to play down low against the Heat just so six more phantom calls can be made on the Mavericks.
10min – Crossed into the US box, Convey can’t quite get it, it bounces, but no US player is around and Italy clears. The Italian midfield looks rubbish.
12min – Gooch plays Toni physically and takes the ball away! That’s the way to do it! I love, play ‘em hard!
13min – Bad call on Cherundolo who out worked Zambrotta to take the ball away, but the ref gives Italy a fee kick from a dangerous position. Totti serves it up, but the entire Italian team is offside.
14min – Some Italian takes Convey out right on the edge of the box… free kick for the US. Marcello Balboa just now mentions how the US Midfield is out playing the Italians.
15min – The free kick does right into the wall for a corner… nothing comes of it.
16min – Dempsey gets the ball, does three or four step over, crosses, goes through, Convey gets the ball wide open from about 12 yards out on the left and puts it over the bar! What a chance, Convey should have gotten that on net, if not scored. Dempsey looks great at the moment.
18mins – After not much happens, it seems like the Italians are playing a 8-2 with no midfield, Dempsey gets it one the edge of the box on the right, turns and puts it just wide. Another nice chance for the
20min – The US is mixing things up with long balls to a sprinting Donovan or Convey to wear out the Italian D or making some quick passes and letting Dempsey create. They’re outplaying the Italians.
21min – A long ball is played to Gilardino, and Pope takes down Gilardino who seems to have been pulling Pope down too. The crowd is chanting ‘bullshit’.
22min – Goal for
26min – This game has slowed down. Italy might switch to a 9-1 pretty soon. Only way the US gets back into this is if Donovan decides to show up.
27min – OWN GOAL!!!! 1-1 US! Zaccardo tried to clear the cross, but it ends up in the net! I’m calling the ex-roomie! Karma baby! Karma!
28min – RED CARD FOR ITALY!!! Fuck you, Italy! De Rossi is sent off for trying to decapitate McBride. Just and ugly, ugly elbow that leaves McBride a bloody mess. Just absolute bullshit and dirty play and De Rossi show be charged for what he just did. Good news is that Italy is down to 10 men for the rest of the game. Between Ghana’s win and now what’s starting to take place here in this game, the World Cup, which had been to form before today, is starting to go nuts.
33min – Okay, Toni had a great chance a few minutes ago but his ball goes though the six-yard box. Dempsey is all over the place and leading this US attack. He’s having a great game so far. US dominating this game and
35min – As the game slows down as everyone tries to figure out what to do… oh wait! Totti is coming off and Gattuso comes on. Totti hadn’t done much. I have no clue what’s going on with that move though. I’m sure both teams are going to take it easy, go to the half, and figure out what to do.
39min – I have nothing to add to be honest. I guess the refs called offside against Italy when they shouldn’t have, but I don’t know… Dempsey finds Donovan with a bit of space, but Landon, be classic Landon in a big game, has a brutal first touch and gives it up to Italy. Not saying Eddie Johnson would have scored but…
40min – Italy is playing better, the red card woke them up… the US is playing the offside trap far too often.
42min – Dave O’Brien says the US got a bit lucky… go die Dave. Just go announce Tampa Bay Devil Ray games… Mastroeni, who’s done very little again, winds up from about 35 yards out and puts it just over the bar. So Close!
43min – Donovan sighting! He makes a nice flick to Renya who launches one, but it’s blocked by Nesta for a corner. Nothing comes of it because the US might be the worst set piece team in the World Cup.
45min – RED CARD USA!!! Mastroeni goes in late, but nothing vicious… and gets a red card. Easy the worst call of the World Cup thus far. Mastroeni didn’t even go in that hard or high. Just absolute rubbish… and I bet the fix is in.
HALFTIME: Well the fix is in… fuck this shit… if it wasn’t for these fantastic Jose+10 commercials, I might very well go watch baseball. Utter rubbish red card on Mastroeni. The fix is in.
Thoughts… Mastroeni’s bullshit red card changes things a bit and puts a damper on a very entertaining 45 minutes. The US looks like the better team, but they can’t defend set pieces and that’s how Italy scored. The own goal was pretty funny if you ask me, an Earl Hickey karma moment. De Rossi tried to take McBride’s head off, and saw red for it, and rightly so. Meanwhile, Mastroeni at worst should have picked up a yellow, instead the ref blows the call and gives Italy hope. So we’re going to be playing 10 on 10 for 45 minutes. This should be fun! I have NO CLUE what’s going to happen in the second half. The US could win… the US could draw… Italy could get a cheap goal… I’m sure they’d love to have Totti back on the field… that’s the plus for the US. Oh yeah, Donovan better show up for the second half… he’s been unheard of for the most part. If he really is our best player… God help us.
47min – RED CARD USA; It’s official… the fix is in. Eddie Pope is given a red card… it’s 10-9 and this is an absolute joke. Pope even got the ball… this ref may not make it out alive. He’s ruining this game.
49min – If nothing else, we’re playing the Italians physically and they can’t take it. Another injured Italian player, Cannavaro this time and he goes off on a stretcher.
50min – Jesus in the house! Cannavaro is taken off as I said, and within seconds of getting off the field, he’s healed! Why can’t they give Red Cards for stuff like that.
52min – Conrad comes on for Convey who looked half way decent today. Off the set piece, Itlay crosses in, the US can’t defend set pieces, and in an attempt to clear send the ball off the cross bar. Well at least we know what to work on for the 2010World Cup… set pieces!
54min – Toni’s been called offside about ten times in the last three minutes. Dempsey is clearly pushed off the ball, but no card is given. Justice apparently isn’t an Italian work. Del Piero comes on. I really don’t care any more.
57min – I’m just waiting for the Italian goal… they’re taking control of this game. Dempsey is the only US player doing anything going forward. The US should bring on Beasley since there is a ton of space in this game and DeMarcus can fly…
58min – Renya wins a ball, takes it forward, and takes a shot from 25 yards, it’s badly wide… I’m assuming it was a shot. It could have been a pass to Donovan who, for reasons unknown, pulled up.
59min – The ball bounces around the US box, Renya finally clears it, Donovan gets it and instead of using his speed, he tries to cross the ball across to Dempsey who can’t get to it.
60min – Looked like a handball in the Italian box… of course no call. I know the US is down a man, but all this open space might favor them. Seriously, bring on Beasley, I forgive him!
61min - Toni off, Iaquinta on… Italy is now out of subs so they can’t pull any more of their “Crying Wolf” Act at least.
62min – Beasley coming on for Dempsey… like the call but not for Dempsey! He’s the only one doing anything besides Renya every once in a while. Take off the rubbish Donovan! Come on Bruce!
63min – And as I knock Donovan, he finally does something… he wins a ball, runs forward leaving much of the Italian blue line in his wake, finds an open McBride who puts it wide. Brutal finish, again should have gotten that on net.
65min – After some lovely, just lovely play from the US, Bocanegra finds Beasley who takes it, steps up, shoots and the BALL GOES IN!!! But it’s called off!!! NO!!!!! McBride was offside… and he didn’t touch the ball, but he was in an offside position and blocking the goalkeeper… it actually was a good call… what a shame. Watch Beasley, he should be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Oh, and if you didn’t feel complete joy when that ball went in the net, I assume you don’t actually feel anything.
66min – Another Italian being taken off on a stretcher… remember the Italians are out of subs, so we might be playing 9 on 9. Not sure… the US it taking over this game a bit.
68min – Zambrotta takes the ball and shoots… JUST WIDE. That was too close.
69min – Italians win a corner, nothing comes of it, and the Italians looking like it’s their turn to do a thing or too.
70min – Zambrotta takes down Cherundolo on the right outside the box, a yellow is given to Zambrotta… a bad yellow at that too.
71min – Donovan sends it in, the US get a head on it, but no where near goal. It’s cleared and this game is up and down and wide open as you’d expect. You wouldn’t think the US was down a man either.
73min – I can breath… a nice chip from Pirlo sends Del Piero in… he gets a foot on it and Keller makes a fantastic save. His rebound is blocked and then
74min – After some nice work by Donovan, the US pass it a bit outside the box, finally McBride takes a shot, it’s blocked… I doubt this game is ending 1-1, there is so much space and these guys are going to get more and more tired. This favors the US. Watch Beasley, I’m telling you, he looks like a new man out there right now.
77min – The Italians have had it, but done little with it. They look very tired. And the US doesn’t look much better… why hasn’t Arena used his last sub? Renya can barely walk.
79min – Cherundolo, who’s been playing really well, makes a nice move to create space and crosses it in, McBride gets his head on it, but it goes off the defender. Italy comes back, takes a long shot, but a nice save by Keller pushes it aside. Beasley picks it up and takes off, but nice D stops his run with Donovan. Great game if you ask me.
83min – US playing with the ball, but the Italians have seven guys back… This Cherundolo vs Zambrotta battle has been fun the last twenty minutes.
86min – Not much happening, Beasley tried to make a run, the Italians have had it… win a corner but nothing comes of it. Balboa hates Beasley I think.
87min – Nice build up for the Italians, finally after passing it inside the US box and some how not scoring, Gooch sends it out for a corner… he’s had a nice game too. The US looks dead right now.
89min – Italy is looking to win this. The US is just about out of gas and playing for the tie. Unless Donovan or Beasley catch the Italians leaning the wrong way… the US isn’t going to win.
91min – Gooch is the only reason why the Italians haven’t scored the last ten minutes. Keller played well too, but Gooch has cleared everything. Great game from him.
93min – Keller grabs a cross and it looks like the US will be happy with the draw. I’ll tell you, the US was robbed of three points today. Beasley tries to create a give and go for himself, but no one from the US wants to help him out. Eventually they do… but the Italians win the ball. The ref blows three peeps, and that’s it. We have a 1-1 draw. The US deserved the win. A shame the ref totally messed this game up.
Well I think we found the Group of Death! It looks like either the Czechs or Italians won’t go though… but where do we begin?!?!?
This game had everything… goals, shots, saves, own goals, nice plays, bad plays, blood, guts, heart, one team giving everything they had (the US) and another playing a bit reserved (the Italians). Final thoughts (48 hours later):
* The US cannot defend set pieces, just complete crap on set pieces. And we aren’t much better taking them. On Italy’s goal, Gilardino had a nice finish, don’t get me wrong, but the US cannot defend them.
* The more I see of that own goal, the more I realize how bad that was… that might be the worst own goal ever… US got lucky there.
* The De Rossi elbow and red card was 100% spot on. Just an ugly play and he should be banned for the rest of the tournament to be frank, three game minimum. Didn’t even try to play the ball, he was looking to take off McBride’s head.
* That red card did completely change the game. Italy took Totti off and they sure could have used him when the US went down to 9 men. That red card had more of an impact than I think we realize.
* The Mastroeni red card, upon reflection, wasn’t as bad as it was at the time. In other words it isn’t on the same level as the Don Denkinger call in 1985 like I thought it was at the time. It was a hard tackle with his cleats up, but no way was he trying to hurt anyone. Unbelievable that he was sent off for that, give him a yellow and keep playing. But, Mastroeni should have known the situation. It’s a 1-1 game and the US is up a man. The ref may be looking for an excuse to even things up a big. This also means we’ll see O’Brien against Ghana, and I’m pumped about that.
* Eddie Pope was having a pretty bad game as it was, so in a way, I’m not sure his red card was actually that bad for the US. Okay it was since they went down to 9 men, but Pope was playing poorly. Questionable second yellow really, but he was playing a little recless. I think Pope not being able to play the next game might be a good thing for the US. Anyway, my guess is that we see Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Conrad?, and Onyewu (how huge is it that he didn’t pick up a yellow, whew!) as the
* The Beasley ‘goal’. Everyone here in the States say that McBride is offside, but the Guardian didn’t think so according to the new rules, so I don’t know.… seems like it could have gone either way. The US didn’t catch a break from the ref all game, you’d almost think he’d give the US this one. But no.
* Why didn't Arena use that last sub?!?!? So frustrating especially when Italy was pounding the US box in the last 10 minutes.
* I think Donovan or Renya has to sit this next game. Donovan has been pretty bad in both games (okay second half today though, but if he's suppose to be your 'key' player, why is it guys like Cherundolo, Dempsey, and Convey the ones carrying the US going forward?) I'm not a big Renya fan.
* What are the US chances? First and foremost they have to win. A win gives them four points… from there they need help. Breaking it down quickly:
-- US win and Italy beats the Czechs… US and Italy move on.
-- Italy and Czech’s draw 1-1… that means the US has to beat Ghana by four goals.
-- Czechs win without Italy scoring… the US has to beat Ghana five goals.
In other words go Italy!
19.6.06
Best Commerical Out There
One of the best parts of the World Cup is this commerical right here... just amazing stuff. Not as good as the idea we gave the Guardian yesterday (Halftime), but still amazing. (btw, the song is called "Eanie Meany" by Jim Noir).
15.6.06
Final Predictions
First, let's give it up for the worst player in the World Cup... Peter Crouch! I'm not sure Crouch could finish a cup of coffee let alone a goal... should have stuck to basketball, Peter. (btw, as we write this, Crouch just scored... but seriously, he sucks).
Man, does he suck or what?
Figure we might as well get these up before it becomes too late... btw, we did make these before the Tourny kicked off.
Using the predictions that we had made prior to these games, this is how we saw the Round of 16 shaping up.
Third Place
Man, does he suck or what?Figure we might as well get these up before it becomes too late... btw, we did make these before the Tourny kicked off.
Using the predictions that we had made prior to these games, this is how we saw the Round of 16 shaping up.
Round 16:
Argentina
Portugal
France
Spain
Quarterfinals:
Italy
Semifinals:
Final:
Winner:
I know, its nuts, but we’ve had a feeling about
14.6.06
Group H
It is here. The Biggest Sporting Event in the World is about to begin… and you know what that means… that’s right VFLOAB is a little more than PUMPED about it all. So we’ll cut to the chase and just give you our predictions…
Instead of giving IN DEPTH REPORTS on each team, we’ll leave that to those who know and see the game more often that we do. So if you want an informative and humorous take on each team, we suggest That’s On Point. Here’s the link to Angola, the Netherlands, and USA respectively from the fine bloggers at That’s On Point. Read them. Enjoy them. I love them and you should too. As for the rest… we’re going to use our buddies at the Guardian for help. They seem to like us a real lot and we know we like them.
For Info on Groups A and B go here
And for Info on Groups C and D go here
Group E and F you ask?
Least we forget Group G!
Oh and if you really care about checking out ALL the jerseys from the World Cup this year… go here.
And what is developing as a funny World Cup subplot… a German newspaper called Beckham’s kids dwarfs. Becks isn’t happy about that. Then I just heard on the Guardian podcast, the editor of the newspaper where this stuff was said say in a very German voice, “In Germany, we call kids dwarfs. It’s endearing.” Let the laughs begin!
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu where Real Madrid plays, taken by VFLOAB
Group H
Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine
Saudi Arabia
Their Deal: A team that looks good in qualification, but then again the competitions isn’t the greatest. All their players come from the Saudi domestic league which isn’t well known for its stellar competition. This is the same team that was destroyed 8-0 to Germany four years ago. Maybe they’ll only lose 5-0 to the Ukraine this year.
Nickname: Al Akhdar (the Green), though I think if they went with the Muhammads it’d be funny and show that they’ve got a bit of a sense of humor. Of course that was a secular joke, so forget it.
World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 1994 on semi-home soil of the USA
Stud Muffin: Goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Deayea only has 181 caps… between duty for his club team, national team, and praying five times a day how does he have time for the kids? He’s only 33 btw, it’s not like he’s 42 and has that many caps.
Random Thoughts: I forget are they the good guys or bad guys? binBaby is from the Kingdom… most of the jagbags that flew the planes on 9/11 were from the Kingdom, a lot of these Jihadists are from the Kingdom… but they’re on our side? WHAT AM I MISSING?!?!... Oh that’s right were in bed politically with the Kingdom because they have oil and a shite load of money invested in this country. HOT… He look, OIL… I’d love to go to Mecca someday, but being a non-Muslim I’m on the outside looking in on that one. Literally.
Best Name: Umm, Abdulaziz Al-Khathran because it sort of sounds like a bad rap name.
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: The BYU football team… hey they can win in the WAC, get run over every where else.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Flip-flops free with a magazine
Here they are again, on display to a vast audience. But beware: they may look OK but expect low quality to tell soon. History shows they could fall apart the minute they're given a run out
Chances: Getting a point off of Tunisia would be sweet and take away some of that sting from getting killed by Germany 8-0… that’s probably a best case scenario… not losing by 6 would be cool too.
Spain
Their Deal: On talent alone, they might be the most complete team in the tournament… but it’s Spain. So that means they’re going to underachieve and make everyone wonder why they came up short again. Basically Spain is what a United Kingdom team would look like… a lot of fighting between the English (Castilian), the Scots (Catalonia), and Irish [Northern Ireland] (Basque) and that’s probably why they haven’t won a World Cup. But Civil Wars to that to countries, maybe that’s why the US hasn’t won the World Baseball Classic yet… seriously though, the Spanish have a ton of talent and some depth too. If some how they ‘put it all together’ they could win this whole thing.
Nickname: La Furia Roja (the Red Fury)
World Cup Best: Fourth place 1950 (just as good as the US and South Korea btw)
Stud Muffin: Xavi, who plays for Barca, is really good; Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid) can score goals, and Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) is one of the top goaltenders in the world. Take a pick.
Random Thoughts: Shocking I know, but Spain didn’t join the EU until 1986, only 4 years prior to East Germany (well sort of)… Ex-GF#1’s sister lives in Madrid… I’ve been to Madrid twice (yes that's VFLOAB singing Lionel Richie on the left), by the time I left it the second time, I grew to love it… True Fact: while out one night in Madrid, we made friends with a Peruvian, an Argentine who grew up in Madrid, and German. They then took us to a bar, where I met an American who was like 23 and planning on making film noir movies set in 1950s San Francisco (he also mentioned a director whom I had never and will never hear of again). Now drunk, I met two Swedes who I start chatting about sports, I was doing most of the talking even asking them at one point “So do you like Freddie Ljungberg or Peter Forsberg more?” Thinking I was insane, I rephrased my question, “Futball or hockey?” They both said soccer... Oh and we went to this bitty sandwich place which was awesome, and well, this isn’t a travel blog of Madrid is it?... I like this team a lot, being a soccer novice they’re my pick, which probably means they’ll go crashing out in the round of 16… I’m telling you, that bitty sandwich place was amazing… I like their colors, the yellow and red is very under used… St. Ignatius of Loyola was from the Basque Country and therefore we have a soft spot in our hears for ‘dem Basques… not sure but Atlético Bilbao might still have a Basque players only rule… the Spanish top flight is probably the best division in football despite what the English say (Spanish teams hold both the Champions League and EURO Cup and both beat English teams in the final)… Barcelona vs Real Madrid is sort of like Rangers/Celtic from what we gather and experienced in Paris in 2003 when we watched the two go at it and the entire bar/lounge was a little too into the game
Best Name: Xabi Alonso
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: Okay think of a team that’s always good but always loses in the end, and when I say lose, they lose way before they should and to teams they shouldn’t lose too. Michigan and Georgia football come to mind, as do the San Diego Chargers, any team managed by Tony La Russa, the San Francisco Giants come to mind also… Texas football and White Sox baseball prior to this year sort of fit the bill… all of them have nothing on Spain.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Rupert Sanderson
Have been tipped by fashionistas as the next big thing for quite a few seasons now but, despite the obvious quality, they've yet to experience major mainstream success. Could this be their year?
Chances: They should dominate their group and then march on to the quarters where they’d probably face Brazil. The winner of that game, in our opinion here at VFLOAB will go on to win the World Cup. That means take Brazil and don’t look back.
Tunisia
Their Deal: They actually might hold Africa’s best chance to get a team into the second round, which is a bit of a bummer, since they’re probably the 3rd best African side, but play in a weaker group. Not bad, not good, shouldn’t cause too many problems, but shouldn’t be easy to break down.
Nickname: Les Aigles de Carthage (Carthage Eagles)
World Cup Best: Group Stage in 1978, 1998, and 2002
Stud Muffin: Honestly, I have no clue. Radhi Jaidi has a lot of caps and plays in England.
Random Thoughts: I’ve got to admit, I’ve always been intrigued by Carthage… you think they’d love to finish second and face France in the second round? I do... You know this is like the fourth country that’s a former French colony and can’t wait to play the French, yet do former British colonies have the same detest towards the English? Doesn’t seem that way… I’m looking forward to the Arab Battle of Tunisia v the Kingdom… I have nothing to add. And Spain was really long wasn’t it?
Best Name: Kaies Ghodhbane??
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: San Diego Padres… not bad… not good… and in the end, not much of a threat.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Clogs
Functional for sure but they offer a rarity value which makes them worth a peek. But, face it, the design is fairly basic and global domination is unlikely. May prove leaden-footed against quicker opponents
Chances: They could make the round of 16 if they could get a point off of Spain or beat the Ukraine. Says here they won’t.
The Cute Couple...
The Ukraine
Their Deal: Hey look! Andriy Shevchenko and his wife! And then Andriy Shevchenko and ten other guys! Or that’s what everyone and everything I read says. But they’ve become the dark horses for the tournament. I guess those 10 other fellas aren’t half bad. We’ll find out of course.
Nickname: Zbirna/Sbornaya (Selection, in Ukrainian and Russian)
World Cup Best: Well considering that they didn’t even exist as a World Cup team until 1991, this is their first trip.
Stud Muffin: Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea, formally of Milan) – He may be the best striker in the world… Henry would probably disagree, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone as good as Shevchenko. You know what - just watch his highlights set to SlimShady:
Random Thoughts: Is it The Ukraine or Ukraine? I like The Ukraine because then we’ve got a hat trick of The in the World Cup (The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, and The Ukraine)… When I woke up this morning, I never thought I’d find a video of the virtual Shevchenko scoring goals. But I did… Not like we needed a reason to root for The Ukraine, but Shevchoenko’s wife, Kristen Pazik, is American (Twin Cities baby) and also apparently attractive (this also means in about five years we’ll see Shevchenko in MLS!)… “I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak.”… Sweden called, they want their colors back… WORD UP, Orange revolution!
Best Name: Vladislav Vashchuk - sounds like someone should be playing for the Red Wings…
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: Carolina Panthers… both newer teams on the block… both have had a little success… both depend on one man to score (Shevchenko/Steve Smith)… can you tell I’ve been waiting a long time to use this one?
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . The golden boot
Proof of goalscoring prowess that's guaranteed to catch the eye and valuable enough to attract those who collect the world's most prestigious footwear. But as a unit you'd have to conclude that it's not particularly useful
Chances: A trip to the second round where they’ll probably face France. Seeing that France is France, an upset isn’t out of the question. Could they reach the semis? Probably not.
OUR PREDICTION
Spain (7), The Ukraine (6), Tunisia (4), The Kingdom (0)… and we hope the Kingdom goes out scoring no goals and getting 13 scored on them. Take your oil and terrorists and hang out with the Soviets.
Instead of giving IN DEPTH REPORTS on each team, we’ll leave that to those who know and see the game more often that we do. So if you want an informative and humorous take on each team, we suggest That’s On Point. Here’s the link to Angola, the Netherlands, and USA respectively from the fine bloggers at That’s On Point. Read them. Enjoy them. I love them and you should too. As for the rest… we’re going to use our buddies at the Guardian for help. They seem to like us a real lot and we know we like them.
For Info on Groups A and B go here
And for Info on Groups C and D go here
Group E and F you ask?
Least we forget Group G!
Oh and if you really care about checking out ALL the jerseys from the World Cup this year… go here.
And what is developing as a funny World Cup subplot… a German newspaper called Beckham’s kids dwarfs. Becks isn’t happy about that. Then I just heard on the Guardian podcast, the editor of the newspaper where this stuff was said say in a very German voice, “In Germany, we call kids dwarfs. It’s endearing.” Let the laughs begin!
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu where Real Madrid plays, taken by VFLOABGroup H
Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine
Saudi Arabia
Their Deal: A team that looks good in qualification, but then again the competitions isn’t the greatest. All their players come from the Saudi domestic league which isn’t well known for its stellar competition. This is the same team that was destroyed 8-0 to Germany four years ago. Maybe they’ll only lose 5-0 to the Ukraine this year.
Nickname: Al Akhdar (the Green), though I think if they went with the Muhammads it’d be funny and show that they’ve got a bit of a sense of humor. Of course that was a secular joke, so forget it.
World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 1994 on semi-home soil of the USA
Stud Muffin: Goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Deayea only has 181 caps… between duty for his club team, national team, and praying five times a day how does he have time for the kids? He’s only 33 btw, it’s not like he’s 42 and has that many caps.
Random Thoughts: I forget are they the good guys or bad guys? binBaby is from the Kingdom… most of the jagbags that flew the planes on 9/11 were from the Kingdom, a lot of these Jihadists are from the Kingdom… but they’re on our side? WHAT AM I MISSING?!?!... Oh that’s right were in bed politically with the Kingdom because they have oil and a shite load of money invested in this country. HOT… He look, OIL… I’d love to go to Mecca someday, but being a non-Muslim I’m on the outside looking in on that one. Literally.
Best Name: Umm, Abdulaziz Al-Khathran because it sort of sounds like a bad rap name.
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: The BYU football team… hey they can win in the WAC, get run over every where else.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Flip-flops free with a magazine
Here they are again, on display to a vast audience. But beware: they may look OK but expect low quality to tell soon. History shows they could fall apart the minute they're given a run out
Chances: Getting a point off of Tunisia would be sweet and take away some of that sting from getting killed by Germany 8-0… that’s probably a best case scenario… not losing by 6 would be cool too.
Spain
Their Deal: On talent alone, they might be the most complete team in the tournament… but it’s Spain. So that means they’re going to underachieve and make everyone wonder why they came up short again. Basically Spain is what a United Kingdom team would look like… a lot of fighting between the English (Castilian), the Scots (Catalonia), and Irish [Northern Ireland] (Basque) and that’s probably why they haven’t won a World Cup. But Civil Wars to that to countries, maybe that’s why the US hasn’t won the World Baseball Classic yet… seriously though, the Spanish have a ton of talent and some depth too. If some how they ‘put it all together’ they could win this whole thing.
Nickname: La Furia Roja (the Red Fury)
World Cup Best: Fourth place 1950 (just as good as the US and South Korea btw)
Stud Muffin: Xavi, who plays for Barca, is really good; Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid) can score goals, and Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) is one of the top goaltenders in the world. Take a pick.
Random Thoughts: Shocking I know, but Spain didn’t join the EU until 1986, only 4 years prior to East Germany (well sort of)… Ex-GF#1’s sister lives in Madrid… I’ve been to Madrid twice (yes that's VFLOAB singing Lionel Richie on the left), by the time I left it the second time, I grew to love it… True Fact: while out one night in Madrid, we made friends with a Peruvian, an Argentine who grew up in Madrid, and German. They then took us to a bar, where I met an American who was like 23 and planning on making film noir movies set in 1950s San Francisco (he also mentioned a director whom I had never and will never hear of again). Now drunk, I met two Swedes who I start chatting about sports, I was doing most of the talking even asking them at one point “So do you like Freddie Ljungberg or Peter Forsberg more?” Thinking I was insane, I rephrased my question, “Futball or hockey?” They both said soccer... Oh and we went to this bitty sandwich place which was awesome, and well, this isn’t a travel blog of Madrid is it?... I like this team a lot, being a soccer novice they’re my pick, which probably means they’ll go crashing out in the round of 16… I’m telling you, that bitty sandwich place was amazing… I like their colors, the yellow and red is very under used… St. Ignatius of Loyola was from the Basque Country and therefore we have a soft spot in our hears for ‘dem Basques… not sure but Atlético Bilbao might still have a Basque players only rule… the Spanish top flight is probably the best division in football despite what the English say (Spanish teams hold both the Champions League and EURO Cup and both beat English teams in the final)… Barcelona vs Real Madrid is sort of like Rangers/Celtic from what we gather and experienced in Paris in 2003 when we watched the two go at it and the entire bar/lounge was a little too into the gameBest Name: Xabi Alonso
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: Okay think of a team that’s always good but always loses in the end, and when I say lose, they lose way before they should and to teams they shouldn’t lose too. Michigan and Georgia football come to mind, as do the San Diego Chargers, any team managed by Tony La Russa, the San Francisco Giants come to mind also… Texas football and White Sox baseball prior to this year sort of fit the bill… all of them have nothing on Spain.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Rupert Sanderson
Have been tipped by fashionistas as the next big thing for quite a few seasons now but, despite the obvious quality, they've yet to experience major mainstream success. Could this be their year?
Chances: They should dominate their group and then march on to the quarters where they’d probably face Brazil. The winner of that game, in our opinion here at VFLOAB will go on to win the World Cup. That means take Brazil and don’t look back.
Tunisia
Their Deal: They actually might hold Africa’s best chance to get a team into the second round, which is a bit of a bummer, since they’re probably the 3rd best African side, but play in a weaker group. Not bad, not good, shouldn’t cause too many problems, but shouldn’t be easy to break down.
Nickname: Les Aigles de Carthage (Carthage Eagles)
World Cup Best: Group Stage in 1978, 1998, and 2002
Stud Muffin: Honestly, I have no clue. Radhi Jaidi has a lot of caps and plays in England.
Random Thoughts: I’ve got to admit, I’ve always been intrigued by Carthage… you think they’d love to finish second and face France in the second round? I do... You know this is like the fourth country that’s a former French colony and can’t wait to play the French, yet do former British colonies have the same detest towards the English? Doesn’t seem that way… I’m looking forward to the Arab Battle of Tunisia v the Kingdom… I have nothing to add. And Spain was really long wasn’t it?
Best Name: Kaies Ghodhbane??
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: San Diego Padres… not bad… not good… and in the end, not much of a threat.
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . Clogs
Functional for sure but they offer a rarity value which makes them worth a peek. But, face it, the design is fairly basic and global domination is unlikely. May prove leaden-footed against quicker opponents
Chances: They could make the round of 16 if they could get a point off of Spain or beat the Ukraine. Says here they won’t.
The Cute Couple...The Ukraine
Their Deal: Hey look! Andriy Shevchenko and his wife! And then Andriy Shevchenko and ten other guys! Or that’s what everyone and everything I read says. But they’ve become the dark horses for the tournament. I guess those 10 other fellas aren’t half bad. We’ll find out of course.
Nickname: Zbirna/Sbornaya (Selection, in Ukrainian and Russian)
World Cup Best: Well considering that they didn’t even exist as a World Cup team until 1991, this is their first trip.
Stud Muffin: Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea, formally of Milan) – He may be the best striker in the world… Henry would probably disagree, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone as good as Shevchenko. You know what - just watch his highlights set to SlimShady:
Random Thoughts: Is it The Ukraine or Ukraine? I like The Ukraine because then we’ve got a hat trick of The in the World Cup (The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, and The Ukraine)… When I woke up this morning, I never thought I’d find a video of the virtual Shevchenko scoring goals. But I did… Not like we needed a reason to root for The Ukraine, but Shevchoenko’s wife, Kristen Pazik, is American (Twin Cities baby) and also apparently attractive (this also means in about five years we’ll see Shevchenko in MLS!)… “I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak.”… Sweden called, they want their colors back… WORD UP, Orange revolution!
Best Name: Vladislav Vashchuk - sounds like someone should be playing for the Red Wings…
American Sports Team They Best Compare To: Carolina Panthers… both newer teams on the block… both have had a little success… both depend on one man to score (Shevchenko/Steve Smith)… can you tell I’ve been waiting a long time to use this one?
For the Women: If they were shoes . . . The golden boot
Proof of goalscoring prowess that's guaranteed to catch the eye and valuable enough to attract those who collect the world's most prestigious footwear. But as a unit you'd have to conclude that it's not particularly useful
Chances: A trip to the second round where they’ll probably face France. Seeing that France is France, an upset isn’t out of the question. Could they reach the semis? Probably not.
OUR PREDICTION
Spain (7), The Ukraine (6), Tunisia (4), The Kingdom (0)… and we hope the Kingdom goes out scoring no goals and getting 13 scored on them. Take your oil and terrorists and hang out with the Soviets.
13.6.06
Outclassed
Czech’s win 3-nil… some thoughts…
We’re going to hear and read a lot about how bad the US was. They weren’t that bad. They just got beat by a much better team. I think a lot of people, especially those on TV for ESPN, had convinced themselves that the US was going to beat the Czechs. That clearly wasn’t the case. The Czechs were THAT much better. Anyway, some of the criticism will be deserved (I’m sorry but Beasley was terrible and Donovan wasn’t much better). There was no one that stood out or took over the game which hurt the US, Renya tried a bit, but it wasn’t happening. But they didn’t play all that bad, it sort of hard to explain, they were out classed, not necessarily out played. Sure the fact that no one had a OUT OF THEIR MIND game hurt the States, but to have beaten the Czechs the US would have needed poor performances from Nedved who was all over the place, and Rosicky who was always in the right place. In a way, it’s almost amazing the similarities between the US hockey team (bunch of hard working, with some speed, but lacking play making ability) and the soccer team. Think of Nedved as an inspired Jagr and Rosicky as like Elias.
The US wasn’t terrible. They weren’t out worked. But they lacked imagination and got very little from the wings today, Convey tried a bit, but nothing came of it for the most part. Poor defense lead to the first goal. The second goal was a fairly poor clear, but I’m not buying that, I think Onyewu did his job but no one in the midfield was there to pick that ball up. It didn’t help that it was an amazing shot. The third goal the US got caught too far up and didn't mark well. The second half was very uninspiring. I'm not totally sure we would have beaten England, but we would have at least gotten a nil-nil draw.
Only reason the US was down 1-0 instead of up 1-0 was bad luck (Renya's post, 28th minute) and a combination of the fact that we still have no left back and then poor marking. It would have been nice if someone would have marked Koller too. For some reason Onyewu was being blamed for this, but from what I could tell, Eddie Pope was the one marking Koller there. Maybe there was a mix up… I don’t know. Onyewu was in the area, but it appeared that Pope was the one marking Koller at that point. But I would love to know where Eddie Lewis was. Grygera had all day and most of the day before to find Koller, let him make his run, and then deliver a near perfect ball. The US doesn’t have a natural left back and it showed there.
Renya's post probably was the 'difference', the moment the didn't go in, that was it.
Rosicky's goal was sick... not much you can do there... it wasn’t that poor of a clear. Nedved’s shot was launched into the middle, Onyewu did his job getting it out of there. A US midfielder should have been around there to take care of the rest, but that shot was sick. A 'goal of the tournament' type shot.
Dave O'Brien is a moron.
THe US was trying to create, but we don't have many playmakers, especially when Beasley has a crappy game and Landon does Landon things (basically nothing against good teams). They were crossing and trying to create, but it's not there. It's weird, as a whole it doesn't seem that bad, individually it was pretty poor. The US does a lot of running and crossing and passing, but not much seems to come of it. It's sort of like watching 11 Beckham's out there... HA! No, in a way it was a very typical US game, a lot of running, a lot of build up, but nothing comes of it. A lack of finishing hurts at times...
The US came out more than flat in the second half, and did almost nothing... if it wasn't for Eddie Johnson the US wouldn't have done anything. I think this is what people are upset about… a very poor second half where the completely let the Czechs control the game. Landon HAS to play in the midfield against Italy... Johnson and McBride up front. Beasley does get back on D, so I'd go with him over Convey, but I’d have a quick trigger on him. Renya and O'Brien in the midfield. Who knows about right and left back.
Anyway, they got nothing from Beasley, only thing he did was make a nice pass early on and then a nice tackle in the second half. In fact his second half wasn’t as bad since Arena used him as a defender. But you would figure his speed would have caused some problems. It didn’t. I’m not even sure he tried to make a run the entire game. Donovan was probably playing out of position up front, or at least that's what I'm hoping since I'm not sure he did anything today besides make two nice passes, which isn’t saying much. The US just got nothing down the wings which then makes McBride not as useful. The D recovered after a poor start, then got burned on the last goal.
The Czechs getting the lead early was huge since it allowed them to sit back and counter attack. Rosicky is really good. He was almost as good as Robben in fact. The Czechs are a much better team... they have it and the US doesn't have it yet. If this was Czechs vs Angola/Iran/Paraguay it would have been like 8-0.
The US was not as bad as they were saying on TV, they were a bit unlucky, Johnson almost bagged two goals. They didn't deserve a win or tie, but I'm not half as dejected as I thought I'd be. They could still beat Italy if they can find someone, anyone, to play an inspired game in the midfield. That’s what killed the US today. Their midfield play did nothing to support the back line or forwards.
Just wondering, but what are Donovan’s stats against half way decent teams? Who knows what went down in Germany, but fact is he’s back in the States after two ‘failed’ stints. He looks great against the Honduras and El Salvadors of the world, but has he ever done anything against top flight competition? I don’t know the answer off the top of my head, that’s why I’m asking. I’m disappointed, but I haven’t lost all hope. The Czechs looked as good as the Dutch and Argentina (if not better). The US, we should all know, is not at that level. In order to beat a team at that level, they need some luck, some inspired play, they need to take it to the other side (which, I will admit, they did not do for the post part yesterday), they need the other side to be off their best a bit, and they need some great performances from their best players. They didn’t get any luck, they lacks inspiration, they sat back and waited far too often (but there were a few times when the US looked as if they COULD take it to the Czechs if they would), the Czechs were at their best, and only Renya looked like he was capable of having a great game. The problem was that no one else was capable and thus dragged him down. And let’s also give credit to the Czech back line which I thought was fantastic. Hard to blame the US for that. I'll say it again, Dave O'Brien doesn't know what he's talking about.
Some round up…
-- I thought the Guardian minute by minute report was the closest to reflecting what I saw yesterday.
-- I agree here, I doubt we see Beasley against the Italians. He’s becoming a bit of a scapegoat, which is unfair because he didn’t cost the US the game, but something needs to change. This is a pretty fair look at both Beasley and Landon.
-- This might be a bit harsh on these players, but you can’t argue with some of the comments made.
-- A very honest and very insightful look at the US/Czech game yesterday. The last part of this ‘blog entry’ is the best imo.
We’re going to hear and read a lot about how bad the US was. They weren’t that bad. They just got beat by a much better team. I think a lot of people, especially those on TV for ESPN, had convinced themselves that the US was going to beat the Czechs. That clearly wasn’t the case. The Czechs were THAT much better. Anyway, some of the criticism will be deserved (I’m sorry but Beasley was terrible and Donovan wasn’t much better). There was no one that stood out or took over the game which hurt the US, Renya tried a bit, but it wasn’t happening. But they didn’t play all that bad, it sort of hard to explain, they were out classed, not necessarily out played. Sure the fact that no one had a OUT OF THEIR MIND game hurt the States, but to have beaten the Czechs the US would have needed poor performances from Nedved who was all over the place, and Rosicky who was always in the right place. In a way, it’s almost amazing the similarities between the US hockey team (bunch of hard working, with some speed, but lacking play making ability) and the soccer team. Think of Nedved as an inspired Jagr and Rosicky as like Elias.
The US wasn’t terrible. They weren’t out worked. But they lacked imagination and got very little from the wings today, Convey tried a bit, but nothing came of it for the most part. Poor defense lead to the first goal. The second goal was a fairly poor clear, but I’m not buying that, I think Onyewu did his job but no one in the midfield was there to pick that ball up. It didn’t help that it was an amazing shot. The third goal the US got caught too far up and didn't mark well. The second half was very uninspiring. I'm not totally sure we would have beaten England, but we would have at least gotten a nil-nil draw.
Only reason the US was down 1-0 instead of up 1-0 was bad luck (Renya's post, 28th minute) and a combination of the fact that we still have no left back and then poor marking. It would have been nice if someone would have marked Koller too. For some reason Onyewu was being blamed for this, but from what I could tell, Eddie Pope was the one marking Koller there. Maybe there was a mix up… I don’t know. Onyewu was in the area, but it appeared that Pope was the one marking Koller at that point. But I would love to know where Eddie Lewis was. Grygera had all day and most of the day before to find Koller, let him make his run, and then deliver a near perfect ball. The US doesn’t have a natural left back and it showed there.Renya's post probably was the 'difference', the moment the didn't go in, that was it.
Rosicky's goal was sick... not much you can do there... it wasn’t that poor of a clear. Nedved’s shot was launched into the middle, Onyewu did his job getting it out of there. A US midfielder should have been around there to take care of the rest, but that shot was sick. A 'goal of the tournament' type shot.
Dave O'Brien is a moron.
THe US was trying to create, but we don't have many playmakers, especially when Beasley has a crappy game and Landon does Landon things (basically nothing against good teams). They were crossing and trying to create, but it's not there. It's weird, as a whole it doesn't seem that bad, individually it was pretty poor. The US does a lot of running and crossing and passing, but not much seems to come of it. It's sort of like watching 11 Beckham's out there... HA! No, in a way it was a very typical US game, a lot of running, a lot of build up, but nothing comes of it. A lack of finishing hurts at times...
The US came out more than flat in the second half, and did almost nothing... if it wasn't for Eddie Johnson the US wouldn't have done anything. I think this is what people are upset about… a very poor second half where the completely let the Czechs control the game. Landon HAS to play in the midfield against Italy... Johnson and McBride up front. Beasley does get back on D, so I'd go with him over Convey, but I’d have a quick trigger on him. Renya and O'Brien in the midfield. Who knows about right and left back.
Anyway, they got nothing from Beasley, only thing he did was make a nice pass early on and then a nice tackle in the second half. In fact his second half wasn’t as bad since Arena used him as a defender. But you would figure his speed would have caused some problems. It didn’t. I’m not even sure he tried to make a run the entire game. Donovan was probably playing out of position up front, or at least that's what I'm hoping since I'm not sure he did anything today besides make two nice passes, which isn’t saying much. The US just got nothing down the wings which then makes McBride not as useful. The D recovered after a poor start, then got burned on the last goal.
The Czechs getting the lead early was huge since it allowed them to sit back and counter attack. Rosicky is really good. He was almost as good as Robben in fact. The Czechs are a much better team... they have it and the US doesn't have it yet. If this was Czechs vs Angola/Iran/Paraguay it would have been like 8-0.The US was not as bad as they were saying on TV, they were a bit unlucky, Johnson almost bagged two goals. They didn't deserve a win or tie, but I'm not half as dejected as I thought I'd be. They could still beat Italy if they can find someone, anyone, to play an inspired game in the midfield. That’s what killed the US today. Their midfield play did nothing to support the back line or forwards.
Just wondering, but what are Donovan’s stats against half way decent teams? Who knows what went down in Germany, but fact is he’s back in the States after two ‘failed’ stints. He looks great against the Honduras and El Salvadors of the world, but has he ever done anything against top flight competition? I don’t know the answer off the top of my head, that’s why I’m asking. I’m disappointed, but I haven’t lost all hope. The Czechs looked as good as the Dutch and Argentina (if not better). The US, we should all know, is not at that level. In order to beat a team at that level, they need some luck, some inspired play, they need to take it to the other side (which, I will admit, they did not do for the post part yesterday), they need the other side to be off their best a bit, and they need some great performances from their best players. They didn’t get any luck, they lacks inspiration, they sat back and waited far too often (but there were a few times when the US looked as if they COULD take it to the Czechs if they would), the Czechs were at their best, and only Renya looked like he was capable of having a great game. The problem was that no one else was capable and thus dragged him down. And let’s also give credit to the Czech back line which I thought was fantastic. Hard to blame the US for that. I'll say it again, Dave O'Brien doesn't know what he's talking about.
Some round up…
-- I thought the Guardian minute by minute report was the closest to reflecting what I saw yesterday.
-- I agree here, I doubt we see Beasley against the Italians. He’s becoming a bit of a scapegoat, which is unfair because he didn’t cost the US the game, but something needs to change. This is a pretty fair look at both Beasley and Landon.
-- This might be a bit harsh on these players, but you can’t argue with some of the comments made.
-- A very honest and very insightful look at the US/Czech game yesterday. The last part of this ‘blog entry’ is the best imo.
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