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The Official World Cup 2006 Thread

Stella said:
This isn't a group of death.. its two good teams - Italy and Czech with two second rate teams... usa and Ghana.
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i'm so ambivalent about the haters. on the one hand, at times they seem just predisposed to dislike the US regardless of results, performance, or even just a gutsy man-down performance like today. sometimes you wonder if they're disliking a team for the country's politics or something, which is as frustrating as it is inane. but on the other hand, their blind certainty that a pretty decent team is terrible occasionally gives them the confidence to say some pretty funny things. this group is not equal at all! the last games of group e will be total yawners now that the two good teams have clearly shown their superiority to the second-rate teams. meanwhile, i'll be glued to the set to see how group c (the REAL group of death!) turns out.

(i'm certainly not saying group c wasn't a loaded group--and i'm really sad to see ivory coast go especially. with their pace, it's hard to imagine them playing in a boring game.)
 
~Shard~ said:
For getting two of their players red carded, or for letting Italy score their only goal for them? :p :cool:
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Both of those red cards were definitely not deserved. It was the most deserved point of the World Cup since they managed to hang on with 9 men, while making some very nice chances, with the refs making terrible calls left and right. They played very well, and I think they redeemed themselves after the embarrassment against Czechia.
 
Macaddicttt said:
Both of those red cards were definitely not deserved. It was the most deserved point of the World Cup since they managed to hang on with 9 men, while making some very nice chances, with the refs making terrible calls left and right. They played very well, and I think they redeemed themselves after the embarrassment against Czechia.
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I know where you're coming from, was just having some fun (hence the :p )
 
Silencio said:
US did pretty well in the midfield. Too bad they totally bogged down when they reached the penalty area. Italy's defense gets much credit here, but the US isn't amongst the more creative teams out there.
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this is absolutely my biggest gripe about the US team. especially in big games when they seem to get nervous or something, they pass well out of the back, even create rhythm, and then seem to just pass around the penalty area waiting to lose the ball or perhaps for the defense to fall over. they can be very dangerous, and in fact had several good looks and shots today, but sometimes they just won't commit to the attack.
 
Good job by USA getting away with a point from Italy....I watch these games on mute because the sportcasters really don't know how to shut it(I know thats there job but they always push there foot up in there mouths)


Bless
 
fhqwhgads said:
this is absolutely my biggest gripe about the US team. especially in big games when they seem to get nervous or something, they pass well out of the back, even create rhythm, and then seem to just pass around the penalty area waiting to lose the ball or perhaps for the defense to fall over. they can be very dangerous, and in fact had several good looks and shots today, but sometimes they just won't commit to the attack.
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There were some sharp words between Beasley and the U.S. Coach after the coach called him on his lack of any assertive effort in the embarrassing spanking the Czech side gave the U.S. Characteristically, Beasley didn't take it. He also didn't start today. He has great individual talent and speed but has been the focus of talk as being one of those guilty of showing any creative and assertive initiative. His almost goal is pretty typical of his overall performance thus far.
 
:) An easy draw with Brazil should see us through.:)
bear.jpg
 
xsedrinam said:
There were some sharp words between Beasley and the U.S. Coach after the coach called him on his lack of any assertive effort in the embarrassing spanking the Czech side gave the U.S. Characteristically, Beasley didn't take it. He also didn't start today. He has great individual talent and speed but has been the focus of talk as being one of those guilty of showing any creative and assertive initiative. His almost goal is pretty typical of his overall performance thus far.
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agreed--he's playing just terrible. and he's not a player the US can afford to have underperforming. by all accounts dempsey played well in his place today--it'll be interesting to see if arena decides he can't do without beasley's pace against ghana, who are much more athletic and fast-paced than italy was or really ever will be. might not be a bad idea to move him back to his "home" on the left side of the pitch, but quite a risk given his form thus far.
 
It was scores like these that inflated my expectations for this team.
iPhotoScreenSnapz077.jpg

Heres to making it to the next round though I'm not getting my hopes up too high.
 
illegalprelude said:
if you can think of how I can send you a 4GB file, ill gladly send it to you :)
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HOLY CRAP YOU WOULD DO THAT?
through email? zip it?
ahh i dont know :( :( but that would make my da- life lol
 
fhqwhgads said:
i'm so ambivalent about the haters. on the one hand, at times they seem just predisposed to dislike the US regardless of results, performance, or even just a gutsy man-down performance like today. sometimes you wonder if they're disliking a team for the country's politics or something, which is as frustrating as it is inane.
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Maybe outsiders looking in from the outside at obvious marketing/hyping of a normal average but improving team get a little satisfaction from the reality. The US has a couple of stars, plays hard (too hard today!) and put some good moves together and in a dirty and completely bizarre game came out with a deserved point. They got crushed by a sub par Czech team and it looks like on today's performance, Ghana will play the USA off the park too. But there is nothing wrong with that really, it is how sports go. Just as a Czech or Italian "American football team" would look ordinary however athletic and neversay die their team members played against a US side, so the pedigree of out and out soccer nations is thankfully showing through. I say thankfully, cause if upstarts started kicking butt, what the hell would we have to live for over here:D (Looking nervously at what Ghana might do to England if they ever met!)
 
billyboy said:
Maybe outsiders looking in from the outside at obvious marketing/hyping of a normal average but improving team get a little satisfaction from the reality. The US has a couple of stars, plays hard (too hard today!) and put some good moves together and in a dirty and completely bizarre game came out with a deserved point. They got crushed by a sub par Czech team and it looks like on today's performance, Ghana will play the USA off the park too. But there is nothing wrong with that really, it is how sports go. Just as a Czech or Italian "American football team" would look ordinary however athletic and neversay die their team members played against a US side, so the pedigree of out and out soccer nations is thankfully showing through. I say thankfully, cause if upstarts started kicking butt, what the hell would we have to live for over here:D (Looking nervously at what Ghana might do to England if they ever met!)
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that's probably a good point. europeans (and apparently the occasional canadian) need to emphasize or exaggerate the poor performances, minimize or discredit the good performances, and state predicted failures as fact (and create the occasional laughable "fifa wants them to do well so the refs throw the game" conspiracy theory just as a joke, but a joke that feels good) and call it "reality" so that they're not so scared of losing their historical dominance of "their" game. i guess i hadn't looked at it that way. don't worry, we'll go easy on you guys. i promise that not only will we play poorly once in awhile so you can pretend it's the only game we've played in a decade, but i also solemnly swear when the US wins the world cup well over half the nation will not only not gloat, they will remain completely oblivious. :p ;) :D
 
Update on the most important group.

It's all getting very exciting in the group that the whole world is watching. Probably signals are being leaked to outer space and I would not be surprised if the Jovians will be huddled around their space tv's watching the mighty Australians humble the lowly and lightly fancied yet heavily waxed, Brazilians.

If we assume that Brazil will beat Japan on the 22nd. Then Japan must beat Croatia in their match tonight, and they must beat them by 5 goals to have any chance at all. Australia needs Japan to beat Croatia so it is good that Japan have reason to try and score lots of goals. They'll want to win for pride as well otherwise they'll be out with no points at all. But Croatia also need a good goal tally so it should be an exciting game.

Also, hats off to Guus, who has said he'll be playing his strongest team against Brazil even though four players are carrying a yellow card and the Croatia game will be crucial. Unlike Sven who'll be resting his girls for Germany. (edit: insert light hearted smiley face here)
 
Macaddicttt said:
Both of those red cards were definitely not deserved. It was the most deserved point of the World Cup since they managed to hang on with 9 men, while making some very nice chances, with the refs making terrible calls left and right. They played very well, and I think they redeemed themselves after the embarrassment against Czechia.
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totally deserved point and absolutely totally deserved cards.
if you think we got shafted by the ref, you either have blinders on or you you listen too much to that dense commentator who kept sayng that the ref 'ruined it for the fans'.
WTF! when you get into the game to brake your opponent's legs (or their face in derossi's case) instead of playing ball, you are ruining it for the fans.
Just look at the number of fouls in the first half
(in the second the ref at some point decided that he used up his quota of whistles and stopped calling anything, luckily)
 
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