*World Cup Game Discussion Thread* (SPOILERS)

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

Martin O'Neill is a brave man - sitting next to Marcel Desailly in the BBC Studio, after Desailly gives glowing praise for Ghana, MON rips both him and Ghana to pieces Desailly's just sat there shaking his head in a strop!

I was dissapointed in Lineker and the generally ball-less BBC though in the introduction. If I were presenting...

"So, Marcel, several of the Italian players have been implicated in a huge matchfixing scandal. I believe you have some personal experience with that..."

Then rapidly make an exit whilst all hell breaks loose.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Gooch is fairly inexperienced at the international level. He only got his first cap a couple of years ago, and I think it pretty much showed in this match. I really think he'll do better the rest of the tournament.

I think this is probably all true. My point is that I don't see why everyone is surprised that the US came out flat when all they've heard for the past week in the US media was how they were so good and how they would beat the Czechs without much worry.

I think this first game is a prime example of the US team reading their own press clippings and thinking they were better than they really are. The US soccer media, though, always treads on the fine line between A) trying to generate US interest in soccer and B) Overhyping the US team to get people to watch the world cup.

I think the media was talking about the US team in a fashion of what they "wished" was the case instead of what an unbiased observer would state actually was the case. Now, numerous sports fans that never follow soccer just watched the US get toasted by the Czechs after hearing from the US media about how great this US team was. And, unfortunately, I'm guessing many will now tune this event out.

[Katon]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

he's gotten lucky...he's been way out of position and rushing out crazily on crosses and such.

He has looked a bit better recently, though, as he's had to deal with more shots and fewer crosses. Actually seems a decent shotstopper, as long as he doesn't have to do anything in the air. Sort of a very poor man's David James.

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by Arles

I think this is probably all true. My point is that I don't see why everyone is surprised that the US came out flat when all they've heard for the past week in the US media was how they were so good and how they would beat the Czechs without much worry.

I think this first game is a prime example of the US team reading their own press clippings and thinking they were better than they really are. The US soccer media, though, always treads on the fine line between A) trying to generate US interest in soccer and B) Overhyping the US team to get people to watch the world cup.

I think the media was talking about the US team in a fashion of what they "wished" was the case instead of what an unbiased observer would state actually was the case. Now, numerous sports fans that never follow soccer just watched the US get toasted by the Czechs after hearing from the US media about how great this US team was. And, unfortunately, I'm guessing many will now tune this event out.

Regardless - there's no excuse for a 3-0 drubbing in your first game. The US looked like Saudi Arabia.

Everyone takes blame for this one, save for maybe Reyna.

[DaddyTorgo]

de rossi got away with that push in the box there. shoulda been a penalty

[cartman]

Yep, the Azzuri got away with one there.

[cartman]

WOW! How could the ref not call that?

[DaddyTorgo]

oh now that's fucking criminal!

[DaddyTorgo]

should be 2 PK's for Ghana in this game. bullshit

[bselig]

I don't watch much soccer, but from what I've seen in the WC, they never call anything in the box

[Cringer]

So the Italians paid off the ref right?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Cringer

So the Italians paid off the ref right?

apparently

[3ric]

I thought Koffour would be sent off. But he wasn't even booked?!? WTF?

Edit:
And Asamoah should have been booked for the worst diving attempt I've seen.

[MIJB#19]

Italy simply forgets to secure the points with a second goal... 10 mins left gor Ghana to tie it.

[Critch]

That should have been a sending off. Just because the guy is offside doesn't give you a license to try to injure him.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I thought Koffour would be sent off. But he wasn't even booked?!? WTF?

Yeah, that was amazing.

[DaddyTorgo]

goal for iaquinta. sloppy backpass by ghana. seeya USA...book your flight home.

[Cringer]

Crap. Book the flight home for the US.

[3ric]

Hoo boy! What a goal by Iaquinta!

[MIJB#19]

Well, there goes the option to a draw...

[aran]

It's a shame that Ghana couldn't get a goal to tie this game. They played with so much heart.

[Katon]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I thought Koffour would be sent off. But he wasn't even booked?!? WTF?

Edit:
And Asamoah should have been booked for the worst diving attempt I've seen.

Maybe the ref was trying to do Italy a favor . . .

Also, is Clive Tyldesley moonlighting for ESPN? The '99 CL final just made its way into the commentary somehow.

[DaddyTorgo]

for the most part though, Ghana has played great. if they were playing the USA today they would have won 1-0 or 2-0.

[Desnudo]

If Ghana could have hit the net they would have been in great shape. They certainly created enough chances.

[AlexB]

Wow - didn;t realise that: Italy now unbeaten for 19 games - 11 wins, 8 draws. Impressive.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

should be 2 PK's for Ghana in this game. bullshit

..

[Coffee Warlord]

So now we need to hope the Czechs run the table to have really any chance of the US advancing.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

So now we need to hope the Czechs run the table to have really any chance of the US advancing.

and we have to get a win and a draw. or at least a huge win over ghana or something...my head hurts from all the possibilities

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

and we have to get a win and a draw. or at least a huge win over ghana or something...my head hurts from all the possibilities

Really, our only decent shot is winning out, with that butt ugly -3 GD.

Which, I just noticed, is presently the absolute worst in any group.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Really, our only decent shot is winning out, with that butt ugly -3 GD.

Which, I just noticed, is presently the absolute worst in any group.

32/32 again baby!

and i'm not even sure i'd want to win out just to go into the next round and get squashed by Brazil. because make no mistake, that would be even worse of a game then we saw today IMO. Unless something drastically changed on our side.

[Desnudo]

Johnson to score 6 goals, US goes through with two wins.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Johnson to score 6 goals, US goes through with two wins.

How's the weather there in Desnudonia?

[Desnudo]

The sky is purple and it rains candy canes.

[SunDevil]

And everyone lives in a yellow submarine...

[Fighter of Foo]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

32/32 again baby!

and i'm not even sure i'd want to win out just to go into the next round and get squashed by Brazil. because make no mistake, that would be even worse of a game then we saw today IMO. Unless something drastically changed on our side.

Well winning the next two games would necessitate some pretty big changes.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Fighter of Foo

Well winning the next two games would necessitate some pretty big changes.

true. but my point is that even if we were to win the next two games we would have to be astronomically better even than that to get a result against brazil that wasn't an embarassment.

[RPI-Fan]

To everyone I talked shit about the U.S.: I was blatantly wrong.

This team fucking sucks. We have no heart, passion, desire, or team spirit.

[GrantDawg]

Just watched the game on Tivo. Ugh. Maybe we can get one win out of this Cup and they'll stop showing the "never won a WC match in Europe" tag every 5 minutes.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

To everyone I talked shit about the U.S.: I was blatantly wrong.

This team fucking sucks. We have no heart, passion, desire, or team spirit.

I'll accept the apology, even if I think you're being too harsh on them. The Czechs, by all account, were fucking brilliant, and it would have taken an amazing team to stop them today.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

To everyone I talked shit about the U.S.: I was blatantly wrong.

This team fucking sucks. We have no heart, passion, desire, or team spirit.

Have faith. We will beat Italy and Ghana!

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I'll accept the apology, even if I think you're being too harsh on them. The Czechs, by all account, were fucking brilliant, and it would have taken an amazing team to stop them today.

I only wonder what would have happened if WE had the stunning goal (Reyna, not Rosicky). Maybe we would have ACTED like we cared.

Alas,

[RPI-Fan]

Also, what exactly was our tactic this game?

If you're going to play with Dolo and Lewis as your fullbacks (which I'm not necessarily inherently against), you have GOT to play a box midfield. A box midfield was our only chance today, and I knew it all along. The only way we were going to hurt Cech and his monster defensemen was to run right at them. Like Landon did very early in the game, and like we did for our few chances in the second half.

O'Brien played some GREAT balls in the second half over-the-top that the Czechs somehow got to. If O'Brien's crafty chips don't get by the Czechs, nobody's will.

I usually give Arena the benefit of the doubt, but I can say today that he failed us.

[GrantDawg]

Backbiting after a big loss
American players, coach point blame in humiliating opener

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/12/06 Gelsenkirchen, Germany — It took less than five minutes for the United States to fall behind in its World Cup opener Monday night. It took only slightly longer after the 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic for U.S. coach Bruce Arena to question his players' courage and for a player to second-guess Arena's strategy.
Arena singled out Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Kasey Keller for poor play. Beasley criticized Arena's strategy. Keller challenged his coach's analysis. And the biggest loss by any team so far in this World Cup left the U.S. team reeling.
"Players as well as coaches are a bit shocked," forward Josh Wolff said. "We didn't expect to lose 3-0."
This U.S. team hoped to build on the accomplishments of the 2002 squad that reached the World Cup quarterfinals. Instead, it delivered a performance more reminiscent of the 1998 World Cup in France, when it went 0-3 and scored only one goal.
The bickering in 1998 started early, too.
On Monday, the team with "United we play . . . United we win" painted on its bus sounded anything but. Arena started the finger-pointing.
"We got nothing out of Beasley tonight," he said. "Landon showed no aggressiveness," he said. And he blamed Keller for doing the soccer equivalent of out-kicking his coverage to start the sequence that led to the first goal.
Beasley fired back, saying he thought the Americans should have used four backs, three midfielders and three forwards in the second half instead of the three backs, five midfielders and two forwards Arena used. And he took exception to Arena's criticism.
"I was back there defending the whole time," Beasley said. "I don't know what he wants me to do. Next time I'll play as a striker instead of a midfielder and then see what happens."
The Czechs, an older team beset by injuries, were expected to be vulnerable if the Americans could keep up the pressure. Instead, the Czechs scored in the fifth minute and added a goal before halftime. Arena said the first goal was the key, and he questioned the judgment of Keller, a veteran on his fourth World Cup team.
"Kasey for whatever reason puts the ball up the field where we have nobody," Arena said.
The Czechs not only gained possession but caught the U.S. team out of position. An uncontested cross over two U.S. defenders led to Jan Koller's uncontested header, which easily beat Keller.
Keller pleaded innocent.
"It's not like I rolled the ball out there and they volleyed it in," he said.
Koller, a 6-foot-7 1/2 striker, left the game with a leg injury Czech coach Karel Bruckner described as "quite serious." But midfielder Tomas Rosicky showed he could provide plenty of offense, too.
Rosicky fired a 30-yard shot into the corner of the net for the second goal, then broke past the U.S. defense for the third.
Claudio Reyna had the best U.S. scoring chance, a shot from 7 yards outside the penalty box that hit the post in the 28th minute. Late in the game, a crossing pass from Bobby Convey passed inches in front of the onrushing Eddie Johnson a few feet from the net.
Next for the United States, a must-win match Saturday against Italy— a 2-0 victor over Ghana Monday — one of the favorites to win the World Cup. The Americans have some recovering to do.
"We've got to make sure that the Czech Republic doesn't beat us twice," Arena said.
"We've got to put this game behind us."
And mend some fences, too.

[GrantDawg]

Arena attacking the players in the press after the match? Fire him now.

[DaddyTorgo]

that's just really really poor form by arena. and by the players too for that matter, although it sounds like they were mostly reacting. gotta stick together guys

[Coffee Warlord]

Whelp. That shit right there just sealed the US's fate. They are doomed.

[RPI-Fan]

By the way, I want to give props to Jan Koller. He was a class act.

Even in his 30 minutes against us I could tell he is a classy footballer and I will root for him and the Czechs because of it.

[Jonathan Ezarik]

Arena attacked Kasey Keller? Didn't he get the memo from Lalas that Keller is the best keeper in the world?

Who do we get to replace Arena after the WC (since he will obviously be gone)? Do we go after a foreign coach, or try the domestic route again?

[GoldenEagle]

Gus Hiddik (sp?) to the US after this World Cup.

[RPI-Fan]

A foreign coach won't work in the U.S. They won't understand the way we need to play to do well.

Arena just has too much loyalty. Aside from that one fault there is nobody better for our team than him.