Running, all-purpose World Cup thread

Difference between Ronaldinho/Zidane and C. Ronaldo? Heart.
C. Ronaldo isn't a great passer? You must have slept through Wednesday's game.
But will he ever have the same ability to lead and direct as the other two, or will he just make cute plays? I haven't seen any hint of that quality in him.

 

There probably won't be enough soccer specific stadia by that time. The league should suspend play. All soccer fans will skip the MLS match to watch the World Cup match at home or the bar.


Twoback, C. Ronaldo had a great game against France. He really was on the ball and made some solid passes. His history just doesn't show this. He has exceptional touch and can dribble around, through and over players, but he reaches a point where he needs to shoot or pass and it just doesn't work out that well. He's still young, so I'm sure it will improve. With time, he could lead Portugal.

 

I've watched about 90% of the Mau United games over the past three years and can tell you C. Ronaldo is this close to being considered among the best in the world. Great speed, marvelous control, excellent crosser and a good header of the ball. His biggest probelm is that his timing on passing and shooting is often just a tick off. Passes are delivered 1/2 second too late. He shoots when he should cross. Until this WC, he was doing a better job on the diving. For a 21 year old who played the past year with a lot of personal turmoil, he did a fantastic job.

Ronaldinho is the best offensive minded player in the world, although he really drifted in this WC. I wonder if he was tired -- Barca played a lot of games.

Zizou has to be considered as the best player since Fat Maradona. I think that he was already, but the last three games have confirmed it. It's funny -- he has zero chemistry with Henry -- but France are still in the final. But if France win, there is a real argument that Makelele and Vieira are the MVPs.

 

I think Ronaldo is spectacularly talented, but until those results translate to production and excellence, I'm going to continue referring to him as spectacularly talented.

 

Should the final go to extra time, do they keep the two OTs-PK format? Or do they add a couple OTs before going to PKs? And will they make it golden goal? Please tell me OT for the title is golden goal.

I only ask because in the Illinois high school playoffs, they use two 10-minute, golden-goal OTs before going to PKs until the final. For the title, they play four 10-minute, golden-goal OTs before PKs if needed.

 

The format stays the same.

 

His production has been pretty good, but not for a player of his talent. Barring injury, he'll take that next step in the next two years.

 

Watch parties at the stadium. It's worked before.

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Already up and running -- Home Despot Center (El Lay, Gringo Goats), Crew Stadium (Cbus), Bridgeview (Chicago), Frisco (FCD).
Under construction/defined plans -- Commerce City (Colorado), Harrison (MetroBulls), Poplar Point (DC), Toronto.
Limbo -- Houston, New England (won't move unless Kraft funds new digs or sells the team), Salt Lake, KC, mystery 14th expansion team.

Seeing as Houston, SLC and the expansion team will only get franchises because of SSS plans, I'd say the odds are pretty good that MLS and the World Cup could co-exist (could, not necessarily will).

 

If all the foreign-sounding announcers were out, then how did the comedy duo of Adrian Healy and Tommy Smyth get in there?

Was it bad in spots? Sure. Was it as bad as Jingo Jack or the announcing at US '94? Not even close. Baby steps, people.

 

Balboa is currently on WFAN talking to Chris Russo who seems intent on not discussing the games at the World Cup. He wants to talk about overtime rules, penalty kicks, diving, etc.

 

This from America's favorite apostrophated soccer writer, Frank Dell'Apa:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=373319&root=us&cc=3888

Frank is wrong about not going outside North America for international events other than the World Cup, though. The 2003 Confederations Cup (France) and the 2000 Olympics (Australia) come to mind.

The next Copa America is 6/26-7/15/07 in, of all countries, Venezuela. The CONCAlaugh Gold Cup is 6/6-24 in the US. A chance for Bruce to blood the young'uns? A place for the new coach to test out his scheme? Discuss.

 

Definitely a good idea to get the boys as much international experience as they can get before S.A. 2010. Ideally, they'll get even more if they can play abroad.

They can try to build MLS all they want, but until the atmosphere rivals the intensity of playing in the EPL or Serie A or Bundesliga or La Liga (and it never will), it's still going to be the equivalent of playing in Triple-A all season, then jumping into the World Series, expecting to compete with the best teams in the major leagues.