Running, all-purpose World Cup thread

as soon as the WC coverage ended, local abc affiliate switched over to a local church's broadcast. there's a very effeminate music minister leading the congregation in hymns. I found that somehow fitting after all the flopping that took place in the match I just watched. if only the hymns were in italian it would have been perfect.

 

Flopping is just a part of the game. It's not really looked down upon over there as it is over here.

 

EkoARG, I'm bitching about the officiating as a whole. I'm not saying it was unfair to the US. I'm saying it was horrible officiating for both sides. The official, with his quick whistle and card pulling, took away the rhthym of the game and any semblance of soccer. THAT'S what I'm bitching about.

 

Pablo was going at that guy's plant foot late. I think there was intent to injure.

I've watched damn near every single match since the tournament started (I had ankle surgery on Monday and am mostly immobile) ... and I haven't seen many slides like that. These guys know how to slide to avoid injury. That was at the guy's plant foot.

P.S.: That late yellow on the Italian defender was pretty dumb. Yellow? For that?

P.S.S.: I agree on the flopping. You oughta watch France and England play if you want flopping. Today wasn't bad at all.

 

Preach brotha preach!

 

EJ compared the World Cup to a war the other day. I figure Arena kept him on the bench for that.

Sepp Blatter runs FIFA. All you need to know, really.


So ... headlines?

Ghana declines Czechs

 

Amen, they have to finish some of those to have a chance against Ghana. I don't think they can count on another own goal.

 

I said it earlier and I'll say it again. that's exactly why this sport will never fly in america. the average american sports fan wants a john wayne-style tough guy in his athlete. some european fruit loop with long hair who flops around like he's just been shot, gets carried off on a stretcher only to hop up like nothing happened a few seconds later...well they're gonna HATE that. they're like little bill laimbeers with accents running around out there, and he's probably among the 20 most-hated american athletes of my lifetime.

I enjoyed today's match, but I have no faith in Americans ever truly embracing this game. If being a bunch of floppers is what it would take to make the U.S. a more competitive team on the national level, I hope we never get good.

 

Chechs suffer from Ghana-ria

 

on the other hand, I may be starting to understand why european soccer fans are so angry. every time one of those guys was rolling around on the grass, I'd immediately start fuming. woke the dog up when I yelled "get up you pussy!" at the tv. that amused me.

 

That game was one of the worst officiating games ever. Three cards come to mind that were absolute jokes - the two US red cards and the last Italian yellow card. Pablo did not try to hurt the guy. That was a booking and a talking to, not an ejection. It was simply a call to even up the red card Italy got, which should result in a suspension from the tournament. Pope's red was crap. It was a foul, maybe. Then the last Italian yellow card, I just laughed at. That poor guy did nothing to warrant a card.

Twice in the first half, an Italian grabbed a US jersey and the American was called for the foul.

Now on to Italy. What a bunch of pussies. They must attend Greg Louganis' Diving School. It was a dive that led to their goal, and then they bitch when a dive isn't called. How many of their players were carried off on a stretcher today? Was McBride even carried off or did he walk off? I would bet at least five Italians were carried off today like a bunch of pussies.

Italy is everything that's wrong with soccer. And they should be embarrassed. Not only could they not score against nine players but they were outplayed by nine players. That's why watching Argentina, the African nations, Japan, South Korea and the USA is so much fun. They play soccer the right way. Maybe that's those teams' problem - they don't act like pussies enough to win the World Cup.

 

I didn't like Bruce not using that last sub. I kept wanting him to put in some fresh legs, a speedster, up top to try some long balls in the final five minutes.