Running, all-purpose World Cup thread

[Ralph Waldo Henderson]

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.

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.

Then I think you've stumbled upon how we can finally win the World Cup: Send over the Duke basketball team.

 

[FuerteJ]

And as for the US lineup, I'm absolutely shocked no Eddie Johnson. I'd throw him and Dempsey in for sure. At least Dempsey is playing.

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

I can totally see that. Didn't even think about that. But still? Why not use Wolff at the end of the game when no one could walk, let alone run?

 

[PeteyPirate]

I thought all three red cards were deserved. The elbow was flagrant, and so was Mastroeni's tackle. Pope's foul wasn't a red in itself, but he already had a yellow so he should have been treading lightly anyway.

 

[kingcreole]

What's the first tiebreaker in group play? Is it head to head? If that's the case, if we and the Czechs are 1-1-1, then the Czechs would go through no matter how bad we would beat Ghana.

 

[beefncheddar]

Well, there goes my sports front breakout on how the U.S. can advance:

For the Americans to advance, they must defeat Ghana in their last game. In addition to beating Ghana, the U.S. team needs one of these scenarios to take place:
1. Italy defeats the Czech Republic.
2. Italy ties the Czech Republic 0-0 or 1-1 AND the United States beats Ghana by at least four goals.
3. Italy ties the Czech Republic 2-2 or with a higher score AND the United States beats Ghana by five or more goals.
4. Italy ties the Czech Republic 2-2 or with a higher score AND the United States beats Ghana by four goals AND the U.S. team scores at least three goals more than the Czechs do in their tie.
5. The Czech Republic beats Italy AND the total combined margin of victory for the Americans and Czechs is six or more.
6. The Czech Republic beats Italy AND the total combined margin of victory for the Americans and Czechs is five AND the U.S. team scores at least three goals more than the Italians do in their loss.
7. The Czech Republic beats Italy AND the total combined margin of victory for the Americans and Czechs is five AND the U.S. team scores exactly two more goals than the Italians do in their loss AND the Americans win a drawing of lots by FIFA.



You're forking kidding me, right? It's THIS convoluted?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I think red cards should factor into one of the tiebreakers, but what do I know.

 

[Gutter]

7. The Czech Republic beats Italy AND the total combined margin of victory for the Americans and Czechs is five AND the U.S. team scores exactly two more goals than the Italians do in their loss AND the Americans win a drawing of lots by FIFA.

I'm sure the U.S. would get a fair shake if it came to a drawing. :

 

[kingcreole]

What a smug dickface. Look at that smile. He later apologized to pretty much everyone except for McBride.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

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 bench 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?

McBride walked off with --- as Gordon Solie used to say --- a crimson mask running down his face.

The Ghanian yellow card suspensions will work in the USA's favor.

Italy will beat the Czech Repubilc.

And hopefully, Brazil will trip over its shoelaces at some point this week.

 

[Blitz]

The dumbass on TV just said, "For me, this has got to be a bigger upset than T&T tying Sweden."

NOBODY has T&T advancing out of the group stage while Ghana has been given a shot.

I do.
http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/27651/

 

[KP]

Don't blame the officiating for this one.

The Mastroeni red card was bullshirt; Eddie Pope's was not.  You simply can't make that tackle when you've already got a yellow card.

And I never, ever feel like the US is a threat on offense.  I'm happy to see the effort return today, but not pleased to see that the team still seems lost once it gets near the goal.

The US is very, very lucky to get out of this with a tie.

(Pope) got ball first. Play on.

EDIT - Also, not using that last sub, that would be looked at like losing a hoop game by less than 3 and leaving a timeout on the scoreboard when you have the ball. At about 85' I would have brought Johnson on for Donovan, he was totally gassed, you need McBride's height in the back and you bring Johnson on in case of a ball hammered out from the back, maybe he can turn it into something. It was the only way they had a shot to win 3 points.

 

[KP]

BBC's take on the game.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853182.stm