Italy plays USA... thoughts/ predictions
Hester @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 10:59 am
It is on at noon PST (in one hour) on Rogers Sportsnet. Pregame starts at 11:30.
Sorry for the scores, Great Briton. I've been recording all the games. At least in Canada there's no one to tell me the scores. I encountered a guy on Thursday who didn't even know the World Cup was on. Poor bastard.
danikyvor @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:05 am
the game just finished here in Europe, about 15 minutes ago. lol
Right now the Churchill Cup Rugby is being aired live from Edmonton!
Hester @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:07 am
GreatBriton GreatBriton:
This result shows how weak the USA team are.
The Czech Republic thrashed the Americans 3-0 in their first group game, and everyone then started calling the Czech team a "powerhouse" and saying that they are genuine World Cup contenders. But all the time I was thinking: "But the Czech Republic was playing the USA, not the strongest opposition. If the Czechs had beaten Argentina or Brazil 3-0, then it WOULD have been a good scoreline." But then when the Czech played Ghana, they were beaten 2-0. So it shows how poor this American team are when playing stronger opposition from European rather than minnows from North and Central America.
The Czech Republic thrashed the Americans 3-0 in their first group game, and everyone then started calling the Czech team a "powerhouse" and saying that they are genuine World Cup contenders. But all the time I was thinking: "But the Czech Republic was playing the USA, not the strongest opposition. If the Czechs had beaten Argentina or Brazil 3-0, then it WOULD have been a good scoreline." But then when the Czech played Ghana, they were beaten 2-0. So it shows how poor this American team are when playing stronger opposition from European rather than minnows from North and Central America.
And it was more than just a strong Czech team. The US were very weak everywhere, they were outplayed in all aspects of the game. The looked and played TERRIBLE.
This should be a strong pool: currently the Czechs are ranked #2 in the world, the US #5 and Italy #13. Ghana, gotta love 'em, are ranked #48
How fucked up is the world rankings when the #13 team is favoured to win the pool - a pool they share with #2 and #5?
Brazil is #1, Netherlands #3, Mexico #4, France #8, Argentina #9, England #10, and Germany is #19.
FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking
Hester @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:11 am
dimoreien dimoreien:
the game just finished here in Europe, about 15 minutes ago. lol
Right now the Churchill Cup Rugby is being aired live from Edmonton!
Right now the Churchill Cup Rugby is being aired live from Edmonton!
He means the Italy - US game
And we have the rugby on "The Score". Thanks for the heads up, I had no idea
Hester @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:13 am
England and Ireland playing in Edmonton? In front of a huge crowd of 1500 in an astonishingly empty Commonweath Stadium.
OPP @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:16 am
Hester Hester:
GreatBriton GreatBriton:
This result shows how weak the USA team are.
The Czech Republic thrashed the Americans 3-0 in their first group game, and everyone then started calling the Czech team a "powerhouse" and saying that they are genuine World Cup contenders. But all the time I was thinking: "But the Czech Republic was playing the USA, not the strongest opposition. If the Czechs had beaten Argentina or Brazil 3-0, then it WOULD have been a good scoreline." But then when the Czech played Ghana, they were beaten 2-0. So it shows how poor this American team are when playing stronger opposition from European rather than minnows from North and Central America.
The Czech Republic thrashed the Americans 3-0 in their first group game, and everyone then started calling the Czech team a "powerhouse" and saying that they are genuine World Cup contenders. But all the time I was thinking: "But the Czech Republic was playing the USA, not the strongest opposition. If the Czechs had beaten Argentina or Brazil 3-0, then it WOULD have been a good scoreline." But then when the Czech played Ghana, they were beaten 2-0. So it shows how poor this American team are when playing stronger opposition from European rather than minnows from North and Central America.
And it was more than just a strong Czech team. The US were very weak everywhere, they were outplayed in all aspects of the game. The looked and played TERRIBLE.
This should be a strong pool: currently the Czechs are ranked #2 in the world, the US #5 and Italy #13. Ghana, gotta love 'em, are ranked #48
How fucked up is the world rankings when the #13 team is favoured to win the pool - a pool they share with #2 and #5?
Brazil is #1, Netherlands #3, Mexico #4, France #8, Argentina #9, England #10, and Germany is #19.
FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking
It's fucked up allrigth... Ghana was a pleasant surprize, for me atleast!
Great game! What bothered me though was the pissant with the whistle among the crowd who blew when Ghana had a penalty shot...
danikyvor @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:24 am
Hester--hopefully there's more of a crowd for the Scotland-NZ game! I'm going to try to stay up for the Canada-US game, but that's at 11pm here lol
Hester @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:33 pm
Anyone watching the US - Italy game?
Italy is coming unravelled:
The worst own-goal EVER. And a red card before the 30th minute, for what appeared to be a punch in the face (at least it left the US player bleeding).
(Maybe second worst own-goal ever. In 1994, the US beat Columbia 2-1, assisted by an own goal from the Columbian defender, Andres Escobar. Escobar died in a hail of bullets on returning to Columbia.)
OPP @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:58 pm
Ita - U.S. 1-1
Good match. A bit Blood and an owngoal sprinkled with three red ones... all n' all an entertaining and well played game. The U.S. deserved a point.
BurytheNDPforgood @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:07 pm
OPP OPP:
Ita - U.S. 1-1
Good match. A bit Blood and an owngoal sprinkled with three red ones... all n' all an entertaining and well played game. The U.S. deserved a point.
Good match. A bit Blood and an owngoal sprinkled with three red ones... all n' all an entertaining and well played game. The U.S. deserved a point.
Well done USA. On the whole 90 mins I feel they deserved to win.
Gotta love the I-Ties, they never cease to provide drama in the big tournaments
twister @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:13 pm
OPP OPP:
twister twister:
I believe it will be like this:
Soccer game being played... we shall call it the ITALIAN JOB
Italian waiter played by Team Italia.. USA customer played by TEAM USA
waiter: here you go sir...
customer: what's that?
waiter.. oh that would be the salad and greens, Sir..
customer: no...not that... THAT?
waiter: oh that would be the bun and butter, Sir...
Customer:... no no no not that THAT...?
waiter: Oh that.. so sorry.. yes of course....
Customer Well what is it...?
Waiter: It appears to be your ass on a plate, sir!...LOL
Well ENJOY the FLIGHT home USA.... along with hmmm other world soccer superpowers...Togo, Poland, Costa Rica ( isn't that a US state yet)
Cote d Ivorie, Paraguay, Sebia... and several others taking the bus ride to the airport... Ve hope you had a nice time in Germany... now please to be going f**king home.
Yes of course I know Canada doesn't have a team in World Cup.. you know your right were too busy in this country playing hockey and being #1 ranked in the world at that... cause we keep popping soccer balls with our skates... F**k there goes another one......but once the ice thaws we may really take up this "football thing" it is quite... interesting...
Soccer game being played... we shall call it the ITALIAN JOB
Italian waiter played by Team Italia.. USA customer played by TEAM USA
waiter: here you go sir...
customer: what's that?
waiter.. oh that would be the salad and greens, Sir..
customer: no...not that... THAT?
waiter: oh that would be the bun and butter, Sir...
Customer:... no no no not that THAT...?
waiter: Oh that.. so sorry.. yes of course....
Customer Well what is it...?
Waiter: It appears to be your ass on a plate, sir!...LOL
Well ENJOY the FLIGHT home USA.... along with hmmm other world soccer superpowers...Togo, Poland, Costa Rica ( isn't that a US state yet)
Cote d Ivorie, Paraguay, Sebia... and several others taking the bus ride to the airport... Ve hope you had a nice time in Germany... now please to be going f**king home.
Yes of course I know Canada doesn't have a team in World Cup.. you know your right were too busy in this country playing hockey and being #1 ranked in the world at that... cause we keep popping soccer balls with our skates... F**k there goes another one......but once the ice thaws we may really take up this "football thing" it is quite... interesting...
Canada ranked nr1 in hockey?... You must have missed the Winter Olympics and the World Championship this year.
uhm Sweden can't jus move up 4 places in 1 year... it's done over a five year period... canada still #1 buddy..
twister @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:24 pm
Fucking referee I guess 100,000 people present and on world TV got to see the dickhead from uruguay... great... how many fouls how many free kicks.. how many red and yellow cards... are the USA and Italy going to have enough players to play thier next game.... one of the linesmen should have red carded that incompetant ref... okay two were flagrent fouls... game should have been played ten on ten then.... Fuck face has to make a spectacle out of himself.... how about letting the ohhh... teams decide it.... Just like the czech Ghana game.... offsides my ass... where do they get these clown linesmen from...it looks like the pick and choose what appears to them to be off side... OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES.....Same with the ITaly USA game.....
twister @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:32 pm
Hester Hester:
twister twister:
Well ENJOY the FLIGHT home USA.... along with hmmm other world soccer superpowers...Togo, Poland, Costa Rica ( isn't that a US state yet)
Cote d Ivorie, Paraguay, Sebia... and several others taking the bus ride to the airport... Ve hope you had a nice time in Germany... now please to be going f**king home.
Cote d Ivorie, Paraguay, Sebia... and several others taking the bus ride to the airport... Ve hope you had a nice time in Germany... now please to be going f**king home.
You're embarrassing Canada and our education system again. Comments like that are what Canadians expect from Americans.
You're thinking Puerto Rico, not Costa Rica. Or are you referring to any country other than the US? As in "isn't Canada a US state yet?"
This is the 18th World Cup. 12 of the 32 teams have appeared in three or less World Cups. "Powerhouses" Togo and Cote d'Ivoire are appearing in their first, as are Angola, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ukraine. Australia and Ecuador are appearing in their second, while Costa Rica, Iran, Japan and Paraguay are in the third World Cup.
Just making it to the World Cup final (that's the tournament, not the final game of the final's on July 9th) doesn't mean you are a powerhouse. Just ask Costa Rica, Mexico and the US who qualify out of the very weak Concacaf region. The US is ranked #4 in the world, but I don't think they take the opposition into account when they make the rankings. And ask the Mexicans the same thing - they have long been considered the North American powerhouse, but they have never made it past the final 8 of the World Cup final.
As for the US and Italy: Italy looked good in their 2-0 defeat of Ghana, Ghana is looking good right now pounding the Czech's 2-0 late, and the US looked horrifying losing to the Czech's 3-0. If the teams from the first games show up, it might be another 6-0 game like Argentina and Serbia yesterday.
There's only one good thing to say about the US, and it's also the one thing I hate about soccer. At least the US don't go down like someone shot them whenever an oppenent comes within three feet. Soccer has taken a harder approach than hockey - you get a red card if you dive. But it's an art deeply ingrained in these players. Do you think they start training kids at a very early age to dive? I hate it.
You're right Hester... So now i'll just join the masses bend over take one for the team.., lick yankee boots and kiss american ass so that way I can hopefully one day achieve your admiration.... Sorry I hurt your sensitive little eyes with my anti american comments... I apologize to all those involved and prepare to kiss the ass of my american overlord... hows that ... better for you....
uhm Powerhouses. and soccer superpowers... was ment to be sarcastic... none of those teams is in the top 8 (World rankings are BS we can both agree on that) you may notice... Sarcasm.. yes a little hard to detect but definately there.... been to puerto Rico and costa rica... both are closer to being a US state than we are... US cash.. US beer... US everything....So.anything else you would like for me to "EXPLAIN" to you....before i get ready for the first US party of the night....
twister @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:41 pm
Don't get me wrong this is world cup and I do really enjoy this... but we know who the top 16 teams are... why then do we have to watch and subject ourselves to games where (yes anything can happen) but usually don't yes Ghana ia a nice story.. so is trinidad and Angola... but even if the made top 16 they aren't going to make top 8 don't bring up greece and korea and tunisia... fuck who cares... there should be an 1 Div like in hockey top 16 teams... bottom 2 have to fight it out for the placement down to div 2 round (relegation).... World cup should be a tourney based on those 16 teams top teams... New World ranking not the bullshit that places the USA team at 4....... nothing more...
twister @ Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:59 pm
Top 16 teams:
in no particular order. Argentina, Brasil, England, Germany, France, Spain , Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands.. these would be your top 9 teams..The are the superpowers in the Sport.. Now other soccer rich countries like Sweden, Poland, Czechs, Scotland, Ireland,Mexico, Switzerland. Theres you top 16 now the bottom two get relegated every year through play downs and championships just like Hockey then every 4 years they have world cup that pits those nations against each other...