World Cup and European leagues

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You want to know how the US should have played?  Watch the first twenty minutes of the second half of this France-Togo match.

France needed two goals to go on, so they came out and threw caution to the wind until they put two in the back of the net.  Now they just have to sit back on defense for 20 minutes and hope Switerland can hold the lead.

[Pistol Pete]

The working assumption in this thread is that Adu could play right now in MLS.

I should know this, but I don't: How much has Adu actually been playing lately?

Last season he got very little playing time, at least according to the local sports commentators.  The team coach did not think he was ready.  It became quite a bone of local contention.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The working assumption in this thread is that Adu could play right now in MLS.

I should know this, but I don't: How much has Adu actually been playing lately?

Last season he got very little playing time, at least according to the local sports commentators.  The team coach did not think he was ready.  It became quite a bone of local contention.

I believe he is a starter this year.

[mybleedinghands]

Freddy Adu was interviewed on Pardon the Interruption yesterday, and he said his goal is to play in Europe to get prepared to play in the World Cup in 2010.

[Greek Tragedy]

Freddy Adu was interviewed on Pardon the Interruption yesterday, and he said his goal is to play in Europe to get prepared to play in the World Cup in 2010.

Prepare to play for Ghana or the US in the World Cup in 2010? 

Regarding the Swiss's 2nd goal.  ESPN reported that it wasn't offside because it was played off a South Korean defender...which is incorrect.  It was deflected off the defender, not played back by him, thus should've been called offside.  The Swiss player was already in an offside position and both the ref and the South Korean players were at fault:  The ref for not calling it and the players for stopping.    Obviously it was a very important goal as the South Koreans needed just a draw to progress while Togo needed to get a consolation goal to send France packing, which I was hoping for!

Great games this weekend.  This morning we'll see Sweden upset Germany in Munich.  Argentina and Mexico will probably play the most entertaining game this weekend with the South Americans having too much firepower for the CONCACAF representatives. 

Tomorrow, England will sleep through another match against Ecuador with Rooney finally being the difference.  1-nil?  zzzzzzz.
Lastly, Portugal and Holland will have Manchester United teammates Cristiano Ronaldo going up against Ruud van Nisterlooy.  The two players to watch however are Ronaldo and Chelsea forward Arjien Robben.  The Dutch progress to the Quarters.

Thoughts?

[Greek Tragedy]

European teams continue to dominate the World Cup, at least at home:

Progressing...

UEFA (14):  10 advancing with both representatives from group B (Eng, Sweden), Group H (Spain, Ukraine) and Group G (France, Switz).  Germany, Holland, Portugal and Italy are the others

CONCACAF (4):  Only Mexico continues on.  T&T, USA and Costa Rica are out.

CONMEBOL (4):  Of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, only Paraguay goes home.  Even with only 10 teams in their qualifying group, you think they deserve more?!

CAF (5):  Four 1st timers with only Ghana carrying the flag for Africa.  Togo was horrible.  Angola, Tunisia and Ivory Coast were the others.

AFC (4):  Asia continues to struggle in the Cup with no teams advancing out of the 1st round.  South Korea had the best chance but leaves Germany with Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia

OFC (1):  Australia gets their first win of the World Cup and also advances for the first time from the Oceania region.  Of course Australia moves to Asian qualifying for the next World Cup.

[David Collinge]

1:08 into Germany/Sweden and Marcelo Balboa has already started making derogatory comments about the refereeing in the tournament.  I wish I had bothered to learn Spanish....

[David Collinge]

CONMEBOL (4):  Of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, only Paraguay goes home.  Even with only 10 teams in their qualifying group, you think they deserve more?!

The 5th place team in CONMEBOL was Uruguay, which lost in a playoff series to Australia on penalties (each side won 1:0 on home soil.)  Australia has been one of the surprise teams of the Cup, advancing at the expense of Japan and Croatia, and it's not out of the question that the Socceroos could reach the semifinal; they face Italy, and then the Switzerland/Ukraine winner if they beat the Azzurri. 

That's a long-winded way of saying yeah, I think Uruguay would have represented themselves and CONMEBOL well in this tournament.

[Jim Matson]

Germany looks so good today.  But some of that is a result of Sweden's weird indifference to Germany's attack in the middle.

I'll stand with my pick of Germany to win the cup.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Germany looks so good today.  But some of that is a result of Sweden's weird indifference to Germany's attack in the middle.

I'll stand with my pick of Germany to win the cup.

Well, Jim, Germany may ultimately be the beneficiary of today's most important officiating error.  Argentina scored the game winner in the 92nd minute of regulation, but it was nullified by the offside flag.  The replays were absolutely clear that there was no offsides, but the result was an extra 30 minutes of wear-and-tear on Argentine bodies.  I had been rooting for Mexico, but my sense of justice required a switch for overtime, and the reward, I guess, was getting to see one of the prettiest goals ever in the 98th minute.

Anyone know why they decided to go with full 30 minute overtime?  I always thought the 'Golden Goal' was far more exciting.

I'm not at all sure that Argentina-Mexico was the best game so far, but, as I anticipated, it was probably the most entertaining.

[Greek Tragedy]

For the American public, the Golden Goal is exciting, but apparently the rest of the world didn't like it.  I also think it's prett cool to "win it" on a spectacular goal or whatever, but I guess the rest of the soccer community wanted a fair chance to tie it with time remaining.

Balboa is really getting on my nerves!

Once again the press has misused terminology.  This time, on Yahoo, they called it a Silver Goal...which, if I'm correct, is a goal that's scored in the first 15 minute extra time.  FIFA tried this experiment after the Golden Goal experiment (or maybe even before).  In the "Silver Goal" situation, the full first 15 minute extra time is played, even if someone scores.  This gives the opposing team an opportunity to score before the first 15 minutes is up.  If they don't, then they don't play the 2nd 15 minutes...

CONMEBOL (4): Of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, only Paraguay goes home. Even with only 10 teams in their qualifying group, you think they deserve more?!

The 5th place team in CONMEBOL was Uruguay, which lost in a playoff series to Australia on penalties (each side won 1:0 on home soil.) Australia has been one of the surprise teams of the Cup, advancing at the expense of Japan and Croatia, and it's not out of the question that the Socceroos could reach the semifinal; they face Italy, and then the Switzerland/Ukraine winner if they beat the Azzurri.

That's a long-winded way of saying yeah, I think Uruguay would have represented themselves and CONMEBOL well in this tournament.

David,

I know all too well that Uruguay didn't win their playoff with Australia.  I got to hear my friend (who lives in the capital of Montevideo) complain about it for quite sometime! 

[Pat Coleman]

That's a long-winded way of saying yeah, I think Uruguay would have represented themselves and CONMEBOL well in this tournament.

Any Spanish speaker knows this should be referred to as CONMIGOBOL.

[Pat Coleman]

Once again the press has misused terminology. 

I challenge you to show me the press that Yahoo uses to publish.

Hey, if you're going to pick on misused terminology, please use the term "media" to describe news that isn't published in newspapers, magazines, etc.

[Greek Tragedy]

Once again the press has misused terminology. 

I challenge you to show me the press that Yahoo uses to publish.

Hey, if you're going to pick on misused terminology, please use the term "media" to describe news that isn't published in newspapers, magazines, etc.

You got me! 

[Hoosier Titan]

From the BBC site at halftime:  "This is turgid stuff."

This is painful for an England supporter.