World Cup and European leagues

[Greek Tragedy]

After Argentina smoked S&M 6-0, the USA must only feel half as bad now, going down 3-nil to the Czechs.   

I'm looking forward to the US game tomorrow, hoping to get that sour taste of the Czech game out of my system.  If anything, Italian tastes better than Czech. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

USA vs. Italy (all possible scenarios, I think!)  [All assume USA beats Ghana.]

If Czechs win or tie against Ghana (likely), a USA loss eliminates them.
If Czechs lose to Ghana, a USA loss does NOT eliminate them, but puts them on life-support - they would need Italy to beat the Czechs, at which point USA, CR, and Ghana would all have 3 points, all be 1-1 vs each other, but USA has a ton of goal differential to make up.

If USA ties:
If CR beats or ties Ghana, CR must beat Italy, but USA would still have to make up 5 goal differential vs. Italy.
If Ghana won, USA is in if Italy beats CR, or if CR beats or ties Italy but USA can overcome goal differential.

If USA wins:
They are in unless CR beats Ghana (likely) and Italy beats CR (roughly 50-50), in which case they all have 6 points and are 1-1 vs. each other, and USA has a LOT of goal differential to make-up.

The dream scenario: Ghana beats CR, CR and Italy tie, and USA beats both Italy and Ghana - no Brazil in the second round!  (Though Croatia looks like no bargain either!)

Unless it is a moot point, I'll update after Italy on the scenarios for win/lose/draw against Ghana.  Please correct if any of the above does not seem right.

[Ralph Turner]

After Argentina smoked S&M 6-0, the USA must only feel half as bad now, going down 3-nil to the Czechs.   

I'm looking forward to the US game tomorrow, hoping to get that sour taste of the Czech game out of my system.  If anything, Italian tastes better than Czech. 

"S&M?"  That 6-0 score could not be more aptly described!

[Greek Tragedy]

Yeah...when the tv analysts say "S&M" all the time, I laugh to myself...

The dream scenario: Ghana beats CR, CR and Italy tie, and USA beats both Italy and Ghana - no Brazil in the second round! (Though Croatia looks like no bargain either!)

Try Australia. 

Another thing...those "experts" on ESPN and in the USA Today have to learn that there is a difference between EXTRA time and Injury/Stoppage time.

I think it was Thursday's paper that headlined that Germany won in EXTRA time and then in the same article, had them winning in stoppage time.  Give me a break.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah...when the tv analysts say "S&M" all the time, I laugh to myself...

The dream scenario: Ghana beats CR, CR and Italy tie, and USA beats both Italy and Ghana - no Brazil in the second round! (Though Croatia looks like no bargain either!)

Try Australia. 

Well, maybe you're right, but I predict that Brazil and Croatia will be undefeated the rest of the first round.

[jdean]

I'm not rooting against the USA, but after an Italian victory our news media hopefully will return to covering sports that matter.  Sorry soccer moms.

[mybleedinghands]

Good news for USA: Ghana is running s*** against the Czech Republic, going into the half up 1-0 and, just about dominating CR.

UPDATE: Peter Nedved gets a header goal in the first minute of the second half but its waived off due to offisdes!

GO GHANA AND USA!

[mybleedinghands]

Ghana wins 2-0! The commentator for the game said that with Ghana winning the US can't be officially eliminated today if they lose. Althought if they even give up one goal their goal differential will be -4, and I highly doubt that the US would be able to overcome that to be able to advance to the second round.

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm not rooting against the USA, but after an Italian victory our news media hopefully will return to covering sports that matter.  Sorry soccer moms.

Apparently you are trying to ruffle some feathers here by actually wasting your time and ours coming into this soccer specific board to say that.  Kudos to you.  That's just like going into a Manchester United bar, yelling that you are a Liverpool fan and lighting off a flare and running out...(ok, you have to see Formula 51 to get that).

Anyway, go back to watching your Tigerless US Open.  Cheers. 


Back to more important things...would it have been better to have Ghana beat the Czechs 3-0 to put their goal differential at 0 and Ghana's at -1 or is 2-0 better?

Italy 1-0 3 pts +2 GD
Czechs 1-1 3 pts +1 GD
Ghana 1-1 3 pts 0 GD
USA 0-1 0 pts -3 GD

USA v Italy

Czech v Italy
USA v Ghana

Should be fun today and Thursday

[mybleedinghands]

I'm not rooting against the USA, but after an Italian victory our news media hopefully will return to covering sports that matter.  Sorry soccer moms.

Apparently you are trying to ruffle some feathers here by actually wasting your time and ours coming into this soccer specific board to say that.  Kudos to you.  That's just like going into a Manchester United bar, yelling that you are a Liverpool fan and lighting off a flare and running out...(ok, you have to see Formula 51 to get that).

Anyway, go back to watching your Tigerless US Open.  Cheers. 


Back to more important things...would it have been better to have Ghana beat the Czechs 3-0 to put their goal differential at 0 and Ghana's at -1 or is 2-0 better?

Italy 1-0 3 pts +2 GD
Czechs 1-1 3 pts +1 GD
Ghana 1-1 3 pts 0 GD
USA 0-1 0 pts -3 GD

USA v Italy

Czech v Italy
USA v Ghana

Should be fun today and Thursday

If Ghana had won by 3, wouldnt Ghana's  goal differential be +1 instead of -1?

[David Collinge]

As the match begins, here's the final tally of our poll:
Question:      Who will win Italy vs. USA?
USA by 2+ goals: 0 (0%)
USA by 1 goal: 6 (40%)
Draw: 2 (13.3%)
Italy by 1 goal: 3 (20%)
Italy by 2+ goals: 4 (26.7%)
   
Total Votes: 15
Italy wins: 7
USA wins: 6
Draw: 2

Good luck to both sides!

[mybleedinghands]

That red card on Mastroeni was absolute BS! People get hit harder than that in basketball and they dont even call it a foul!

[Gray Fox]

People get hit harder than that in basketball and they dont even call it a foul!

You would feel  differently if you lived in Dallas or Miami.

[mybleedinghands]

People get hit harder than that in basketball and they dont even call it a foul!

You would feel  differently if you lived in Dallas or Miami.

well i thought the flagrant foul on stackhouse was warranted, but in my opinion the suspension wasn't! whatever happened to the days of actually being able to make good hard fouls??

[Gray Fox]

Isn't a Red Card the same as a suspension?  Doesn't  it carry over to the next game also?