World Cup and European leagues

[sac]

Confirmed Ferdinand out.........also Droghba is out with a broken arm.

So much for the Ivory Coast as Cup contenders...

Now they say Droghba could still play, but I find that doubtful since he had surgery just today.

Probably correct, but unless you are the keeper, who needs an arm?!

I do feel bad for Drogba and the Ivory Coast.

Thierry Henry

Speaking of arms coming into play..........ESPN Classic aired Maradona's "Hand of God" game last night from 1986 (England/Argentina).

[ECSUalum]

Yeah, and tonight, on ESPN's SA World Cup Preview broadcast, they showed DM's and compatriot Lionel Messi's, (Barcelona), "hand of god" goals as well.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Anyone particularly surprised by either draw today?

I'm mildly surprised, but only mildly.  No home team has ever lost an opening game, so Mexico achieving only a tie can't be TOO disappointing.  I'm highly unimpressed with France this year, but thought they could probably still handle Uruguay.

[Hoosier Titan]

I was more impressed with South Africa than I expected to be.  Their goal was a beauty; it was only a momentary defensive lapse that let Mexico score. 

After seeing Forlan destroy both Liverpool and Fulham in the Europa League and knowing that he's not even the leading goalscorer for Uruguay, I picked them to go through that group along with France.  France was definitely underwhelming.

Looking on the bright side, maybe France-Uruguay will turn out to be the least interesting goal of the tournament, and it's already over!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I was more impressed with South Africa than I expected to be.  Their goal was a beauty; it was only a momentary defensive lapse that let Mexico score.  

After seeing Forlan destroy both Liverpool and Fulham in the Europa League and knowing that he's not even the leading goalscorer for Uruguay, I picked them to go through that group along with France.  France was definitely underwhelming.

Looking on the bright side, maybe France-Uruguay will turn out to be the least interesting goal game of the tournament, and it's already over!

Fixed it for you.

Since there were no goals, I knew what you meant, and am just being a smart-ass.

Power to the retired - us old farts can be smart-asses too!

What's your take on USA/England?

I'm torn between a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 USA win.  Despite the predictions, I just can't see a win for England.

[Ralph Turner]

I was more impressed with South Africa than I expected to be.  Their goal was a beauty; it was only a momentary defensive lapse that let Mexico score.  

After seeing Forlan destroy both Liverpool and Fulham in the Europa League and knowing that he's not even the leading goalscorer for Uruguay, I picked them to go through that group along with France.  France was definitely underwhelming.

Looking on the bright side, maybe France-Uruguay will turn out to be the least interesting goal game of the tournament, and it's already over!

Fixed it for you.

Since there were no goals, I knew what you meant, and am just being a smart-ass.

Power to the retired - us old farts can be smart-asses too!

What's your take on USA/England?

I'm torn between a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 USA win.  Despite the predictions, I just can't see a win for England.

England scores in the 5th minute!

[Ralph Turner]

I saw the shot by Dempsey at the 40th minute and thought that that shot won't fool any goalie.

It was right at him.  Wow!  Green just muffed it.

1-1

[Mr. Ypsi]

I saw the shot by Dempsey at the 40th minute and thought that that shot won't fool any goalie.

It was right at him.  Wow!  Green just muffed it.

1-1

I think the forecasts I saw were right - our #3 keeper is better than England's #1!  (Of course, if that stop was indicative, Ypsi Hi's keeper is better than England's #1! )

1-1 at the half.

[Ralph Turner]

1-1 Final England / USA

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph, that'll teach you not to mock my predictions too early!

I said I was undecided between 1-1 and 2-1 USA, and were it not for Green's fluke stop on Altidore, it would've been 2-1.  (Granted, if not for Green's fluke error on Dempsey, it would've been 0-1. )

[Hoosier Titan]

I was more impressed with South Africa than I expected to be.  Their goal was a beauty; it was only a momentary defensive lapse that let Mexico score.  

After seeing Forlan destroy both Liverpool and Fulham in the Europa League and knowing that he's not even the leading goalscorer for Uruguay, I picked them to go through that group along with France.  France was definitely underwhelming.

Looking on the bright side, maybe France-Uruguay will turn out to be the least interesting goal game of the tournament, and it's already over!

Fixed it for you.

Since there were no goals, I knew what you meant, and am just being a smart-ass.

Power to the retired - us old farts can be smart-asses too!

What's your take on USA/England?

I'm torn between a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 USA win.  Despite the predictions, I just can't see a win for England.

Thanks for the fix!  Since my husband retired 9 years ago, I'm well aware of how smart-assed retirees can be!

As I mentioned before, I had serious conflicts about this match.  I had a feeling it would be 2-1, but I wasn't sure which way it would go, and it could have gone to either side.  On the coverage here, Kevin Keegan predicted England 4-1 before the match!  We knew that wouldn't be right, although the Gerrard goal in the fourth minute had us wondering. 

I thought that, in general, both sides played well enough.  The big question here has been whether Lampard and Gerrard could ever play well together, and it seems that Capello has helped the two of them sort that out.

I've had questions about Robert Green all along.  His judgment is suspect; always has been.  Tonight it wasn't so much a question of judgment as of mental focus--when Dempsey took that shot I thought, "well, that's optimistic" and then watched in horror as it seemed to unroll in slow motion.  He didn't play it like a shortstop, keeping it in front of him so he could knock it down and smother it.  He just seemed to become aware of it too late.  Too bad because the stop he made on Altidore was fantastic--much more difficult.

One of my Liverpool friends just pointed out that LFC had more representation on the pitch in the second half than any other EPL side.  Just sayin'...

[Mr. Ypsi]

I thought I had already posted this, but apparently not.

English keeper Green's two 'flukes' seem to have canceled each other out yielding a well-deserved draw.  He inexplicably let in Dempsey's goal (most HS keepers would have stopped it), yet somehow avoided Altidore's goal (he got just enough of it to send it to the post - even then, it bounced back across the goal, so even a quarter-inch less 'oomph' and it would have bounced in).  Such flukes tend to balance out in the long run, but fairly rarely in the same game.

I'm surprised (and disappointed) at the lack of chatter on this board.  Hey, guys (and gals), it only happens once every four years (and, so far, USA vs. England in the WC only every 60 years! ).  While England has dominated in the 'friendlies', USA is now 1-0-1 when it counts!

HT, has any English paper headlined their story: "England loses, 1-1"?

[Hoosier Titan]

I thought I had already posted this, but apparently not.

English keeper Green's two 'flukes' seem to have canceled each other out yielding a well-deserved draw.  He inexplicably let in Dempsey's goal (most HS keepers would have stopped it), yet somehow avoided Altidore's goal (he got just enough of it to send it to the post - even then, it bounced back across the goal, so even a quarter-inch less 'oomph' and it would have bounced in).  Such flukes tend to balance out in the long run, but fairly rarely in the same game.

I'm surprised (and disappointed) at the lack of chatter on this board.  Hey, guys (and gals), it only happens once every four years (and, so far, USA vs. England in the WC only every 60 years! ).  While England has dominated in the 'friendlies', USA is now 1-0-1 when it counts!

HT, has any English paper headlined their story: "England loses, 1-1"?

Not quite, Ypsi--that would be giving too much credit to the US.  It's more about Capello's bad decisions (he's walked on water up until now, pretty much, although there have been murmurings about the goalkeepers and the advancing age of the central defenders).  What he's getting stick for now is:  1)  the keeper, of course; 2)  starting James Milner, who had been ill and couldn't stop Landon Donovan any way except fouling him before being subbed for in the 30th minute; and 3) ...I forget...too much Heskey?  Rooney too sedate?  Crouch on too late? take your pick.  I actually thought Heskey played well, given that he's a striker who doesn't score much; he set up the England goal.

I absolutely love it here in the UK, but I have to say one thing about the press coverage:  it is every bit as nationalistic as in the US.  We also follow Formula One racing, and the Brits are very proud of their history in both racing and football.  The favoritism and playing up the "home" team at the expense of others gets pretty tiring after a while.

Agree about the Green save, on second viewing.  It was very good for him, but it was a bit lucky, too.  I think Joe Hart is definitely the best, potentially, of the England keepers.  Have we talked here about American goalkeepers?  Did I just post about this?  I've scrolled back and don't see it, so I'll say it again:  my theory is that the US produces, proportionally, a lot of good keepers because basketball and its attendant skills--ball handling, jumping, agility in a fairly confined space--are so much more popular here.  Plus, all three American keepers (Hahnemann and Guzman as well as Howard) play in the EPL, so this current crop is more familiar with the opposition they faced last night. 

Now both will try to beat up on Algeria and Slovenia for goals in order to avoid facing Germany in the next round.  I get home on Tuesday, just in time for the first matches in the other group I care about, H, which has both Spain and Chile.  A friend in Chile IM'd me on Facebook within minutes of the end of last night's game to talk about the England keeper's mistake--this truly is the WORLD Cup.  That part is very cool, and I'm glad the US is starting to have some success.

[Ralph Turner]

I like to remind US basketball fans that Hakeem Olajuwon's first athletic event in the US was as the Goalkeeper for the Lagos Nigeria side in the 1980 Dallas Cup.

His post play as a basketball player showed ball handling skills of a goalkeeper as he would "distribute" the ball.

[ScotsFan]

I'm torn between a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 USA win.  Despite the predictions, I just can't see a win for England.

As I mentioned before, I had serious conflicts about this match.  I had a feeling it would be 2-1, but I wasn't sure which way it would go, and it could have gone to either side.  On the coverage here, Kevin Keegan predicted England 4-1 before the match!  We knew that wouldn't be right, although the Gerrard goal in the fourth minute had us wondering. 

I thought that, in general, both sides played well enough.  The big question here has been whether Lampard and Gerrard could ever play well together, and it seems that Capello has helped the two of them sort that out.

I really didn't know what to expect in yesterday's match.  I was hoping for a draw but given the deficiencies of both squads in their back 4, I kind of felt that England would better expoit our back 4 because of their superiority up front.  Steve McManaman predicted a 3-1 win for the English and I felt that was a very realistic possiblity and especially after the Gerrard goal in the first 5 minutes.

Thankfully the US had Tim Howard on their side and Green was playing for the Three Lions.    

And after that first England goal, the US seemed to settle down and not allow themselves to get rattled and gutted out the 1-1 draw!

HT, has any English paper headlined their story: "England loses, 1-1"?

I did see a headline in one of the New York tabloids that said, "US Wins 1-1!"  I also saw one of the English Tabloids with the headline, "Hand of Plodd!"   

All in all, I think both teams will be satisfied with a point.  It's amazing though how happy we are with the result and how disappointed England are. 

HT,  do you think Capello sticks with Green to try and restore and maintain his confidence or does he completely shatter the kid's confidence by going with a different keeper in England's next match?  It is kind of nice to know that, at least the US is head and shoulders better at one position than England that is arguably the most important position on the pitch and that is goalkeeper!  I think there is no question that all 3 of our keepers are better than anything England has to offer.

Lastly, too bad that Slovenia v. Algeria match couldn't have ended in a scoreless draw.  Algeria had to go and ruin it by allowing Slovenia to score late on.     I will say, I was not overly impressed by either Algeria or Slovenia and if the US and England don't both come away with max points in their next 2 matches and advance out of this group, it will be a HUGE disappointment!  Can't wait for Friday!