World Cup and European leagues

[BoBo]

Hopefully the US has already gotten the ridiculously bad calls out of their system!

I was thinking the same after the first one...but then there was another!!  My current thinking is that the trifecta of ridiculously bad calls will finally go in the favor of the red, white and blue in the next game, providing the impetus for USA to advance into the next round...so, how's that sound?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Works for me!

[Ralph Turner]

Last I heard, FIFA does not have to and will not make Coulibaly explain himself for what the call was.  And nor will FIFA release an explaination of just what the call was.  At least when Jim Joyce made his gaff in ruining that perfect game, he had the stones to come out and admit he got the call wrong and explain why he made the call he made.  Coulibaly and FIFA really made themselves look bad with their cowardly act of not even giving one explaination. 

I would hope that dude never officiates another high profile event outside of the African Cup of Nations ever again?!

As you said Mr. Y.  Thankfully it was a moot point.  But it took a wonder goal from Landon Donovan in stoppage time to make it a moot point.  I'm sure that Mr. Coulibaly breathed in a HUGE sigh of relief knowing that Landon Donovan basically took him off the hook with his goal that propelled the Americans through to the knockout round.

First of all FIFA doesn't care that they looked bad because they don't care what Americans think. Apparently the rest of the world accepts the fact that a referee can go to his grave without an explanation -- in FIFA's view, that's the beauty of soccer, if a mistake is made, at least allow an imperfect human to make it. Secondly, looking at some of the close-ups video of Mr. Coulibaly, are you able to tell if he is actually breathing in the first place? Thirdly, the "wonder goal" does nothing, IMO, to take him off the hook. But again Mr. Coulibaly doesn't really care -- his 50 grand fee for refereeing in the WC will make him forget about that. Do you know how far 50 big ones goes in Mali? Let's just say he moved into a new tax bracket!! 

How much will the corrupt Malian government skim off the top?

[BoBo]

How much will the corrupt Malian government skim off the top?

That's the new tax bracket I was talking about!! 

[Hoosier Titan]

Just saw the end of Uruguay-South Korea--Uruguay's Suarez had one of the best goals of the tournament in the 79th minute in a miserable driving rain.  The winner of US-Ghana will face Uruguay, and they look tough.  But one step at a time--go US!

[Mr. Ypsi]

That was a heckuva game (and heckuva goal by Suarez) this morning!

Is it a FIFA rule that USA has to start from behind EVERY game?

[Ralph Turner]

1-1 on Donovan's PK.

Is there anything more inane than soccer commentary?  I mean, there are some bad aspects of American football, basketball and baseball, but soccer seems to rub me the wrong way.

[Hoosier Titan]

1-1 on Donovan's PK.

Is there anything more inane than soccer commentary?  I mean, there are some bad aspects of American football, basketball and baseball, but soccer seems to rub me the wrong way.

I think there's a fair amount of inanity in almost all sports announcing.  I didn't find these guys offensive--Harkes is as good a color man as you will find in the US.  Last World Cup half the matches were done by Marcelo Balboa, a font of cliches and half-truths.

Too bad about the US today.  If only they could start games the way they start the second half.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The last guests just left (who the hell would schedule a party during the WC where NONE of the guests gives a damn about the WC?!)  I guess it would be a woman who doesn't personally pay attention, and cares only because her husband and sons are soccer junkies!  At least my wife gave me no static about keeping people waiting an hour while I finished the game!

VERY frustrating.  First half - US stunk.  Second half - US dominated.  OT - except for the first three minutes, very even.  WHY can the US not play well at the start of games (they gave up the two earliest goals [England and today] of the entire WC?  Landon Donovan cannot save your asses EVERY time!  (He's probably the best the US has ever produced, but he's not THAT good.)

Ricardo Clark should not be allowed within 100 yards of a WC pitch.  Why Bob Bradley started him is a total mystery, but I'm not entirely certain he should be fired for it.  Robbie Findley may someday be a striker, but his start today is a second mystery - he had shown essentially nothing during the Cup.

I think the US may be on their way to being second-echelon (lower top ten in the world), but they sure aren't there yet.

[sac]

Who says America doesn't care about soccer......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPWQjRwJrMU&feature=related

[ScotsFan]

Ricardo Clark should not be allowed within 100 yards of a WC pitch.  Why Bob Bradley started him is a total mystery,but I'm not entirely certain he should be fired for it.  Robbie Findley may someday be a striker, but his start today is a second mystery - he had shown essentially nothing during the Cup.

I think the US may be on their way to being second-echelon (lower top ten in the world), but they sure aren't there yet.

IMO, Bob Bradley made questionable decision after questionable decision throughout this World Cup.  IMO, Bob Bradley was not the reason the US won their group.  

He continuously went with Findley except for the match he was suspended for.  I'm not certain what Findley showed but he sure didn't show me a whole heck of a lot.  And I totally agree with your puzzlement over why Ricardo Clark was starting that match yesterday???  He was dreadful vs. Slovenia.  So, somehow he is going to be effective vs. a faster Ghanaian side??  Not to mention Maurice Edu and Benny Feilhaber were clearly our best midfielders and yet Edu was the only one to start any of our matches?

You ask why it is that the US is always having trouble getting off to a fast start?  I would argue it is because Bob Bradley isn't putting his best 11 on the pitch to start matches.  I mean, Ricardo Clark's gaff almost directly led to Ghana's opening goal.  

IMO, the US won their group and advanced to the round of 16 despite Bob Bradley.  But I seriously doubt he's fired after such a favorable result in this World Cup.     

One thing for sure is that the US needs to develop a striker that can finish.  Charlie Davies absence was more costly than I thought as Bradley seemed to keep going to Findley hoping to duplicate what he would get from Davies and it never happened.

Well, I've already retired my US jersey in and I'll be sporting my England jersey now for hopefully longer than I got to sport my US jersey!  

 

[Ralph Turner]

Mixing metaphors, so to speak...

Podolski scores Germany's second goal with a shot thru the "five hole".

And by the time that I posted this, Podolski's Wikipedia page had been updated! 

[Ralph Turner]

ROTFLMAO...

The non-goal by England's Lampard in the 38th minute!  

The match is forever tainted!

[Hoosier Titan]

GOALLINE TECHNOLOGY!!  AAGH!

This match is rightfully 2-2, and if the English centerbacks had played for the first 30 minutes would be 2-0 England.  At least they know what they have to do--put it in the BACK of the net!

[Ralph Turner]

GOALLINE TECHNOLOGY!!  AAGH!

This match is rightfully 2-2, and if the English centerbacks had played for the first 30 minutes would be 2-0 England.  At least they know what they have to do--put it in the BACK of the net!

Turning into a blowout now...