World Cup Thread

[macDbol]

landon donovan was the one who crossed it,,,,too bad we gave one goal right back to them when agoos fucked up,,but its all good

 

[cure]

THIS IS NOT GOOD! I'm really happy that the USA beat Portugal but now i'm thinking Portugal will end 2nd in their group and play Italy in the round of 16. Now that is shit.

The US looked good in the beginning but man did they ever get tired 2nd half. Portugal looked horrible defensively. 3 goals allowed against the US??? Imagine what will happen when they face the likes of Inzaghi, Vieri, Montella, Del Piero, Totti....

Congrats to the Americans

 

[cure]

Another thing, why was Portugal favored? What the hell have they ever won besides a qualifying group? I still don't think they are as good as everyone thinks.

 

[The Varnsen]

First of all i´m portuguese, so i´m very upset with this result... Our defense was horrible today, we seriously need to replace one of those central defenders, as they´re too big and slow. We have better defenders sitting on the bench. The goalkeeper didn´t play all season, and now just because he´s Vitór Baía, the great name, the coach trusted him the responsability. Congrats to the USA, they deserved to win, but i still don´t think they´ll go through... this is just my opinion! Their players, in average, must have played 20 games less during the season than the portuguese, who play in major leagues across europe... so they aren´t very fresh coming to this world cup.
Portugal is considered favorite, and i think they´ll still make it throgh this group as 1st, because they have some of the best players in the business... do you now Figo? Anyways, in the past Portugal hasn´t won much on the world satge, as we´re a small 10 million inhabitants country, but this generation of players is different. They won the 1989 and 1991 world under 21 cups, and they´ve been promising to achieve it at the senior level, as most of them have made excellent careers playing in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Plus, we´ve eliminated Holland in the qualifiers...
So... let´s see, i´m very disappointed but i never said Portugal would crush the USA, and i hope we can still make it...
Well, if we pick Italy in the second stage in don´t know... it´s quite different! The italians aren´t as quick as the americans, and as i´ve said our problem is speed! But i don´t even know if we´ll go through, as we still have to play Korea, which has an even quicker attack...

 

[specter]

Another thing, why was Portugal favored? What the hell have they ever won besides a qualifying group? I still don't think they are as good as everyone thinks.

Well, obviously Portugal should have been favored to beat the U.S., if that's what you mean. Given their form and quality since Euro 2000, Portugal were rightly considered a lock to cruise into the quarterfinals.

Their play today was pathetic. They controlled the midfield all day, but where were the scoring opportunities? Does anyone remember any great saves made by Brad Friedel today? No? That's because he didn't make any.

Portugal got an own goal and a fortunate scramble in the box after a corner kick. Their only other good opportunity was off another loose ball after a corner. Throughout the match all Portugal could come up with were weak crosses from the flanks, very few of which had any chance of seeing the back of the net.

And consider the opponent. Bruce Arena couldn't come up with a left back, so in the last several weeks the job was won by Frankie Hejduk by default. He couldn't come up with a right back either, finally settling on the fundamentally unsound Tony Sanneh - who played a very good game. The middle was anchored by the even more fundamentally unsound Jeff Agoos. These guys stopped the Portuguese attack?

The U.S. midfield was a joke. The anchors of the U.S. midfield for the last two years, Chris Armas and Claudio Reyna were out. Pablo Mastroenni was making his first appearance for the national team (not counting a few friendlies). The shaky 'captain' Earnie Stewart had to be replaced at the half. There was absolutely no one besides forward Landon Donovan - who had to track back to midfield to get the ball - who could keep possession.

Give Sanneh, John O'Brien, the spectacular Damarcus Beasley, Donovan and McBride credit. Portugal could find no answers for just those five players. Mastroenni and Eddie Pope were fairly solid as well.

This is a heartening day for U.S. soccer. The Under-17 team was terrific in 1999 in Australia, finishing fourth. The Under-17 team in 2001 was considered one of the best in the world but couldn't get by France and Nigeria - the finalists as it turned out - in the first round. The talent and depth at midfield and forward is coming in Justin Mapp, Craig Capano, Edward Johnson, Santino Quaranta and Bobby Convey to go along with Donovan and Beasley.

Two good showings against South Korea and Poland and the U.S. will be well on its way towards building a pretty good team for the next several World Cups.

 

[specter]

First of all i´m portuguese, so i´m very upset with this result... Our defense was horrible today, we seriously need to replace one of those central defenders, as they´re too big and slow. We have better defenders sitting on the bench. The goalkeeper didn´t play all season, and now just because he´s Vitór Baía, the great name, the coach trusted him the responsability. Congrats to the USA, they deserved to win, but i still don´t think they´ll go through... this is just my opinion! Their players, in average, must have played 20 games less during the season than the portuguese, who play in major leagues across europe... so they aren´t very fresh coming to this world cup.
Portugal is considered favorite, and i think they´ll still make it throgh this group as 1st, because they have some of the best players in the business... do you now Figo? Anyways, in the past Portugal hasn´t won much on the world satge, as we´re a small 10 million inhabitants country, but this generation of players is different. They won the 1989 and 1991 world under 21 cups, and they´ve been promising to achieve it at the senior level, as most of them have made excellent careers playing in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Plus, we´ve eliminated Holland in the qualifiers...
So... let´s see, i´m very disappointed but i never said Portugal would crush the USA, and i hope we can still make it...
Well, if we pick Italy in the second stage in don´t know... it´s quite different! The italians aren´t as quick as the americans, and as i´ve said our problem is speed! But i don´t even know if we´ll go through, as we still have to play Korea, which has an even quicker attack...

Yes, South Korea will be a major problem for Portugal if they play like they did today.

Figo was lousy.

It's a good point you make about the players possibly having been worn out by a grueling club schedule the past year. Your team was completely out of gas by the 75th minute, whereas those Americans who play in MLS haven't played much so far this year. But still, the Italians, Germans and Spaniards are in the same boat as your boys and they've looked fresh enough.

I think you're being a little bit hard on your team's defense. The goal off the corner kick happens. There's not much you can do about that. The own goal was ridiculously fortunate. Or unfortunate, I guess. The only really bad mistake was losing track of Brian McBride on Tony Sanneh's cross. But it was such a beautiful cross and that's McBride's specialty. The only other problem the defense had was with Damarcus Beasley, but there are no defenders in the world, besides perhaps on Brazil's side, quick enough to stay with Beasley. He's going to be special.

I really think it was the lack of quality scoring chances that did Portugal in today. Rui Costa and Figo will have to attack more against Poland and South Korea, rather than trying to be playmakers.

Things will have to turn around considerably for Portugal now. Italy is heads and shoulders better than the U.S. Their defense is rock solid. Their midfield and forwards are vastly superior. I'm sure Portugal would make a better effort against Italy, but if Portugal doesn't manage to win this group I wouldn't be too optimistic.

 

[Liberator]

Portugal looked worse than England in my opinion

Germany 1 - 0 Ireland

Its pretty even at the moment, Ireland could quite easily come back into the game if they quit missing chances, Roy Keane and Quinn have missed big big chances, esecially Keane.

Nobody has really been outstanding in the first games, so right now I think that its quite wide open, but the stronger teams will obviously come to the forefront in the next couple of games

One of them will of course be England.

 

[Liberator]

GERMANY 1 - 1 IRELAND

ROBBY KEANE

As I was saying...............

 

[cure]

The Varnsen, i was born in Calabria but moved to Canada when i was 14 so i know how you feel. If Ecuador would have beat Italy i would have been pretty pissed off myself.

No matter what i still don't want to play Portugal in the round of 16. Too dangerous.

OMG IRELAND JUST SCORED TO TIE IT!!!!!!!!!! They really took the game to Germany. I still think Germany isn't any good.

 

[manny78]

I'm happy Portugal lost, so this way I wont hear them yelling on the street just like the Italians did the other on STe-Catherine street......