Posted on 06/15/2006 5:42:49 AM PDT by soccer_maniac
Starting off the day will be Real Salt Lake's Douglas Sequeira and his Costa Rican teammates, who play Ecuador at 8:55 a.m. ET in Hamburg (ESPN2). The ticos showed pluck in their Group A opener against Germany on Friday, making a game of it by scoring twice against the hosts before falling 4-2. The Central Americans will need to have more players get involved in the attack against Ecuador, as Paulo Wanchope provided their only offense. The Ecuadorians got a huge weight off their shoulders by downing Poland 2-0 in their group play opener Friday. Previously, the side had been maligned for its inability to win away from the high altitude of their home ground in Quito, but that changed as Carlos Tenorio and Agustin Delgado each scored to upset the favored Poles. An Ecuador victory will guarantee they and Germany advance from Group A to the round-of-16.
Trinidad & Tobago looking to play giant-killer against England in the day's marquee matchup. The sides meet at 11:55 a.m. ET in Nuremberg in a match that will air live on ESPN2. The "Soca Warriors" made their World Cup debut Saturday, pulling off a surprising scoreless draw against Sweden in Group B play despite playing a man down for most of the second half.
The last match of the day comes at 2:55 p.m. ET in Berlin (ESPN) as Paraguay and Sweden meet. The Paraguayans were lackluster in their match against England and must get more out of their attack to have a shot to advance to the knockout phase. The Swedes had equal difficulty finding the net against Trinidad & Tobago; strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson will hope to be on target this time around.
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Didn't that game pretty much cost Taylor his job? I wouldn't want to be England's coach any time in 1993-94. Pretty much the low point in English soccer history.
Brilliant (sarcasm) piece of commentary at the BBC:
"Bad omen of the day for England fans. They have never scored a second-half World Cup goal under Sven-Goran Eriksson and the last time they notched after the break in the game's premier tournament came in 1998 against Romania. It was Michael Owen's second international goal. The flip side is that tournament debutants Trinidad and Tobago have never scored in the second-half of a World Cup match - ever!"
T&T never scored in the second half ever? They've only played one second half!!! Is England that hard up to find positive signs?
47' YELLOW CARD 1 HISLOP Shaka (TRI)47' A booking for time wasting and we're only two minutes into the half.
I think that game was the final straw for Taylor.
1993-4 was the low point for English soccer history and that game was the low point in that horrible period.
However, this current half against T&T is crucial. England are fully capable of blowing this match.
From the BBC Online:
49 mins: An attacking throw-in to England from which they opt to work the ball back to Paul Robinson. I think they know it's the second half and that they've changed the direction they're attacking but I can't guarantee it!
Seems like Rooney's warming up... England could really use the spark right about now.
Gray becomes the 5th T&T player booked today.
More BBC sarcasm:
55 mins: Peter Crouch has been watching too many videos of Ronaldinho. He flicks up a low pass from Ashley Cole but mis-directs the overhead kick high of the goal. That bit is not Ronaldinho.
T&T is sure trying hard to get that tie. Come on England, get your act together!
Rooney in for Owen... it's Wayne's World now baby!
58' The biggest roar of the afternoon as the England number-9 comes on
I think part of the problem is that these teams don't get to play together all that much. You are trying to put together a team of superstars, all with their own egos, and the chemistry just isn't there.
Tottenham man Aaron Lennon is on!!!! He will "Spur" them on!!
Lennon looks energetic. As does Rooney.
Ugh, Crouch again. Get him out of there.
Part of it may be that they're trying to be too "cute" with their shooting, rather than just putting it on target. 17 shots so far, only 4 on goal...
Lennon can run, run, run.
But if England ties, they would then have to beat the Swedes to assure themselves of advancing.
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