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.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...
I think the Aussies could surprise against Brazil. They play an unconventional style that just might throw Brazil off their game.
The Clean Sheet: It's not the endHas everyone settled down now?
The loss to the Czech Republic did not set soccer in the USA back 20 years. It did not waste years of building the sport. It does not mean the MLS and U.S. Soccer offices will be closed as of July 10.
Two good teams met in a World Cup opener; one of them played very well and the other didn't show up. That the good team who played well hammered the good team that didn't play well should come as no shock. Pretty simple math.
So why is everyone going nuts?
Here's my take: if the U.S. had played really well, or even OK, and lost 3-0, then it would really be time to examine how far soccer has come in this country. If our boys were buzzing around the pitch and playing smart, enterprising soccer and still got spanked, then we would have some problems.
But guess what? Even good teams just stink it up sometimes. And that's what happened.
I said it before the tournament in this column and I will say it again: I expected the USA to get spanked by the Czechs and then beat both Italy and Ghana. I still stand by that prediction.
Yes, Monday was a perfect storm, as the coaching and pretty much every player were terrible. The Bruce put it best when he told his team not to get beaten twice by the Czechs, to leave this disaster in the rear view mirror.
You want to put blame somewhere, you better spread it around. But remember: you don't become a dumb coach in one game (except for Grady Little when he was leading the Boston Red Sox) and you don't become a bad player in one game either.
The Bruce clearly did not have his team ready to play, and I am talking about mentally more so than tactically. No idea if these guys were too arrogant and expected to win, or overtaken by nerves, but from the outset they were completely unsettled and got punished. But this just in: Arena is still a pretty strong manager.
And, yes, his soldiers didn't do him any favors either.
Kasey Keller didn't come up with that one goal-saving stop that he seems to in big wins, and his poor decision to quickly distribute the ball five minutes in when the Americans were under siege directly led to the goal that unraveled the team. He's played enough games to know he needs to take a breath and settle the team down there. But he is still one of the better 'keepers in the world.
As for the field players, they simply forgot one of the things they are good at, even attempting to take the game to another team. Yes, Landon Donovan was MIA for the most part, but at least I can remember that one enterprising run he had that led to a Czech booking. A little soon to write him off as a player, isn't it?
His partner in crime, DaMarcus Beasley, played like he was allergic to going forward, but his worst decision of the day was complaining about The Bruce's tactics after the match, which could put him firmly on the bench against Italy. If anything he should be thanking Arena, as I was screaming at the TV when I saw Beasley still on the field after the interval. But while DMB has not been on good form for some time, the guy is not a bum; there is still some talent in that wispy little body somewhere.
We could keep going, but why? The team played awful, they are not an awful team. Recognize the difference.
They came out flat or scared or both, turned the ball over and gave up a good goal to a striker more imposing than my mother-in-law. Then Claudio Reyna comes within literally an inch or two of tying the match - which obviously would have altered the entire flow of the match. Unlucky.
Then the Czechs score again and the game is over. You can blame Gooch all you want I guess for heading the ball back in the middle, but Rosicky's goal was just a bomb. Sometimes you just have to shake your head and say, "Well done." Or "this ball stinks," if you are Keller.
The team will regroup. Eddie Johnson showed some flashes of being Eddie Johnson for the first time in ages. We all know if the U.S. decides to run at players, they will be fine.
Against Italy, Ghana had some joy when they ran at Italy's backline, finding pockets in between the midfield and defense to attack. They didn't have the ability to convert, the U.S. does. The Americans can bring some speed and some flare in attack, and if they actually do so Saturday, the Italy game could be entertaining and successful. Yes, I know the Italians love to get attacked, have their vaunted defense hold, and then win matches on the counter.
But this is not one of those storied Italian sides. Don't let the jerseys intimidate you. This team is very beatable. By the USA. Yes, despite the "embarrassing" performance, as Donovan put it, the U.S. has the horses to win the race. They just need to show up to the gate this time.
So everyone please just calm down a little.
>>>I don't suppose there is a live streaming audio anywhere outside of the BBC?
Was just told about this yesterday. It's off-the-tube commentary from The Sun. Really not bad either, unfortunately the crowd noise is all canned.
http://clients.mediaondemand.net/theSun/?Channel=1
Brazil always seems to do just enought to win, just like the Germans. They get better and better as the tournament progresses. The Czechs or Italy could give them an early test in the next round. Unfortunately, I don't see the US moving on.
When all is said and done, the established powers like Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and Italy will be in the mix again. Since the tournament is in Europe, Spain, Holland, England and the Czechs have an outside shot.
Prediction: A Germany or Argentina vs Brazil final.
COME ON ENGLAND!!!!
Three lions on the chest......Jules Rimet still gleaming.....
Halftime news of other sports:
15-year-old Tadd Fujukawa is +2 through 2 holes at the US Open.
Covering Duke games is hazardous enough just from delaing with the Dukeian "smug cloud" that hangs around the team.
"But this is not one of those storied Italian sides"
It is in fact a better side than any seen since the 1994 WC.
I ask, compared to the US or for that matter the world:
Is there a better central defensive team than Nesta and Cannavaro ?
Is there a more dangerous striker than Luca Toni ?
Is there a more creative and dangerous trequartista than Totti ?
Is there a better defensive midfielder than Gattuso ?
Is there a better goalkeeper than Buffon ?
Is there a better coach tactician than Lippi ?
You're really going out there on a limb, aren't you? ;)
But Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes!
Goal for Ecuador, 2-0.
Put a fork in Costa Rica.
Capello lol
But overall I agree with your analysis. I think only Zoff's 2000 squad was comparable in talent, although ofcourse his team was geared more towards defense, whereas Lippi has (thank God!) chosen attack as the focus point.
Poland is in even worse shape. Costa Rica can hang on with a tie; Poland needs CR to win to have any chance.
And Poland. :(
Delgado probably secured Ecuador's trip to the second round. They could play England in the next round.
What is tommorrow?
I'm pretty keen on Spain. If your recall, the refs basically tossed them out of the '02 Cup in their game against Korea. Never saw a match so obviously decided by lousy officiating. And they were great against Ukraine.
Just think, if they had held on for one more minute yesterday they'd still have a shot.
Huge goal for Ecuador there, since now if the score holds up, if they tie Germany, they win the group on Goal Differential.
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