Heroic USA hold Italy

Eurosport ^ | 6/18/06 | Reda Maher

[Berlin_Freeper]

A heroic defensive display by nine-man USA held Italy to a 1-1 draw in Kaiserslauten in their Group E clash on Saturday.

[RKV]

So Switzerland is ranked below France - I don't think so since they just played to a tie. Mexico is ranked higher than the US - again I don't think so, we just beat them this year. Portugal is not that good, we beat them last year. Italy, well, we just tied them, so, not clear to me that this ranking system is any better than FIFA's.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Persönlich glaube ich dass es sich hier um einen englischen Fan handelt, der die "heroische" Berichterstattung über das US-Team beneidet - lol.

I did not know that about the troops I am glad it got worked out. But as far as anti-US FIFA goes, it does sound to me like the American anthem is being played about one eighth too fast in tempo, I am not surprised though as your link shows their attitude.

Germany offered to have a military band play the anthems but FIFA turned it down- too bad that would have been a ice atmospheric touch.

[Lexington Green]

Italy tied itself.

Soccer sucks. It's the perfect game for socialists - You must play with both hands behind your back - and the officials determine the outcome,

[End Times Sentinel]

Soccer is for kids who’s mommys are afraid they’re going to get hurt playing a real sport, like football.

Owl_Eagle

”You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in.  I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being”

-Hillary Clinton

(Yes, she really said that

Peggy Noonan

The Case Against Hillary Clinton, pg 55)

[Berlin_Freeper]

"Soccer sucks. It's the perfect game for socialists - You must play with both hands behind your back - and the officials determine the outcome,"

And yet you still have an opinion about the game:

"Italy tied itself."

Hmm.

[Brit1]

Just incase there are any doubts I am a fervent England supporter but it would be good to see the Americans do well. It would increase the profile of the game in the States and I bet a USA v Iran game would be a lot of fun.

[Brit1]

Is that the game where you have all that padding and a crash helmet?

[Admin Moderator]

hey idiot.

Hey you, that's not how we address each other here.

[RKV]

USA vs Iran? Yep. I'd pay money to see that game. Just want to make sure that the metal detectors were used on the players (on both sides) before the game. I am reminded of the 1956 water polo match between the Hungarians and the USSR in the Melbourne Olympics. I'd like to see more Americans playing EPL just so they get the benefit of better competition than the MLS offers here in the US. MLS is not at the same level as EPL (yet?). As much as I wish it were, that just isn't the case. I have the pleasure of watching Division 1 NCAA men's soccer here in Santa Barbara - and the team has done well the last several years. Frankly, I prefer to watch soccer live in the stadium, except for the very highest levels of play. For instance I wouldn't turn on the TV to watch the bottom of the list teams play.

[RKV]

I've got kids who do both (and I lettered varsity in high school football myself so I think I have the qualifications to comment). 1) To each his own - it's conservative to allow people to choose what they prefer. 2) Do you really want your daughter to suit up in pads and hit the gridiron? I don't. 3) Yes, the refs are not calling the games as consistently as they should. Life is like that. Learn to make a way to win anyway - that is also conservative. Go over the game films of any high school or college game you like and I'll find you a bunch of stuff that didn't get called (or was called wrong). 4) I counsel both my kids not to cheat - not to dive in soccer, etc., and not to do the hundred mean, nasty and illegal tricks I picked up playing football (like running a play at a ref when they make a bad call). ;>)

[JRios1968]

Good job, Mod...I see you set Soccerphile up the bomb!

[motzman]

Hey, if you love soccer, good for you. I'm just funnin'.

When The Babe was young, he wasn't a hog. And lots of atheletes in ALL sports back then smoked.

I love baseball, but I can see where some would think it's boring.

[MikefromOhio]

Trust me I know.

That's why I detest Soccer.


That and a 1-1 game is both "high-scoring" and "exciting" when it's neither.

[Prodigal Son]

That and a 1-1 game is both "high-scoring" and "exciting" when it's neither.

It was the most exciting match I've seen in a while. I watched it with one of my best mates in an outdoor beer garden with big screen telly. He's Italian. There was a big crowd of Americans there (didn't know that were that many here in Edinburgh) and loads of Italians as well. Awesome theatre it was. I've watched almost all the matches so far and most in that same venue and that was the match that got the crowd at the pub stirred up the most. It was a total nail-biter and I was almost physically ill from the stress.

Scores of 7- 7 and 14-7 in American style rugby (aka NFL football) are common. That is the same amount of scoring you see in the average football match (2-1 or 1-1). The excitement came from knowing we could not lose this match or we would be out. We had to pull at least a draw against Italy and we did. It was a pretty difficult feat too considering we were one man short against a side that has superior skill and greater tradition in the sport than we do. I thought it was a fairly amazing result.

We have to rely on the Italians now to beat the Czechs while we need to beat Ghana in order to advance out of the group stages into the knock-out rounds. It won't get any easier if we do this because earning a second in our group will see us facing Brazil for elimination.

[Pompah]

it took stiches to close the wound.

Pretty standard stuff on most Hockey Rinks.

Just spit on it,and get back out there.

[Brit1]

I think there were a couple of Winter Olympic ice hockey games in the cold war period between the USA and USSR that almost became 'Extinction Events'.

[Steve_Seattle]

"In addition, the 1st USA Red Card was bull crap, it should have been a Yellow."

I don't think it should have been a yellow or a red. It was a slightly late slide tackle in which he made contact with the ball. It was a marginal penalty, and the ref should have just stopped play and given Italy the ball, or ruled "play on" if it were to Italy's advantage to do so.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Soccer is for kids who’s mommys are afraid they’re going to get hurt playing a real sport, like football."

Sounds like you've never seen a soccer game up-close at ground level. It's a rough game; broken bones are not rare. During the years watching my kids' games, I saw a broken ankle and a broken arm, and more than a little blood.