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2006 SOCCER WORLD CUP - Day 6 Thread - SPAIN/UKRAINE/SAUDI ARABIA/GERMANY/POLAND in action
MLSnet.com ^ | 6-14-06 | MLSnet.com

Posted on 06/14/2006 5:46:34 AM PDT by soccer_maniac

The first cycle of group play in the FIFA World Cup comes to a close on Wednesday with all four Group H teams in action, Spain taking on Ukraine at 8:55 a.m. ET (ESPN2) and Saudi Arabia facing Tunisia three hours later (also on ESPN2). Then Cup hosts Germany start the second series of matches in the groups when they face neighbors Poland in Dortmund.

Spain finally get a chance to get the ball rolling in Leipzig, facing a Ukraine team looking for a result in its first-ever World Cup match. But just because the Eastern Europeans are new on the world stage doesn't mean they don't have the talent to make an impact. In fact, they were the first team apart from the hosts to secure passage to the World Cup, topping a difficult Group 2 that also included Denmark, European champions Greece and a Turkey team that finished third in the World Cup four years ago.

Ukraine also boasts one of the most deadly strikers in the world in Andrei Shevchenko, a new arrival to London's Chelsea FC after a stunning career at AC Milan. However, "Sheva," as he is known, has been battling a knee injury and it remains to be seen if he will be in the starting 11.

Shevchenko isn't the only lethal striker that will be on the field; Spain has several of their own, as well, including Real Madrid legend Raul. Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes is also a danger and could start, especially since Spain coach Luis Aragones often lines his side up in a 4-3-3 formation. Spain is looking to break their World Cup curse in Germany, having never advanced to the final in the competition.

(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: beckham; border; brazil; fifa; football; futbol; germany; illegals; lunesta; mexico; notfootballkeyword; poland; saudiarabia; soccer; spain; sports; switzerland; tunisia; ukraine; worldcup
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To: DoctorMichael
So far, my teams are not doing well at all.
Monday was not a good day.
Sigh.
Was very impressed by Italy and the Czech Republic though, even though of course it's early days yet.
21 posted on 06/14/2006 6:07:40 AM PDT by Jameison
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To: 3_if_by_Treason

22 posted on 06/14/2006 6:08:49 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
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To: kabar
"Let's hope Spain stops being an underachiever."

Hope so.
They have not been as bad in the last 2 World Cups as they used to be.
1982 was not a good year for them, and they actually hoisted it.
2002, they were robbed, like nearly everyone who played against South Korea was.

"They have the talent to go to the finals"

Indeed.
23 posted on 06/14/2006 6:11:26 AM PDT by Jameison
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To: Jameison

1-0 SPAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


24 posted on 06/14/2006 6:14:30 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
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To: soccer_maniac

Go Spain!


25 posted on 06/14/2006 6:17:12 AM PDT by Theoden (Liberate te ex inferis)
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To: kevkrom
Yep, that´ll be the top game today. I´m hoping for a German victory. Germany was never beaten in the 14 games in Dortmund, but Poland will play hard - it´s their decisive match, surprisingly.

Sorry Poland, but you have to go home - your bad that you lost against Ecuador!


26 posted on 06/14/2006 6:17:56 AM PDT by Michael81Dus (1954, 1974, 1990, 2006)
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To: soccer_maniac

Spain 2-0!!


27 posted on 06/14/2006 6:18:24 AM PDT by Jameison
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To: Jameison

Espana 2-0. A little luck doesn't hurt.


28 posted on 06/14/2006 6:18:46 AM PDT by kabar
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To: kabar

2-0 SPAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


29 posted on 06/14/2006 6:18:52 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
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To: Jake The Goose

That is exactly what my wife said... The upset of the tournament is coming this saturday the USA will beat Italy.



30 posted on 06/14/2006 6:20:14 AM PDT by Paulus
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To: OldFriend

Could you later tell me what they think about the organisation, the hosts, etc? Thanks!


31 posted on 06/14/2006 6:21:03 AM PDT by Michael81Dus (1954, 1974, 1990, 2006)
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To: All
On US. SOCCER:

I have wondered for years... who in heck is BRUCE ARENA anyway? (the US coach), in soccer terms?.... Was he a great player in a decent team somewhere?... Why is he the couch of the US Team? What is the criteria? I am not trying to blame him, alone. The whole American Soccer scene has produced nothing of substance really. But Arena, is certainly an important piece of puzzle. Why not import a first class couch from somewhere?... Someone who has actually won something. Someone who can tech a system? The US, seem confused in their playing, they seem to try to play all styles (short slow game, long fast as well), but can not master either... Now it would be nice if they combine the two styles, the melting pot of soccer styles so to speak... I truly want to know what you think on this.

32 posted on 06/14/2006 6:21:08 AM PDT by ElPatriota (Let's not forget, we are all still friends despite our differences)
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To: Jameison

The refs like in the 1988 Olympics were the problem in Korea. Ask Roy Jones.

Ukraine is going uphill and Shevchenko is playing but no one knows his fitness since his injury last month. Spain got an early corner goal and a top of the box shot off a foolish foul. It's 2-0 and not even halfway into the first half.

Shevchenko is now carrying a heavy load on a day into the 90s.


33 posted on 06/14/2006 6:22:07 AM PDT by romanesq (.)
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To: 3_if_by_Treason

Don't let America's bad performance fool you. The Czechs are that good. I would think that with Koller healthy they could beat Brasil.


34 posted on 06/14/2006 6:22:19 AM PDT by Paulus
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To: Jameison

Spain looks very good with these 2 early goals.


35 posted on 06/14/2006 6:22:47 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
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To: Paulus
The upset of the tournament is coming this saturday the USA will beat Italy.

Let's hope. It's really USA's only chance of advancing -- a draw keeps them alive, but only barely. Wins over Italy and Ghana get them through to the second round, and could even win them the group in the unlikely case that the CR goes draw-draw or draw-loss with Ghana and Italy. In a two-way tie with Italy, head-to-head takes precedence over goal diff.

36 posted on 06/14/2006 6:24:34 AM PDT by kevkrom (Posting snarky comments so you don't have to)
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To: soccer_maniac

Yes.
That second goal free kick was awesome.
Goalkeeper never knew what hit him, or rather, what didn't hit him. :)


37 posted on 06/14/2006 6:26:33 AM PDT by Jameison
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To: kevkrom

NEW YORK (AP) -- The United States' 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic was watched by 2.14 million households, the most to see a soccer game on ESPN2.

Monday's match received a 2.4 cable rating, the network said Tuesday. It was the most-watched program on the network this year.

At the 2002 tournament in South Korea, the Americans' 3-2 opening win over Portugal was watched by 998,000 households on ESPN2. The 2002 game began at 5 a.m. EDT, while Monday's game in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, started at noon EDT.

In 1998, when the tournament was played in France, the Americans' opening 2-0 loss to Germany was broadcast by ABC and was watched by 3.33 million households in a game that began at 3 p.m. EDT.

ESPN2's previous high audience for soccer was 1.62 million households for Argentina's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Saturday. ESPN2's households tuned in for the first weekend were up 197 percent from 2002.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/06/13/bc.soc.wcup.usratings.ap/index.html


38 posted on 06/14/2006 6:28:28 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
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To: Jake The Goose
"I'm still in a state of semi-shock over the lackluster play of our U.S. team the other day"

Not a good performance at all.
Monday was not a good day.
39 posted on 06/14/2006 6:28:51 AM PDT by Jameison
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To: kevkrom

Do not kid yourself. Name one US player that could start ahead of any player on the azzurri. Didn't think you could.

The US team is composed of second division talent, with the possible exception of Reyna, Keller, and O'Brien. We are week in the back, too small up front, and our midfield is fair to middling.


40 posted on 06/14/2006 6:29:59 AM PDT by Gaetano
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