2006 SOCCER WORLD CUP - Day 9 Thread - USA v Italy, Czech v Ghana

MLSnet.com ^ | 6-17-06 | MLSnet.com

[soccer_maniac]

The U.S. national team faces a must-win situation Saturday against Italy (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The U.S. lineup could see some changes, including adding Eddie Johnson. Czech Republic and Ghana play earlier in the day (11:30 a.m., ABC), while Portugal advanced by beating Iran 2-0.

[AngryJawa]

Tony "Near Post" Meola huh? I hear he's making a comeback. What a shame he picked the end of his career to get a work ethic. Such a likeable guy too.

Likeable? No, he's is and has been a tool since I first met him at age 16. I'll agree with the point about his athleticism, but there have usually been at least a dozen more capable GK's available to replace him at any time since he first got a spot on the MNT.

IMHO, he's just one more piece of evidence that politics have almost always trumped performance for the national team selection.

[romanesq]

Hey what are you complaining about? Tony is from Kearny, NJ the soccer capital of the US. That's not a bastion of political power either.

He had a good run made the team. He's not even on the team now. And I think he's more of an icon from when he had a good run.

He got the W yesterday in a 2-1 Red Bulls win.

Why are you so harsh on the guy?

[RodgerD]

Yes you're right, I don't think either game is going to be won by more than two points. We need to beat Ghana and then hope the Italians really want to win the group.

[romanesq]

Italy will want to avoid Brazil and gain form. We should see an effort to win.

[Gaetano]

I have seen every azzurri match since 1994, and I have to say that the high hopes I had for them in this WC have now been destroyed. The US game was a return to the bad old days of Trapattoni: no movement through the midfield, back passes to the defenders, then long balls to the forwards who are then caught offsides. Bruttissimo.

I was hoping for bell' Calcio from them. For that I will watch Argentina.

[Jameison]

"So will Ghanaians."

True.
For that matter so will the USA.
All in all its going to be a super competitive Thursday and an exciting day of football.
Can't wait.

[Jameison]

"If both games are played at exactly the same time, as is now scheduled, then as soon as the US gets ahead, the Czechs and Italians just settle in for the tie, until Ghana ties it back up"


You have a point there.
The flip side of course is that in lots of soccer matches, the scores can change round very suddenly, and sometimes in the last few minutes.
Look at the Australia versus Japan match for example, or the Germany versus Poland.
It will be very foolish for either the Italians or the Czechs to be playing for a draw while the US/Ghana match is still in progress.
Plus of course neither of them want top meet Brazil in the next round by coming second either, so they should be playing to win.

[Allegra]

All in all its going to be a super competitive Thursday and an exciting day of football.

One of my friends/co-workers is for Ghana. He's from Sierra Leone but was raised in Britain so is more British than Sierra Leonean. However, he HATES the England team.

We just made plans to watch the game together Thursday evening in the bar. We think it'll be fun to be on opposite sides - all in friendly fun.

Don't tell him I said this, but the USA's going to kick Ghana's a$$. ;-)

[dfwgator]

How come you are for Mexico getting kicked out?

Does a Yankee fan ever root for the Red Sox, or vice-versa?

[Tolik]

That was an unbelievable game! Great spirit and fire!

If only we had a bit more skill... But it will come

I think Italy can defeat Czechs (they definitely have a motivation not to see Brazilians too soon) and US can defeat Ghana. All 4 teams fighting for a win: that I call a group of death!