Posted on 06/21/2006 10:33:27 PM PDT by soccer_maniac
The U.S. national team goes into Thursday's Group E finale against Ghana (9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN) knowing that it must come up with a win to have any chance of moving to the Round of 16.
All four teams in Group E, including the USA, still have a chance to advance. The U.S. must beat a tough Ghana side to have any chance of moving to the knockout phase. Should Bruce Arena's team be able to secure three points against the Africans, whom they meet at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN, they will need Italy to beat the Czech Republic in a simultaneous match, which can be seen live on ESPN2. The U.S. is not mathematically eliminated with a Czech draw or win, but will need a big victory over Ghana to avoid being eliminated on goal difference.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...
Agreed. There are many fronts on which we should have done better. Aside from coaching issues, player poor performance was a big factor - it's almost like they were intimidated. I think many of them can play better, but they didn't have their game face on for the Cup.
Arena deserves to be ripped to shreds. His team was poorly prepared for the Cup.
We were wondering if perhaps there was some issue about Johnson's long-term stamina, and that's why he waited so long?
Sad to see team USA get eliminated.
Merk gave Ghana a helping hand, but the US didn't really look all that threatening with 45 minutes to work with.
I was impressed by the figthing spirit displayed in the game against Italy. One of the highlights of the tournament for me so far.
Now, Australia will have to get through or this day will turn into a disaster.
Arena was as useless as Sampson was in 98.
I just came in from watching it with people from a bunch of different countries and we're catching grief from most of them now.
(Yeah, well we could beat your country in a WAR, though, couldn't we?)
{Sigh...}
I wonder how those rankings (for both the US and the Czech republic) came up? Maybe it was all for show, or maybe they were playing against countries like Swaziland and Myanmar!
Let me say one good thing about Beasley. Let's not forget he was the one that got the assist on our only goal. For a few minutes he had it going then went back into his shell. He has never been the kind of guy to play a full game. Lazy, Lazy, Lazy.
Wow - I had not heard that. I bet the Englishmen have something else to say about that!
Not only that but his lineup choices were very odd, his use of substitutions was very poor, and he had us playing way too cautiously. To get to the next level we need a real coach.
He better have a torn groin for Arena to be sitting him for most of 2 straight games...
Interestingly enough, I was ripped into by a few posters on another thread because I didn't rate the USA highly based on those rankings (even though I wanted them to progress).
Now we see that perhaps I was right...
>>I just came in from watching it with people from a bunch of different countries and we're catching grief from most of them now.
That stinks. Nothing worse than poor winners who rub it in your face.
I'm sad we lost, but happy to see our boys play at least one good match (against Italy). Didn't get to see today's match but it didn't sound like their best effort.
I really, really, REALLY want the Aussies to do well today.
True, but he was simply invisible almost the whole game.
What really is going to piss me off are all the damn Mexicans around here that are going to throw it in our face.
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