Posted on 06/11/2006 7:33:41 PM PDT by Atlantic Bridge
Oh lord, it's past 2am. Time to hit the sack. Let's hope for some entertaining games tomorrow, or should I say, later this morning.
"You guys play mickey-mouse teams (Mexico excluded) and therefore get ranked higher. You played Panama in the Gold Cup final for pete's sake!"
Micky Mouse teams? Last I looked, every team from CONCACAF seemed to be doing quite well in the tournament thus far. The lone loss occurring with Costa Rica against Germany on their home turf!
Trinidad Tobago v Sweden: 1-1
Mexico v. Iran: 3-1
Costa Rica v Germany: 2-4
Compare those results against UEFA and you have a different story. England, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, and Sweden are all playing terrible ball.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee. The distance between historically great teams and emerging teams is shrinking on the world stage. And with that I will go out on a limb and predict that the U.S. will kick the arse of Italy as it did to your current choice of residence, Canada - current red headed step-child and "Micky Mouse" member of CONCACAF.
-Roscommon
p.s. Good luck with Ghana tomorrow. ;-)
You have it exactly right.
Our small town started HS soccer 6 years ago. They are still playing kids who never touched a soccer ball before coming out for the sport. The football coach cannot see that some running and footwork might help his skill players, so he makes a big issue of "letting" the soccer team use the football field for games. (Football fields are smaller than soccer fields and aren't that great-- but are the best that a small town can do.)
Even in this environment, soccer is catching on, though. The world cup schedule was posted right beside the NASCAR schedule in a local sports bar. (Four years ago they had to clear out a section of the bar for us. Now there are fans watching when we get there.)
No world cup reporting on the local TV channel yet. I expect that the U.S.-Czech game will be reported, though. Most of the region does not get ESPN2 and can't watch the game without going to a bar or to a friend's house (a friend with a dish).
Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Jamaica. Basically, 5 San Marinos lol.
Btw, Trinidad-Sweden ended 0-0.
We also play Canada which is like playing the Vatican.
I'll start a Day 4 World Cup thread tomorrow morning
PREVIOUS 2006 WORLD CUP Threads:
2006 WORLD CUP -- Day 3 Thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1647284/posts
2006 WORLD CUP -- Day 2 Thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1646776/posts
2006 WORLD CUP -- Day 1 Thread -- Finally, It's Game On
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1646240/posts
I think it is futball!!
Not a soccer fan but I like your 4wheeler from hell, and your uncle has a primo ride (does he give rides??).
Why disparage the small nations of CONCACAF? This weekend the SMALLEST nation to ever field a team at the World Cup (Trinidad) tied one of your European Confederation teams. If that isn't an indictment on your grandiose perception of Europe's superiority, I don't know what is.
Sorry, but no Me 109 rides... This plane is extremely demanding due to its awesome torque and power. Nothing for pilots that are not used to it. In the moment the machine is overhauled from a landing accident anyway ... It costs roundabout 200.000 Euros ... not funny.
As a long time red-neck from Texas I always found it strange a game played with a ball, that a player could not catch, pitch or throw with his hands. Or male referees/officials dressed in tight little shorts that signal with little flags on sticks. And of course the rabid fans; fans that kill each other by either stamping, stampeding or caving in the bleachers on each other. Oh, forgot about the fires too.
Wouldn't walk across the street to watch a game.
Allow me to first brag for a moment... its Monday morning and I am in a hotel in Dortmund Germany. In another 2 hours I will be boarding a train for the short trip to Gelsenkirchen where the USA match is to be played. I have 3 tickets and will be at the match.
As far as FIFA rankings go, no one over here puts much power in them. I have spent a lot of time in pubs and on the street talking with the German fans, the English, the Danish, the Swedes etc. While the USA team has made good strides in the past 5 years and gained some respect among the Soccer giants, they still feel we have a ways to go. This, I hope plays out on the soccer field today. I hope that Czech will be looking past us to their other games. Cheers for the Yanks
WELL SAID!
I am going to today's game. Go Yanks....
Brazil, along with much of Latin America, blames the United States for much of its faults.
"As a long time red-neck from Texas I always found it strange a game played with a ball, that a player could not catch, pitch or throw with his hands."
Admittedly, The Game is for people who are coordinated with the lower half of their body. Hand-Eye centric individuals need not apply. That is unless you're Diego Maradona - somebody queue up the "Hand of God" clip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_of_God_goal
-Roscommon
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.