[dogbyte12]

I think Beasley just worked himself off the national team with that performance yesterday. Hopefully Clint Dempsey will get the start on the right against Italy. I do have to say that France was actually less useful than we were. Seriously. Switzerland is no Czech Republic. The french did less with more than we have.

Zidane, Henry, Viera and you can't score a freaking goal in 1998, or against the Swiss? It makes me feel a wee bit better about our suckitude.

We truly aren't as bad as we showed. We played a stinker. It happens. I have to really credit the Czech coach. Most European coaches in the past (i.e. Portugal) didn't bother to scout us, why bother. He obviously did. He shut off our wing play, bottled us up in the middle, and let us have the majority of the ball, but with no ideas what to do with it with the flanks closed. That is why ball posession can be a useless stat. We used to be the team about 4 or 5 years ago that played the game Czech's played. Let the ball stay in the middle, and counter quickly.

Hopefully, the Italians go in way overconfident, and Beasley sits on the bench.

[dfwgator]

Zidane, Henry, Viera and you can't score a freaking goal in 1998

Uhh, they won the Cup in 98, they didn't score in 2002. But the French team is way too old. Trying to relive the glory days with players that are 8 years older.

[romanesq]

Sadly for the US, Italy will not go into the game unprepared. In fact they will mirror the strategy employed by the Czechs.

Be prepared to be frustrated by long aimless runs on the wing followed by centers to no one in the middle.

Italy will be pushing the US wide all day. Even if we regain some respect, we will go down 1 or 2 nil.

I just want to see guys out there trying to attack. Through balls even if unsuccesful look better than balls being sent to each other going nowhere at the halfway line.