The World Cup

[VDub26Falcon]

The 2010 edition has started...anyone care??? Here is a blog!

http://vdubssportsperspective.blogspot.com

[h2oville rocket]

Only a few billion fanatical folks around the world-I'm not one but I'll be watching. Kinda like the biathlon-
I'll watch it when its on (Olympics or Canadiasn TV sometimes) but America is pretty set in its sporting ways. A certain contributor to AZZ has gone so far as to tell me that no one cares about any of the non-revenue sports at the MAC level. Not sure why we have them- me? I love sports in general and think a lot of the lesser known ones are waaayyyy more interesting to watch than say football.

[Bleeding Orange]

...is gay.

Wait...what are we doing here?

[jg4242]

Who are your favorites for the finals?

I have to say Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands are my top three. England could do very well if they shore up their centerbacks and goalkeeping, but they need to cruise to a couple of wins before I'll believe they'll be threatening. Portugal also looks very strong on paper. My dark horses are Ivory Coast and South Korea. Korea looked phenomenal in their win yesterday, and Ivory Coast will be the most dangerous African team if Drogba plays.

Thoughts?

[i zig a zoomba]

Who are your favorites for the finals?

I have to say Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands are my top three. England could do very well if they shore up their centerbacks and goalkeeping, but they need to cruise to a couple of wins before I'll believe they'll be threatening. Portugal also looks very strong on paper. My dark horses are Ivory Coast and South Korea. Korea looked phenomenal in their win yesterday, and Ivory Coast will be the most dangerous African team if Drogba plays.

Thoughts?

Heyyy... somebody not ignorant to soccer... good to see! I agree that Brasil, Spain, and the Netherlands have a great shot of winning the cup. Portugal lacks experienced players but do have one of the best players in the world in Ronaldo, but it's a team game. Just ask the USA. I also like Ivory Coast and South Korea but neither of them will make the last 8. I'll be staying up and watching just about every game of the tournament.

USA should advance now with 7 points... but so could England. USA needs to find the back of the net and finish their chances against the next two opponents because the first and second seed out of the groups could come down to goals scored, if England and USA both win their next two. I wouldn't count England out of the world cup either though.

[Zom]

Congratulations on the draw, folks. USA will do OK in this tournament, and with a bit of luck they'll do better than that. Landon Donovan plays his 'ball just down the road from me at Everton. USA has come a long way.

England - all I can say is that being an England fan is about as frustrating as being a BGSU football fan. To be an England football fan you just need one word in your vocabulary - "why?". Last night's goalie may get his passport returned to him if he redeems himself, and his only consolation is that he joins a long line of otherwise outstanding England goalies like Seaman and Shilton who have dropped the most outrageous clangers to cost us our place in World Cup history. That said, this stage is about three games, and I would like to think England and USA will move on to the next stage, but there is a nasty surprise lurking in this group yet.

To add to England's pain, last night's broadcaster fouled up their HDTV stream, and everyone who bought HDTV just for the World Cup had blank screens when Gerrard put a rather sweet shot in the net. Not a good start, as usual.

[jg4242]

USA should advance now with 7 points... but so could England. USA needs to find the back of the net and finish their chances against the next two opponents because the first and second seed out of the groups could come down to goals scored, if England and USA both win their next two. I wouldn't count England out of the world cup either though.

I firmly believe that the US could have won yesterday's match had Bob Bradley used his brain and started Gomez and Buddle up front. England's only real weakness is their lack of pace at centerback, and playing our fast forwards (who are both in great form lately) would have exploited that weakness. I mean, come on, why start Altidore? He scored 1 goal for Hull City while getting relegated this season. Playing in the EPL doesn't necessarily make you the right man to start, as evidenced by his lackluster play yesterday.

[BGorDeath]

All of the worlds ills can be traced to soccer. BP oil spill...healthcare...Michael Jackson's death...Jesse James going Nazi...John leaving the Kate plus eight...Lady GaGa's popularity...the French...ingrown toenails...Soccer...it's the world's real problem.

[i zig a zoomba]

USA should advance now with 7 points... but so could England. USA needs to find the back of the net and finish their chances against the next two opponents because the first and second seed out of the groups could come down to goals scored, if England and USA both win their next two. I wouldn't count England out of the world cup either though.

I firmly believe that the US could have won yesterday's match had Bob Bradley used his brain and started Gomez and Buddle up front. England's only real weakness is their lack of pace at centerback, and playing our fast forwards (who are both in great form lately) would have exploited that weakness. I mean, come on, why start Altidore? He scored 1 goal for Hull City while getting relegated this season. Playing in the EPL doesn't necessarily make you the right man to start, as evidenced by his lackluster play yesterday.

I'm not sure I agree. Remember England's coach completely screwed his team. He didn't announce his keeper until two hours before the match, and started two players that weren't even fit (having to take Milner out before half, and King at half).

Bob Bradley stuck with his key players that got them their for the most part. Findley was a wild card but he played okay. I do agree that Gomez and Buddle are in the form of their life and will play in the next couple games. Altidore played well and showed his speed. I would like to see Gomez play and Torres. I'm not a fan of Ricardo Clark either. But I fully trust Bob Bradley right now. If Capello made the right selections, England should have won 3-1. Instead Bob Bradley's game plan containing Rooney worked and let's face it.. Gerrard's goal was a mental lapse on a ball that probably wouldn't have made it to Heskey who made a good pass to an anticipating Gerrard. The USA showed you don't have to have the best players to have a better team.

[Zom]

In some respects, England was probably USA's least tricky game. On paper you look at Group C and think you avoided the "group of death". Every World Cup has one. However, Algeria are African Cup 2010 semifinalists, and Slovenia, who aren't anyone's whipping boy, are the only team in group C that can get maximum points now. Worse, everybody seems to like 4-4-2 in this group which suggests at least one more draw.... and yet, another draw for USA or England is likely to leave qualification in someone else's hands.

Dodgy.

[jg4242]

I'm not sure I agree. Remember England's coach completely screwed his team. He didn't announce his keeper until two hours before the match, and started two players that weren't even fit (having to take Milner out before half, and King at half).

Bob Bradley stuck with his key players that got them their for the most part. Findley was a wild card but he played okay. I do agree that Gomez and Buddle are in the form of their life and will play in the next couple games. Altidore played well and showed his speed. I would like to see Gomez play and Torres. I'm not a fan of Ricardo Clark either. But I fully trust Bob Bradley right now. If Capello made the right selections, England should have won 3-1. Instead Bob Bradley's game plan containing Rooney worked and let's face it.. Gerrard's goal was a mental lapse on a ball that probably wouldn't have made it to Heskey who made a good pass to an anticipating Gerrard. The USA showed you don't have to have the best players to have a better team.

I agree that Capello didn't do much to help Englad, and in fact hurt them dramatically. But I disagree that Altidore played well. He had one decent run at goal, but made several stupid decisions that cost us scoring opportunities. I really feel like Bradley was making his starting decision based on Altidore's experience in the EPL rather than putting out the players who are playing well right now. And his experience in the EPL consisted of getting his ass kicked every game by the very England players he was starting against.

As to Gerrard's goal, I agree with you. Inexcusable defense. England executed the play well enough, but anything more than an amateurish defensive effort would have stopped that play in its tracks. In the end, though, we played well enough to hold down one of the most dangerous teams in the world, and isolated and stopped arguably the best striker in the world. Well done, boys!

And how about Germany? I know Australia's weak, but what a great performance! They seemed to have no trouble adjusting to the loss of Ballack and absolutely dominating a much more experienced team.

[Lord_Byron]

[jg4242]

AAAAARRRRGGHH!!!

Make the pain stop!!!!!!!

[Redwingtom]

DOWN GOES SPAIN!

DOWN GOES SPAIN!!

[h2oville rocket]

DOWN GOES SPAIN!

DOWN GOES SPAIN!!

Wait- I thought this was one of the sports no one cares about?