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41 Comments
Don’t be too hard on yourselves. The Czechs, and especially Rosicky, were damn good. Arsenal spent 8 million pounds getting that guy in the close season - must be one of the buys of the summer.
I’m not much of a soccer fan, but I watched the Australia-Japan game all the way to the bitter end last night. I would have liked to see Japan do better, but they were really outplayed. One commentator this morning showed stats comparing both teams, with Australia outpassing (355:266), outshooting, and outmaneuvring Japan in the penalty area all through the game. The score just failed to reflect that consistent superiority until the final 10 minutes. So congrats to both the Czechs and Aussies for knocking off overhyped opponents. (At least Japan has been waaaaay overhyped in Japanese media.)
losing* not loosing…
usa was probably the most overrated team by far in the tournament. i mean rank 5? you gotta be kidding me. not like there are any soccer fans in us anyway.. a whole 5 ppl were disappointed.
yeah, i also watched the japan-australia game, and i must say their first goal was completely unfair, they fouled the goalkeeper! they were outplayed for the entire game, and were always on the defensive, it was only time before australia scored
More proof that the FIFA rankings are a farce.
Did anyone notice the frankly eerie resemblance between ageing Czech midfield maestro Pavel Nedved and Joe Elliot of Def Leppard? I’ve never once seen them together.
Foosball is the devil!
No offence intended to anyone but the US is really not in the same class as the Czech Republic, I’m of the mind the Czechs will go close to winning the cup this year (though Kollers injury is worrying). Obviously conceding 3 goals to none at an international level is a bit embarrassing but IMO it’s not half so bad given the quality of the opposition.
peace.
I could not stay up to see the US game (and I am kind of glad I could not in hindsight) but I did watch the Aussie Japan game.
At times, it looked as though the Aussies were confused as to which game they were playing. Was it rugby, Aussie rules, or football? They played hard and dirty but it got the job done. Mind you, the referee lost all control somewhere in the middle of the first half which did not help the situation either.
The Japanese were sloppy and lacked finish and their keeper was their only saving grace until his boneheaded play on the first goal.
The Aussie keeper seems to have an interesting tactic too. He appears to just plain ole attack any forward in the area hoping for a whistle. The play on the “goal”, his plan failed.
Zero respect for Aussie football (as a whole) after that game.
All in all, the game was pretty bush league stuff by both teams and the officiating crew. Not the quality one would expect from the world cup. Not that it really matters, however, as I am fairly certain that neither will progress.
Yep… 3-0 is a pretty pitiful result. At least the blow will be softened by the fact that virtually nobody cares. Somehow, I can’t see the USA doing much better against Italy or Ghana, but who knows? Oh well… at least Mexico did well in their first game, so North American soccer isn’t totally hopeless in this world cup.
Is there some sort of soccer tournament going on or something?
Yeah, I figure this loss aint NEARLY as embarassing as having every country in the world, as well as a few little league teams, whup the US team’s ass in that baseball thing a few months ago.
Now THAT is like Canada losing a hockey play-off to Jamacia.
In both games, the team that controlled the midfield won. The US team made sloppy passes and got intercepted by Czechs who read them perfectly. I think even Korean team can do better passing than the US team.
Many teams are getting blown away by 3-0. Let’s see how Korean team fare against Togo tomorrow.
Actually it is more like Canada being shut out three times and failing to make it past the quarterfinals of the Olympic hockey tournament. Ouch!
I don’t agree I’m afraid Goat. The refereeing was about as sloppy as it comes and should not be allowed at the world cup I agree but dirty play ?
We play physical that is for sure, and we did give away our share of fouls but well over 50 percent were milked by diving Japanese. Their entire build-up was about mouthing off re: Aussie thuggery and the ref bought it hook line and sinker, all the Japs had to do was fall down and we had a foul awarded agianst us - abysmal stuff (and very unsporting by the blues if ya ask me).
As for the Schwarz and his tactics … WTF ??? name one instance that he has been penalised for ‘attacking’ a forward ? as for the ‘goal’ he timed his jump a little early IMO and this was compounded into a soft goal by a blatant foul by the japanese striker. Oh well such is the game of football (particularly when you have an incompetent referee).
Over all I agree Japan played poor football (I’ve seen them play much better) and their keeper was by far the standout (he’s very solid, I was impressed). We also played some crap football, i mean WTF 20 odd shots on and 3 goals ? My team gets those sort of stats in our friday night league. I am also thoroughly unimpressed with Guus and his choice of player positions and his ‘keep hittin ‘em through the middle - attrition style’ tactics were plain fuckin stupid IMO, spread it wide once in a while - keep the blighters guessing at least.
In the end justice was done I rekon - regardless of whether or not anyone thinks we played too physical a game nobody can say we did not dominate and deserved to lose (especially to a goal scored by the referee).
peace.
i was rooting for australia to win esp. after that bullshit goal where the goalie was fouled. but i knew for the whole game that japan was gonna lose because they were never on offense.. how can they score?
What? A Korean rooting against Japan? Tell me it ain’t so!
Physical, aggressive, dirty…it is all the same. The only difference is the perspective
I still view the way they played as an exercize in thuggery. Regardless, they did deserve to win the game.
And Hiddink became a pudge monkey…good god!
hahaha fair enough I guess, though I still maintain the Japanese milked some very minor contacts into fouls that would otherwise not have been given (except maybe in Italy
)
I will not even comment on the fact that the Japanese milked the minor contacts. This is football/soccer. Does anybody expect anything different?
I have said for quite some time to my wife that I love the game…hate the players (for the most part) - bunch of sissy bedwettin poofters.
It is funny that even she is getting in on the act. When somebody goes down…
“왜? 일어나!” (same thing applies for when Korea plays too)
She also picked up my favorite term for soccer players - big baby. They all could learn a lesson or two from Bobby Baun.
Football delights me, yet disgusts me sometimes within the same breath.
Could there be a more absent-minded team with less fire-in-the-belly than the US soccer team. I’ve seen high schools play that same style of boom ball but expect a little more creativity out of “professionals.” It was men against boys out there. Well played Czech!!
The first goal by Japan was perfectly legitimate. The goalie screwed up and tried to cover it up by claiming interference even though he didn’t go directly for the ball. Ref had it right all the way. That said, Hiddink clearly had his guys in better physical condition. Poor Japanese players just ran out of steam with abot 20 minutes left in the match.
Australia deserved to win. They clearly forced the action the whole game. That said, I don’t expect them to pick up any more points the rest of the tournament.
As for the U.S., I think they got a little too full of themselves. Perhaps a result of their moderate success in the last World Cup. From what I’ve read, Beasley has been a cocky f**k the past few weeks and apparently thought it would come easy. Think again. He’s likely to ride the pine versus Italy. Donavan is an average talent who usually lifts his game on the world stage, but he didn’t bring it this time. Onyewu also needed to step up and lay a body (ala Australia) on Koller but picked up a stupid penalty early and was ineffective. It goes on and on and on.
Bottom line, the U.S. was way too passive. They need to collectively play like a bat out of hell and let the chips fall where they may. Even then it likely won’t be enough, but at least they can say they went down trying.
P.S.
Here’s hoping, whatever team you support, we’ll all be rooting tonight.
Iceman, passive is a good way to describe them but I would call them complacent. To date, I think one of their best performances was the 2002 losing effort to Germany. They played with intensity there and a sense of urgency. I was especially disappointed last night with Reyna who is the most well rounded player of the bunch and the closest to what we might call world-class. His passing was haphazard and it missed that creative flavor he is capable of. There was one moment in the 75th minute that their passing game showed shadows of possibility but then, poof it was gone. And where was Josh Wolff? He’s the best player in the air and he wasn’t even out there. The Czech’s absolutely dominated the air game and the US side looked as if they didn’t know how to head the ball.
anybody for a Togo party…oops, I mean a toga party?? toga, toga!!
MrChips,
I agree. Where was a player like Eddie Jones? Lalas or Wynalda? They played with fire in their eyes.
Spark the game. Foul if you have to. Rough them up.
Instead, all US team did were patsy passes that were intercepted by Czechs. Why intercepted? Because the US players were not moving. They were standing in stationery position waiting for the ball. No running. No movement. Just standing.
Korean team did this shit in pre-2002 worldcups. Short passes that got them nowhere. Possession, yes. But no spirited plays. Losing to Dutch team 5-0 in 1998 games shocked Korean team. And, Hiddink changed all that stupid possession bs. Maybe Bruce Arena must go; the US team needs Hiddink.
As much as I crack up at Hiddinks one arm fisting routine, I think he is exactly what US needs. French buddy of mine alluded to this in saying Hiddink would bring that fire back. His focus on physical conditioning and off-the ball positioning and aggressive go-to-the ball attitude instead of waiting for it to come to you is what the US desperately needs. Go Ozzies!
US team could’ve been crocheting out there for all I know. They should take cushions on the field next time to sit on. And perhaps some chips and malt beer.
Zero inspiration from Bruce’s boys. Worst U.S. performance I’ve seen in a long time. Arena sits there like a pasha all game, doing nothing.
Anyone up for rooting for Togo at the 3 Alley tonight?
Maybe Hollywood.
heh heh point taken.
You were either watching a different game or have a markedly loose grasp on the rules of football - the strikers arm came all the way across Schwarz (the keeper’s) chest and his entire body leaned into the movement - blatant foul (FYI in football if you touch the keeper 9 times out of 10 it’ll be called, and mostly carded).
For the edification of all here’s the link where the ref apologised for letting the goal stand.
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/co.....661324.htm
and now back to the topic at hand
peace.
From the Q&A section (to aid in Referee Interpretation) at the back of the FIFA rule book in front of me:
Section 2. Under Fouls for Indirect Kicks. “Impeding the Progress of an Opponent”. - Generally, a player cannot use his body to impede another players movements, even if it is not deliberate. This can be called if a player is not within “playing distance” of the ball (i.e., 3 feet) and block’s an opponent’s movement or screens an opponent from the ball. However, if a player is within playing distance & able to play the ball (meaning not laying on the ground), the player can legally screen an opponent from the ball. (You usually see this when a ball is going out of bounds & the player whose team will get the throw-in screens the opponent so the opponent can’t save the ball). Impeding the progress of an opponent used to be called “obstruction”. The rule also applies to “innocently” impeding the goalkeeper by standing in front of him when he has the ball.
So you see, the opposing player is not obligated by the rules to get out of the way of the goalkeeper. They both have a right to the area in the ball’s line. The only reason the “strikers arm came all the way across Schwarz” was because the goalie danced a pirouette around the player instead of moving directly for the ball.
Anyway, I want to see the article where the REF says he was wrong, not one where the players say that the ref told them he was wrong. If he had called that they should all put on skirts and play softball.
Or, I could be wrong and since this FIFA book is 10 years old I might be all wet…
MrChips: mate it would seem the rulebook (even the 10 year old one) confirms the fact this was a foul. I read your emphasised paragraph as meaning a player cannot ‘innocently’ impede a goalkeeper (whereas I think you have read it as meaning he can).
All of this talk is a moot point though because the ref gave the goal so it’s a goal regardless of extraneous factors.
As for the article re: the refs apology, I can’t say I’d expect a ref to publically publish an apology to one team in a world cup - he’d be sent home immediately (which is incidentally how I think he should be dealt with any way, him and both linesmen were not of world cup standard IMO). I also think the players have no motive to lie about such a thing (if that was your inference).
Korea kicks off in T minus - real soon, lets go watch it
peace.
Hojuin, I used to ref university games in US and one thing I noticed is that the same flexibility that refs seem to have in professional games is not afforded to college and high school competition. Rules are very detailed for uni level whereas an awful lot of interpretation is given to pro refs. Anyhoo, I think the Ozzie’s play more than made up for a questionable call and it was one of those games where it was really a matter of time before the score reflected the true difference…
Speaking of Korea, well done eh? For the first time I was fairly impressed with Chung Soo… Advocaat apparently had more faith in him than the rest of us and it finally paid off.
should i add they were Div II ?
Men’s soccer is just silly, the World Cup games ought to be women’s all-nude soccer! Every man in the free world would be glued to the TV screen.
Ok, that was kind of sexist, at least the women should be able to wear cleats and suntan oil.
At least serve German beer at the Korean games.
–Remort
I don’t think the current USA team could ever beat the Czech team. The Czech football players are superior athletes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tear up Italy as well.
I don’t see why the Times made an issue out of being over 30 - that doesn’t matter in soccer.
post #21 MrChips: Sir, if the goal was perfectly legitimate, then please tell me why the referee publicly apologized at halftime. Thanks!
Maybe the US would fare better in this World Cup if it fielded the US womens’ team instead of the mens’.
Here’s a couple of gems from the man entrusted with coaching the US men’s soccer team:
“All we did was lose a game”
“…the final product doesn’t look like it really is.”
and “Our guys were thoroughly, thoroughly prepared for the game, there’s no doubt in my mind about that.”
man oh man, that team is screwed. on the game against Italy, I predict many fouls but no goals (from the US that is). US needs to look outside the border for a new coach.
ref. the following article:
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/ne.....;type=lgns