1. This may run a little long. Please forgive me.

    I'm one of the biggest "soccer" supporters out there. Been playing since 5 and continue to play 3 games per week. Die hard fan.

    I can't really ask days off at work and my boss HATES socer with a dying passion. I usually take my lunch at 9AM to watch the USA's past games. But of course I'm about to leave my desk and I get an urgent project to do. Miss first half. Utter dissapointing. Watch a little bit of the game on a broken link till I go to the lunch room at halftime where theres a lunch room full of people looking upset...why? The TV is blacked out, only audio no picture. So we're all in there watching ESPN praying that the TV comes on. ESPN2 is working fine with the England match. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

    We are all listening to the game when we hear Dempsey BLOCKED Donovan SCORE! Lunch room errupts. Flick on ESPN2 of the England game, they magically put both ESPNs with the USA game, so we get to watch the last seconds. My brother and I have tears in our eyes. Everyone is celebrating and fist pumping. USA is onwards to the knockout round. We deserve it with 2 goals being disallowed. This truly is a beautiful game.

    LANDO IN COMMANDO. See you Saturday!
  2. England upped their game this time round and rightly so after having an incredibly cringeworthy and shakey start to the world cup. I actually thought after algeria's match that England would be lucky to even draw against Slovenia after that dismal performance. However they proved me wrong and fixed a lot of the problems that were in the last 2 games; like gerard's positioning and passing upfront, more support from the left and right wing, more accurate passing, less clumsy defending etc.

    The whole performance was definitely a lot better for England but it still was far from perfect. Rooney looked injured or like his mind was somewhere else and Lampard still couldn't quite connect the crosses or shots as well as gerard or milner. Gareth Barry to me was the major problem in the game as he gave away so many passes to Slovenia and allowed them to run right up to our goal. Same with the fouling; Barry kept playing too rough and fouling Slovenia players and getting them free kicks. If we are to face someone like Germany in the next game, then Barry seriously needs to be dropped as he is too much of a risk. Also I was disappointed in Joe Cole as all this talk about why Capello shouldn't bench him and how playing him would change the game turned out to not be true at all - in fact, I can see why Capello benched him as clearly his playing isn't up to scratch.
  3. I admit it.... I'm not ashamed of it... I was at a gas station and had the car windows rolled down as I filled in the fuel, listening to the last minutes of the games via car radio.... and when the commentator said it was a goal for the US.... I screamed out loud people stared my way but I don't care..... GO USA GO --> and that means that.... if.... IF Germany wins tonight, we'll play England they played well today but I'll not admit that of course

    *gets chips and coke and the black-red-golden wig and the scarf and settles down on the sofa*
  4. Originally posted by MacStripey:I admit it.... I'm not ashamed of it... I was at a gas station and had the car windows rolled down as I filled in the fuel, listening to the last minutes of the games via car radio.... and when the commentator said it was a goal for the US.... I screamed out loud people stared my way but I don't care..... GO USA GO --> and that means that.... if.... IF Germany wins tonight, we'll play England they played well today but I'll not admit that of course

    *gets chips and coke and the black-red-golden wig and the scarf and settrles down on the sofa*


    Yeah I am not too excited about that lol. I think England will be destroyed personally.
  5. Originally posted by MacStripey:I admit it.... I'm not ashamed of it... I was at a gas station and had the car windows rolled down as I filled in the fuel, listening to the last minutes of the games via car radio.... and when the commentator said it was a goal for the US.... I screamed out loud people stared my way but I don't care..... GO USA GO --> and that means that.... if.... IF Germany wins tonight, we'll play England they played well today but I'll not admit that of course

    *gets chips and coke and the black-red-golden wig and the scarf and settles down on the sofa*


    Thanks there for your supporting scream! I wish your side the best of luck. I'm still bitter from the '02 handball that prevented the USA a goal in the quaterfinals (?).
  6. Originally posted by molang7:This may run a little long. Please forgive me.

    I'm one of the biggest "soccer" supporters out there. Been playing since 5 and continue to play 3 games per week. Die hard fan.

    I can't really ask days off at work and my boss HATES socer with a dying passion. I usually take my lunch at 9AM to watch the USA's past games. But of course I'm about to leave my desk and I get an urgent project to do. Miss first half. Utter dissapointing. Watch a little bit of the game on a broken link till I go to the lunch room at halftime where theres a lunch room full of people looking upset...why? The TV is blacked out, only audio no picture. So we're all in there watching ESPN praying that the TV comes on. ESPN2 is working fine with the England match. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

    We are all listening to the game when we hear Dempsey BLOCKED Donovan SCORE! Lunch room errupts. Flick on ESPN2 of the England game, they magically put both ESPNs with the USA game, so we get to watch the last seconds. My brother and I have tears in our eyes. Everyone is celebrating and fist pumping. USA is onwards to the knockout round. We deserve it with 2 goals being disallowed. This truly is a beautiful game.

    LANDO IN COMMANDO. See you Saturday!


    Love it!


  7. Well Spain lost to a subpar team, at the end of the day it could be a completely different performance on the day. If we face Germany in the next round and manage to beat them, what is the criticism for the next game?

    I expected england draw or lose today but actually surprised me that they were much better. If they get their act together and come out stronger in the next game they could beat their opposition a bit more convincingly.

    It's anybody's guess as to what will happen. England were supposed to thrash Algeria, Spain were expected to beat Switzerland, Brazil were expected to beat North korea more convincingly, nobody expected Portugals 6 goal whirlwind in the 2nd half against North Korea. Anything could happen.
  8. Originally posted by iTim:[..]



    It's anybody's guess as to what will happen. England were supposed to thrash Algeria, Spain were expected to beat Switzerland, Brazil were expected to beat North korea more convincingly, nobody expected Portugals 6 goal whirlwind in the 2nd half against North Korea. Anything could happen.


    What about New Zealand and the all white kiwis!


  9. Exactly, so many examples of the unexpected happening at this World Cup.
  10. I think Portugal and Holland are the dark horses this year personally. Holland always plays consistently well - their passing and skill on the pitch is just quite simply exceptional. Portugal also proved they still have got what it takes and that their slow start to the world cup was nothing but a slight 'hiccup'.