WORLD CUP 2006 / GERMANY

[brownie]

And the second goal...Surely one of the greatest team goals ever scored?

One for the history books! Awesome collective playing!

So many great Argentine goals in two matches. The fifth one by Tevez against Serbia/Montenegro was a classic, too!

[Alexander Hawkins]

It really was a thing of beauty. The only goal which compares which I can think of is Carlos Alberto in 1970.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I have to say, it's performances like Argentina's which make me want them to win. Aesthetically, they were amazing. I don't care who wins the cup as such; that's a performance which simply won't be forgotten (like e.g. Eusebio v South Korea in '66, or France v Brazil twenty years later).

There's a lot of good football played everywhere in the world, and throughout the year, but it's wonderful when, every 4-5 years, you see some performance which you know will be remembered as truly historic.

[kenny weir]

Bye guys - enjoy the rest of the tournament!

I'm off work for two weeks dues to school holidays. Oh yes ineedy - two weeks of reading, cooking, listening and goofing with my 5-y-o Bennie, and a whole shotload of World cup watching. But I'll only be able to check in here a coupla times a week to commiserate, gloat, yahoo, whatever.

Prediction: Brazil 2 Australia 0. But ya never know ya luck, do ya?

[Alexander Hawkins]

Portugal 2 Iran 0.

Iranians showed nothing, Portugal not much more.

Nice goal from Deco though!

[couw]

in spite of some ho hum playing in between that was a fun game to watch! Ghana beats the Czech Republic 2:0. Who'd'a'thunk?!

The Africans showed some impressive combinations. The referee had a bit of a hemorrhoidic moment when he had to get information from his linesman on who took down the Ghana player. WTF? He didn't see this himself? Then he took a-a-g-e-s to twist out his red card after taking some more ages to theatrically separate the offender, and the Ghana player took his PK in the meantime. So our pedantic little referee gives the 20 year old Ghana player a yellow. Great going ref. You're a real sport...

Maybe the Ghana player had fallen asleep and dreamt he heard a whistle. I mean, it DID take a...a...a...g...e...s...

[scottb]

The Czech certainly didn't look as sharp as they did against the US. Hopefully, Italy will be generous and have a similar lapse giving the US a glimmer of hope.

[couw]

BOF!

Italy vs. USA - 1:1

man of the game: the ref

and I mean that in a good sense, finally a guy who doesn't wimper but simply pulls that damn card when it is needed and keeps it to himself when it isn't.

[Brad]

I don't agree with you with Mastroeni but it was certainly deserving of at least a yellow. In my view, the ref just balanced the books. Be that as it may, it gives the US a chance, not much of a chance to advance, but a chance. They will have to win and hope that Italy can beat Czech Republic as the US goal differential is a minus 3 and a Czech win would leave them out.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Actually, I thought the US could have won that the way they were playing - had no one been so duff as to have been sent off. 11-11 would have been the US game.

Suicides in Rome tonight, I suspect.

MG

[couw]

I don't agree with you with Mastroeni but it was certainly deserving of at least a yellow. In my view, the ref just balanced the books.

that's what I thought until I saw the replay. Legs stretched up front, no ball, only opponent.

= bye bye Mastroeni

Simply stoopid action, particularly with the ref standing two metres away.

Germans talk of the "Fingerspitzengefühl" that refs need. Refs hate that talk. But this one had plenty of it.

[scottb]

Certainly the US was getting the better of play before going down to 9. Even the Italian goal was from a set piece and an error by Eddie Pope. Not from any display of good play.

I disagree about the ref. Way too strict wiht the calls. Way too many cards for both sides. The intentional elbow was a straight red but the striaght red on Pablo was a joke. He he would have continued as he started with the yellows the game would have ended 5 v 5.

Unfortunate the ref played such a big role in such an important match.

[couw]

Actually, I thought the US could have won that the way they were playing - had no one been so duff as to have been sent off. 11-11 would have been the US game.

actually the US wasn't much different from the african teams: lots of soul and heart and spirit and want, but not enough quality up front to finish it off. It is telling that the only US goal was actually an Italian goal...

Mind you: the Italians played like a pile of phone wires and they did not even deserve their goal, but at least they have that quality to take that one chance and make a goal out of it.

[connoisseur series500]

I thought we'd eventually see 7 v.s. 7. Those red cards were flying....

[ejp626]

I think the US should have won 2-1. Waving off that second goal was totally unjustified in my view.

[Brad]

Actually, I thought the US could have won that the way they were playing - had no one been so duff as to have been sent off. 11-11 would have been the US game.

actually the US wasn't much different from the african teams: lots of soul and heart and spirit and want, but not enough quality up front to finish it off. It is telling that the only US goal was actually an Italian goal...

Mind you: the Italians played like a pile of phone wires and they did not even deserve their goal, but at least they have that quality to take that one chance and make a goal out of it.

Unfortunately, you're right about the soul and heart. I know somebody at the BBC (and I may have mentioned this already) said the only thing the US lacks is a first rate striker and I have to agree with that. Maybe by 2010, one will have been developed.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I think the US should have won 2-1. Waving off that second goal was totally unjustified in my view.

No - the guy was offside. If he'd kept still the goal would have been allowed. But he didn't. Tuff shit, but there we are.

It showed, though, that the US COULD make goals and didn't need Italians to do it for them.

MG

[David Ayers]

Watched the USA-Italy game. Damn!

On a different topic, the England manager is talking baout resting players who are on yellow cards for the third group game. But I thought all cards were cancelled at the end of the group stage. Am I right? If so, what is the point of resting players?

I think De Rossi deserves banning for the rest of the tournament, by the way.

[J.A.W.]

Watched the USA-Italy game. Damn!

On a different topic, the England manager is talking baout resting players who are on yellow cards for the third group game. But I thought all cards were cancelled at the end of the group stage. Am I right? If so, what is the point of resting players?

I think De Rossi deserves banning for the rest of the tournament, by the way.

Back for just a minute or so for this one:

1 yellow card will be cancelled after the group phase

2 or more yellow cards in the group phase -> suspension in the knock-out phase.

I'm off again.

Edited June 17, 2006 by J.A.W.

[Matthew]

Gee Hans, that was a quick exit. I've been wondering where you've been lately?

[J.A.W.]

I thought we'd eventually see 7 v.s. 7.

That's against the rules. A team must at least have 8 (I think) players, otherwise the game must be suspended by the referee.

I'm off again.

[Brad]

I think the US should have won 2-1. Waving off that second goal was totally unjustified in my view.

McBride blocked the keeper. That's against the rules. It was a good call.

[Jim R]

It is telling that the only US goal was actually an Italian goal...

Agreed. The U.S., by virtue of some very good midfield play today, set themselves up for some very good chances on goal. Convey: over the bar. Bocanegra: over the bar. Dempsey: wide of the post. Mastroeni: over the bar (good effort from long range, but the fact remains...). McBride: wide of the post (very very weak effort with his left foot). Reyna: wide, a slow roller with no power on it. A World Cup match against Italy, a match we positioned ourselves to win... and we can't put the ball on the frigging frame. Too bad about Beasley's goal being disallowed... McBride should have known better than to interfere in the play.

The Italians defeated themselves in the attack by getting caught offside over and over again. I think one of those was a bad call, but there were many that were called correctly.

Regarding the referee, this guy was sanctioned (? if that's the right word) by FIFA in the 2002 tournament for his erratic judgements. Of course there is some subjectivity in all of this, but I'm sorry- this guy was card happy. Few verbal warnings, and some silly and rash judgements. And not only against the U.S.- possibly the worst cards he gave out were against Italy... Totti's card didn't look deserved; and the MILD foul by (? forgot who it was now) against Cherundolo when he took the ball down the right flank in the 2nd half... not a yellow card offense. I also can't agree about Mastroeni's straight red. Certainly it was bad enough for a yellow, but I can't see ejecting a player for a tackle like that when he is obviously attempting to play the ball.

Ghana were wonderful today. Great touch, vision, running off the ball for one another, anticipating each other's movements and passes... just beautiful stuff. Defensively they did a great job of limiting the number of dangerous attacks from Nedved and Rosicky, and Kingson made a couple of fine saves toward the end. I can only hope that Ghana won't be that sharp on Thursday!

Italy/Czech Republic ought to be interesting... neither one will want to finish 2nd in the group, for obvious reasons. Anyway, GO ITALY!... and stay the *&^% ONSIDE!

[scottb]

Jim, How did you like the 4-1-4-1? (That is of course before it became a 4-3-1)

I think it worked well and commend Arena for the change. It's a good way to get Mastroeni, Donovan and Reyna in the midfield which was good. Convey did better today than against the Czechs, Beasely looked better back on the left, although I thought he should've been more aggressive as he was the only one with legs for the last 20 minutes.

I liked the changes with Boca and Dempsey (Do you think he reads this board? ) I wasn't sure Dempsey would be ready for the level of Italy but he did well. Donovan looked good in the space in the middle but I think he seems to be too quick to get rid of the ball. He always seems to be looking to make a one touch pass. Usually it's a good one but I think he needs to attack the defense himself more and hold the ball a little longer to draw more attention and make his pass more effective?

My one beef with Arena is where was Johnson? With only 9 players how do you end the game with a sub in your pocket and everyone on the field exhausted for the last 25 minutes? He really should have come in. He would have been more than several steps faster than everyone else on the field and may have been able to steal a late one.

[Jim R]

It's funny... I've never been too worried about alignments, in terms of how the team is laid out on paper before the game. Once the actions starts, a team's "shape" will usually be in flux according to how the game is flowing (whether we're controlling, holding, dictating; or constantly chasing/defending). Maybe I'll have to watch the match again (a third time, as I already watched it once on tape) to see if I really recognize the "4-1-4-1". I certainly recognize the last "1" (McBride), but in terms of the defensive midfield, I think it's less obvious. I don't know that Reyna got further upfield than he did against the Czechs, generally speaking, and Mastroeni committed himself forward on a number of occasions too. At any rate, I think the basic shape we took was good. The only change I would have considered would have been to get EJ into the game (as a starter) instead of leaving McBride alone up top. McBride is great at that, but historically we just don't create a lot of chances that way. And yeah- I thought EJ should have replaced McBride in the 2nd half (I would have brought him in around the 60 min. mark). Some people are saying that it would have been too risky to use our final sub when we were already down to 9 men (an injury would have brought us down to 8), but I would have taken that chance.

Agreed about Dempsey. I've been saying all along (since the beginning of this thread, I believe) that I thought he deserved to start. He's shown that he's consistent, and pretty much fearless (maybe he's too young to realize he should be nervous ). He didn't have a spectacular game today, but he made a very solid contribution. I also agree with your comments re Donovan. He's too unselfish sometimes. He's capable of shooting from distance, and he's also good at shooting on the run. The way we were failing to put our shots on target (as I said above), we needed all the shots we could get... and Donovan was one of the players (and Beasley was guilty as well) who held the ball up a few times when we should have been attacking. Even Cherundolo could have run at the defense more, IMO. We just need to be more aggressive in attacking in general, because we need to create more chances than most other teams (with better finishers).

Such a strange game, though. What were the odds of: 1) Beasley getting into the match; 2) Beasley scoring a goal; 3) A veteran like McBride screwing up and causing the goal to be disallowed?