meherdmann June 22, 2006 Share meherdmann Member June 22, 2006 So, the USA needs to beat Ghana today coupled with a win for Italy over the Czech Republic. Here's what I think will happen: USA 3-Ghana 1 Italy 1-Czech Republic 0 USA and Italy advance to the Round of 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meherdmann June 22, 2006 Author Share meherdmann Member June 22, 2006 Well, this World Cup has been a dissapointment now, hasn't it That bogus PK at the end of the 2nd half did the US in. Again, we have a bad call influence the outcome of the game in a negative way for the USA. The US had the momentum after Raulston's goal, which was taken away in an instant, putting the US team in panic mode. Well, the Summer Olympics are in 2 years, and I'll be looking forward to 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magruter June 22, 2006 Share Magruter Member June 22, 2006 Yep the PK call was horrible!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meherdmann June 22, 2006 Author Share meherdmann Member June 22, 2006 I guess the silver lining here is a bunch of MLS teams will get their best players back. Unfortunately, this won't affect the Crew They don't have a single win in their division yet this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkc June 23, 2006 Share tkc Member June 23, 2006 why are you guys blaming everything on the refs? The US didnt deserve to go onto the round of 16 this year and here is why: 1. They showed absolutely no life against the Czech's and agaisnt a team like that your going to get smashed no matter what unless you actually put some effert in, to me this is the game that killed your whole chance of making it. 2. Everyone seems to be blaming both your games with Italy and Ghana on the ref's. Ok in the game against Italy the ref was horrible but the calls he made for the red cards to both teams were fair. Obviously the 2 footed slide to the guys ankle spikes up deserves a red card no question. Also Pope's red card was not a direct red either.... he had previously been yellow carded and then repeated the same exact tackle a second time, now that just stupidity. Sure maybe the pk was a little harsh in the game against Ghana but the US team still didnt score when they had the chances and a tie was no good anyways. So you cant blame the refs for the US teams lack of finishing. 3. Ghana and Italy deserved to move on because they played the best of all the teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the luck of the irish June 23, 2006 Share the luck of the irish Member June 23, 2006 I have never really found soccor interesting, so I am hear to say that I think Edward Van Halen is an amazing guitar player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meherdmann June 23, 2006 Author Share meherdmann Member June 23, 2006 why are you guys blaming everything on the refs? The US didnt deserve to go onto the round of 16 this year and here is why: 1. They showed absolutely no life against the Czech's and agaisnt a team like that your going to get smashed no matter what unless you actually put some effert in, to me this is the game that killed your whole chance of making it. 2. Everyone seems to be blaming both your games with Italy and Ghana on the ref's. Ok in the game against Italy the ref was horrible but the calls he made for the red cards to both teams were fair. Obviously the 2 footed slide to the guys ankle spikes up deserves a red card no question. Also Pope's red card was not a direct red either.... he had previously been yellow carded and then repeated the same exact tackle a second time, now that just stupidity. Sure maybe the pk was a little harsh in the game against Ghana but the US team still didnt score when they had the chances and a tie was no good anyways. So you cant blame the refs for the US teams lack of finishing. 3. Ghana and Italy deserved to move on because they played the best of all the teams. The PK changed the dynamics of the game. If that hadn't happened, the US could've won with only 1 more goal. Half the game is mental, and the pk deflated the US side a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simkiller June 23, 2006 Share simkiller Member June 23, 2006 I hate PK's. Especially if I knew what one was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerisme June 23, 2006 Share farmerisme Member June 23, 2006 I hate PK's. Especially if I knew what one was. It is a pain killer... like the ones you need to take if you actually watch soccer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis June 23, 2006 Share Dennis Member June 23, 2006 um i hate to break it to ya tkc but th refs were bad and not just in our games but others too.... dont get me started on the australia- brazil game about refing. the refs were bad in alot games, and we got them for 2 games. yes the USA came out bad against teh czechs but they played a hell of alot better the next 2 games. they were robbed of the second round and uc ant change my mind on that and about the refing. in the soccer world the USA is very disliked so it wouldnt surprise me if refs did favor other teams, people just dont feel we should be playing soccer at a world level. but god knows the fact that we have beaten germany, brazil, portugal, and many others i think its safe to say that we can play at the world level.... we just arent wnated in the sport... oh and both of those red cards were pure crap....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xterminator June 23, 2006 Share Xterminator Member June 23, 2006 (edited) I disagree Dennis. I've been watching soccer since i could speak. I used to play a bit when i was younger as well. Both red cards were warranted in the Italy game. Both those tackles were dirty. Not as dirty as the elbow to the face but dirty none the less. I have to hand it to the refs, they've really cracked down this year on fouls. I've never seen so many red cards in all the games i've watched put together as i have in this world cup. As for the USA. Ghana outplayed them, simple as that. PK's happen, when u take someone out in the box you know the consequences. I dont agree with the call myself but what can you do? that's the refs call. As for the rest of the game, just look at the stats, Ghana outplayed the US. Shots on goal: US - 3 Ghana - 4 Shots US - 7 Ghana - 9 Granted US had more possession and Corners but they failed to capitalize. i konw many of you might not think this means anything but the fact is the US lost, my next comment is not in anyway trying to provoke a fight but, you can't be the best at everything. You have to realize that there are better teams out there. I can relate, my team (croatia) was eliminated. I'm upset but what can you do, if you want it you gotta give it your best i just think that this year many countries who were eliminated lacked this "will to succeed". Every year this is that one team that just takes off and gets very far. In 98 it was Croatia, 2002 it was Senegal. 2006 is Ghana's year. I forsee them eliminating Australia to move on to 3rd round. Edited June 23, 2006 by Xterminator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkc June 23, 2006 Share tkc Member June 23, 2006 Just a little trivia here: 18 Red cards in this World Cup so far, and the record is 22....i smell a new record coming. I completely agree with you Xterminator, but im sure that Ghana has to face Brazil in the round of 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis June 24, 2006 Share Dennis Member June 24, 2006 nothing will change my opinion and i may be the the only one on here that feels this way but there are many others outside of here that will agree, even many coaches r upset because its stopping hte flow of the game and good players r being removed. those 2 red cards for the USA i have seen tackles in other games and they did not get carded. the ref of the USA - Italy game had a bad past with refing too... i dont know how he got into the world cup anyway. and dont think i dont have a soccer background since i played for 18 years, played for the maryland state ODP team and was being looked at for the u21 national team. the game can be rough and people need to deal with it..... this is y people think the sport is for sissys......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubblegum Bandit June 25, 2006 Share Bubblegum Bandit Member June 25, 2006 I agree and disagree on several points here. As discussed before, the red Pope got was a double yellow, and I can live with that. However, I saw the same tackles Pope made countless times by other guys on both sides and there were no yellows issued. IMO its the lack of consistancy and to me that is the problem. As far as the US on the world soccer stage goes, we played great against Italy, we looked like a decent team. The Czech Republic and Ghana games we looked flat and lacking imo. As I watched the Ghana game something came to mind....I think from a tactical standpoint and a purely athletic standpoint, we are on par with the rest of the world. Where I think we are still lacking is individual skill from player to player. We don't really have a Ronaldo, or Ronaldihno, or you name.... that has the individual skill to get stuff done on the world level. In games where the team is flat, that's the player you need to take it on his shoulders and get us going. We don't have it, Reyna is the closest but just couldn't do it. We had way too many set plays near the box that we couldn't get a shot on goal or stupidly shanked wide or a mile over the goal. Where's the player that can rip the shot from outside the box, he's not there yet. It will happen, but I think we're still behind at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis June 25, 2006 Share Dennis Member June 25, 2006 (edited) Netherlands vs Portugal..... Neth 4 yellows 1 red Port 5 yellows 1 red 65 min....... this is what im talking about too many freaking cards r being given out for things that shoudlnt be given..... FIFA needs to act on this before the next world cup and i hope its fixed since they will have 4 years to work it out. oh and before i never said that the USA should be the best they have along way to go but the fact still remains the rest fo the world isnt ready to except the USA as a good team. wow 4 more yellows and a red in the 75 minute this is just out of hand...... Neth 6 yellows 1 red Port 7 yellows 2 red 90+min another red card and the record has now been tied for most cards given in a world cup game and a new record for most red cards given in a world cup game at 26 i believe. Neth 6 yellows 2 red Port 7 yellows 2 red Edited June 25, 2006 by Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerisme June 25, 2006 Share farmerisme Member June 25, 2006 It seems that if during and after the games it seems as though everyone is talking about the refs, even the announcers during the game, that there is something wrong. The officials should be controling the game, not making the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meherdmann June 26, 2006 Author Share meherdmann Member June 26, 2006 I agree. I personally blame FIFA for this. FIFA asked the World Cup refs to "clean the game up." It looks like the refs took that as a license to call every little thing that remotely looks like a foul, and IMO, it's effecting the outcome of the games. The refs are simply too involved. The cards are ruiniing the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xterminator June 26, 2006 Share Xterminator Member June 26, 2006 interesting arguements being made. I wont lie that the refs are being a little to crazy with cards but it's there call. THe nice thing is that it's not just one ref who's being strict, it's all of them. Fifa is finally cracking down on fouling and trying to clean up the game. I guess this is the only way to have a real soccer game. I remember a few years ago i watched a benefit soccer game, it was the Shevchenko 11 vs the Ronaldinho 11. Basically both players made their own team and they had a benefit game for some charity. This was the best soccer game i ever saw in my life. There was no tackling, there was no arguing, players were having a great time, yet they were still being competitive. You might think this is a bad example but it's great. Soccer should be played like that. As for the acceptance. I guess that no one is taking the states seriously. There is hatred towards america, but not because of sports. I could only imagine what worldcup would have been like if by some chance the US was placed in the same group as Iran. Many people look down upon america because of all the events goin on today and how america is involved. I know this isn't the place for this sort of chat but people have to seperate what goes on with the military and what goes on, on the soccer pitch. I forsee the USA team becoming an excellent team but as has been mentioned, they're are not there yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis June 26, 2006 Share Dennis Member June 26, 2006 1998 world cup Iran beat the USA...... it was not pretty after the game for us and Iran went crazy....... I know they r trying to clean up the game but they went to far with it. The one team that always plays fun and always smiles is Brazil if you watch them play they r the ones that play a true game and i love.... im just tired of seeing them in the finals, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meherdmann June 26, 2006 Author Share meherdmann Member June 26, 2006 im just tired of seeing them in the finals, lol I know what you mean. It's always boring to watch the same team win every time an event comes around. That's why neutral people usually root for the underdog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xterminator June 27, 2006 Share Xterminator Member June 27, 2006 yeah totally agree! go underdogs. the thing with brazil is that they are truly masters of the game. They know soccer better than anyone. Have you ever closely examined how they play?. Most players around the world when they start playing soccer, they learn how to play once position, whether it be defence, midfield or striker. The brazilians are forced to learn how to play all positions at an early age that way they are versatile players. When you watch them play in a match, it's not uncommon to see a defencman like Cafu making a strike. Then there's Ronaldinho, that dude plays every single position (minus goalkeeper) there is. Wherever you look he's there. I've seen him play defence, midfield and striker this tournament, truly a great player. Other teams have to learn how to play this type of soccer. Rotating positions to keep teh opponent confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now