So yeah, uh, soccer's pretty interesting actually

[Ellestin]

Germany's run to the final was scaringly easy+boring too... Paraguay, USA, South Korea WTF, and they could have lost any of those games without Oliver Khan between the bars. I hate Germany!

 

[lizard]

Too bad more of us don't live closer to each other. I'd be fun to drink pints of tasty brewskis and watch the matches together.

I wish Birkenau lived in NJ. Then you guys could drink and watch cup matches, and bury the hatchet...in each others' skulls.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Yeah, well get ready for 9am drinking boy! Some games will start at 3pm in Germany....

I think I'm going to have to book personal days for each England game. I honestly don't know how to go about the world cup this year because I don't want to miss too many games, and neither do I want to watch evening re-runs in the hope that nobody gives the score away.

ha ha, that's always impossible. You basically need to live in a media-sheltered bubble and not answer your phone.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Germany's run to the final was scaringly easy+boring too... Paraguay, USA, South Korea WTF, and they could have lost any of those games without Oliver Khan between the bars. I hate Germany!

if I remember correctly, the USA got robbed against Germany.

 

[Ellestin]

Germany won on experience alone. The US eleven was by far the most talented and daring team and they deserved to beat the crap out of the saussages big time!!! But "robbed" isn't the word I'd use. USA just lacked cold-bloodedness in the decisive actions, while Germany just sat on their ass doing nothing most of the game and waited for single opportunities, one of which they converted into a goal...

 

[Eminor]

I think he's talking about the non call on the hand ball in the goal mouth.

 

[Ellestin]

Don't remember about this one. The ref was probably a nazi.

 

[Eminor]

Actually he was in uniform during the game. Should have been a dead giveaway.

 

[JayKeeley]

The name of the game is to score goals. USA outplayed Germany but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Germany, as usual, play like shit, manage to get a draw and then win on penalties, or score some goal in the dying seconds....fuck Germany. And fuck Argentina (and their diving players).

This time it's different. USA have Brian McBride, well experienced now playing in the Premiership for Fulham. Brad Friedel in goal, playing for Blackburn Rovers.

And now of course there is Freddy Adu (16 years old). I hear tonight that Chelsea just bought him for 5 million pounds. The world is saying he is the next Michael Owen, and provided the US team play him, he'll be the youngest to play in the world cup now. (Owen was 18 in 1998 if I remember).

Here's my prediction:

Italy 2 - USA 0
Czech Rep 1 - USA 2
USA 3 - Ghana 0

And for England:

England 2 Paraguay 0
England 1 Sweden 1
England 4 Trinidad 1 (Lampard scoring a hatrick)

 

[Eminor]

Holy shit, I didn't hear anything about a Chelsea deal. Is it a done deal? That would be a big surprise.
I don't think he'll even be on the US team. He still has some developing to do, and I don't think he's ready for international soccer. He did earn his first cap the other night when he came on for 10 minutes or so.

Friedel has retired from international, leaving Kasey Keller the number one. He's just as good as Brad. Keller just signed a new deal w/ Borussia Moenchengladbach where he's been playing well all season.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

I think he's talking about the non call on the hand ball in the goal mouth.

hammer > nail

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

The name of the game is to score goals. USA outplayed Germany but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Germany, as usual, play like shit, manage to get a draw and then win on penalties, or score some goal in the dying seconds....fuck Germany. And fuck Argentina (and their diving players).

This time it's different. USA have Brian McBride, well experienced now playing in the Premiership for Fulham. Brad Friedel in goal, playing for Blackburn Rovers.

And now of course there is Freddy Adu (16 years old). I hear tonight that Chelsea just bought him for 5 million pounds. The world is saying he is the next Michael Owen, and provided the US team play him, he'll be the youngest to play in the world cup now. (Owen was 18 in 1998 if I remember).

Here's my prediction:

Italy 2 - USA 0
Czech Rep 1 - USA 2
USA 3 - Ghana 0

And for England:

England 2 Paraguay 0
England 1 Sweden 1
England 4 Trinidad 1 (Lampard scoring a hatrick)

that USA - Czech prediction is bold! and I like it!

Keller isn't the goalkeep any more for USA?

 

[JayKeeley]

They mentioned the Chelsea deal tonight on Fox Soccer Channel (well, I guess it was really Sky Sports News). Yeah, apparently they outbid Man Utd.

Didn't know that he wouldn't be going to Germany, and didn't know that Friedel retired from international. Good to know, thanks.

P.S. The premiership teams going after Adu is nothing new. They've been after him since he was 14, but I guess once you get your first cap (in his case, DC united), you're open game.

P.P.S. He refuses to play for Ghana, and wants to play for US instead, that's why I figured he might be going to the world cup. If he opted for Ghana, I'm sure they'd have him on the bench this summer.

 

[JayKeeley]

that USA - Czech prediction is bold! and I like it!

I tell ya, it'll be 1 -1 for 89 minutes. In the dying seconds, the US will get a penalty and McBride will bury the fucker.

 

[Eminor]

I kind of thought Arena might bring him along, as much for experience as anything else. He still might, but most of the stuff I've read said it's an outside chance.
If he went to an English team, he'd have to play on a youth side until he reaches a certain age, right? I think that might have played into his decision not to go. I think he believes he's ready now. Plus he wanted to stay in his hometown.

 

[Eminor]

I tell ya, it'll be 1 -1 for 89 minutes. In the dying seconds, the US will get a penalty and McBride will bury the fucker.

I'm a big McBride supporter. That fucker works hard 90+ minutes. Plus, he played all his MLS years at Columbus, which is the closest thing I have to a home team, at 3 hours away.

 

[Eminor]

6 pages for a soccer thread.

 

[JayKeeley]

If he went to an English team, he'd have to play on a youth side until he reaches a certain age, right?

No, if you're REALLY good, you can play in the A-team at 16. That said, there's little doubt Mourinho wants to bring him in early so he can start "shaping" him properly before DC United fuck things up.

 

[JayKeeley]

I'm a big McBride supporter. That fucker works hard 90+ minutes. Plus, he played all his MLS years at Columbus, which is the closest thing I have to a home team, at 3 hours away.

After Wimbledon moved to Crystal Palace, I lost interest. Then they became the MK Dons, moved to MIlton Keynes and dropped a couple of divisions. That was my team once upon a time 'cos it's where I lived.

Next closest teams? Chelsea or Fulham. I'm leaning towards Fulham just because Chelsea is oh so fucking obvious. So yeah, I'm an almost automatic McBride fan (and besides, his goal against Man Utd on the weekend was splendid). Pity they lost, but fuck me, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two blinding goals. That free kick...

 

[Eminor]

Yeah, that free kick was fucking nasty. I pull for Fulham because of the US connection. Bocanegra is American too, used to play for Chicago. I can't stand Chelsea. Arsenal supporter, but boy do they suck this year. The Viera loss was huge.