WC 2006: Group E

[ummmm........]

I agree that the penalty kick was pretty much irrelevant, no matter how bad the call was. And I agree that we'll get better faster by sending players to Europe rather than trying to improve the MLS. I don't really know what to do about players or coaches.

But now that the US is out, I'm pulling for Mexico

 

[woodelf]

Even as a fan of the USA I think it was a foul and therefore a PK. The penalty kick was fine, it was the stupid "clear" that put the ball into the box that ruined the game. 2 mistakes = 2 goals = wait until 2010.

No way Arena is kept on, no chance. The 4-5-1 today was stubborness and that inflexibility is a sign that it's time to move on.

 

[ThERat]

I agree with Hitro's analysis. Rather uninspried games, I was waiting for real cracking games.

Italy just sat back catenaggio style and was lucky not to concede a goal. When they scored the 1:0 (which wasn't deserved at that moment at all), I sensed that the Czechs might sort of collapse again. One Nedved doesn't make a summer...

USA was very passive, I was wondering whether they know they need to win the game. Very strange strategy. Merk has shown again that he is not a good referee. And I too agree that the faking by Ghana was pissing me off. I hate such behaviour and it sort of makes the joy of seeing an African team advance a little less nice.

 

[kryszcztov]

A bit off-topic, but this isn't the first time in this thread.

I agree that the Champions' League is the thing to watch throughout the season. It's without any doubt the most rated tournament in the world. Last seasons got me into Lyon (like many in France of course), and so I'll be rooting for Lyon next year (French championship as well). Oh, 2 Brazilian guys from Lyon scored recently : Fred and Juninho ! And Ribéry is announced there... We'll get our revenge over Milan AC.

 

[ThERat]

the CL usually offers better football than the world cup...looking at the team selections it isn't surprising...

 

[shortguy]

Bruce Arena is toast. Landon Donovan is toast.
MLS needs to let their best play in the Euro leagues. The world didn't catch up in basketball until their best started playing in the NBA.

Didn't Donovan already lay an egg in Europe somewhere? Maybe we should've learned our lesson...

For a country of 300 million people with near limitless resources, it's appalling that we can't field 11 players worthy of success in Europe's best leagues.


EDIT: Wiki says he failed miserably at Bayer Leverkusen.

 

[Guerra y Paz]

Bruce Arena should get fired!!! Maybe we can get Klinsmann after Germany gets knocked out.

Clint Dempsey was the only player who showed something in this WC, everyone else was a dissapointment.

Landon Donovan = sh!te

Claudio Reyna has announced his retirement. Thanks but you are 4 years too late!

Freddy Adu wants to play for Ghana now. Thanks Fred I really needed that kick in the nuts today.

 

[volta]

The announcers on ESPN were poor. They kept going on and on about the call giving Ghana the penalty kick. Ok, even if Ghana doesn't get that call, the game is still a tie and Ghana still advances. I wish them luck vs. Brazil.

That was Balboa who kept complaining about it. He was even worse against the Czech Republic. I thought the game was well officiated except for the PK, but I'm more mad at Bocanegra for the PK than the ref. He had a chance to clear it and instead kicks the ball in the air then heads it into the box.

Even as a fan of the USA I think it was a foul and therefore a PK. The penalty kick was fine, it was the stupid "clear" that put the ball into the box that ruined the game. 2 mistakes = 2 goals = wait until 2010.

No way Arena is kept on, no chance. The 4-5-1 today was stubborness and that inflexibility is a sign that it's time to move on.

There is contact on almost all headers. IMO it looked like a play that wouldn't have been called if it happened in the middle of the field, the only difference was the Ghana player wouldn't have fallen if he wasn't in the box.

Freddy Adu wants to play for Ghana now. Thanks Fred I really needed that kick in the nuts today.

Where did you hear that?

Anyone know what the requirement is to be able to play for a country in the World Cup? Before the next WC Adu will turn 18 and won't be able to have dual citizenship, until now I always assumed he would pick the US.

 

[Inter4]

Italian game was already annouced as very defensive some days ago.
We were both good and lucky today. I'm just sorry for Nedved and the others playing in Italy (Jankulovski etc.).
Totti was awful.

The Ghanese victory instead surprised me, I predicted the USA to win, considering the fact that they might know that italy was winning and that their destiny depended only on themselves.
But I haven't seen USA-Ghana, so I can't tell exactly what happened.
And it wasn't neither a good knews for me hearing Ghana scoring, cause with 6 points forced us to win (the 1-0 wasn't safe at all. I know that they were in 10, but Nedved runs for 2)

I would've preferred to play Brazil..

 

[Darkness]

Anyone know what the requirement is to be able to play for a country in the World Cup?

All you need is a passport of the country in question, and you must never have played an official (international) game for another country before.

 

[ummmm........]

So if you defect to another counrty mid-career, you can't play for them?

 

[Darkness]

So if you defect to another counrty mid-career, you can't play for them?

If you've never played for the national team of the former country (at any level, also including youth teams), then you could play for the new country, but if you already have played for the national team, then no...

 

[ummmm........]

Kind of a crappy deal for the poor political fugitive then . . .

 

[Twonky]

... (at any level, also including youth teams), ...

The FIFA has recently loosened its regulations in this regard a bit. For example, there is an australian player in the current WC team who played for West Samoa once in a youth team. I think they disregard games pre U-21 or something nowadays.

Edit: I´m actually talking about Tim Cahill, you can read the story here.

 

[MCdread]

The players that have played only for youth teams or U21s can play for another country, but have to ask for FIFA'a permission in advance. For example, for this WC, the countries that wanted to bring players in those conditions had to ask permission until December 2004.
A player that has been called for a particular national team, but hasn't played a single minute, can still follow the rule above.

 

[Grisu]

yeah, IIRC Behrami had to decide earlier this year wether he wanted to play for Switzerland or Albania. As soon as he played in a game (I think it was the 2nd quali game against france) there was no turning back for him

 

[dgfred]

Could someone go and tell the players fro Ghana to get up from the grass and stop faking injuries, they won.

Pathetic.

If you ever wonder why Football is not that big in North AMerica, there you have it: faking.

Maybe not stop the clock, but force the 'injured' player to come off the field and stay off for at least 2 minutes if they need a stretcher or
lay on the ground for any amount of time.

 

[Louis XXIV]

I have a newfound respect and liking for soccer, I had always kinda wondered about it from afar since I couldnt watch it much. Now I feel like following some of the European leagues if I can, and even MLS. But I agree, the faking is the only thing taking away from it.

I agree too. I feel like watching soccer now as well (maybe my enthusiasm won't last four years, but I'm looking forward to the next world cup, plus I'll still try and follow this one).

So...much...faking. Turn OFF the clock for "injuries", this will eliminate the need to fake. Well, except for the floppers, but that is a problem that you cant really fix just like in basketball.

Definately agree there. It looked like they wanted to let the game run out while pretending to be injured, since there isn't much the US could do about it.

Glad Ghana advanced, I was a little dissapointed when Angola didnt make it, I wanted to see at least 1 African team...not over the USA mind you, but better than the Czechs in my mind.

I feel the same way. I'm going to be supporting Italy, though, but I respect Ghana for their win against the Czech Republic (who I didn't want to advance), so its cool they are still in it.

That being said, if they hadn't called the non-existent penalty shot, it would have been a completely different game. Maybe Ghana would have scored later, or maybe that shot off the post would have gone in and the US win, who knows? I do know that the officials screwed up in this game, which makes the loss even more disapointing.