Togo all the way, baby!

Aw, c’mon, the US isn’t that bad. Soccer is one of the only international sports I don’t feel bad supporting the US in. So root for the underdog; a little suffering does a body good.

rooting for Italia, naturally. Forza Azzuri!

Italy plays US on June 17. Not sure who to root for. Big match, not to be missed!

US is ranked fifth in the world! US soccer does not suck any longer… it is merely mediocre-to-OK. The Italy match will be the big test of whether USA can compete with the first class teams (ie Italy, England, Brazil).

Big EPL Fan

Just watched the replay of the FA Cup finals. Effing brilliant game!

I hope the USA does well… I’m going to try to watch any match I can.

If you need to get inspired, Brad, check out this post over at my place. If those video clips don’t get you excited, you’re officially dead. Or at least Republican.

And the U.S. team does not suck, you America-hating commie. The fifth place ranking is a bit inflated, due to the relative weakness of the region we play in, but we made a hell of a run last time around and actually have a better team this year. They’re not called the Golden Generation for nuthin’.

Jingoism aside, the whole Cup is a thing of beauty. The first half of the first match just ended. Germany leads Costa Rica 2-1 with some phenomenal goals. I mean, some phenomenal gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaallllss!!!

Plus the US did make it to the final 8 in 2002 so we have gone VERY far in the last few decades.

Bring on the World Cup! – football (soccer) – the sport that brings nations together….

England 3 Netherlands 1 in the final. You read it here first.

If the U.S. can beat the Czechs on Monday (it could happen!), they might even get through the first round.

If the U.S. can beat the Czechs on Monday (it could happen!), they might even get through the first round.

That’s the key for sure. All three ESPN analysts said they thought the US would not only get through the first round, but win the group and therefore avoid a matchup with Brazil. I’m not sure if that would happen, but it would be sweet.

Even though it’s now 3-1, I’m still cheering for Costa Rica.

My neices’ and nephew’s dad is from Costa Rica. He’s probably not real happy right now.

Rooting for Germany to do well in the Cup, so it will be that much sweeter when we zwei zu eins them again in the finals. Revenge for ’74!

3-2 in the Germany Costa Rica game.

Oh, Germany got robbed on the no-offsides call there for the second Costa Rica goal. If they lose this one, Klinsmann’s going to get blitzkrieged by the crowd.

10 minutes to go! Deutschland vor, nor ein Tor! 😉

I always root for Poland. For the obvious reasons.

Holding! Holding!

Well, anyone who speaks German can’t be evil.

GGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!

4-2

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!

Wow, what a great fucking game. And only 63 more to go!

I think I’m gonna do some editing so my comment shows up before dave128’s. :p

For real, the US is pretty damn good in this. Did Spain qualify this year?

Take comfort in the fact that at least your “goal scream� doesn’t look like it was shouted by someone with a speech impediment.

Frings’ goal was a beauty.

Spain is in Group H.

With the ball moving that much in the air, there are gonnna be a few stunning goals this time! That almost moved as much as Roberto Carlos’s goal in the Tournoi…

Here’s the thing: Europeans have a great sense of design, but the World Cup trophy itself is quite possibly the ugliest thing of all time. The chintzy BCS Trophy for college football is pretty lousy, but the “WC” trophy itself looks like the War of the Worlds poster from last summer.

Agreed, J. Brida. I’ve always suspected that the West Germans broke the trophy in ’74, fixed it with tinfoil, and hoped no one would notice. Tricksy Germans…..

Roberto Carlos’s goal in the Tournoi

Here’s the video for those who haven’t seen it. More Roberto Carlos highlights.

Otto- I should have been more clear. I don’t think the American soccer TEAM sucks so much as “American soccer” itself, i.e., the total lack of interest and passion around the sport. Half of the fun of sports for me is the culture surrounding them. It’s why I dig Sox-Yankees / Cubbie-Cardinals so much, and why I have a strong appreciation for Steelers, Raiders and Eagles fans.

that was a great game, and I have to give Espn some credit, their coverage has been pretty good so far, albeit too fixated on the US team. (I could also have done without Tommy Smyth dropping Christina Aguilera’s name during the Poland/Ecuador game.)

The USA does have a good team, but their 5th-place ranking is somewhat inflated because they play in a confederation (CONCACAF) that has a lot of weak teams, and the rankings are done by confederation. I don’t think they have very many players ranked among the best in the world in their team, and I doubt anyone outside of FIFA thinks they are the fifth best team overall. I can think of 10 teams that are probably better off the top of my head. I don’t expect them to make it out of their group, but they could surprise me.

I have no idea who will win the thing. I can’t decide between England, Germany, and Italy, although I like the Ivory Coast as a long shot; I think they will knock off Argentina and keep them from advancing past the group stage. (or they could bomb and lose all three of their games. It’s really hard to predict this tournament, even if you have some idea of what’s going on.)

Brad, if you want to get into soccer, you should find a bar that has fox soccer channel, because they carry games from the English Premier League, which right now is the best league competition. I used to think soccer was dumb, but a friend of mine was into it, and after I watched a few games, I was convinced.

Ah, I understand and, on that point, I agree with you. It’s a shame more people in this country don’t know and love the game. They all complain that it’s boring, but have no problem with all the other boring sports. They’ll love a pitcher’s duel in baseball or a 7-3 NFL game. NASCAR? Guys making left turns for three hours. Whoopee. And golf? Christ, even the announcers are talking in a hushed voice. It’s got all the fun and spontaneity of the Brezhnev funeral.

Personally, I think I’ve just transferred my indie rock snobbery to the sports world. Team USA is like some brilliant but obscure band that I and three others know and love. If they became popular, I’d probably move on to some national team from K Records.

If the Team USA dudes make names for themselves, they’ll be playing for Man. U., Real Madrid, Barcelona and Milan 🙂

Brad – you’re right about that. The only US game I’ve seen that came anywhere close to a European game was LA vs. Chivas. Chivas took a lead, and they had to stop the game for a few minutes because of all the confetti and streamers and crap that their fans were throwing around. But then I watch the Red Balls, and it looks like there are 13 people in the whole stadium.

I think MLS is a better league than it gets credit for being, but it still isn’t very good, and I don’t know how it can get better. The strangest thing about this is that all the kids play soccer nowadays. I work at a camp in the summer, and out of 15 kids in my group, at least 10 have played on some kind of organized soccer team. They can’t swing a baseball bat, but they seem to know their way around the pitch. Maybe in a few years they’ll be fans of some MLS team, but it seems weird that soccer does so well as a particpatition sport, but not well as a spectator sport. It’s not like soccer fans don’t get drunk…

Anyone here a fútbol fan?

I believe you mean futebol 😉 Vai Brasil !!

Torsten Fring is a handballing bastard. Also, look the Argentines scored 10s across the board! For diving!

Ooh look a stiff breeze! Argnetine down! Argentine down!

Futbol? I like the Buffalo Bills, but I always have a soft spot for the Denver Broncos since John Elway was t3h man.

Good point, Pinko. Giving the theatrics of the Argentine players, I’m stunned the country doesn’t dominate the Oscars. Maybe they’re sweeping the Telemundo equivalent.

Great first day. The 4-2 Germany-Costa Rica game was a thing of beauty, and Ecuador shocked the hell out of Poland in a 2-0 thumping. That first goal — throw-in, passed with a header, scored with another — was sweeeeeeet.

62 to go! Goodbye, work!

Guys, the Fußball Weltmeisterschaft is in Deutschland this year… At least scream TORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR when we score. By we, I mean my adopted home of Germany. I moved here in March from NY for one year, and I’m glad I get to be here when everyone is going ape shit.

I have RAI International so I like to watch Italian league soccer… unfortunately there has been a huge scandal of match-fixing…. apparently one guy was running a literal soccer mafia (Luciano Moggi) and all the important games have been fixed, going back at least the last two seasons and likely some number of seasons before that. Still, I’ve learned to love the game. My favorite team is the Fiorentina since I am Florentine.

Ale Ale Ale Viola!

I’m rooting for the Finnish death metal band, myself . . .

RENATO!! FORZA VIOLA!! e forza azzuri!!!!

I’m an IBM (Italian By Marriage) but my family is English. We’ll be watching tomorrow am, then Italia on Monday. I can’t wait to see Toni (‘er furmini) play.

PS I’ve used Fiorentina as a on-line name for years now. Conosci il VCNY?

PPS Brad, keep up the soccer posts!

By we, I mean my adopted home of Germany. I moved here in March from NY for one year

:O Which part of Germany? I’m near Hamburg (but please don’t come looking for me.) 😉

Luebeck! That’s near Hamburg.

As an African, I feel obliged to support Togo and Ivory Coast. I dont think I’ll be needing that magnum of champagne soon, Jeeves.

Italia, Bitches!

England looked lame today. The Univision commenters said Beckham was being extra cautious, “porque sus pies valen miliones”. At least he’s not sporting the gayhawk anymore.

Argentina-Ivory Coast should be interesting.

ooooh, T&T, so close

There shall be plenty of parties in T&T tonight!

By the way, does anyone know what those little things floating about all over the place were?
Is the Westfalenstadion located next to a massive dandelion field or something?

Luebeck!

It is close to Hamburg — and a very nice city too. Enjoy your time there! 🙂

England won’t win. (I might as well make my biases well known, I’m Scottish)

Don’t get me wrong, their central midfield is world class, Gerrard and Lampard are exceptional. But really, their strike force, especially with Rooney questionable, isn’t so good. You’ve got Owen who hasn’t looked good ever since he moved to Newcastle and the tall robot himself, Peter Crouch, who didn’t score a goal for Liverpool for the first half of the season. Also, Eriksson’s choices are getting bizarre; he insists on playing Hargreaves, who whilst he might do well in the Bundesliga, is consistently mediocre in an England shirt, and instead of taking the (fit, excellent) Jermaine Defoe, took the questionable Rooney. Eriksson is, as we say here in Scotland, baws.

England won’t win.

You were right, Freshly Squeezed Cynic. Paraguay lost that one.

The Soca Warriors were great. And a man down for almost the entire second half!

*sigh* England won’t win the World Cup, just to make that, y’know, devastatingly clear.

And they were not at all convincing against Paraguay. Maybe it’s just jitters and they’ll start pulling some decent performances out of them; I’m certainly holding my breath.

England won’t win the World Cup

My bad, Freshly Squeezed Cynic. I should’ve known a comment posted after the day’s second game had ended wasn’t referring to the day’s first game.

I know it’s only one game, but it looks England may be in trouble up front. They pulled Owen, and Crouch, though he stayed on the field, disappeared in the second half.

Crouch was way too deep, he never really got much of a chance to show himself.

I guess i’d be pulling for Itaily. Well I am an itailan american. And as you said brad, American soccer sucks. So if I were to watch any games, Itailly would be it. Or well ok brazil just cuz there good. Ha yea I know bandwagon there. But mostley itailly, beacuse well who wants to watch bad soccer?

2-0 down at half time for the USA. Good possession, but they’ve not been playing dangerously in the Czechs’ area.

They’ll have to pull something good out to get back in the game.