posted
People in the media have been saying the Netherlands is unimpressive. So far, of all the teams that have two matches done, Argentina is the only other one with two wins. I'd take that any day.
I'm surprised Ghana tied with Australia though. Seems like the "weak" teams in each group aren't as weak as expected.
The US has to get Donovan running out early, I think. If he's really as good as he reputation says he is, he's got to be attacking too.
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The U.S. usually has Donovan create from the flanks, but yeah, when he does decide to attack, good things always happen. Coach Bradley is just very cautious.
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I think a cautious approach would pay off if the defense was better. Or at least not total garbage.
Ugh, Brazil plays tomorrow and I won't get to see it. I really liked watching them against N. Korea, and now they're playing a better team.
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From the recap of today's Paraguay-Slovakia match:
"Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros provided the well-taken goals in each half as Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss' own cautious approach was heavily punished."
I'm surprised Italy had a draw with New Zealand too.
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Brazil vs Ivory Coast: What a joke, referee fails to see 2 clear handballs for Brazil's second goal and Kaka gets sent off for what exactly?! French team have gone off the rails completely!
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So if Portugal wins tomorrow, we might see something good on the 25th when they play Brazil. Of course, I'm not sure they'll beat North Korea. If Brazil plays like they did today, I'm betting they'll drill Portugal, even without Kaka.
Another interesting trend is big-time players coming up small, or non-existent. Besides Diego Forlan of Uruguay and Drogba of the Ivory Coast (who even had an excuse for playing like crap), it seems like the "superstars" have done very little.
We'll see what Cristiano Ronaldo does tomorrow, though. Oh, and the disappointing Spaniards.
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posted
Well, Uruguay and (for better or worse) Mexico are through, even though South Africa made a valiant effort to advance themselves. For a team expected to lose all their games, they acquitted themselves very well and if this World Cup were played anywhere else, it would be considered a more than respectable tournament for them. In the end, that big loss to Uruguay is what killed their chances. They lose that game 2-1 or so, and they're the ones going through.
At any rate, Uruguay is dangerous. They'll avoid Argentina and probably play either South Korea or Nigeria, either of whom they'll be heavily favored against.
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I kinda feel like Mexico lucked out. Backing into advancing like that is never a good thing.
How about that French team? Oh, goodness.
Uruguay looked lost in the first game, and then boom! They just freakin' exploded.
The games from yesterday were pretty good too. Portugal putting up 7 goals, Spain winning and looking sharp, and Chile picking up another win were all good things. It's probably better for the tournament as a whole if Spain and Portugal are playing better. Or at least, not as moribund as they showed in their first match.
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The U.S. game was amazing. Holy shit man, you want dramatics, there you go! Donovan is an all-American hero after that goal.
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We get Ghana. We can win that game! I'd be worried about Germany, but Ghana is an even match-up for us, and if we can get to the quarters, I think we can play with either Uruguay or South Korea. Again, it all goes back to defense, and ours needs to step up big time.
And a traditional power will be getting knocked out in the round of 16 between Germany and England. Should be a damn good game too, but I have to favor Germany there. Their offense can give a slow England defense all kinds of problems, and their own defense has been solid, only allowed one goal when they were a man down. Even more, the winners of that match likely get Argentina. Argentina's gonna have to earn their shot at the title, because Mexico is no joke, either England or Germany next, then the semis, where they could end up meeting Spain (should they win their group, of course).
As for England again, damn, let the nerve-racking begin. Potentially two games in a row against their two arch-rivals....I think if they make it to the semis and lose at the cost of beating both Germany and Argentina, the English might actually walk away satisfied at not winning it all. And if they somehow manage to take it all by going through their rivals, then likely Spain and Brazil....most legendary World Cup title EVER.
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Assuming we beat Ghana, we probably hit the end of the line in the next match. If we face Uruguay, Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez will be licking their chops, just waiting to pick apart the US defense. Then again, we might be able to beat South Korea. I'm not sure, because I didn't see a lot of them.
I've got Germany over England too. What has England done, besides suck less than France?
If by some stroke of luck they get past Germany, I'm almost certain Argentina would punk them. Messi still hasn't woken up, so they are very dangerous; even without an actual contribution from Messi, they swept the group stage.
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Are you kidding about Messi? He's been the single most important player for them, and the catalyst for nearly every single goal they've scored so far. Yeah, he's not scoring, but every time he touches the ball, he's drawing two or three guys to him at a time, opening it up for everyone else on his team. Not only that, but his passing has been absolutely instrumental. With a team with that much firepower, he doesn't have to score much to have an impact. And let's not forget all the superhuman saves he's been forcing opposing keepers to make on nearly every single one of his shots.
posted
I dont understand the world cup. Why would people watch a 90 minute game just to see 1-1 tie?
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