Any REAL football fans here? (Page 16)

US showed some fight..but not enough ability - when there is an opening the US has to be clinical in its finishing and 100% on its defending...Italy showed that they could play at 75% and still be in control of the game. There was a period in the first half where the US had the upper hand..they need to be able to maintain that pace and control...unfortunately I dont think the squad of players currently has that ability - to sustain pressure on a better team and get a result.

Programming note:

DC United at Seattle tonight at 7 Pacific time on ESPN2.

GO SOUNDERS!!!

Unless it is pre-empted by an extra innings CWS game.  Damn thing was still going on when I finally went to bed at 10:30.  Looks like I missed a good one too. 

I was pizzed about the CWS game--missed the whole first half and part of the second. I don't get to see them play live on national TV often so I was really disapointed they chose to stay with the baseball game. Maybe it's not really a choice, don't know.

Anyway, it was really a bitter finish for Seattle. Definitely should have won. The equalizer was an OG right at the end. I guess they can take some solace from the fact that they outplayed the leader in the East and should have won.

I wasn't too happy either.  I was flipping to every single ESPN channel I had (I think there are 10 of them?) and hell one of them had the same CWS game on!!!  Really?!?!  On two stations?!?!?  UGH!  And on ESPN, ALL they had on was MLB tonight and then Sports Center. 

Hellooo!!!!  Live game!!!!!! 

Aaaaaaahhhhhh f**k em!

Unbelievable!

HOLY CARP!  USA 2 - 0 SPAIN!!!!!

Who would have called that?

I'm in pain - because I wish I could have watched that match!!!!  Good to see Jozy make an impact.  Always liked him.

Hope I can catch a replay, maybe tonight.  Sounds like we also got a little lucky.  Only a single shot in the second half and it happened to go in, whereas Spain was peppering Howard for much of the match.  Then again, hard to tell with just the ESPN Game Cast.

I have GOT to see the replay now.  This just sounds too good to miss.

MelH - 2009-06-24 4:05 PM Holy Crap - What A Game!!!!!!

I scared the cats out of the room when Davies almost landed that bike!

I read about that one.  Too bad it went wide.

MelH - 2009-06-24 4:05 PM Holy Crap - What A Game!!!!!!

I scared the cats out of the room when Davies almost landed that bike!

That's funny, poor kitties He nearly put in the spectacular. What a great game--just finished watching it on tape. Way to go, guys!! Great effort all around, that was clear to see.

U.S.A.

It was a great game. Nice to see what happens when all they boys show up and play with some HEART. Perfectly capable of beating any team in the world. Now on to Sunday......

SteveyD - 2009-06-24 7:32 PM its funny over here in europe, most people are sniggering and laughing at spain

Aaaaaaand we still get no respect.  Nice.

Oh, I'm not kidding myself.  I could only stay up long enough last night to watch the first 30 minutes (replay started at 10 pm, seriously, WTF?!?!  Game was during the day and replay is so late at night nobody can stay awake to watch except the West Coast.  No wonder footy can't get fair shake, but I digress), and what I saw worried me.  Literally minutes before Jozy's score one of the commentators mentioned how worried he was that Spain had such dominant possession and could score at will, and they can.

Long story short, we still have a LOOOOONG way to go.   USA 9 - 29 Spain shots.  Good lord talk about lucky one or two of those didn't go in.  And posession % heavily favored Spain.  They didn't have it when it came to finishing yesterday.  AND Tim had a MONUMENTAL game.  Some of his saves were mind bending. 

Gooch had a great match, and in general sounds as if he has been having a great tournament as an individual player.  The back defense in general was quite solid.  I think they may have found their spots by putting Boca at left.  He is more comfortable there.  But the whole team allowed Spain to have the ball way to much, in my opinion and still allowed them to have way to much space and time with the ball.  In the first 15-20 minutes Spain had some brilliant chances at goal which looked exactly like those early goals we gave up against Costa Rica and Honduras.  It is almost like the team doesn't get truly warmed up till 20 minutes into the game. 

All that being said, they played with more heart yesterday than I have seen them play in a very, VERY long time.  I hope they can bring that momentum into the match on Sunday, especially if it is Brazil because they will need every ounce of it.  And the same for when they go to Azteca in August.  If they play with that much grit and determination in Azteca we might actually, finally, get a win there. 

So now, I'm going to have to find out a way to get out of this "thing" that the wife and I were supposed to go to on Sunday afternoon.  How the hell was I to know our boys would make it to the final.    It is at a bar so maybe I can get them to put it on the telly.

Random thoughts:

I think, in general, that game was a perfect example of about the only way we have a shot at winning meaningful matches against quality opponents right now. We shored up the defense (Harkes loves to talk about the importance of us 'keeping our shape'), had a goalie who looked like he was tending the net in a Stanley Cup, and took advantage of the counterattack. It doesn't hurt that we got a little lucky. We know we don't have the skill and creativity needed to dominate or even extensively control the offensive game, but it sure would be nice to see some more possession through the midfield.

I was very encouraged that we weathered the early onslaught, that has certainly been lacking of late.

Three red cards in four games. Not good. Granted, probably two were (IMO) unreasonably harsh, but I worry about how that looks to those who didn't see the games. The last thing we need is to get the reputation of a squad of hacks. If international officials come into our matches predisposed to thinking we are an overly violent bunch, we could be in for some very difficult days.

I love it when soccer makes the news (in a good way). Foxnews.com, which doesn't have a Sports section on their home page, had the story under World. Awesome!