World Cup 2010

[crackerjack]

James v Austria
Robinson v Croatia
Carson v Croatia
Green v USA
England have played maybe 40 games that matter in the last 6 years and conceded 4 goals to long distance nothing shots.
these supposedly freak accidents you can't legislate against are becoming a bit if a habit

 

[don_quixote]

can someone please explain the thinking behind why lampard-gerrard apparently worked today? because as far as i can see central midfielders are meant to dominate possession, and they gave it away and failed to win it back way too often, and let their attackers have free runs at our back four over and over and over again.

if barry is fit he MUST play. he is the most important player in the whole team if we refuse to play carrick.

 

[crackerjack]

Can someone explain to me the legality of confiscating football hooligans passports for the duration of the World Cup? I don't really understand it. Britain really seems to have a thing for punishing people for crimes that haven't yet happened.

Because the last time we didn't was, I think, Euro 2000. You can most likely still see some of the 'action' on YouTube.
Pretty sure the Dutch and Germans do the same - basically anyone with a record of travelling hoolies

 

[nomos]

I'm not one to get behind the US in just about any sport, but that was well-deserved. Also great when the announcer said "...Rooney, the Manchester United stroker..."

 

[crackerjack]

I'm not one to get behind the US in just about any sport, but that was well-deserved.

Really? I thought 1-1 at half-time was fair, but that we caned em in the 2nd without actually scoring (and almost conceding a 2nd).

more thoughts: Carragher's a liability at this level now. I dread to think how bad Upson's been in training that JC got the nod ahead of him for the 2nd half.

Lampard & Gerrard - still hmmm

Heskey: nice lay-off for the goal, but no. Rooney up front with Gerrard just behind and Milner (get well soon) or J Cole left? I think if England are gonna be the sum of their parts we need to make that work.

US won far too many headers in the England box, esp. 1st half

Rooney: where was he in the first half?

Green: bye bye, hello Hart. Not sure about his reflexes, but I've never seen him make a howler. (incidentally, that 'great save' Green made in pushing the shot against the woodwork was him almost conceding at the near post)

 

[hucks]

Serious doubts over Capello's judgement here - Milner was miles from being fit, Green seemed far too nervous. But Heskey worked, I thought. Missed his chance, but the US couldn't play him. For these games, he's good.

And Lee Dixon has dyed his hair ginger.

 

[don_quixote]

gerrard and lampard is so no no NO. we cannot play without a holding midfielder. it would liberate ashley cole so much and we need him to push on.

 

[scottdisco]

A Cole was good tonight anyway, so i am w D_Q on that score wrt a holding midfielder. Heskey certainly performed too. Lennon was his usual respectable self.

there was some cute holding of shirts from some Americans, but i suppose a lot of them grew up on gridiron, tbf.

really looking forward to both D tmrw; can't say the same for the other C, so that'll probably be a pleasant surprise and a real hammer & tongs corker by the law of sod!!

 

[hucks]

Also, fuck it, England weren't that shit. Probably the best they've played for a year or whenever the 5-1 v Croatia was. Also, it was an entertaining game.

Fancy Germany v OZ tomorrow A LOT. Germany really interest me right now - how to integrate Ozul into that side. He's really talented. Could take it over.

 

[scottdisco]

apparently Lahm (who i'm a big fan of) is their captain now, well, since there's no Ballack, wonder if he's got much of a mouth on him.

 

[crackerjack]

apparently Lahm (who i'm a big fan of) is their captain now, well, since there's no Ballack, wonder if he's got much of a mouth on him.

As an Englishman I'm a big fan of his defending, not so keen on his wing play

 

[don_quixote]

i'm not a fan of lahm but he does well in tournaments.

i honestly believe england would beat germany if we play them.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

really can't complain about a draw, I guess. virtually guarantees we'll get through to the elimination rounds, I'm just hoping we can win the group outright so as to avoid (presumably) Germany in the first round.

I'm a completely amateur -soccer- fan but I was pretty impressed with Jozy Altidore, and good to see Gooch is healthy. Tim Howard was absolutely brilliant I thought (that first goal really was not his fault, our defense was atrocious at the beginning of the game, shaky for the entirety of the game). that Dempsey goal was absurd tho - I find it hard to believe there's not a single credible goalkeeper in all of England? can't you guys just bring in a ringer from Eastern Europe or something? cripes.

 

[scottdisco]

very good Cracker

T-Ho was fine tonight, P, and yes, a race for first place in C, bring it on.

i hope media interest in the USA is as high as can be.

(go Blackhawks, btw!)

 

[hucks]

It's fucked. See Cracker's post earlier for how shit we are at goalkeeping -it's quite the thing. If Howard were English, he'd be in. So would Brad Friedel, who I don't think is actually in the US squad. There must be 10 non English keepers playing in England who'd be chosen ahead of any of our three right now

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

(go Blackhawks, btw!)

thanks, I've never cared much about hockey but it's nice for the city, people here love the Blackhawks for some reason (even for the many, many years when they were terrible). flags everywhere, etc.

tons of Europeans in the lab where I work now - Portuguese, Danish, Italian, French, + some countries that didn't qualify - so the WC is pretty unavoidable. a bunch of the grad students are trying to finagle out of our lab meeting on Tuesday cos it takes place at the same time as Portugal/Ivory Coast.

 

[martin]

Can someone explain to me the legality of confiscating football hooligans passports for the duration of the World Cup? I don't really understand it. Britain really seems to have a thing for punishing people for crimes that haven't yet happened.

To be honest, the passport ban for S. Africa is probably saving a lot of these hooligans' lives.

 

[luka]

they way i remember it italy lost to the us in their first game of the last world cup. its far too early to draw any conclusions on the back of one result. specially for me cos i couldn't even be fucked waking up to watch it at 4am.

 

[Ness Rowlah]

cor i love korea now... they were fantastic.

South as in South London that is. They were good, and I look forward to nippy Koreans versus Argentina's wing-backs. One who is 32 (Heinze) and one who just cannot defend - Gutierrez? Sure he might be good on the offense. But it's not like Argentina need MORE options up front. Their wing backs will be punished against better teams.

Switzerland and Greece came through a very week group to qualify for the World Cup and I think they will both struggle.

USA-England game as expected. Think the World Cup came alive during the last two games on Saturday.

 

[Sick Boy]

Because the last time we didn't was, I think, Euro 2000. You can most likely still see some of the 'action' on YouTube.
Pretty sure the Dutch and Germans do the same - basically anyone with a record of travelling hoolies

I'm aware of what occurs when they don't confiscate passports, I'm just a little confused about how it's legal.

To be honest, the passport ban for S. Africa is probably saving a lot of these hooligans' lives.

QFT