The Soccer Thread (Part III)

Stiff upper lip, tut tut and all that.

 

Watching the replay of the USA/Brazil game. Dempsey had me rolling after his goal. Anyone else see how he celebrated? With a little Michael Jackson leg kick and crotch grab.

Classic!

 

It couldn't have been a secret that Samba wasn't going to go quietly, especially with all that firepower. And it still doesn't make me feel much better about the loss.

 

- Comparing the FIFA Confederations Cup to the Preseason NIT makes sense. And the U.S. would have been like an up-and-coming college team, thrilled with the step of winning such a competition.
- Yes, in the three previous times the FIFA Confederations Cup was held in the year before a World Cup, the victor has not gone on to win the World Cup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifa_confederations_cup

- Some salt in the wound: Mexico won this thing 10 years ago. 4-3 in the final. Over Brazil. We finished third that year.

Can't remember the last time I was this angry and disappointed during a post-tourney medal ceremony. Sure, a 3-1 loss was my expectation going in, but . . . you hold a 2-0 lead in a final, you have got to hold it, or be doomed to never forget it. I do think this wound heals with an advancement at the World Cup next summer, but . . . it was tough to watch the team just get overwhelmed.

Interesting that someone asked about how this affects World Cup qualifying. See what I mean about this tourney needing to be explained to the non-hardcores? It's just not a major event.

That said, a win today would have been so massive for the U.S. as a still-developing soccer nation. And though Brazil, when the switch is on, can score virtually at will, it was easy to be a believer at halftime. I hope they can build on this and quit allowing the inferior teams in CONCACAF to give them trouble.

Dammit.

Bollocks.

 

So right you are.

I hope your lot down the Germans in the U21s.

 

The Beckham Experiment by SI's Grant Wahl hits stores on July 14.

It sounds as though it's going to be pretty damn good. I'm hoping we're going to get an advance copy for review, but you can pre-order through Random House now.

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307407870

 

Should have not lost a two-goal lead. Well, it was a good run for the Americans.

 

This is, of course, part of the standard English run-up to a World Cup. About a year before, we start convincing ourselves that England can win. Then we start believing it. Then we really start believing it. Of course we can win! Check that...we WILL win!

Then something happens. Maybe Theo Walcott pulls a hamstring. Maybe Steven Gerrard pulls a calf muscle. Maybe Wayne Rooney gets caught being pulled by a hooker. So we talk ourselves back out of it, conceding that perhaps we got a bit carried away. Of course we can't win. We never win. We won't even get to the semifinals, but that's just as well, because we'd only have lost to Germany on penalties.

But then in the weeks leading up to the World Cup, we'll start thinking, well, if a few things go our way ... we COULD win. Then we do well in the first round, and get through the second round. Hey, we just might win this thing! Come on England!

And that's when we lose on penalties. At least it's not likely to be Portugal this time.

 

BTW, Eto'o to Citeh? As, per the ESPN News crawl, the highest-paid player in the world!?!

 

How can Kaka not get the Golden Ball?
What I saw from Kaka yesterday was the most brilliant performance by an individual player since at least Gerrard in 2005 (OK, admittedly, that was special for me).
Lacking Bradley, the U.S. could not reign him in, and that's what cost our men the 2-0 lead. I kept thinking if Bradley were out there, he might have had a chance to disrupt Kaka, but I'm not sure that would have done it. Kaka was amazing.

 

Indeed, he was very strong in the second half. Unfortunately, it was the first time in the tournament he was anything beyond slightly above average. Player of the game? Maybe. Player of the tournament? No chance.

 

I'm pretty sure the Golden Ball is a straight up most goals award. It's not for performance really.