***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (2 Viewers)

[The Z Machine]

Ukraine/Greece is on ESPN360 now.

 

[prefontaine]

Haven't seen starting lineups yet but Ives is reporting Pearce and Casey are not dressing today. Castillo meanwhile is.

 

[Big Rocks]

From Grant Wahl's twitter: USA lineup vs Denmark: Guzan; Hejduk, Spector, Bocanegra, Bornstein; Holden, Bradley, Clark, Feilhaber; Altidore, Cunningham

 

[TLEF316]

hejduk instead of Castillo? I just dont get it.

 

[Bonzai]

hejduk instead of Castillo? I just dont get it.

wtf

 

[Mjolnirs]

Algeria in, 5 more to go today.

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Algeria through - sorry JMon

 

[andy_b]

hejduk instead of Castillo? I just dont get it.

Whats not to get????It is obvious we can learn so much more from Frankie's 85th cap than Castillo's first.oi, I do wonder about Bradley some time. He has so few times to evaluate players and he is wasting a golden opportunity to look at a new player rather than playing someone that every single one of us can define exactly what he will bring to the table.

 

[Native]

Live Stream US Denmark

 

[Native]

Denmark qualified, correct?

 

[andy_b]

Denmark qualified, correct?

yes, they won their group in Europe.

 

[TLEF316]

hejduk instead of Castillo? I just dont get it.

Whats not to get????It is obvious we can learn so much more from Frankie's 85th cap than Castillo's first.oi, I do wonder about Bradley some time. He has so few times to evaluate players and he is wasting a golden opportunity to look at a new player rather than playing someone that every single one of us can define exactly what he will bring to the table.

its unbelievable. Hejduk has no upside and we're running out of time to evaluate guys. For all i know, Castillo stinks. I've never seen him play a second. But if Bradley and US soccer cared enough to get him to switch sides, they need to give him a shot in a game that sort of means something. Honestly, at this point, i'm writing off Jermaine Jones as well. Even when he gets healthy, there's no way Bradley sits down his kid leading up to the cup. Maybe Edu gets a shot to replace Clarke, but there's no way we see Jones./

 

[Big Rocks]

Wow, massive goalie fail there.

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Goal Jeff Cunningham - MLS making a statement!

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

Ugh...stuck with a damn friendly...how about France - Ireland?

 

[prefontaine]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

 

[TLEF316]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

that doesnt make it much better, but maybe a little. he should still be in there though

 

[JaxBill]

Just following the commentary on fifa, but why did France sub in the ninth minute? Injury?

(Squillaci on for Escude)

 

[prefontaine]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

that doesnt make it much better, but maybe a little. he should still be in there though

I don't disagree, just saying it has nothing to do with Frankie

 

[prefontaine]

btw, it's a friendly and I think there are 6 subs or something like that which means everyone dressed but the backup keeper is likely to play

 

[TLEF316]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

that doesnt make it much better, but maybe a little. he should still be in there though

I don't disagree, just saying it has nothing to do with Frankie

is marshall still there?

 

[prefontaine]

Ugh...stuck with a damn friendly...how about France - Ireland?

Sentanta owns the rights and are only showing on PPV. The bar showing it here charges $20/head to get in.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Greece through over Ukraine. 4 to go.

 

[prefontaine]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

that doesnt make it much better, but maybe a little. he should still be in there though

I don't disagree, just saying it has nothing to do with Frankie

is marshall still there?

I think so. I haven't seen an actual roster for today. I assume we may see him sub in for Boca or Hejduk (sliding Spector outside).

 

[prefontaine]

Guys, Hejduk is playing the right side bc we are looking at Spector in the middle. Dolo went home so we have no other right fullback. Castillo is not playing in favor of Bornstein

that doesnt make it much better, but maybe a little. he should still be in there though

I don't disagree, just saying it has nothing to do with Frankie

is marshall still there?

I think so. I haven't seen an actual roster for today. I assume we may see him sub in for Boca or Hejduk (sliding Spector outside).

Oops. I take that back. Here is the benchBENCH- Jimmy Conrad, Robbie Rogers, Clarence Goodson, Dax McCarty, Edgar Castillo, Marcus Hahnemann, Eddie Johnson.

 

[prefontaine]

Slovenia scores making it 2-2 on aggregate but they would go thru as of now on road goals

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

France 0 - 1 Ireland

'32 Keane

Yessss

 

[prefontaine]

GOOOOOAAAAAL EIRE!!!!

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

GOOOOOAAAAAL EIRE!!!!

Boy would this shake up the seeds. Now if Bosnia and Costa Rica could also win...

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

Screw the seeds. If you wanna win the World Cup you should be able to beat any of the other 31 countries.

 

[prefontaine]

Apparently some brutal defending going on in Denmark. Not surprising when your fullbacks are Hejduk and Bornstein

 

[Bonzai]

US defense getting embarrassed. Ugly.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Screw the seeds. If you wanna win the World Cup you should be able to beat any of the other 31 countries.

While this may be true, the first thing you have to do is get to the knockout phase. To do that you have to survive your group, which is where seeding come in to play.

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

Screw the seeds. If you wanna win the World Cup you should be able to beat any of the other 31 countries.

While this may be true, the first thing you have to do is get to the knockout phase. To do that you have to survive your group, which is where seeding come in to play.

Same thing still applies.

 

[prefontaine]

Rogers, EJ, Castillo sub in in the 61st minute

Cunningham, Bradley, Holden off

 

[prefontaine]

Rogers, EJ, Castillo sub in in the 61st minuteCunningham, Bradley, Holden off

I can only assume Castillo is the left mid

 

[Bonzai]

Castillo in, but playing midfield? He looks tiny out there.

 

[prefontaine]

Conrad, Goodson for Spector, Boca

 

[The Z Machine]

I missed the 3 DEN goals.

What happened? Man ar we missing LD in there.

 

[Desert_Power]

Sure would like to see Bosnia put one in soon.

 

[prefontaine]

Portugal scores so that one is probably over

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

So, apparently this Danish fan who ran onto the field during the Euro 2008 qualifier Denmark vs Sweden in 2007 was ordered to pay the Danish Football Association 120,000 euro, or roughly $166K in damages. Damn.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Screw the seeds. If you wanna win the World Cup you should be able to beat any of the other 31 countries.

While this may be true, the first thing you have to do is get to the knockout phase. To do that you have to survive your group, which is where seeding come in to play.

Same thing still applies.

I understand what you are saying, but considering draws count in the sport you don't have to win them all.In the last 10 World Cups only two of the winners have made it through the tournament by outright beating everyone they played; Brazil in 2002 and 1970.2006 Italy drew with USA in group and beat France on pks in the final1998 France beat Brazil on pks in the final1994 Brazil drew with Sweden in group and beat Italy on pks1990 West Germany drew with Netherlands in group and beat England on pks in the semi-final1986 Argentina drew with Italy in group1982 Italy drew with Poland, Peru and Cameroon in group1978 Argentina lost to Italy in group and drew with Brazil in the 2nd group phase1974 West Germany lost to East Germany in group

 

[Mjolnirs]

Red Card to Russia! Down a man for the last 20 minutes.

 

[Desert_Power]

Portugal scores so that one is probably over

It looks like Slovenia is in a good place though, up a man.

 

[lord_helmet]

Denmark qualified, correct?

yes, they won their group in Europe.

Not this team though, most of these are 2nd stringers.

 

[lord_helmet]

So, apparently this Danish fan who ran onto the field during the Euro 2008 qualifier Denmark vs Sweden in 2007 was ordered to pay the Danish Football Association 120,000 euro, or roughly $166K in damages. Damn.

An example had to be made, we can't afford crap like that to cost us points.

 

[prefontaine]

Ireland-France is end to end action at the moment

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

Screw the seeds. If you wanna win the World Cup you should be able to beat any of the other 31 countries.

While this may be true, the first thing you have to do is get to the knockout phase. To do that you have to survive your group, which is where seeding come in to play.

Same thing still applies.

I understand what you are saying, but considering draws count in the sport you don't have to win them all.In the last 10 World Cups only two of the winners have made it through the tournament by outright beating everyone they played; Brazil in 2002 and 1970.2006 Italy drew with USA in group and beat France on pks in the final1998 France beat Brazil on pks in the final1994 Brazil drew with Sweden in group and beat Italy on pks1990 West Germany drew with Netherlands in group and beat England on pks in the semi-final1986 Argentina drew with Italy in group1982 Italy drew with Poland, Peru and Cameroon in group1978 Argentina lost to Italy in group and drew with Brazil in the 2nd group phase1974 West Germany lost to East Germany in group

Maybe I should have worded it different, but what I mean is that it shouldn't matter who your opponents are. If you have aspirations to win the a big tournament like WC/EC you're gonna have to beat the top countries anyway, whether you face one of 'em in the group stage or in the semis.For example, we beat the reigning World Champion and the runner up in the group stage of Euro 2008 in what was clearly the 'Group Of Death'. Low and behold, we play Russia the next round, we lose in ET and that's that. Exit tournament. Clearly you weren't good enough to win the tournament. Have to beat whoever you face, whatever round you face them in.I'm personally hoping for the toughest group possible.

 

[prefontaine]

Maybe I should have worded it different, but what I mean is that it shouldn't matter who your opponents are. If you have aspirations to win the a big tournament like WC/EC you're gonna have to beat the top countries anyway, whether you face one of 'em in the group stage or in the semis.For example, we beat the reigning World Champion and the runner up in the group stage of Euro 2008 in what was clearly the 'Group Of Death'. Low and behold, we play Russia the next round, we lose in ET and that's that. Exit tournament. Clearly you weren't good enough to win the tournament. Have to beat whoever you face, whatever round you face them in.I'm personally hoping for the toughest group possible.

Why on earth would you come up with this kind of argument with a bunch of Americans? There is no one in this thread that holds realistic hopes that the US wins. No one. With that in mind, the group is extremely important because getting to the Quarters would match our best result ever. It's just silly to ignore that (not to mention your tone is pretty arrogant in general)