First match for the US today against the mighty Czechs.

All of you keep having to emphasis how much you hate soccer, but in the unlikely event, the US advances to the quarters or semis, everyone in this country are going to suddenly be soccer fans.

Todays going to be a tough game, but we might have a shot considering all teh injuries the Czechs have right now.

I think all of the European team's will be in for a surprise when they face the Yank's. I think this one ends 1-1.;)

The USA will make it to round 2, that much I believe.

I think the Czechs are good enough to qualify from this group, but I don't rate their chances of winning the tournament as I don't think they are as good as they were 2 or 3 years ago. They are still tough opponents for any team though.

I am tempted to say this game will be a draw as I think the US team will cope with the hot weather better, but I'm going to predict a 2-1 win for the Czechs.

2-1 Usa

Shock The World

if the USA has any chance at all in this competition they have to win today. it's that simple. A loss is disaster. A tie would all but kill their hopes of advancing. Win or go home.

if the USA has any chance at all in this competition they have to win today. it's that simple. A loss is disaster. A tie would all but kill their hopes of advancing. Win or go home.


I don't think a tie would necessarily kill their hopes, but it would definitely depend on what happened in teh Ghana/Italy match.

The Czechs have a secret weapon:


http://www.rtl.de/images/fotos/040921_dodgeball_b.jpg

UNDERWAY BITCH!

I don't know what to do... I'm following the gamecast on my computer... I think I'm gonna take a long lunch for hte second half and watch at home

F**!

Five minutes in we're already down a goal

2-0. We're dead. ****.

3-0. Game over folks.

USA will not win a game,, may get a tie, BUT NO WINS!!!!

They basically have to win out the rest of the pool. i.e. Beat Italy, Ghana. to even have a shot at the #2 position in Group E. And even if they somehow got into that and advanced, guess who waits for us in the Quarters? Brazil.

i dont know what u guys are basing your optimism on. the us is way overrated and the czech team may be the best next to brasil.they have 2 superstars and one of the best goalman

i was expecting a 4-1. 3-0 so far is impressive

They basically have to win out the rest of the pool. i.e. Beat Italy, Ghana. to even have a shot at the #2 position in Group E. And even if they somehow got into that and advanced, guess who waits for us in the Quarters? Brazil.

You can always hope the italians choke. They do that at times. But yeah, going up against brazil is tough.

Anything's possible... Whatever happens, they can't play worse than they did today. It's just not possible. There was absolutely no intensity out there, NOTHING was sustained in the Czech end... The only two who didn't play like a horse's ass were Landon and that kid Eddie Johnson

The Czech's laid an a$$ whipping on the US and it could have been much worse. For some reason Arena used a lot of back-up's in the most recent warm up games and it showed, this team seemed lost.

Anything's possible... Whatever happens, they can't play worse than they did today. It's just not possible. There was absolutely no intensity out there, NOTHING was sustained in the Czech end... The only two who didn't play like a horse's ass were Landon and that kid Eddie Johnson

Intensity, you say? I say BORING! Hard to take any game seriously when the players themselves seem to la de da up and down the field like they don't much care. Don't want to ever hear how athletic soccer players are compared to other athletes. Use your freaking hands already!

Intensity, you say? I say BORING! Hard to take any game seriously when the players themselves seem to la de da up and down the field like they don't much care. Don't want to ever hear how athletic soccer players are compared to other athletes. Use your freaking hands already!

Actually I did in fact say that the Americans played with zero intensity today, if you would read.

To say that soccer players aren't unbelievably athletic is idiotic. Period

This sport is barely on par with Women's golf for me.

Okay, now that the US is done, can we get to watching an American game- the college world series is coming up. Great game on the deuce now-
Rice-OU, winner to Omaha. 4-3 in the 5th

I'm glad we lost. My daughter is going to the Czech Republic next month and I don't need some pissed-off Czech soccer fans going off on her because she's American.

I'm glad we lost. My daughter is going to the Czech Republic next month and I don't need some pissed-off Czech soccer fans going off on her because she's American.

It'll probably be worse that they won...

It'll probably be worse that they won...
Nah. They'll just laugh and say "Your fooball team sucks!" She'll reply, "I know, but my Dad thinks Mangini is on the right track."

Nah. They'll just laugh and say "Your fooball team sucks!" She'll reply, "I know, but my Dad thinks Mangini is on the right track."


She should tell them that she'll remember that next time 100,000 German troops cross into Czech Republic for more "breathing room".

Sports that we are the best at:

1. Football
2. Women's Soccer



That's it...

I would say there is not more dominance in international sport than women's softball.

They are downright scary compared to the world.

And some people wonder why soccer doesn't catch on here in the states...this game is a good reason why. You wait four ****ing years for this World Cup and the US scores a big fat zero. Sorry folks, but the games just doesn't cut it with me.

And some people wonder why soccer doesn't catch on here in the states...this game is a good reason why. You wait four ****ing years for this World Cup and the US scores a big fat zero. Sorry folks, but the games just doesn't cut it with me.

It's not the GAME's fault. It's this country's INEPTITUDE with the game that resulted in 0 goals being scored today. We have a long friggin way to go..

If today's loss means I don't have to hear about this boring sport for another four years, then it's all good.

And some people wonder why soccer doesn't catch on here in the states...this game is a good reason why. You wait four ****ing years for this World Cup and the US scores a big fat zero. Sorry folks, but the games just doesn't cut it with me.

On the flip side, the Czech's looked pretty good :D

On the flip side, the Czech's looked pretty good :D
The last twelve years, the US has always managed to keep it close. Last world cup, they lost to Germany 1-0, in an elimination round, and I think in 1998, they put up a valiant effort against Brazil (in other words, they weren't embarrassed). So I think we all were under the assumption that the team would develop and progress accordingly. However, it appears they are at a stage now where "one step forward, two steps back" takes place.

This is a good wake up call. Having watched the tape, I can tell you that there are one or two players on the USA team that clearly have no business competing on this level.

Let's not forget also that Portugal didn't make it out of round 1 in 2002, and that team was way better than the US team's, '02 or now. So sht happens.

As for the Czech's, they are pretty good. They are aggressive and they play defense. Maybe Germany and England didn't take their opposition seriously and maybe the Czech's did, but they are by far the best team I've seen thus far.

Tomorrow is Brazil vs. Croatia. :cheers:

Tomorrow is Brazil vs. Croatia. :cheers:

I'm looking forward more to the South Korea - Togo game. South Korea are always fun to watch.

I'm looking forward more to the South Korea - Togo game. South Korea are always fun to watch.

I hear ya.

Japan got their as*es kicked today, too. South Korea must have loved watching that.

Of all people I would never have suspected Jet Moses to be the one able to offer knowledgeable soccer insight

The USA has an unbelievably long way to go...

too bad usa played so poorly, they did nothing to endear fans to the sport. the better team won today.looks like 2014 is our year. umm go usa:bag:

too bad usa played so poorly, they did nothing to endear fans to the sport. the better team won today.looks like 2014 is our year. umm go usa:bag:

Tru dat J-dubs. Nobody in this country is gonna like this sport unless our national team doesn't BLOW at it. And I fear we're not gonna blow at it unless we get better participation/coaching/training at a younger level. Which is not gonna happen unless.... you get the drift.... it's a self reinforcing process

I'm glad we lost. My daughter is going to the Czech Republic next month and I don't need some pissed-off Czech soccer fans going off on her because she's American.

Why would the Czechs be going off on an 80 year old lady?

USA is just a mediocre team, they had a nice surprise run in WC 02 BUT their world ranking is inflated because they beat up on costa rica all the time and they are a hair better than mexico. Today's game proved that USA has ways to go before ever being a serious competitor in this tournament. They have no identity on the field, no flow to their game. No true star that can take over a game. THey looked like 11 guys with their heads cut off today. Totally outclassed.

Italia can really drop the hammer on them Saturday. They have guys coming off the bench that are heads and shoulders better than the starters on team USA. The only thing USA Has going for them saturday is that Italy is prone to the choke job otherwise it can get ugly real fast for USA. Italy is stacked and desperate for a world cup. Anybody who saw Italy today saw a team that is greased and ready.

I take something back-about intensity or lack thereof. I watched a good chunk of the 2nd half. Now these guys are great athletes.But I just didn't see any urgency in a US team that was way behind. And that seems to be a running theme through the whole sport from what I've seen of it-admittedly a small unscientific sample. It's like one team gets ahead, and that's it, game over. No big comebacks, no last minute heroics-we're ahead and you give up.

Why would the Czechs be going off on an 80 year old lady?
I'm guessing this is supposed to be a joke. My daughter is 14, so it's a really poor joke.

I take something back-about intensity or lack thereof. I watched a good chunk of the 2nd half. Now these guys are great athletes.But I just didn't see any urgency in a US team that was way behind. And that seems to be a running theme through the whole sport from what I've seen of it-admittedly a small unscientific sample. It's like one team gets ahead, and that's it, game over. No big comebacks, no last minute heroics-we're ahead and you give up.
It's always like that in the group stages and it's a combination of two factors:

a) There are some real mismatches (eg. Saudi Arabia vs. anyone) so the weaker team has almost no chance of winning.

b) If two teams are equally matched, they know the draw is an option so they both play defensively and cancel each other out.

As somebody else said earlier, it's the knockout rounds where you are more likely to find the big comebacks and heroics.

Tru dat J-dubs. Nobody in this country is gonna like this sport unless our national team doesn't BLOW at it. And I fear we're not gonna blow at it unless we get better participation/coaching/training at a younger level. Which is not gonna happen unless.... you get the drift.... it's a self reinforcing process

All I know there are so many young kids playing soccer now-a look at all the ballfields just in my area when i grew up no one did- we all played baseball-so i can not see that we are not having young people starting at a young age participating

I take something back-about intensity or lack thereof. I watched a good chunk of the 2nd half. Now these guys are great athletes.But I just didn't see any urgency in a US team that was way behind. And that seems to be a running theme through the whole sport from what I've seen of it-admittedly a small unscientific sample. It's like one team gets ahead, and that's it, game over. No big comebacks, no last minute heroics-we're ahead and you give up.

The Aussies actually did just that today. The Japs were ahead 1-0 and seemed to be coasting, but the Aussies scored 3 goals in the last 10 minutes. The Japs never knew what hit them. Not to beat a dead horse, but watch the next round and watch the intensity pick up because it will be do or die.

I saw the USA game and they were pathetic. Did they ever try to attack? Seemed like all they did was go the wrong way and with poor passes too.
Pathetic team. Just watching the first 5 minutes (I watched the whole thing) of the Italy game and its just a different speed and game for them, the USA is so far from being on that level its not even funny.

All I know there are so many young kids playing soccer now-a look at all the ballfields just in my area when i grew up no one did- we all played baseball-so i can not see that we are not having young people starting at a young age participating


It's not the kiddie participation that's gonna get this country better at soccer. It's the teaching. We do not have the tutors that other countries do.

Anyone watch the press conference after the game on sportscenter? Bruce Arena basically was calling out players, by name, and saying that they either didn't get anything out of them or played like complete garbage. Hopefully, that'll light a fire under their asses and get them to play with a chip on their shoulder.

I saw the USA game and they were pathetic. Did they ever try to attack? Seemed like all they did was go the wrong way and with poor passes too.
Pathetic team. Just watching the first 5 minutes (I watched the whole thing) of the Italy game and its just a different speed and game for them, the USA is so far from being on that level its not even funny.
Bart, the USA had multiple scoring opportunities, they just couldn't finish the deal. Eddie Johnson and Reyna both should have had a goal.

The USA stunk it up on defense. Look, the backfield has players who's highest level of professional play is MLS in the USA. Now, I'm not putting that league down but, it's NOT the Bundesliga. You can't expect guys like Eddie Pope and Jimmy Conrad to go mano e mano with midfielders or forwards who play for teams like Juventus, AC Milan and Barcelona. You're just not gonna come out on the winning end of that, too often. The other Defender I thought had a really bad game was Onyewu, but maybe because he was yellow carded early on, that had something to do with it.

They didn't protect the goal. At all.

You can't blame one of those goals on Kasey Keller.

It's not the kiddie participation that's gonna get this country better at soccer. It's the teaching. We do not have the tutors that other countries do.


In other countries, the best athletes gravitate toward soccer. In other countries, the only other option to sport, is eating rocks.

In the US, there are other options, and lucrative ones, as far as sports.

In other countries, the best athletes gravitate toward soccer. In other countries, the only other option to sport, is eating rocks.

In the US, there are other options, and lucrative ones, as far as sports.
You & Savage had more in common than you realize.

It's not the kiddie participation that's gonna get this country better at soccer. It's the teaching. We do not have the tutors that other countries do.

In addition to that the chemistry with these teams around the world is on a whole different level. In S.A. and in Europe these kids stop going to school at a certain age and its soccer soccer soccer from there on out. They go to soccer camps gallore, some of these teams have been playing and living together since they were teenagers and they know eachother like the back of their hand. It will be very difficult for USA to ever duplicate that kind of chemistry.

In other countries, the best athletes gravitate toward soccer. In other countries, the only other option to sport, is eating rocks.

In the US, there are other options, and lucrative ones, as far as sports.

Is that why there are so many European basketball players in the NBA?

Is that why there are so many European basketball players in the NBA?


No, that reason is Chernobyl.