Come on guys; it’s now or never. Time to hunt for some foxes: desert foxes known as Les Fennecs.
Go Slovenia as well!
by Randinho| 140 Comments
This post is in: Sports
Come on guys; it’s now or never. Time to hunt for some foxes: desert foxes known as Les Fennecs.
Go Slovenia as well!
Comments are closed.
Bailey
Bastards for scheduling these last group games simultaneously.
Dork
The US is playing Al Jazeeria?
Eric S.
All productivity halts in 35 minutes!
Tom65
US lineup changes: Bocanegra moves to center back (replacing Onyewu) – Bornstein to left back; Gomez replaces Findley up top; Edu starting in midfield
Punchy
US mild favorites to win this game. Shockingly, Brits heavy favs to win theirs…..did these oddsmakers see how inept the Brits were against Algeria?
Alas, dont have the stones to bet against Young Phil Collins Lookalike Wayne Rooney.
calling all toasters
Go Slovenia? I don’t want us to play Brazil in the next round. USA and England winning, with USA getting the tiebreaker is the correct result. Unless we only tie Algeria, in which case never mind, go Slovenia!
Violet
I guess I’m going to have to watch one of the games online, so I can see both at the same time. Crazy!
EFroh
I like these foxes better.
Bootlegger
@calling all toasters: We play Germany’s group next which is upside down at the moment–could be Ghana, Serbia or even the Aussies.
US 3-1 with another strong second half. Gomez, Dempsey and Buddle with the goals.
Bootlegger
@Dork: No, apparently its Rommel’s Panzer Division.
Bootlegger
@Tom65: I understand the idea of a quicker fullback in Bornstein, but he always seems to choke in big games, unless your from Honduras of course in which case you are a national hero.
Bootlegger
@EFroh: Huntin’ from an airplain, amiright?
calling all toasters
@Bootlegger: Huh. You’re right. I don’t remember where I read it was group C vs. G, but whatever.
MikeJ
Slo-ven-ia
Your home and native land
Beat up the Brits
But please don’t use your hand!
What? That’s not their national anthem? Bah.
calling all toasters
@Bootlegger: Bob Bradley: “Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”
Occasional Reader
Vuvuzelas…vuvuzelaing. Come on, England!
Bootlegger
@calling all toasters: ROTFL! Maybe Bradley will shoot one of his players for desertion.
MikeJ
Twice the vuvuzelas with the TV and computer going to watch both games.
Punchy
Effin’ boss just called a 9am meeting! Obs, she’s not American. Dammit!
Bootlegger
@calling all toasters: No biggie, and there’s no way to know who we do or don’t avoid until the games this afternoon.
4jkb4ia
However plucky the Slovenian story, today is the day when we cheer for British sports attention to be diverted from Andy Murray for another few days.
Tom65
@Bootlegger: yeah, I see a lot of Algerian attacks going down the right side today.
Bootlegger
@Tom65: Yep, and no matter how “healthy” Gooch is, he clearly did not have his usual quicks (which were never substantial to begin with). No need for his brawn in the middle today.
Patrick
Bornstein?!? What does Bradley see that nobody else does?
Can we win one game we are supposed to win? We haven’t done it in a World Cup that I can remember.
Rommie
Bornstein – sense of dread…
handsmile
Can this be true: Bornstein has actually been selected at left back??? Oneywu must be much more hobbled than has been reported.
Perhaps canny Bob Bradley is taunting the Algerians to score with this decision. Against England, they looked comically inept in that regard. (In fact, they’ve scored only one goal, a penalty kick, in their last seven matches).
In a all-out effort to expose Bornstein’s, um, vulnerabilities, Algeria will leave itself open to the US counter-attack, the tactic at which the US truly excels.
cmorenc
Donovan’s first cross into the box gives an indirect reminder of why Diego Forlan is such a great all-around player for Uruguay, not just as a striker. Forlan manages to consistently send crosses into that dangerous “no man’s land” where the GK either cannot come out or else has to take a high-risk committal to come out, instead of merely taking a step or two forward for a routine catch. Donovan is a great player, I’m glad he’s on our side, for sure but we could sure use an American version of Forlan.
Bootlegger
Algeria is playing 3-4-3 and the US is pushing both fullbacks up, the classic way to attack the three man defense.
And wow, we almost did it again. Gomez responds.
MikeJ
Damn near Greened it.
calling all toasters
OK, we can start trying now.
Dave C
Wow. That was too close!
Bootlegger
@Patrick: Speed. Algeria’s main attack has been speedy wingers.
Bootlegger
Two big mistakes from the defense. We look tense.
bjacques
Damn, outnumbered by British cow-orkers today. At least I have my vuvuzela.
Bootlegger
This game will be box to box. Fun soccer
cmorenc
HOLY COW the US defense looks shaky and nervous the first 10 minutes. Against the likes of Brazil or Argentina or perhaps even Germany, we’d be down 1-0 or maybe even 2-0 by now.
Patrick
@Boot: sometimes knowing when to run is more important than raw speed
Bootlegger
@cmorenc: To be fair we wouldn’t be pushing our fullbacks up so high against those teams, but yeah, same opera, different aria.
bjacques
Slovakia have Charlie Brown shirts. Maybe England can pull a Lucy on them. Also, they have Andy Capp.
Bootlegger
@Patrick: I couldn’t agree more, I don’t think Bornstein should even be on the team. I’m only suggesting what Bradley’s purpose must be, or a bonus from MLS for playing MLS players for a certain number of minutes.
Hey, the Big Dog’s in the house!!
stuckinred
The big dog is at the game!
cmorenc
Gomez has proved so far that he’s a great choice up front. This kid’s got a bona fide finisher mentality and the skills and athleticism to make goals happen.
Bootlegger
I like the cut of Gomez’s jib so far. Strong in attack and playing some D as well. His resurgence could be a key.
Bootlegger
Altidore is slow today, he won’t go the full 90 which means we’ll get to see Buddle.
Damn, offside!!
calling all toasters
Bogus call. %&&$^&^$&^*($^%!!!!
eric
BTW … an offside goal heard on radio is NOT fun.
Bootlegger
Sepp’s explaining to the Big Dog, “You see, in world football, we get our revenge on you Americans, I instructed the referees myself.”
Bootlegger
Terrible call on the offside!!! Horrendous!!!!!!!
Leeds man
Nice cross from the Leeds lad.
eric
in 30 secs….disallowed goal and english goal..yikes
Patrick
I guess the US has to score 3 goals for every 1 the refs allow
Bootlegger
@Patrick: My 9-year old son even notices it.
Violet
The US is getting robbed with all these disallowed goals.
Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle
@Bootlegger: LOL!!
Bootlegger
Ref just blew off a US advantage, for a tongue-lashing. Lame.
Bootlegger
Altidore just dribbled into two defenders with a wide-open Gomez running through an open space as large as a game preserve.
Bootlegger
Altidore is nothing but suck today. He’s been ill, but damn. Gotta make a change at the half.
Tom65
@Bootlegger: I think you have to keep him in there as a target forward and let Gomez key off of him. The only other choice would be Buddle, and he needs a ton of space in front of him to operate effectively.
Bootlegger
@Tom65: Buddle is also a target forward and he’s got some karma with Donovan. I like Jozy, but he’s off today and didn’t practice because of an unspecified illness.
edmund dantes
Last games of the group have to be played simultaneously. You can thank the Germans and Austrians in 1982 for that one. They were the catalyst.
In the final match in the group between West Germany and Austria, Algeria had already played their final group game the day before, and West Germany and Austria knew that a West German win by 1 or 2 goals would qualify them both, while a larger German victory would qualify Algeria over Austria, and a draw or an Austrian win would eliminate the Germans. After 10 minutes of all-out attack, West Germany scored through a goal by Horst Hrubesch. After the goal was scored, the two teams kicked the ball around aimlessly for the rest of the match. Chants of “Fuera, fuera” (“Out, out”) were screamed by the Spanish crowd, while angry Algerian supporters waved banknotes at the players. This performance was widely deplored, even by the German and Austrian fans. One German fan was so upset by his team’s display that he burned his German flag in disgust.[1] Algeria protested to FIFA, who ruled that the result be allowed to stand; FIFA introduced a revised qualification system at subsequent World Cups in which the final two games in each group were played simultaneously.
Steve
@Bailey: They schedule the last games simultaneously because it’s too big an advantage to go into a game knowing exactly what result you need in order to advance. There was a big scandal in 1982 when West Germany played Austria knowing that a German victory by 1 goal would ensure that both teams advance (at the expense of Algeria, which had already played its final game) and the two teams blatantly colluded to reach that result. So it’s annoying but it’s for a good reason.
Tom65
@Bootlegger: maybe we’ll see a change at the half
stuckinred
@Steve: I have picture in picture, it’s no biggie for me!
Bootlegger
HT. Gomez, Demerit and Cherundolo have been great.
Jozy needs to come off for Buddle and Dempsey needs to quit reading his own headlines because he’s been full of suck so far.
MikeJ
Meanwhile, England look like they’ve remembered how to play football. Pity.
wengler
Anyone want to bet over/under on how many US goals will be disallowed in the second half?
David in NY
@bjacques:
Damn it, Slovakia did not qualify. Ignoramuses. And that stripe is a stylized Triglav, an Alp.
MikeJ
@David in NY: What, you didn’t know Charlie Brown is Slovenian?
Bootlegger
@wengler: I’ll take 1 disallowed, 2 allowed.
MattR
@David in NY: Except of course that Slovakia did in fact qualify. It is just that they are playing in Group F.
OriGuy
If the US loses to Algeria, who will be the first wingnut to claim that Obama had them throw the game to appease the Muslim world? My money is on Rushbo.
sheba
@Bailey: You know why the third matches for the group stage are all scheduled simultaneously, right? ;-)
Morbo
And if the results hold, I’ll have picked backwards. Poo.
Patrick
Donovan needs to wake up. He has had 2-3 chances on goal and shot them into the upper deck. Dempsey is playing great. We never get both playing great though.
Bootlegger
Dempsey up top, Feilhaber for Gomez?! He was their best player in the first half! Fuck Bradley.
Bootlegger
@Patrick: Donovan was up and down, but Dempsey kept giving the ball away.
Tom65
WHOA Gomez is off? WTF???
MikeJ
If Obama doesn’t fire Dempsey he’s weak.
Bootlegger
@Tom65: One of Bradley’s mystery moves. I hate having him as our coach.
Violet
@Tom65:
That seems really wrong. Gomez was doing well.
Bootlegger
@MikeJ: But firing him shows how weak he really is because he let it happen in the first place.
Patrick
Gomez ran up and down because he knew he was only in for 45′.
Algeria is playing for 0-0.
Tom65
@Patrick: even accepting that premise, you don’t replace him with Feilhaber.
MikeJ
@Patrick: 0-0 gets Algeria nothing, They need to win and have Slovenia win too.
Patrick
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Bootlegger
Fuck!
PanAmerican
ffs
Ash
gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
edmund dantes
WTF? How many chances can you miss before it bites you in the ass? Jeebus!!!
Patrick
@Mike; it gets them a knock-out of the Great Satan
Bootlegger
@Tom65: He was replaced with Dempsey who just sucked some more. Feilhaber replaced Dempsey at left mid.
edmund dantes
Also, does anyone know what that teletype sound is that occurs everytime there is a shot on goal?
Leeds man
Slovene goalie just got fingertips to Rooney’s strike. Good save.
Violet
When will the US get a break? Gah!
PanAmerican
Anybody seen Landon?
MikeJ
@Patrick: Great Satan? The same Algeria that sends military officers for training in the US?
Bootlegger
There’s Buddle. For Edu? Weird.
Leeds man
England lucky to escape there.
MikeJ
And Slovenia just blew three rapid fire shots.
Bootlegger
How? How? How are we not winning?
Ash
christ on a freaking cracker
Patrick
Getting nuts now
Bootlegger
Right at the m-f’ing keeper! Then Bornstein pulls a Bornstein!
GAH! My heart can’t take this.
4jkb4ia
(Isner-Mahut 21-21. You read this correctly, and cared not at all.)
bjacques
@all:
Sorry, Slovenia.
I’ve only got the England-Slovenia game right now. If the US scores we go through, apparently. Right now, no. Frustrating.
stuckinred
@4jkb4ia: you fubtol people talk funny
Violet
The US is just not getting any breaks. HOW are they not up by at least one goal?
Tom65
fuck, this going to end 0-0
Three-nineteen
@4jkb4ia:
I care – but I’m watching this first, so no updates please.
So, are disallowed goals very common? How many other teams have had disallowed goals this World Cup?
Bootlegger
@Three-nineteen: There have been a few, but not to the same team.
Bootlegger
Jozy ball watching instead of going for the rebound.
Now Beasley?
Tom65
now Beasley is in. i think that puts us into a 3-4-3
Patrick
can’t get that ball to dip
Patrick
BTW, that is two red cards Algeria has not been given. But I’m with Harkes, the refs are against us, we have to overcome.
Patrick
Algeiria could go through with a win, but they are playing for the 0-0 tie. Bad sportsmanship and their fans know it.
edmund dantes
This is going to suck. Going out without losing, but getting screwed by some weird ref decisions and missed opportunities.
Darkness
@edmund dantes: Um, welcome to world cup soccer?
So, my grasp of the game is not that great, but can that be chocked up to finally not mincing around the pitch?
Patrick
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
edmund dantes
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great ball by Howard!!!!!
calling all toasters
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lawnguylander
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
bjacques
AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
DecidedFenceSitter
I’m still waiting to see how they call it back.
Morbo
Wow. Dammit, did it have to be fucking Landon Donovan though?
Patrick
Hold on now!
Ash
WHY DID I CHANGE THE CHANNEL AT THAT EXACT MOMENT TO SEE THE OTHER GAME???
Tom65
DONOVAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MikeJ
YES WE CAN!
Patrick
the ref calls one for us!
Bootlegger
America. Fuck Yeah!
4jkb4ia
YES!
(24-23 Isner at the moment)
Patrick
whistle whistle
arguingwithsignposts
W00t!
Where’s my foam finger!
Leeds man
US tops group on goals scored, right? So probably Serbia for them in the next game, and Germany-England.
Patrick
It is all gravy now. We should probably beat Ghana and we can beat Germany, but we won’t and it is ok. We are through.
Violet
Amazing! What a finish! USA! USA!
Patrick
BTW, Donovan scored. But it should have been a penalty on Dempsey, GK took him down without ever touching the ball. But, Algeria played for the tie, for whatever reason, and the correct team won. But jesus, do we make it hard on ourselves.
wengler
Awesome goal in the end and Algeria have nothing to complain about. The North African team played to time waste at the end even though they needed goals to go through. Only their goalie showed admirably throughout the match.
Your Group C winners, the United States of America!
Mitch
That was so fantastic! Watching on Univision at work and hearing the announcer say GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL made me almost have a heart attack!
David in NY
@MattR:
Oops. That was dumb of me. Of course.