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You are here: Home / Sports / Algeria v USA; England v Slovenia Open Thread

Reader Interactions

140Comments

  4. 4.

    Tom65

    US lineup changes: Bocanegra moves to center back (replacing Onyewu) – Bornstein to left back; Gomez replaces Findley up top; Edu starting in midfield

  5. 5.

    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.

  6. 6.

    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!

  7. 7.

    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!

  9. 9.

    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.

  14. 14.

    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.

  21. 21.

    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.

  23. 23.

    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.

  24. 24.

    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.

  26. 26.

    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.

  27. 27.

    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.

  28. 28.

    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.

  36. 36.

    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.

  38. 38.

    Bootlegger

    @cmorenc: To be fair we wouldn’t be pushing our fullbacks up so high against those teams, but yeah, same opera, different aria.

  40. 40.

    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!!

  42. 42.

    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.

  43. 43.

    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.

  44. 44.

    Bootlegger

    Altidore is slow today, he won’t go the full 90 which means we’ll get to see Buddle.

    Damn, offside!!

  47. 47.

    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.”

  56. 56.

    Bootlegger

    Altidore just dribbled into two defenders with a wide-open Gomez running through an open space as large as a game preserve.

  57. 57.

    Bootlegger

    Altidore is nothing but suck today. He’s been ill, but damn. Gotta make a change at the half.

  58. 58.

    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.

  59. 59.

    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.

  60. 60.

    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.

  61. 61.

    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.

  64. 64.

    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.

  66. 66.

    wengler

    Anyone want to bet over/under on how many US goals will be disallowed in the second half?

  67. 67.

    David in NY

    @bjacques:

    Slovakia have Charlie Brown shirts

    Damn it, Slovakia did not qualify. Ignoramuses. And that stripe is a stylized Triglav, an Alp.

  71. 71.

    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.

  74. 74.

    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.

  75. 75.

    Bootlegger

    Dempsey up top, Feilhaber for Gomez?! He was their best player in the first half! Fuck Bradley.

  82. 82.

    Patrick

    Gomez ran up and down because he knew he was only in for 45′.

    Algeria is playing for 0-0.

  92. 92.

    edmund dantes

    Also, does anyone know what that teletype sound is that occurs everytime there is a shot on goal?

  103. 103.

    Bootlegger

    Right at the m-f’ing keeper! Then Bornstein pulls a Bornstein!
    GAH! My heart can’t take this.

  105. 105.

    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.

  109. 109.

    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?

  114. 114.

    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.

  115. 115.

    Patrick

    Algeiria could go through with a win, but they are playing for the 0-0 tie. Bad sportsmanship and their fans know it.

  116. 116.

    edmund dantes

    This is going to suck. Going out without losing, but getting screwed by some weird ref decisions and missed opportunities.

  117. 117.

    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?

  121. 121.

    Lawnguylander

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

  134. 134.

    Leeds man

    US tops group on goals scored, right? So probably Serbia for them in the next game, and Germany-England.

  135. 135.

    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.

  137. 137.

    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.

  138. 138.

    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!

  139. 139.

    Mitch

    That was so fantastic! Watching on Univision at work and hearing the announcer say GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL made me almost have a heart attack!

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