gazza ladra

Fair enough, but that is five of the starting 11 who have experience with the ball (Cherundolo - Hannover 96; Bradley - Borussia Monchengladbach ; Clark - Eintracht Frankfurt; Donovan - Los Angeles; Findley - Salt Lake). I had thought that the idea of taking shots from distance had originated with Donovan. In any case, blaming the ball is a bit rich. Germany did not score four because of the ball. Though, I see that Maicon is praising the ball.

If England get past Germany or Ghana, I think they'll make the Semis.

Does Jong Tae-se have a South Korean passport? I read in the Times or LA Times, that he had specifically rejected the South Korean citizenship. Although he's lived in Japan his entire life, he is not a citizen. In any case, I don't think that he was that impressive. And as far as his tearing up over the North Korean anthem....we'll see if he chooses to actually live in North Korea after the World Cup is over. All signs point to him staying in Japan and angling for a move to Europe.

Yeah. MLS have been using it all season as welll apparently. With three Bundesliga players in the first 11 and the MLS contigent, US team was pretty accustomed to the ball. Read somewhere that they were encouraged to take potshots from distance.

Reached out for the golden ring that is Gordon Strachan!

I didn't think it was possible for me to hate Portugal, but my distain for Ronaldo has pretty much infected the entire side at this point. I don't know if those media pundits who claimed that a World Cup without Ronaldo would be "tragic" had actually watched Portugal during the qualifiers (they were dreadful), but now we all get to suffer through their games. The basic plan is to play (or dive) for free kicks and penalties and hope that Ronaldo can win it for them. Hope Brazil bury the fuckers. No way they should go to second round.

Did anyone get a good look at De Rossi's dive early in the game? My six year-old son, who had been rooting for Italy up to that point (mostly to spite me), jumped up and said "That's cheating!" He was pulling for Paraguay the rest of the way. You try to raise them right.

Absolutely. 100% truth. Christopher Sullivan on FSC is pretty decent though. He's okay for me, but seems pretty condescending at some points which can be pretty annoying. Yes. He's grown on me though. At first his obvious preference for Latin American football was a bit off-putting. You get the feeling that he watches a lot Peruvian football. The Guatemalan league, stuff like that. And Mike. It is never acceptable to "like" Alexi Lalas, not as a commetator or GM. John Harkes is okay when the US plays. Lalas, never. Sorry.

Ghana will be a harder nut to crack.

Absolutely. 100% truth. Christopher Sullivan on FSC is pretty decent though.

Should be thanking Maradona!

Think England will do very well. I'm pretty sure you'll still win the group handedly and beat anybody thrown at you in next round (Germany, Serbia, or Ghana). I'd imagine that dropping these two points and galvanize the team. I'd hate to be the side that plays England next. Spain and Brazil aside, there isn't a side in the tournament without some major weaknesses.

No he didn't, man. That's an average Onyewu international performance. No idea what happens to him when he plays for a club, but he's pretty much always like that. This is the truth. Really. Par for the course Gooch in internationals.

Might have to watch that. A draw will be the best result for everyone. Back to square one and we'll start again next week. Yep. God damn I wish Jozy scored there. You'd be unbearable if he had. :

Fair enough in regards to SWP. Cole would've been a better option. But I think Lennon and Milner were poorer than SWP. I'm still in shock. Thought we had no chance. A side with as much talent as England should've carved that backline apart. It first dawned on me that the US had a chance when Bradley chose to start Cherundolo and Capello Milner. God help US if Jonathan Spector was out there.

He was a huge improvement on Milner.

Michael Bradley Steve Cherundolo

I'm going ABCD MexicoArgentinaEnglandGhana FranceSouth KoreaUnited StatesGermany South AfricaNigeriaSloveniaSerbia UruguayGreeceAlgeriaAustralia EFGH NetherlandsItalyBrazilSpain CameroonParaguayIvory CoastSwitzerland DenmarkSlovakiaPortugalChile JapanNew ZealandNorth KoreaHonduras Spain over Brazil in the final.

I know why I started, but I don't know why I continue.

Geremi is still playing for the Indomitable Lions? I just had to pick Njitap for my World Cup fantasy team!

Senderos. Missed opportunity.

Currently, FSC here in the US is running a TV series called "International Football Rivalries". I assume this has run in the UK. Does anyone know the total run of the series and the rivalries featured? Think I've stumbled on England-Scotland, England-Germany, Germany-Netherlands, and Brazil-Argentina. Any others?

Well, now that he's at Real Madrid I officially dislike the man.

About as good as the US can manage. Dreadful backline.

By the way, how old is the moniker "sad mackem bastards" and when/why did they begin embracing the the initialism "SMB"? Is this akin to homosexuals reapprobriating the term "queer" or women the term "bitch"? Or does the abbreviation originally stand for something else? I understand the the indentification of themselves as "mackems" is a relatively recent phenomenon. Just wondering.