go usa!

Tommorrow is a big one! Our team ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A co-worker was telling me how great "football" was and how the last USA match was so awesome with 90 minutes of boredom followed by one perfect goal. He proceeded to tell me that "American football" sucked, I had to remind him that was because he was a Rams fan!

On 2010-06-26 01:42, MadDogMike wrote:
I had to remind him that was because he was a Rams fan!

ahahahahahahah now thats funnah. ooohhhh why am i laughing???? ima bucs fans. dammit man.

but, GO USA!!! gotta support the team anyway.

On 2010-06-26 04:37, talo ka wrote:
but, GO USA!!! gotta support the team anyway.

Very true - GO USA!!!!!

I'll be at the Old Ship in Santa Ana for the match today. GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.theoldeship.com

(pendant by Mr. Tiki Ray!)

On 2010-06-26 01:42, MadDogMike wrote:
90 minutes of boredom

Not for a soccer fan! No part of the game is boring to me!

Why has this thread died?

I am still watching ALL the games! Today, England got massacred by germany...and Mexico lost to Argentina while putting up a valiant fight. Like us, they were robbed of a perfectly good goal by the FIFA refs (who seem to be drunk, blind or asleep most of the time)

Regarding the US, this is the closest we have gotten...and our boys played very well. Every 4 years we get better.

If this country pushed it's star athletes into soccer instead of the big three (football, basketball and baseball) then we would be a force to be reckoned with! Imagine if Kobe Bryant was into soccer....it would be our team winning the world cup, and ending the South American domination of the game!

As far as the thread dying, many people either treat soccer with utter derision, or ignore it because they think it is "boring" (it's not, of course!)..

There are not many of us on this forum that are into it, but one of our members, Soccertiki happens to be a goalie in the minor league!

And since my upbringing is European on both sides of my family, of course I am majorly into soccer and have played it my entire life.

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2010-06-27 16:09 ]

With the exception of the 4:30am games, I haven't missed one yet! Gonna be odd on Wednesday waking up WITHOUT the sound of vuvuzelas...

Picks for 6/28: SVK over NED, CHI over BRA (even though it's highly unlikely - I like to pull for the underdog)

On 2010-06-27 23:44, Doctor Z wrote:
With the exception of the 4:30am games, I haven't missed one yet! Gonna be odd on Wednesday waking up WITHOUT the sound of vuvuzelas...

There are a lot of reasons why I like you, Dr. Z....!

Anyway, fear not for the demise of the vuvzela!

http://www.amazon.com/Vuvuzela-South-African-Plastic-Collapsible/dp/B0031DGU2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1277753588&sr=8-1-catcorr

I am getting one, to pay back my neighboor who has the Mexican music playing FULL BLAST in his backyard ALL weekend long....I am thinking a blast from the Vuvuzela around 4:00 in the morning on Sunday should make my point!

I've got a vuvuzela app on my phone! Not too loud, but it provides that incessant drone that makes me think of soccer!

As expected, both my underdogs got the floor swept with themselves today...

Picks for 6/29: PAR over JPN, ESP over POR.

I hope Spain wins, but I almost always have picked wrong this cup.

I was reading an article with people complaining about the Vuvuzelas. But to me, they are nothing new under the sun. We had them way back in the early 70's. I clearly remember them not only at the Aztec/Cosmo's games, but being used in other sports as well.

An article from the Fox (of course) sports columnist, Brian Lowery (with my rebuttal at the end)

"you have been caught up and thrilled by the excitement and pageantry of the World Cup, this probably isn't the column for you.

Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan earned high marks at the World Cup for the U.S., but what about their teammates? Ives Galarcep grades the U.S. performances in South Africa.
If on the other hand you have tried (really, really tried) to watch soccer on TV and simply can't get into it — including the U.S. loss to Ghana — pull up a chair.
There's a strong tendency to wonder if this is some jingoistic thing — as in chanting “USA! USA!” — responsible for rejecting one of those rare sports America fails to dominate. After the June 23 win over Algeria, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann sarcastically but not inaccurately dubbed soccer the U.S.’ “fifth-best team sport,” one being shoved down our collective throats by the rest of the world “using only their feet.”
More melodramatically, a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote that the game-winning goal “may have kicked a hole in the ancient force field of prejudice that has always kept Americans from fully embracing the world’s game.” Oh puh-leeze.
That’s because prejudice, for me anyway, isn’t the problem. There is a cultural element here, but I think it has more to do with playing sports growing up and thus being able to appreciate basketball, football or baseball when practiced at their highest form. I've singled to left, but I'll never jack a 98-mile-an-hour fastball into the bleachers.

Today, one of soccer’s main selling points in the U.S. appears to be how easy it is for kids to learn (hence the image of suburban “soccer moms”), with a proud dad recently telling me how much fun he has watching his 6-year-old daughter run around trying to kick the ball.
As a viewer or fan, however, the fact a game can be played by children isn't a ringing endorsement as TV diversions go.
Granted, there's also a cultural bar for hockey, but at least that game features people racing around on skates at breakneck speed. The puck always seems to be this close to getting jammed into somebody's goal, even if scoring is limited or sporadic.
By contrast, too much of soccer takes place in the middle of the field, passing the ball around with no immediate threat of anything significant happening. Every time I try sitting through an entire telecast, I wind up thinking "Wake me for the highlights" when the dude yells “Gooooo-o-oal” for 45 seconds. The best thing I saw all weekend, frankly, were those subtitled Spanish-language ads AT&T aired — in an unorthodox move — on ABC.
In theory, the World Cup is a wonderful showcase. Like the Olympics, it's always nice seeing countries compete on athletic fields instead of marching across borders or building weapons systems.

Still, I'm a tired of people trying to make me feel guilty for not hopping on the bandwagon. On HBO's "Real Sports," host Bryant Gumbel closed the program with an unqualified pitch for soccer, saying, "I confess that I love everything about it, particularly those aspects that many Americans are whining about."
Bully for him.
And yes, ESPN and Univision ratings are up almost 70 percent compared with 2006 for telecasts featuring the U.S. team, according to Nielsen Media Research, though I suspect that has a lot to do with people getting sucked in by relentless media coverage, as well as steady growth in the Spanish-speaking population.
If you were raised with soccer, I totally get it. What I have a hard time buying, based strictly on experiencing the game via TV, is adults who profess to have suddenly fallen in love and developed new-found expertise about corner kicks, blown calls and headers. In short, the current U.S.-soccer TV romance still strikes me as a fling, not a full-fledged relationship just yet.
The World Cup doubtless gives the sport an opportunity to put its best foot forward and win additional converts. As for me, despite the racket caused by those blaring horns and raucous fans, it remains a welcome summer siesta before the games I actually care about return."

Really Mr. Lowery? How short sighted and totally provincial of you, you dick! It's people like you who let down our country every time. Personally, I would like to see you horsewhipped. What games do you care about? Let me guess, "it's all about the Lakers" right? All around this country, including the deep south and the conservative mid-west, Americans gathered in public places and bars to support the US Team. But not you, Mr. Lowery (if that's even your REAL name). Go hang.

they should release Lions into the game if it lasts longer than 1/2 a game.

would make things more exciting for us Non-Soccer freaks!

Hmmm... I think ALL games have to last twice as long as half-a-game to be called 'games' (release of lions notwithstanding, of course...)

Picks for 7/2: BRA over NED, GHA over URU. Both games should be close!

Granted, there's also a cultural bar for hockey, but at least that game features people racing around on skates at breakneck speed.

er...in the rest of the world hockey is more generally played on a feild with people running around using their feet.

The problem with the world cup is compared to the premier league most of the teams (incl. England) are fairly mediocre. Whilst some countries still play with national pride, others (like England) can't really be bothered because they don't get paid like in the premier league and it is not worth risking an injury for that might put them out of the big money games.

Doctor Z, I hope you didn't bet money on those games.

While I was really pulling for an African team to make it further, Ghana's loss was (sort of) expected. But, damn - what a game!!

I was surprised by Brazil's loss. No money wagered, thankfully...

I like how Germany shut out Argentina (4-0!) - let's see if Spain can do the same to Paraguay!

On 2010-07-03 08:50, Doctor Z wrote:
While I was really pulling for an African team to make it further, Ghana's loss was (sort of) expected. But, damn - what a game!!

I was surprised by Brazil's loss. No money wagered, thankfully...

I like how Germany shut out Argentina (4-0!) - let's see if Spain can do the same to Paraguay!

What a route! Maradona just looked so sad!

I am going for Spain, of course.

I was going for Paraguay. They deserved it much more than the spain. Ghana too.

Amazing day of Soccer! Spain 1, Paraguay 0 !

Looking for a NED win over URU today, and a GER win over ESP tomorrow.

(But I have no money riding on either game!)

On 2010-07-06 08:58, Doctor Z wrote:
Looking for a NED win over URU today, and a GER win over ESP tomorrow.

(But I have no money riding on either game!)

I'd say the same. It would be interesting to have a NED/GER final.

Definitely easier on me ! I am half dutch, half Spanish....I would be so conflicted!

Well, conflicted you'll be, then!

I'm wearing orange on Sunday.

Wow! Didn't see this coming!

Virani obviously doesn't like Spaniards. Standard. I love French women.
Spain is going to win. Me and an Octopus say so.

Also, I loved how Mexico kicked France ass. I will remember that on my dieing bed. Je je...

Well, that Octopus has been right, a lot! (Plus, in captivity they can unscrew caps on bottles and move from one tank to another, stealing fish.)

On 2010-07-07 19:57, Zeta wrote:
Also, I loved how Mexico kicked France ass. I will remember that on my dieing bed. Je je...

Yes, that was a beautiful thing!

On 2010-07-07 19:53, Zeta wrote:
Virani obviously doesn't like Spaniards. Standard. I love French women.
Spain is going to win. Me and an Octopus say so.

And why is that ? I never said I didn't want Spain to win, I just thought Germany was better considering how the german played their previous games. But, hey, I don't care about football anyway, I just like to speculate.
And for the Mexico-France game, as my sister in law is Mexican, my whole family watched it with Mexican only. I also was happy France lost, they didn't deserve to win any game, they really suck.

On 2010-07-03 13:42, virani wrote:
I was going for Paraguay. They deserved it much more than the spain. Ghana too.

Why was that? Spain deserved to win as much as Paraguay. I just assumed you didn't like Spain because you know Spain and France historically don't like each other. (but hey! Spain or France don't like anybody!) I do like France, I am almost French (from Valle Bastan, right in the border from France in the Basque Country, you just jump a small river and you are in the French Basque Country) I think they are the most sophisticated people in the world and live for the things worth living for. Love, art and wine. But whatever, I don't like futbol that much either, but it's fun to hate each other in the name of sports every four years...

I just want the best to win. The one who PLAYS better, and so far, it's been Germany, Netherlands or Spain, so I am happy for that. Can't stand defensive/counter attack teams catenachio style like Italy. That "style" bore me to tears. Oh well, nationalism apart, I do believe Spain will win, they deserve it and they are humble enough. Germany was great too... No hype, no drama. Just amazing blitzkrieg soccer

BEEP BEE BE BEEP BEP BEE BEEP BEP!!!! Breaking news:
Paul the octopus oracle chose Spain to win the World cup.
Campeoooones campeooones oe oe oe!

Paul and I told you!
I am happy because Spain PLAYED better.
Netherlands was dirty.
Futbol won.

CAMPEOOONES CAMPEOOOONES OE OE OE!!!

SPAIN; SOCCER WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS.