For all things Fútbol...

[NeilJLeonard]

Or walk with your iPad etc and watch the final online while watching your home team's game. LOL

No need. It has been posted that TV's and such will be brought to Lockhart Stadium by several Striker fans. I'll find the ones in Sec 115, where the fan clubs are, and watch there.

NJL

[Buzz]

Who ever said you cannot have your cake and eat it too eh?! hehehe I will be at work for the final match but there is a tv set so I hope to catch as much of the game as possible. Should be a great match.

[NeilJLeonard]

Who ever said you cannot have your cake and eat it too eh?! hehehe I will be at work for the final match but there is a tv set so I hope to catch as much of the game as possible. Should be a great match.

On further review.....I watched FSC's replay of the USA v Panama last night. I'm not really not that impressed, especially with the USA's play in the middle of the 2nd half. Mexico may actually get a pretty big win tonight. We'll see. BTW, 50% - 60% chance of rain today. I am taking my poncho with me tonight....

NJL (...the tropics have returned to SoFL this week....hopefully this will break the drought we've been having...it's the worst recorded in the last 80 years......)

[Mayra]

Mexico

[NeilJLeonard]

Mexico

Mexico sucks....

But, they deserve credit. After falling behind 0-2 they scored 4 straight goals to win the Cup 2-4. They did prove that they are the best team in CONCACAF, convincingly so. My congrats to them (but it does not mean I have to like it, or them......).

The U-17 WC squad of a few cycles ago provide the Mexicans with a depth of talent that the USA simply can't match. Worse, the Mexicans current U-17 squad is performing at somewhat the same level as that WC Championship team. They should be deeper and more talented in the future. Expect as many as 4 more successive Gold Cup Championships from them in the future......They look to be that good. The USA simply can't match them in player development. Neither can anyone else in CONCACAF.

NJL

[Buzz]

Cangratulations to Mexico and to Spain for winning the U-21 UEFA crown. Watched both matches and could not believe Mexico could come back like that. Now I guess on to the Women's WC but I am honestly not quiet into that as I am into the men's game.

[NeilJLeonard]

Cangratulations to Mexico and to Spain for winning the U-21 UEFA crown. Watched both matches and could not believe Mexico could come back like that. Now I guess on to the Women's WC but I am honestly not quiet into that as I am into the men's game.

Team USA is ranked #1 in the world on the woman's side. They are over rated. Both Mexico & England defeated them recently, and the USA had to back into the WWC as the last team to qualify. They also have a pretty decent group in Group play. I hope they can advance, but, on their current form, I'd not be surprised if they didn't.

I expect Germany to win their 3rd WWC in a row. Brazil could take their measure & win their 1st. After those 2 it is a toss up. Pick any other of the 16 teams and you could be right...

NJL

[NeilJLeonard]

Germany 2 v 1 Canada.

Canada fought the good fight & scored the 1st goal against Germany since the 2003 WWC! Good effort by the Canucks against a team that is convinced that they'll win this one! They probably will. Maybe...

NJL

[alexikeguchi]

The U-17 WC squad of a few cycles ago provide the Mexicans with a depth of talent that the USA simply can't match. Worse, the Mexicans current U-17 squad is performing at somewhat the same level as that WC Championship team. They should be deeper and more talented in the future. Expect as many as 4 more successive Gold Cup Championships from them in the future......They look to be that good. The USA simply can't match them in player development. Neither can anyone else in CONCACAF.

NJL

I remember that U17 final and how impressive Dos Santos and Vela were against the likes of Brazil. I really like Mexico's chances in the lead up to 2014. Plus, they are very enjoyable to watch. Their movement is so fluid, and that last goal by Dos Santos was just perfection and a thing of beauty. It's too bad for the US because other than some defensive miscues after Cherundolo went out, I think that was actually their best game. It's really sad that the US has so little depth that the loss of one starter can have such an impact. My sons have played club and ODP soccer in Oklahoma for a few years, and I have to say that our development system is horrible. There is too much emphasis at a young age on winning rather than improving individual skill, and it's ridiculous how expensive a sport that only requires shoes, a ball, and an open space can be. We have a large Mexican-American population here, and most of those kids just play in small sided indoor leagues because they don't have the money for all the travel and fees. As far as I can tell, no one ever scouts those matches, and we are definitely excluding some big talent by just considering the affluent, suburban Anglo kids who are mainly targeting an athletic scholarship rather than a professional career. Hopefully, the new Development Academy approach will bear fruit, but it's going to take some time. Until then, we will have to get used to some butt-kickings like last night.

[Gil-Galad]

Germany 2 v 1 Canada.

Canada fought the good fight & scored the 1st goal against Germany since the 2003 WWC! Good effort by the Canucks against a team that is convinced that they'll win this one! They probably will. Maybe...

Convinced that they'll win this one? I have read that they want to win this one, but also rather balanced articles about the other strong teams.

[KHenry14]

Alex, I understand what you are saying. My son plays for a nice club team, and it's going to cost us over 2K(!) to keep him on the team for the year. Which is ridiculous if you ask me. if we hadn't got a good tax refund, i'd likely have to tell my son we couldn't afford to have him play on the team, and no Dad wants to tell his kid that. This just isn't the best way to go about this IMO.

[UMBS Go Blue]

Women's World Cup vBet here:
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=79311

[skipaway]

Very weird, if it's true...
North Korea's excuse for losing to USA

[OlieRow]

Very weird, if it's true...
North Korea's excuse for losing to USA

Bizarre. I watched the game last night (yay for DVRs!) and was impressed with how North Korea played, especially in the first half. I haven't followed the women's national team much since 2004-2005, but I hope they can find a way to be consistent here. They had some defensive breakdowns that a more experienced team would've capitalized on.

Did anyone see the commentary about Solo's comments in 2007 re: Scurry's performance against Brazil? Briana Scurry and Tony DiCicco were asked about it and they seemed to call her out on national TV for not being a team player. Scurry was actually asked how she was as a teammate since she's the GM of her pro team and she seemed to evade that part of the question. I've noticed Tony has made a few comments about team chemistry and females typically needing to get along well off the field to maximize performance on it. I'm out of the loop, does this team have a lot of drama?

Oh and I can't believe it's been 12 years since 1999...

[NeilJLeonard]

Bizarre. I watched the game last night (yay for DVRs!) and was impressed with how North Korea played, especially in the first half. I haven't followed the women's national team much since 2004-2005, but I hope they can find a way to be consistent here. They had some defensive breakdowns that a more experienced team would've capitalized on.

Did anyone see the commentary about Solo's comments in 2007 re: Scurry's performance against Brazil? Briana Scurry and Tony DiCicco were asked about it and they seemed to call her out on national TV for not being a team player. Scurry was actually asked how she was as a teammate since she's the GM of her pro team and she seemed to evade that part of the question. I've noticed Tony has made a few comments about team chemistry and females typically needing to get along well off the field to maximize performance on it. I'm out of the loop, does this team have a lot of drama?

Oh and I can't believe it's been 12 years since 1999...

Very little drama, from what I see & what I've heard...

NJL (..not so with Solo's / Scurry's club team. It, magicJack, is a farce......)

[KHenry14]

The issue with the USWNT isn't drama, frankly that Solo issue was dealt with a long time ago. The issue was that Hope was right, she should have been in there, and the whole world knew it. But she shouldn't have said it. Why or how that would impact this current team three years later is a mystery.

What isn't a mystery is the poor play in midfield by the US Women. Boxx and Lloyd were TERRIBLE, and if they play like that against the Germans they will get torched. However, the USWNT is very dangerous with 3 quality strikers. The question really is, will they score enough to coverup for defensive weaknesses? Against NK, Swe, Col, the answer is yes. Against anyone else??? Hmmm...

[NeilJLeonard]

The issue with the USWNT isn't drama, frankly that Solo issue was dealt with a long time ago. The issue was that Hope was right, she should have been in there, and the whole world knew it. But she shouldn't have said it. Why or how that would impact this current team three years later is a mystery.

What isn't a mystery is the poor play in midfield by the US Women. Boxx and Lloyd were TERRIBLE, and if they play like that against the Germans they will get torched. However, the USWNT is very dangerous with 3 quality strikers. The question really is, will they score enough to coverup for defensive weaknesses? Against NK, Swe, Col, the answer is yes. Against anyone else??? Hmmm...

Yet, they are considered one of the best central MidField Combos in the world. Hopefully, they have the poor play out of their systems and can perform better from here on out.

The only questions about Solo are her physical abilities since her shoulder operation last year. She did wince a time or 2 against NK when she had to move the right arm above her head. It is something to watch as the tournament progresses. Until the injury she was considered the top female keeper now playing - check her performance in the last Olympics - and she has not played that much since the operation. If she is back to her old form she alone can keep the USA in this WWC. At her best she is that good.

Brazil 1 v 0 Australia. Australia had their chances during the game but insisted on missing the goal...

Rosana's goal for Brazil was remarkable. SOP Brazilian gem.

NJL (...after all teams have had their opening games only Germany looks like a champion thus far....we'll see how the group round plays out to really know who the contenders actually are, but, it looks like we may have the most even WWC ever in Germany if you compare all the final scores from round one of the Group stage......)

[OlieRow]

Thanks for answering my questions.

(...after all teams have had their opening games only Germany looks like a champion thus far....we'll see how the group round plays out to really know who the contenders actually are, but, it looks like we may have the most even WWC ever in Germany if you compare all the final scores from round one of the Group stage......)

It's really remarkable how the women's game has developed and things have evened out. I remember being at Giant Stadium for the games in 1999 many were sooo lopsided. Hopefully the close games will continue throughout the tournament (and I'll have time to follow...)

[Buzz]

Copa American starts tomorrow and ends on July 24th. I most certainly will be watching and wondering if I will get a Brazil v Argentina final.

[kylet3]

Canada was miserable today at the Women's World Cup. Couldn't string together more than a single pass. Sheer and bloody pathetic effort, I'm dismayed at them and it's another first round exit for Canada