Ode to the beautiful game... (Soccer)

Buzz said:
Is Donovan officially retired? Because he is not on the US team.
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Not in the least. But because of his soccer "sabbatical" and frankly because of his recent performance, he was left off by Klinsi. He is however on the Gold Cup roster, which is essentially our B-Team.

Klinsi is making Donovan earn his way back on the team. But I expect that Landon may be back on the main team in time for the September qualifiers.
 
Malta won their first WC qualifier in 20 years or there abouts when they beat Armenia 1-0. Here are some more results:

Scotland beat Croatia 1-0
Italy and Czech Republic tied 0-0 (Balotelli was given a red card)
Portugal beat Russia 1-0 ( Portugal is back on top and Israel is 3rd),
Ghana beat Sudan 3-1,
Venezuela and Bolivia tied 1-1 ( Venezuela is in the 4th qualifying spot for now),
Ukraine beat Montenegro 4-0
Austria beat Sweden 2–1

P.S.
There are about six more games to be played today with the USA and Argentina among others in action. Not against each other of course. :P
 
USA 2 - 1 Jamaica! Congratulations to the USA. Basic cable means I was not able to watch the game although I would have loved too.
 
KHenry14 said:
Klinsi is making Donovan earn his way back on the team. But I expect that Landon may be back on the main team in time for the September qualifiers.
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With Kinsman I wouldn't be too sure. He doesn't care for a name, all he cares for is performance, so if Donovan wants to get back onto the team he better get his act together! Some of the German players in 2006 had to learn that the hard way.

Happy that the US won against Jamaica! Way to go!
 
Buzz said:
USA 2 - 1 Jamaica! Congratulations to the USA. Basic cable means I was not able to watch the game although I would have loved too.
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We just got BEin locally in English a few months ago. It had, and has, a ton of the WC qialifiers in the Americas on this weekend.

I watched most of the game, off and on. I did watch all of the last 30 minute specifically to see if they could hold a 1-0 lead for a win. They couldn't. Gave up a goal in the 89th minute off of a free kick. One more piss poor piece of defending by the US. Then, in the 92nd minute, came the shocker of this hex when the US scored for the 2-1 win on an equally poor bit of defending by Jamaica. They learned that you don't leave young Mr Evans alone inside of the area, because if he gets the ball and has a second to get set he can hurt you. Did he ever.

USA's 1st ever win at "The Office" give us 3 huge away points and moves us to 2nd place on the Hex behind Mexico. We now have 2 home games that we could very well win and get 9 points out of the 3 games in this June set. I am feeling much, much better about our chances of going to Brazil next year. I now feel that it is possible.

NJL

ETA: One more interesting point about this match: Klinsmann started the same 11 v Jamaica that started v Germany. This is the 1st time he has ever started the same 11 in any of the matches he's coached since he took over the team. Every other game has had a different starting 11.
 
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There is a nasty little rumour going around saying that Rooney maybe transferring to Chelsea. Can't possibly be true could it.?! :(
 
USA v Pan. & Mex v CRC = no score yet. Argentina draws 1-1 with Ecuador. Uruguay leads Venezuela 1-0.
 
USMNT scores a very satisfying 2-0 over Panama in a rockin' Seattle! Team played very well, and Jozy Altidore is finally becoming the sniper we'd all hoped for.

El Tri on the other hand drew for the 5th! time in qualifying and second 0-0 draw at Azteca. It's likely after this set of game that they may change coaches. 1-0-5 just isn't going to cut it.
 
Venezuela is now in sixth place in South America and tied with Uruguay who has an extra game to play. And the USA is now tops in Concacaf qualifying group! :cheer2:
 
KHenry14 said:
USMNT scores a very satisfying 2-0 over Panama in a rockin' Seattle! Team played very well, and Jozy Altidore is finally becoming the sniper we'd all hoped for.

El Tri on the other hand drew for the 5th! time in qualifying and second 0-0 draw at Azteca. It's likely after this set of game that they may change coaches. 1-0-5 just isn't going to cut it.
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Plus, Honduras beat Jamaica 1-0. For all of Mexico's grief they have 8 points and are 3rd in the hex with 4 games left. Very much in contention for Brazil '14 and the top spot in the Hex. It's a long way from being over.

At the halfway point of the Hex:

USA............................10 Pts...+2 GD
CRC..............................8 Pts...+2 "
MEX..............................8 Pts...+1 "
HON..............................7 Pts.....0 "
PAN...............................6 Pts.....0 "
JAM...............................2 Pts....-6 GD

Mexico & Jamaica have played 6 games, all the rest have played 5. Next Tuesday = USA v HON at Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT & Costa Rica v Panama. There will not be any more WCQ in CONCACAF until September 6th.

NJL (..things may change when round 6 is finished. We'll see.....:cool:...)
 
I'm very hopeful of Colombia's chances, but since I'm used to eternal disappointment from them, I'm still crossing every body part :drama: I did buy a team shirt, though!

Picking Barranquilla as a host city was a good choice, and I'm not saying that because I'm from there, but mostly because it is so disgustingly hot and humid (90F and humidity in the 80% range), that teams used to playing in the mountains want to die. Hell, I'm from there and running a few blocks makes me want to die.
 
Some controversy in Brazil and protests are brewing over the bill for next year's WC. Non the less the Confederations Cup continues and today Tahiti plays Nigeria. This match is going to be the footie equivalent of a blood bath. :lol: However it is nice to see smaller lesser known footie nations get some badly needed exposure.
 
Not quite the blood bath I thought it would be but Tahiti lost to Ngeria 6-1. They seem to have given a good account of themselves for a while until the very midway through the 2nd half. Anyway I hope they are happy with the result.
 
USA 1 v 0 Honduras.

Goal by Jozy Altidore, his 4th in last 4 games.

USA gets 9 points out of 9 possible points in this 3 game set for a record of 4-1-1 giving them a total of 13 points which should keep them in 1st place in the Hex.

NJL (....with 4 games to go in the Hex Brazil '14 now looks like a possibility.....:)...)
 
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Australia, Iran and South Korea have qualified for the WC and hopefully in time the US will join the in Brazil. :respec:
 
USMNT in tough today, but quality won out in the end. Altidore is proving his great season at AZ was not a fluke.

It's real nice to have a bonafide striker up top for once...
 
The coolest part about Nigeria x Tahiti was how the crowd was clearly cheering for Tahiti.
 
Just a side note Australia's coach Holger Osieck was once the coach of Canada's national team but was fired because the team members did not like him much. Guess his style is very much loved in Australia now.
 
Italy beat Japan 4-3 yesterday and Brazil beat Mexico 2-0. Neymar and Balotelli have been the outstanding players so far and the street protests against the cost of putting on the WC continues. Also best of luck today to Tahiti and hope they get at least that one goal against Spain they wish for.
 
Poor Tahiti lost today 10-0. Hey at least they gave it their best shot. They should be proud of themselves.
 
Then Uruguay beat Nigeria 2-1. Nigeria has to beat Spain to advance. Uruguay has to beat Tahiti to advance. I see an easy bet.

After all this, and before the Heat did their thing, the USWNT played the WNT from South Korea at Red Bull Stadium in NJ. It was no contest as the USA won 5-0. The most interesting part of the match was the 1st half when team USA's Abby Wambach scored 4 goals, her 157th, 158th, 159th, & 160th as a member of the USWNT. The 158th tied the all time record for International goals scored by any player, male or female, the 159th passed the old record and the 160th set the bar another notch higher. Congrats to Abby.

NJL
 
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