Posted on 06/14/2006 5:46:34 AM PDT by soccer_maniac
The first cycle of group play in the FIFA World Cup comes to a close on Wednesday with all four Group H teams in action, Spain taking on Ukraine at 8:55 a.m. ET (ESPN2) and Saudi Arabia facing Tunisia three hours later (also on ESPN2). Then Cup hosts Germany start the second series of matches in the groups when they face neighbors Poland in Dortmund.
Spain finally get a chance to get the ball rolling in Leipzig, facing a Ukraine team looking for a result in its first-ever World Cup match. But just because the Eastern Europeans are new on the world stage doesn't mean they don't have the talent to make an impact. In fact, they were the first team apart from the hosts to secure passage to the World Cup, topping a difficult Group 2 that also included Denmark, European champions Greece and a Turkey team that finished third in the World Cup four years ago.
Ukraine also boasts one of the most deadly strikers in the world in Andrei Shevchenko, a new arrival to London's Chelsea FC after a stunning career at AC Milan. However, "Sheva," as he is known, has been battling a knee injury and it remains to be seen if he will be in the starting 11.
Shevchenko isn't the only lethal striker that will be on the field; Spain has several of their own, as well, including Real Madrid legend Raul. Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes is also a danger and could start, especially since Spain coach Luis Aragones often lines his side up in a 4-3-3 formation. Spain is looking to break their World Cup curse in Germany, having never advanced to the final in the competition.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...
fyi.....
PUMA:Italy (three-times world champion), Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland (co-host of European Cup 2008 with Austria), Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, Ghana,Tunisia, Togo, Angola, Iran
NIKE: Brazil (five-times World Champion), Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, Mexico, USA, Australia, South Korea
ADIDAS:Germany (three-times World Champion), France (1998 World Champion), Argentina (twice World Champion), Japan, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
UMBRO: England (1966 World Champion), Sweden
LOTTO: Ukraine, Serbia-Montenegro
MTHON: Ecuador
JOMA: Costa Rica
If you, like me, are switching to Univision every time Soccer-Know-Nothing Dave O'Brien calls a WC match for ESPN/ABC, then please sign this petition:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers
send a comment to ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?page=contact/espntv
or add an entry to this official WC Blog
http://usa.worldcupblog.org/group-e/every-soccer-pleasure-negated.html
In the spirit of the great Buckhead, it's time to Dan Rather this dope.
Spain vs. Ukraine at 8:55 a.m. ET (LIVE on ESPN2)
I got into Yahoo! matchcast today... the trick: log in early. :)
Looking forward to Germany/Poland later. I've set that one up to TiVo, since a good chunk of the match will occur during my evening commute.
Interestingly, the founders of ADIDAS and PUMA were brothers: "Adidas" stems from Adolf "ADI" DASsler (born 1900), Puma was initially called "Ruda" (RUdolf DAssler, born 1896), later the name was changed.
WWWWWWOOHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO my son will be at the Saudi Arabia game with two Army buddies.
GOSH - I'm still in a state of semi-shock over the lackluster play of our U.S. team the other day.
Having played in college - I spent a lot of yesterday emailing guys I played with - and guys I played against - everyone was simply mystified over the way we played.
Everyone was ready for a hell-bent-for-leather attitude, and instead we looked lazy, slow, and completely reactive.
Ok - enough rear view mirror - time to cheer and hope for a solid effort against Italy.
YIKES !!!
Which is really odd for a team built for speed...
Thanks. I actually did not get to see but a few minutes of a game yesterday, France v. Switzerland. I hope to be able to catch some of at least 1 game today.
**shaking fist** Darn work!!
That's great. It should be an awesome experience.
Tell him to take lots of pictures.
I can't wait for that showdown. That's going to be a good game. I like both teams, but I am rooting for Poland, though they are not likely to in.
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Last but not least, congratulations on your das Fußballspiel win over Costa Rica and good luck today with Polen.
The USA team played like they needed a nap........or is the Tschechische Republik that good?
Danke from Jim in California
Let's hope Spain stops being an underachiever. They have the talent to go to the finals.
1-0 SPAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Spain!
Sorry Poland, but you have to go home - your bad that you lost against Ecuador!
Spain 2-0!!
Espana 2-0. A little luck doesn't hurt.
2-0 SPAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is exactly what my wife said... The upset of the tournament is coming this saturday the USA will beat Italy.
Could you later tell me what they think about the organisation, the hosts, etc? Thanks!
I have wondered for years... who in heck is BRUCE ARENA anyway? (the US coach), in soccer terms?.... Was he a great player in a decent team somewhere?... Why is he the couch of the US Team? What is the criteria? I am not trying to blame him, alone. The whole American Soccer scene has produced nothing of substance really. But Arena, is certainly an important piece of puzzle. Why not import a first class couch from somewhere?... Someone who has actually won something. Someone who can tech a system? The US, seem confused in their playing, they seem to try to play all styles (short slow game, long fast as well), but can not master either... Now it would be nice if they combine the two styles, the melting pot of soccer styles so to speak... I truly want to know what you think on this.
The refs like in the 1988 Olympics were the problem in Korea. Ask Roy Jones.
Ukraine is going uphill and Shevchenko is playing but no one knows his fitness since his injury last month. Spain got an early corner goal and a top of the box shot off a foolish foul. It's 2-0 and not even halfway into the first half.
Shevchenko is now carrying a heavy load on a day into the 90s.
Don't let America's bad performance fool you. The Czechs are that good. I would think that with Koller healthy they could beat Brasil.
Spain looks very good with these 2 early goals.
Let's hope. It's really USA's only chance of advancing -- a draw keeps them alive, but only barely. Wins over Italy and Ghana get them through to the second round, and could even win them the group in the unlikely case that the CR goes draw-draw or draw-loss with Ghana and Italy. In a two-way tie with Italy, head-to-head takes precedence over goal diff.
Yes.
That second goal free kick was awesome.
Goalkeeper never knew what hit him, or rather, what didn't hit him. :)
NEW YORK (AP) -- The United States' 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic was watched by 2.14 million households, the most to see a soccer game on ESPN2.
Monday's match received a 2.4 cable rating, the network said Tuesday. It was the most-watched program on the network this year.
At the 2002 tournament in South Korea, the Americans' 3-2 opening win over Portugal was watched by 998,000 households on ESPN2. The 2002 game began at 5 a.m. EDT, while Monday's game in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, started at noon EDT.
In 1998, when the tournament was played in France, the Americans' opening 2-0 loss to Germany was broadcast by ABC and was watched by 3.33 million households in a game that began at 3 p.m. EDT.
ESPN2's previous high audience for soccer was 1.62 million households for Argentina's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Saturday. ESPN2's households tuned in for the first weekend were up 197 percent from 2002.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/06/13/bc.soc.wcup.usratings.ap/index.html
Do not kid yourself. Name one US player that could start ahead of any player on the azzurri. Didn't think you could.
The US team is composed of second division talent, with the possible exception of Reyna, Keller, and O'Brien. We are week in the back, too small up front, and our midfield is fair to middling.
Bruce Arena was successful as a coach at the University of Virginia (I believe), and parlayed that into a great run as the coach of DC United during their early glory years. After the US World Cup collapse in 1998, he was the most accomplished professional US coach around so he got the job. They did good in 2002, but it might be time for a change.
Looks like they might not be this year. They look very good.
See... that's why it would be an upset... ;)
Is that (GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL) guy, Castor? still doing their games?
Wonder how he's feeling being back in Germany. He was stationed there for four years during X42.
One buddy meeting him from Afghan and the other from Iraq. Both civilians now.
He went to the WC in France last time. Got to see six or eight games....including the American game. Bought tickets off one of McBride's family members who had extra tickets.
Okay, okay, TMI
The Puma/Adidas split, of course, is the legacy of the feuding Dassler brothers.
I'm an Adidas man but have to admit that the kits for Brazil and especially Holland's all-orange are quite stunning. Not to pile on the US team but their navy kit looked a bit silly and youth-league with the white v-neck - almost looked cheap.
The US logo has to go as well - why they & MLS stick to portraying the ball as the 1970s hexagon/pentagon patchwork model is beyond me - are they afraid people will forget what sport is being played?
I can't tell if this alternate logo is the creation of Nike creation or just a talented fan but I think it's perfect - reflects history, attitude and is the closest thing to heraldry our non-monarchy has.
If it was anything more pathetic than US play with Czechs, it was Dave O'Brien commenting on it. I was sorry for Balboa...
Andreas Cantor is his name. I do not think he is on Univision.
As another FReeper commented to you, it is unlikely in the extreme that USA defeats Italy. I've followed int'l soccer closely for 25 years, and I've watched all or most of every WC match this year, and I must say that the USA squad played the worst of any of the other squads. There is not one player on the USA team that can start for the Italian team. Italy usually avoids running up the score, so I expect a 2-0 result.
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