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The World Cup Draw
The USA Soccer team will be in Group in the upcoming World Cup. They will have Slovenia, England and Algeria in their group. England will the favorite to be on the top of this group, but the USA has a good chance to make it to the second spot. Slovenia will probably be the biggest threat to the USA bid to go on to the next round. But the USA should not look over Algeria, they should also be a tough opponent.
Here is the full draw:
The Plot Thickens
This sounds to be a he said- he said controversy. I think that Materazzi had to have said something pretty bad to Zidane to make him go ballistic like that. But I don’t think we will ever know the whole truth in exactly what happened between Zidane and Materazzi.
Read my lips: the taunt that made Zidane snap
Our correspondent finds out what may have caused a great player to lose his head in such spectacular style
WITH his monkish mien backed by a sense of brooding menace, Zinédine Zidane has always been something of an enigma, so it is perhaps fitting that the final act of his career should be the source of such mystery.
Just why did a man blessed with complete control of a football lose his head in such a violent manner at such a crucial moment, boring it into the chest of Marco Materazzi?
As L’Equipe summed up the moment of madness with a headline of “Regrets Éternels”, a day of endless questioning began. With many conflicting versions of events circling on the internet and in the world’s media, The Times enlisted the help of an expert lip reader, Jessica Rees, to determine the precise nature of the dialogue that caused Zidane to react in such a manner.
After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed that Materazzi called Zidane “the son of a terrorist whore” before adding “so just f*** off” for good measure, supporting the natural assumption that the Frenchman must have been grievously insulted.
As the son of two Algerian immigrants, the 34-year-old is proud of his North African roots, dedicating France’s 1998 World Cup win to “all Algerians who are proud of their flag and all those who have made sacrifices for their family but who have never abandoned their own culture”, so such a slur would certainly explain, if not justify, his violent response.
When asked about the allegations on his return to Rome, Materazzi issued a vehement denial, while sources close to the player emphasised that he had not been accused of racism before, pointing to his close friendship with Obafemi Martins, the Nigeria and Inter Milan striker.
read the rest here.
Stix
Babes of the World Cup
Amother reason I like to watch soccer is the fans of soccer. You got to love the Babes of Soccer at the Fox Soccer Channel.
What other sport im the world has as many female fans assoccer, none.
I definately like the Brazilian girl at the beginning.
Stix
Itlay Wins in Shoot-out
The game yesterday was a good hard match against two great soccer teams. It is a shame that it ended without Zinedine Zidane. I do not know why in the world he would head butt Marco Materazzi. He could have went out as one of the best players of all time, but wil go out in contreversy. I do not know what Materazzi said to Zidane, but it must have been reallyt bad. In the replay you can see them jawing back and forth and then Zidane just lost it.
But even with his booking and ejection form the final game, Zidamne won the Golden Ball award for the best player in the World Cup, which I think he clearly deserves with his oustading play in the knock-out rounds.
Zidane wins best player award despite red
BERLIN (AP) – France captain Zinedine Zidane, sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi late in Sunday’s World Cup final loss to Italy, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player.The results were released Monday morning in Berlin by FIFA.
Zidane polled 2012 points in the vote by journalists covering the tournament, beating Italians Fabio Cannavaro (1977 points) and Andrea Pirlo (715 points) in the ballot.
Zidane, who put France ahead with a penalty kick in the opening minutes, was given a red card after slamming his head into Materazzi’s chest during the tense second period of extra time.
It was his last act as a professional player and one that was widely criticized in France and abroad.
With the score locked 1-1 after 120 minutes the French missed Zidane’s prowess in the penalty shootout, which Italy calmly won 5-3 to collect its fourth World Cup title.
Zidane, 34, a former international player of the year and 1998 World Cup champion, announced last month that he was retiring from soccer after the tournament.
He wasn’t particularly outstanding in France’s opening draws with Switzerland and South Korea and missed the last group match against Togo due to suspension. But Zidane produced some vintage performances in the wins over Spain, Brazil and Portugal in the knockout phase.
Voting for the 2006 Golden Ball closed at midnight Sunday. In previous tournaments, the ballot has closed at halftime in the final and the winner announced soon after the match.
Italian captain Cannavaro could be considered unlucky in the voting.
He led an Italian defense that conceded only two goals in the tournament: an own goal against the United States and Zidane’s penalty.
read thre rest here.
There is another traffic jam at Outside the Beltway
Stix
How to get a red card
What the hell was Wayne Rooney thinking in this play. This is the best way to get a red card in a soccer game. Just step on the "Family Jewels".
I know he is a Red Devil but this is just too much. This is a no no anywhere.
He should be ashamed of himself.
Stix
Australia
Now with the US out of the World Cup, who should I cheer for. I think that I will be cheering fot the Aussie’s They have been with us throughout the 21 th century in every war we were in and are probably are greatest friends and closest Allies.
Today they are going to have a tough match against Italy.
Stix
Ghana 2 – USA 1
Well, the US squad laid another egg at the World Cup. With all the talent that the US has they should have beaten the Ghana squad. I know Ghana has a good team and beat the Czech squad 2-0, but the US had just come from an emotional game with a draw against Italy. With 2 men down, while Italy had 1 man down. Maybe they had nothing left after that game. Well, I didn’t think that they would make it past the next round anyway. They would have probably played the powerhouse Brazilian squad, which whould probably be an trouncing.
Ghana Boots U.S. From World Cup
Jun 22 12:01 PM US/Eastern
NUREMBERG, Germany
There was no glory for the United States at this year’s World Cup, only frustration and failure. The Americans were eliminated in the first round, losing to Ghana 2-1 Thursday in a game they had to win to advance to the tournament’s knockout phase.
With thousands of red, white and blue-clad fans cheering them on in Franken-Stadion, the Americans fell flat against a Black Stars team that was stronger and faster. Surprising Ghana advanced along with Italy from Group E.
It was a bitter ending for the United States, which carried high hopes _ and a No. 5 world ranking from FIFA _ onto soccer’s biggest stage. Four years ago, the Americans made the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Haminu Draman put the Africans ahead in the 22nd minute, breaking in alone on goalkeeper Kasey Keller after colliding with Claudio Reyna, who crumpled to the ground in pain.
The United States, which has never won a World Cup game in which it trailed, tied it when Clint Dempsey scored in the 43rd minute with a smashing 10-yard shot off a perfect feed from DaMarcus Beasley. But Ghana captain Stephen Appiah converted a penalty kick in the second minute of first-half injury time after American defender Oguchi Onyewu was called for a foul in the penalty area.
Eddie Johnson entered in the 61st minute as the United States pressed, and Brian McBride nearly tied it again in the 66th, but his diving header inside the 6-yard box clanked off the near post. A minute later, Onyewu sent a header off Landon Donovan’s corner kick just over the crossbar.
In order to advance, the Americans needed a victory and some help. They got the needed assistance when Italy defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 in a game played simultaneous in Hamburg. But the United States (0-2-1) didn’t come through and finished the tournament with one point _ its first in a World Cup played in Europe, but not enough to escape the basement in Group E.
Italy (2-0-1) won the group with seven points and Ghana (2-1), making its first World Cup appearance, advanced with six points. (source)
Stix
USA 1 Italy 1
I did not get to watch this game at all, because of a wedding. But from what it sounds like, the US squad played one hell of a game. Being down by 1 for the whole second half and getting a draw is a feat in itself. And this was against Italy, one of the best teams in the world.
Italy moved a point clear at the top of Group E after drawing 1-1 with the USA in an incident-filled match in Kaiserslautern on Saturday, 17 June 2006.
Alberto Gilardino headed Italy into a 22nd-minute lead but their lead last only five minutes until Christian Zaccardo turned the ball into his own net. That was the end of the scoring but a minute later the Azzurri lost Daniele De Rossi to the first of three red cards.
The USA’s Pablo Mastroeni then saw red in the 45th minute and Eddie Pope followed suit two minutes into the second half. The result left both sides in contention before their final games, with Italy top on four points and the USA bottom with one.
The match:
10′: After a slow, patient start to the game where neither side could gain the initiative, the USA tried to force a breakthrough when Claudio Reyna fed Landon Donovan, but his cross from the right was cleared by the Italians.16′: Clint Dempsey brought the US contingent into full voice in appreciation as he outfoxed Italy with several step-overs on the right flank and his cross found Bobby Convey but he blazed over the top.
18′: The Americans continued to press Italy and when Donovan fed Dempsey, he tried a right-footed shot which had Gianluigi Buffon scrambling but the shot was dragged wide.
22′: After Italy initially struggled to get into the game, Andrea Pirlo curled in a free-kick from the right and Gilardino put Italy in front with a glanced diving header. (1-0)
27′: The USA pulled level when Zaccardo tried to clear Reyna’s free-kick with his left foot and sliced the ball into his own net. (1-1)
28′: Italy were reduced to ten men when De Rossi was sent off with a straight red card for an elbowing offence on Brian McBride.
36′: Gennaro Gattuso came on for Francesco Totti in a tactical substitution for the short-handed Italians and his first touch was a deflected shot which beat Kasey Keller, but the whistle had already blown for an offside offence.
42′: USA gave Italy a huge scare when Pablo Mastroeni tried his luck from 25 metres and the ball skimmed the top of the net as it passed over. Three minutes later, however, Mastroeni became the second man sent off following a lunging foul on Pirlo.
Third red card
47′: Ten became nine when Pope earned his second yellow card for a foul on Gilardino. Pirlo curled the resulting free-kick just over Keller’s crossbar.52′: Gilardino’s inswinging free-kick was headed onto the top of his own crossbar by US defender Carlos Bocanegra.
61′: As Italy forced the pace to press home their extra-man advantage, Simone Perrotta fizzed a shot in at Keller but was wide of the mark.
63′: Donovan raced at Italy and slipped the ball wide to McBride, but he slashed at his shot and did not trouble Buffon.
65′: US substitute DaMarcus Beasley found the back of the net with a low left-footed drive past Buffon, but McBride was standing in an offside position in front of the Italy goalkeeper and the flag was raised.
68′: With Perrotta limping heavily and Italy having already used all three substitutes, Gianluca Zambrotta tried to curl one in with his right foot after cutting inside from the left wing but his attempt was just wide.
73′: Substitute Alessandro Del Piero stretched and flicked a left-footed volley on target but Keller dived athletically and tipped the ball away with his right hand, saving a certain goal.
79′: Del Piero fired in a swerving shot, but once again the impressive Keller was equal to it, palming the ball to safety.
In conclusion:
Italy ended the night top of a very tight Group E, one point ahead of Ghana and the Czech Republic, prior to next week’s showdown with the Czechs. The USA kept their hopes of qualification alive after playing almost the entire second half with one man less than the Italians.
The US still has gotten a chance to make it to ther round of 16.
Stix
USA 0-3 CZECH REPUBLIC
I haven’t gotten to watch any of the game since I am at work, but it looks like the USA squad didn’t measure up to the hype. It is going to be a very hard struggle to get to the Second Round now for the US. I didn’t think the US would beat the Czech Republic, but I thought that they would get a draw. But it is not all over. Anything can happen. Just look at Trinidad & Tobango tieing Sweden.
The Czech Republic started their Germany 2006 campaign in style with a 3-0 win over the USA in Gelsenkirchen on Monday, 12 June 2006.
Jan Koller gave the Czechs a dream start in the opening match in Group E by heading them in front after five minutes and Tomas Rosicky doubled their advantage with a superb swerving strike in nine minutes before the break.
Despite the setback of losing Koller to a hamstring injury, Karel Bruckner’s men retained their grip on the game and Rosicky sealed the three points with his second goal on 76 minutes.
The match:
5′: The Czechs got off to the best possible start when a right-wing cross from Zdenek Grygera found Koller, who slammed a powerful header past goalkeeper Kasey Keller to give his team an early lead. 0-111′: After a shaky start, the US produced their first period of pressure, beginning with a header from Eddie Pope which went wide.
28′: Some fine possession finally produced a dangerous opportunity for the US when Bobby Convey squared a ball for Claudio Reyna. He shot from just outside the penalty area and his low drive hit the left post.
36′:With the Americans threatening an equaliser, the Czechs found another moment of brilliance, as a headed clearance fell to Rosicky, whose wonder strike from 25 metres flew past Kasey Keller in the US goal. Two shots, two goals for the Czechs. 0-2
42′:Just minutes later and a serious blow for the Czechs as Koller went down in obvious pain with an apparent hamstring injury and had to be replaced.
Rosicky seals it
46′:The US started the second half with a double switch, Pablo Mastroeni and Steve Cherundolo coming off in favour of John O’Brien and Eddie Johnson.51′:Despite the changes, the Czechs were the ones who fired the opening salvo of the half, with Tomas Ujfalusi’s glancing header missing at the far post.
62′:Eleven minutes later, the Czech Republic gave another notice that more goals might be in the offing when Karel Poborsky’s powerful volley from a left-wing cross flew wide of the near post.
68′: Rosicky almost had his second with another shot from 25 metres, this one hitting the crossbar.
70′:Minutes later at the other end, Johnson tried to answer with an attempt from a similar distance, but his bending shot went wide of the left post.
76′: Shortly after Johnson had narrowly failed to connect in front of Petr Cech’s goal, Rosicky sealed the Americans’ fate when he broke free down the centre and beat Keller again. 0-3
81′: Johnson continued to look dangerous for the US, firing in one shot that went just over the bar, but overall the Americans failed to force the Czech goalkeeper into a single difficult save.
In conclusion
The US team displayed several nice combinations in midfield throughout the match, but they struggled to translate them into clear scoring opportunities. Czech Republic, meanwhile, did not create a host of chances but they had the quality to capatilise on the ones they did make for themselves. Things will not get easier for the States, as they will face Italy next in another difficult Group E clash, while the Czechs will play Ghana.(source)
Stix
World Cup 2006
The World Cup starts tomorrow in Germany. Most of the world will be watching, except the USA. The World Cup is like the Super Bowl, World Series and Stnaley Cup combined to the rest of the world. Most countries will come to a stand-dtill during the gamee their countries are playing. I will try and post most of the scores and news from the World Cup. Hopefully the USA Club can put on a good show and get more Americans invovled in soccer, like when the World Cup was hosted here.
But to see all things World Cup go to the Official Fifa World Cup page.
Stix
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