World Cup Open Thread: We're Ghana Win!
by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 9:00 AM CDT
in Non-Football
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Yeah. . .I didn't know that Gus Johnson spoke Spanish, either. (Actually, that was Andres Cantor. . .who, as you can tell, is awesome even if you can't understand a word he's saying.)
I ordinarily wouldn't do this kind of thing, but this whole World Cup thing is getting to be sort of a big deal, particularly in light of the dramatics that the U.S. had to go through to reach this stage of the tournament. So, having advanced through Group Play in South Africa, the U.S. finds themselves in a position similar to most other sports tournaments. . .win and keep playing, lose and go home. The winner of this match moves on to the quarterfinals, where they'll take on the winner of this morning's early game, Uruguay vs. South Korea, for the right to advance to the Final Four. The U.S. is the highest-rated team in their quarter of the bracket, but this World Cup has proven that that sort of thing really doesn't mean much. . .if you don't believe me, you can ask the French or the Italians.
Uruguay and South Korea are set to kick off in about five minutes, and you can see the game on ESPN. The United States/Ghana game is set to start at 1:30 PM Central Time, and can be seen on ABC. If you want to discuss it here, this is the place!
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And a loose translation of Cantor's call
From the folks over at Deadspin:
Saifi lost it! Now, Donovan with the counterattack…Donovan taking it long…Altidore wants it on the right…it comes into the box…comes loose from the ’keeper!…
DONOVAN – GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!
FROM THE UNITED STATES!….FROM LANDON DONOVAN! Landon Donovan with the finish, from a play that began as a counterattack, that may just have saved Team USA from defeat! Landon Donovan – the best player in the history of the United States…(celebrating?) the stoppage-time goal that has put the US through to the next round of the World Cup!
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 9:08 AM CDT reply actions
Uruguay/South Korea already underway
Started when I was editing the parameters for the video above. . .apologies if it looks a bit strange for some folks.
We’re only 10 minutes into this one, and Uruguay already has a 1-0 lead on South Korea.
I’m going to be watching this one from the local Planet Fitness, but I’ll definitely be back here in time for U.S.A./Ghana. You can discuss both matches right here!
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 9:11 AM CDT reply actions
Wow
That’s a goal worthy of winning any game.
:)
I can't wait to be able to scream...
Touchdooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooown Vikings!
Right, here we go
Good luck USA.
(from an Englishman) :)
Ummmmmmm. . .
Is “yikes” the word I’m looking for here? I believe that it is.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 1:36 PM CDT reply actions
Shocking defending.
Scared of Boateng’s pace, backed-off and let him shoot instead. Error.
#13 from Ghana
Shouldn’t there be a white jersey somewhere within 20 yards of that guy?
I mean, I’m no soccer expert or anything, but damn.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 1:42 PM CDT reply actions
Yeah...
They’re going to have to change something if they plan on staying in this game. Ghana have got tons of time and space to play with. There’s no pressing from the States at all.
ugh
"This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud"
by Stay classy, Joe. on Jun 26, 2010 2:12 PM CDT reply actions
Lucky to be down by only one
by SouthernNorseman on Jun 26, 2010 2:16 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Dang!
Really thought we had that one. Looks like they’re turning up the pressure a bit, though.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 2:35 PM CDT reply actions
Putting on the pressure now
by SouthernNorseman on Jun 26, 2010 2:40 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
They're looking a bit more assured now.
Still, saying that, there’s plenty of room aroud the park if Ghana break.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!
It’s that Landon Donovan fellow again, and we’re tied at 1 off the penalty kick!
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 2:48 PM CDT reply actions
YES!
"This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud"
by Stay classy, Joe. on Jun 26, 2010 2:49 PM CDT reply actions
GGGGOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
Goal goal goal!!!!!
Wooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
"Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons."
Weird little fact
The goal that Ghana scored earlier was their first goal of the Cup that didn’t come from a penalty kick.
Obviously, Donovan’s shot there was the U.S.’s first PK goal of the proceedings.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 2:51 PM CDT reply actions
Hah
I found out earlier today that Germany haven’t missed a penalty during a shootout since 1982.
England have lost 5 out of 6 of their last penalty shootouts.
gulp
Yep...
This post is after the fact, but it was an exciting game last night…too bad we lost but we will be back! Germany is my favorite team for this tournament, but it is a tough road they have ahead…likely Argentenia if they beat England, with Brazil and possibly Portuhal lying ahead IF they manage to negotiate their way through the two strong teams mentioned….Love the world cup (like MN Vikings more tho lol)!!! Cheers all from Dubai!
I would rather be IN the Arena than watching from the stands...That is my life!
* Read Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" if you need further explanation...
by vikingfanfrom afar on Jun 27, 2010 5:25 AM CDT up reply actions
Dang!
Too bad Altidore couldn’t have gotten that ball under control.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 2:53 PM CDT reply actions
is this live?
"This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud"
by Stay classy, Joe. on Jun 26, 2010 2:59 PM CDT reply actions
Yep
Believe it’s about 9 PM in South Africa right now, although my conversions might be a bit off.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions
wierd
someone just told me we already lost this.
"This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud"
by Stay classy, Joe. on Jun 26, 2010 3:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Biff Tannen?
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Dang again!
Get some air on that thing!
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 3:02 PM CDT reply actions
OH MAN!
Should have maybe been two!
There’s more goals in this for USA. They have beaten the offside trap a few times now. At some point one of those shots is gonna go in.
Once again close but no cigar
by SouthernNorseman on Jun 26, 2010 3:07 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
we lose
"This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud"
by Stay classy, Joe. on Jun 26, 2010 3:28 PM CDT reply actions
Ugh, that stunk
Still 26 more minutes of soccer left.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 3:29 PM CDT reply actions
And it's over
Ghana defeats the U.S. 2-1 in extra time and move on to face Uruguay in the quarterfinals.
SBNation Minnesota - For the greatest sports fans in the world.
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 26, 2010 4:02 PM CDT reply actions
Why Americans do not and will not like soccer
1. It lacks the clear beginnings and endings that football and baseball have between plays/innings/matchups. Even in basketball, possession is dictated by rules many times in the game, and a steal or rebound seems more meaningful. By contrast, the most talented soccer players in the world are not able to own or pass the ball very precisely at all, so possession seems temporary and random and lucky if it results in a shot on goal.
2. These are not really the best athletes in the world, for whatever reason(s) (best in terms of endurance and foot-eye coordination, perhaps). The USA team should sign up someone like LeBron James or Darrelle Revis as the new goalie and see what happens. My guess is that the opponents would score less often.
3. Mostly due to the off sides penalty, there is not enough scoring in soccer.
I struggle to tell if you're being serious or not...
1) Watch more football (soccer). It’s a different sport and that’s fine – there is subtlety in all sports and that’s why they are interesting. I know very little about baseball, but I’m not going to pick them out for being pussies and wearing a glove to catch the ball ;)
2) Goalkeeping is a complex role. You don’t just need athleticism, you need tactical awareness, an ability to organise your back four, leadership and years spent learning correct technique and positioning.
3) Removing the offside rule would completely destroy the game. You’d end up with no midfield, but rather two clumps of players glued to either end of the pitch, resulting in long-balls from end to end.
1) There is no reason to feel shame for fielding a baseball, also known as a hardball and often traveling close to 100 mph, with a glove. A soccer ball is big and soft enough to use one’s head. MLB players have suffered crushed skulls from hardballs. The act of hitting a small, round ball traveling at 90+ mph squarely with a round bat is one of the most difficult tasks in any professional sport.
2) I chose James and Revis as examples because of their reaction time and athleticism. I think they (and probably some MLB shortstops) could take more shots on goal and still allow fewer goals.
3) Yes, it would ruin the game that most Americans don’t care much about and replace it with something that they do. It would look like something closer to basketball on a soccer field. There would still be defense, too.
1) Cricket. And yes, I’ve been hit by hard balls doing that speed and I know it’s not funny – I’ve also caught balls doing that kinda speed, but regardless, I was making the point that having variation and subtlety in sport is a great blessing. I know very little about baseball, but millions love it, more power to ’em, gloves or no gloves.
2) Complex to argue without some serious research, but again, it’s of massive, cataclysmic, overpowering irrelevance. Pro keepers, the same as pro shortstops, are groomed into a life of a single task. They are professionals. Trained by coaches with many decades worth of experience, paid money above and beyond any sensible task to do one single job. Some of them are f***ing good at it, though many you will see in the World Cup are not.
3) Erm….really? Are you absolutely sure? Making that rule would fundamentally destroy the game that 3+ billion people follow quite regularly. We realised 150 years ago that that iteration of the rules made for a crap game. I mean, by all means, you guys try it…just don’t call it football/soccer. Call it “Total-Mega-Soccer” or something ;)
P.S. It’s worth noting that I also get frustrated when I hear English people saying stuff about the NFL like: “They’re pussies ’cos they wear pads” or “Rugby players are harder”. It’s. Just. Dumb. So don’t worry, I’m regularly fighting the corner for gridiron. :)
1) Cricket is not baseball. There’s no bouncing the ball to a guy holding a paddle the size of a whiffleball bat, nor is there the incredible energy transfer of hitting a 90+ MPH fastball with a wooden baseball bat.
2) Regardless of the fact that existing goalies are well-trained pros, the fact remains that soccer does not attract the best athletes, at least not in the USA.
3) American indoor soccer has 3-point lines and other variables that make it a higher-scoring game. Although that sport is not as popular as MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL, it suggests empirically that more Americans would watch the sport were it faster paced. I’m not suggesting that soccer should change its rules given its global popularity. I’m merely saying that if one wanted to attract American attention and get a lot of it right away, that would be an idea.
NFL players really can be some high-maint crybabies compared to rugby players in many cases (how many minutes would Terrell Owens last, I wonder?), but there are also unspoken/unwritten codes about rugby conduct without millions of dollars at stake, too.
Sigh, same ol' pathetic arguments - all wrong, of course.
2. Your point for #2 hardly has anything to do with the game itself, though. That’s a flaw of the sports media who for many, many years in this country have bashed the sport (mostly out of fear that it would suddenly demand coverage and the know-nothing sports jockeys who write for a living would be up shite-creek without a paddle).
3. This is a common misconception – take a 14-7 football game, which many would be happy to watch and turn each TD into 1 point. You just watched a 2-1 soccer match. It’s a complete misnomer to suggest that tighter matches with less scoring are any less tense. Case in point – USA vs. Algeria. Nuff said. ;)
4. Several studies done to determine which sports were the most exciting came up with Soccer #1 and (surprisingly, to me) Baseball as #2 due to lead changes and upsets, to name a few reasons.
There’s honestly no good reason that any hater can genuinely come up with for why the sport isn’t “good enough” to be widely popular here in the states. I’ve heard ‘em all and they’re all super easy to refute. The only decent complaints you could possibly make are that 1. you don’t understand the sport and thus it’s boring – easy fix, learn the sport and you’ll suddenly uncover much of the underlying excitement inherent in it, and 2. too much diving and flopping – but honestly that usually only pertains to specific countries or teams. Plus plenty of teams here in the USA have issues with less-than-sportsmanlike behavior.
The most satisfying thing, when hearing a bunch of whiny, old-man haters (which is what most of them are), is to know that an all new, younger generation is coming along who clearly loves the sport. ESPN has seen a whopping 68% increase in interest since the past World Cup and the MLS is expanding and doing fairly well. It’s still a younger league and one which needs to develop more cache going forward with quality players but that’s inevitable. I chuckle when I hear some local radio dipwad ripping on the sport (like chunkmaster Reusse or whiny Common Man) because I know that inevitably, they’ll be replaced with someone who will have grown up loving the sport like the rest of the world does. Just a matter of time, I always say. :)
Clarification to KC Viking
Not ripping on you, KC…I believe from your posts that you seem to like the sport.
There’s honestly no good reason that any hater can genuinely come up with for why the sport isn’t "good enough" to be widely popular here in the states.
Because it’s pretty boring. America is a football and basketball country. Both of those sports are up-tempo and exciting. Soccer, to me, just isn’t. Though I should say, I find watching the better teams alright. I still remember watching the USA-England match and thinking man, what a snoozefest. Seems like when two average teams play each other, the ball stays around midfield pretty much the whole game, which is wildly boring. Another reason is definitely the dramatics of the game. Nothing seems more cowardly to me then seeing a guy fall down after being tripped up, slide tackled, or pushed and acting like he snapped a bone in half or something. It’s like geez man really? Get your ass up. Growing up playing football, you always hear the saying show no pain/weakness. So for me to see these soccer players dramatically flailing around on the ground just strikes a wrong chord with me I guess.
I don’t know, I’m only one guy, and that’s entirely just my opnion but I know in talking to friends about the sport from time to time a lot of them feel the same way. But of course, lots of my friends never played soccer, like me!
by packallday555 on Jun 29, 2010 3:25 AM CDT up reply actions
2) (Quality of athletes) To be more specific, there would be no goals scored over the goalies’ heads if they were NBA types. The dimensions of a soccer goal are 8 feet high by 8 yards wide, so a 6’ guy with a long wingspan and/or a 36-42" vertical jump and excellent reaction time would have absolutely no problem getting to balls shot over his head.
3) Again, you’re missing another point I’d missed earlier about plays and matchups. A 14-7 gridiron game still had many small victories like 1st downs, and the fans understood each play and sometimes individual matchups. A gridiron game that scores just as often as a soccer game still has a clear feel of a chain of strategically planned events rather than a big blur with a goal or three which may appear lucky more than anything else. A 2-1 hockey game is more popular with Americans because it is much faster and more precise, and there are clear advantages and obstacles to overcome in terms of power plays.
4) Depending on where that study was done, I don’t find that difficult to believe at all. Globally, soccer and baseball are very popular, and those games are played almost everywhere anymore.
There is too much diving and flopping, definitely. And too much guessing by goalies, sometimes diving and flopping in the wrong direction. That will always look like a fixed game to some.
Hey, I’m not saying that soccer isn’t good enough (worldwide, the opposite is true about other sports), but I understand the reasons why it is not popular in America. This year’s World Cup will probably be good for the sport here long term. Americans like to be competitive, and they haven’t been until now, and only a little bit.
If a goal keeper was an NBA type, they’d just score past them in to the corners… Lobs wouldn’t be as much of an option unless they charged out of goal too soon. If they were that automatic, wouldn’t the US have taken one to the World Cup?
Seriously, goalkeeping has to be one of the toughest jobs in any sport. It requires outrageous reflexes, agility, the ability to get back to feet quickly, but also a real sense of timing and positioning. Come out too soon and a player will take the ball past you. Come out too late and you leave too much of the goal open…. and 1 mistake will kill your career. You’re expected to be flawless for a near constant 90 mins!
by ViolentSilence on Jul 2, 2010 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I am 1/2 and 1/2 on this.
The sport is a low scoring frequent changing of possession. For the most part, it’s an on-going sport where it seems there really is no breaks.
I still don’t think it compares to the NFL. In Football, you have the option to kick a field goal. So the point scale is different. For the NFL to be somewhat comparable, you would need to remove the idea of kicking field goals and toss out extra points. Strategy is obiously different. And you can probably watch a replay w/o really missing the actual game in progress. There is not as much hard hitting contact as football.
However, I know if I understood it better, I would probably watch it more. But really, you could be an above average Soccer fan and in this area it is not like you can go out to the bar and have a conversation with some other random person and they will have any idea what your talking about.
What’s a yellow card & red card?
Yeah the constant changing of possession is what gets me. I can only watch the two teams turn it over to each other so many times before I get bored haha.
by packallday555 on Jun 29, 2010 5:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I think
that the issue is probably just one of not understanding the game. When you understand even basic things about the game and its strategies and tactical options, then even the built-up passing game is intriguing and exciting.
Football has a mere 12 minutes of actual play, that’s hardly all that exciting and let’s be honest, how many times does AP just drive into the line of scrimmage for a boring 1-yard gain. A lot.
Baseball is even worse with some fat-arse pitched repeatedly throwing to 1st base in a boring attempt to keep the guy from stealing second (because that’s not boring enough) and then you have the retarded constant foul balls (also incredibly boring). Basketball is exciting but there doesn’t really appear to be much in the way of any real defense since it’s impossible to entirely stop a shot, no matter how tall you are someone can chuck something up there. Also, the entire game can sometimes come down to the last minute of the game. Why not just play the final minute only, in that case? LOL
Could be a misunderstanding. I don’t really watch baseball, it’s another sport that for the most part I find really boring to watch.
I could watch football all day though. Even if it’s the two worst teams in the league going at it. Every down truly matters in football.
I love basketball, but I still do find the NBA boring at times. I can watch the playoffs because they actually try on defense. I think college basketball is much more entertaining then the NBA. There’s actually strategies and plays involved, as opposed to just screen and roll’s and isolations.
by packallday555 on Jun 30, 2010 5:10 PM CDT up reply actions
My "friend"
brought up that the ending was all too much like the NFCC game. USA played better much of the game but just couldn’t finish. Ghana won the OT toss (I think) and ended up winning the game. That’s TWO whole similarities (sarcasm).
But yea, disappointing loss nonetheless. I was just starting to get into this soccer thing too. I am actually more upset than I thought I would be. Who do we root for now?
Which begs the questions
When will American football be known as gridiron and soccer universally known as football?
Soccer/football came first, so why doesn’t American football get its act together and properly label itself as gridiron?
Soccer is flawed
Soccer is based on the premise that a team/player should be penalized for not LETTING the defense get into position. Being faster than the other guy is considered an unfair advantage in soccer. That is just un-American.
It's true...
Being faster than the other guy IS fundamentally un-American, given how much burgers y’all eat.
;)
???
Are you referring to being offside?
Being faster is fine. Starting ahead is wrong.
Kind of like in football. What’s that penalty called? Oh yeah. Being offside.
I'm super pleased and impressed with Daily Norseman
..for having this thread here. Just one more reason to devote my undying loyalties (and somewhat pessimistic perspectives on our Vikes from time to time, LOL) to this cool site.
Bravo. Thanks for this thread.
You're Welcome!
I was pulling for the Americans and everything (obviously), but I’m really trying to maintain my level of interest in the World Cup and trying to gain a better understanding of the game.
At this point, I think I’m pulling for the Netherlands. . .gotta love the orange uniforms.
Of course, their next opponent is Brazil, so I’m not sure how much I like their chances, but hey. . .cheering for the underdog is what Viking fans are all about, right? (-:
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by Christopher Gates on Jun 29, 2010 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions
The Oranje are in the finals!
Looks like I picked the right bandwagon to jump on for this thing. (-:
They get the winner of tomorrow’s Spain/Germany match. The loser plays Uruguay in the third place game.
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by Christopher Gates on Jul 6, 2010 5:58 PM CDT reply actions
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