Xray the Enforcer Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Howard had some good saves, but the back line had some very good frantic defending. Lots of deflected shots at the last possible second.Thank you! Now I just have to find when it's going to be rebroadcast... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Third Knight on the Left Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 THAT WAS FRIGGEN AWESOME!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bittersteel Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 As a US soccer fan, this is one of the better moments (alongside the '02 quarterfinal run) I've been privy to. A 2-0 win over the best team in the world...it certainly vindicates the selection of Bradley. Howard was superb, but the men of the match were Onyewu and DeMerit. They roughed up, frustrated and outmaneuvered the Spanish attackers. Altidore again showed his promise, despite some inconsistent play in the early going. And Davies has been an inspired roster move. The Spanish outpossessed us and had far more opportunities (watching Spain pass and maneuver in the box would be enjoyable if it weren't so terrifying), but we capitalized on our chances. The only blemish: Bradley's red card. A truly awful decision (alongside that cheap yellow on Ramos [i think] and the early yellow on Donovan) on the refs' part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon AS Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Can someone who knows more than I do explain something to me? We have long since qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Does this game today or this next game against Brazil mean anything beyond pride, prestige, and rankings?You're already on the right track, the Confederations Cup doesn't mean much of anything, both in itself and as an indicator to the involved teams' form the following year. Brazil won the last one in 2005 in impressive style and went out rather meekly in the quarter finals in 2006.Impressive result by the US team, but what was with all the diving? Were the Americans that impressed with Italy earlier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Aardvark Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 That tackle was weak but how about the Egypt game where the guy was sitting in the goal and knocked the ball out with his hand. Really it should have been 4-0 against Egypt, I've seen elementary soccer games reffed better than some of these games with the US in them. Is this just me being a (sort of) fanboy or is there a real bias against US team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterfell Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Can someone who knows more than I do explain something to me? We have long since qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Does this game today or this next game against Brazil mean anything beyond pride, prestige, and rankings?We haven't qualified for the World Cup yet (not sure if I'm misinterpreting that statement). As for today's game and the final, they give us quality matches against world class competition--something we don't get in CONCACAF qualifying. It also allows Bradley to fine-tune his lineup, though he refuses to give some players a look (Torres or Adu for instance). At least he's benched Beasley the last two games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rane Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 How the hell did that happen?, I don't think any of the US team would have even made the Spanish squad so that's a fantastic performance from the USA. I am a bit disappointed we won't see a Brazil Spain final but you can't say that the Spanish didn't have their chances to win and didn't take them.I was really looking forward for this too =/Though since USA did manage to win this one, I guess I should pay more attention to the match tomorrow. Don't really think SA is capable of defeating us, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterfell Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thank you! Now I just have to find when it's going to be rebroadcast...I believe the game will be rebroadcast at 11pm Eastern on ESPN2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcibiades Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 THAT'S HOW WE PLAY SOCCER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoë Sumra Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 If this is true then I am woefully misinformed. Under what scenario could we not make it?This is the World Cup group qualifying table for the fourth and final round of CONCACAF qualifying.For the link-shy:Costa Rica 12USA 10Honduras 7Mexico 6El Salvador 5Trinidad & Tobago 2Three teams go through, and the fourth gets into a play-off with the fifth-best South American team.Each team has already played five matches in this qualifying round and still has five qualification matches to go. Mathematically there is therefore plenty of scope for Honduras and Mexico to overhaul the USA. Mathematically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcibiades Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 I'm waiting for our FIFA ranking to shoot up, followed by the inevitable cries to change the ranking formulae. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Yeah, I don't know who told you that Trisk - USA have been playing pretty poorly in qualifying, although they are still second in the group. This is thanks in part to Mexico being "shit" compared to USA being "pretty poor".If we're talking mathematics, you could still come bottom of the group. Realistically, you shouldn't finish lower than 3rd (which would give automatic qualification), and certainly not below the play off spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horus Ex Machina Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 The American side in me lights up with this prestigious victory over an international giant. This is the biggest since the Mexico drubbing at the WC in Korea HA, HA, HA! ¡JA, JA, JA! Josy showed Villareal a little something special, and Dempsey trumped his Chelsea hat-trick. Boy I'm pumped today.As for qualifying, US looks pretty safe for that now, though you can't say the same for Mexico. Plus that 4 spot only ensures a playin game with S. America. Very difficult there.When is the rebroadcast bc I didn't DVR it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bittersteel Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Yeah, I don't know who told you that Trisk - USA have been playing pretty poorly in qualifying, although they are still second in the group. This is thanks in part to Mexico being "shit" compared to USA being "pretty poor".If we're talking mathematics, you could still come bottom of the group. Realistically, you shouldn't finish lower than 3rd (which would give automatic qualification), and certainly not below the play off spot.Poor relative to expectations, perhaps, but not in the broader historical context. The lone "bad results" came in hostile Central American stadiums, where we've always struggled (I think it's Costa Rica, which beat us 3-1, where we've never won a game.) Once we have the Estadio Azteca match against Mexico out of the way - on August 12 - it should be smooth sailing. And if we don't finish top of the group, there will be some (justified) grousing. And Triskele, this is the Confederations Cup, which pits the winners of the various soccer confederations against each other. It's a rare opportunity to play meaningful games against top-notch competition a year before the World Cup. Especially for the US...aside from some mid-level qualifying opponents and a few friendlies, we don't have much to compare ourselves to. In a few weeks, we've played Italy, Brazil, Egypt and Spain. And today, Bradley may have finally found the perfect back line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celtigo Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 That tackle was weak but how about the Egypt game where the guy was sitting in the goal and knocked the ball out with his hand. Really it should have been 4-0 against Egypt, I've seen elementary soccer games reffed better than some of these games with the US in them. Is this just me being a (sort of) fanboy or is there a real bias against US team?It has been particularly poor. The Americans have been sent off for tackles that in no way deserve red cards (some may not have deserved yellows). FIFA needs to stop taking a page from the NBA, where calls against big names (countries in this case) never seem to happen with the same kind of frequency they do for smaller nations.And if Jorge Larrorinda ever refs a US game again at any level, we should lodge a protest before kick off.On a more positive note, one of the good things, among many, from today's game is the emergence of a solid back four. Jay DeMerit really stepped up, which could allow Bocanegra to shift to left back (where he plays for his club team) and finally rid American fans of the specter of DeMarcus Beasley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 So am I right that the US highly likely to be in the WC but technically they have not yet made it?You are right to say this, but then that was also the case before qualifying even began. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 This is the World Cup group qualifying table for the fourth and final round of CONCACAF qualifying.For the link-shy:Costa Rica 12USA 10Honduras 7Mexico 6El Salvador 5Trinidad & Tobago 2Three teams go through, and the fourth gets into a play-off with the fifth-best South American team.Each team has already played five matches in this qualifying round and still has five qualification matches to go. Mathematically there is therefore plenty of scope for Honduras and Mexico to overhaul the USA. Mathematically.It is a travesty of positive discrimination that they give three automatic qualifying places, plus a play-off place to a group as weak as that. I doubt that any of those countries would qualify through one of the European groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 On normal form I'd expect Mexico could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horus Ex Machina Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 It is a travesty of positive discrimination that they give three automatic qualifying places, plus a play-off place to a group as weak as that. I doubt that any of those countries would qualify through one of the European groups.With as many qualifying spots as Europe has, its more than possible. Euros tend to overestimate the depth of European soccer football. There are quite a few minnows that leak into the World Cup because of it. Some of the playoff countries that are bound to make the tournament are not dominant or very good at all and have no hope to make the knockout stage of the World Cup. For example maybe Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland makes the WCFs. I'm pretty sure that the USA or Mexico are better than them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 When is the rebroadcast bc I didn't DVR it?11pm EDT on ESPN2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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