12/21/24
June 23, 2010
US, England Advance in Group C: The United States was less than three minutes from a World Cup ouster when Landon Donovan hit an extra-time goal off a goalie deflection, leading the team to a 1-0 victory over Algeria that puts them atop Group C. England's 1-0 victory over Slovenia was enough for them to claim second. This is the first time the U.S. has won a group since the first World Cup in 1930.
U.S. comes from behind to win 2-1 behind goals by Jozy Altidore and Edson Buddle. Amid a chorus of jackals. Playing vuvuzelas.
posted by rcade at 09:44 AM on June 23, 2010
Having President Bartlet do the game intro is a nice touch. Martin Sheen FTW.
posted by rcade at 09:52 AM on June 23, 2010
I was worried listening to Sheen was going to give me diabetes for a second, but he steered a bit away from the saccharine at the end.
Hopefully we see wins for the US and England today. But only if England earn it. If they're going to put in another anaemic pile of nonsense then I'd rather they go home.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:02 AM on June 23, 2010
Would love to see the replay that shows how Dempsey was offsides
posted by kokaku at 10:22 AM on June 23, 2010
Crud. Another lousy call robs us of a goal.
posted by rcade at 10:23 AM on June 23, 2010
The announcers talking about qualification every two minutes is freaking me out.
posted by rcade at 10:43 AM on June 23, 2010
Every replay of the disallowed goal shows it as on sides. Wouldn't be a US World Cup match without a disallowed goal though.
posted by apoch at 10:51 AM on June 23, 2010
I'm pretty hopeful with 0-0 at the half given what the US did in the Slovenia game. That, and there's still a chance Slovenia can save our bacon by putting one home.
posted by kokaku at 10:54 AM on June 23, 2010
Here's a nice chart on who advances based on the final Group C results.
posted by rcade at 11:00 AM on June 23, 2010
Time to start the conspiracy theories?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:08 AM on June 23, 2010
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
posted by kokaku at 11:50 AM on June 23, 2010
So soccer then; boring eh?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:55 AM on June 23, 2010
C'mon Mr. Bis - only the uncouth say that
posted by kokaku at 12:03 PM on June 23, 2010
Awesome stuff. And by winning the group, you avoid (probably, but not definitely) Germany and get (probably, but not definitely) Serbia or Ghana in the first knockout round. And if you beat them, you'd have a quarter final against South Korea or Uruguay. Suddenly, USA in the semi-final looks far from unrealistic. You've surely had all your bad luck early too.
England on the other hand are now likely to play Germany in the next round for the right to play Argentina in the quarter finals. They might as well just go home now.
posted by JJ at 12:05 PM on June 23, 2010
Incredible finish. I had already started mourning the U.S. being knocked out.
This is an amazing sport.
posted by rcade at 12:06 PM on June 23, 2010
Having never really watched before this, I'm now a fan. People who focus on the score are missing the point.
posted by apoch at 12:26 PM on June 23, 2010
That was very stressful. I'm both thrilled and relieved. I was ready to begin my bellyachin' about being robbed.
posted by bperk at 12:40 PM on June 23, 2010
It's like music to hear comments like this.
posted by JJ at 12:48 PM on June 23, 2010
I realise you're an Iron, JJ, but how were the Irish papers dealing with the French exit?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 01:04 PM on June 23, 2010
I'm an Iron in England, so not sure. Spoke to my dad the other night who used words like "field day" and "loving it", but didn't give specifics. In fairness to them (The ROI team), I can't imagine them possibly being less entertaining to watch than the French were if things had gone differently.
My favourite bit of commentary so far from last night's Greece vs Argentina game from Mick McCarthy (if you don't know who he is, imagine a thick Yorkshire accent, then jack whatever your thinking up about five notches all the way to "cartoon"): "This stadium's pretty new, in't it? There's bound to be some wet paint around somewhere. We could go and watch it dry. That'd be more entertaining than watching this lot, I tell ya."
posted by JJ at 01:19 PM on June 23, 2010
I watched it on the BBC website, (the benefit of working for a company with a proxy in Blackfriars), so I got to enjoy that gem myself.
The Argentinean I was watching with asked me to explain as he was "struggling with the accent."
The ESPN commentary teams have been pretty decent over here - Martin Tyler is routinely good and Ian Darke isn't too shabby. Efan Ekoku usually pairs with Tyler and doesn't say anything too stupid - a description I can't confer to John Harkes who has been dire.
"You don't want to give the ball away, anywhere on the pitch."
Really, John?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 01:28 PM on June 23, 2010
Harkes is brutal.
Algeria got hosed on an offside call in the first half as well. Granted, Dempsey scored on his chance when the phantom call took it away and the opposition were only "likely" to score. Still, it is worth noting for fairness sake.
Can anyone explain why the Algerians seemed satisfied to play for the tie?
On the game-winner... Howard's delivery of the ball to half-field into the path of a streaking Donovan was freakin' awesome.
posted by 86 at 01:38 PM on June 23, 2010
On the game-winner... Howard's delivery of the ball to half-field into the path of a streaking Donovan was freakin' awesome.
I'm in stitches reading that. Honestly, if you were a comedian taking the piss out of American "soccer" watchers, you couldn't have made that up. Sorry, it's wrong of me to laugh, but I can't stop.
posted by JJ at 01:41 PM on June 23, 2010
You'll probably appreciate this then, JJ.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 01:51 PM on June 23, 2010
I'm here to help.
posted by 86 at 02:29 PM on June 23, 2010
Well done, Yanks. In the split-screen bar where I watched it, it was high-fives all round: I was really hoping for a late winner, even if that meant a potential England-Germany second round, because that would ensure that the part-time viewers would stay interested in the tournament and not switch off with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Now can you all please shush about that bloody disallowed goal against Slovenia? The whining over the last few days has made the vuvuzelas sound harmonious. Thanks.
posted by etagloh at 02:49 PM on June 23, 2010
Okay etagloh: What about the disallowed goal TODAY?! I'm glad they managed the last minute goal, but it shouldn't have been necesary should it have?
posted by Tinman at 03:10 PM on June 23, 2010
Tinman, I'll quote from the Guardian's liveblog, which had a few exchanges on this:
Every nation has had such pills to swallow. Being enraged is part of being a football fan. It's not healthy, but it's addictive. Which is why those canny fiends in Fifa refuse to introduce technology, in my opinion.Welcome to the club: glad to have you. You might get a canny run this year, depending on how the results in Group D turn out. Though you might get robbed by a dodgy handball or an offside that was onside or vice versa. It happens to the best of them.
posted by etagloh at 03:25 PM on June 23, 2010
Second round ties: USA vs Ghana; Germany vs. England. Have to say that both Gs go in as favourites.
posted by etagloh at 04:23 PM on June 23, 2010
Ah, but both underdogs will be quite hungry for some revenge. Especially USA against Ghana, to make amends for the 2006 failure.
posted by boredom_08 at 04:25 PM on June 23, 2010
So how'd we win against Algeria? Smart money says the refs couldn't think of an infraction fast enough to call. Oh well, we knew the refs weren't perfect.....
posted by NerfballPro at 05:18 PM on June 23, 2010
Have to say that both Gs go in as favourites.
Really? Ghana's been my backup team and even I can't see them being favorites over the US. The US has been uneven, but at least they've scored a goal from something other than a penalty. Ghana has created a ton of opportunities, but potted 0 of them and their defense seems shaky. If both the US and Ghana continue their habit of having a good half and a bad half, it'll be interesting to see who takes it. The question mark for me is KPB: he'll either win the game for Ghana or be directly responsible for a US goal. Or two.
posted by yerfatma at 05:47 PM on June 23, 2010
Second round ties:
USA vs Ghana; Germany vs. England.
Have to say that both Gs go in as favourites.
Not so much.
According to bet365.com:
U.S.A +150 Ghana +175 Tie +200
Germany/England are both +162, Tie +200
posted by tommybiden at 05:47 PM on June 23, 2010
You can never rely on the odds for an England game as mindless folk in St George blinders would put money on England if their team featured only Douglas Bader, a Cocker Spaniel with one leg and the head of Bobby Moore in a jar.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 06:03 PM on June 23, 2010
Australia drew 1-1 with Ghana after playing with ten men for 75 minutes, and we still should have won.
Ghana have a good defence and the midfield is energetic, but they lack creativity and a class striker. Time to get revenge for the group stages last time?
And yes, England are shite. Their three games have been dire.
posted by owlhouse at 06:50 PM on June 23, 2010
Douglas Bader, a Cocker Spaniel with one leg and the head of Bobby Moore in a jar.
If you played the spaniel up front, I'd fancy that team against the current lineup. (And that video cracked me up - thanks)
With the Boateng brothers playing against one another tonight, we were asking each other in the pub if that's ever happened before - two brothers playing against one another for different nations. I have it in the back of my mind that it has happened before but can't pluck the details out. I want to say it's some kind of country that became more than one country - like a Czech vs Slovakia or Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro etc. Anyone know?
posted by JJ at 07:20 PM on June 23, 2010
I can remember one of the announcers from yesterdays games saying that today would be the first time brothers had squared off against each other in a World Cup match.
posted by Ricardo at 08:03 PM on June 23, 2010
Having to watch the game streaming online was brutal. The junk laptop I was using was not equipped for that endeavor.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:23 PM on June 23, 2010
Ricardo is correct.
I love how ESPNers kept trotting out the quantity of American goals scored in the 86th minute or later. As if my blood pressure could take more of them!!!
But this tournament is starting to remind me of last year's visit to South Africa when we almost won the trophy. This year, should the footballing gods smile on us, I don't think the team will lose the plot from the ref blowing the second half start.
posted by billsaysthis at 08:27 PM on June 23, 2010
My nephew's in South Africa for the Australia games, which have now sadly finished. He's using the tickets that I bought before I realised I couldn't go.
Anyway - in the match against Serbia this morning, the Australian fans sang (to the tune of Pink Floyd's Brick in the Wall) "You ain't go no Montenegro..."
posted by owlhouse at 09:30 PM on June 23, 2010
Love that Owlie!
posted by billsaysthis at 10:56 PM on June 23, 2010
I don't want to labour this, but there are Serbian fans thinking they were robbed of a penalty and qualification. The football gods giveth and they taketh away.
A few commenters at the WaPo's soccer blog make an important point: that performance from the US leading to that win at the death created a lot of new fans who got to share in the anxiety and injustice and joy of the game, and vindicated the team's long-standing followers. They get a national audience on ABC this Sunday, and I hope that it's a cracker.
posted by etagloh at 11:23 PM on June 23, 2010
Text sent by me last night to my opponent (whom I have never met) in the next round of the scratch knockout at my golf club: "Presuming, perhaps erroneously, that you're English, and further that you're a football fan, I'll understand if you want to rearrange our match on Sunday so you can watch England vs Germany."
Reply: "I'm Welsh - and hear that you're Irish - so let's play as planned and listen to the anguished sobs from the sanctuary of an empty golf course as they lose on penalties again!"
posted by JJ at 04:28 AM on June 24, 2010
On the brothers thing - Christian Vieri and his brother Maximiliano played for different international teams (Italy and Australia), but never against each other. Actually, according to this, there have been a few cases of that, but no mention of whether or not they ever played against one another.
posted by JJ at 05:22 AM on June 24, 2010
two brothers playing against one another for different nations
And doesn't KPB have a half-brother on Ghana as well? I insist that you refer to the opposed pair as the Fabulous Botang Boys in homage to that documentary about the end of Apartheid, the Fabulous Botha Boys.
posted by yerfatma at 08:36 AM on June 24, 2010
That texting is fabulous, JJ. Also, I fixed my driver and am now BOMBING them. Hit one 315 the other day.
I'm telling everyone.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:42 AM on June 24, 2010
As well you should be. I don't know what the hell I've done to mine. I can't get it into the course at all. On the plus side, I've started hitting my 3-wood 300 yards instead.
posted by JJ at 11:22 AM on June 24, 2010
*head asplodes*