Great bit of invention that, so good to see a team thinking about the fact that no one has really been able to make this ball behave itself from direct free kicks and try something different instead of just lashing another one into the stand. Just a slightly tired touch from Dempsey away from being a great goal.
Cracking game and having started slowly Belgium are now showing why they were a lot of peoples dark horses for the tournament. Lukaku now looks up for it and if Hazard can find some consistency across 90 minutes they have a great chance.
Fantastic effort by the USA. Puts us to shame. What is our problem?
Now for a great QF line up. For all the drama, the big teams are dominating again with five of the six teams that have played in the most finals still in contention. Those five have 24 World Cup final appearances between them!! They are joined by the two pre-tournament dark horses, one each from South America and Europe. Then there's surprise package Costa Rica who've left three previous winners in their wake!! Fantastic stuff.
Fantastic effort by the USA. Puts us to shame. What is our problem?
Now for a great QF line up. For all the drama, the big teams are dominating again with five of the six teams that have played in the most finals still in contention. Those five have 24 World Cup final appearances between them!! They are joined by the two pre-tournament dark horses, one each from South America and Europe. Then there's surprise package Costa Rica who've left three previous winners in their wake!! Fantastic stuff.
Didn't think I'd see a better game than Brazil v Chile, but there it was. Super effort from the USA, they really have got a thing or two teach England about the game. But then, I'm not sure we've got the players like they have :-(
What an excellent second half and extra time - tremendous courage and heart from the USA, who nearly pulled off a miraculous escape. In those circumstances, I could see an England team folding. That USA team has balls and the young lad at right back has huge energy and desire.
A very welcome antidote to Argentina v Switzerland, which was the worst of the games that I've seen in the tournament so far (the last 5 minutes notwithstanding). Belgium will have to raise their game though, notwithstanding the quality they showed for a large chunk of that game. It helps having the biggest boy in the playground to come on in extra time, but my impression is still a collection of talented individuals, rather than a cohesive unit (notwithstanding the excellent Courtois and Kompany at the back and the impressive young lad, Origi, up front).
Still, flush with success, I expect that Roland is now busy knocking back the Chimay and hopefully that will encourage a bit of reckless spending on his part in the transfer market ( and, yes, I have been drinking....).
erm basically we should have have won 3 or 4 zero in 90 minutes - this is the first time i see belgium waste so many scoring opportunities ... we basically almost gave it away because of iour really poor finishing
erm basically we should have have won 3 or 4 zero in 90 minutes - this is the first time i see belgium waste so many scoring opportunities ... we basically almost gave it away because of iour really poor finishing
Maybe a bit harsh @byl. Howard had a terrific game in goal too which had a lot to do with not winning in 90 minutes. You have a lot to be optimistic about with that team.
I hated the pro-USA bias of the commentators on the BBC last night which at times was tantamount to arse-licking. And the way they dribbled on at the end about how the USA had kept going, never giving up, giving their all, credit to their shirt and their country blah blah as if the Belgians had given up, stopped playing, weren't a credit to their shirt and country. I also can't understand why everyone is so pleased that football - soccer! - is taking off in the USA. We've aready seen their tendancy to want to change and adapt the rules. If they become a major force in the game, it might not be so easy to resist the kind of changes they put forward. Personally, I hope their defeat last night has put the US tv public off and they go back to watching American Football and Basketball and Baseball.
I hated the pro-USA bias of the commentators on the BBC last night which at times was tantamount to arse-licking. And the way they dribbled on at the end about how the USA had kept going, never giving up, giving their all, credit to their shirt and their country blah blah as if the Belgians had given up, stopped playing, weren't a credit to their shirt and country. I also can't understand why everyone is so pleased that football - soccer! - is taking off in the USA. We've aready seen their tendancy to want to change and adapt the rules. If they become a major force in the game, it might not be so easy to resist the kind of changes they put forward. Personally, I hope their defeat last night has put the US tv public off and they go back to watching American Football and Basketball and Baseball.
Back in the old NASL days, with Pele, Best & Beckenbauer et al, they did want to change rules etc, but those days are long gone and they are now a country to be respected on the world stage. If you could not see what an unbelievable effort their less talented players put in last night to hang in there and almost come back from 2 down in extra time then not sure there's much anyone can say to you. Belgium had the luxury of putting a world class fresh player on at a time when players were exhausted, it was the defining moment of that game yet still the US almost drew level. England didn't even have a fraction of that heart or desire.
< If you could not see what an unbelievable effort their less talented players put in last night to hang in there and almost come back from 2 down in extra time then not sure there's much anyone can say to you. Belgium had the luxury of putting a world class fresh player on at a time when players were exhausted, it was the defining moment of that game yet still the US almost drew level. England didn't even have a fraction of that heart or desire.
Of course I saw the effort the less talented US players put in. I also saw the effort and skill the Belgian players put in. What I found difficult to take was the commentators who seemed only to talk about the USA's effort.
Commentators were very condescending about the US. Most Americans that I've spoken to about football are more knowledgeable than am of the experts that the bbc employ and treat to world wide vacations on my coin. People there that like soccer tend to know their stuff in a way that British fans, sadly, do not.
< If you could not see what an unbelievable effort their less talented players put in last night to hang in there and almost come back from 2 down in extra time then not sure there's much anyone can say to you. Belgium had the luxury of putting a world class fresh player on at a time when players were exhausted, it was the defining moment of that game yet still the US almost drew level. England didn't even have a fraction of that heart or desire.
Of course I saw the effort the less talented US players put in. I also saw the effort and skill the Belgian players put in. What I found difficult to take was the commentators who seemed only to talk about the USA's effort.
Murphy did seem to have an issue with Fellaini - berated him a few times and urged that Hazard tracked back a bit more but apart from that I think you're moaning uncessarily. They spoke highly of everyone and didnt want it to end.
Great game and gutted the US didnt win. Would have made for a very happy office today.
Commentators were very condescending about the US. Most Americans that I've spoken to about football are more knowledgeable than am of the experts that the bbc employ and treat to world wide vacations on my coin. People there that like soccer tend to know their stuff in a way that British fans, sadly, do not.
Commentators were very condescending about the US. Most Americans that I've spoken to about football are more knowledgeable than am of the experts that the bbc employ and treat to world wide vacations on my coin. People there that like soccer tend to know their stuff in a way that British fans, sadly, do not.
I watched the game in a sports bar in Florida, surrounded by about twenty big-screen televisions and about 300 excited, knowledgeable U.S. fans, many with their excited and knowledgeable WAGS. Make no mistake, our sport is here (the U.S.) to stay.
Comments
:-)
Now for a great QF line up. For all the drama, the big teams are dominating again with five of the six teams that have played in the most finals still in contention. Those five have 24 World Cup final appearances between them!! They are joined by the two pre-tournament dark horses, one each from South America and Europe. Then there's surprise package Costa Rica who've left three previous winners in their wake!! Fantastic stuff.
A very welcome antidote to Argentina v Switzerland, which was the worst of the games that I've seen in the tournament so far (the last 5 minutes notwithstanding). Belgium will have to raise their game though, notwithstanding the quality they showed for a large chunk of that game. It helps having the biggest boy in the playground to come on in extra time, but my impression is still a collection of talented individuals, rather than a cohesive unit (notwithstanding the excellent Courtois and Kompany at the back and the impressive young lad, Origi, up front).
Still, flush with success, I expect that Roland is now busy knocking back the Chimay and hopefully that will encourage a bit of reckless spending on his part in the transfer market ( and, yes, I have been drinking....).
Was a great, entertaining game.
Great game and gutted the US didnt win. Would have made for a very happy office today.