Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/27/2010 @ 1:10 pm)
Even after hiring decorated Italian coach Fabio Capello and boasting some of world’s best scorers, England could not run deep into the 2010 World Cup. Germany had the Three Lions’ number all day, defeating the the Brits 4-1 and sending them home to a disappointed nation.
A pivotal moment came late into the first half Frank Lampard knocked in a shot that hit the crossbar and landed behind the goal line. However, due to back spin, it bounced easily into the hands of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Germany went up on goals by Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski before England’s Matthew Upson made it 2-1 in the 37th minute.
Lampard’s non-goal came a minute later. After the ball landed across the line, it spun back into the arms of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Capello initially celebrated what he thought was an equalizer by clenching his fists and shaking his arms. But his face changed when he realized the goal had not been given.
As the players headed off the field at halftime, Wayne Rooney walked over to a linesman and gestured with his hands how far he thought the ball crossed the goal line.
What’s ridiculous is that the center referee did not consult his linesman. Why not exhaust your resources during such a crucial call?
Germany will face the winner of today’s Mexico/Argentina match in the next round.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/26/2010 @ 3:00 pm)
Thierry Henry, the France striker whose handball against the Republic of Ireland landed his team in the World Cup, says he understands Nicolas Anelka’s situation. Anelka was booted off the French squad after reportedly cursing at coach Raymond Domenech.
From The Irish Times:
“I can tell you, from the experience with my handball, I was all alone and I know what it feels like,” the former France captain said in an interview on French television.
“I would have really liked him to be supported a bit.”
Henry knows what it’s like to receive the cold shoulder. As a result of the handball, Henry noticed the disrespectful way the other players acted toward him.
Having been relegated to the bench for the tournament, the 32-year-old said he had “no credibility” and was made to feel like an isolated and unimportant figure.
“I could have been the big brother (to the younger player) but I no longer am,” France’s all-time record scorer explained.
“I felt cast aside. People no longer spoke to me in the same way as before.
“They used to talk to me more. I was at the centre. When you no longer have any credibility in the squad, it gets to the point when it becomes difficult.”
Soccer is a different beast in other countries. When a player commits something wrong on the field, they can be nationally disgraced. In the U.S., we’d just cover the incident for a day or two and make sure its mentioned on his Wikipedia.
Kristina Schroeder told Saturday’s Rheinische Post newspaper the 2006 World Cup, when Germany reached the semifinals, boosted the national birthrate and “that is why I as the family minister would be especially happy if Germany wins the championship.”
Germany will face England in its second-round match on Sunday.
The government has long worried about Germany’s declining number of births. In 2009 it fell by 3.6 percent to 651,000—the lowest since World War II.
I have no idea how soccer victories increase fertility rates and libido in a nation, but leave it to Germany to find a correlation.
Also, I have the team going to the finals. If I’m right, talk about reaching a fever pitch, ya know what I’m sayin’? That’s a little soccer humor, on the house.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/26/2010 @ 12:34 pm)
Polarizing Los Angeles Times writer Bill Plaschke has worked his magic once again, this time in demanding more from American soccer fans. Essentially, Plaschke believes we should have expected a win over Algeria, instead of going absolutely bonkers when Landon Donovan knocked in the game-winning goal.
You see, we’ve been here before. But, this being soccer, we just don’t act like it.
I am as thrilled as anyone about Donovan’s extra-time goal to beat Algeria and give the U.S. its first group victory in World Cup history. I screamed. I jumped. It was cool.
But I just can’t understand why everyone is tearfully acting as if it were another Miracle on Ice. I can’t understand why we continually diminish soccer — and thus inhibit its growth — by continually setting its expectations so low in the face of opposing evidence so thick.
The miracle is that, after six consecutive World Cup appearances including that final-eight showing in 2002, we still go crazy over early World Cup success.
The miracle is that, in a country where you can’t leave your home on a Saturday morning without encountering at least one child wearing a baggy soccer uniform and clutching a juice box, we’re still acting as if soccer is some newfangled cult activity.
This miracle is that, even against a team that did not score a goal in three World Cup games and has never advanced past the group stage, we insist on celebrating like the underdog.
Plaschke almost has a point, but by narrowly missing his mark the whole column loses any value.
He needs to understand that just because much of American youth grows up playing soccer, it doesn’t mean that these children will follow the sport when they’re older. After finishing high school, most have fully-embraced MLB, the NFL and/or the NBA. If one is to continue following soccer, they have two options: 1) the mediocre MLS and its even more mediocre coverage or 2) the sporadic airplay of international league soccer.
True, America has boasted some of the best players in the world over the last 20 years. However, they usually don’t end up playing in the MLS. Instead, they are scooped up by leagues overseas. Although the talent-level is increasing, MLS play is far weaker than its international counterparts. The eyeballs just aren’t there. Americans are watching soccer now, but the other 35 months when the World Cup isn’t on they’re focused on the other sports.
This lends to the fact that America is uneducated when it comes to soccer. I know I am. We are favored to defeat Ghana later today, but how are Americans supposed to expect a victory when they are barely familiar with the players and have never experienced a World Cup championship? Plaschke is a tad unnerved that we lost our collective poo at the end of the U.S./Algeria match. We should have been prepared for a victory, he thinks.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/20/2010 @ 3:42 pm)
ESPN’s coverage of the World Cup has so far been incredible. Instead of just using unknown (to rest of the world) American soccer pundits, the Worldwide Leader has brought in a slew of international journalists to add expert insight.
Following the incident where Nicolas Anelka berated his coach during France’s loss to Mexico, French sports journalist Erik Bielderman told ESPN’s Bob Ley exactly what was said. And I mean exactly.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/19/2010 @ 6:59 pm)
After Nicolas Anelka told coach manager Raymond Domenech “Go f*** yourself” during France’s defeat to Mexico on Thursday, he refused to apologize, despite the wishes of FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes. In due course, Anelka was dismissed from his squad. Now it appears as though the veteran striker would just rather retire from the sport altogether.
From Goal.com:
Multiple reports suggested that Anelka had reacted angrily to Domenech’s questioning of his first half performance and that led to him being taken off at the interval. It had been reported that Anelka launched an obscenity-laden tirade at the coach.
Anelka was also absent from training on Saturday which fuelled rumours that his World Cup was over and that was later confirmed by the French Football Federation (FFF)
But now it seems Anelka has stepped away from the national side for good.
It further compounds a disastrous few days for France, who seem destined to be knocked out of the World Cup and need a win against South Africa in their final game to stand any chance of progressing.
This World Cup has been a complete disaster for France. Remember, this is the team, led by Zinedine Zidane, that made the final in 2006. Now France sits with a meager single point in their pool, and likely won’t advance to the knockout stage.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/19/2010 @ 1:01 pm)
Koman Coulibaly is a name which most of us aren’t familiar. In fact, we probably won’t remember it even after the 2010 World Cup has finished. Simply put, for the next couple of days, Coulibaly will be known as the referee who called a phantom penalty against the United States when the team scored on a direct kick in their match versus Slovenia. Down 2-nil at the beginning of the second half, the U.S. squad unfathomably rebounded with goals by Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley. In the 86th minute, the team suddenly struck the dagger into Slovenia with Maurice Edu’s goal off Donovan’s free kick. But it was not to be, as Coulibaly called a foul…not on Slovenia — whose team member was giving Bradley a FIFA-endorsed Heimlich during the play — but on the U.S. Video evidence proves the call was bogus — so much so, in fact, that FIFA is mulling suspending Coulibaly from officiating for the rest of the tournament.
From ESPN.com:
After the match, Donovan said he asked the referee what the call was but did not get an answer.
“We asked the ref many times what it was or who it was on and he wouldn’t or couldn’t explain it,” Donovan said. “I don’t know what to think of the call because I didn’t see any foul, just a normal free kick and a goal.”
Referees must submit a written report to FIFA after each match, but it is not specified in the rule that he must fully explain a ruling such as this.
FIFA refereeing rules state: “The referee shall hand over to the FIFA general coordinator a match report at the stadium immediately after the match. On the report form the referee shall note all occurrences such as misconduct of players leading to caution or expulsion, unsporting behavior by supporters and/or by officials or any other person acting on behalf of an association at the match and any other incident happening before, during and after the match in as much detail as possible.”
The U.S. team has been besieged with questions why soccer referees don’t publicly explain controversial decisions, as umpires and referees do in U.S. sports.
I take a rather harsh stance when evaluating referees. You know, it is all they do. They attend the seminars and classes to get better, but at the end of their 5-hour work day, their job description is still defined as being a fan with a whistle. While we shouldn’t crucify one to represent the whole, calls such as this are simply inexcusable.
The part that confuses me is that there’s no accountability in FIFA. If the U.S. ends up missing the knockout round, fans may never get an explanation, per FIFA’s outdated protocol. That’s just the way it is. Well, the way is infantile.
Coulibaly needs to go, and take some time to fully understand what’s expected of him as a World Cup official. And yes, I’ll say this as fair-weather soccer fan. Because it matters now.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/13/2010 @ 2:31 pm)
In defeating Serbia 1-0 earlier today Ghana became the first African team to win a World Cup match on the continent.
Though the first half failed to produce any goals, there were chances at either end. Despite early intent from Serbia, it was the Black Stars who looked the more likely team to open the scoring. After the interval, the pattern of the game remained the same until Aleksandar Lukovic was dismissed for a second booking, inviting Ghana to really go for the jugular late on. And the Africans aimed the decisive blow from the penalty spot in the closing stages of the game when Asamoah Gyan thumped high into the net.
This is a huge victory for Ghana, and to think they achieved it without star midfielder Michael Essien. Serbia and Germany were expected to advance, but now the Ghanaians are sitting pretty with three points in their pool. Better yet, they get to play a weak Australia squad next game, and it won’t be until Game 3 that they face the challenging Germans.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/12/2010 @ 6:19 pm)
I’ve been reading a bunch of recaps on this game, and everyone is describing the U.S. team as a “force” or some other obligatory hyperbole.
Are you kidding me? Look through your afternoon buzz and realize that, aside from goalie Tim Howard, we looked capable at best.
I watched the game at a crowded pub in Agoura Hills, Calif., surrounded by seasoned English soccer enthusiasts and fledgling converts of the U.S. squad. Any budding energy on the U.S. side was instantly deflated in the fourth minute when England captain Steven Gerrard netted a goal inside the box. Things did not look good, but at least a goal early on is much easier to mitigate than one late into the game.
As the game drudged toward the half, I didn’t see anything that resembled a promising U.S. effort. England must of had control of the ball at least 80 percent of the time, continuing to make short passes and well-structured runs that kept the U.S. defense scrambling and Howard on his toes. When the U.S. finally snagged the ball it was all about sending it downfield for an ill-advised breakaway or improbable cross.
Our team looked directionless. Where was that touted counterattack that was supposedly our ace in the hole? If I were an England fan I would have felt fairly comfortable heading into halftime. The British squad had a stranglehold on the game, what with the dismal U.S. offense and its patchy defense.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (06/12/2010 @ 10:53 am)
At this point, I shouldn’t need to remind any of you. In addition to the ubiquitous FIFA ads over the past couple of months (you saw them, even if they hadn’t registered), our country’s most powerful sports resource, ESPN, is judiciously handling the 2010 World Cup coverage (with the help of ABC). It’s the one time (every four years) that the Worldwide Leader has the opportunity to reach mass markets that don’t care for Yankee/Red Sox games. And although the lucrative task isn’t quite as burdensome as the heft of the Olympics, I’m glad the World Cup is out of the clumsy grasp of NBC.
Of course, their soccer-centric coverage has to do with what is on as much as what isn’t. With the Stanley Cup decided, the achingly-long NBA Finals on an off-day and baseball offering underwhelming rivalries (Cubs/White Sox, Dodgers/Angels), today is all about an American second-tier sport. Do you remember anything about the 2006 World Cup? Maybe so, but what about our national team’s showing? Who scored? Who did we beat? Right.
I love supporting our national teams. I was pumped up when the U.S. hockey team made it to the gold-medal game at the recent Olympics. And although I’m not a soccer or hockey aficionado, I look forward to getting together with groups of people around a television and sharing in the joy, sorrow, surprise and dismay. And really, the Olympics and the World Cup are the prime times we do this as Americans — it’s all so rare.
No, we aren’t going to win the World Cup. (At this point, considering soccer’s popularity in America, it would be sin.) But what our team can do is advance into the knockout stage. We’ve landed in Group C, likely the easiest overall selection of teams. As two teams advance from each group, our chances look great. From then on, it only gets hard or harder. That’s what make today’s outcome against England so important. If the U.S. defeats Wayne Rooney and company they could face Austria/Serbia en route to France. But if England comes out on top the U.S. could be at the mercy of Germany.
That last paragraph may have been more than you wanted to know about the World Cup. I can’t apologize, because the rewards far exceed the effort.
