FIFA Confederations Cup

[Joe King]

Could be, USA's name is on the cup this time.

That's good enough to destroy the credibility of any footballing competition.

[little dave hedgehog]

Thanks for pissing on my excitement. I guess I don't deserve 5 minutes of celebration.




*sigh*

hey, the us had a great game today and showed that we can play a bit of footie, and it's maybe the best win for us since portugal in japorea. be happy, be proud.

personally i'm pissed bradley got sent off. i really don't think we have cover for him.

[little dave hedgehog]

Move to Brooklyn, join the fun.

been there, didn't love it. i'm in chicago which is nice enough, but my heart belongs to copenhagen

[Craig_H]

no, but i think with him, we stood a much better chance of keeping it respectable. bradley will be the difference between a creditable loss and a truly pitiful spectacle.

To be honest, it's rare nowadays that teams get battered at this level. Maybe a couple of goals difference, perhaps 3 if Brazil really turn it on, but i dont think it'll be embarrassing.

[little dave hedgehog]

maybe but i think there's every chance we'll get turned over. assuming brazil can beat the hosts that is

this appears to be the tournament where pigs fly....

[Craig_H]

you obviously know i'm in the states, craig, so you can stop trying to wind me up now.

i live in this country. i know it's a ****ty place to live. i have made my peace with this. we can't all be endowed with the history we might be prefer by accident of birth.

I wasnt trying to wind you up - i thought you were doing that to me by not saying where in the USA that you are.

To be honest mate, i didnt realise that it was illegal to gamble anywhere in the US. That's why i was quizzing you.

[little dave hedgehog]

i grew up in oklahoma, where sex on a sunday is still technically illegal

[little dave hedgehog]

what i was getting at is that you can't pop round the corner and have a flutter on the match. you can make a friendly wager, play the state lottery (which usually funds education, construction or some other state facility), bet on horse races, or go to a bookie or go through vegas. the last two are mobbed up to the gills and not generally done. horse racing is slightly less frowned upon.

[BobTheCharmer]

Am I the only one who thinks the Villa-Torres partnership isn't as effective as most think it is?

no i've said it for ages. Torres had a relatively poor euro's until villa got injured then he was star man. the fact that they're both exceptional players means they will score goals together but is a good partnership up there with past greats? No. Not even close to rush dalglish, beardo alridge, keegan toshack, even cole yorke!

[little dave hedgehog]

He did remind me a bit of an Emile stylee player. I agree he's got a long way to go though to prove how good he really could be

he can start by not being the biggest guy on the park and going over like a sack of potatoes whenever it suits him...

and like i said before, his game intelligence is i think the thing that'll hold him back. if his link-up play were better, the usa could've had about twice as many attacks. as it is, he looks uncomfortable receiving the ball in the middle third and dreadful trying to release overlapping players.

he nearly ****ed up the 2nd goal by making a huge offside run, too.

[Craig_H]

what i was getting at is that you can't pop round the corner and have a flutter on the match. you can make a friendly wager, play the state lottery (which usually funds education, construction or some other state facility), bet on horse races, or go to a bookie or go through vegas. the last two are mobbed up to the gills and not generally done. horse racing is slightly less frowned upon.

You learn something new every day

[-V-]

If you think the spanish looked tired today then wait till next summer they will be ****ed. These guys haven't had a rest for about 2 years and it will cost them the world cup

Im glad they lost. The yanks deserved it on because of their effort and thats what football is all about

[johnly]

he can start by not being the biggest guy on the park and going over like a sack of potatoes whenever it suits him...

and like i said before, his game intelligence is i think the thing that'll hold him back. if his link-up play were better, the usa could've had about twice as many attacks. as it is, he looks uncomfortable receiving the ball in the middle third and dreadful trying to release overlapping players.

he nearly ****ed up the 2nd goal by making a huge offside run, too.

I've not seen enough of him to be fair Dave, I can tell he's got a lot to learn, needs to hone his craft. Like I said that Sean Wheelock geezer bangs on about him like he was the best thing ever.

[little dave hedgehog]

Well he is only 19 and just came from the MLS which is a pretty terrible league--shipped over Villareal where he couldn't get a game, dumped on Xerex where he still couldn't get a game and now back at Villareal. Nobody's had time to take him aside and explain things to him and then send him out on the pitch. He's a fine athlete and I think he can go as far as he's willing to work on his game to get.

[BrooklynRed]

I've not seen enough of him to be fair Dave, I can tell he's got a lot to learn, needs to hone his craft. Like I said that Sean Wheelock geezer bangs on about him like he was the best thing ever.

Granted, this is MLS (don't let the ****e pitches get in the way), but here's his highlight reel. All of these goals were scored before last summer; He is now 19 years old, so this is all under-18 stuff. He scored a hat trick in WC qualifying this year (again, granted, against Trinidad and Tobago)... He is one of our best hopes for a forward. His record so far:

-Youngest player to score in Major League Soccer Play-offs.
-Youngest American to score in their first international start.
-Youngest American to score in a World Cup Qualifier.
-Youngest American to score a hat trick in World Cup Qualifier.
-First US International to score in Spain's La Liga.

I've seen a LOT of him for Red Bull NY and he was always one of the best on the pitch (take that for what it is worth). He is also a very good person, always has time for the fans (took photos with my friend, signs for the kids, talks with them) and has a good head on his shoulders; well spoken, intelligent, etc.

At this point, he is a prospect and needs to learn the nuances of the position, but the physical ability and mentality is there. Is touch was VERY heavy tonight, but you can see his physical gifts; He just needs a proper coach to train him and he should be very, very good in a few years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqrrxho0Wb4?rel=noskim