OMG, the U.S. almost beat Portugal! Save for a Portuguese goal in the last minute of play, the U.S.would have advanced (I’m not particularly rooting for them, but since Spain went out of contention I’ve decided to root for promising underdogs like Ghana). Ronaldo was largely ineffectual because of a good U.S. defense (the keeper is great), but he did hit a cross that was converted into a goal by a header. (Is that the right language?) The U.S. plays Germany on Thursday.
Anyway, here’s today’s footie schedule, with several good games. Note that there are no 5 p.m. (Chicago time) games, so somehow I’ll have to sneak in one while I’m working. Maybe Netherlands vs. Chile?
Here are 4 minutes of US/Portugal highlights (the video’s pretty lousy, but watch quickly before FIFA has it taken down):
Google Doodles are going up at about three per day (one per game, I think), and I can’t keep track. Here’s the latest animated one; click on the screenshot to see it. It’s pretty funny.
It was quite a game.
Last 20 seconds!!! ( i do have to remember to say keeper and not goalie…)
“converted into a goal by a header” absolutely the right language! Two superb goals – Jones was Messi in a mirror, & that goal for Portugal too – although I think Ronaldo is a poseur (& ex-MU!) he is a footballing genius every inch as much as Messi. Footie is increasing in popularity in the US. Both teams will find it hard to recover after the heat & intensity of play, & Germany need a point while Ghana need a win so it should be exciting on Thursday!
Ronaldo did look a bit of a poseur, but I found Jermaine Jones very appealing and non-stop.
Great effort by usa yesterday.
The Netherlands vs Chile should be interesting today…unless they don’t care about a potential encounter with Brazil already.
Should be a good day for all us footie fans.
🙂
Both Netherland and Chile will advance, so the outcome is not particularly important.
Likewise, Australia and Spain are both on their way home.
Cameroon-Brazil and Mexico-Croatia could both have some impact.
The real game of the day is the Mexico v Croatia one – only one can progress & both deserve to on earlier games.
They can both progress, if they draw and Brazil loses.
Yeah, it pretty much depends on whether or not any of them care about securing top spot in the group.
If there’s any minor injuries or fatigue in the squad both managers probably won’t hesitate to bench players regardless of importance.
We’ll see…..I still have high hopes for the game.
Meanwhile, English actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, turns traitor on the Tw*ttersphere: https://twitter.com/SirPatStew/statuses/480794086459584512
Time to return the Knighthood! 🙂
“His cross was headed in” does it for me. I expect we Brits sound the same when talking about American football, or ‘football’ as you call it :-).
Excellent effort by the US, who made the Portuguese look pretty average. Sadly, Bradley (who was mostly excellent) didn’t hold onto the ball in the 95th minute (!) and Ronnie made ’em pay – the only effective thing he did in the game, I think.
Not sure why you aren’t a fan of the US, Jerry. They’re a humble bunch of guys, most of whom ply their trade in lesser leagues, earning a fraction of the money of those big Spanish flops. The Americans work their tails off and have steadfastly refused to accept their pre-tournament label as the pushovers of their group. Like Costa Rica (another upstart CONCACAF team), the US is reminding everyone why they actually have to play the games before a champion is crowned.
At this point I think that the US could give just about anyone a game, and they deserve some support!
I’m not one of those who simply roots for their national team, even given what you said. I don’t have any favorite now, but will watch the games as they’re played and maybe I’ll get another one.
cough, cough : )
Just kidding. I guess that blind nationalism isn’t always the best reason to root for a team. Thanks for putting up all of these soccer posts, by the way.
I meant to write *cough*frontrunner*cough*…ah screw it
But choosing who you support isn’t the way it’s done.
I’m English and, so, allow myself to be woefully let down every two years (the European Championships happen in the other even numbered years). And think of those poor bastards the Scots: they’re utter shite but still manage to run around wearing skirts and ginger-wigged tam o’shanters.
And you’re missing out on so much! The whining, the recriminations, holding grudges for decades and so on.
(Besides, you have a good goalie in Tim Howard, who just happens to play for the best club in the world)
It’s a low blow to slag off scotland when england could still provide the worst ever performance of any UK team at the world cup finals. I think there should be a salary review for some of the squad. Glad to see the scots word sh*te has spread down south. Appropriate for the england team as well.
This fan will do his bit at england’s final game (scots fan in the Colombian crowd) http://tinyurl.com/ocn5gfj
A low blow? Lower than the last line of “Ally’s Tartan Army”? (Onlookers: that was 36 years ago, see what I mean about holding grudges for decades?
“Appropriate for the england team as well.”
The word “sh*te” is ever appropriate!
Whisper it quietly but we all know that a GB team would be better (Gareth Bale in that attack?). But then we couldn’t get at each other relentlessly which would get rid of the fun.
To be shite in the World Cup Finals you have to qualify for them.
Imagine that, the worst England team ever is still better than the contemporary Scotland team.
Are you sure about that? I just checked Wikipedia and there’s no mention of his transfer to Arsenal.
I think they should work on their chants. Endless rounds of “USA, USA” get tedious…!
Oh, definitely. If their was a chanting world cup we’d be dead last.
“There” not “their”. Can’t type today.
“Endless rounds of “USA, USA” get tedious…!”
I like to do it with a German accent, to add sophisitication: OOH ESS AAH! OOOH ESS AAH!
After watching the last second tie, I am not sure I can stand to be a true fan of any team, it is draining. From now on I am going to be emotionally detached from all my favorites. Still US is doing great, but what am I supposed to do when Germany meets US? Being biased just because I am an American feels so biased.
For those of you watching the over the air broadcast on Univision, the other game is being carried on its sister network UniMas. In Chicago, those broadcast stations are 66.1 (WGBO – Univision) and 60.1 (WXFT – UniMas). Most large US cities have broadcast affiliates for both networks.
1-1 in the Brazil-Cameroun game…..great so far.
Brazil plays Chile and The Neatherlands against Mexico next weekend. The Brazilian coach and players say they have found their style and will be more on the attack in the coming game(s).
“The Brazilian coach and players say they have found their style…”
Or maybe they just played a weaker than usual opponent.
That sounds a better explanation. Or maybe getting flattering wins by playing weak opposition is what Brazil consider their style.
Cameroon were so awful they made this Brazil team look good.
Doodle permalink: http://www.google.com/doodles/world-cup-2014-27
Hmm, not sure I like this “football every day” doodling. This is the doodle that should have been on Google yesterday
http://www.google.com/doodles/alan-turings-100th-birthday
I’m not sure Ghana should be considered a “promising” underdog given they are a draw between Germany and USA away from being eliminated :-|.