Posts Tagged ‘world cup’

Unbelieveable US Wins in 91st Minute!

Posted: June 23, 2010 by datechguy in Sports
Tags: , , , ,

I had to go somewhere today and got back with 10 minutes left to the game seeing England ahead and the US game at 0-0 with under 10 min to go. The England game just finished and Slovakia was in for about 30 seconds when Donovan scored on the rebound.

One important thing to point out, the goal would not have been possible if the US Goalie at the other end (Howard) didn’t make the save and wasted no time throwing the ball forward to start the break. That will not likely be remembered but it should be.

Yeah it’s soccer but it’s US Soccer!

Update: This is consistent with what I wrote before:

Asked about the earlier disallowed goal, a glory-drenched Donovan responded, and I paraphrase: “We embody what Americans are all about. We can moan about or we can keep going.

Does that sound conservative or what?

Update 2: Cripes Stacy is so excited that he has TWO posts on the subject.

…likely this will be one of the few times this will be true:

Americans love competition. Repeatedly watching soccer players moderately contacted across the thigh or hip, only to react by clutching their head and writhing violently on the ground, will not sit well with Americans. This is x2 when the same said player immediately jumps up and joins the play after his theatrics earn the opposing team a yellow card.

Morning Joe devoted a full segment to the subject complaining particularly on the flop in the Brazil/ Ivory Coast game that cost Kaká a Red Card. (Forcing them to play a man down for the last 5 minutes.) The replay that clearly showed that he was barely touched in the chest while he grasped his faces as if he had his eyes gouged out spoke volumes.

Of course since the NYT covered the story Morning Joe had to as well so they took notice but such acts tend to rub Americans the wrong way.

As long as this remains the norm Americans will turn away.

but some things are the same the world over. Athletes who are full of themselves:

Striker Nicolas Anelka was kicked out of France’s World Cup squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and refusing to apologise, the French Football Federation said.

Anelka insulted Domenech in a crude manner at half-time of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico on Thursday in Polokwane.

“The comments made by Nicolas Anelka towards national coach Raymond Domenech are totally unacceptable for the French Football Federation, French football and the values they defend,” the FFF said.

It goes to show that pampered athletes transcend borders and cultures.

Now if he wants to get in real trouble back home he can try to hold a wine and sausage event in Paris.

They banned that event so the organizers moved it to the Champs Elysees they still banned it but apparently there are some French who still have backbones.

One man wore a pair of horns and braided pigtails associated with French comic book hero Asterix, an ancient Gaul whose exploits centre around resisting Roman occupation.

“18 June 1940 France, Republic, Liberty, 18 June 2010 Resistance,” read a large banner, with several participants waving French flags and holding aloft sausages.

Atlas has more details and some info on the symbolism of the date:

The idea to gather at the Arc de Triomphe is described by Identity Block as symbolic, since it was where 2,000 schoolboys defied a Nazi ban on protest and marched against the occupying forces some 70 years ago.

Furthermore, today also marked the 70th anniversary of General de Gaulle’s appeal to the French people to resist the Nazi occupation following his exile to the United Kingdom. In the end, the Washington Post reports that some 300-400 protesters turned up this evening.

When someday the tide of Sharia goes out, (and someday it will go out, even in Europe) this event will be remembered and as in the days after 1945 the numbers of the resistance will suddenly swell.

Although I suspect when the tide does go out, I have a feeling it will be because of millions of muslim women who finally cr:y “Enough!”

But Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina has just managed a Hat Trick against South Korea in the World Cup.

The Score is 4-1. You would never know this was soccer.

Update: If you want to see why Americans aren’t interested in soccer check out the France Mexico game if you can stay awake.