Thanks Willit for the unbiased opinion about the refs. That's what I was looking for. The American tv commentating has been so bad that I watched a lot of the week's games on the Spanish language station. Love the Goooooooollllllllla, Goal, Goal, Goal!

willit,

Thank you for the heads-up on the referee's actions. It certainly helps.

We watched it on British TV. The commentators seemed disappointed that the U.S. team did so well and didn't lose big (as people like the OP assumed). In the post game show, one of the commentators was seen flipping through a magazine, visibly bored. The other was Scottish (Glaswegian?) and virtually imcomprehensible to our American-Canadian ears. So we're still not sure what his opinion was.

I was reading that Kaiserslauten has a population of 40,000 American military, including a lot of US troops from Iraq on R&R who very much appreciated seeing a US team in a real world event.
The Italian team has always been famous for its histrionics and low blows -- too bad, because it can play some damned good football. I was happy to see that it received a reality check from the US team.

>>>>We watched it on British TV. The commentators seemed disappointed that the U.S. team did so well and didn't lose big (as people like the OP assumed). The other was Scottish (Glaswegian?) and virtually imcomprehensible to our American-Canadian ears. So we're still not sure what his opinion was. <<<<<

And had anyone been able to understand, would we have really cared????

When the College football teams open summer practice sessions, more Americans will cate more about how the Texas Longhorns or Tennessee Vols or Florida Garors are looking in 06.

Or when the NFL teams open practice camps.

Sorry, we have our priorities dontcha sees ;)

Sorry, but if you think that the British pundits (some of whom aren't British) would prefer to see the Italians win rather than a US giant-killing then you've mis-understood totally the Uk people. There is nothing we love better than seeing big nations suffer an embarrasing loss or draw. We revel in schadenfreude - especially if it is one of the big nations being humbled.

Well, the two particular British pundits we watched seemed rather glum (and/or bored) that the U.S. wasn't trounced. Maybe they'd had bets riding on the game.
At any rate, it would be a gross insult to the UK to think those two blokes were representative of the British public--in sports or on anything else!

I was amazed at the big number of situations when while the Italians were attacking the American defenders stopped with their arms high in the air trying to show the referee that it was offside....

The coach should teach this among the first rules in football: leave the ref to do his job and you mind your game.

The Italians were unlucky on those occasions, 'cause the US team didn't pay attention to the game, but to the referee...

Incredible luck they had.
Leaving aside the great determination of the USA team, those were some real bad goof-ups. You don't see this at other teams.

DejaVu, you are so right,I kept saying also Mamma Mia, everytime I looked at these handsome players, they were Hot....Oh to be 20 years younger..:):)

I watched the game and I must say that the Americans players should be proud of themselves, they did a terrific job
I still wanted Italia to win..

I was checking out a thread on another board bringing up one of those oft-discussed topis: Why American's don't care about soccer the way other countries do. This game reminded me of one of the reasons that I really think gets overlooked: the culture of whinning and crying the pervades soccer.

How many times did you see Italians go down with little or no contact, then writhe on the ground as if in tremendous pain, only to be back on the pitch about 60 seconds later showing no sign of the injury which left them in agony only seconds before? American sports used to take their cue from baseball (although it gets less so every year): In baseball, batters who get hit with a baseball are expected to show no sign of pain. Hitters who hit a home run are expected to make their way around the bases at a reasonably quick pace, and with no more than an understated gesture of celebration or thanks (maybe a quick flip of the bat, or a point to the heavens once reaching home plate)--anything else will get you hit in your next at bat, if the pitcher doesn't decide to make an example of the very next hitter.

Americans will never embrace a team that engages in the typical soccer histrionics, and would prefer a team that reacts the way that McBride does when he takes a blow, even if it means they don't get some calls.

I'll happily put up with the histrionics just to see sweaty Italian guys play foot. After all, it's a national characteristic to be overly dramatic.What else would one expect on the field?

Was good to see the US hold its own, though.

twk, a soccer-aware friend of mine explained that the faux injuries are an attempt to impress the ref so that he'll issue the assailant with a "yellow card" - two cards and you're out of the series, it seems, and furthermore your team can't replace you. As an Australian not used to such fragile displays on the football field I agree that the practice conveys a rather effete impression of the game, and I wonder why the soccer authorities don't do something about it. I suggest that the referee issue a pink card to the victim signifying a mandatory five minutes' recovery time off the field. This would bring the game more into line with Rugby, in which nothing short of dismemberment would cause a player to lose face in such a way. I believe that Rugby players see American football as an effete sport too.

StCirq, we have guys named Aloisio and Bresciano on the Australian team if all else fails. So far I haven't seen them writhing around in fake agony though (they have to come home some time, after all).

I completely agree that the diving and play acting has gone too far. The Spanish & Italians are the masters with Germany not far behind.

The English players are catching on especially the Chelsea players as they have some world class divers to learn from.

Its getting very difficult for referees to know who is genuinely injured and who is faking it, I like Neil's idea of the pink card. Also FIFA were talking about reviewing the action later and punishing the player with match bans.

They will take action, for years there was a problem with time wasting by passing it backwards & forwards to the goalie, that's now been virtually eliminated from the game.

Geordie

StCirq..I am in complete agreement with your comments!! ((Y))

We are sorry we missed watching that game but it is our bowling night.

Why is it that women can go openly gah-gah over male athletes, but when a guy talks about how "hot" a female athlete is, he's accused of "objectifying" her?

(Signed) A huge fan of USA female beach volleyball.

Forgive me for less than nationalistic support, but I do have an honest question. Was not our only goal in the USA-Italy game accidently by an Italian?

Now that we are living here, though, I have to say I am much more interested! At home in the States, this competition (and other soccer games) are overshadowed by basketball finals and the long baseball season.

Watching soccer makes me really wish that I had played more than just that one year in high school! (Is there any likelihood that I'll be able to find an adult beginner's team? Bet not, but I'd like to know ahyway!) Happy watching!

oh, sure, the goal was scored by an italian defender in his own goal.

A number of posters mentioned Americans hating soccer--or used the term hate for American feelings towards soccer.

It's not hate for the vast majority, just disinterest.

Our son played soccer in high school in the fall to keep in shape for lacrosse in the spring. We dutifully went to the games, but even with our son playing it was not all that interesting.

They did win the league championship in his junior year; that was nice. But he switched to American football his senior year; they won their league championship that year. So he was on championship teams for both "American" football and "most of the rest of the world" football.

I do like to watch soccer highlights--there are some amazing athletes playing the game. Unfortunately, those hightlights are too few and far betweene in any particular game to keep my interest.

kenderina, I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not, but I am seriously wondering.

When I was watching the game with my family (and studying the replays because I couldn't imagine it), it looked like the American goal was scored off the foot of an Italian player. I'm not saying he intentionally scored for us, but that our goal was either scored by an intentional or unintentional deflection off the foot of an Italian player into the US goal.

Did I see this correctly?

Yes you did - it was an own goal (sometimes these are credited to the striker to spare the defender's blushes)

MacPrague, you are correct. In an attempt to kick the ball as far from his own goal as possible, he managed to deflect it into his own goal. This is not uncommon in football (Soccer) when a defender is under pressure from several attackers and resorts to "desperation measures".

The most embarassing version of the own goal was many years ago when the side I support had just conceded a goal, and were kicking off again. The forward kicked the ball back towards the goalkeeper, who was knelt tieing his bootlaces, and watched helplessly as the ball rolled past into an empty net.

No, I was not being sarcastic. He did !! It is never intentional, of course , but it happens sometimes :)

thanks for clarifying (sp?), kenderina. :) enjoy the rest of the games! (I am really enjoying watching.)