Yep, if this is the first time following football for a lot of Americans, then they've picked the right tournament I'm sure plenty will be hooked once it's over.

They were 20 seconds away from qualification. If only England got that close on Tuesday.

Oh well, its been fun Night-Shifters. May this insane, totally bonkers and lovely World Cup continue, in the daylight.

From New York Times MBM...

90+4': The Americans Walk It to the Corner

Yedlin eats up the clock! Wondolowski did the same so well a couple of minutes ago! The Amerks, expertly killing off this game!

I'm sure the crowd know what's going on. The casual watchers on TV will be very much like the majority of Brits watching American Football I would have thought. 'Soccer' has a huge following in the US compared to most other places. The sheer size of the place means that even though it may not be their national sport there are plenty of people who follow the game just as passionately as we do

They actually reminded me a fair bit of England. They were athletic and tough with genuine pace in the side but were extremely naive and ponderous in possession

It's a once every four years thing for them (or rather for 90% of them). Football to them is like Curling to us in England.

The success of the women's team over many years must have had some effect too.

Americans love winners.

And its one of the most popular sports played by girls in school.... Which explains why their womens team has won more World Cups and Olympic Golds than any other team. The girls could quote the off side rule while most guys couldn't even tell you what a throw in is.

I've seen a couple of major league games on tv and the turnout has always looked pretty good

Do you reckon?

You might be right as due to Portugal's terrible goal difference Portugal may have to win by more than one or two goals. and the USA have to be careful to not get thrashed by Germany.
But this World Cup has had the ability to both surprise and disappoint when you least expect it to.

A lot of Americans think Soccer is a womans sport or for 'gays'. You have to wonder just how sheltered some people are from the real world

http://i.imgur.com/9phLgXJ.jpg

I'm very disappointed that they didn't hold on.

Could you them to explain it to some of the FIFA linesmen this year?

Yes, that's the problem.
If Germany win the USA by 3 goals, and Portugal win Ghana by 2 goals, or if Germany win the USA by 2 goals, and Portugal win Ghana by 3 goals, then Portugal and the USA will be on the same points and the same goal difference.

I'm not sure of the probability of BOTH Germany and Portugal winning by 2 or 3 goals, but it's possible, and perhaps doable.

Yet again we treated to a world cup classic match. Just wish Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland could be part of this partay

It could happen if Germany have already beaten Portugal 4-0.
The USA will have to play out of their skin and not give away silly mistakes at the end.
That error at the end could cost them dearly.

Let's not poop the party now.

I forgot about Ghana also having a real chance.

I read the first two of those, realised that it was quickly killing all of my brain cells, and went straight for the x button. Christ almighty...

Thanks for breaking it down.

I'm rooting for Portugal and Germany to advance .

Germany is more likely BUT I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Portugal

It's horrid isn't it. Somebody sent it me and now I feel it's only fair if other people have to read it too

You bastard.

Of course, we almost have the opposite problem among sections of the UK fan base.

Massive amount of conjecture and discussion currently taking place about the pros and cons of Germany and USA playing out this mutually agreeable draw.

I don't see how they can do it to the extent the Germans and Austrians did in 1982 because there'll be so much focus and scrutiny on the possibility of this happening that it would just be too scandalous to contemplate, but somebody on the radio has just said that if both sides are level with ten minutes to go they may not exactly be busting a gut to find a winner.

I recall something similar happening in 1990 when Ireland and Holland were level at 1-1 and played out the last few minutes without really attacking because they knew that that scoreline would put them both through.

Looking on Wikipedia the most goals scored in one tournament was 171 in 1998.

I wonder if it's possible to break that record?

1998 was the first world cup with 32 teams to be fair. So it may well do, but the goal to games average ratio could still be lower than 82', 70' (which it already is), 94'. Its only slightly ahead of those in that respect.