Is this serious? USA scored the same 4 as Portugal but only conceded 4 to Portugal's 7. Seems fair enough to me.

I forgot about them.


Very true, they have looked great. France look like the French team of old, they're gonna take some stopping at the Euros.

But I didn't expect all from England, Spain, Italy and Portugal to be out already while the likes of Costa Rica are MUHAHAing away.

In regards to France I was sooo very happy for them! Considering how things went down for them at the last World Cup... tragic how they went out. They did great to redeem themselves. I can totally respect that

I was only talking about their last game this afternoon, and not what went on before. Every score should count, but it doesn't, because someone took it upon themselves to make sure only certain teams go through.

Asking the losing teams how they feel about the scoring system would go a long way to changing it.

I'd like Germany or Brazil to win the WC, but can't see them doing it.

Yaaass! at least we get through too.

Sincere question: Has the scoring system ever been changed or has it always been this way?

Another match at 9pm, starting at 8.30pm according to the EPG, and another evening of missing BB.

There used to be 2 points for a win now its 3. In some tournaments head to head comes before goal difference in deciding when teams are level on points. There also used to be a second group stage but now its straight knock out which I prefer.

I think something changed, but haven't delved into it. The others would probably know. Haven't watched so many games for ages, as I have now, but always watch it to see how England does or doesn't, and watch when Germany plays. The interest has increased to see more countries play than ever before, as I feel a big change has happened, with more changes to come.

Yay.

Semifinals isn't a pipe dream if we can win vs. Belgium and say, Swiss upset Argentina.

Hopefully the idiots here (EDIT: here in the US) don't doubt Klinsmann again.

Could be a tight game.

Ahh okay, I understand now. Thank you for clearing that up for me

I thought I had remembered that there was another stage between the first and the knockout stage, which is why I thought this year's World Cup was missing a stage.
But I get it now - again thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Yup - nailed that one! As soon as he said what he did to the American press and how much flack he got for it... I knew then... that USMNT would prove him wrong. It's the American way - when you say we 'can't' it only fires us up to do the once thought impossible.
But I do wonder if Klinsmann had said that on purpose knowing full well how fired up it would get the rest of the country.
He's lived in the US since 1998 (If I can recall correctly), so actually I think he knew exactly what he was doing and well yeah... it worked!

No problem also until 1994 there were 6 groups of 4 so the 4 best 3rd places teams used to qualify for the 2nd round so in effect as long as you got more points than weaker teams in other groups you'd qualify. Now its a much more simple top 2 in your group.

I mean, he's the first coach in our history to get a win in Mexico, and we got a 0-0 in Azteca in qualifying, which had only been done once before.

Also (albeit in friendlies) got a win in Italy for the first time as well. Plus 0 home goals conceded in the final qualifying round.

He's so much better than Bob Bradley, whose teams basically fell behind inside 5 minutes at least 60% of the time.

I can't disagree with anything you've said there - nope, not one bit, not one bit at all!

Who knows maybe now is the time of our 'Golden Age' of football?

I think they will. They are a very well balanced team, which is an underrated quality these days. They don't have the superstar players that some teams have, but as we have seen, they will only carry a team so far. What they do have is an extremely well organised/drilled defense and midfield, and capable strikers. They work well together and play for eachother, and I think they might even shock Argentina.

That is potential embarrassing for English football the US are through to the last 16.

Why? There are many teams lower ranked than England that have progressed.

Are you thinking of Andy Möller?

USA played well but I thought the performance against Ghana was better. Beckerman is a bit of a liability with his 'no-nonsense' tackling. Germany were ok, I think they sort of miss having a dedicated forward. Müller is great but still a midfielder really. Howedes (or HooverDays as Lawrenson pronounced it) is pretty shoddy.

I just made an entire plateful of chili dogs and coleslaw and here, take this full 1litre bottle of JD - anytime you'll be welcome here

While I totally agree with what you have said here, there is a concern and it involves one player... Bradley at least a personal concern from me. It's like his gears aren't completely synced.
In regards to working well together and play for each other, the USA just seems to actually combine as a unit and play *with* each other. To me it comes across as something beautiful, something of which combines nature and mechanical. It's a wonderful sense of the true definition of awesome, well at least it is for me.

It's not like hearing the huffing and puffing sound from one part of an over cranked gear which is only supported by lesser gears that are never cranked at all....and so those gears merely exist, doing absolutely nothing hardly ever, okay maybe once in a half ever, but never ever hardly anything absolutely all the time gears.
Work together consistently and things can move very much better.

Gods. I love football and I'm proud. Thank you David Seaman. I was there watching you whilst you cried. 2002. That year is when soccer became *my* football. Thank you, David. Thank you, England.

*end of rant* *sorry*

You'd think so, but time moves on.
What teams used to be like can change quite a lot in say 10 years or so.

Ah, I think you may be right.
Was that the guy who scored that goal and was arrogantly preening like a peacock with his hands on his hips?

Yes, that is who I was thinking of...http://www.theguardian.com/football/...n/06/euro20083

That was Euro 96 which would have made Thomas Muller 6 years old.
So I was years out.
Time flies. I don't follow football that closely so things that happened ages ago can feel very recent in memory.

Peter_Lamy.
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