USA 1-1 Italy

Nice prediction. Very obvious and safe. Italy kicks US butt too. They only have 9 on the pitch. Well this is why we get to play the games. Stuff hapens in Football. Own goals for instance. Red cards and double yellow. Excitement is why we watch. GO USA!

Posted from  United States

I think Italy will beat CR simply because CR will be missing so many key players. I think a Ghana team with all its starters would draw or even beat a US team with all its starters, simply because Ghana is fast already and the US boys, while very fit, will have to be feeling the effects of playing with nine for an entire half. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I won’t be surprised if LD and McBride are a couple steps slow Thursday.

Having said that, I see the US winning 1-0 or maybe even 2-0 because the two guys we’ll be missing matter less in the overall scheme than the two guys Ghana will miss. They simply won’t have much offensive firepower, which gives the US more options on offense. The US can probably afford to play a more risky defensive game and get away with it now. I like Italy and US to advance from this group.

I’m shocked that so many here are pulling for Italy! I want to see the Czechs CRUSH Italy like they deserve for being diving, cheating, elbow-throwing bastards. 3-0 would be good. De Rossi should be thrown out of the tournament. The US is highly unlikely to beat Ghana by the necessary 2 full goals but it could happen.

The US redeemed itself very well in that last game – great play all around. Need to be a bit less clumsy on defense though. Technically all of those cards could be said to have been given correctly – although if he were being consistent about being that strict then Totti, two other Italians and Onyewu would also have gone off. 8 against 7 would have been fun!

And as for the comments about the US not having many scoring opportunities – nor did Italy (apart from the actual goal) until Italy had a man advantage. The US needs to bring a great game against Ghana and hope that Ghana plays poorly.

But realistically – if they play well against Ghana then no matter the result they can at least return home with pride.

And, while I like just about everything about Italy and Italians, the one thing I don’t like is football. So go home and good riddance…

Posted from  United States

Asamoan and Muntari are going to be missed by Ghana, but not as much as some people are suggesting. Muntari is a really good player; a part of the brilliant Ghana midfield trio,and Asamoah Gyan plays a Rooney kind of role for Ghana: holding the ball and providing muscle for the team up front, something Razak Pimpong or Matthew Amoah cannot do. That being said, if you have been following Ghana’s games, you will realize the team is just as deadly with a 4-4-2 as they are with a 4-5-1. Otto Addo played in right mid, and he was amazing. Appiah and Muntari in the friendly game against South Korea, which Ghana won by 3 goals to 1 by the way, switced flanks a lot. Also, Ghana’s equalizing goal against Turkey came from an Appiah cross to Amoah. Guess where Appiah crossed the ball from? The left! What is my point here? The mid field is very dynamic. All the coach needs to do is to push Appiah into Muntari’s role, play Otto Addo on the right, and either play Essien as an attacking mid or Derek Boateng(Derrick by the way is one of the best and most loved players in the Swedish League. The Swedish have made a song about him) as an attacking mid. About making Donovan mark Essien, chances are it will not work. Essien has a free role in the team, so does Appiah and Muntari. The US team plays well because they can keep their shape. Putting Donovan on Essien would mean the US team’s shape might be affected. Besides, there is no guarantee Donovan can do a good job against Essien, nothing against Donovan, Essien is just that good. Best bet, US plays it’s game. I am Ghanaian, who follows the Ghanaian team pretty well. Ghana does have depth on the bench.Good luck against Ghana. It will be a good game.

Posted from  United States

Owen: we’re rooting for Italy because if Italy wins and we win, we go through. Simple as that. If the Czechs win, then we’d not only have to win but win by four goals.

I foresee Italia 1st, Ghana 2nd, Czech 3rd, USA 4th

Very thin chance for the US team

Donovan marking Essien sounds like a bad idea. Donovan is quick, but is he that good defensively?

It will be interesting to see what Bruce does…

Posted from  Dominican Republic

Congratulations to the US for a well deserved victory.

The Italian team played what I would consider a shamefull game, albeit the US was doing a heck of alot of hacking at the Italian legs.

The Ref well, what can we say? “Send him home packing”.

Being Italian and also American I am rooting for Italy/USA to finish at the TOP and would love to see a rematch ITALY/BRASIL.

The hopes of the Italian team are overly exagerated, if they advance they will probably faulter in the elimination round against either Brasil or Australia.

In the mean time, GO USA GO GO GO!

Posted from  United States

How ’bout them Yanks?? Ha ha ha. To all the naysayers… suck it!

Alessandro-

are you Italian? Did you play a pickup game yesterday at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo?

this could be a weird coincidence…

Posted from  Dominican Republic

Everyone’s thoughtful posts are very much appreciated, as is the lack of crazed swearing about, oh, refs perhaps?

That said, and despite my great desire that the US advance, I fear Ghana will just be too fast, even missing two key players. We are exhausted.

You know that feeling: First game after time off, you’re sluggish. Second game you feel like a world beater. Third game, your thighs are so sore from game two you beg for a mercy rule.

The US recovered their fight against Italy. Even if we do go out, I am proud of them!

Posted from  United States

That was a great game USA…and the team deserve to win the math. I hope you can beat ghana…and prove teh real value of soccer in america.

Donovan is freaking good…i wish that our national team have a player like donovan.

Go USA!

Posted from  Mexico

If I was Arena, I’d rest our side until late Tuesday. Let them lounge around another full day and a half. The nine who played the 2nd half have to be sore and exhausted. I don’t care how fit you are, that pushes the physical limits. Work the guys who weren’t in there that 2nd half, but let those nine take it easy another full day at least. The US must have good legs on Thursday, because one thing is for damn sure – Ghana will run the US and run them hard! I like the US’s chances, but what I fear is a late equalizer or winning goal by Ghana that can be chalked up to a worn-out US side.

I’m a little surprised that everyone here is so pleased with the US play. I’m not as pleased, although, for the team, a draw against Italy playing down a man for an entire half is spectacular. But, they have yet to score in this tournament, Reyna’s distribution of the ball has been horrible, why was Beasley playing like he’d been in the whole game instead of running at the defenders, why didn’t Arena put in a fresh pair of legs when all were so fatigued?
That match left me scratching my head more than cheering.
Also, runners up for US MoM: Bocanegra was HUGE and Dempsey- hated to see him subbed.
Oh, and Toni should get a swimming cap instead of a WC cap for all the diving he does.
IMO,
-WJ

Posted from  United States

Damn that was quite a match the U.S. deserved a victory. To most other people I talked they all agreed with me that the team exceeded their capabalities, did not give up even after being scored (which happens to other team, they stop attacking due to moral drop), and it also surprised us for some skills they pulled out in the field. Although the team could organize itself more when attacking, but nevertheless even with numeral disadvantage the U.S. pulled through and did very well. Congratulations on a match well played!

Posted from  Brazil

USA has no chance for this world cup. They barely survived against Italy. That own goal was pure luck. No one should be celebrating until USA pulls a win against Ghana. they better win their next upcoming match because that lost from czech was embarrassing. I cant believe that happen. But I hope team USA wins the match against Ghana.
Yeaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
USAAAAAAAAAAA ALL THE WAY

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
U KNOW IT

Posted from  United States

Ghana 3
USA 0
DONNOVAN is Arena’s lover
when was the last time he was subed? never !! even when he sucks like he always does, Arena never pulls him out.
worthless player. LOL

Posted from  United States

You’re an idiot if you think Donovan played poorly against Italy. He was running circles around Italy players all over the pitch, even in the 90th minute. The guy could hardly walk off the field when the whistle blew. Donovan, McBride, Dempsey and Reyna are why the Ities were out of gas with 20 minutes to play. Probably saved the draw. Get a clue.

Just think its kind of cool to have a Brazilian come on and congratulate us on a good game. Teenagers over in Brazil know more about football than the majority of Americans. Thanks Bisinski

But I agree, I think we need to take Ghana very seriously. They are a good team even with the missing players. I don’t think they are so good we don’t stand a chance. Rather we will need to be really on our game and get a couple in the net. I have really liked what I have seen with Ghana, they play with a lot of heart and determination. It is there first shot in the world cup and they have a chance to get to the next round. They have a lot more to play for than we do. So we can’t walk into this expecting to just get lucky or walk right over them. I think we are going to have to get down to it an prove we have the stuff. This mean, we need to actually score some goals.

I am elated to see that we still have a fighting chance. I really want Italy to win as payback for the beating we recieved. Only in football can you wish that the opposing team gets hit by a bus one week, and then pray they have a blow away game and just devestate their opposition the very next week.

Go USA!!!

Posted from  United States

do you really think that if your hero Donnovan was Brazilian or an Argentine or Italian or German he would be playing on the national team? are you kidding me? you know better if you know anything about soccer..he is nothing but worthless bullshitter who looks like a monkey..just a below average player. but in the US he looks good because the quality of the players here is bad

Posted from  United States

Mark – stop acting like a troll.
Others – I suggest you ignore trolls.

Onto soccer…
I know the chances are good that the US comes into the game still tired from Italy’s grueling match, but I think that the chances are even better that they come in with their heads held high and a shot of confidence from the way they weathered the last game that will burn through the tiredness. They got the draw against huge odds.

Regarding the US and Ghana:
I am very antsy on this game. My greatest concern is that I think we haven’t gotten into our groove with offense. Against the Czechs we tried and tried for the perfect set plays or shots and go destroyed. Against Italy, I can’t complain, we seemed to remember the great basic principle in soccer (in my opinion), aggressively move the ball forward and the plays will develop for you. And to continue a comment above about Beasley… what’s up with him? He seems to be lacking energy and not adding to the game.

Can’t wait for the US-Ghana game!

Posted from  United States

Re: Donovan, he came to play in game 2. He left it all on the field. If he does it again v. Ghana, he’ll have done his part.

Re: Ghana v. US, it keeps occurring to me that we are probably slightly more fortunate missing PM and EP than they are missing their two strikers. Essien is a great player, no doubt, but they will sorely miss Gyan and Muntari for finishes. Then I keep thinking that Ghana is lightning fast, and our side may still be tired from the Italy game. I hope for a 1-0 US win, but it will not surprise me if the game ends in a scoreless draw.

you say Donnovan is good,
MILLIONS around the world say he sucks and laugh at him as a pro-player. you ar right and we are wrong?
get a life…

Posted from  United States

Somehow, I can’t imagine the US ever going to a scoreless game against Ghana. We’d either score or we get so desparate that we open up our defense and get scored on in the last 15-20 mins of the game.

Posted from  United States

The Italy US game was the worst display of soccer I have ever seen. The referee in that game was so one sided and in favor of the US, it sickens me. Did the US pay him off before the game? A loss by the US would have put the team out of the World Cup and the networks would have lost viewers.. so it comes down to financial reasons for fixing that game. Simply put, the US players should be playing in a C or B league at best. They were clearly outmatched in skill level, which is why they began fouling at every opportunity. Stopping the free flowing technique of Italy is the only way that the US even stood a chance of competing. Among the 2 red cards received by the Americans, there were several more fouls that were never called. I don’t agree with the elbow by DeRossi, but after being constantly fouled, I could only imagine the frustration of the Italian players. It’s no wonder they took Totti off the field. He just came back from a broken leg and they probably didn’t want to risk him on the field with those hacks. Mastroeni’s foul on Pirlo could’ve ended the Milan playmakers career. And the offsides calls.. there were at least four plays that should not have been called offsides. Even the ignorant US commentators couldn’t spin those calls.
I would like to see soccer in the US progress as much as anyone, but they clearly do not understand the beautiful game yet. Maybe the US should just stick to American football. Judging by this game they obviously do not know the difference.

Posted from  United States