England vs. USA

[Sandy Lane]

Good luck to England, though I don't think you'll need it as obviously you're the better team!  But we're determined, and I secretly hope we beat the pants off y'all.  ;-)   So if the unexpected happens, I may have to taunt you!  Slightly.  But when you win, as Elvis says, don't be cruel... :-)

[Savvy]

Game kicks off at 19:30 so they'll turn up at 19:41 and claim victory! If they get beat they'll no doubt blame it on BP!

Heskey to rip em apart and score first...lump on, monster monster!!!

[Pintolager]

Can't wait for the gasme tomorrow night! Although the first game of the World Cup has already started, tomorrow will be the start and I am sure my excitement will build up even more. I don't care what the score is tomorrow, just as long as we win and grow stronger as the tournament progresses. I don't think the Yanks will be underestimated and it probably will be a close game, but hopefully England will sneak it!

[Snods Shinpad 2]

[Sandy Lane]

:-)

That Sun, jeeeeezzz, they got it SOOOOO TOTALLY wrong!!!  We would never say 'goaltender' -- nah, it always 'goalie' to us, dude!    Idiots!  :-)

[BillyStubbsTears]

Pintolager wrote:

Can't wait for the gasme tomorrow night!

See me. I quite enjoy football, but it doesn't take me to the height of sexual ecstacy. Each to their own.

[Rovin Reporter]

Ha!ha!ha!

[Snods Shinpad 2]

King Kev says there's absolutely no way Green will be subbed. Expect to see James second half then.  

[Rovin Reporter]

We scots a few goal keepers we dont need if they need one.

[Wellred]

Did Rooney play? Couldn't see him on our tv.

[Chris]

Rovin Reporter wrote:

We scots a few goal keepers we dont need if they need one.

I take it they're free this summer?

[Thinwhiteduke]

Rovin Reporter wrote:

We scots a few goal keepers we dont need if they need one.

Remind us again who you've got in you first World Cup match.

[Thinwhiteduke]

Wellred wrote:

Did Rooney play? Couldn't see him on our tv.

Not just my TV then  

There was me convinced Id heard people describe Rooney as World Class and put him in the same bracket as the likes of Lionel Messi.

[topnotch_Donny]

Thinwhiteduke wrote:

Wellred wrote:

Did Rooney play? Couldn't see him on our tv.

Not just my TV then  

There was me convinced Id heard people describe Rooney as World Class and put him in the same bracket as the likes of Lionel Messi.

We all know messi gets more of the ball because he is a deep player.

For me Ronney is better, but it takes more for him to shine as he is up there upfront.

Messi as low central gravity....foooking snap the Kitson  :angry:

[Sandy Lane]

We were terrible in the first and and after your early goal I had my head in my hands.  At least the defense kicked in for the 2nd.  Thank goodness for Tim Howard though, and my MOTM..  What a nightmare for Robert Green!  He certainly gave us a gift.

[Al4475]

Never mind lumping the blame solely on Rob Green - he'll obviously be crucified in tomorrow's papers!

What about abysmal attempts on goal too! Heskey, Wright-Phillips, Lennon all missed relative sitters - by striking standards big mistakes and on a par with Green's - yep he fooked up, but so did the strikers, only trouble is their mistakes didn't cost us a goal - or did they? In my eyes - yep they cost us too!

Not a great performance, but not a loss and two games left for us to get better in, and the yanks (in fairness) are no mugs anymore (love us to get hold hold of deMerit, am sure there's no chance tho') - England'll get to the knockout stages, then it's anybody's!

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

I'd pretty much agree with that Rigo, save that I'd give Green a 6.  You can't judge a performance on one error.  If a keeper errs, then its a goal.  If a midfielder errs, then the ball ends up with the other side and he gets a chance to win it back.  I don't believe that anybody made less errors than Green tonight but, unfortunately for Green, his England career will probably be defined by that.

[GM-MarkB]

Green more than made up for his rick by saving from Altidore in the second half.....can you imagine if that had gone in  :S

[topnotch_Donny]

GM-MarkB wrote:

Green more than made up for his rick by saving from Altidore in the second half.....can you imagine if that had gone in  :S

That save was routine, so no, he never made up for it.

I can see England going out in the first stage, we look so nervous....i blame it on the media.

[Old Popsider]

Pretty much agree with that Rigo, except apart from the obvious basic error to let in the goal, I thought Green had a fairly sound game. David James has certainly committed similar howlers when playing for England and he keeps getting in the squad. He certainly redeemed himself in the 2nd half with that save he pushed up onto the post/bar. Hope Green gets a start next game.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, why does Capello persist with him? Physically he's not up to the rough and tumble up front and is easily shoved off the ball. Granted he does have pace but that's about all. No, the side is better off without him. Sorry.

[RobTheRover]

GM-MarkB wrote:

Green more than made up for his rick by saving from Altidore in the second half.....can you imagine if that had gone in  :S

It was far from routine.  Altidore had powered past the last defender and lashed it early, with only Green to beat.  His reactions were enough to turn it onto the post.  A top drawer save, in my book.

[CusworthRovers]

I'm going to side with Carling.

The only thing Green did was get his position right. I would say that's a basic gimme for any goalie from 11yrs onwards.

I'm catching up with threads, so apologies if anybody else has stated this:

1. Other than the blunder that resulted in the goal, Green looked dodgy when another tame shot went in earlier and he hardly looked like he got the full weight of his body behind the ball then. Was that just me, or did anyone else see that.

2. That save that you discuss, he was lucky that hit the post and not go into the net. Again, he got a very weak hand to the ball, in effect if you watch it, the ball went straight through his hands, but enough to divert it to the post. A pair of stronger hands would have beaten that out or steered it well out for a corner. As said, by getting his position right (basics) also helped him.

James for me, and if injured Hart.

[Thinwhiteduke]

Germany this evening, v Australia, was a perfect example of how we should be approaching games.

The Germans put lesser opposition, which should be the case of the U.S. in regards to England, to the sword because they play competent strikers up front - not the likes of Heskey, who een one on one with a Keeper shoots weakly straight at them.

If, and its a big If, we get through to the second stage and have to face the Germans, we are on our way home, simple as that.

[Snods Shinpad 2]

 

[Viking Don]

Thinwhiteduke wrote:

Germany this evening, v Australia, was a perfect example of how we should be approaching games.

The Germans put lesser opposition, which should be the case of the U.S. in regards to England, to the sword because they play competent strikers up front - not the likes of Heskey, who een one on one with a Keeper shoots weakly straight at them.

If, and its a big If, we get through to the second stage and have to face the Germans, we are on our way home, simple as that.

I only wish I had your optimism.

[Sandy Lane]

Snods Shinpad wrote:

 

Apparently the headline refers to a famous Harvard vs.Yale football game that tied 29-29.  Harvard apparently had never won previously, so by tying Yale it was like a win to them -- a moral victory anyway.  I guess they feel by tying England, it's like that for the US.

The Post is known for its provocative headlines and some are quite clever, but it's a Rupert Murdock owned tabloid, I'm afraid.