|
Post by Loki on Jun 10, 2006 2:07:37 GMT -5
Results:
09 Jun GER : CRC 4:2 (2:1) 09 Jun POL : ECU 0:2 (0:1)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 11, 2006 2:14:42 GMT -5
Sat, June 10th 2006 results:
10 Jun ENG : PAR 1:0 (1:0) 10 Jun TRI : SWE 0:0 10 Jun ARG : CIV 2:1 (2:0)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 11, 2006 22:04:23 GMT -5
June 11th results:
11 Jun SCG : NED 0:1 (0:1) 11 Jun MEX : IRN 3:1 (1:1) 11 Jun ANG : POR 0:1 (0:1)
|
|
|
Post by Dragonsrule on Jun 11, 2006 22:32:28 GMT -5
USA plays at Noon tomorrow, should be a good match.
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 12, 2006 13:30:20 GMT -5
Czech Republic 3, United States 0 By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- Four years ago, the U.S. team woke up Americans to soccer with a stunning start and surprising run in the World Cup. This time, it opened with a thud.
Routed 3-0 by the Czech Republic on Monday night, the United States might have a very short tournament stay this year.
Czech giant Jan Koller scored just five minutes in, Tomas Rosicky added two goals and the Czechs coasted to an easy win.
Eager to prove they are among soccer's elite after their surprising quarterfinal finish in South Korea four years ago, the Americans brought their most-talented team ever to this year's tournament. They even got a pregame pep talk from President Bush, who called from Camp David before the game and wished them well.
But they disappointed millions of fans back home and about 5,000 who made the trek to Germany, falling to 0-8 in Europe in World Cup play.
" We had a lot of guys who were in their first games and were a little bit nervous," captain Claudio Reyna said. "Now there's no more excuses, we have to play better than that."
With the loss, the Americans put themselves in an extremely difficult hole -- in the last two World Cups, the only team to advance from the first round after losing its opener was Turkey in 2002.
Next up for the United States is traditional power Italy on Saturday, followed by rising Ghana on June 22.
"You can't be hesitant," Reyna added. "You have to be aggressive from the first minute. There's no excuse, we have to come out fighting against Italy from the first minute."
Reyna came closest to scoring, hitting a post midway through the first half. But Rosicky scored on a soaring 25-yard shot in the 36th minute, and the Americans never got back into the game against the Czechs, semifinalists in the European Championship two years ago.
Rosicky hit the crossbar in the 68th and added a goal in the 76th minute, getting past the U.S. defense off a through pass from Pavel Nedved, Europe's 2003 player of the year, and beating Kasey Keller on a breakaway.
Eddie Johnson, who entered at halftime, provided some energy, missing just wide in the 70th minute and high in the 76th.
When the Americans returned to the World Cup in 1990 after a 40-year absence, they were embarrassed 5-1 by Czechoslovakia in their opener. Ever since December's draw, they said this game was an opportunity to show how much they've improved.
They're ranked fifth in the world by FIFA's much-criticized computer formula -- the Czechs are second behind only Brazil -- but the Americans created few dangerous scoring chances.
"With all due respect, that's probably the best team in the group," Reyna said. "Italy's another tough team and it'll be another tough game, but we have to bounce back and put this game behind us and learn from it real quick."
Four years ago, the United States broke on top in its opener against Portugal in the fourth minute. This time, it was the Americans who fell behind quickly. David Rozehnal played the ball to the right flank for Zdenek Grygera, who had plenty of space and time, and crossed the ball before an onrushing Pablo Mastroeni could get there.
The 6-foot-7 1/2 -inch Koller, who returned only last month from knee surgery, already had been fouled by Oguchi Onyewu and Eddie Pope in the first two minutes. He stayed behind Onyewu, a 24-year-old who has been with the national team for less than two years, and was inside of the more experienced Pope. He easily bent his bald head to meet the cross and put the ball past Keller for his 43rd goal in 69 international appearances, a Czech record.
Reyna, who hasn't scored for the national team since 2000, nearly tied the score in the 29th, curling a 25-yard shot that got by a diving Petr Cech in goal. Reyna had a hopeful look on his face, but his expression quickly changed to disgust as the ball clanked off the far post.
Just as the United States was starting to establish some offensive rhythm, the Czechs went up 2-0. Nedved crossed and Onyewu headed the ball out. But it went to Rosicky, who settled it and sent a spectacular right-footed shot into the top corner to Keller's left, above the goalkeeper's raised right hand.
Koller injured his right leg battling Onyewu for a ball on the flank in the 43d minute, and was taken off on a stretcher, one hand behind his head, the other covering his face. He was taken to a hospital to be examined.
Czech coach Karel Bruckner said, "Unfortunately, his injury is quite serious."
|
|
|
Post by Dragonsrule on Jun 12, 2006 17:26:07 GMT -5
We looked Pitiful today. It was a really hard game to watch, and for non soccer fans, it had to be torture.
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 13, 2006 12:56:09 GMT -5
Monday june 12th 2006 results:
12 Jun AUS : JPN 3:1 (0:1) 12 Jun USA : CZE 0:3 (0:2) 12 Jun ITA : GHA 2:0 (1:0)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 14, 2006 1:03:23 GMT -5
Tuesday June 13 2006
13 Jun KOR : TOG 2:1 (0:1) 13 Jun FRA : SUI 0:0 13 Jun BRA : CRO 1:0 (1:0)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 15, 2006 13:36:13 GMT -5
wed June 14th 2006:
14 Jun ESP : UKR 4:0 (2:0) 14 Jun TUN : KSA 2:2 (1:0) 14 Jun GER : POL 1:0 (0:0)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 16, 2006 1:27:52 GMT -5
Thursday June 15th results
15 Jun ECU : CRC 3:0 (1:0) Photos | Video | More 15 Jun ENG : TRI 2:0 (0:0) Photos | Video | More 15 Jun SWE : PAR 1:0 (0:0) Photos | Video | More
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 16, 2006 1:28:25 GMT -5
Thursday June 15th results
15 Jun ECU : CRC 3:0 (1:0) Photos | Video | More 15 Jun ENG : TRI 2:0 (0:0) Photos | Video | More 15 Jun SWE : PAR 1:0 (0:0) Photos | Video | More
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 18, 2006 2:00:24 GMT -5
United States 1, Italy 1 By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (AP) -- They lumbered from end to end, desperate to stop the blue surge of Italians and salvage their World Cup.
Two U.S. players had been ejected. What could have been the winning goal was disallowed. And in the end, with players dropping to field in exhaustion, the United States managed a wild 1-1 tie Saturday night that gave the Americans their first-ever World Cup point in Europe and a chance to advance to the tournament's second round.
They'll need a win and some help, but the Americans are still players on the World Cup stage. Even if they needed an own-goal to tie the Italians.
"This team is alive, and that's where we wanted to be," goalkeeper Kasey Keller said. "It was a total team effort and those guys bled today for our country and our team."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Forward Brian McBride had three stitches on one cheek from a vicious elbow. A bandage covered where Landon Donovan received intravenous fluid. Jimmy Conrad had cotton stuffed up his nose, also the result of an elbow, and played part of the game with vision so blurry he had to ask a teammate whether he was bleeding.
"A roller-coaster," Clint Dempsey called it.
Harshly criticized for lackluster and nervous play in their opener, the Americans came out strong, winning the ball and living in Italy's half of the field.
But then Alberto Gilardino got behind the defense and headed Andrea Pirlo's free kick past Keller in the 22nd minute. The Americans tied the score in the 27th when Italy defender Cristian Zaccardo knocked Bobby Convey's free kick into the net as he tried to clear the ball before it reached McBride.
Then Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda began flashing red cards at a pace seldom seen in World Cup play.
First it was Italy's Daniele De Rossi, just a minute after the Americans tied it. After the game he apologized for an elbow that split McBride's left cheek. But after playing with a man advantage for 17 minutes, it was the Americans who were seeing red.
Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni was sent to the locker room in the 45th minute for a cleats-up tackle on Pirlo.
"I think that foul anywhere in the world is a yellow card," Mastroeni said.
Coming out of the locker room 10 against 10, it took just two minutes of the second half for defender Eddie Pope to get his second yellow card of the game for a tackle in which he got the ball first, then took down Gilardino.
"I thought it definitely was a harsh yellow," Pope said. "I thought the first yellow was harsh, as well. He was holding me the whole time."
The United States had some history with Larrionda, who awarded a penalty kick against the Americans in the 2003 Confederations Cup during a chippy match against Turkey. The Americans outfouled the Italians 24-13.
"I think the ref ruined the game for us because we looked like the better team and we wanted to win," captain Claudio Reyna said. "Even with nine men, we pushed at the right times."
But they were also on their heels -- Keller saved the Americans with a pair of point-blank stops on Alessandro Del Piero in the final 20 minutes.
When the whistle blew, the American players went to a corner of the field to salute the thousands of fans in red, white and blue who made a stadium near several U.S. military bases feel like a home field.
"They were behind us, in front us, to the side of us. They were everywhere," defender Oguchi Onyewu said. "It definitely lifted us and gave us that extra push."
With just nine men, they needed it. It was just the fourth time there have been three red cards in a World Cup match, the first since South Africa-Denmark in 1998.
"We gave everything, but it was difficult after the second red card," Reyna said. "We gave everything at the end to get a point."
Entering the day, it appeared the Americans would need a win. But in the earlier game, Ghana upset the Czechs 2-0. The result complicated a group that after the first games seemed clear.
Italy (1-0-1) leads with four points, one ahead of the Czechs and Ghana (both 1-1) and three ahead of the Americans (0-1-1).
For the United States to reach the round of 16, it must win, coupled with an Italian victory over the Czechs. Or Italy would have to tie the Czechs along with a U.S. victory by at least four goals -- and maybe more. The U.S. also could advance if Italy loses depending on how the Americans fare in tiebreakers.
Italy has incentive to beat the Czechs -- the group's second-place team likely will face Brazil, a challenge the United States gladly would accept right now.
"Perhaps four points for the U.S. team will be good enough to get out of the group," American coach Bruce Arena said.
Pope and Mastroeni will miss Thursday's game against Ghana. McBride, who has twice had plastic surgery to repair soccer injuries, said he's fine to play.
"Brian has, I think, a few titanium plates in his face already," Keller said, "so you know he's going to stick his head in places where most people would really prefer not to."
The draw was a milestone in U.S. soccer history. The Americans were 0-8 in World Cup games played in Europe, and they had never gotten even a single point in Europe in any match against the big five nations of Italy, England, Germany, Spain and France.
By the end, players' legs were heavy from running in the wide-open space created by all the red cards. The United States, which brought on Conrad after Pope was sent off, ended the game in a formation of four defenders, three midfielders and one forward. The Azzurri used three forwards to apply pressure.
But thanks greatly to Keller, the Americans didn't buckle.
For a few brief seconds, it even appeared the United States had gone ahead in the 66th minute, when second-half sub DaMarcus Beasley slotted the ball in off goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. But with Arena pumping an arm on the sideline, the whistle blew for an offside call on McBride, who had screened Buffon.
Keller then made the save of the night, jumping to his right to palm away a short shot by a wide-open Del Piero, who had gotten a chip from Pirlo. Keller made another outstanding stop on Del Piero in the 79th.
"It was," Keller said, "a crazy game."
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 18, 2006 2:01:31 GMT -5
June 17th 2006
17 Jun POR : IRN 2:0 (0:0) 17 Jun CZE : GHA 0:2 (0:1) 17 Jun ITA : USA 1:1 (1:1)
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 19, 2006 1:19:27 GMT -5
sunday June 18 2006 results:
18 Jun JPN : CRO 0:0 Photos | Video | More 18 Jun BRA : AUS 2:0 (0:0) Photos | Video | More 18 Jun FRA : KOR 1:1 (1:0) Photos | Video | More
|
|
|
Post by Loki on Jun 20, 2006 2:42:43 GMT -5
Monday June 19th 2006 results:
19 Jun TOG : SUI 0:2 (0:1) 19 Jun KSA : UKR 0:4 (0:2) 19 Jun ESP : TUN 3:1 (0:1)
|
|