Do you remember the Golden Goal? That was probably even crueller than penalties. It was used for the last time in the 2002 World Cup.
viva fifa!
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Do you remember the Golden Goal? That was probably even crueller than penalties. It was used for the last time in the 2002 World Cup.
You and gopher should get a room......you are the only two watching those sissy games....
The pride parade is also on somewhere in Toronto.....:lol:
The pride parade is also on somewhere in Toronto.....:lol:
Along with hundreds of millions of others around the world.
Homosexuality is wrong. I shan't be attending such a despicable event. I'll leave it to you Canadians.
Meanwhile, there's a party on in Brazil. Shame the Canadians didn't attend. You lot waving your Rainbow Flags would have made the tournament even more colourful.
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An absolute beauty of a goal! Giovanni dos Santos has just put Mexico 1-0 up against Netherlands at the start of the second half. Not quite as good as Rodriguez's work of art last night, but a rocket none the less.
Exactly what ''sudden death'' is in the NFL. Again, many Yanks object to something in soccer that they applaud in their own game (I am here referring to the fact that shut outs are viewed favorably in baseball but not in soccer by so many people here). Golden goal, like sudden death, are a good part of the game.
My 2 ¢.
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Great match just now between Mexico & Netherlands. The latter won 2-1 in a disputed goal with 2 minutes to go. Luckily for the Dutch the ref called for a water break and it energized them so that they were able to put together a good offensive threat.
More exciting soccer to follow.
Jealousy detected and noted for the record ...
Last 16
Result
Netherlands 2-1 Mexico
Sneijder (88').............................................dos Santos (48')
Huntelaar (90'+4 pen)
Mexico are out of the World Cup after losing against Netherlands in a dramatic finale.
Villarreal striker Giovani Dos Santos held off a posse of Dutch defenders before thumping a rocket of a strike into the bottom corner to put Mexico 1-0 up at the start of the second half.
Mexico looked like holding onto their lead, and the tournament's first drinks break occurred when the players were allowed a three-minute drink in the searing heat (don't forget, it's winter in Brazil!)
But then, with just a couple of minutes of normal time remaining, with Netherlands seemingly heading out of the competition, Wesley Sneijder's eyes lit up as a loose ball in the Mexican box fell at his feet and he thumped it into the net to the delight - and the sheer relief - of the orange-clad Dutch in Fortaleza.
The match then seemed to be heading to 30 minutes of extra time and a possible penalty shootout but then, two minutes into six minutes of injury time, Rafael Marquez tripped Dutch winger Arjen Robben in the box, and the former Chelsea star was awarded a penalty, to the dismay of the Mexicans.
It was Huntelaar who decided to take the penalty. As the Mexican players prayed on the sidelines, Huntelaar bounced the ball like 80s goalkeeping legend John Lukic in his hey-day. He coolly blasted the penalty into the bottom corner to give Netherlands a 2-1 lead, which they held onto in the remaining two minutes of injury time.
Mexico were so close to getting through to the Quarter Finals of the World Cup for the first time since Mexico '86, but now they'll be getting the plane home.
As for Netherlands, they will play either Costa Rica or Greece in the Quarter Final.
19 down, 13 remaining.
I think ice hockey has Golden Goal, too. Penalties are a doddle compared to that. When your team are involved in a Golden Goal situation it's hide behind the sofa time.
And, of course, like everything else, the England football team has sheer bad luck when it comes to the Golden Goal. During Euro 2004 (in which England were the best team and should have won it) England defender Sol Campbell scored a Golden Goal against host nation Portugal in the Quarter Final. I was in Italy at the time watching it at this Italian girl's house with her and her family (Italy were knocked out at the Group Stage) and when Campbell's Golden Goal went it I just jumped off the chair and cheered and screamed so loudly I almost took the roof of the house off, celebrating England getting to the Semi-Final. But the referee suddenly claimed it wasn't a goal for some reason or another and it was chalked off, yet replay after replay could show nothing wrong with the goal. It should have stood and England should have been in the Semi-Final. As it was, Portugal went on to win on penalties, and then went on to lose against Greece (yes, Greece) in the Final in a tournament that many believe England should have won. The ref even received death threats afterwards.
Result
Netherlands 2-1 Mexico
Sneijder (88').............................................dos Santos (48')
Huntelaar (90'+4 pen)
Mexico are out of the World Cup after losing against Netherlands in a dramatic finale.
Villarreal striker Giovani Dos Santos held off a posse of Dutch defenders before thumping a rocket of a strike into the bottom corner to put Mexico 1-0 up at the start of the second half.
Mexico looked like holding onto their lead, and the tournament's first drinks break occurred when the players were allowed a three-minute drink in the searing heat (don't forget, it's winter in Brazil!)
But then, with just a couple of minutes of normal time remaining, with Netherlands seemingly heading out of the competition, Wesley Sneijder's eyes lit up as a loose ball in the Mexican box fell at his feet and he thumped it into the net to the delight - and the sheer relief - of the orange-clad Dutch in Fortaleza.
The match then seemed to be heading to 30 minutes of extra time and a possible penalty shootout but then, two minutes into six minutes of injury time, Rafael Marquez tripped Dutch winger Arjen Robben in the box, and the former Chelsea star was awarded a penalty, to the dismay of the Mexicans.
It was Huntelaar who decided to take the penalty. As the Mexican players prayed on the sidelines, Huntelaar bounced the ball like 80s goalkeeping legend John Lukic in his hey-day. He coolly blasted the penalty into the bottom corner to give Netherlands a 2-1 lead, which they held onto in the remaining two minutes of injury time.
Mexico were so close to getting through to the Quarter Finals of the World Cup for the first time since Mexico '86, but now they'll be getting the plane home.
As for Netherlands, they will play either Costa Rica or Greece in the Quarter Final.
19 down, 13 remaining.
I think ice hockey has Golden Goal, too. Penalties are a doddle compared to that. When your team are involved in a Golden Goal situation it's hide behind the sofa time.
And, of course, like everything else, the England football team has sheer bad luck when it comes to the Golden Goal. During Euro 2004 (in which England were the best team and should have won it) England defender Sol Campbell scored a Golden Goal against host nation Portugal in the Quarter Final. I was in Italy at the time watching it at this Italian girl's house with her and her family (Italy were knocked out at the Group Stage) and when Campbell's Golden Goal went it I just jumped off the chair and cheered and screamed so loudly I almost took the roof of the house off, celebrating England getting to the Semi-Final. But the referee suddenly claimed it wasn't a goal for some reason or another and it was chalked off, yet replay after replay could show nothing wrong with the goal. It should have stood and England should have been in the Semi-Final. As it was, Portugal went on to win on penalties, and then went on to lose against Greece (yes, Greece) in the Final in a tournament that many believe England should have won. The ref even received death threats afterwards.
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Costa Rica > Greece in shoot out
Still another exciting match in the WC. A full 90 minutes of football plus 30 minutes of extra time, and then the shoot out. After all the wounded legs, broken noses, and bruised faces we've seen in the WC, anyone who thinks this is for weaklings need to try the sport themselves. I bet they will change their minds when they learn first hand just how brutal it can be.
Still another exciting match in the WC. A full 90 minutes of football plus 30 minutes of extra time, and then the shoot out. After all the wounded legs, broken noses, and bruised faces we've seen in the WC, anyone who thinks this is for weaklings need to try the sport themselves. I bet they will change their minds when they learn first hand just how brutal it can be.
It got to the 91st minute and it was 1-0 to Costa Rica and I was preparing myself to turn it over onto Kasabian performing live at Glastonbury on BBC2 - I kept flicking between Kasabian on BBC2 and Costa Rica vs Greece on ITV1 - when the end of the match arrives in a few minutes. And then jammy Greece (or Hellas as the Greeks call their skint little country for some unfathomable reason) equalised right at the start of injury time.
It was a higher quality penalty shootout than the one between Brazil and Chile the previous night. Gekas was the only one who missed a pen. No wonder he was distraught at the end when his team lost the shootout 5-3.. He put his team out of the competition.
Both teams were looking to reach the Quarter Finals for the first time ever, and it was Costa Rica who prevailed.
And Costa Rica must be pinching themselves. They were supposed to be the whipping boys in the only group at this World Cup with three former World Cup winners and three teams ranked in the world Top 10, yet they not only topped that group but now they have beaten Hellas to reach the Last 16. Their fans were literally crying tears of joy last night. They're in dreamland. And just imagine what they'd be like should they happen to beat Netherlands in the Quarter Final and reach the Semi-Final?!
Costa Ricans Celebrate Historic World Cup Win
Last 16
Result
Costa Rica 1-1 Greece
Ruiz 52′ ..........Papastathopoulos 90′
After Extra Time; Costa Rica win 5-3 on penalties
Costa Rica play Netherlands in Quarter Final
Fulham striker Ruiz scored the opener and dispatched his spot-kick in the shootout
Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell struggled to find space in a tight first half
The streets of the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, have been filled with fans celebrating the national team's latest win at the football World Cup.
Costa Rica beat Greece 5-3 in a penalty shootout after the match, which ended 1-1, went into extra time in Recife.
With the result, Costa Rica have qualified for the quarter-finals, where they will play the Netherlands.
"We are making history. It's beautiful what we have done," said coach Jorge Luis Pinto.
"This win is for everyone in Costa Rica," Pinto said.
The small Central American nation has reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in its history.
Tens of thousands gathered in San Jose in front of large screens to watch the match, which ended in dramatic fashion.
Dimitris Salpingidis had a volley from close range saved by Keylor Navas when the score was 1-1
Theofanis Gekas missed the decisive penalty in the shootout, with Keylor Navas making a superb save
Flag-waving crowds flocked to the city centre of Costa Rican capital San Jose to celebrate their team's win over Greece. Football is the country's national sport
Newly elected Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis (in front of the flag) celebrated with ecstatic fans
Costa Rica supporters feared the worse when Greece equalised in injury time
For the first time in its history, the small Central American nation qualified for the quarter-finals
BBC Sport - Costa Rica 1-1 Greece (5-3 on penalties)
Costa Rica Factfile
Area: 19,653 sq mi (around five times smaller than the UK)
Population: 4.6 million (around the same as the East Midlands region of England; one-fourteenth that of the UK's 64.1 million)
Languages: Spanish; Mekatelyu; Bribri; Patois
Costa Rica means "rich coast" in Spanish
Independence: From Spain (1821); from Mexico (1823)
Interesting facts:
It constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949, becoming the first and one of the few sovereign nations without a standing army;
Costa Rica is known for its progressive environmental policies, being the only country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. It is ranked fifth in the world, and first among the Americas, in terms of the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.
The New Economics Foundation (NEF) ranked Costa Rica first in its 2009 Happy Planet Index, and once again in 2012. The NEF also ranked Costa Rica in 2009 as the greenest country in the world.
In 2012, Costa Rica became the first country in the Americas to ban recreational hunting after the country’s legislature approved the popular measure by a wide margin.
Football is the country's most popular sport.
Costa Rica has long been considered an exporter of footballers, with 19 players in European professional football leagues during 2006. Costa Ricans currently playing in England include Everton's Brian Oviedo and Fulham's Bryan Ruiz, who scored against Greece last night. In the late 90s Mouricio Solis played for Derby County. Paulo Wanchope is probably the most famous Costa Rican to have played in England. He played for Derby County, West Ham United and Manchester City between 1996 and 2004.
The newspaper, La Nación, has prepared an annual census of these Costa Rican "Legionnaires" since 1994.
Costa Rica's first-ever match was against neighbouring El Salvador in Guatemala on 14th September 1921 which Costa Rica won 7-0.
Their biggest-ever win was 12-0 against Puerto Rico in Colombia in December 1946.
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France > Nigeria 2-0
For some reason Nigeria played uninspired soccer. They fell utterly asleep on defense and even scored an own goal.
For some reason Nigeria played uninspired soccer. They fell utterly asleep on defense and even scored an own goal.
Germany > Algeria 2-1
Seems like the European teams are in better condition than the teams from the other parts of the world. They don't wilt in the heat and humidity and have much more drive despite the prolonged games. Whatever it is that is causing that, other nations need to take heed of that and follow their training regimens.
Tomorrow it's time for the USA to take center stage and I'm all stoked for that.
Seems like the European teams are in better condition than the teams from the other parts of the world. They don't wilt in the heat and humidity and have much more drive despite the prolonged games. Whatever it is that is causing that, other nations need to take heed of that and follow their training regimens.
Tomorrow it's time for the USA to take center stage and I'm all stoked for that.
2014 World Cup Quarter Finals
Brazil vs Colombia
Netherlands vs Costa Rica
France vs Germany
Argentina or Switzerland vs Belgium or USA
So the Algerians failed to get revenge on Jerry for 1982. Shame. It was the first time the Fennec Foxes had ever lost to Jerry. They'd never lost to him before.
Now Jerry is playing Froggy in a World Cup derby match in the Quarter Finals.
The two teams have played each other 25 times between 1931 and 2013, with Germany winning 11, France winning 9, with 5 draws.
They have met in three previous World Cups, with France winning 6-3 at Sweden 1958, with West Germany (the Germany football team are the continuance of the now-defunct West Germany team) winning 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw at Spain 1982, and West Germany winning 2-0 at Mexico 1986.
That 1982 encounter between the two neighbours, when Michel Platini, the current president of UEFA, was the French captain, is one of the most famous - or should that be notorious? - World Cup matches in history:
France, Germany, and one of the ugliest incidents in World Cup history
Richard Farley
Jun 30, 2014, 8:39 PM EDT
As Germany closed out its Round of 16 win over Algeria, we heard Jon Champion allude to 1982, only this time, the ESPN broadcaster wasn’t talking up the collusion-angle (involving West Germany, Austria and Algeria) that’d been reprised ahead of Monday’s game. Instead, Champion was alluding to one of the more notorious incidents in World Cup history, one that will come to the attention of a new generation of soccer fans ahead of Germany’s meeting with France on Friday in Brazil 2014′s quarterfinals.
It was the first two straight semifinals where West Germany would face Michel Platini’s France, eventually eliminating them on penalty kicks after the 3-3 draw. In the second half, however, the match was marred when German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher collided with France’s Patrick Battiston, sending the defender to the ground as he pursued a ball at the edge of the German penalty box.
Battiston would eventually be stretchered from the field and require oxygen after a hit that knocked out two teeth, cracked three ribs, and left the French player with a damaged vertebrae. Battiston didn’t regain consciousness for 30 minutes and eventually slipped into a coma.
No foul was called on the play. From YouTube:
Harald Schumacher vs. Patrick Battiston (1982 World Cup semi finals) - YouTube
Perhaps Champion describing this as a near-decapitation was an exaggeration, but he’s not the only one to put the incident in such graphic terms. The play is commonly referenced among the worst challenges in the sport’s history, making it even more inexplicable Schumacher was allowed to continue.
From The Observer’s Tim Pears, published six years ago:
Battiston eventually forgave Schumacher, but reliving the incident remains difficult. From Goal.com:
Thankfully, the sport’s changed. In addition to increased scrutiny on the field, the culture around the game is less forgiving when a player shows such blatant disregard.
Still, we’re likely to hear a lot more about this incident in the lead up to Friday’s quarterfinal. Though unfortunate, the play serves as a small, extreme reminder of how far the game’s hopefully come.
France, Germany, and one of the ugliest incidents in World Cup history | ProSoccerTalk
Brazil vs Colombia
Netherlands vs Costa Rica
France vs Germany
Argentina or Switzerland vs Belgium or USA
So the Algerians failed to get revenge on Jerry for 1982. Shame. It was the first time the Fennec Foxes had ever lost to Jerry. They'd never lost to him before.
Now Jerry is playing Froggy in a World Cup derby match in the Quarter Finals.
The two teams have played each other 25 times between 1931 and 2013, with Germany winning 11, France winning 9, with 5 draws.
They have met in three previous World Cups, with France winning 6-3 at Sweden 1958, with West Germany (the Germany football team are the continuance of the now-defunct West Germany team) winning 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw at Spain 1982, and West Germany winning 2-0 at Mexico 1986.
That 1982 encounter between the two neighbours, when Michel Platini, the current president of UEFA, was the French captain, is one of the most famous - or should that be notorious? - World Cup matches in history:
France, Germany, and one of the ugliest incidents in World Cup history
Richard Farley
Jun 30, 2014, 8:39 PM EDT
As Germany closed out its Round of 16 win over Algeria, we heard Jon Champion allude to 1982, only this time, the ESPN broadcaster wasn’t talking up the collusion-angle (involving West Germany, Austria and Algeria) that’d been reprised ahead of Monday’s game. Instead, Champion was alluding to one of the more notorious incidents in World Cup history, one that will come to the attention of a new generation of soccer fans ahead of Germany’s meeting with France on Friday in Brazil 2014′s quarterfinals.
It was the first two straight semifinals where West Germany would face Michel Platini’s France, eventually eliminating them on penalty kicks after the 3-3 draw. In the second half, however, the match was marred when German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher collided with France’s Patrick Battiston, sending the defender to the ground as he pursued a ball at the edge of the German penalty box.
Battiston would eventually be stretchered from the field and require oxygen after a hit that knocked out two teeth, cracked three ribs, and left the French player with a damaged vertebrae. Battiston didn’t regain consciousness for 30 minutes and eventually slipped into a coma.
No foul was called on the play. From YouTube:
Harald Schumacher vs. Patrick Battiston (1982 World Cup semi finals) - YouTube
Perhaps Champion describing this as a near-decapitation was an exaggeration, but he’s not the only one to put the incident in such graphic terms. The play is commonly referenced among the worst challenges in the sport’s history, making it even more inexplicable Schumacher was allowed to continue.
From The Observer’s Tim Pears, published six years ago:
[...] As the German journalist Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger puts it: ‘Just prior to crashing into Battiston he [Schumacher] did a little jump and turned his upper body in order to ease the impact. Ease it for himself, that is, as the helpless Battiston was hit in the face by Schumacher’s hipbone with full force, immediately going down unconscious.’
[...] By grim chance the Seville police had, for some unknown reason, barred Red Cross officials from the sidelines. It took three minutes for a stretcher to appear, lifted up from some basement store beneath the stands. Eventually uniformed men with Red Cross armbands trotted on [...]
[French captain Michel] Platini later said that he thought his team-mate was dead. ‘He had no pulse. He looked so pale.’ Finally Battiston was carried off, accompanied on one side by a medic, on the other by Platini, who walked along bent towards Battiston’s ashen face. The unconscious player’s right arm flopped over the side of the stretcher, and Platini took Battiston’s hand. He spoke softly to him as he walked. As they neared the edge of the pitch, Platini raised Battiston’s hand and kissed it.
The whole report, posted on The Guardian’s website, is worth a read (that’s a big selection, but it’s only a small piece).[...] By grim chance the Seville police had, for some unknown reason, barred Red Cross officials from the sidelines. It took three minutes for a stretcher to appear, lifted up from some basement store beneath the stands. Eventually uniformed men with Red Cross armbands trotted on [...]
[French captain Michel] Platini later said that he thought his team-mate was dead. ‘He had no pulse. He looked so pale.’ Finally Battiston was carried off, accompanied on one side by a medic, on the other by Platini, who walked along bent towards Battiston’s ashen face. The unconscious player’s right arm flopped over the side of the stretcher, and Platini took Battiston’s hand. He spoke softly to him as he walked. As they neared the edge of the pitch, Platini raised Battiston’s hand and kissed it.
Battiston eventually forgave Schumacher, but reliving the incident remains difficult. From Goal.com:
“I have forgiven [him],” he told RTL. “But I don’t want to speak about it in these circumstances.”
Schumacher recently apologised once again for his actions but Battiston revealed that he has no interest in burying the hatchet with the German face to face.
“I do not particularly want to meet him,” the former Bordeaux man confessed. “Over time, I realise that people have forever marked him with this. But now it’s finished.
“It was [an incident] on the field of play; we’ll never know if it was deliberate or not.”
Thirty-two years ago, soccer was truly a different game. Had that foul occurred today, Schumacher likely gets dismissed, leaving his team without their starting goalkeeper for the impending penalty kick shootout (West Germany eventually lost to Italy in the final). Even back in 1982, there was outrage about how the incident was handled.Schumacher recently apologised once again for his actions but Battiston revealed that he has no interest in burying the hatchet with the German face to face.
“I do not particularly want to meet him,” the former Bordeaux man confessed. “Over time, I realise that people have forever marked him with this. But now it’s finished.
“It was [an incident] on the field of play; we’ll never know if it was deliberate or not.”
Thankfully, the sport’s changed. In addition to increased scrutiny on the field, the culture around the game is less forgiving when a player shows such blatant disregard.
Still, we’re likely to hear a lot more about this incident in the lead up to Friday’s quarterfinal. Though unfortunate, the play serves as a small, extreme reminder of how far the game’s hopefully come.
France, Germany, and one of the ugliest incidents in World Cup history | ProSoccerTalk
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am watching Argentina-Switzerland and it looks like it's going into ET ~ not as intense as the earlier matches & I'm wondering if fatigue is setting in on the players
Belgium 2
U.S.A. 1
Incredible match. Both teams gave it 100%. Goalie Tim Howard had a sensational match making many saves. Unfortunately, USA did not have a player who could control the flow of the match like Landon Donovan can generally do. As a consequence they made too many ill advised passes that were readily broken up and led to many Belgian attacks on goal.
Very intense game and the crowd was really into it. Best game of the tournament so far.
Sad that it's time to go home. But our Yanks gave it their best.
U.S.A. 1
Incredible match. Both teams gave it 100%. Goalie Tim Howard had a sensational match making many saves. Unfortunately, USA did not have a player who could control the flow of the match like Landon Donovan can generally do. As a consequence they made too many ill advised passes that were readily broken up and led to many Belgian attacks on goal.
Very intense game and the crowd was really into it. Best game of the tournament so far.
Sad that it's time to go home. But our Yanks gave it their best.
Good post Goph... Glad to see that an individual can take pride in their team's accomplishments rather than look for endless excuses.
My hat's off to you.
The American squad did themselves, and your nation, proud
Many thanx Captain.
I went to a little league game early this evening and my neighborhood little guys won the game. Twenty years ago I coached their parents, a couple of whom are now coaching the team. Their win sure made me feel real good!
The future looks bright for USA soccer. I sincerely feel that many youths will be inspired by their honorable efforts and that eventually we will win that World Cup.
I went to a little league game early this evening and my neighborhood little guys won the game. Twenty years ago I coached their parents, a couple of whom are now coaching the team. Their win sure made me feel real good!
The future looks bright for USA soccer. I sincerely feel that many youths will be inspired by their honorable efforts and that eventually we will win that World Cup.
USA's Secretary of Defense:
25,000+ in Chicago watch the game on a large screen:
More than 25,000 crashed 'the world's party' at Soldier Field - chicagotribune.com
GREAT to see so much interest in soccer.
25,000+ in Chicago watch the game on a large screen:
More than 25,000 crashed 'the world's party' at Soldier Field - chicagotribune.com
GREAT to see so much interest in soccer.
Here are some Yanks being their usual modest selves, a modest chant we have heard during all of their matches at this World Cup:
USA: "I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!" (ESPN 2014 FIFA World Cup Commercial) - YouTube
And this is what ended up happening after they played the might of Belgium:
And this World Cup has definitely been the best ever, both in terms of goals - more of them than any previous tournament - and in sheer entertainment. Even many of the matches which ended 0-0 (or, in the latter stages, ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and went to extra time) have been entertaining, and a lot of Yanks are now seeing that you can actually see a great sporting spectacle without any points being scored every 16 seconds.
After being kicked out of the tournament by Belgium in an entertaining match last night (an entertaining match which finished goalless after 90 minutes), someone from The New Yorker ironically tweeted: "Soccer. Boring, eh?"
And American cyclist Jared Nieters tweeted: @TheRaceRadio: So America.....after all these soccer games baseball is starting to look pretty forking boring eh?
So the Yanks are seeing what a truly great game "soccer" is, and it'll only be a matter of time before it's America's national sport, although I'm sure the other sports in America will try their best to ensure that doesn't happen, for obvious reasons.
USA: "I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!" (ESPN 2014 FIFA World Cup Commercial) - YouTube
And this is what ended up happening after they played the might of Belgium:
And this World Cup has definitely been the best ever, both in terms of goals - more of them than any previous tournament - and in sheer entertainment. Even many of the matches which ended 0-0 (or, in the latter stages, ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and went to extra time) have been entertaining, and a lot of Yanks are now seeing that you can actually see a great sporting spectacle without any points being scored every 16 seconds.
After being kicked out of the tournament by Belgium in an entertaining match last night (an entertaining match which finished goalless after 90 minutes), someone from The New Yorker ironically tweeted: "Soccer. Boring, eh?"
And American cyclist Jared Nieters tweeted: @TheRaceRadio: So America.....after all these soccer games baseball is starting to look pretty forking boring eh?
So the Yanks are seeing what a truly great game "soccer" is, and it'll only be a matter of time before it's America's national sport, although I'm sure the other sports in America will try their best to ensure that doesn't happen, for obvious reasons.
