World Cup: Millions Watch Glorious Brazil Exit By Team USA

[big_dog]

Source: BBC News

Thousands packed public viewing areas areas across the country, despite a a kick-off time of 16:00 EST (20:00 GMT).
Afterwards, the defeat was hailed by many as the best game so far.
As many as 14 million workers were predicted to down tools to watch Tuesday's game, costing the US economy more than $600m (£350m) in lost labour productivity, according to an estimate by Yahoo Finance
During this World Cup, Chicago has already seen crowds estimated at more than 20,000, just to watch on big screens outdoors.
For the knock-out stage, a screen has been put up at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, and with it have come American football traditions.

Ahead of the match, hundreds are "tail-gating" - parking their cars, starting up barbecues, drinking and playing football in the car park.
Thousands have been queuing for hours to get inside the stadium, most adorned with the stars and stripes. The chants of "We believe that we will win" and "USA, USA" keep going up.

Even President Barack Obama told reporters he had arranged his schedule around the match.
"I thought I'd get the cabinet together this morning, because we all know that America will be busy this afternoon. Go team USA," he said.
Large viewing parties were held across the US, including in Chicago, Kansas City and Washington DC.



Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28100957

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Thousands of people gather at the Soldier Field World Cup viewing party for the U.S. Men's National Team's match against Belgium. — Jessica Tezak, Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2014

[Personal Damon]

1. To use an old British phrase,

"you acquiited yourselves admirably," Yanks!

[big_dog]

2. most saves in a World Cup game in at least the last 50 YEARS! :)

Patrick Stewart ✔ @SirPatrickStewart
TIM HOWARD!!!!!!! 4:38 PM - 1 Jul 2014
1,483 Retweets 2,047 favorites Reply

[onehandle]

3. The bar where we have Drinking Liberally Philly on Tuesdays was Packed. nt

[big_dog]

5. KC and Chicago looked the craziest today

I BELIEVE: KC Ready for USA vs Belgium .

[angrychair]

4. Count me as one

that hurt U.S. productivity today! I took vacation time to be home to watch the game live. Very proud of Team USA and the amazing effort and accomplishment of Tim Howard, Master of the Pitch!

[max shimba]

6. We lost

Lets go back to the Basketball

[big_dog]

7. looks like Lebron & company are bending over backwards to stay in Miami, no worries in off season

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--lebron-james--dwyane-wade--chris-bosh-to-give-pat-riley-time-to-improve-roster-023118965.html

[jmowreader]

12. If I was Pat Riley, I'd part ways with Mr. James as quickly as possible

Making the finals the last four years and winning the championship twice is NOT grounds for leaving the team. Does he expect to win the championship every year? If he does he's still as immature as he was when he was hip-deep in the Hummer scandal.

[sakabatou]

8. Currently, 2-1 Belgium

[big_dog]

9. should have been 1-0 USA in regulation

or abouts the 93rd minute

[caraher]

10. Or maybe 4-0 Belgium...

were it not for Tim Howard's heroics!

[big_dog]

21. or 4-nil, 5nil 6nil...

point taken!

[SunSeeker]

11. Great game. So proud of our team. Tim Howard and Julian Green were heroes today.

[elias7]

13. Sorry to burst this bubble

US was thoroughly outclassed on the pitch today. Could have easily lost 5-0 if not for Howard. Dominated by Germany last game too.

[brentspeak]

14. USA's travel schedule was much more heinous than Belgium and Germany's

The USA had to criss-cross Brazil thousands of miles at a time to and fro their venues. And neither Belgium nor Germany had to play in energy-draining Manaus. It will take weeks for the USA players to fully recover from that one game alone (the second one, against Portugal). They've been playing on gas fumes ever since.

[VWolf]

15. Yes, yes, yes. I get it.

We're not there yet. It showed today. However ....


We had one glorious chance to snatch victory at the end of regulation, and one to send it into PK's at the end of extra time. It's a funny game. I thought our best performances during this tournament were immediately after giving up a goal. In fact, I'd say we outplayed Belgium in the 2nd OT.

Had we won, I would have fancied our chances against Argentina in the quarters. They didn't look all that impressive against the Swiss, and we tend to match up well against them. FWIW we beat them 3-0 in Copa America (way back in '95).

[BeyondGeography]

16. And Germany could have lost 5-0 to Algeria if not for Neuer

Every game in this Cup could have swayed either way if not for the heroics or blunders of this or that player. Thanks for the insight tho.

America played without Altidore and Fabian Johnson the whole game; Klinsmann's choice to go with kids over players like Donavan and Eddie Johnson, while good for the future, put us on our heels once those two went down. I hate to burst your bubble, but for a country where football/soccer is still an afterthought for most serious athletes, America got a lot further than most of the rest of the world, showing its characteristic resilience and thrilling much of the country in the process. We are moving toward realizing our full potential as a result and one day joining the inner circle of great footballing nations, which as this Cup has shown, is growing wider all the time.

[Blackjackdavey]

19. Biased

During the match and listening to the English broadcaster I was left wondering if we were witnessing the same events until I realized that this Belgium team has become the de facto English Premier representative remaining and this is more of the same. The pro English bias that exists in ALL English language coverage of football/soccer is one of the biggest challenges that the US program has to overcome given that we have inexplicably handed over the keys to our youth programs to English coaches.

Belgium certainly has more "big name" players and a perhaps a few who are in fact more talented individual players than the US was able to field however, the US played far better as a team and the statistics are clear. This whole meme regarding the US inability to maintain possession and keep up with the Belgians is anecdotal and absurd. Possession: US 54% Belgium 46%. Pass completion: US 84% Belgium 82% Who Scored team ratings US 7.40 Belgium 7.54. Does this sound like "thoroughly outclassed?" Where we struggled to complete key passes was in the attacking third which was a function of the injury to Altidore forcing a rearrangement of tactics near the area.

[BeyondGeography]

18. lol...Ann, is that you?

[KamaAina]

20. "glorious exit" is an oxymoron

like "conservative thinker".

[mackerel]

22. I had to work thankful for technology that let me watch on my phone in my cubicle.