Just for fun, how many of you watched the US and UK Soccer Game?

[nadinbrzezinski]

for us it was a blast. It was fun, and believe it or not, perhaps the US has a chance of advancing to the next round...

[Bluzmann57]

1. was working

I don't care for soccer all that much anyway. I've tried, but I just can't get into it. Now maybe if team USA can do well...Maybe.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. If they go to the next stage they will shock

the world...

Slovenia will be a tough match... Algeria should not be.

[regnaD kciN]

44. Shock the world? Scarcely...

It's been the opinion of analysts from basically the day the draw was announced that England and the U.S. would be the two teams to move on from that group. Now, if the U.S. emerges from the group in first place, with England in second, that will be somewhat of a shock.

[Codeine]

68. We've moved out of group stage before.

We're expected to this time as well. Nobody who follows international soccer will be shocked.

[Withywindle]

3. I did. Well, the second half anyway (so I missed both goals, sigh)

went to a pub across the street when I got off work a little after 2 PM.

This pub is in Chicago. It sounded like I was the only American there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Well we took the day to watch the game and take it easy here

staykation.

[Withywindle]

22. I'll do that as much as I can get away with when Brazil is playing.

probably IMing with Mom the whole time.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Brazil and Spain, two FINNESE teams

yep...

I will try to make time for those games too.

[Withywindle]

24. The Beautiful Game, indeed.

But Mom's brutal critiques are hilarious. (She's Brazilian. She's lived here since the 60s but some things never go away....)

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. I grew up in Mexico

so we expect a lot from our amazing green mice! (No, not really)

:-)

I understand your mother.

I was asked, do you have a favorite? Nope... I really don't. Just like watching some good soccer and the world cup is GOOD soccer. It is my only sports following really. And once every four years...

[Withywindle]

28. Yeah, I like watching as many of the matches as I can too.

Good luck to Mexico!

[XemaSab]

4. I did!

Our one goal was AWESOME. :D

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Greene will take years to live that one down

especially if the UK team goes home before the semi-finals. That's what they are expected to do. I wonder if the Italians are hiring.

[Pirate Smile]

16. Here is a "reenactment" of the goal posted within minutes after it happened:

http://amayfield.posterous.com/usa-goal-reenactment-by-my-son-and-his-uncle

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Oh com'on it wasn't quite that bad

it was more a lesson of WHY you smother the damn ball with your full body.

Incidentally it will feed the controversy that many of the goalies have been complaining about (like they do every time a new ball is introduced)

[AnArmyVeteran]

27. Beautiful! Perfect! Outstanding! I needed that! Thanks!!!

[malaise]

60. No it wasn't

It was the worst goalkeeper error in a World Cup match in decades.

[Codeine]

70. It was a shitty goal.

But I'll take it. Sometimes the ball that bobbles in just has to be good enough on the day.

[JanMichael]

6. Saw bits and pieces.

The US goal was truly a screwup on the UK goalie's part but it was a tight game from what I saw.

The UK did worse than projected and the US did better thus a draw. There were a few close goal shots in and around 15 minutes left but the final 5 kind of sucked.

[skepticscott]

8. Only in soccer

could all of America get excited about a tie.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Well if you understand how the goal cup

scoring goes for first round advancement you will get why this is important. Second round... that does not happen any more.

[skepticscott]

57. I do understand, thank you

But in no other sport, and in no other circumstances, is a tie something Americans relish.

[underpants]

10. Just finished watching it on DVR- Oh lord that England keeper Green will NEVER live that down

imagine Buckner times 1,000

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. He'd better look for a job in Italy

or for really fun and games, the MLS...

[Odin2005]

46. MLS, ouch...

:rofl:

[Codeine]

69. Yeah, terrible keepers play/have played in MLS;

Kasey Keller, Brad Guzan, Tim Howard, Brad Friedel, Shaka Hislop, Kevin Hartman, etc. :eyes:

[petronius]

11. I caught the last ~20 minutes - it was a pleasant surprise to see

the score... :patriot:

[customerserviceguy]

13. Nope, like most Americans

I'm really not that interested. It's ironic, we send a lot of our kids off to soccer practice (anybody remember the term 'soccer mom'?), yet most American sports fans don't give a rip about the World Cup.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. You know I would not say most americans any more

perhaps of where I live, right by the border, but we've seen people wearing national jerseys and pretty much into it.

[customerserviceguy]

17. Perhaps where you're at near Canada

that's the case, but in the vast majority of flyover country, sports fans seem to only care about baseball, football, basketball, and occasionally hockey.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Well that is true, fly over country

cares nothing about the rest of the world. Let's be brutally honest about this. Soccer is just one more thing them furiegners do... and they also have an accent you know.

Yes spent a month in Cleveland for a family emergency, and it was amazing the amount of people I met that cared little about oh even the news, but all about sports. I just shook head... whether they win the cup... (insert cup here) or keep a player (insert player and sport here) matters little to their lives. But boy will they take that seriously. And for the record, today's game was fun, but matters little to my life as well. But it was a hoot to see HOW the US scored that goal...

In baseball terms it would be marked as an error.

Oh and I forgot, I am on the MEXICAN border.

[Odin2005]

47. I live in Flyover Country and here people were nuts about the 2000 Women's World Cup.

Mia Hamm jerseys were everywhere, and it started my love of soccer! :-)

[customerserviceguy]

63. Ok, well I did a tiny bit of research

and the website referred to in your author's profile is listed in Whois as belonging to someone in Buffalo. You didn't really provide any clues about which border you were next to.

[Berry Cool]

67. Obviously you spent your time in the wrong part of Cleveland.

Please don't claim to be an expert on the alleged lack of curiosity of Clevelanders about things beyond their border. We are not all like the people you met. And expanding your assumption to cover all of "fly over country" (an insulting term people who live there HATE) is even worse. Wherever you live, I'm sure there are some equally incurious people to be found.

[Withywindle]

32. It's pretty big here in Chicago.

Not as big as the Blackhawks right now, of course,* but all the pubs and sports bars and immigrant bars are INSANE on World Cup game days, and it's only just now barely started.

We're a diverse city, though. Almost every country playing this year has a corresponding neighborhood or two or three in Chicago. And you don't have to be an immigrant, because people pick up on it from their friends.



(*Of the two million people at the victory parade yesterday? Bet you a hundred that no more than a quarter of them had ever watched a hockey game in their lives three months ago. What American soccer really needs to get the numbers is just a good bandwagon.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. If the team manages to advance to the quarer finals

that will do much good to the sport.

I just hope people realize going further will be VERY DIFFICULT.

[rucky]

55. It is ironic.

and a missed opportunity for parents to share an interest with their kids.

[JCMach1]

15. What will be more fun is to watch the British national hand-wringing over this...

... As our friends on the island still think they 'own' the game.

I suspect Cameron will blame Gordon Brown for this any minute.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. I am watiing for Prince Charles

to put foot in mouth...

This is not as bad as 1950, I mean the US is now solidly a second tier team... but still... it is THE YANKS!!!

[JCMach1]

52. What our English cousins haven't realized is THEY are ALSO a second tier team

and have been for several years now.

[ikri]

53. Don't confuse the English media with the fans

Most of us realise that this team is crap compared to previous World Cup teams, like the last vaguely successful team from 1990, there's maybe 3 current players who would get into that side but our media love to build the current team up as the best since 1966. Other than Rooney we don't have any truly outstanding players.

The media here however do keep hyping the team up as potential winners but if you speak to most fans they'll tell you that we expect the team to go out in the quarter finals (probably on penalties after a 0-0 draw).

[rucky]

58. The only thing keeping many European teams afloat...

is shelling out the bucks to recruit Africa's best talent.

[Withywindle]

30. Well, if the English think they 'own' the game....

....I have a ridiculous number of Brazilian relatives who might want to take it up with them. :D

[regnaD kciN]

43. If you have the stomach for it...

...check out the website for The Sun, the original Murdoch-owned rag. When it comes to comments on the game story, forget about hand-wringing -- it's mainly a litany about how stupid, tasteless, and inept Americans are. They're even blaming us for being military failures in WWII, and preventing them from winning a quick victory. :crazy:

[MrMickeysMom]

18. Yeah... we played really well...

Especially the goalie, Tim Howard.

Proud.

[enlightenment]

26. Watched them all except Korea/Greece -

4 am is too early if it's not my regular club playing. I probably won't watch any but Germany/Australia tomorrow. I planned on watching almost all (that I can), but the damned drone of the 'organic S. African culture' vuvuzelas are so annoying that it's taking the pleasure out of the experience. They may sound amazing in person, but picked up on multiple mics they're a form of torture.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Here is a piece of trivia

When you go to Mexican Stadiums... the sound is very similar from a very similar instrument.

So when I finally heard them I went, what is the big deal? Then I remembered for most people outside of certain regions of the world (The US for example) these things are going to drive them nuts!

[enlightenment]

38. For me it's just annoying.

I'm not there in the stadium, so the cues of the crowd are part of the pleasure of watching a match. Those things drown out all the crowd cues - I can't hear anything but that incessant drone. It's like having a hive of angry hornets in the room with me - or worse, every single piper in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders tuning up at the same time. And I love the bagpipe. I like listening to match commentary (I support an English Championship side and rarely do they get TV coverage, so I'm more accustomed to listening to matches on the radio) - it kind of pisses me off that I'm having to turn off the sound because of the horns.

And it's not just irritation - for some people it completely ruins their experience. My mother called me today; she is almost blind and uses hearing aids. She decided to try 'watching' the match today, but gave up because the drone of the horns prevented her from understanding the commentary well enough to grasp what was going on with the match. I'm sure she isn't alone in her dismay.

I'm certain it sounds different when one is physically present, but the vast majority of people watching the WC are NOT there. They are using TV or radio or the Internet - and I think it was a mistake to allow the unrestricted use of these horns. This is not South Africa's World Cup - it's the World's cup and as you pointed out, there are people who are not going to appreciate that cacophony.

. . . sorry. Quite the rant. I'm apparently even more bothered than I thought!

[Codeine]

73. FIFA's taking a lot of flack for them.

I can guaran-damn-tee they'll be banned at any future Cup.

[nadinbrzezinski]

77. Yes you are

since I used to listen to the games in Mexico I am used to them... and the Scottish accent this morning was harder to follow.

In the stadium they are even louder... take my word on this...

[Codeine]

72. Both the corneta and vuvuzela drown out the crowd,

and the crowd is part of the game. FIFA should have had the guts to ban them, but as usually they wimped out.

Thankfully cornetas been banned at LA home games, or I'd have long since stopped attending.

[Odin2005]

48. I think those vuvuzelas are awesome!

:)

[enlightenment]

65. I'm glad. Probably makes watching that much more fun for you!

;)

[Scurrilous]

29. I watched w/ friends.

Kudos to the US team. :thumbsup:

[Bluebear]

34. At a very low volume. The vuvuzelas were too much. It was like listening to a beehive.

[HipChick]

35. I watched with about 100 Brits...

and US MVP was the British goalie...US got lucky..not much of a football game on both sides

[City Lights]

36. I tried to watch, but thought it was extremely boring. nt

[fishwax]

37. watched a bit of it -- i generally like soccer, but it couldn't hold my attention today

I'm happy for the point, though, and will try again to watch when we play next Slovenia ...

[Fuzz]

39. I did. I was shouting a bit, especially in the second half.

[Hosnon]

40. Of course! nt.

[npk]

41. That was the part of my day when I napped

It was lovely. Gave me lots of energy for the rest of my day.

[Ichingcarpenter]

42. It wasn't UK it was England.....Scotland has it's own team too

But political and rhetorical accuracy aside, I watched it until I lost the feed in the last 10 mins.
The thing is about soccer you can watch it and multi task at the same time.

[Odin2005]

45. I DID! (and it was ENGLAND, not the UK. Scotland and Wales are seperate teams)

Our goalie was AWESOME!

We really need to work on the rest of our Defense, though.

[flvegan]

49. I watched every second of that classic football game.

Though I was more interested in Messi in his bout with Argentina on the pitch.

[kiva]

50. Yes, and it was great.

Went by the English pub, but there was already a crowd outside (place holds 100 people +) an hour before the US/England match, so watched it at home.

[rabs]

51. True football fans will recognize the irony of the headline ...

... what with Maradona now the trainer of the Argentine side.

----------------------

SHOCK 'N' DRAW
Yankee doddle to Yankee doodoo


------------------------

It's from the News of the World tabloid of London today. Clever headline editors.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/

--------------------------

Fixing to watch Slovenia this morning v. Algeria. Am curious about Slovenia; it appears to be the key whether USA advances.

[rucky]

54. Yup!

[NNN0LHI]

56. Didn't miss one minute of it

[Renew Deal]

59. I did

And the US is playing well right now. I think they are have potential.

[CBR]

61. Watched all three games and I am up watching this morning!

Love the World Cup!

[supernova]

62. We watched the first hour or so

We went looking for a late lunch yesterday and since our fave New Orleans place wasn't open yet, we wound up down the road a piece at a new Indian restaurant.

DF (Dear Fiance) had remembered it, but they had changed owners and names.

Anyway, we get inside and about 4 different TV screens are showing the game! :D

Wound up with an excellent buffet and ate along side the cooks! :D

They were really getting into it. One one guy said he was rooting for England, because he likes Wayne Rooney.

Oddly, DF isn't much of a sports nut at all. I was the one who sat facing the TV.

The restaurant was almost empty except for another couple of tables. I think the owners were thinking the game would be a bigger draw. I hope they do well.

But yes, it was a fun game. I was surprised. I was waiting for England to cream us.

[nadinbrzezinski]

79. We all kind of were

[stanwyck]

64. Face it, America. Soccer/Football is here to stay. And, in time, dominate.

My son, now 26, started playing soccer here in Atlanta when he was 5. He continued to play thru high school. During that time, the soccer leagues grew substantially, more teams and complexes every year. We have a growing immigrant community in Atlanta which loves soccer aka football. The younger generation may not want to spend the bucks to take the family to a baseball game, a sport Dad or Mom didn't play. But soccer games are family events. We have soccer fields within walking distance of my house. Entire families, including Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, show up for the kids' games. AND the adult league games. At the adult games, music is played and the family has a picnic. America has changed. Baseball doesn't own the summer anymore. Our kids are playing soccer.

[nadinbrzezinski]

80. I truly hope so

but that is just me.

[Blue_In_AK]

66. We watched.

I probably wouldn't have, but my daughter is up from LA and wanted to watch it, so we did. The US got lucky, lucky, lucky. The UK's goalee or whatever they call those guys must feel awful.

[old mark]

71. The what? nt

[tkmorris]

74. Don't worry about it, go back to sleep

Plus, I ain't ON your lawn.

[old mark]

75. OK, but, I think Slovenia is going to kick our ass.....nt

[SemiCharmedQuark]

76. I did! I did!

My husband was British. Boy was it great seeing his "We scored 3:30 in" smirk get wiped clean.

[mmonk]

78. I did and most of the other games as well.