World Cup Today -- Day 21

Well, the USA has bowed out. It might have hurt more if as a nation we felt the USA was a better team than Belgium which clearly wasn't the case. The USA had chances to WIN this match and win it late to boot but alas, we wait until 2018 in Russia for our next chance. Heroic effort by Tim Howard yesterday. Legendary effort.

So, the USA went out by the same score at the same point giving up a goal in early extra added time like they did to Ghana in 2010. Make no mistake this is a MUCH better team four years on with a MUCH better head coach. Every kid after yesterday who wants to play soccer will pretend to be the wall known as Tim Howard, diving right and left and jumping to put balls over the crossbar. What the USA needs is midfielders. You kids grow up to be ball control midfielders. That's what the USA needs most. They need the Zusi's and Beckerman's and guys coming up behind them to pass and control play.  The defense was pretty good, better than Johnny had planned for. They had a much better link up on offense and scored 5 goals in 4 games, respectable. AND they competed against MUCH tougher competition this world cup than last, and looked pretty good in doing so.

Big positives going forward, if you're a soccer fan you'll see the growth over the next four years. If you just follow the Wold Cup you should be already excited by the USA's chances in Russia.

No games today, not until Friday.

World Cup Today -- Day 20

So we arrive at the BIG moment. The USA will take the field against the "Red Devils" of Belgium at 4pm today. As more than one analyst has said though, has this World Cup come one year too late for Belgium?

First off though we have the Argentina vs. Switzerland match at noon. Both France and Germany got by yesterday but not by much, especially in Germany's case. Could Switzerland, who upset champs-to-be Spain in their first 2010 World Cup game. The Swiss know the routine, they know how to lock teams down. It is one of their stronger aspects to their game. Can Argentina score without have to wait for Messi to save them? Will someone other than Messi score for the Argentines? If the South Americans get a goal from Higuain or DiMaria or anyone else to take the pressure off of Messi they sand a good chance. If they get a lead and force Switzerland to open up a bit they should be fine. If Switzerland should score first, look out. Johnny sees this as a 2-1 Argentine victory. 

Which brings us to the biggest US soccer game probably not in 1950. Belgium, tactically excellent, and even more devastating on set pieces, ire free kicks and corner kicks. However the Belgians were playing at a much higher level at this time last year, in fact beating team USA 2-0. If the USA can keep Belgium off the scoreboard on set pieces their chances improve markedly. Jozy Altidore who stretched his hamstring 20 minutes in the USA's first game against Ghana has been declared "available" today. Johnny doesn't see Altidore starting but he could come on with his great speed and size and power late in the match when Belgian legs are tired and go all out for 15-20 minutes and maybe make a difference. The USA will most likely have to attack from the wide spaces as Belgium may pack it in tightly on defense with the many injuries their central defense have. Manchester City's Vincent Kompany has a groin pull, Anthony Vanden Borre with a broken fibula and an abductor strain for Laurent Ciman. Americans may also thank whatever god you pray to that the best ball header on earth, Christian Benteke who plays for Aston Villa, is not playing for Belgium today either. The USA will want more possession in this match to slow down the Red Devils attack so players like Graham Zusi and or Justin Bedoya must be sharp in service in the middle of the park. Cheap giveaways and poor possession will send wave after wave of Belgians forward. Slow and steady wins the race today. So, again, if the Belgians don't score on set pieces good things can happen. The USA cannot keep a clean sheet to save their lives (ie get a shutout) so we're going to say moxie and conditioning win the day. Nobody better at that than the USA. Belgium wins their games late. Today the USA will turn that trick back on them. 2-1 USA with a goal by Michael Bradley late in extra time.

Argentina vs Switzerland noon

USA vs Belgium 4pm

If you'd like to leave work to watch the USA vs Germany match you're covered

US Men's national Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has written you an excuse note to give to your boss so you might watch the game, what a guy:

Word Cup Today -- Day 15

Here we are, it has come to this. Back when the groups were drawn back in December, everyone looked at the USA draw in Group G, the "Group of Death" and said the ONLY way the USA gets out is with a win over Ghana (got that) a tie with Portugal (got that) and hold onto your ass vs. Germany. The ass holding begins at noon.

So, here's the long and the short of it. Johnny's not going into long winded tactical discussions because the Germans win most of those. The USA and Germany are tied on 4 points (Germany win any tie in the group currently on goal differential) while Ghana and Portugal each have 1. Best scenarios for the USA?

1) Beat Germany win group
2) Tie Germany come in second in group
3) Have Portugal and Ghana tie, move through
4) Have Portugal beat Ghana because the USA has a +2 goal differential on Ghana but a +7 vs. Portugal

Worst things? Ghana starts kicking the hell out of an uninterested Portugal. Germany starts crushing the USA. That's when our +2 goal difference might go astray. Still the USA has a 74.6% chance to advance according to number crunchers.

BREAKING NEWS!!! -- Ghana has sent home TWO top players from their team, from ESPN:

Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari have been suspended "indefinitely" and sent home from Ghana's World Cup camp following alleged rows with their coach and and an official.

As Syrio Forel said to Arya Stark, "There is only one Group G, and its name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today'.”

There are two other matches today, at 4pm if you're either hiding under blankets in a huge funk or so excited and happy you just want to watch all the soccer today.

Algeria and Russia will play to see who follows Belgium out of their group. This is the group by the way that the USA's Group G will start against in elimination rounds.  The second place team in Group G will play Belgium while the winner in Group G will get either Algeria or Russia. The Desert Foxes of Algeria impressed last time out with a massive three goal surge. Fabio Capella was paid a LOT of do-re-mi by the Russian Soccer Federation to get into the knockout stages. Let's go Algeria!

USA vs Germany noon
Ghana vs Portugal noon

Belgium vs South Korea 4pm
Russia vs Algeria 4pm

World Cup Today -- Day 12

FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.

Much better now thanks for asking. Sorry to those who aren't in the habit of seeing that word here. It IS however justified. What an effort by the USA vs. the #4 team in the world. The heat, the humidity, needing to take water breaks, coming back from behind and then keeping a nation on edge before giving Cristiano Ronaldo one chance to show why he's one of the best who have ever played. Players at his level, and it's maybe four or five who can play at that stratospheric level, show why they are the best. As bummed as you may feel today that was the perfect pass and it took just that to ruin our party. The biggest issue facing USA? How much is left in the tank. They have one less day to prepare than mighty Germany and are drained. A win gets USA the victory in the Group of Death. A tie gets the USA through but so would scoring a couple goals and not losing by say, more than two. Portugal is realistically out unless they win something like 7-0 over Ghana and the USA gets waxed by Germany. The scenario to look out for Yank fans, is that Portugal is drained from yesterday's game, and they allow Ghana to run up a 3-0 win. Then you can start worrying. If Germany is up 2-0 against the USA at halftime you can start worrying. Until then the good number crunchers at fivethirtyeight.com still say the USA has a 74% chance to go through, up 10% from this time yesterday.

Today brings importante matches but done a bit differently. Because of this debacle match in 1982 in Spain when Germany was basically allowed to score on Austria as long as they didn't score more than once and both teams went to the knockouts, the final games in the groups start simultaneously. It is supposed to prevent something like the Germans and Americans kicking off, sitting down with a few bags of Bavarian pretzels, a few steins of beer, and then going home knowing both teams would move on.

Australia and Spain play out the tournament in a meaningless game unless one enjoys gallows humor. The Socceroos will be without Tim Cahill their all-time World Cup scoring leader on yellow cards. See, what's not to love about this match? Maybe that one of the best matches of the tournament, the Netherlands and Chile, will be played at the exact same time. Winner wins the group, the Dutch win all ties. Why does it matter? The loser gets Brazil most likely in their next game, the winner might get...

...Mexico and Croatia lock horns in a very vital match to decide who gets out of the group and who goes home. Let's go out on a limb and predict Brazil somehow magically finds a way to beat Cameroon they'd have 7 points. Mexico has 4 points while Croatia has 3. Mexico goes through with a tie or win. A big win though doubtful could vault them over Brazil though unlikely. Mexico is playing stronger than expected yet have shown some weakness on 50/50 balls and have shown sloppy stretches in the midfield, somewhere Croatia is strong. A first goal would be huge for Mexico because if the Croatians get it that doomed feeling starts to creep in.

Netherlands and Chile, just sit back and enjoy. That's all you need to do. Futbol done right.

Australia vs Spain noon
Netherlands vs Chile noon

Croatia vs Mexico 4pm
Brazil vs Cameroon 4pm

"I Believe That We Will Win!"

Play this 5 minutes before the 6pm match tonight. Like Clint Dempsey you will be ready to wreck fools.

World Cup Today -- Day 5

Finally it's here, the USA plays today! First off though we have a real barn shaker of a matchup in the USA's own "Group of Death." Germany's might vs the great Ronaldo and Portugal. The Ironbound area of Newark has to just be uncorked today. Next up it's a game on teevee while Johnny does actual business things and makes actual real money as Nigeria and Iran drones on in the background. We hope the people of Iran and Nigeria really enjoy this match. Then, 6pm the time of reckoning is here. Ghana has dumped the USA out of the last two World Cups, that's eight years to stew over just one country. The USA could be a better side today on sheer willpower. When challenged by head man Jurgen Klinsmann they have stepped up over the last 18 months. Klinsmann said this game is everything and they are putting everything into getting the tree possible points from it. The USA's hopes for this World Cup will rise or fall between 6 and 8pm EDT today.

How about an early goal from Jozy Altidore and a late one from Mix Diskerud get the USA a 2-1 victory. You got a problem with that?

Germany vs Portugal noon
Iran vs Nigeria 3pm
USA vs Ghana 6pm

A World Cup primer -- The Howler

You will hear the magnificent Martin Tyler describe this monumental gaffe by England's Rob Green vs the USA in 2010 as a "howler." You may hear that term a couple times over the next month. Watch England's goalkeeper. That is a howler.

This never gets old. Except the part an in-over-his-head Eric Wynalda tries talking around the great Martin Tyler. Still, the Tyler line "But if you buy a ticket..." line describes this Clint Dempsey shot best.

Feeling patriotic this morning?

It is after all Independence Day weekend and if you'd like to throw out a few "USA!" chants this morning the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team will play a match against Columbia this morning on ESPN at 11:30. It's the USA's second game of the Women's World Cup having already defeated North Korea 2-0.

Did we mention the ladies of the United States hold the current #1 ranking in the world?

USA vs Spain at 4:30 in a wonderful soccer friendly

Team USA will take the pitch at Foxboro Mass at 4:30 against reigning World and European champions Spain. Those who follow the beautiful game know that the last time the USA and La Furia Roja played in 2009 in South Africa in the Confederations Cup semi-final, it was a global shocker of a result as the USA plugged the middle of the pitch and let Spain try the sideline attack and the USA defeated Spain 2-0.

No doubt the Spaniards will be looking for revenge. Ever the optimist Johnny will call this game at 1-0 USA.

What a soccer game last night

Team USA did themselves very proud last night in a very cold and windy New Meadowlands in coming back to get a very strong result, 1-1 with Argentina. The Argentina side really came out smoking with top player Lionel Messi weaving many potential scoring runs through the US defenders, luckily he managed just one such run that paid off. As the game wore on it did seem the USA got stronger and their defense started collapsing in and around Messi to limit Argentina's scoring chances. While the defense of DeMerit and Bocanegra and Onyewu tightened up, Coach Bob Bradley's insertion of Juan Agudelo into the attack paid dividends 15 minutes into the second half as Agudelo chipped a loose ball past the Argentinian goalkeeper after a beautiful ball into the area by Landon Donovan (is there anybody better in the world at free kicks and set pieces?) and a sharp header on goal by Bocanegra.

The USA had a few other chances later as their game got better and better. While billed as an international friendly match this had all the electricity (in the crowd to be sure) of a World Cup game. Argentina ranked #4 in the world played their best side and the USA ranked #19 in the world played their top players. On this night the USA was equal. Why does a friendly match in March of 2011 matter to the World Cup seedings in June of 2014? Image and perception are everything. If the USA goes great guns in international friendly matches their ranking goes up as does the general opinion of the USA side it means a better seeding than Mexico when the World Cup pairings come out. For years the USA would beat Mexico in qualifiers but Mexico had built a better reputation so the USA would get dumped into groups of death. This past World Cup the USA was better thought of and lo and behold a good draw in South Africa. THAT is why these games are important even though they seem not to be.

So who is headed out to the New Meadowlands tomorrow for the big USA vs Argentina soccer match?

Since international football is taking a couple week break so that their biggest stars can play for their country in friendly matches around the globe that means the top US players as well as the top Argentinian players will be on the pitch tomorrow night. Sure it'll be chilly but you'll get to see USA heroes like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, goalkeeper Tim Howard, midfielder Michael Bradley among others. Of course when you mention the Argentina side you have to mention the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, who will also be out there tomorrow night (well actually if you're an autograph hound the Argentina side is staying at the Westin in Jersey City).

Johnny will bring you full coverage of the match with some incredibly bad iPhone shots, the kind you've come to know and cringe over. Let's hear it for Team USA!

One giant goal, one reaction from the stadium in South Africa, the other from a bar in California....Amazingly similar. Tell Johnny again how Americans hate this game.

How 'bout those Americans!?!?

Oh jumping jesus on a pogo stick, the Cardiac Kids do it again!!! Johnny had real tears in his eyes as FINALLY, FINALLY the USA scored in extra time. They HAD to score, that simple, and they do it again with the latest goal scored in a Team USA match evah.

Wait'll you see the replays kids, Landon Donovan and the whole team just made Johnny's Christmas card list.

Stunning. If one was invested to the hilt it was an incredibly emotional moment.

*EXHALE*

Saturday afternoon, win or go home but for now, the USA tops England in the group and both the USA and England advance.