Japan’s inspiring play last night (and Tony’s post) have me daring to wish for what in any other Cup would have been the impossible: greatly favored sides being shown the door by nominally modest rivals. If France and Italy can both go out in disgrace, and the U.S. finish ahead of England, why not hope for (but not lay lots of money …
World Cup
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
World Cup Rebels: Why U.S. Soccer Should Reach the Semis
Now that the euphoria has faded – perhaps ever so slightly – following America’s remarkable 1-0 win over Algeria in the World Cup, it’s time to look ahead. And believe it or not, on paper, the U.S. is a favorite to reach the semifinals.
Ah, They’re Home! After Them!
It just keeps getting uglier. Not 48 hours after their World Cup elimination, members of France’s soccer team returned to a French public whose lust for pay-back hasn’t been seen since locals who collaborated with Nazi troops were being shot or shorn of their hair. Indeed, the public, press, and political denunciation of the …
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
World Cup Miracle: Could the U.S. Win the Whole Thing?
Oh my, scratch the obits – on both sides of the pond.
The Agony of Defeat (Not To Mention Group Suicide)
And so the miracle the entire world had waited for transpired after all. No, France didn’t pull itself out of the pathetic, self-mocking off-field tantrums for which it had become a laughing-stock in recent days. And didn’t knock in enough goals to beat South Africa and sneak into the knock-out round as Mexico lost against Uruguay. …
Portugal Resplendent
The match isn’t over yet (well, it is; just time isn’t out yet), but Portugal’s 5-0-and-counting drubbing of North Korea is as impressive as Germany’s opening pounding of Australia was—and perhaps then some. Sure, it turns out Australia isn’t as bad as it looked in taking four unanswered German goals last week, while North …
France: World Champion–Of Pathetic Controversy
Herewith an update to my earlier post about Nicolas Anelka’s obscenity-driven verbal assault of coach Raymond Domenech Friday night. It now serves as a perfect reflection of the incompetence and hypocrisy of the entire French Football Federation responsible France’s South African debacle on and off the pitch.
Player Gives Domenech A Piece of France’s Mind
Now we know what it took for French coach Raymond Domenech to—finally—pull the utterly useless attacker Nicolas Anelka off the pitch in the hopes someone else might create something remotely resembling an offensive presence: Anelka lavishly insulting the previously adoring Domenech in front of the entire squad.
Is England The Most Boring Team in the World Cup?
This is the second time I’ve trekked to a stadium to watch England play in the World Cup and – bar the first four minutes of the first game, when Steven Gerrard struck a composed goal – my God, they’re dull.
South Africa’s World Cup Experiment: It Works!
As most people know by now, the big idea about staging the World Cup in South Africa, the grand experiment, is trying to change the perception of the country, and perhaps a continent. So: is it working?
That Giant Sucking Sound
Isn’t just France, but Raymond “I am not an idiot” Domenech drawing in his last, horrid breath as French coach. Just a few comments:
Peyton Place-sur-Seine
French coach Raymond Domenech may have decided to put the team’s best interests ahead of his many, many personal grudges for once, but that still doesn’t mean sanity has returned to France’s footballing soap opera. Though virtually all press reports in France Thursday say Domenech is set to make what has long been an obvious right …
Switzerland to its Footballers: Thanks Very Much, Now Go Back to Where You Came From
It’s common to celebrate the tapestry of nations coming together at World Cups. The globe unites under a shared passion, and, for one month every four years, it seems hundreds of millions of people assume new nationalities. What other event could transplant the bitter South American rivalry between Brazil and Argentina onto a slum in …
