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[sounderfan]

The draw is Friday. I'm sure the US will get screwed again.

Here's a press release about adidas TECHFIT kits for WC 2010. I wonder how many players will opt for them?

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m12d1-TECHFIT-uniforms-available-for-players-at-2010-World-Cup



Is TECHFIT a fad, or good stuff?

[sounderfan]

Draw live on ESPN:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/Watch-This/ESPN-HAS-2010-WORLD-CUP-DRAW-LIVE-THIS-WEEK-78251477.html

2010 Ball. Dorky?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/6699002/World-Cup-2010-first-look-at-official-ball.html

[sounderfan]

Here's what our own Freddie Ljungberg thinks about 2010...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=706722&cc=5901&ver=us

[Squash]

There you go....i stickied the wrong one at first....da da duh duh duh on me. 

[Str8red]

So the seedings are out.

Pot 1 is everybody you'd expect except France.

We're in Pot 2 with the other CONCACAF teams and the Asian teams.

Pot 3 is Africa and the unseeded South Americans.

And Pot 4 is the unseeded Europeans.

What's your dream draw? I wouldn't mind playing Italy again; they're usually slow starters and we really brawled with them last time. After that, give me Algeria (avoiding the sub-Saharan African teams who will essentially be playing at home) and Slovenia (minnowish), please and thank you.

[sounderfan]

There you go....i stickied the wrong one at first....da da duh duh duh on me.  

Doh!


So, are we doomed? Of course we are...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/sports/soccer/02vecsey.html?_r=1&ref=sports

The possibilities swing wildly. The United States could wind up with a draw of, let’s say, Greece, South Africa and Chile. Or it could wind up with Brazil or Spain, France or the Netherlands, and Ivory Coast.

 

[Left Foot]

Perhaps we should just be wishing for a fair shake from the refs first no matter what teams we play at the group stage. 

[famj]

dream draw, how about this:  S. Africa, Algeria or Uruguay from pot 2, and then Slowenia from pot 4.  Nightmare:  Spain (my pick to win it all, plus a revenge motive!), Ivory Coast, Holland. 

[sounderfan]

dream draw, how about this:  S. Africa, Algeria or Uruguay from pot 2, and then Slowenia from pot 4.  Nightmare:  Spain (my pick to win it all, plus a revenge motive!), Ivory Coast, Holland. 

Fingers crossed for your first option.

[vms]

dream draw, how about this:  S. Africa, Algeria or Uruguay from pot 2, and then Slowenia from pot 4.  Nightmare:  Spain (my pick to win it all, plus a revenge motive!), Ivory Coast, Holland. 

Fingers crossed for your first option.

Skating thru an easy bracket,hmmm,is that what you really want? USA needs to beat the best to be the best...
 

[sounderfan]

dream draw, how about this:  S. Africa, Algeria or Uruguay from pot 2, and then Slowenia from pot 4.  Nightmare:  Spain (my pick to win it all, plus a revenge motive!), Ivory Coast, Holland. 

Fingers crossed for your first option.

Skating thru an easy bracket,hmmm,is that what you really want? USA needs to beat the best to be the best...
 

Are you kidding me? Even Spain want an 'easy bracket.' 

[EWSoccer64]

At this point, I would be happy to have a bracket with Andorra and Fiji in it!

dream draw, how about this:  S. Africa, Algeria or Uruguay from pot 2, and then Slowenia from pot 4.  Nightmare:  Spain (my pick to win it all, plus a revenge motive!), Ivory Coast, Holland. 

Fingers crossed for your first option.

Skating thru an easy bracket,hmmm,is that what you really want? USA needs to beat the best to be the best...
 

[famj]

vms, agreed, you have to beat the best to be the best, but you don't have to necessarily do that in the first round!  Easier first round games might allow them to find the confidence, form, fitness and rhythm they need to advance deeper into the tournament.  If the US can make it out of the first round, who knows what might happen in the round of 16 or quarters, though I suspect by the time the tournament reaches the semi-finals it will be the usual suspects who are present!

[sounderfan]

George and Dragon is showing the draw live tomorrow. Fado will show a replay at 11:45 AM:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m12d3-Watching-the-World-Cup-draw-live-in-Seattle-Friday

[sounderfan]

It's a "Jabulani!"



http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m12d4-World-Cup-2010-Jabulani-soccer-ball-design-revealed

[sounderfan]

World Cup draw announced:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m12d4-USA--drawn-with-England-in-World-Cup-Group-C

[Old Dog]

Draw live on ESPN:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/Watch-This/ESPN-HAS-2010-WORLD-CUP-DRAW-LIVE-THIS-WEEK-78251477.html

2010 Ball. Dorky?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/6699002/World-Cup-2010-first-look-at-official-ball.html

2

010 World Cup
The draw: Who's your team going to play in South Africa?
Group Countries Dates they'll play
A South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France June 11, 16, 17, 22
B Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece June 12, 17, 22
C England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia June 12, 13, 18, 23
D Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana June 13, 18, 19, 23
E Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon June 14, 19, 24
F Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia June 14, 15, 20, 24
G Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal June 15, 20, 21, 25
H Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile June 16, 21, 25

[sounderfan]

I like the USA's chances. Draw England and then win the other two. 

[Left Foot]

And one of the easier, if not the easiest group goes to......France. Is there no justice?

Good draw for the US though. 

[sounderfan]

And one of the easier, if not the easiest group goes to......France. Is there no justice?

Good draw for the US though. 

You've got to hand it to them...oh, wait...
 

[EWSoccer64]

A South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France June 11, 16, 17, 22
France, Uruguay
B Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece June 12, 17, 22
Argentina, Greece
C England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia June 12, 13, 18, 23
England, USA
D Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana June 13, 18, 19, 23
Germany, Serbia
E Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon June 14, 19, 24
Netherlands, Denmark
F Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia June 14, 15, 20, 24
Italy, Paraguay
G Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal June 15, 20, 21, 25
Brazil, Ivory Coast
H Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile June 16, 21, 25
Spain, Chile

France-Greece  - France    Argentina-Uruguay - Argentina
England-Serbia - Serbia     USA-Germany - Germany

Netherlands - Paraguay - Netherlands    Italy- Denmark - Italy

Spain - Ivory Coast -  Spain    Brasil-Chile  - Brasil

Now if they keep it inside their half for the final eight, it looks to me like this:
France-Argentina - Argentina   Serbia - Germany - Germany
Argentina - Germany - Argentina

Netherlands - Italy - Netherlands     Spain-Brasil - Spain
Netherlands - Spain - Spain

Spain vs Argentina - Spain.

OOF course, all this presupposes that Argentina get someone other than Drugadona as coach before going to South Africa!
 

[vms]

vms, agreed, you have to beat the best to be the best, but you don't have to necessarily do that in the first round!  Easier first round games might allow them to find the confidence, form, fitness and rhythm they need to advance deeper into the tournament.  If the US can make it out of the first round, who knows what might happen in the round of 16 or quarters, though I suspect by the time the tournament reaches the semi-finals it will be the usual suspects who are present!

Well when it comes to rooting on a team, I cheer for the motherland...Italia!
Good luck to the USA.If they don't get out of that bracket, they really do suck!

[EWSoccer64]

>>>Well when it comes to rooting on a team, I cheer for the motherland...Italia!
Good luck to the USA.If they don't get out of that bracket, they really do suck! <<<

Vinny, weren't you ragging on Donovan for pulling a "baggio" just the other day?   Certainly if the "Golden Ponytail" can sky a PK in a shootout in the finals, then Landon can do it!

[vms]

>>>Well when it comes to rooting on a team, I cheer for the motherland...Italia!
Good luck to the USA.If they don't get out of that bracket, they really do suck! <<<

Vinny, weren't you ragging on Donovan for pulling a "baggio" just the other day?   Certainly if the "Golden Ponytail" can sky a PK in a shootout in the finals, then Landon can do it!

Yeah,true. But you're not really comparing the two are you?

[EWSoccer64]

>>>Well when it comes to rooting on a team, I cheer for the motherland...Italia!
Good luck to the USA.If they don't get out of that bracket, they really do suck! <<<

Vinny, weren't you ragging on Donovan for pulling a "baggio" just the other day?   Certainly if the "Golden Ponytail" can sky a PK in a shootout in the finals, then Landon can do it!

Yeah,true. But you're not really comparing the two are you?

Even more reason to be more critical of Baggio than Donovan, who had a better game in his final than the Golden Ponytail did.

[vms]

>>>Well when it comes to rooting on a team, I cheer for the motherland...Italia!
Good luck to the USA.If they don't get out of that bracket, they really do suck! <<<

Vinny, weren't you ragging on Donovan for pulling a "baggio" just the other day?   Certainly if the "Golden Ponytail" can sky a PK in a shootout in the finals, then Landon can do it!

Yeah,true. But you're not really comparing the two are you?

Even more reason to be more critical of Baggio than Donovan, who had a better game in his final than the Golden Ponytail did.

  Roberto Baggio
Date of birth February 18, 1967 (1967-02-18) (age 42)
Place of birth Caldogno, Italy
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1?2 in)
Playing position Second striker (retired)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1982–1985 Vicenza 36 (13)
1985–1990 Fiorentina 94 (39)
1990–1995 Juventus 141 (115)
1995–1997 Milan 51 (12)
1997–1998 Bologna 30 (22)
1998–2000 Internazionale 41 (9)
2000–2004 Brescia 95 (45)
Total  488 (218)
National team
1988–2004 Italy 56 (27)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
 Personal information
Full name Landon Timothy Donovan
Date of birth March 4, 1982 (1982-03-04) (age 27)
Place of birth Ontario, California, United States
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position Forward, Winger, Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club Los Angeles Galaxy
Number 10
Youth career
1998–1999 IMG Soccer Academy
1999–2001 Bayer Leverkusen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2001–2005 Bayer Leverkusen 7 (0)
2001–2004 ? San Jose Earthquakes (loan) 87 (32)
2005– Los Angeles Galaxy 121 (64)
2009 ? Bayern Munich (loan) 6 (0)
National team‡
1998–1999 United States U-17 41 (35)
2000 United States U-23 15 (9)
2000– United States 120 (42)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 October, 2009.

† Appearances (Goals).


‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 October, 2009

Hmmmm...

[EWSoccer64]

So why be more critical of Donovan for his PK miss than most people were for Baggio's?
After all who would you be more critical of skying a freekick from identical circumstances, Posh or David Beckham?

[Str8red]

Oh come on now. Really? Really?

Are we really comparing Landon Donovan to Roberto Baggio? Can't we just agree that Baggio in his day was one of the world's greats, that Landon is a pretty fair player and arguably the best American field player of his generation ... and that they both tanked big-time penalties?

And that skying a PK in the World Cup final is a tad bit more disastrous than missing one in the MLS final?

Meantime, you've put your finger on something with this whole rooting for Italy thing. Say Italy was playing the United States in the World Cup, like last time. Who do you root for? And if you're, you know, American, don't you feel a little weird about that? In light of the melting pot nature of our country, there are lots of soccer fans in your position. I happen to be Irish American. In my case, I would be hoping that the USA kicked the living snot out of the Republic of Ireland were they to meet in the WC, but that's just me.

Some people, though, might contend that it's unAmerican to pull for some other country when they're playing the land of your birth, the land of your upbringing, the land where you're free to pursue your life, liberty and happiness and all that.

[sounderfan]

One must always root against Italy. It's the law. 

[vms]

Oh come on now. Really? Really?

Are we really comparing Landon Donovan to Roberto Baggio? Can't we just agree that Baggio in his day was one of the world's greats, that Landon is a pretty fair player and arguably the best American field player of his generation ... and that they both tanked big-time penalties?

And that skying a PK in the World Cup final is a tad bit more disastrous than missing one in the MLS final?

Meantime, you've put your finger on something with this whole rooting for Italy thing. Say Italy was playing the United States in the World Cup, like last time. Who do you root for? And if you're, you know, American, don't you feel a little weird about that? In light of the melting pot nature of our country, there are lots of soccer fans in your position. I happen to be Irish American. In my case, I would be hoping that the USA kicked the living snot out of the Republic of Ireland were they to meet in the WC, but that's just me.

Some people, though, might contend that it's unAmerican to pull for some other country when they're playing the land of your birth, the land of your upbringing, the land where you're free to pursue your life, liberty and happiness and all that.

Too bad for you...Forza Italia!