England vs USA sponsored by US Nobbers [OFFICAL THREAD]

[Row Z Royal]

I have come across some very talented kids.

You are Gary Glitter AICMFP.

[seahawk10]

19-50 clap-clap clap-clap-clap

1-0 to the USA

Jay Demerit scores on a set piece to really set off Floyd.

Ps - Chi: Having under-priviledged kids from rough neighboorhoods in your squad might not help the U.S. The keys to World Cup success is population size, having experience (playing in many world cups) and being an affluent nation. The U.S. will catch up with everyone one day, it might be sooner than you think:

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/06 ... s-101.html

Sorry Seahawk, but I disagree. There is a massive gap in the development of players when they reach high school age (15) and a massive swathe of talented kids are lost to the game at an essential point in their education and progression as players. I coach at a club and have been gutted at seeing very talented kids drift away from the game. Why? I believe very much that it is a cultural barrier, which I can never see broken in the US because even the very best player will not have a career to look forward to when football is ranked - in popularity as well as wealth - way below even ice hockey.

The other cultural difference is that fans in the US cannot appreciate the subtlety of the game and have the attention span of goldfish: they want points, scores, goals every minute and time-outs for yet another lardburger and therefore have no concept of how precious a goal is and how difficult it is to score one. The kids and parents of the team I coach are enthusiastic about playing, but outside of that, they have no interest in watching the game and educating themselves in it. Most of the parents had no idea about the England v US game today.

There is a ton of hype and I expect the ratings for this game to set some records. I do think the interest in soccer is growing steadily, so many more people are interested in the World Cup this time around than four years ago. Americans enjoy watching the top level of almost any sport. That is why there are more people who identify and watch the Prem, Serie A, La Ligue, etc than MLS. I think soccer is close to passing hockey and will one day be on par with the NBA.
I could be wrong, but that is how I see things unfolding the next 10-20 years or so.

[TBM]

Green
Johnson
King
Terry
Cole
Milner
Gerrard
Lampard
Lennon
Heskey
Rooney

[Row Z Royal]

Green
Johnson
King
Terry
Cole
Milner
Gerrard
Lampard
Lennon
Heskey
Rooney

Spot on in today's Telegraph then.

[Archie's penalty]

Big surprise for me is Green in nets. Would have gone for James, think Green is rather shaky. Apart from that no surprises. I would have gone for Cole on the left of midfield but am happy with seeing Milner there.

Come on Ingerland!

[Archie's penalty]

split!! birth place vs england, but i've lived here since I was 18 months so it's very much home to me. a draw please, and both to progress!

Give it a rest Jay.

[URZZ]

I'm gonna go 1-1 or 2-1 either way.

Tight game.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

C'mon England!

[swansea jack]

Engerland to dominate a 1-0.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

The 'Hawkerz/Arky discussion is incomplete without even the most cursory examin7ion of such key factors as demographics, geography and climate (to say nothing of sheer accident of history), but I'll save anything of the sort for another time

One thing to watch for: whenever we --the good ol' stars 'n' stripes-- gain possession at the back in matches played away and on neutral ground, our boys tend to panic if they get run at when on the ball

I'm guessing that an old hand the like of Fab has spotted this tendency and has issued specific instructions accordingly

Well Rooney is quite happy to put himself about in harrassing the oppo defence.

Handy in and around goal, too --or so we've been warned

My 3-1 prediction stands; just hoping the boys don't embarrass themselves (and pick up a rash of cards that'll come back to bite later on in group play) --and nobody's getting their damned tea back come the end of the day, so honours even really

[Arch]

Most of the parents had no idea about the England v US game today.

That's just bizarre. I'm at the US rowing youth national championships this weekend and absolutely everyone is constantly buzzing about this game despite being at their biggest event of the year. The crew kids raced back to the hotel to watch.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

1-1 bore draw for me

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Poor Martin Tyler working alongside that vvank-piece John Harkes over here

Righto, boys --leave all that "don't fire 'til you see the whites of their eyes" horsesh*t in the 18th Century where it belongs

[Warfield Royal]

ITV HD Advert when Engalnd score

[RoyalChicagoFC]

F'ing amateurs, just happy to be there, etc

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Gerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrddddddddddddddddd!!!!!

Another one in the eye for all of the Gerrard h8rs on here

[The Prisoner]

WTF are ITV doing. Fecking retards. Fecking advert when England scored on HD!!!!!

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Nice bit of simulation by LD to win the freekick in midfield there --could tell from a wide angle and in real time that Donovan initiated what little contact there was

Taking our place on the world's stage!

[John Madejski's Wallet]

EngLOLish keepers

[PlasticRoyale]

gROFLeen - cuntering spastic