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[Drygioni]

so that lines up US v Ghana and England v Germany?

It does indeed. Terrifying stuff

I will do a full rundown of who plays who once the last lot of group games is over.

[littlefallsmets]

If history has taught us anything, America and England need to team up for Germany to lose.

The only other thing known to defeat them is a good strong Russian winter.

I mean, the pattern's already set, right? France just sort of gave up early?

[Drygioni]

If history has taught us anything, America and England need to team up for Germany to lose.

The only other thing known to defeat them is a good strong Russian winter.

I mean, the pattern's already set, right? France just sort of gave up early?

Top top analysis there. Canned

[miles]

Holy SHIT I wish I had been watching that game live today.  I don't care if Landon Donovan never scores another goal again--he's pretty well cemented his place as greatest American soccer player ever.

Christ it was beautiful.

Top top analysis there. Canned

Agreed, double canned.

[miles]

Interesting story of how it came to be that the final two matches of group play are always played simultaneously.

[CortJstr]

I'd heard the short version of the simultaneous game story but it was cool to hear from the players.

I actually jumped up and down for that goal today (the one that counted, anyway). I'm glad Ghana went through. It would be really sad for the entire continent of Africa to be eliminated already. Even if the color commentator said Ghana would rather play US than England. Jerk.

Thing I learned today: the penalty is technically called "offside" in American football also, though I've always heard people say "offsides"

[pmcd9]

Agreed, double canned.

It's a hat trick.

[Drygioni]

OH MY GOD. Italy are out! Bottom of the group after a 3-2 defeat to Slovakia! What the fuck?

Teams out: New Zealand (undefeated which is a massive achievement), Italy

Teams through: Paraguay, Slovakia

[CortJstr]

They said this is the first time since '74 that the previous finalists didn't make it past the group stage.

The woman sitting next to me at work was way rooting against Italy. She wants all the European teams to lose, but Italy especially.

[jaydub]

She just doesn't appreciate good acting?

[robot_god]

Yesterday was an amazing day.  I got to do a driver-to-driver moving high-five on one of the busiest streets in Queens, then we went to heckle the Algerian hookah bar that was mad rowdy before the game, but surprisingly they clapped it up for the U.S. and shot some thumbs up.  Guess they knew Algeria pretty much couldn't advance anyway.

[miles]

I watched it at home because I wasn't aware of many establishments in Salt Lake that were playing it, starting at 8 AM here. Plus I had to go into work after the game anyway. Dispatch from Pretoria. Sounds like actually being there was the only better place to be than Queens, and man, reading your post, I wish I would have been in Queens. I imagine on Saturday I'll find a decent bar showing it like I did for the first match. 12:30 is a more agreeable time.

Also, what a douche.

I'm irritated at the (to me at least implicit) suggestion that I need to have a better reason to cheer for the USA than "America, FUCK YEAH!" I don't think politics and sports are inseparable, but I can still love my nation, whether in sports or generally, and be deeply critical of it at the same time.

The author:

Yet after the show, I was reminded about why when the United States wins in international tournaments, it can bring a nasty undercurrent in its wake.

Aggressive patriotism in international sporting events is hardly a singly American phenomenon, is it?

[robot_god]

a douche.

FUCK I want to stomp this motherfucker's ribs broken.

[linear]

Aggressive patriotism in international sporting events is hardly a singly American phenomenon, is it?

Well.. There was the holocaustism displayed by soccer fans in the Balkins before they actually started holocausing.  Soccer was used by authorities in say Serbia as a tool to stir up nationalism and jingoism.  Sorry I don't have any references or whatever you'll have to google it.

I didn't read the above linked article, but personally, I say FUCK patriotism.  People are people, irrespective of what country they come from.  A country is such a complex and bureaucratic thing.  Allegiance to a country and holding it in high esteem is such a gross over simplification that it can only end (as it constantly does) in tragedy, suffering, and death.  You love the flag?  Yeah I admit, I respect the flag and it evokes emotions for me.  I burn it from time to time too.  People died for my right to burn the fuck*ng thing, so if I don't exercise that right from time to time, then they died in vain.  Eh.  So anyway, congratulations if you feel something for the flag, or the country.  It's called branding motherfucker.  You might love Chevy cars too, or Apple computer, or Microsoft, or your favorite brand of dildo, or the American Flag, or Jesus - it's all a matter of PR and marketing and Word Craft.

Of course usually God is mixed in with patriotism, and that's just bleh...

-edit

[Drygioni]

You may have a point Linear, but it's sport, it's fun as human being to support your country whether they're awesome or terrible simply for the emotions it provides as they succeed/fail.

Spain, Chile, Brazil and Portugal through.. Switzerland, Honduras, Ivory Coast and North Korea out.