Best of luck - Ghana were fantastic against the Czechs - you are still in with a chance!

Lewisexi wrote:Ten men each now so should be n interesting 2nd half! I hope the Americans go on and win as it makes things much more fun!

er well it was...til another US player went and got himself sent off!

what a bizarre game!

Al

Oh!!! Bad luck - I think you guys are doing quite well - two good shots in the last two minutes...

Ok American guys, let's be honest. Every Italian fan was pretty certain to send you back homewith very grim faces, all the while holding our breath. Clearly, no one thought of the generosity of one of our players. Well, you know, we Italians are well-known for out generosity, but we did not think it would have been applied on the World Cup field. However, a war you wanted, and a war it was. To the point of sending three players out and innumerable WIAs.

Now we got this slight vantage, which will allow us to go on even on a draw... possibly even if we lose against Czech Republic, provided that you win against Ghana. So come on and teach those Africans a lesson... but don't score too many goals, or you will pass in our place if we lose.

I didn't think Italy played at all well. Defensively they looked solid enough with the defenders playing very well. Not much going forward though. The less experienced players for Italy had a bad time time tonight. It wasn't helped by De Rossi's sending off and Totti having a poor game. Totti has always been a great player in Europe and Serie A but he never seems to do well as well on international games. At 29 this is his last chance really. A shame as I'm afraid he'll be remembered as a nearly great player as his injury before this World Cup was as much of a worry as Rooney has been to us I'd imagine?

Anyway fantastic to watch Ghana earlier! I love to watch 11 guys genuinely enjoy playing football and working so damn hard, competing so well and playing really attractive football.

well i did say before the game that italy are notorious slow starters and well there you go.

thats not to take anything away from the americans. that was one of the gutsiest performances that i have seen in a while. great stuff to watch and i really was cheering them come the end.

in the UK, we know mcbride as he plays here, but that donovan lad - great effort by him - always looked dangerous.

definately a moment to be proud of! all you can do now is go out and win the last match well and hope the other result goes favourably and well, funnier things have happened!!!

well done indeed! now all we need is australia to play the game of their lives tomorrow and REALLY cheer us up

Al

This is such a quality tournament it's hard to miss a game. Argentina have been extremely impressive.

I find it extremely patronising of the BBC pundits to constantly voice surprise when an african side does well.  

It's a shame the Ivory Coast are out, they have been almost good enough in a group which included Argentina (rated 6th on ELO) and Holland (rated 2nd). England and Italy would struggle in that group.

Ghana are a quality outifit. Essien has been the best holding midfielder in the English premiership (well Keano and Viera have left).

Good to see the US get a point (I'd backed them to qualify from the group with the Italians).

I wonder how Scotland will get on against Paraguay???

obiter wrote:I wonder how Scotland will get on against Paraguay???

We'd be slaughtered, IMHO. *

Paraguay underperformed this time, having lost in the knock-out stages to the eventual champions and runners-up in the past two World Cups.
To say nothing of beating Argentina at the end of last year as revenge for losing the Olympic Final (1-0 yet again) in 2004.

Seemed like fairly good value for the 400-1 odds, to be honest. Oh well...


=
* Given that, at present, we'd have difficulty outplaying the Faeroes.

obiter wrote:Jason Scotland plays for Trinidad & Tobago ....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/shared/bsp ... 275674.stm

One against eleven? Probably about the same odds as our national team.