World Cup: Portugal Bows Out to Spain; Ronny Sad

The party's over

Cristiano Ronaldo says he feels like a "broken man" following Portugal's World Cup exit and has denied attributing the blame for the country's failure to coach Carlos Queiroz.
Portugal were eliminated in the second round by Spain on Tuesday night as a David Villa goal secured a 1-0 victory for their Iberian neighbours. It meant Portugal departed the competition having failed to score in three of their four games in South Africa.
Former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo was a marginal figure for much of the match and his conduct was also brought in question following the final whistle as he appeared to spit in the direction of a TV cameraman on the pitch.
The national team captain then told reporters to "talk to Carlos Queiroz" when asked to explain Portugal's defeat to Spain, but has since issued a statement through his agent to establish he was not seeking to apportion blame to the coach.
"I feel a broken man, completely disconsolate, frustrated and an unimaginable sadness," Ronaldo said. "When I said 'put the question to the coach', it is just because Carlos Queiroz was holding a press conference.
"I was not in a position to explain what was what. I am a human being, and like any human being I suffer and I have the right to suffer alone. I know that I am the captain, and I have always assumed and will assume my responsibilities."

In response to Ronaldo's remarks, Queiroz hinted he expected better performances from the country's captain who scored only one goal in South Africa.
"We are not unaware of those remarks, but we are not here to be friends with the players," Queiroz said. "One must never allow anyone placing himself above the best interests of the national side.
"Portugal needs Ronaldo, and Ronaldo needs the national side. But if this shirt unnerves some players, they have no grounds to be there."

Ronny venting his frustration at the proximity of the cameraman

and then spitting at the cameraman

World Cup: Horrible Tragedy

Police say man killed crying 2-year-old


McALLEN, Texas -- A Texas man accused of fatally beating his 2-year-old stepdaughter when she wouldn't stop crying as he watched a World Cup game has been charged with capital murder.
McAllen Police Sgt. Joel Morales says 27-year-old Hector Castro was charged Monday after his Saturday arrest. Castro is being held on $1 million bond at the Hidalgo County jail, where a booking clerk says he does not yet have an attorney.
Police Chief Victor Rodriguez says Castro told investigators the toddler wouldn't stop crying while he was trying to watch the U.S.-Ghana matchup Saturday.
Rodriguez says the child was severely beaten and suffered several broken ribs. Police say a screw or bolt was forced down her throat in an apparent attempt to make it look like she choked to death. [end story]

Not even sure what to say about this. 

World Cup: England and Mexico Going Home

I have to admit that it's getting harder and harder for me to write about the World Cup now that Portugal is the only remaining team that I support.  I despise everything to do with Diego Maradona and wouldn't cheer for his team if they were the only team left.  England is gone.  USA is gone.  Mexico is gone.  Yoann Gourcuff is gone. :)
Cristiano is the only one I'm cheering for now and so I have to have faith in the Portuguese to pull this one off.
England lost in a convincing fashion today to a well-organized Joachim Loew team.  Granted, the 4-1 score wasn't the real score.  England had a good goal by Frank Lampard disallowed.  In the grand scheme, you could say that's only one goal and shouldn't matter, but it would have tied the game at 2-2.  That DOES matter in how a team attacks or sits back.  With that goal gone, then a 3-1 score seems harder to overcome.
I don't have ill will for the Germans (although two scorers for them today are not REALLY German), and I like Loew so I won't be snarky about their win.
I would feel sorry for the English team if they had actually played this World Cup.  Everyone I know who supports them couldn't understand what they were waiting for...PLAY ALREADY!  We see them play so brilliantly for their club teams and they just didn't have the gumption to pull out a win.
Of course the British papers are calling for Capello's head, but the players should be questioned as well.
It seems to be a lingering theme that England has the worst luck/curse in WC play.
I'm ready for the EPL season already!

CHICHARITO scored!!!!!  So proud of our United man Javier Hernandez.  He scored in today's match with the Drug Addict's team.  3-1 was the final score, although one of the Troll Tevez' goals shouldn't have been allowed.  Go figure.  Wasn't good enough for United, and thoroughly belongs on a cheating team.  His coach should know a great deal about cheating...as he had a HAND in the 1986 World Cup win.
Argentina...zzzzzzzzzzzz....next.

Come on, Cristiano!!!  You're my only hope.

World Cup: Well, It Wasn't Meant to Be

In today's first match, Uruguay outlasted the South Koreans (with United's Park Ji-Sung) 2-1.  And the score in the second match was also 2-1, but not in favor of the United States, but Ghana...who scored in the fourth minute of extra time to secure their advancement into the quarterfinals.

It was a great run for the Americans, and I know that they must be disappointed.  We had many chances to score but just couldn't find the bag.  Four years is a long time to wait for the next Cup, but I hopes these young guys will stick it out because they found a solid team to compete.

Landon Donovan, who scored the penalty, agreed with my assessment...our team was young:

“We were a little naïve and at this level you can’t do that,” he said. “Ghana didn’t make things easy and they move on. We will learn from this and come back stronger, but it is hard to handle right now.”

World Cup: Details of French Drama Now Emerging

from le parisien:

French players voted on whether or not to issue an apology.  Everyone wanted to except Patrice Evra.

Yoann Gourcuff wanted to train and Franck Ribery goaded him, "Go on, Yoann, you'll be alone on the pitch.  Everyone will see you and you'll become a media star."

Evra enraged by Ribery's unscheduled appearance on TF1 (French broadcaster) Sunday, telling him..."You only think of yourself."

Evra and Eric Abidal had a heated two-hour discussion with Domenech on Sunday and Abidal urged him to "reassert control of the team."

Patrice Evra's lawyer wrote players' statement on the training boycott and sent it to Evra's phone.

and from Le Nouvel Observateur:

Hugo Lloris, Bacary Sagna, and Yoann Gourcuff wanted to train but were stopped by Ribery, Evra, and Abidal.  It almost came to blows on the bus.

World Cup: The Survivors of Group Play

Here are the countries still in it for the strange little gold trophy:  The pairings are A/B, C/D, E/F, G/H.  The winner of the first letter takes on the runner-up of the second letter.

(First listed is the winner of the group)

Group A:  Uruguay, Mexico

Group B:  Argentina, South Korea

Group C:  United States, England

Group D:  Germany, Ghana

Group E:  Netherlands, Japan

Group F:  Paraguay, Slovakia

Group G:  Brasil, Portugal

Group H:  Spain, Chile

The first knockout round will be complete on Tuesday.

World Cup: Oops, I'm in the Wrong Place!

Posted by Leander Schaerlaeckens
from soccernet
JOHANNESBURG -- The U.S. won its group and will play Ghana in the next round. Great!
Yes. Very well. But who will be there to root the Americans on?
A lot of Englishmen, from the sound of it.
The English, assuming they'd win Group C and thus play the runner-up of Group D in Rustenburg Saturday, had largely planned accordingly, snagging tickets for that game and arranging their travel to match.
And then the Americans went and won the group, meaning that England will instead play Germany in Bloemfontein a day later and six hours away.
According to British paper the Daily Mail, the crossed-up England fans are trying to get rid of the U.S.-Ghana tickets and hoping to get into the other game instead.
British Airways noticed a sudden spike in bookings alterations before England's game against Slovenia was even over.
Changing up the plans so dramatically might prove difficult on such short notice, meaning England will be the best-supported team in a game pitting the U.S. against Ghana.

The question is, Who will they root for? Their old colony or ... their old colony?