Wednesday, 22 March 2006
How many I's in Team (USA)?
I'm at home this afternoon waiting on a delivery and watched the Germany v USA friendly game on ESPN. Remember the US are ranked 5 by FIFA and Germany 22nd. Surely a walk-over for the American's then? No, they got hammered 4-1. Admittedly the US were without their Premiership based players and their injured talisman Landon Donovan and Eddie Pope.
The visitors held the World Cup hosts to 0-0 at the half, which was met with loud jeers from the 65,000 crowd in Dortmund, but capitulated after break conceding four goals, although German based Steve Cherundolo did get a late consolation.
"By any stretch of the imagination, this tournament exceeded my expectations in a myriad of ways. Absolutely." That was Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig yesterday following the end of the World Baseball Classic. (more)
To be honest I didn't catch much of it but in short the Americans were beaten at their own game, knocked out in the 2nd Round, by Mexico. Oh how immigrant Mexicans must have enjoyed going to work the next day!
Korea by all accounts were the competitions most talented team, but it was Japan and my tip Cuba who contested the final in San Diego on Monday. Japan, led by pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, beat the Cubans 10-6 in front of a noisy crowd of 42,696. In total a very credible 737,112 people watched the 39 games in 6 cities.
It is no surprise of course that the Americans left the competition with their tail between their legs. This was of course a team event and not one for a group of highly paid egotistical superstars and just as in basketball and ice hockey, Team USA's scalp is a most treasured one. Like George Bush, America's sports hierarchy obviously underestimate the motivation of the opposition.
College basketball's March Madness continues tomorrow with the last 'sweet sixteen.' It's all about the brackets of course and 10 of my picks remain in the competition. I of course haven't got a clue what I'm doing and picked names because they sounded funny, similar tactics I use at the race course. I never win there either. ¶ 18:53
The visitors held the World Cup hosts to 0-0 at the half, which was met with loud jeers from the 65,000 crowd in Dortmund, but capitulated after break conceding four goals, although German based Steve Cherundolo did get a late consolation.
"By any stretch of the imagination, this tournament exceeded my expectations in a myriad of ways. Absolutely." That was Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig yesterday following the end of the World Baseball Classic. (more)
To be honest I didn't catch much of it but in short the Americans were beaten at their own game, knocked out in the 2nd Round, by Mexico. Oh how immigrant Mexicans must have enjoyed going to work the next day!
Korea by all accounts were the competitions most talented team, but it was Japan and my tip Cuba who contested the final in San Diego on Monday. Japan, led by pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, beat the Cubans 10-6 in front of a noisy crowd of 42,696. In total a very credible 737,112 people watched the 39 games in 6 cities.
It is no surprise of course that the Americans left the competition with their tail between their legs. This was of course a team event and not one for a group of highly paid egotistical superstars and just as in basketball and ice hockey, Team USA's scalp is a most treasured one. Like George Bush, America's sports hierarchy obviously underestimate the motivation of the opposition.
College basketball's March Madness continues tomorrow with the last 'sweet sixteen.' It's all about the brackets of course and 10 of my picks remain in the competition. I of course haven't got a clue what I'm doing and picked names because they sounded funny, similar tactics I use at the race course. I never win there either. ¶ 18:53
