World Cup: Win and you're in

The English soccer team visited an orphanage today. "It's heartbreaking to see their sad little faces with no hope," said Jamal, age 6. (Thanks to Sean for sending that my way.)

The England team seems to be in a bit of a crisis mode. Although, they can always be heartened by the fact that they're not the French team. Here's what's happened to Les Blues:

• They garnered a meager 1 point out of 2 games, putting the team in danger of missing the next round.
• Had their veteran striker sent home after an expletive-laced tirade at half time of their loss to Mexico.
• Another player give the finger to a group of reporters.
• The entire team refused to practice this weekend.
• The team director has resigned.
• Beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech had to separate a player and the fitness coach at a practice that was not interrupted by the players refusing to participate.
• French star Thierry Henry announced he was leaving the team immediately after their next game to join the New York Red Bulls of MLS.

OK, I made that last one up, but it actually might happen; Henry has long been linked with a move to the Red Bulls.

Of course, for anyone who believes in karma, this is all very pleasant to watch unfold. The French only qualified for the World Cup thanks to a very obvious handball on Henry that led to a goal which knocked out the Irish.  Read more about the French meltdown (including videos) from Dirty Tackle.

Anyway, back to Group C.  The Americans (0-0-2) are second in with two points, trailing Slovenia (1-0-1) and ahead of England (0-0-2) on goals scored going into Wednesday’s first-round finale against Algeria (0-1-1). England will match up against Slovenia. The US would advance with a win and possibly with a draw. The games will be played simultaneously, so find a bar with multiple TVs, get a TV with picture-in-picture or set up your computer next to your TV to stream one of the games.

As for Friday's game, while I'm still irate over the horrible call that cost the US the game-winning goal, the US put themselves in that spot with poor play in the first half. If the US played the entire 90 minutes with the poise and intensity they did in the second half, they could beat anyone. Maybe coach Bradley can arrange for the scoreboard in the stadium to show the score as 1-0 Algeria when the game starts, so the players will think they're already a goal down.

Finally, happy Father's Day to all the dads watching, playing in and coaching in the World Cup.

World Cup: The Next Game for the US

I won't pretend to know much of anything about the team the US will face on Friday (9:30 am EST, ESPN): Slovenia. The New York Times sees a squad very similar to the US: a physical, well-organized, defensive team that depends on the counterattack to score.

All I can tell you is that the US should expect to tie and probably even win. And the players know the importance of getting a result out of this match. "In all likelihood, if we lose, we're out of the tournament. That's the reality of the situation," explained Landon Donovan.

Tim Howard is apparently fine and is expected to play on Friday, although in interviews he has been pretty cagey about revealing the extent of his injuries. I just hope he's healthy enough to play and play well.

There is the possibility that the US will field a more attack-minded lineup against Slovenia. Ricardo Clark might make way for Benny Feilhaber or Jose Torres, both of whom are less defensive players, more comfortable on the ball and better passers than Clark. Any other changes to the US starting 11 would be a bit of a surprise, although Stuart Holden might get a start as well.

England and Algeria play later on Friday, so the US can really put pressure on England by securing a win. England, it should be said, have an easier opponent in Algeria, who lost to Slovenia on Sunday. In fact, should England win, Algeria would be all-but-eliminated and might phone in their game against the US next week. But it 2002, the US only needed a tie against Poland, who had been effectively eliminated before their last game. The US ended up needing (and getting) a surprise win by S. Korea against Portgual to advance to the knock out stages.

I should also note there has been a shift in the coverage of England in the press and I think it reflects the pressure the English players are under. Before the tournament, most of the chatter in England was about how far the team could go in the tournament. But since last week's tie, the focus has been on what England will have to do to get out of the group. Each team should still expect to advance, but each will have to keep its nerve on Friday.


Finally, the World Cup has been the topic of much conversation in the Ferris home and the games are frequently on TV. Yesterday morning, while Meg and I were getting ready for work in the bathroom, John was lying on our bed in his pajamas watching the early game. Every few minutes he would announce the score to keep me and Meg in the loop. "It's still zero to zero. No goals yet!" Unfortunately we all missed the thrilling end to that game (when New Zealand equalized in the dying seconds of the match) but I'm sure John will be watching more games with us as the tournament continues.

World Cup: US v. England

Let's clear up one thing first: the pub Rob and I went to yesterday didn't actually run out of beer. They had run out of beer on tap, but somehow managing to find plenty of bottled beer. I was actually more worried about them running out of ice. Rob and I were watching in a large tent outside the bar where several large flat screen TVs had been set up. It was a typically hot summer day in Houston and the tent was packed with soccer fans, sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder. The combination of the heat of the day and number of people made the tent incredibly hot. I kept scooping ice out of the buckets full of beer bottles and letting it melt on my head and down my back to try in vain to stay cool.

But it was a great atmosphere. US fans outnumbered English fans about 6-1 but every one was in great spirit and was completely into the game. I sat next to an English fan and he and I chatted throughout the game and shook hands afterwards. (Update: You can pick me out in the center back of this photo from the Houston Chronicle. I'm to the right of and English fan wearing a white shirt; mine is red.)

As for the game itself, I have to start with the goalkeeping. Last week I said of Tim Howard: "Goalkeeper: Tim Howard is the clear #1 keeper and one of the top 10 in the world. He will have to play well to keep the English at bay." I think he proved why he is considered among the best in the world with his man-of-the-match performance yesterday.  (No word yet on how serious his injury is or if he will play against Slovenia on Friday.) I also said in an earlier post: "Every English fan wishes they had Tim Howard in goal." I think Robert Green's horrific gaffe proved why that is also true.

I wonder, as Green was watching the ball trickle over the goal line, if he had a moment like ones in the Nike "Write the Future" ads. I bet he imagined himself like Wayne Rooney in the ad, disgraced in England and living out the the rest of his days with a scruffy beard in a trailer park. 

Rooney himself had an OK game. The US defense were clearly concerned about him and did a good job keeping him from getting clear looks at goal.

The US also did well not to fold after coughing up a goal in the first 5 minutes. You may recall that 4 years ago, the US gave up a similarly early goal and went on to lose their opening game 3-0 against the Czech Republic. The Americans kept their heads up, fought back and got lucky on their goal just before half time. But every team needs a little luck to succeed in the World Cup. The good teams take advantage of their good fortune, just like the US did in hanging on for a draw against a favored opponent.

I thought the English coach, Capello, made a few curious coaching decisions. He pulled James Milner after only 30 minutes (coaches rarely make subs that early unless a player is injured) and he had to sub defender Ledley King at half time (recall that King is the guy whose knees are so balky that he doesn't practice during the week). King's replacement, Jamie Carrager, was absolutely skinned by Altidore in the second half and bailed out by a reaction save by Green and the goal post.

The English team is probably disappointed that they didn't go on to win a game in which they scored just minutes in. And the Americans are probably pleased and proud they battled to back to tie. Overall, I think a tie was a fair result as neither team played measurably better than the other.

Slovenia beat Algeria earlier today 1-0, so they now top the group. The US plays Slovenia on Friday and will expect to win to earn the full three points from that game.

If you want to read some good post-match comments from some online soccer writers, here are a few  links:

The Guardian: "But if the USA were not producing too much to trouble the opposition defence, then neither were England. Rooney was conspicuously quiet, struggling to get into the game or even to get hold of the ball, and there were signs of an old problem returning with Gerrard and Frank Lampard being pushed back too deep and the front two becoming isolated as a result."

Sports Illustrated:  "The key group game for the U.S. was always going to be the next one against Slovenia, and that remains the case. If the favored Americans can avoid a letdown against Slovenia, they could take four points into the third game against Algeria and be in a golden position to advance from the group–and perhaps even win it."

ESPN: "The U.S. admittedly got lucky but played well enough to deserve its good fortune."

World Cup: Analysis of England

On paper, the England team is better than the US. Wayne Rooney is one of the best strikers in the world and is easily their most important player. If Rooney gets hot and start pumping in goals, the English could beat the US and go far in the tournament.

Rooney's teammates play for the biggest clubs in England: Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United. Many have played in previous World Cups and in the elite European club tournament called the Champions League.

And Fabio Capello, the Italian who coaches the English team, has a substantial managerial resume that includes some of the top club teams in Europe (AC Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus).

But... the English team isn't invulnerable.

A Guardian writer, when asked what England's weaknesses are (the obvious strength being Rooney) replied: "I'd say goalkeeper, right back, mobility in central defence, no left-footed wide player, only one good striker and general innate system of play. Anything else?"

I think he may be overstating the team's weaknesses, but England are not unbeatable. And they are surely tie-able (is that even a word?).

The likely starting 11 for England will reveal their weak spots:

GK: Green or James or Hart
No one really knows who will start in goal. David James is 39 and is nicknamed "Calamity James" because his is prone to comedic goalkeeping errors. Joe Hart is talented but young and inexperienced. Green has only played 10 times for England. Who knows? Maybe the 3 keepers will play rock-paper-scissors to decide who starts. Every English fan wishes they had Tim Howard in goal.

D: Johnson, King, Terry, A. Cole
Ledley King is like Steve McNair, who used to skip practice to preserve his body for NFL games on Sundays. King has a painful knee ailment that causes him to skip most training to save himself for games. John Terry is probably this biggest jerk on the English team. In 2001, he was fined by his club team after drunkenly harassing grieving American tourists in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. And just this year, he was stripped of the captaincy of the English team after it was revealed that he had an affair with the former girlfriend of another English player, Wayne Bridge. Bridge subsequently refused to play for the English team. Since this affair became public, Terry has struggled for Chelsea (his club team).

M: Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, J. Cole
Gerrard and Lampard are 2 of the best midfielders in the game. But they rarely play well together for England. It might be because they play very similarly, or because they each have such massive egos that they can't allow the other to succeed. 

F: Rooney, Crouch or Heskey
As noted, Rooney is one of the world's best goal scorers. But Capello has yet to settle on a strike partner for Rooney. Crouch is a 6'7" beanpole who doesn't even start for his club team (but scores often for England). Heskey has played more than 50 games for England but scored only 7 goals. 

Rooney, meanwhile, has a fierce temper. He was red-carded in England's quarterfinal match against Portugal 4 years ago and has seen red for Man United as well.

Might we see this next week? US fans probably hope so... 

Really, the result against England is important but not critical. As I've said before, if the US can muster a tie, they'll be in good position to get results from Algeria and Slovenia and advance to the knock-out stage.

One more thing: the term soccer, much derided by Euro-snobs who insist on calling it football, actually has its roots in England.  The word soccer grew out of the phrase Association Football, which is what the sport was called in the 19th century in England. "Soca" was an abbreviation for Association (Assoc.) and at some point picked up the extra -er on the end. Although it was not used as heavily as football in England, it was apparently a common term for the game in 19th century England.

When English football started being played in the US, there was already a sport called football here, so soccer became the chosen word in the US. While most other countries call it football (or a local variant, like futbol in Spanish speaking countries) other countries still use other words besides football. In Canada and Australia, the game is also called soccer. And in Italy it's called calcio (which translates roughly to kick).

So the next time some Euro-snob complains about the ignorant Americans who call it "sawker," tell him to blame the English -- they're the ones who came up with term in the first place.

World Cup: Odds and Ends

Video: If you haven't seen this "Write the Future" ad by Nike, watch it now:



It stars Didier Drogba, (who may be out of the WC), Wayne Rooney (England's best player), Italy's Fabio Cannavaro (hero of Italy's 2006 WC triumph), Frank Ribery (France's livewire winger), Ronaldinho (Brazil's toothy playmaker who didn't make the WC squad -- whoops!) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal's star/primadonna). For soccer fans it's a complete treat, with lots of little inside jokes and cameos (like the US's Landon Donovan and Tim Howard). And for non-soccer fans there's Homer Simpson ("Ronal-D'oh!").

The conceit of the ad is that it shows different soccer start playing and imagining what will happen to them if they make the play (like get a stature erected their honor) or don't (get fat, grow a beard and live in a trailer park).

The Ball: Much has been made about the new Adidas ball. Many plays have come forward to complain about the new ball, saying it's too light and moves around a lot in flight. Goalkeepers are particularly cranky about it. This happens every WC. A new ball is introduced just before the tournament, players complain about it and then the better teams go on to win anyway.

Obviously I haven't tried to new ball myself (they sell for more than $100 -- no thanks). But if they really are trickier to deal with, we might see a few more goals and a few more upsets. What's not to like?

The US Team: The Yanks beat the Socceroos (Australia) 3-1 on Saturday in their final warm-up match. The US team looked good, if a bit profligate, in attack and shaky on defense. Meanwhile, England played a warm-up game against a South African club team and won 3-0. Reports suggest England did not look strong, but it's hard for me to say much more having not watched the game.

As far as Saturday's game, England are the clear favorites. And they should be. But, the US has to be hoping to get a draw out of this game. A win would be massive and a loss would be a bit of a disappointment (the US could still advance with a loss). In fact, both teams may play fairly conservatively as both of them expect to get out of the group and would probably be happy to walk away with a tie and no injuries. I'll break down both teams later this week.

World Cup: Injuries

Injuries to key players has been the biggest story the last couple of days. Here's the latest:

English team captain and seasoned (in other words, old) central defender Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a knee injury. Some England football pundits are no doubt wondering if the remaining defenders can hold together the English backline without Ferdinand. The Guardian isn't sure and even namechecks 2 of the US's fleetest players:

Mainly this is a blow for England's central defence, not least the balance of personnel. John Terry, Matthew Upson and Jamie Carragher are not the type you'd back in a straight foot race with Arjen Robben or, come to mention it, Landon Donovan or Robbie Findley, allegedly the fastest man in the MLS. Ledley King is quick enough when he gets going, but is shorn of decisive acceleration.

I'm not sure this is such a big blow -- Ferdninand was old and coming off a season with Manchester United in which he was kept out of many games due to a bad back. And many of the comments on the BBC's web site echo my thoughts. Here's a sample:

Ferdinand was a shadow of his imperious self this season, he looked laboured and easily turned. But in international football experience is king, and his influence will be missed.

It's really too early to say whether this will be detrimental to England. You need a great defence to win a World Cup these days, but England's back ups are still good players.

Dawson and King have both had better seasons than Ferdinand, Upson or Carragher. I don't think Ferdinand is the worst player for England to lose at this stage.

So what does this mean for the US -- England's first opponent? Well, much of the our fortunes rest on the recently injured ankle of forward Josy Altidore. By all accounts, the injury seems minor, but it doesn't look like he'll play in the US's final warm up game on Saturday against Australia (ESPN2, 8:30 am EST). But every US fan will hope the Josy is healthy and match-fit by June 12. Even though he's only 20 years, old Josy is the US's most experienced option at forward -- he has more games played and more goals scored than the other 3 forwards (Gomez, Buddle and Findley) combined.

The other big injury news: Ivory Coast striker (and Vanity Fair cover model) Didier Drogba apparently broke his elbow in an exhibition game against Japan. Some reports suggest that he may be able to play in the WC anyway. But if he can't this is a huge blow to the Ivory Coast, one of the African teams many had thought had a chance to go deep into the tournament.

Drogba was the leading goal scorer in the English Preimier League in 2009-2010 and is considered one of the best and most intimidating strikers in the world. He is also a controversial figure. He has been credited to helping bring some measure of peace to his home country. But he is also viewed as an arrogant, petulant, ill-tempered glory hog.

Whatever your opinion of Drogba, the World Cup will be a little less interesting if he's not able to play.

World Cup 101

So, you're thinking to yourself: "I want to watch the World Cup this summer. But I don't know much about the tournament, the teams, or even when it's on. Where do I start?"

Start here.

The Format
32 teams compete in the World Cup (WC) every 4 years. In the 2 years or so leading up to the WC, more than 200 teams from all over the world compete against each other just to qualify. Here's a link to all the teams.If you want a funny run down of the American sports equivalent of each WC team, read this.

Once the qualification process is complete, the 7 "best" teams plus the host country (this time South Africa) are put into 8 different groups. Then the remaining 24 teams are drawn (kind of at random) into the 8 groups, leading to a total of 4 teams in each group.

Group Stage
England is one of the seeded teams and were placed in Group C. The US was drawn into this group, as were Algeria and Slovenia. I'll get into this into more detail in a later post, but the US is considered the second best team in this group and is expected to advance.

Every team in a group plays every other team in that group; so each team plays 3 games. The 2 teams with the most points in each group advance to the next round, the knock-out phase. Points are awarded like this: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. Obviously if you win all 3 games in the group phase you are guaranteed to advance. But few teams win all their group games. A good rule of thumb is that if you win 1 game and tie at least 1 other, there's a good chance to advance. But if 2 teams end up with the same number of points, then the team with the better goal differential advances.(Goal differential is the difference between the total goals scored and the total goals conceded.)

So the US opens play against England in June 12, then plays Slovenia on June 18 and finishes against Algeria on June 23.

Knock-Out Stage
Once the knock-out stage starts, the WC looks more like the NCAA basketball tournament, only there are 16 soccer teams (not 64). If a game is tied after 90 minutes, the teams play 2 15-minute overtime periods (it is not sudden death, however -- the teams play the whole time). If the game is still tied, then it is settled by penalty kicks.

This continues just like any other bracketed tournament until 2 teams are left, and they meet in the final game on July 11.

Favorites
Who are the favorites to win the WC? Brazil and Spain are the top 2 teams in the world, but I would also keep an eye on the Netherlands and Argentina. This is also, however, the first WC to be played in Africa and there may be some shock upsets. This occurred in Korea/Japan in 2002 (the first tournament played in Asia), when S. Korea and Turkey (not world powers) advanced to the semi-finals and the US advanced quarter-finals.

Schedule
Here's a schedule of all the matches, which will all be shown on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. Many will also be streamed online on the ESPN web site. You should, of course, watch all of the US games -- especially the match against England on June 12. But here are some other games I recommend from the first week:

- The opening game on June 11: Mexico v. South Africa. How will the host nation start the tournament?
- Argentina v. Nigeria on June 12. Argentina's Lionel Messi is the best player in the world.
- Ivory Coast v. Portugal on June 15: 2 of the other best players in the world (Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast and Christiano Ronaldo) square off.

US v. Czech Republic
That's all for now. The US plays an exhibition match tomorrow night against the Czech Republic at 8 pm ET on ESPN. This is the last chance for some players to make their case for inclusion on the final US team. I'll write more about that later.