2002 First game: Shocking win 2008 First game: Shocking win (sort of) 2002 Second game: Draw 2008 Second game: Draw Third game we were beaten down. Will it repeat here?
The sequence of results is really the only similarity. The feeling of the games were totally different. The U-23 play in the draw against NED is probably more akin to the shocking win over Portugal than the draw against S.Korea. Nobody expected anything from SK. NED and POR were highly rated.
Don't you mean 2008? PS: If you were shocked that we beat Japan in that opening game, then I contend that you have self-esteem issues. That win was not unexpected.
I didn't expect a win in the first game, either. I had not seen enough good play from our side to warrant such optimism. Maybe I have self-esteem issues, and maybe I had just watched our guys mess up too many easy qualifiers to be optimistic about our chances. They have really stepped up their play. That said, game three of the games will be nothing like game three of 02. I am cautiously optimistic, but we'll see if our boys can get it done.