PLease tell us your favorite memory from the WC. Boy THis is bringing back great memories. My favorite memory would be the game against Portugal. I wake up a little late I walk into my living room turn on the tv and GOAAALLLLL!!!! After that goal I didnt blink for another 3 hours. WOW Like someone said after McBrides goal they had tears in their eyes. Well I can truly say I did. I also woke up my entire family after the 3rd goal. It meant that this game really wasnt a fluke we were actully winning. IT was extra special because my Uncle and Aunt both live in Portugal. After the victory I sent them many emails and phone calls bragging. BOY..... bring on 06
Mine's gotta be the 1st, 2nd and 3rd goals by Portugal. I called my friend at work after the first goal, (translated ) He answered and I said, "U.S. just scored. We're winning 1-0." and he just said "Seriously?" Then after the second goal, he answered and I called and he said "Yo, Flan." I told, "We scored again! (incredulously)." And he said "Again? Really?" The third call he just answered and said "Non!?!" And I said, "We're beating Portugal 3-0!" There were no tears, I pretty much just laughed in shock. And of course Mathis' wicked, IMO, BEST goal of the tourney. He made it look so easy. And here's an advance 'go eff yourself' to anyone who says something along the lines of 'The WC was 3 months ago, get over it.
imagine watching that goal from the stands. one of my best memories. being a metro fan made it sweeter. donovan's goal vs. mexico scored in front of us in jeonju. cobi coming over to us after the poland loss and wiping his forehead going phewww.... running into friedel in the streets before the mexico game......... god....what a great world cup
The whole thing. The late nights/early morning at the arrowhead pavillion were awesome. This summer was probably one of the best ive ever had...I remember people calling me and they wanted to know when the next game was so they could watch. And soccer on the front cover of the paper...it was all wonderful.
Best Memory... I would say that my best memories were from the big win over MEX, and they don't even involve the run of play directly. The first one is seeing Eddie Lewis (who I am no big fan of) kiss his US soccer shield on his jersey after making that amazing cross to Donovan, making it 2-0. The second one is seeing a US fan (during the same game), going nuts, holding his head in disbelief bobbing up and down, wearing a wig, US hat, and face painted red, white, and blue. He was border-line hysterical with excitement. With my own involvement, it had to be the win against MEX. I watched the game at Brittania Arms in Cupertino, CA, and the crowd went bonkers. People screaming, beer being knocked over, strangers hugging each other, women kissing each other all for one thing: THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL TEAM IN THE WORLD CUP, WINNING!! Bring on 2006, I will be at this one...
For me, the wild emotional rides of the Portugal and Poland games will be most memorable. Particularly the last 10-15 minutes of the Poland game, as I went from depressed over us being eliminated to dumbfounded when Portugal blew it against Korea, giving us second life.
Well, I'm a goalkeeper, so it's gotta be Brad's PK save against Korea. The man was playing out of his mind.
Aside from LD's goal against Mexico, my fave moment might be when Earnie put his arm around LD after the Germany game and told him to keep his head up. But damn, knocking the stinkin' mexicans out of the world cup is up there with Villanova in '85 for pure delirious joy from sports. fun thread. thanks.
I watched the US - Mexico game again today. My favorite three moments from the World Cup all come from that game. 1 - McBride's goal. God that was a gorgeous thing. Reyna balls one way runs around the marker the other, the cross in, the perfect layoff by Wolff and the McBride finish. All perfect. And the Mexicans were so damn lazy chasing back to mark McBride it was pathetic. That ball was on a platter 10 yards in front of goal. Amazing. 2 - Donovan's goal. What a great ball by JOB down into the corner. What a perfect cross. And what a great finish. The header wasn't textbook, but if you watch the replay you'll see just how hard Landon had to work to get on the end of that one. Great run. 3 - Seeing Cobi Jones piss off the entire Mexican team all while keeping his cool. Head butt - Red Card. Into the corner for time wasting where some hack cleats him in the leg. A great ball into Donovan that he might have finished had he just settled and shot. A great run that Reyna just missed hitting. All wonderful to see.
I still remember the Mexico match. Me and my brother got up for that one, and at the end we ran out into our neighborhood and were laughing and wrestling around and yelling, and all of a sudden one of our neighbors yells out the window, "hey, what are you two doing?" So of course we tell him that we just beat mexico and are going to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and he starts yelling and laughing right along with us.
My favorite was the Germany game. Even though we lost on the scoreboard, I love that game because it was an intense, focused effort throughout where we beat the bejeezus out of Germany and they could do little to stop it. The scene of Kahn collapsing in exhaustion is priceless. I think it is that game where we really earned the respect of the world.
My favorite guilty pleasure moment was El Chupador getting his yellow card for diving. Seriously, the look on his face was priceless. And if you really want to know how close we came to knocking out Germany, just watch Khan collapse in goal as soon as the final whistle sounded. Sachin
It was ALL GOOD,baby! The best was the soccer bashers having to resort to whinging about "well,it's not that many people geting up at 2AM". Like anyone even stays awake for a baseball playoff game anymore,sucka.. Sheer footballing moment... , that awesome goal by LD against Mexico,giving us the Tommy Smyth "dangerous" two-goal lead (why is a two-goal lead more dangerous than a one-goal lead?Anyone?).
Doing the tomahawk chop and chant with the rest of the US fans during the second half of the Mexico game. That was surreal.
My favorite game, as it were, was the one that sealed our exit from the cup. Germany v USA was one of the best games in the tournement. The US played some of their best and most inspirational soccer that day and the world took notice. My favorite memory was not a goal, or an incredible save, but Tony Sanneh (in the Germany game) starting a play in our back third and making a slicing run all the way to goal while the team worked the ball forward, and Sanneh subsequently missing connecting with a header by inches (60th minute or so). It was one of the nicest plays the US set up next to the Sanneh-McBride hook up in the Portugal game. Kahn collapsing in the goal was a sight to behold, and you knew, as a US fan, how great a game it was. The US played some great soccer that day and it is a game I will keep in my heart as well as my video collection forever.
Aahhh, that play is one of the most frustrating things I've ever seen. It was so perfect, Tony lays the ball off and takes off on a run up the center, next thing you know the balls flying in at him. He dives from just outside the six, and the ball misses his by, at most, 4 inches. That picture is never gonna leave my head.
I about had a stroke when he couldn't quite get his head to the ball. Nonetheless it was still amazing work by the team and Sanneh. Even now, after watching that game 5 or 6 times I always tense up, thinking that this time he will connect. But alas, it never happens. If only the wind had be blowing the other way...
My favorites in time sequence. 1. McBride's goal against Portugal to seal it. 2. Brads penalty save against Portugal. 3. Clint's beauty. 4. JOB going "we'll take it" after the Poland game. 5. Hernandez coming for Mexico. I knew the game was over then. 6. Mexicans taking their frustrations out on Cobi, red card etc. 7. Reyna's near miss from way out against Germany. 8. Mathis dancing by Ziege and crossing to Sanneh who narrowly misses. 9. Claudio wrapping himself up in an American flag.
My favorite memory of the WC is at the end of the game against Mexico, watching the game on TV, the cameras panned the stands looking at fans. I remember seeing one of the Mexican fans on the verge of tears after that game because they thought that they would have an easy game with the US on the schedule. That look was priceless. Also the US-Germany game but more specifically the last 15-20 min. It showed that the US was a team to be watched, as Germany fell into total defense and were genually worried about giving up the tying goal. That moment showed that teams are respecting the power that the US has. And Sanneh oh so close header in stoppage time. That close to an equalizer.
I wish I still had the US v Mex game on tape but, alas, USSF won't produce a DVD collection for us fans detailing our WC run. Instead, I'm left to watch the Germany match about once a week. Every time I watch that game I still cringe at near misses and desperately hope that after Donovan's ballsy meg that his laser guided shot will be just out of Kahn's reach and tucked into the corner of the net. My wife always patronizes me, asking who is winning and if I think the US can pull off the come back. Even though we didn't beat Korea, my greatest memory would have to be Mathis' goal in front of that menacing sea of red. Calm, cool, and collected.
While we are all reliving this past summer, I have to ask this question: How often do you pop in a tape from The Cup and rewatch a game?