At THIS point in time here's mine. I chose to have a little humility: 1. Brazil 2. Czech Republic 3. Italy 4a Netherlands 4b Argentina 6. Germany 7. England 8. France 9. Spain 10.Ivory Coast
I see that you haven't included the USA #5 as FIFA did? My sentiments exactly! Mamma Mia che Fiasco! People in this country have been overhyped and have underestimated the Europeans skill and the level they play at especially the Serie A players. When I hear all the crap about the scandal in the Serie A and how its affecting the Italian players , I just laugh! As an Italian-American from California living in Florence for the last 5 years, I can say that this scandal will not be and has not been a factor at all in any of the Azzurri's minds. Whatever happens, even if teams get relegated, players will still find clubs and will still be paid and very well at that. One year in Serie B is not that big of a deal! Therefore, I seriously doubt it will hurt italia! As far as the USMNT ranking , I've never believed it and I think the players were starting to believe their own press releases themselves. I see them playing like they did in 1990 or 1998. That might not spell too welll for Italia, however. If you recall in 1990 the USA lost to Italia 1-0 in Rome after having lost 5-1 to the Czech's. I believe Italy will win on Saturday but I don't think they will win as big a margin as the Czech's win over the USA. Speriamo bene! Forza Italia!
Looks like FIFA weren't so far off with their rankings in the first place. If 10 man Italy can't beat a 9 man USA, and with the USA having a legit goal disallowed, then why do they deserve to be in the top 10 along with the mighty USA
The player was interfering with the play, he was in the direct line of shooting player and the goalkeeper.
first of all the goal wasnt legit second of all the usa is not mighty. third of all that own goal completely changed the game and if it wasnt for zaccardo who shouldnt even ahve started cause ehs 3rd strin behind grosso and oddo, we wouldve prolly played much better. and then theers the fact that usa did not have 1 shot on goal. not even one. so yeah that own goal did a lot for usa
Hey, i was joking about the 'mighty' part, but to me, the USA deserved to win today, they controlled the play for long periods, and looked the better side to the neutral observer. to the rest of us, we see a load of serie a millionaires v the mls, and the mls not only were th e only side to try and play football, but they were the better side who deserved to be ahead. i am not having a go, I'm just responding to a thread with an honest opinion. Plus the goal should have stood, i have seen goals like that given, and he did not make any difference to the goal, end of story, you are very lucky to even draw with the 9 men of the USA
actually usa was very lucky to tie us via the own goal lol. and that beasley goal could not have stood because mcbride was offside and did in fact let the ball pass through his legs, so he interfered with play.
Are you seriously not going to give us ANY credit for what our team did out there today? Lucky, schmucky, we got jobbed with Pope getting sent off and still drew with only 9 guys out there.
The draw was gift-wrapped by the Uruguaian ref. Two bloody awful decisions resulting in the two red cards for Pope and Mastro. The US was the more dangerous side for the entire match with the exception of the last ten minutes when we'd played an entire half with 9 men. We were the better and more dangerous side with 11. We were the better and more dangerous side with 10. And we were the better and more dangerous side with 9 for most of the second half. The disallowed goal was legit. Unfortunately it was the one controversial call the ref got right and it went against us as well. The US deserved better than the single point. Go Yanks
The US looked so dangerous today without one shot on goal. It is amazing how naive American fans are.
So teams that record 0 shots on goal in 90 minutes are now the more dangerous sides? Send a gift basket to Zaccardo, he's the only reason why the US walked out with a point.
If USA doesn't receive the due credit from italian fans for smuggling the italian team and bringing an "A" effort to the match, you're right to be upset. That said, you should finally realize - or admit - that USA had to play 9 against 10 not because the referee was at fault, but exactly for the style of play they brought to the match. The referee was correct in every decision; if anything, I expected Pope and Onyewu to be booked much earlier, since they were hacking the italian forwards every single time they were close to the ball. Although those weren't hard fouls, when there's a systematic resort to fouling it's commom practice to discourage such behaviour with a yellow card. The US style of defending was WAY off from the FIFA directive for this World Cup and from what we've seen in previous matches. It was reminiscent of that ugly 70's and 80's football, which culminated with the Italia 90 World Cup, one of the worst edition ever. It was like having 11 Materazzi on the pitch at the same time. Ugh! Now FIFA is determined to let football skills dictate the outcome of matches and I think every football fan is enjoying this World Cup more because of it. So it was US players inability or unwillingness to defend in a proper way, and their inability to take advantage of the opportunities Italy conceded them to determine the outcome of the game. They're just not that good, live with it. Nothing to be ashamed of, soccer is such a trivial matter... 1-1 is exactly what USA and Italy deserved (because Zaccardo's blunder is no "bad luck", that's a poor excuse as well)
The Italian team had three shots on frame with 45 minutes being a man up. Wow! Tell me I should be impressed with their dominance in the game. The offsides on McBride negating a goal and a shot on frame. The possession was almost even, with the US being down a man for 45 minutes. The first straight red on Mastro was a complete joke. Maybe that was a yellow card, but a red is laughable. The second yellow on Pope is more understandable. He had not been playing well and was resorting to fouls to stay even. That said, his first yellow really should have been a yellow on the Italian attacker as he had a fistful of shirt and pulled Pope down on top of him as he dove. Speaking of diving, that seemed to be a recurring theme amongst the Italians. Writhing as if they were shot by an elephant gun with minimal to even no contact. The ref took that hook, line, and sinker. The US deserved better. We were jobbed. You got outplayed, outhearted, and even outskilled. Go Yanks
I think it just the opposite. Mastroeni's red card was well deserved. He went in spikes up right at Pirlo's ankle. Pope's was rather unlucky however. In addition, it is true that the United States were playing one man down but you forget to mention that one of the Italian players received an injury, Perrotta. Thus, that argument is no good from your side. Furthermore, how would get a team get "jobbed" with no shots on goal? Furthermore, the "defense" the Americans play should be watched more closely. I actually thought that Onyewu was a good defender but holding someone with arms around the waist and tugging at his shirt is not defense. People have seen the Borgetti clip where they stare each other down. That's street soccer, not World Cup soccer. Regarding the Azzurri, I've watched the Italians for too long now to know that they will take whatever they can get regarding points from matches. If they needed to score a goal yesterday, they would have scored a goal. There was no motivation at all because both teams were content with a tie, plain and simple.
When was Perotta injured? About 10 or 15 mins remaining in the half? If you'd have had a sub left, you would have still been able to keep a full 10 to 9 advantage. As it stands the last ten were 9.5 to 9. Don't tell me your sphincter didn't tighten up when the Beasley ball went into the back of the net. You were fortunate. Claiming a side would have gotten a goal if they REALLY needed it is more naive than Italian fans claim we are. Oh. Please tell your team you really need more goals than the Czechs. Go Yanks
But we didn't have a sub left so nothing could be done about that. He had to play for the good of his team. Gattuso took Totti off because of the De Rossi expulsion so that was justified. It seemed like Totti had a bullseye on him from the ref as soon as the ref blew the whistle. The goal was an illegal goal. I wouldn't call that "fortunate." McBride was clearly in an offside position interfering with Buffon's view. Why don't you look at previous results from World Cups if you are going to call me naive. For Christ sakes, they lost to Ireland in 94 and made it to the final. If I remember correctly, they finished 98 second in their group. You clearly haven't watched the Italian team so you're surely naive for making your ignorant comment.
I think the Americans hold a sincere belief that if they post nonsense enough times, others will actually start to believe it. Certainly, they seem to, but unfotunately, noone else does. Go look at any media other than American media, and the vast majority are saying thing like "the US hold off Italy," or something to that effect. This would imply that the US were lucky to get out with a draw. Their only legitimate chance on goal was an own goal, FFS! The Mastroeni shot was off-target. Conversely, Italy's chances were far more dangerous. For one, we did not need the benefit of an American defender to score for us. Also, Keller had to make several crucial interventions to keep the ball from going in. Even the American broadcasters named Keller the MOM which would imply that he played a key role in denying Italy the win (the side that actually put shots on goal). Also, it was an absolute disgrace watching the Americans defend. The f'ing hacks were all over our players every time they touched the ball. You know it isn't diving when the defenders are dragging the attackers to ground. And I also thought it was funny that nobody is mentioning the lack of class the Americans exemplified when they went on and thought they scored (on the disallowed goal) when Perrotta was on the ground. Great fair-play there a-holes. Also, with regard to the ref, he actually wasn't that bad. Nearly every Italian has conceded that De Rossi made a stupid foul on McBride and deserved to go off. However, the inobjective morons can't concede that Mastroeni's tackle deserved straight red; FFS, he went in both cleats up on Pirlo's ankle. That was more dangerous than an elbow to the face. The secind yellow on Pope was a worst a little harsh, but he should know better to go hacking around like that on two yellows. Further, the application of the offsides rule must not have been the linesman's strongpoint because Italy were screwed over and over again by the lineman. They even had a perfectly legitimate goal called back. So stop crying about the referee American fans. I will give credit for the Americans holding firm in the second half. But I will fault ours for failing to show more killer instinct in putting the US away. In the second half, our players looked uninspired and fatigued and their lack of urgency cost them and only benefited the US.
lol american fans are so ignorant and stubborn its not even funny. 0 shots on goal and your more dangerous, good job guys. the only reason you got the point was caus eof that own goal otherwise de rossi will not have been frustrated, we had the game in our pockets as soon as we went ahead. send zaccardo a check why dont you guys. and again, 10-9 made no difference to 10-10 because usa played with 9 players behind the ball, if it were 10-10 usa wouldve elft a striker up, but they didnt when they had 9, so it made no relative difference with regards to defensive aspects of the game,especially since they packed the defence with 5 players. and i lmao at you guys if you think mastroeni's 2 footed tackle on pirlo's ankles was not warrant fo a red card, or if eddie pope's 2 bookings werent either. pathetic, and the american fans and team shouldve seen these 2 cards coming the way they were playing, knocking over all of our players, diving like they were trying to steal a base, you americans make em laugh, caught up in baseballl i think lol
Don't be ridiculous! Italy WANTED & NEEDED a win! IF--they should lose to Czech Rep....AND Ghana beats USA---Italy is out! Italia e Fuori!
Your post gives me a good case of "agita"---get out the "Brioschi" ---The Italians up 10 men to 9----lots of space...in over 40 minutes & get only 3 shots...on a mediocre USA team! C'mon----Italians don't know the meaning of the word.."attack"----to me....it's still...BORING...."Cattenaccio"....better at putting you asleep than Ambien!
YES they would---a win gives them 6 pts---& even a loss to Czech Rep....& they go thru--do your math! (USA woulda been out......& Italy goal diiference wouda had them in........) This TIE...puts them..in SOME jeopardy--now they MUST TIE or BEAT Czech-----Now they do NOT have the luxury of LOSING to Czech---IF Ghana beats USA!