1-1

Still Alive!

Published on June 17, 2006 By AvantiTexan In Sports & Leisure

I just got done watching USA v. Italia which a bunch of our Italian friends. I thank God that it ended 1-1 for many reasons, the biggest of which is that neither one of us can claim bragging rights. Another reason is that I have a heart for Italian soccer and really didn't want to see them lose, but I really wanted the USA to still be in the running. As it turns out, I got both!

We'll see how we do against Ghana, it should be interesting.

Forza USA! Forza Italia!

Comments

Dr Guy

on Jun 17, 2006

Still alive! That is what it means. But I fear not much longer. I have no allegiance for Italy. But I do understand your divided loyalty.

Still alive!

Locamama

on Jun 17, 2006

Don't you think the U.S. red tickets were bad calls?

shadesofgrey

on Jun 17, 2006

Don't you think the U.S. red tickets were bad calls

Only the first one. The second one on Pope was definitely a yellow card, and since he already had one--that means he gets a red. But the first one, that was just BS.

The officiating definitely left something to be desired all around--there were definite off-sides calls made against Italy that were questionable.

Did anyone see the Portugal game? One of their player took a cleat to the face (and had the spike marks to prove it--they didn't go away the whole game) and the Iranian player didn't get a yellow card. Compare that to the card-happy official for the US/Italy game--Ugh! I hope he's pulled from the rest of the competitions...he was terrible!

AvantiTexan

on Jun 18, 2006

IMO - there were good and bad calls, just like in any game. The refs do the best they can, but they are human, mess up, and have off-nights just like the players do at times. That being said, a very questionable off-sides call cost Italy a goal. We should be out.

The Italians that we were watching the game with kept on saying that we were playing "rugby" instead of soccer. I kept telling them that we play football and that there is a difference but it was a lost cause.

Perhaps we do play a more physical style of soccer, I did see several Italian players leave on stretchers. I also saw McBride take an elbow to the face, get it patched up, and return to the field. It was a pretty physical game. I don't watch much soccer and still don't understand all the rules, but I don't think the Italians were supposed to be falling down all over the place!

Locamama

on Jun 18, 2006

Perhaps we do play a more physical style of soccer, I did see several Italian players leave on stretchers.

That's because they're drama queens. The one Italian guy never even laid his head down and popped back up and ran back on the field about three seconds after they got him off the field.

I don't normally watch either and I don't get what offsides means. My husband kept saying they were offsides.

shadesofgrey

on Jun 18, 2006

IMO - there were good and bad calls, just like in any game.

Some of these were more than just "bad calls"--they were terrible. But it was equal opportunity terrible-ness. I hope the official isn't in any more games. He was just down right awful.

The Italians that we were watching the game with kept on saying that we were playing "rugby" instead of soccer.

Uh, it was the Italian player who shoved his elbow in the US players checkbone--not the other way around

That's because they're drama queens. The one Italian guy never even laid his head down and popped back up and ran back on the field about three seconds after they got him off the field.

I think they are taught to dive to get the foul called. I was watching the Stanley Cup game last night and it seems like the NHL has an anti-diving rule--Fifa should consider it.

That being said, a very questionable off-sides call cost Italy a goal. We should be out.

I will agree that that call was questionable--but a very questionable call also booted a US player from the game--so the US should have never been playing with only 9 men in the second half. Like I said, the officiating was terrible all around and we will never know how the game really should have come out if the teams were just allowed to play.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jun 18, 2006

I think they are taught to dive to get the foul called. I was watching the Stanley Cup game last night and it seems like the NHL has an anti-diving rule--Fifa should consider it

They do, and every sport has had it at one time or another. In the late 80's or early 90's, Seattle employed a "trick knee" defense to combat the other team's no huddle offense. As soon as the play ended, a designated player would collapse with an alleged injury and the clock would stop. Seattle would huddle until play resumed. This led to a change in the rules requiring, among other things, the player to be removed for at least one play from the field after going down with an injury.

In basketball, the practice even had a name for it--the "Laimbeer flop", after Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer, one of its most hated practitioners. I'm not sure what rules changes came about because of it, but it's not practiced as much as it once was, especially among the "Bad Boys" of the Pistons of that era.

Hope that useless trivia was in some small way helpful.

AvantiTexan

on Jun 19, 2006

Locamama

That's because they're drama queens.

Yes, I agree with this, but I've also seen some award winning acting on the US side before too. Just like Gid said, it is a strategic tactic and many times a very effective one at that.

I don't normally watch either and I don't get what offsides means.

My wife and I both keep trying to figure this one out, I understand the jist of it, but could still use some more details, anyone want to help explain it to me? (I could google it, but I'm L-A-Z-Y, and besides, its too hot here to google.)

shadesofgrey

But it was equal opportunity terrible-ness.

Agree 100%.

Uh, it was the Italian player who shoved his elbow in the US players checkbone--not the other way around

Case in point you would think, but not so. They really didn't want to agree that it was intentional even though they had a hard time arguing with the replays.

Like I said, the officiating was terrible all around and we will never know how the game really should have come out if the teams were just allowed to play.

I hate it when refs obviously change the way games should be played. They are facilitators, not dictators. The Italians still give me a hard time that "our" only goal was one that they booted in. I just smile and say, "It's not my fault your team doesn't know which goal is their's."

Gid

This led to a change in the rules requiring, among other things, the player to be removed for at least one play from the field after going down with an injury.

Yeah, there's been a lot of rule changing and amending due to flopping and the trick knee. I was always a very physical basketball player and it really annoyed me when the players from the other team would flop when I looked at them. My record is fouling out with 4 minutes left in the FIRST quarter, they had to escort my dad out of the gym.

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