Avian Gamers Network

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It's a beautiful game damn it, BEAUTIFUL!!!

Hehehe...you don't have to convince me. I was up at 3am watching the games in 2002.

I also took a long lunch to watch the USA get crushed by the Czechs. Need the soccer gods to meddle tomorrow in a big way.

Who are you rooting for Obo? I'd surmise England, but...

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It is beautiful and I've watched virtually every minute of every game so far. (mostly recorded)

I only hope the US can play their best game tomorrow and give Italy a run for their money.

DID YOU SEE ARGENTINA PLAY TODAY???? holy crap! it was a massacre! I'm wondering if they will be real team to watch, rather than Brazil. Almost every goal they scored was just simply artistic. it was painful to watch them roll over the Serbs.

Oh, and Italy wins tomorrow 2-1. US midfield is weak.

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

1-1, 10 vs 9 !!
Quite a game from the States I must admit. The referee was paid to be in favor of the italians though, I think...

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Flyoc,
Farm with attitude.

Yea the 1st red card on the US should have only been a yellow IMHO.

Still the US played well even though down a man. Now we have to win Thursday and will still need help to get to the round of 16.

Obo, what...its not like the Irish are in the tourney? Should I have been more astute in assuming you are rooting for the Koreans...the Aussies?!?!?

Great game by the US...not a win, but what a gritty performance!

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I agree on that red...slide tackle from behinds are yellows usually... except when it appears aggressive or retaliation. Which is probably how the ref read it. But both those red cards knock those 2 players out for the next game x_x

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Ryric Krael
Former Vice President AGN
Former Director, Section 6
Former Head of Department of the Treasury
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Ask not what your PA can do for you, but what you can do for your PA
"Gone Section Five"

The first red against the US would have never happened if Italy hadn't had a man sent off. It's criminal the way officials work sometimes.

US midfield weak? Reyna and Donovan bossed the game. They won balls and were dangerous even down a man. Italy, outside of a few players, didn't show up.

Would have really liked to have seen Eddie Johnson come in around the 60-65 minute mark. McBride is a great player but Eddie's speed could have really made difference in a game like that and McBride was pretty much a non-facter in the last half hour.

Completely agree with everything you said Gopher. The U.S. really showed up to play, and I sincerely hope the official that reffed that game never sees another World Cup match.

Had McBride not been standing where he was standing on that interference call, we'd have won it 2-1. It was a fun game to watch, and I'd say the Italians are certainly lucky to have gotten the official they did. The U.S. dominated up until that first red card was handed out.

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Well I hope we make it through just so we can play the Brazilians. That would be fun to see.

Had it been a slide from behind it might have been understandable...but it was a slide from the side IIRC, and he just missed the ball by literally a second NO excuse for a red card.

So how popular is the World Cup in the States ? Is everybody watching and supporting the national team or are some people making fun of them because they play a "lesser" sport ?

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Flyoc,
Farm with attitude.

It really isn't that popular. Like most things on a national sports level there will be some interest especially if they do well or some type of controversy is involved.

Still I think it's gaining some support. This is by far our best team ever, the youth system is working and the MLS, while it still has a way to go, is getting bigger and better every year.

There is certainly a hard core following for soccer here, it's very loyal and very vocal. They are very involved in the grass roots level.

Yes, it's not so much considered a "lesser sport" anymore. Miraculously, I think even though it's not as popular as American football and all the rest, it has finally garnered enough respect with pretty much everybody. I haven't gone a day yet since the Cup started without somebody asking me, "have you been watching the Cup matches?" Ten years ago, only a handful of people I knew even had a clue what the World Cup was.

As was already said, in my opinion it's due to the youth program.

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Yeah, I'd agree, it certainly not seen as a lesser sport at all anymore. However, yesterday, the only thing on anyone's mind was the Stanley Cup. Go CANES!

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Liro
"The english language is not a wedding gown, it doesn't get better the more lace you add. It is instead a thong. Less is more." From /.
I need to remind myself of this regularly.