RICHMOND, VA—Sir Alex Ferguson is capable of making some remarkably biased comments whenever Manchester United or its nearest rivals are involved, but the veteran manager (and ex-Scotland boss) is generally well worth listening to when discussing football in general. Fergie was quoted by FourFourTwo magazine as saying World Cups don’t really get going until the […]
Thad Williamson
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What is justice? Blown call in England-Germany game shows need for goal-line video
RICHMOND, VA—There are only certain conditions under which all of a soccer ball crossing all of a white line painted on a patch of green grass has any significance whatsoever. But Frank Lampard and England had every right to believe that the ball he struck from about 20 yards out over German keeper’s Manuel Neuer’s […]
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England v. Germany: Tale of the Tape
World Cups Won All Time: Germany (W. Germany) 3, England 1Head to Head Results at Knockout Stage: Germany 2 wins (1970, 1990), England 1 win (1966) Cultural Meaning of National Team: Way to re-enact World War II and all that (England); way to forget World War II and all that (Germany) Memorable Public Moment of […]
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Win as a Country, Lose as a Country
RICHMOND, VA—The United States will not be the world champions of soccer over the next four years. Ghana probably will not either. But Ghana still have hope after defeating the U.S. 2-1 in extra time on Saturday in the sweet 16 of the Fifa World Cup (annoying Trademark mark). (On a side note, I was […]
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USA! USA! USA! Late Donovan goal saves World Cup dreams
Andy Mead/ YCJLandon Donovan and teammates Edson Buddle (left) and Benny Feilhaber after the game-winner in stoppage time. RICHMOND, VA—It was shaping up to be the Year We Got Robbed, the moment the American soccer-interested public lost faith in the game’s underlying propensity to justice and, worse yet, the moment folks stopped reading World Cup […]
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Hosts bow out with dignity intact; France not so much
RICHMOND, VA—The usual cliches about a side “crashing” out of a competition in no way apply to South Africa’s exit from this World Cup. Bafana Bafana put together not just a spirited but a technically excellent performance over the first hour of today’s match vs. France, taking a two goal lead and very nearly going […]
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Africa on the brink as final games of group stage commence
RICHMOND, VA—Believe it or not, after 11 days of non-stop soccer, one-half of the World Cup is complete. Starting Tuesday, the tournament kicks up a notch with the final day of group play, as nations will begin to exit stage right en masse. Leading that parade almost certainly will be host nation South Africa. South […]
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Over-Rated!
RICHMOND, VA—Insipid, lacking belief, out of ideas, toothless, timid. All those words at the moment appear to be the answer to this riddle: what happens when you cross a bunch of English soccer players with Italian “tactical guile”? Merry old England made a mockery of Henry V, St. George and for that matter Bobby Charlton […]
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Referee! Dodgy officiating is a World Cup tradition
Andy Mead/ YCJMichael Bradley looks for an explanation from Koman Coulibaly after he disallowed Maurice Edu’s goal. RICHMOND, VA—The biggest shame of the seemingly inexplicable decision by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly to disallow Maurice Edu’s apparent winner for the U.S. against Slovenia today may not have been the fact the U.S. did not grab all […]
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So far, South America owns the world’s game
Andy Mead/ YCJDiego Forlan goes forward during Uruguay’s 3-0 victory over South Africa. RICHMOND, VA—Tuesday’s matches marked the completion of round one in the World Cup, and the start of round two. The biggest headline is the dispiriting defeat hosts South Africa suffered at the hands of Uruguay, 3-0. That result leaves the Bafana Bafana […]