WC2010 Liveblog: USA v. England

The time has come, as the Walrus said, only it is not time to talk of many things.  It is time to walk the walk, as the talk has gone on for six months.  This will be the last liveblog of the day and I hope my fingers don’t fall off before the end of it.

No need to rehash what has already been rehashed a hundred times in a thousand locations.  All you need to know can be found in our previews–USA and England. 

My optimism has grown slowly over the week as the date has drawn nearer like an old man on time released Cialis.  However, my expectations remain quite tempered.  A draw would be great and not getting played off the pitch is the minimum.  England is the better squad, the more talented squad, but I believe the USA is the more determined and disciplined squad. 

The optimist says 2-1 USA.  The pragmatist says 2-1 England.

I’ll end with this….OOSAH! OOSAH!! OOSAH!!!

Starting Lineups

USA: Howard; Cherundolo, Onyewu, DeMerit, Bocanegra; Donovan, Bradley, Clark, Dempsey; Altidore, Findley

England: Green, G. Johnson, Ledley King, Cuckolder (J. Terry), Philanderer (A. Cole), Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Rooney, Heskey

Referee: Carlos Simon (BRA)

Venue: Rustenburg - Royal Bafokeng Stadium

FINAL England 1 – USA 1

Great game from the US after an abysmal start and some really shaky defense.  US was the better team after the 25th minute.  Altidore could have won it a little luck on the post.  Good result for the US and bad result for England as they really should have won.

90 + 4 – One last foray for England as the US subs Gomez for Dempsey.  Wait, no sub…just the final whistle.

90 + 3 – Howard wasting time.  US wasting time. 

90 + 2 - USA eleven behind the ball now just about.  Crouch flagged for offside or maybe it was a push.

90 +1 – Donovan takes a corner but no threat arrives.

Four minutes stoppage time.

90:00 - I haven’t said Bradley’s name much today, but he has been spectacular in the holding midfield role.  Great possession and defense.

89:00 – England almost seems content right now to sit back.  Donovan sends it well over the bar from 25 yards.

87:00 – Dempsey has pushed into Altidore’s role.  Onyewu makes another great tackle on Gerrard who was ready to do a Gerrard run into the box.

86:00 – Substitution – Holden on for Altidore.

85:00 – US scramble defense still working when they get beat.  Onyewu made a nice tackle on Lampard in the box when he was charging in. 

USA Chant in the crowd.  Holden warming up.

 84:00 – US needs to get possession back.

81:00 – Rooney finds Crouch in the middle for a header that isn’t dangerous.  Gerrard gives up possession right in front of his box and Buddle tried to catch Green off his line but Terry took the shot right in the chest.  Nice idea.  US is in a shell now, like they were for 80 minutes against Mexico last year.

79:00 – Crouchaldinho on for Heskey. 

78:00 – Johnson just having too much space.  Onyewu tips a Johnson cross over for a corner.  Just acres of space on the wings for England.

77:00 – Gerrard sends in a cross to Heskey who heads over.

Substitution that I was just about to say needs to happen…Findley off for Buddle.  Get the inexperienced player on a yellow out of the match.

75:00 – Rooney almost gets the go ahead goal as he hits it just wide after he had beaten Howard. It was a quick, surprise shot. 

Rooney on the next possession feeds it to the left to onrushing Lennon who is unmarked.  Thankfully Lennon can only shoot it right at Howard who parries for a corner.

The corner results in a dangerous flick from Rooney that goes right to Howard.

74:00 – Carragher uses guile to nudge the faster Findley off the ball on a break away.  Findley responds with a late tackle on Gerrard and gets a yellow.

73:00 – Harkes just said that England has pushed three forward but I don’t see it as Rooney has dropped way back and Gerrard hasn’t been as aggressive. 

71:00 – Gerrard sends it across the box to the back post to an unmarked Rooney who is too short by about an inch as it glanced off his bald spot.  Out for a goalkick.

68:00 – Lampard over a free kick from 35 yards.  And, it was a 2006 Lampard special…Row ZZ.

65:00 – Holy f**k. Altidore hits the post after smoking Carragher.  Green so lucky, he’ll be kissing wood now.  What a play by Jozy.  That would have been massive.  The US can’t get stuck too far forward with the offense because England is starting to pick up its aggressiveness on the offense. 

63:00 – First time we really have mention Lampard today as he whips in a shot that Howard parries over.  Well struck but Howard was all over it.  The corner was  a bit dicey as it went across the box to an unmarked Johnson.

62:00 – On the restart Donovan whips the ball across the box and Blackmouth gets his head on it but can’t direct it.  On the other end, Onyewu’s giant frame gets his head on a dangerous Johnson cross. 

61:00 – Yellow for Gerrard on a high tackle on Dempsey.  Five yellows total in the game…three for the Three Lions.

60:00 – Yellow for Carragher.  Findley’s pace caused that yellow as Carragher was late.

 59:00 – Onyewu did well there to hold off Rooney in a one-on-one situation.  Quality.

57:00 – Altidore blocked off by Carragher on the chip.  Altidore made Carragher look like Onyewu.

55:00 – Cherundolo just stoned SWP on that tackle.  Well done. 

53:00 – Heskey offside twice now. 

52:00 – Great save by Howard as Heskey was in on goal.  Timmay smothered the shot like it was grease fire. 

48:00 – f**king site issues.

47:00 – Yellow for Demerit on a deliberate handball.

46:00 – Substitution – Carragher on for King.  That leaves only one sub for Capello, if the team doesn’t respond he may have hamstrung himself.

Tweet, tweet. – Halftime 1-1.  Next half should be good. 

US looks good on offense, even Findley a little bit. He just can’t be on the ball for very long.  Just let him run on to the balls in space.  It really is the backline that is troubling, although having Dempsey and Donovan focused on moving forward leaves the flanks exposed. 

England on the other hand is being too passive.  The US succumbs to high pressure.  England is just letting the US play how it wants to and attacking on the counter.  It’s like with Mourinho winning in this style, they have decided this is the way to go.  But it’s not when you are the more talented team.  Not quite sure what Capello is doing. 

The US should not make any changes at half.  Keep the same form to maintain confidence and they have dominated the ball (can’t believe I am saying this).  England should take Heskey off for Carrick and push Lampard into the Gerrard space and Gerrard to play up by Rooney. 

45:00 – Three minutes or two for added time.  Screen says three but announcers said two.  THere should be much more than that, but I’m not complaining.  I’ll take this scoreline into the half.

44:00 – Heskey back on. 

Heskey down after Demerit kneed him in the face.  Going to be a lot of stoppage time this half. 

Dempsey is the only American to score in the last two World Cups of OOSAH!!

41:00 -  Coming right back at the US, Johnson has a great shot on goal that Howard smothers. 

40:00 – GOOOOOOALLLLLLLLL!!!!! OOOSAH!!! OOOSAAAH!!!! OOOOSAAHHH!!!!

What a howler by Green!!! Dempsey!!!! 1-1 now.

39:00 – Yellow for Cherundolo.

Before that Donovan played off Findley very well to take a shot at goal that went just wide left.  He may have had Green beat.

38:00 – SWP flashes a shot wide right as nobody picked him up as he came across the box.  USA’s marking is turrible.

36:00 – Goddammit Findley…you got to play the ball to Altidore on the return when there is space behind the defense on the counter.  Don’t play with the ball and let the defense catch up. Piss poor.

35:00 – A little better from the defense on picking up the runners and defended the corner.

32:00 – Howard ok for now. Altidore with a speculative shot from afar that Green was all over.  It was strong but not difficult.

31:00 – Substitution – Shaun Wright Phillips on for Milner.  Great more pace on the wings to screw with our backs. 

30:00 – F**king wordpress.  Howard down right now after a Heskey slide into his chest on cross.  Fair play. Come on Timmay, be ok.

27:00 - On the restart, Donovan finds Onyewu who heads wide.

26:00 – Milner booked for second late tackle on Milner. 

25:00 – Nice patience shown by the US as Bradley eventually found Altidore who tried to flick it on to Findley but the defense broke it up.  England certainly isn’t pressing the possession much right now.  Happy to counter…the old Bob Bradley strategy but it works better when you have more talented players.

23:00 -  I know Onyewu wasn’t running full speed when he was tracking down that long ball but when he saw Rooney eating up ground he didn’t really pick up the pace.  No good. 

 20:00 – Rooney with his first shot that Howard had covered.  Just prior to that there was another defensive miscue as nobody tracked Lennon out wide who could come in on goal but crossed where the defense was recovering. Just f**king mark somebody. Please.

18:00 – Donovan fouled by Terry. So close on the restart when Donovan whips a cross into the box that Altidore just misses with his header and Dempsey almost had it on the back post.  Offense looks good but this defense is terrible except Howard.

16:00 – Thankfully the whole US squad hasn’t gone to s**t after the goal.  They are still composed for the most part.  As composed as they can be given their talent.

 14:00 – Cherundolo really screwed that one up by thinking too much.  You have to take your chances.  The short corner gave him tons of space and he did nothing but lash it across the box behind everybody. Disappointing.

12:00 – Findley’s speed wins the US a corner.  Bradley being a punk already as the ref has a word with him.  Another corner as it came off King.  Another corner off Gerrard.

11:00 – Had some technical troubles, but Dempsey just had a nice header on goal. And Johnson sends it over the bar.

7:00 – Terrible tackle by Milner.  I would have thrown him out of the game for that, but that’s because I’m American.

6:00 – Based on the stats with US giving up the first goal in the WC this match is already over.

4:00 – Mother f**ker.  Gerrard with a goal. 1-0 England.  Terrible marking by Clark and Bocanegra. Jeezus.

3:00 – US with most of the possession but no real opportunities.

 1:00 – Onyewu already looks shaky at the back. Not good. 

0:00 – Let’s do this.  Handshakes. Exchanges. Cointoss. Kick. Finally.

Pregame

The Prez sends out his well-wishes and says we don’t care if you lose.  Very motivational.

Check out Chesty Nigeria fan.

Oh hai, lotza lolz. srsly.

England fans are the devil.

Starting lineups are in.  Findley up top with Altidore, Edu in the middle and Onyewu starting.  So, it looks like it will be a 4-4-2 against a 4-4-2.  Seems risky for the US because they need to starve Rooney of possession keeping the ball from England’s midfielders and with this they will have Dempsey and Donovan up against Lennon and Milner along with Johnson and Cole from the back.

Ochocinco with Ashley Cole.  I did not realize Cole was that small.

NFL writer Peter King’s prediction - 1-0 USA.

Good topic in the comments: How many yellows in the match?  5-7.  One red card.

That Will Ferrell and Russell Brand bit was pretty good.

Note: I have a post up with one pic from Keeley’s at the UF party.  I’ll post other pics as I get them.  Also, Georger just got interviewed for TV.

Let’s just get this f**king thing moving.  Tired of the jingoism.  Let’s kick.

I really like the ball on the podium. It’s like the beginning of an American Gladiator event.

Anthems.