No real surprises in today's results: two strong teams continue to roll on, and the officiating continued to induce head-meets-desk collisions around the world. Probably the best evidence in support of goal-line technology and/or video replays came in the Germany-England match. We've seen a few disallowed/non-called goals so far (haven't we, USMNT fans?) but Frank Lampard's would-be equalizer being missed was pretty damn egregious: You can point out the Germany went on to score two more goals, and England couldn't net another, so it didn't matter in the end. My thinking on that kind of argument is that you never know how one moment affects the rest of the game. It's highly likely that the frustration at the call being blown left the English side angry and unable to focus, and that had the goal been correctly awarded and the score tied up, the elation could have given their morale a needed boost and their performance a needed kick in the collective ass. In addition, it's not just about "did this one call directly affect the outcome of the game" - it's about players, coaches and fans needing to be able to trust the officials and to know that the outcome of the game is dependent upon the abilities and performances of the teams, not upon the luck of the draw with awful calls. A whistle instead of a yellow here or there is one thing; clear goals being missed or called off is entirely another. The teams looked fairly even in the beginning, but after Miroslav Klose scored in the 20th thanks in part to a defensive blunder by Matthew Upson, England started to look shaky. Just 12 minutes later Lukas Podolski added a second as the Germans played right through the opposing back line. But England started to kick up the attack, and Upson responded with a goal in the 37th. They continued to press, and then moments later came Lampard's shot and the stupendously wrong call. In the second half, England was pressing and looked hungry and focused...except for the defense. With two goals knocked in by Thomas Muller in the 67th and 70th minutes, it was clear that England wasn't going to overcome anything when only half of their team came to play today. A 4-1 loss sends the Three Lions home while Germany moves on to the quarterfinals. But the early match didn't hog all the controversy...

Read All...

(Short and sweet, as my job is forcing itself onto the front burner here!) Group A is all done, and my bracket is already off! I'm somewhat mortified to say I had France winning this group, although I made that choice weeks ago. Mais maintenant nous disons au revoir et bonne chance a Les Bleus, and while this would have surprised me before, now it seems like it should have felt inevitable all along. France's struggles on the pitch combined with the craziness off the field have led to an early exit for them, ending with a 2-1 loss to hosts South Africa today. I didn't see this one but from what I heard, South Africa had the better of the attack and certainly seemed a lot more present on the pitch. It's a great result for them, even if they are not advancing. With Uruguay's 1-0 win over Mexico, the hosts were tied with El Tri on points but their -2 goal differential kept them in third place. How do your Group A brackets look now? Please tell me I'm not the only one who had France moving to the knockout round...

I have had it with these motherfucking players in this motherfucking box! As our friend @JeffWoodhead said, this game was all about Eric Abidal. He blew the offside trap on the first goal, and as you might have seen, he slid into Pablo Barrera with the kind of reckless foul that ends World Cup campaigns. The Pandagoal position is that 1) it was a foul deserving of a penalty and 2) Barrera also made the most of its impact. It can be both, really it can. Oui? I'm still confused by the choices Mexico makes in its starting lineup. The coach does know Guardado's like, really really good and stuff, right? I'm still confused by the choices France makes in its starting lineup. Last game they played Malouda in the middle (!), this time they played Ribery in the hole, and Abidal at CB is an unnatural position for him and probably contributed to his big mistakeys today. I'm still confused about how a team this good (France) goes this bad (raw sewage), even if the locker room's a mess. Players want to win World Cups, right? Who cares if your coach calls Napolean's ghost for tactical advice, you should want to win for personal glory, and the glory of the teammates you don't completely hate. Mexico and Uruguay have alllll the incentive in the world to draw 0-0 and advance to the next round. Bettors, do with that what you will*. *For entertainment purposes only.

JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE, the World Cup finally began today! Group A is all even on single points, with both games ending in draws. Two matches down, 62 more to go... South Africa vs Mexico was overall the more exciting of the two, in my opinion. Mexico nearly took the lead in the 37th off a corner kick and a tap-in from Carlos Vela, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call which at first blush seemed completely wrong to me but upon review was clearly correct. The hosts ended up scoring the first real goal of the tournament in the 55th minute on a strong shot from the left foot of Siphiwe Tshabalala, to the raucous joy of the vuvuzela-filled crowd.* They held the lead until the 79th when Rafael Marquez got one past Itumeleng Khune. South Africa came quite close to three points just before full time, with a great effort from Katlego Mphela, but it hit off the post and the game ended at 1-1. Mexico held the majority of possession but also had a handful of missed chances through shots sent just wide and headers over the bar, as well as a couple of good saves from Khune. The game could have easily been 2-0 Mexico at the half, so if any El Tri fans are going to quibble over the (as I said, correctly) disallowed goal, they should also be lamenting their team's lack of finishing. For Mexico, I'm sure this draw was a disappointment, but I think South Africa should be pleased with it and should take some confidence with them into their next match against Uruguay. Speaking of Los Charrúas, their match with France was the late engagement today, and it was a chippy and somewhat unimpressive one. With six yellow cards, one ejection, a brief shoving match and no goals, it was clear neither team was completely sure of themselves. France controlled the ball for most of the match, but could not attack with any focus. Uruguay looked a bit better, with somewhat better attacking and a fairly strong defense. But both teams struggled with their finishing and with capitalizing on the other side's weaknesses. Sidney Govou had an early chance to put the French ahead, but he somehow sent Franck Ribery's cross wide despite being right in front of the goal. Yoann Gourcuff took a couple of relatively decent free kicks, but neither was driven well enough. Diego Forlan had some flashes of strength but couldn't get Uruguay on the board. It was a succession of similar occurrences throughout the night for both sides. The main notable moments for me: Uruguayan Nicolas Lodeiro was sent off in the 81st on a second yellow after a dangerous challenge on Bacary Sagna; Thierry Henry called for a handball, to the delight of irony enthusiasts everywhere; and Henry had a great chance to win the game with a free kick close to goal in the final minutes, but the Uruguayan defense once again proved strong, and the game ended 0-0. I think the biggest surprise for me as far as overall performance today was France. I know a lot of people have low expectations of them - and certainly with valid reasons - but I still expected them to be much better today than they were. This is not a minnow team and yet they seemed almost overwhelmed at times. I will be interested to see if this poor match energizes them to perform better against Mexico and South Africa, or if they continue to be flustered. *Unlike the majority of people, I'm not bothered by the vuvuzelas. They're so prevalent and constant that on TV, if the sound mixing is done correctly, they basically make up a background of white noise. In person, I'm sure it's a bit more bothersome, but this is South Africa's tournament, and I'm keen to let them enjoy it as they wish.

I am Bob Bradley. Stare into my eyes. Know me. Fear me. Or at least fear my substitution patterns. Stare into my eyes. Are you staring into them? Good. Because this game is huge. It's so huge I jacked into the matrix to give you a readout of my thoughts, live during the game. NOW STARE! And behold my brilliant noggin at work.

Tim Howard should be in goal today, and he's playing as well as any keeper in the world. Landon Donovan said they aren't going down there for a draw. Jozy Altidore will be playing up front with the increased confidence (and jetlag) of a guy playing in the Premiership. People make too much of the heat in Mexico, but the altitude will be trying. People make too much of the history, but I suppose 0-19-1 for the US in Mexico since 1937 has to mean something. People can't possibly make too much of the fans because 100,000 diehards will have a powerful, sustained impact on Mexico's team. Ultimately, I think the shots in the arm they will provide at key moments to Mexico will be the difference in the match. Here's what others are saying about the game at 4pm ET on Telemundo and mun2: Big Soccer Potomac Soccer Wire Goal.com Toronto Star Grant Wahl Hooligan Talk