For all you franchise lovin' Yanks...

"ESPN buys rights to Setanta games "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8113702.stm

...now you can enjoy a proper sport 46 times a season and it's brought to you by one of your own, ESPN. So you can guarantee it will be the ESPN Premeeeeeeeeeer League brought to you in association with Dinky Donuts, or somethin like that

Now, to become at one with the game, you must first master the following critical concepts in time for the big kick-off in August:

1) Offside
2) Diving
3) Patience - there is only one ad break in 90 minutes, I know you will struggle at first, but perseverence is king
4) Single-figure scorelines. Again, something new. But a change is as good as a rest, as the old saying goes.
5) 'Soccer'. You're not Portuguese, so stop speaking like you are.

That should give you enough to work on through the summer months.

Christmas - we will learn about rivalries, chanting and the art of throwing coins at men dressed in black. See you there

we're taking over.
soon the rest of the world will also call it soccer.

matty, bow down to the machine that is american media.

how is it that USA team wins one game by 3 and advances, thats some stupid shit, even my high school team demanded you have a winning record to enter play offs, (even if we made it, if we didnt have a winning record we would not have gone to embarrass ourselves)

Because the rule when teams are tied on points is that goal difference comes in to it.

Goal difference = No of goals scored - No of goals conceded.

In the case you are talking about, USA and Italy were tied on the same points but the US had a better goal difference and thus go through.

It rewards the US for playing attacking football, scoring 3 goals, generally kicking the shit out of Egypt, and conversely it punished the Italians for playing shite football, losing 3-0 to Brazil, and generally being a bunch of overly flambouyant yet utterly un-proficient cock heads.

How do you settle issues when teams are level on points in American sport? Have a play-off series to determine who gets in to the play-off series?

Thud, one day when I come to America, I will convert you my friend.

ESPN will realize they made a mistake once they get the ratings. HA

Naw I always like a good match.

well, they have these fucked up computers for college football (american) and we all want to kill those assholes, but it is huge money for each bowl game......for instance texas tech beat texas, end with same record, texas goes to big dance, I say bullshit, anyway, didnt italy beat usa, thats what I call bs too, they should go, head to head should override everything when there is a tie, then use your goal difference.....typically no sports season so small that you have to tie break 1 and 2 records

I actually agree with your point cos Italy did beat the US, but I suppose qualification comes down to how well they perform over all 3 games, not just the one game against the US. Serves Italy right for being gash. If the US did better over the whole 3 games, i'd say they should go through.

They use head-to-head in Spain and some other European countries, seems to work out ok for them.. I dunno, contentious issue maybe.

usa just whooped spain in soccer.

I am actually pleased for the USA. The Spaniards were getting a little too excited, it seems.

Spain got the world record consecutive wins in the last round, so i'm pleased for them.

Very shocked the US beat them tho, they had a more or less full strength team out. Must have just expected to win, too complacent. Oh well, it's a mickey mouse tourney anyway lol

hmmm, i watched the end of brazil and south africa, they play the whole game and it was decided by the free kick, too much walking around, need shorter field, more subs allowed

thuder87 wrote:

hmmm, i watched the end of brazil and south africa, they play the whole game and it was decided by the free kick, too much walking around, need shorter field, more subs allowed

and they should put it on ice.
and make the ball smaller.
and maybe instead of their feet and heads, use sticks.
and have full body hits allowed.

haha
j/p

ha ha ha

yeah rolling subs, 5 second 'plays' broken up with 10 minutes of advertisements, cheerleaders, it should be played indoors, on a glass pitch, wearing face guards and they should sing the national anthem at the start of each 'period'

GOD BLESS AMERICA

USA!!
USA!!
USA!!
USA!!

Cheerleaders might be nice though

I bet you're average British cheerleader is rough as a badger's arse

Can you imagine the talent lining up for Macclesfield vs Bolton ?

Puts me right off m' black puddin' 'n' grrrraavvvy

Steelers have no cheerleaders, I was just saying a lot of freaking walking and no attacking on offense......lots of times south africa gets ball deep into territory and then.....freaking nothing, attempt too many passes and turnover, mybe they need bigger balls (not literally)

but a red card for tripping a guy, barely for the usa kid whose dad is the coach, give me a break.

offence

deep territory

turnover

God bless you Thuder with your crazy americanisations

thats us, with our strategery

but at least Im watching it man, this is something I never thought I would at least attempt

Nah it's cool, i'm pleased you will at least give it a go, I doth my cap to you mate.