By now we have all heard of the disappointing finish for the U.S. in the Confederations Cup against powerhouse Brazil. We all know that the U.S. squandered a 2-0 first half lead and conceded three straight goals in the second half to lose the match 2-3. We all also know that it was the first FIFA final the U.S. has ever played in and winning would have meant the squad would have been the first ever to hoist up a FIFA Cup trophy in the name of America.
The Core: Who was at their best at the 2009 Confederation Cup and seems assured of a starting role come 2010?
Well, LD earned his #10 jersey by validating his skill against some of the world’s most feared defenders. Tim Howard’s box scores didn’t look appealing, but those who saw the games knew for every one he allowed, he stopped four rockets off the feet/heads of some of the globe’s greatest playmakers.
What a long, strange trip the US MNT just had to South Africa. The Yanks advanced via a 6 goal swing in the last 90 minutes of the group stage. Then, they shocked the world by knocking out #1 Spain. Finally, they came out swinging against history’s most decorated team, but fell apart during a messy second half that most fans would like to forget.
I don’t have to forget it because I never saw the second half of the Final. I got on a plane when it was 2-0, and spent the flight sequestered from any updates. I was happy though. It was half-time and we were winning a freaking FIFA International tourney. Of course, I was happy. As soon as we touched down, I frantically turned on my “portable electronic device” to check the final score.
When I heard they had made a sequel to the original Soccer Dog, and that it would focus on the European Cup, I almost decided to drive to Hollywood, find a psychiatrist, and take him to the suits who greenlit the second film. Did the original Soccer Dog leave loose ends that needed a sequel to tie them up? Of course not. The second film was even more poorly made than the original (mostly because it has no Ms. d’Abo). But, the sequel may be so bad it’s good.
Air Bud – World Pup (2000) was the second movie about dogs playing soccer ever made, and in my opinion it was the second movie about dogs playing soccer that should never have been made. It was worse than Soccer Dog, and that right there says quite a bit about how deplorable it is. Before I delve into why the film is so bad, let me give you some backstory on the entire Air Bud series. Yes, that’s right, this dog/soccer film is part of a nine part series. Yikes…
I have been as sick as a dog lately, so I decided to plop down and watch a few more movies so I could keep the STO Soccer Film Review series running strong. I have worked like a dog to already review several films dealing with humans playing the world’s most beautiful game, but…
I have thus far neglected movies about canines’ love of soccer, so here goes…
Believe it or not, three movies about dogs playing soccer have come out in the last decade. If that isn’t a sign of the apocalyspse (or that we’ve all gone to the dogs), I don’t know what would qualify. Anyways, today and on Monday and Tuesday, I will be reviewing each of the three films so we can determine which cinematic doggy doo-doo emerges as top dog.
Wow. What an incredible performance that was the U.S. today in beating the world’s best team, 2-0 in the semi-final of the Confederations Cup. The U.S. will now play either Brazil or South Africa in the final on Sunday. By winning, the U.S. advanced to its first men’s FIFA final since starting play in 1916, which is why this was a huge victory for U.S. soccer.
The U.S. got goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey and terrific performances by Tim Howard and the U.S. back four, kept the Spaniards at bay and ended Spain’s 35-game unbeaten run and 15-match streak of victories.
It was a result that nobody expected, especially after the way they played in the first two games. But the U.S. men’s team heat Egypt 3-0 on Sunday, and that combined with Brazil’s 3-0 thrashing of Italy means the U.S. is in the Confederations Cup semi-finals where they will play Spain. Spain are the European champions who are on a 35 match unbeaten dating back to a November 2006 exhibition loss to Romania. On and by the way, Spain is the world’s top-ranked team.
It has been a tough week for the U.S. national team. Two games against Brazil and Italy have produced more red cards (2) than goals (1). So what is going on with the national team? Are we really that bad?
Lets keep one thing in mind when analyzing the U.S. performance in the Confederations Cup. The U.S. has played two of the best four teams in the world. It is not as if the U.S. has lost to Cuba and Bermuda. None of the U.S. players would get into the starting line-up for either Italy or Brazil. I don’t think anyone seriously thought the U.S. would win either of these two games.
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By now we have all heard of the disappointing finish for the U.S. in the Confederations Cup against powerhouse Brazil. We all know that the U.S. squandered a 2-0 first half lead and conceded three straight goals in the second half to lose the match 2-3. We all also know that it was the first FIFA final the U.S. has ever played in and winning would have meant the squad would have been the first ever to hoist up a FIFA Cup trophy in the name of America.
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Wow. What an incredible performance that was the 
It was a result that nobody expected, especially after the way they played in the first two games. But the 
