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World Cup: Mexico advances, but loss to Uruguay still leaves 'bitter taste'
June 22, 2010 | 12:36 pm

World-cup-logo_200 Mexico may have advanced to the knockout round of the World Cup, but Rafael Márquez said the team was unhappy with the other outcome of the day, the one that found them on the losing end of a 1-0 result against Uruguay.

"It leaves a bitter taste," the midfielder said. "We're all unhappy with this result and with today's performance. We'll have to improve now."

Uruguay secured the top spot in Group A with the victory, and Mexico advanced to the round of 16, thanks to better goal difference than South Africa, which beat France 2-1.

"We'll now attempt to regroup and recover and wait for our next rival, which we suppose is Argentina," Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre said of the team he expected to win Group B. "We'll put up a good fight."

USA 1 : 0 Algeria

Landon Donovan's dramatic goal in extra time sends the Americans on to the second round.

World Cup: U.S. defeats Algeria, 1-0

By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times
June 24, 2010
Reporting from Pretoria, South Africa —

Landon Donovan's goal in extra time lifted the U.S. to a dramatic 1-0 win over Algeria on Wednesday, sending the U.S. on to the second round of the World Cup for just the third time in history.

The options were clear for the U.S. entering the game: Win and go on, or lose and go home. And that's not a scenario the U.S. has had success with, never having won a third game in a World Cup, going 0-7 while being outscored 20-6.

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For more than 90 minutes Wednesday, it appeared as though that wasn't going to change. But in the first minute of extra time, after a clutch save by U.S. goalie Tim Howard, Donovan pushed the ball up the right wing on a counterattack. He fed Jozy Altidore deep in the Algerian side, but Altidore's cross to Clint Dempsey hit Dempsey's foot at about the same time Algerian goalkeeper Rais M. Bolhi did.

With Bolhi on the ground, Donovan, trailing the play smartly, was able to swoop in and knock the loose ball into the back of the net for the win.

Playing before a crowd of 35,827 that included former President Clinton, who was sitting with FIFA chief Sepp Blatter, the two sides battled through as hard-fought and even a match as any in this World Cup.

For most of Wednesday, it appeared as if the U.S.' luck in group play wasn't about to change, with the Americans losing one goal on an offside call, another to an inexplicably bad shot by its top striker and a third, early in the second half, when Dempsey hit the post with one shot, then knocked the rebound past an open net.

Yet that final play offered a glimmer of hope because it started with a stroke of good fortune, with an Algerian defender falling as he tried to intercept Altidore's cross to Dempsey in the penalty area.

That gave Dempsey time to gather his shot, but he nailed the goalpost anyway. He got lucky again when the rebound bounced right back to him, but he missed everything with his second shot.

In the 68th minute, the U.S. was back again – and again Bolhi, who was brilliant all afternoon, wouldn't budge. A nice cross found Edson Buddle and Altidore sandwiching an Algerian defender in front of the goal with Buddle redirecting the pass toward the middle of the net.

The shot appeared to surprise Bolhi, but he recovered quickly, knocking the ball down and falling on it, leaving both American forwards kicking at air.

Algeria also needed a win to advance, and in a raucous, fast-paced -- and ultimately scoreless -- first half both teams played as if they wanted to extend their stay in South Africa..

After starting slowly and falling behind early in its first two games, the U.S. came out hard from the opening kickoff against Algeria, with Donovan sending a nice cross into the keeper's box at the end of the first minute. But Bolhi came out to get the ball before it got to any of the American strikers.

Minutes later, Herculez Gomez, making his first World Cup start, had the next good opportunity for the U.S., but Bolhi batted down his shot from beyond the penalty area.

In between, Algeria nearly stole a score when Rafik Djebbour outraced the U.S. defense to settle a long ball with only goalkeeper Tim Howard in front of him. His hard shot clanged off the goal, ending what proved to be the Desert Foxes' best scoring chance of the opening period.

The U.S. players, meanwhile, kept the pressure on and were nearly rewarded in the 19th minute when they attacked the outmanned Algeria defense in waves. Gomez got off two shots, the second of which rebounded to an unmarked Dempsey at the far post; he then knocked the ball into the empty net.

But the play was ruled offside, the U.S. once again appearing to lose a goal to an official's decision. In the official's defense, however, no one on the American side appeared to protest the call for long.

Dempsey was stopped again by a sliding defender after taking a feed from Donovan deep in the penalty area in the 35th minute. A minute after that, Altidore, standing just a few yards from a wide-open net, put a shot over the goal and into the seats.

The Americans' final first-half opportunity came in the 42nd minute on their 12th shot and again it came from Dempsey, who nearly got one by Bolhi when he slipped taking a shot from about 20 yards out. That sent the unstable Jabulani ball knuckling toward the goal and the Algeria keeper was lucky to smother it on a short hop and keep it out of the net.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Don't usually get into soccer, but its been fun... had Mexico ... until..

Now ..... will go with the USA.. but, like Argentina ...

I am with three teams in this based on country of birth, where I spent many, wonderful years and where I live now.

USA
Argentina
Mexico

I will be thrilled if any of the three manage to go all the way but I do agree that Argentina has the best chance.

Germany 1 : Ghana 0
Australia 2: Serbia 1:

Germany finishes the first round at the top of Group D with 6 points. Australia and Ghana tie with 4 points but Ghana will be the tam to qualify for the next round due to difference of goals so now the stage is set for the USA:

USA : Ghana
Saturday, June 26th

We're down to the final 16 teams. Vote for who you think will win the World Cup!

Who can beat Argentina? Nobody....maybe.
This stuff is hard to handicap. All emotional.

Mexico needs to play its "A game" on defense and take advantage of any opportunities it can get to score. Otherwise it will be Argentina for sure in this match...

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Who can beat Argentina? Nobody....maybe.
This stuff is hard to handicap. All emotional.

The Netherlands will, if they get by Brazil.

Of course, you can't expect a different prediction from a born Dutchman.

Here the more official/realistic probabilities.


http://www.castrolfootball.com/resou...c10_winner.php

USA trails Ghana who is up 1:0 at halftime.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

Here the more official/realistic probabilities.

http://www.castrolfootball.com/resou...c10_winner.php

Not sure that I agree with their odds but we'll see how it plays out...

Ghana beats USA, 2 to 1 in overtime. Hard played game but the USA just couldn't take advantage of its opportunities. Congratulations to the Ghana team...


Asamoah Gyan (left) wheels aways after scoring the winner for Ghana in the first half of extra time
Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Africa’s time is not yet up. For all the dismay and despair at the performance of the host continent in the tournament in which the gap between football’s first and third world was supposed to close forever, Africa’s involvement will last into a third week. At least Ghana’s Black Stars are still shining.

Thanks to wonderful goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Asamoah Gyan, Milovan Rajevac’s side edged past a dogged, determined United States to set up a quarter-final clash with Uruguay, equalling the best-ever performance at a World Cup by an African side.

They deserve their place, too. Ghana may not boast the continent’s greatest stars, particularly after Michael Essien was ruled out of the tournament by injury, but they are the most coherent, effective representatives it has here.

The individuals, the Samuel Eto’os and Didier Drogbas, have long since departed. Only the collective is still standing, within 90 minutes of history.

This display was more than enough to send a warning to Uruguay that there will be no easy passage into the last four. For all that the section of the draw has been labelled a soft route to the semi-finals, Ghana are stout and solid, athletic and disciplined. They have been imbued by Rajevac with Serbian virtues.

And there is, of course, no shortage of flair, much of it provided by a man who has been Ghanaian, and African, for just a matter of weeks, at least in the all-seeing, all-powerful eyes of Fifa. Boateng’s nationality was only changed to the land of his father, as opposed to Germany, the land of his birth, on May 12.

Perhaps there is no fervour like that of the convert. His goal, after just six minutes, was celebrated with such wild-eyed enthusiasm that any suggestion that this was a marriage of convenience can be swept aside.

He may have been born and raised in Germany, earning 41 caps for the land of his birth at youth level, and his half-brother, Jerome, will most likely be part of the *nationalmannschaft* when they face England in Bloemfontein this afternoon, but there can be no doubting his patriotism.

His goal was worth celebrating, too, a fine individual effort, skating past Jay DeMerit after robbing Ricardo Clark and firing low past a stranded Tim Howard. He tore off across the pitch, chased by his new team-mates, his new countrymen, convinced he had set Ghana on their way. The USA , though, are not short of pride, either.

They staunched Ghana’s flow, going close through Robbie Findlay and Benny Feilhaber either side of the break, before Jonathan Mensah clipped Clint

Dempsey just inside the area and Landon Donovan, emerging as a genuine star of the tournament, converted calmly from the penalty spot.

Donovan may not have used this tournament to change his nationality, but his reputation has certainly altered. The good work started during his 10-week loan spell at Everton has continued here. Donovan is a player of class and poise, capable not just of matching elite company but putting others in the shade.

He does not, though, have in Bob Bradley’s hardworking team the class of player around him to turn the screw against opponents as energetic, as forceful, as Ghana. Jozy Altidore - looking ever more like the American

Emile Heskey - scooped wide with just minutes left on the clock after out muscling John Mensah, but there was to be no Hollywood moment to match Donovan’s goal against Algeria.

Extra-time beckoned. Africa’s time beckoned. Gyan, a handful all night, all tournament, held off Carlos Bocanegra as he chased down Andre Ayew’s long pass.

One touch, and a fierce drive past Howard. The United States had no response. They pressed as best as their exhausted legs would allow, but soon they had no time, either. That, for now, for another 90 minutes, belongs to Ghana, and to Africa.

More...

Just wait till next year..........

Actually the world cup is only played once every four years.

The impression I get is that Sr. B. Gringo is an avid fan of futbol. Most likely arising from his many years abroad. My feeling is that although the US team could conceivably put together a FIFA champion team based upon luck, such as the hockey team that took the gold in the Olympics, unless and until the public steadfastly embraces futbol, it is unlikely to happen. Just thinking that with relatively limited interest, the challenge of developing anything near a reservoir of talent like such that can be found in "soccer-friendly" nations, it would be serendipitous for the US to win the cup.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Actually the world cup is only played once every four years.

World Cup?? Ohhh........I thought we were talking about the Chargers. I'm getting my losers confused.

The USA did manage to finish a very respectable third place in the inaugural tournament in 1930. And yes, I am a big fan of futbol. My favorite team?

River Plate

As of right now, you can also scratch Mexico and England of your poll list.
Class is starting to tell. Any goof up by the defenses from here on in, will be instantly punished by the offenses. Cream is rising to the top. If skill prevails and luck takes a backseat, the finals should be between Spain, Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands.
Go Holland !!!