Doesn't mean anything to us, but it should be more entertaining than A&M game.

Score is 0-0 after 15 minutes. Eddie Pope screwed up a clear about 6 yards out. Ball bounced around. Then the second shot deflected off Pope's face, while he was still on the ground.

J.P. DelaCamera (spelling) isn't the lead announcer. Anybody know why not?

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but it should be more entertaining than A&M game

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go to hell

"What a crime! If you are not a hungry man, Luanne, you shouldn't be taking on the Hungry Man Dinner."
-Bobby Hill-

Wanchope just scored for Costa Rica. Pope screwed up. His play is usually mediocre. Tonight he is crap. Howard made good initial save but didn't punch it far enough. Might have something to do with conditions. It's a monsoon out there. Dudes are slipping every minute.

dp

[This message has been edited by birdman (edited 10/8/2005 10:19p).]

It's a good thing they fixed the field up. That place you used to be a mud hole at the end of the rainy season.

Now 3-0 Costa Rica. The US looks bad. No heart.

And Tim Howard should NEVER start in a meaningful game. I don't like Casey Keller, but we'd still be tied or at most down 0-1 if he were playing tonight.

Substitute Hernandez scored 2 goals. 3-0 Costa.

His second goal was best goal I've seen in CONCACAF. He volleyed a ball from about 25yds out. Skimmed crossbar. Simply spectacular.

Quick summary. We're playing lots of green guys. Also playing guys were are marginal talents. That makes for ugly combination. Bocanegra and Pope were dreadful. Beasley looked tired from start. Convey was only player who looked good for entire game. Most players were just sleepwalking.

Costa Rica qualifies. The stadium is packed and everybody is going absolutely beserk. Cool atmosphere.

just a bad day today

We definately weren't playing to win tonight. Our best players didn't come to camp. This was an experiment for the US

Tim Howard has done well in big games before. Are his skills degrading? I'm not sure you can place this all on his head though, the defenders looked pretty bad.

Unfortunately, I didn't see the game, but the goalkeeping sure looked bad on paper--Three goals on only 10 shots (probably only half were actually on target) for CR; 3 goals allowed, while only 2 saves.

But I have been impressed with Howard in the past, so I'll chalk this one up to the monsoon.

I'm sure Howard's skills are degrading. Hard to get better by sitting on Man U bench. Arena said something similar a few months ago.

The last two goals he had no chance. And he was in good position. Just perfect shots.

You could ding him for first goal. He challenged a breakaway. Balboa said he took a badline. (camerawork was terrible so I'm not sure) He deflected first shot. Should have cleared the ball better. Unfortunately, our defenders were picking their noses. Ball went right to a Costa player. Howard had no chance on follow-up shot.

Keller is just a better goalie. Has more command. He catches shots that Howard has to deflect. Keller punches ball and it ends up out of harm's way, Howard punches and defender needs to clear it. Keller has better goalkicks. Hopefully, Howard will get more playing time before World Cup. He's still a pretty solid backup.

Howard is a victim of Sir Alex Ferguson's post-Peter Schmeichel goalkeeping philosophy - if you aren't Peter Schmeichel, he'll pull you off the field for doing anything wrong.

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

how much longer is Howard's contract w/ ManU?

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I don't like Casey Keller

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How can you not like Kasey Keller? He's simply one of the best in goal in the world. He has great footwork and always seems to have great positioning.

As for Howard this game, I too wondered whether Keller would've saved the first shot. It was by no means an easy save, but it wasn't impossible. I wonder why Howard didn't try to throw both hands out there to prevent the rebound (although I readily admit I was really bad about one handed saves back in the day).

As for the other two goals, they were just great shots and I'm not sure anyone could've saved them. Especially the last goal. That may have been the best shot I've seen all year.

I thought the same thing Cade...Keller is one of the better keepers in the world.

I didn't get a chance to see the game as I was at a wedding, but this was about what I expected. A US team that was full of relatively new players, hadn't reallly played together, and to top it off, they were facing a good Costa Rica team that had everything to play for at a venue the US has never won in. It was never going to pretty folks, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter.

As for Howard, he really needs to leave ManU and get to a team that will give him some playing time. Unfortunately, I see ManU letting him rot on the bench for several years ala Ricardo and Carrol. He'll be shooting for the 3rd spot in Germany because I think Hahneman has sewn up the back-up spot with his form for Reading.

Howard 3rd? Matt Reis might jump up to that spot.

Bruce Arena has alot of stuff to worry about before World Cup. Goalie isn't one of them. There might be a few goalies on par with Keller, but I can't think of anybody definitively better. With him in goal, we've got a chance to be in every game.

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It was never going to pretty folks, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter.

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I think I know what you mean is that the final score does not matter. But what does matter is that we are getting our young, inexperienced players some great opportunities to see what it is like to play on the international level. I am really happy that the USA team has climbed to the level that they can qualify for the WC so early to allow their younger players this experience! Also nice to get Howard out there in a game to shake off the rust.
Don't forget about Hahnemann either, I think he played pretty damn well against Guatemala. Too me it would be Keller, Howard, Hahnemann. And I am not worried about goalkeeping for the US team either, Keller is a stud. (I will never ever forget the 1998 game he had against Brazil that we won 1-0...simply amazing).