USA USA USA!

The thing that worries me is a tired midfield. If our midfield plays like they did in the first half before all the cards, we are capable of beating Ghana. Essien really worries me though.

Who do you start for Pablo and Pope?

I like Jim Conrad for Pope. If you have to, you put in Berhalter.

John OBrien for Pablo.

Um.. we have to pull for Italy now too.

I have no alligence to Czech.

who plays first?

Both scheduled for Thursday at 9am CST.

well crap... i thought they played at seperate times?

That should be a stressful two hours

They may (prob will) change the times so that they get the maximum TV audience around the world.

espn and espn 2... damn talk about flippin back and forth!

They won't change the times. The final group games always play at the same time, that way a team doesn't know in advance if they can blow the game or what have you, to avoid a certain matchup or keep a team out of advancing.

Makes sense.

Guitar - They won't change the times.

They have the last two matchups at the same time in every group. That way every team plays to win. If they didn't, Italy and Czech wouldn't try if US/Ghana outcome was decided.

Is there any oil in Ghana? I bet it would demoralize their team if we took their country over to install a friendly democracy between now and Thursday.

The games are run by German schedule not Italian so the they will not change or be late.

I'm calling it now. Knowing that the US needs to win and possibly score a lot of goals, Arena comes out fighting finally.

McBride-EJ

Convey-Donovan-Reyna-Dempsey

Lewis-Onyewu-Bocanegra-Cherundolo

we have to get john obrien in there. the man is a baller. and obviously EJ has to be in.

Dempsey is the one that I believe will provide the spark for the offense to come alive.

We definitely need him out there.

Ghana's top two players are out with red cards.

Thurs. is a day TiVo was made for.

don't any of you have picture in picture?

NO HAM, WE'RE NOT RICH LIKE YOU!

I think the US pulls this out, exhaustion or no exhaustion.

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Thurs. is a day TiVo was made for.

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As well as sports bars and antacid. If you haven't been a soccer fan long or watched the World Cup much, you are about to experience the torture of simultaneous play where seemingly everything changes every minute.

EJ will own

if he gets a chance to

At least it is going to be interesting.

I was not so sure after the CZ match that the Ghana game was going to mean anything.

I may not look over at the IT-CZ game until ours is over.

Pope is too slow to play anymore. This is a very winnable game, but I think if we have an early lead, czech and italy will tank it and both play for the tie after seeing the halftime score

mookie, that has been addressed about 10 times in this thread alone. Both of those teams will want the win, no matter who goes in 2nd place behind them. The 2nd place team (which could be italy if they tie and ghana wins) will most likely be facing brazil, whcih is not what any team wants to do no matter how they are playing right now. Brazil is just one of those teams that gets better as the tourney continues, and generally one that you dont want to see at all if you can avoid it. Neither team will play for a tie, I can guarrantee it

I hope that Ghana has shot their wad with their win against the Czechs. Damn, I hate having to root for Italia.

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I hate having to root for Italia.

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Me, too. It's too bad, really, because I actually like the Czechs.

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I'm calling it now. Knowing that the US needs to win and possibly score a lot of goals, Arena comes out fighting finally.

McBride-EJ

Convey-Donovan-Reyna-Dempsey

Lewis-Onyewu-Bocanegra-Cherundolo

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This is exactly my preferred starting configuration. After Lewis made the mistake on the first Czech goal, he covered the corner better. Ghana is not as much of a threat from the flanks as Czech and Italy were and we could use Lewis's crossing. So start him on the left. Bocanegra was perhaps our best defender against Italy and he wasn't even playing his position. He belongs in the middle.

But what Bruce will probably do is leave Boca on the left and start Conrad in the middle. I think that will be a terrible mistake that might cost us the game. I love Conrad, but he just can't hack it as a starter in a game like this. We NEED Gooch and Boca in the middle to have our best chance of winning this game. I remarked to my party after the game that I was afraid Bruce would try and start Conrad, and this morning I saw an article that confirms this as a definite possibility.

Damn so much strong negativity about conrad...Ive only seen him ever have one bad game, and that includeds national side and definitely at the club level

I just dont trust Lewis, he looks so out of place in the back, he doesnt even play defensive midfield in england

the same questions about having lewis and convey on the left side together will come up again. I just don't think you can trust those two guys to cover the same side of the field, it only took us 5 minutes to find that out against CR, why test fate again?

Pasta/Pizza > Kolaches

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the same questions about having lewis and convey on the left side together will come up again. I just don't think you can trust those two guys to cover the same side of the field, it only took us 5 minutes to find that out against CR, why test fate again?

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I can appreciate that, but Convey and Lewis have played well together in the past.

Assuming though that Arena absolutely will NOT play Lewis and Convey together, would you rather have:

1)Beasley-Lewis with Bocanegra in the middle.
2)Convey-Bocanegra with Conrad in the middle.

Personally, I would go with 1. In my opinion, big game experience is key in the World Cup...especially in defense. None of the CBs available to us have played in a World Cup (except Berhalter) but Conrad hasn't played ANY big game really. He didn't play in any of the important qualifiers and his time with the Wizards hasn't exactly afforded him opportunities either. I don't want his first big game to be come now.