Quelonio said:See, this is what I mean, this US team is in no way the same team as the one that played in 2002, They seem lost, they are not working like they used to, they are not dominating the teams they should (like Panama in the Gold Cup) and they are not putting a fight against tougher teams... It pains me to say so, but they seem like they are going to dissappoint us.
Section126 said:This team WAS missing alot of their best players out there today though.
I LOVE this team....they will be an elite eight team again...just like in the last world cup.
People forget that Portugal was one of the favorites in the last World Cup and the US was not favored to get out of their group last time.
The US is fine...THEY WILL get out of their group.
Pink_Dove said:Alot ? How 'bout half the team and it showed. Berhalter, Conrad, Gibbs, Zavagnin have no place on the first team. But you've got to like Eddie J's progress, he played a whale of a game.
I won't go as far as to say they'll be in the top eight once again (rarely does a team overachieve in consecutive WC's and the U.S hasn't beaten any of the European powerhouses recentely) but I can possibly see them getting out of the first round.
Also nobody mentioned the heat the Germans were under. This was an exhibition game and Ballack, Schneider, Klose, Podolski were all on the field to start. I'm sure Jurgen had something to do with that. And my boy Schweinsteiger played well.