Represent

Listen.



more info (including an interview with Rivers Cuomo) at US Soccer:

http://www.ussoccer.com/Multimedia/Media-Center.aspx#/id=bdfe7bc4-e137-4629-8bfc-23e1ba26b677

. . .

And, after you've listened to the song, think about this... One of these four countries WILL be playing in the World Cup Semi-finals (!): Ghana, USA, Uruguay, South Korea.

Now ask yourself the question: Why not US?

Bet he's a Rittle Ronery Right Now

Wow. That must be embarrassing. Not really working out as you planned huh? I can think of seven reasons why you should crawl back into your lair and turn off the tv.

Good thing you don't allow your people to watch tv or read newspapers because I am sure it is going to be brutal. And here is the thing Kimmy, your team is not a feel good story and people don't feel sorry for them because you are a douche and everyone hates you. Sorry to be the one to break the news, but I thought it might be pertinent information.

Well, at least your fans have put in a good showing and been in full voice... errr, wait they were compared by some pundits to accountants attending a seminar for their spirited display at the Brazil match. Why would they be so somber and apathetic? Maybe its because they are fucking Chinese!




You sneaky bastard, paying for your azn brethren to go in your stead since you wont allow anyone out of the country. So the claims are that you hired Chinese performers and actors and sent 1000 of them to South Africa.

These claims are being disputed with some others saying they are select military men and ex-pats that comprise the followers. I believe the truth is somewhere in between.

Ronaldo broke his duck with a comical goal and everyone and their mother put one past the hapless North Koreans. Their tournament life is now over and likely will have some frustrations taken out on them by the big mean Ivorians that will want to get at least a win in the first African-hosted World Cup.

It's been a tough week for Senor Jong-Il, and I don't think it is going to get any better. Be ready to see more of this to come...





Chile has just defeated the ten man Swiss 1-0 and fair play to them, they attacked and overcame the Swiss' negative tactics to take all the points. Behrami got red carded and I am happy to say it could have happened to a more deserving prick. He is a dirty player, good but dirty, and it was a soft red but karma's a bitch.

Spain now have a job to do and i believe they will be up to the task. Fabregas should get a start today because of a niggling injury to Iniesta, and Torres should be on from the start so I expect a beatdown of Honduras. I have a Honduran coworker who is a big talker and I hope to let La Furia Roja silence him today. If I catch him early enough I am going to try to get him to put his money where his mouth is, but I am not sure he is that foolish. Time to head in. Hopefully a good match ahead.

SPORTGASM 2010/ La Furia Roja...?

Interesting results today.

First shocker of the cup, an impressive display by Uruguay... and I think Chile won (wasn't quite awake yet). But seriously though, what the fuck? Spain, really?

Give the Swiss credit for staying so organized, they parked thus bus and got lucky. Spain really needed to at least salvage a draw from the match and I was supremely confident they would at least get that. By the time the 95th minute came around I was dumbfounded. Torres looked a little rusty but still showed the danger he brings and Navas looked skillful on the right but lacked that cutting edge. Where was Fabregas? Why the fuck did Del Bosque play 2 holding midfielders against a team as defensive as the Swiss? Biscuits and Xabi both? Not a chance. Play a 4-5-1 sure but put Iniesta inside with Xavi and and let them roam free with 2 wide players. When you need to make that substitution later you revert to a 4-4-2 with Torres and get after it. They did it late on but it was a little late then when they had to chase the game.
This result pissed me off. Spain being the only team I support in this tournament that I feel has a chance. I don't think Mexico or the USA realistically can win this tournament so La Furia Roja are my only chance for glory.

On another note, are Barca officials influencing the team selection for Spain? Looks like they are trying to lower the price tag for Fabregas by not allowing his to showcase his talents in South Africa. Fucking bastards. I support Barca, but I am an Arsenal fan first and the shit they have pulled this summer illegally tapping up Cesc has been bullshit, especially coming from a club that tries to portray itself as such a class act. I love the way they play football, the city and stadium are amazing, and I know that Jesus will return to his home some day. But this isn't that day, and he isn't for sale. realistically Fabregas is one of the best, if not the best, young midfielder in the game and how he isn't called upon to come in and change the game today is mind boggling. Did Del Bosque not see his cameo off the bench at Villa this year. Good idea bring on a 19 year old(Pedro) and Navas(who?) instead. Maybe they deserved to lose. Figure it out old man.

On a more positive note we are at the Eve of a new holiday that we at The Pint affectionately call SPORTGASM. It is a rare occurrence but tomorrow gives us the avid sports fan an unfuckingbelievable amount of quality sports to watch. Approximately 16 hours of viewing pleasure that can occupy all waking hours. 7 hours of World Cup in the morning, 6 hours of the US Open, and another 3 for game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Hell Fucking Yes. Bring it on.

Oh, and tomorrow brings us probably the most exciting day of the tournament so far, with some teams tournament lives at stake. The loser of the France-Mexico game is dead in the water, just about. Time for El Tri to show they are MexiCANs and get the job done vs Le Frogs. Get it done boys. And reason to set the alarm clocks early with Argentina squaring up against South Korea at 4:30 PST with first place in the group at stake. Time for Argentina to face a real test and Messi to come alive, I expect fireworks, not to mention some tidbits of gold from the resident cokehead who today lambasted Pele as a fossil and Platini as a douchy frog(I agree with this one). Fuck yea, time for this tournament to come alive.

Funny Videos

John Oliver (of the Daily Show of course...) has been covering the World Cup. He's put up some great stuff... take a look:

Pre-tourney buildup:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-10-2010/world-cup-2010--into-africa---two-teams--one-cup

Behind the scenes (from the US Soccer website): (the John Oliver section is part 2)

USA's tie with England:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-14-2010/world-cup-2010--into-africa---us-ties-england

They also made alternate videos if the USA had beat England (and vice versa..). Check them out in the "Related Videos" section.

Some thoughts on USA-England...

I just re-watched the game since the first time I was.. shall we say... piss drunk.

(NOTE TO READERS: I do NOT recommend doing shots of captain morgan at 9am on an empty stomach. ever. (I also don't recommend the 'let's sneak twenty beers into the bar in a backpack then decide that it's a bad idea because the waitress will notice when your beer keeps going from empty to full so i guess we have to chug them when she's not looking on top of buying the occasional pint' move... it's just a bad idea.))

The first thing I noticed was that pretty much everything I remembered clearly from the game happened in the first 11 minutes. No joke. I kept having moments like, "we're only 8 minutes in... really? I thought that happened in the second half." It's sad. Just sad... Next game I'm thinking a few Red Bulls might go well with those 20 beers in the backpack. Just a thought.

A far as the remaining 79 minutes... I believe the US has a lot to be worried about.

Defensively, we looked poor. Watch that second half again. It was full of English chances that failed to score more because of English wastefulness than good defending. We stopped Rooney but gave the wings way to much space (which had to be something we KNEW we could NOT do going in to the game...). We were extremely fortunate that the English looked poor in terms of the final ball.

(A quick English aside: this thing already reeks of disaster. It's at DEFCON 1 already. We're one 'Rooney writhing on the pitch' or a freaky Algerian goal from a total meltdown. Stay tuned)

Offensively, we were wasteful. Altidore blew the two best American chances of the game (which is totally understandable for a 20-year old who maybe shouldn't be considered the great American hope just yet but not when he's your [sarcastic finger quotes] best striker). Most concerning, we didn't look nearly as dangerous on the break as we did with the Davies/Donavan combo of last year's Confederations Cup run. Hopefully we can look forward to more possession in the last two group games but I still think this is a big concern if we go further than that...

The heart of the issue is this. We ARE going to give up goals. Period. However, we do look as if we may be able to score a few as well. But, if we're, say... down 1-0 against Slovenia with 30 minutes remaining and they've now decided to park the bus clown car-style with ten men behind the ball (hypothetically... wink wink)... will we?

time will tell... gulp. (where's that bottle of captain when you need it?)

Still not sure they are MexiCANs, Time to make history

So it has begun. Inspiring first day of football? No. Great none the less. Mexico sure showed glimpses of its talent and potential today but still lack that conviction. Gio Dos Santos looked the most dangerous out there but they all need to step up. There isn't too much experience in this side but they may be able to really come of age in this tournament.
But now, we get to the Real Deal Holyfield. Argentina on display tomorrow, and I predict our first 4-0 of the tournament. Then comes the big one we have all been waiting for. The Brits are going down(I hope). The guys over at The Yanks are Coming have given us some great rules for a drinking game.
If you are in the LA area there are tons of viewing parties, and we the Morning Pint crew will be in full voice at the Hermosa Pier tomorrow morning. The LA Galaxy are throwing a viewing party with a 13' LED on the pier across from Hennessey's and most of the local spots should be going off. Waterman's will probably be the spot for the England USA match, any changes will be updated via Twitter. Come out and join the fun by the beach and be ready to bask in the glory of the biggest victory in American soccer history.

Oh, and prediction 2-1 USA.
Donovan 28 Rooney 42
Dempsey 88

Mr. Cleo's World Cup Predictions...

Aaaaahhhhh...... It begins. Before I start, I need to clarify something... No, I do NOT have crystal balls (ha ha ha). And with that, my World Cup predictions:

Group A winner: South Africa - nobody else is used to playing with those annoying horns (Vuvuzela) blaring in their ears. (btw, i thought these things were mexican until this world cup. i think more of my latino brethren now...)

Group A runner-up: Mexico - this team plays well together with a discernible style of play (unlike a trainwreck that is Les Blues...)

Group B winner: Argentina - Maradona aside... wow, what a team.

Group B runner-up: Nigeria - Africa-bump (part 2)

Group C winner: USA - U! S! A! U! S! A! U! S! A! (ok... i'll stop)

Group C runner-up: England - Looks like Roon won't have to grow that beard just yet...

Group D winner: Ghana - Africa-bump (part 3)

Group D runner-up: Germany

Group E winner: Holland

Group E runner-up: Denmark - sorry Cameroon. No bump here. And please don't blame Eto'o...

Group F winner: Paraguay - attack attack attack.

Group F runner-up: Italy - an oldie but goodie will get out of this group.

Group G winner: Brazil - obviously...

Group G runner-up: Ivory Coast - Africa-bump (part 4)

Group H winner: Spain

Group H runner-up: Honduras - a little CONCACAF respect anyone?

Round of 16 winners: South Africa (beats Nigeria), Argentina (beats Mexico), USA (beats Germany), England (beats Ghana), Holland (beats Italy), Denmark (beats Paraguay), Brazil (beats Honduras), Spain (beats Ivory Coast) -- sorry Africa-bump... the dream ends here for all but the hosts. And sorry to Italia. A very strong Dutch side with man-of-the-tourney Van Persie will see you off easily I'm afraid.

Quarterfinals: USA (beats South Africa), England (beats Argentina), Holland (beats Brazil), Spain (beats Denmark) -- it's just like America to ruin a nation like this... adaboy. Van Persie strikes again.

Semifinals: Spain (beats England), Holland (beats USA)

Champion: Spain (beats Holland) -- Spain is the new Brazil. You heard it here folks...

. . .

Now that we've got that out of the way... GO WATCH THE GAMES!!!

Dear WAG

Dear Wife...
Dear Wife/Sweetheart/Girlfriend/Partner/Whomever it may concern,

1. Between 11 June and 11 July 2010, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you are aware of what is going on regarding the South African World Cup, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention.

2. During the World Cup, the television is mine, at all times, without any exceptions. If you even take a glimpse of the remote control, you will lose it (your eye).

3. If you have to pass by in front of the TV during a game, I don't mind, as long as you do it crawling on the floor and without distracting me.

4. During the games I will be blind, deaf and mute, unless I require a refill of my drink or something to eat. You are out of your mind if you expect me to listen to you, open the door, answer the telephone, or pick up the baby that just fell on the floor....It won't happen.

5. It would be a good idea for you to keep at least 2 six packs in the fridge at all times, as well as plenty of things to nibble on (excluding your body parts), and please do not make any funny faces to my friends when they come over to watch the games. In return, you will be allowed to use the TV between 12am and 6am, unless they replay a good game that I missed during the day.

6. Please, please, please!! If you see me upset because one of my teams is losing, DO NOT say "get over it, it's only a game", or "don't worry, they'll win next time ". If you say these things, you will only make me angrier and I will love you less. Remember, you will never ever know more about football than me and your so called "words of encouragement" will only lead to a break up or divorce.

7. You are welcome to sit with me to watch one game and you can talk to me during halftime but only when the commercials are on, and only if the half time score is pleasing me. In addition, please note I am saying "one" game; hence do not use the World Cup as a nice cheesy excuse to "spend time together".

8. The replays of the goals are very important. I don't care if I have seen them or I haven't seen them, I want to see them again, Many times.

9. Tell your friends NOT to have any babies, or any other child related parties or gatherings that requires my attendance because:
a ) I will not go,

b ) I will not go, and

c) I will not go.

10. But, if a friend of mine invites us to his house on a Sunday to watch a game, we will be there in a flash.

11. The daily World Cup highlights show on TV every night is just as important as the games themselves. Do not even think about saying "but you have already seen this...why don't you change the channel to something we can all watch?" because, the reply will be, "Refer to Rule #2 of this list".

12. And finally, please save your expressions such as "Thank God the World Cup is only every 4 years". I am immune to these words, because before and after this comes the Champions League, Premier League, Italian League, Spanish League, KPL, FA Cup, Euro Cup, etc.

P/S
By the way if you get stuck on the road call the Police or AAA.
Thank you for your co-operation.

Excited Yet?

Only 5 more days until the month of madness begins. Starting to get that feeling I need to go on leave or have an "accident" at work as so I can do nothing but follow the tournament.
There is nothing like a bit of body paint to raise the spirits and/or blood pressure.




How about now?
I hope these ladies make it to South Africa, outfits and all.




If that doesn't get you ready for the madness at hand then you shouldn't be reading this. There are quite a few more lovely ladies on display in my main man Swaby's article here. Friday can't come soon enough, now the only question at hand is where the weekend's festivities should take place? And when the fuck are my USA jerseys going to arrive so I can represent in style as we bend over Engerland Saturday morning?
The choice of venue is important, although no matter where we go the Ex Pats will be in abundance and in full voice. We need to rise to the occasion and match their enthusiasm and hopefully team USA can send a message and show the world they can be a big player this summer.

America, Fuck Yeah!!

The Americans just concluded their world cup preparations with a comprehensive victory over the Socceroos in South Africa. Buddle and Hercules getting on the scoresheet and setting off on the right foot.
I am getting up for this, 6 days away from the start and exactly one week from the big match up with England, the squad looks like it is coming together. Buddle and Findley looked like a decent partnership up front today, Findley just needing to find his shooting boots. But Landycakes looked class and dangerous all game. We've got a chance, not a great one, but who knows the quarterfinals may beckon and from there on out who knows.
The injuries may be a concern but Jozy should be back soon and hopefully Gooch can get back up to speed. The boys are as ready as they will be now it is time to go walk the walk. Get in!!

Ain't That a Bitch

Isn't it a shame? Giuseppe Rossi has just been informed that he will not be part of the 23 man Italian squad headed to South Africa. Ouch. Talk about a major fucking backfire. One of the most promising American talents, this Jersey-born Guido could have been the face of the American team in South Africa, but he chose to shun us and play for Italia. The decision may still work out for him in the long run but I am damn sure he didn't plan on sitting at home for the tournament on holiday.

Get used to the view buddy, that's as close to the action as you will get Judas.

Sad to see talent of ours headed out, like young Neven Subotic who will be representing Serbia in South Africa. This can't keep happening if we really want to make progress. In the meantime let's enjoy the World Cup knowing the Giuseppe will be sharing the same view as us for the matches, from the confines of a couch and not on the pitch.