Todunglücklich

The world moves on, and yet for some, the dream is over. Today was a very dramatic day of World Cup competition, with more than a few nation's getting their hearts broken. And how did the USA do?? We'll get to that in a second. Group E was first up today, which had on the scheduled USA vs. Ghana in Nuremberg, Germany, and over in Hamburg, Germany, Italy was set to take on the Czech Republic. This had been the tightest group of all thus far. Even with just 1 point, the USA still had hopes of advancing to the Group of 16. In order for that to happen, Italy had to beat the Czech Republic, and the USA had to overcome the Africans. I know it was a lot to hope for, but miracles do sometimes happen. After a rather impressive debut against the United States, the Czech Republic have been unable to regain their momentum. Ghana plowed right through them with a 2-0 victory, and Italy was no different. The Italians, always a strong threat in World Cup competition, showed no mercy, and quickly disposed of the Czechs. Final score, 2-0. Things were looking promising for the USA. All that stood in their way of advancement was the Ghanan squad. The 1st half saw the Africans open up the scoreboard 1-0 against the Americans. But deep into the end of the 1st half, the USA managed to get their timing just right, and tied things up in the 44th minute. But just when our hopes had once again been raised, Ghana finds an ally in the referee, who calls a Bulls**t foul within the goal zone, and awards the Africans a penalty kick. Trouble is, there was no foul, and many believe that the US was robbed. The second half, although filled with many possibilities, didn't fare any better. It remained scoreless throughout, and we bade farewell to Claudio Reyna, and possibly Bruce Arena, from their final appearance in World Cup competition. (At least now Donovan and Albright might come and rescue the suffering L.A. Galaxy!) Final score, 2-1. Next up, Group F gets a chance to define themselves. Croatia met up with Australia in Stuttgart, Germany, and the defending champs, Brazil, face up against Japan in Dortmund, Germany. Australia has been a constant surprise in the initial phases of competition, returning from a defeceit against Japan to win the match 3-1, and despite a loss in the end, they managed to give Brazil a run for their money. The Croatians, on the other hand, came in with high expectations, and perhaps that was too much pressure for them to overcome. I remember Croatia back in France '98, and how much of a powerhouse they ended up being. They have lost most of that since then, and it showed today. Although the match ultimately ended up in a tie, Croatia gets left behind, while the Aussies advance. Final score, 2-2. And in the final game of the day, Brazil and Japan squared off, and fans were still dying to see the Brazil we've all come to know as Maestros De Futbol. Japan opened up the scoreboard late in the first half, and it seemed that the Brazilians were being outplayed by the Asians. But deep into stopage time (AGAIN!) in the 1st half, Ronaldo, finds the net to tie it all up as they head into the lockers. The 2nd half saw a newly invigorated Brazil, and fans finally got a chance to see what soccer was really about. Brazil dominated the 2nd half, and poor Japan struggled to keep up. We saw 3 more goals scored during the 2nd, including Ronaldo's 14th goal in a World Cup, which ties the record with German Gerd Muller. Final score, 4-1. So, at the end of all of today's drama, Groups E and F look like this:

Group E:
1. Italy (7 pts.)
2. Ghana (6 pts.)
3. Czech Republic (3 pts.)*
4. USA (1 pt.)*

Group F:
1. Brazil (9 pts.)
2. Australia (4 pts.)
3. Croatia (2 pts.)*
4. Japan (1 pt.)*

(* Indicates eliminated teams)

Tomorrow: Groups G and H take center stage, and close up the initial qualifying round. On the schedule, Tunisia vs. Ukraine, Saudi Arabia vs. Spain, Switzerland vs. Korea Republic, and Togo vs. France.