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SBI Sunday Rewind: Memorable Messi moment; USMNT ready for Ghana; Open Cup upsets; and more

messi2-getty_Brazil2014

By CAITLIN MURRAY

The thrills from Brazil just keep coming. It was Lionel Messi’s turn Sunday to grab the spotlight, netting his first World Cup goal in eight years. That goal would lift Argentina over World Cup first-timer Bosnia and Herzegovina in front of a very rowdy pro-Argentina crowd in Rio de Janeiro, giving the world class player a special moment. Elsewhere, CONCACAF suffered its first defeat of the tournament as France beat a 10-man Honduras.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Men’s National Team is preparing for its first appearance of the 2014 World Cup and players are eager to put a rest to doubts about the inexperienced back line, SBI staffer Franco Panizo reported from Brazil.

In a shocking turn of events at the Open Cup, the New York Red Bulls were beat handily by the New York Cosmos, and Real Salt Lake coach Jeff Cassar had some harsh words after his side lost to the Atlanta Silverbacks.

Here is a rundown of all the stories featured on SBI today:

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

USMNT confident that inexperienced back line has talent to do job at World Cup

Who should the USMNT start vs. Ghana?

WORLD CUP

Messi breaks World Cup drought, lifts Argentina to victory over Bosnia

SBI World Cup Man of the Match: Lionel Messi

Benzema fuels France to a dismantling of 10-man Honduras

SBI World Cup Man of the Match: Karim Benzema

Seferovic snatches victory for Switzerland with stoppage-time winner

SBI World Cup Man of the Match: Haris Seferovic

SBI 2014 World Cup Diary: Entry 1

World Cup Day 4: Your Running Commentary

World Cup Day 4: A Look Ahead

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

RSL, Red Bulls, Chivas fall to NASL teams in Open Cup fourth round

 

Comments

    • i’ve thinking about that too. i’m assuming it’s dempsey.

      the rational side of me says, don’t worry; he’s a great soccer player. how bad can he be at penalties?

      the neurotic side of me is worried sick, because i can only remember him missing them.

      i console myself with the realization that the refs aren’t going to give us anything.

      Reply
      • I think espn said Demps has a 50% success rate with he usmnt. I’d rather see a composed Bradley take one than risk deuce skying it.

  1. Honduras did get beat pretty bad. But a bit of history got made Sunday. A player who came through a MLS academy not only played but started in a World Cup for the first time. Granted neither he nor his team lit it up and he didn’t play for the US. It’s still a big milestone and a good step in the right direction for player development in our country.

    Reply
  2. Four years. I have waited for years for this moment.

    I remember the 2010 World Cup like it was yesterday.

    All I want for my birthday is a US victory.

    LET’S GO YANKS!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Ok let’s everybody reman calm.
      (uhm..)
      Probably we could all use some sleep
      (that’s true,,, isn’t it? theoretically?)

      Tomorrow is just another day.
      (as in… we’re definitely not supposed to stay up for 4 more hours watching every highlight, interview, scouting report, Nike commercial, and poorly translated foreign match preview we can find?… definitely not… i think )

      No need to get carried away.

      ahem.
      err…

      what’ i’m trying to say here is….

      !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BWAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      LET”S GO YANKS!!!!

      Reply
  3. This World Cup so far has basically demolished the typical complaints concerning soccer by American sports commentators/fans. Lots of goals, lots of end-to-end action, and no draws (yet, the will certainly come). Most of the matches have been extremely entertaining, and the only glaring negative so far on the field was the bush-league antics of Wilson Polacios for Honduras.

    Reply
    • Yet, it matters not…Americans need VIOLENCE in their sports. That or lots and lots of statistics. I would know being an American who used to know nothing about the game.

      I say, forget Americans who can’t enjoy the game. It is their loss.

      This World Cup has been amazing thus far. I bet it will only get better. The only real thing that can draw in the US is Jozy Altidore or Michael Bradley. If they come up HUGE and win for the USMNT, Americans will start to care. Until then…there is always basketball.

      Reply
      • Why do you say we need violence? Sure, american football is violent but our other sports aren’t particularly violent, unless you’re talking about MMA or boxing, which are kind of fringe sports. Or Nascar, which is not a sport in my opinion.

        The sport didn’t take root here at the same time that it did in Europe and South America and it’s still catching up to more established sports. I don’t think it’s much more complicated than that.

      • Like you said Usaalltheway:

        Forget Americans that cant enjoy the games.

    • agree with almost everything, except “the only glaring negative so far on the field” being palacios.

      the diving/embellishing is atrocious. i don’t know why it still bothers me so much–because it’s on the biggest stage? because i played defense, and got schooled by divers way too often?–but that’s a glaring negative to me. i can only imagine how it looks to someone tuning in for the first time.

      Reply
      • Agreed that it’s a turnoff for new/casual fans. I took my brother in law, who’s relatively new to the game, to a couple of RBNY games this year and he was appalled by some of the flopping and other nonsense that goes on. Of course, it didn’t help that in one of the games they were playing Chivas, who are on another level when it comes to playacting and that sort of garbage.

  4. It’s been a very interesting tournament so far with the different formations compared to the 4-2-3-1 dominance of 2010. Argentina used the diamond to start the second half and looked much better in the attack. The formation switch played a major part in Messi’s goal.

    Reply
  5. Honestly I was EXTREMELY disappointed with Argentinas performance. Di Maria Higuin….none of them lived up to what you expect from such a high powered big name offence. Even Messi seemed rather lazy most of the game

    Reply
    • All until the second half…

      I remember when I was first getting into the game and my Brazilian friend told me….”Look man, all these big name teams are nothing until the knock-out round. Then they BLOW UP and become huge.”

      Messi finally came through. Give it time. Let’s see what is possible.

      Reply
    • That was tidy Messi. But the rest of the game was a tight first World Cup game. People have to remember Bosnia’s decent.

      Reply

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