Good morning folks. Today is the last day of the group stage of the men’s Olympic soccer Tournament. The first round of games are over and now we will have the last games of the group stage.
I am providing live commentary for the Ivory Coast-Australia match on the NBC Olympic website, where you can watch high-quality video footage of today’s matches.
If you are watching these "late" games, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
More on Messing: from Wiki,
You should have done a Wiki on Shep Messing too, check this out:
In 1991, Mr. Messing pled guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, commonly referred to as Federal wire fraud. This violation came about during Mr. Messing’s tenure as a corporate officer in a securities firm, although he never acted, nor was licensed as a broker or dealer. Mr. Messing was sentenced to five years probation. Mr. Messing filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York on November 17, 1995. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the plan of reorganization on February 11, 1998.
Despite his role as a broadcaster/analyst for MLS and other soccer matches, he is the player agent for U.S. under-20 and Brescia midfielder Danny Szetela. This has led to some, including Washington Post soccer reporter Steven Goff, to question his objectivity in his work as an analyst.
This guy must have learned how to walk the legal tightrope from his former New York Cosmos teammate, Giorgio Chinaglia. Even the MISL team he part-owned folded. This moron is beyond a hack – he’s a corrupt simpleton.
Please Nuke These NBC Olympic Announcers, but quick! What made NBC actually think that Shep Messing knows anything about football? Did he really play the game? I just watched this idiot get all excited about The Netherlands drilling a PK straight dead center during regulation time (against a daft Japanese keeper, no less).
Then earlier in the day Marcelo Balboa – who actually participated in the professional game and has his own radio show (according to Wikipedia) – said that Pato and Ronaldinho play for their pro clubs in La Liga!!! What an utter hack!
And once again we are left to deal with JP Dellacamera and another female former player – Brandi Chastain, who is best known for taking off her top after a penalty kick. Only Adrian Healey has a freakin clue. Please, will someone who knows SOMETHING about this game give Healey a hand with all the heavy lifting?
BrosefMVP – I am a soccer fan, and as of now i’m not watching the rest of olympic soccer, the prem is starting and we have a qualifier in 1 week for the world cup
plus there is mens field hockey on!
I agree with Jesse – you’re not soccer fans if you don’t care about the rest of the tournament. Cote d’Ivoire’s counterattacking with Kalou, Sekou Cisse and particularly Gervinho, the breakout star of the tournament against a Nigerian team that also has star strikers and is suspect at the back? Argentina led by Messi, Kun and Riquelme against the Dutch? Cameroon trying to strike lucky against a Brazil team that won 9-0 their first 3 games and has Ronaldinho, Marcelo, Lucas, Pato, Jo, Anderson and Thiago Neves? A Belgian team that’s been the surprise of Europe the last couple youth tournaments against everyone’s favorite team to hate Italy (and favorite player to hate for most US fans in Rossi)?
That’s 3.5 phenomenal games, and the semis + medal games should be just as good.
IF argentina and brazil somehow end up playing eachother I’ll watch but other than that im not even going to bother…
Thank you Tim – I appreciate though wish I was wrong.
I posted something Steve said the other runnig forum that just expressed perfectly the situation we continually find ourselves in at every big tournament. It is worth a look.
AGREED THOM!
Until the U.S. can advance in multiple “world stage” tournaments, we will continue to be viewed as a 2nd tier soccer nation. The 2002 WC was 6 years ago, and many around the world now are starting to think, if not have already made up their minds, that it was a fluke.
We just keep giving guys like Van Hoppe (the Dutch coach), fuel for their obnoxious comments…and the beat goes on.
Altidore should have seen more time but you have to understand Nowak, why did he bring McBride for then? I mean it would look silly to take out your main over-age player.
@ Max re “With Gas prices….South America maybe a little closer than Europe for learning.”
You must be on the west coast 😉 Brazil and Argentina are MUCH longer flights from NY than London/Paris/Rome etc.
I want to see a few angry players in Guatemala City in a week. I want to city Freddy Adu so pissed that he puts in a hat trick against the Guatemalans. Adu, Bradley and Feilhaber should all be there and possibly Altidore too.
I’m surprised people aren’t interested the rest of the tournament. The quarterfinals has three great matchups: Argentina – Netherlands, Cote d’Ivoire – Nigeria, and Brazil – Cameroon. The Italy – Belgium game kind of meh, but still, that’s some great soccer for early August.
The US totally outplayed Holland and Nigeria. If this is about results, I’m bitterly disappointed. But if this is a referendum on US Soccer, I’m pretty happy right now. Some youthful foolishness and bad luck did us in, but the team we put out was good,confident, smart. Charlie Davis’s header goes in, we were a clear medal threat.
Despite the disappointment, this will be remembered as an important turning point in US Soccer
Come on, guys, that was a red. I’m not happy about it either, but an intentional elbow is always a red. Stupid, stupid play.
Here’s an example of why this sucks: the teaser on SI.com right now says “Another tournament, another fast exit.” Non-soccer fans in this country won’t know that we put a good team on the field and possibly could have medaled.
1. Should not have won the Japan game but professionally soldiered through it like a good soccer playing nation should.
2. Should have got all 3 pts vs. Holland but like a bad movie faltered in the last 10 minutes
3. Another valiant yet ultimately fruitless USA effort vs. a good but beatable team in a big environment resulting in nothing but another “moral victory” B.S.
And the beat goes on…………….
Orozco!!!
There’s still one American playing out there…Oh nevermind.
I didn’t get to watch it. What a bummer!! Bottom line, not getting it done against Holland cost them…you have to finish games!
Honestly, I was worried about this game, as the U.S. never seems to perform well against African teams- see recently Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and also Ghana in the 2006 WC.
For me, Olympic soccer is done, as watching other country’s youth teams play just doesn’t garner a lot of interest from me.
The US deserved better, I don’t get they they are such an unlucky team. They are a good team not a great team like the powers of the world but they never seem to get any breaks. These kids played their hearts out, reminded me so much of that Italia US game in the W.C.
@ Andy in Atlanta
I didn’t know that the refs had been given special instructions like that. I wonder whether our coaches instructed the players. If they did, then Orozco is crazy. Otherwise I agree with everyone who thinks the ref was nuts to show red. A yellow and a warning would have been sufficient to get the game under control.
Sorry guys… I know it seems soft but pre-tournament the refs were instructed that any attempt and intentional violent conduct would result in immediate expulsion. Orozco lashed out and got caught, it utterly killed us because with 11 we have controlled the match from start to finish in my opinion. The US was going to be dangeroud gowing forward in the medal round too… Just a damn shame.
You can’t win both either Orozco is a moron or the referee is; I say it’s a man’s game and there will be rough plays just don’t let it get out of hands. Judge intention not instinc and reaction play which is what Orozco did obviously; 90% of the time that’s a yellow at best, same reason why the keeper’s foul on Edu was a yellow and not a red
could that elbow have been a yellow instead of a red? the Nigerian nearly kicked him in the face 10 seconds before that without a call…..seems a little harsh for the red. Orozco is a moron for throwing the elbow, he really screwed the team.
This is another wake up call….But US Soccer keeps hitting the snooze button. Wake UP!
Hey here’s a bright Idea:
Maybe humble ourselves, go to Brazil, and learn how to train urban youth to play at high levels (let’s not make this racial)….they are the best….we may learn a few things but may change the way we think about the game.
With Gas prices….South America maybe a little closer than Europe for learning.
I didn’t agree with half the calls the ref made today (see Feilhaber’s yellow for disent)AND a soft red on the THIRD minute of the game, com’on!! Had it been an MLS referee they’d be taking about it forever but the truth is the referee is part of the game and today he became a protagonist since minute 3.
If Nigeria loses in the next match I’m going to be very disappointed. Raise our hopes then crush them then not even have the you-know-whats to beat Argentina(or whoever they play next.). this is EXACTLY like 2006 WC. except here we actually got a win. but we got lucky…to be honest the shouldnt have walked out of the first match in Tianjin with a full 3 points. either way. they exceeded expectations in being able to take the lead against a team like Holland. if for only a short time…..such high hopes….dashed by a wonderful free kick….**** you sibon you beat us in the Holland match and you were able to screw us over with the penalty…..Bradley’s gonna leave Herenveen….lol jk….
o yea and marcelo balboa is the worst commentater ever. He has no idea what hes talking about it is simply disgraceful….
unbelievable call for the red, are you kidding me? The usa should of destroyed nigeria if it want for that red card. Orozco was the one player that we just couldnt offord to see sent off. We had no one capable of playing the left fullback slot. This was a really good team, and atleast we can come away with positives, even though my day has been ruined. All I can say is for the senior national team starters, you better step it up because these players are coming up quick. I expect for most of these players to be in the mix come 2010
I may watch the gold medal game if happen upon it by chance. But as Isaac said I could care less about the Olympics now that the US has been eliminated. It’s hard enough to listen to Marcello Balblowass say the say things over and over again that I don’t agree with. Don’t get me wrong he is better than Julie Foudy but after getting spoiled by Andy Gray’s commentary in the Euros he is now even worse. Michael Orozco killed this team today!
Ok
olympic soccer is done as far as im concerned. When do they have that bobsled thing?
Isaac is right on, there is too much badminton to watch to care about how nigeria stacks up to the next team
and i’m being serious
Fire that idiot novak!
depressed! O wow the usa is out of the tournament but you can still count on Balboa to be an idiot
Ives, no offense, but hardly anyone cares now that USA is out of the tournament….Thanks anyways 🙂