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World Cup Daily Recap: USA ties England, Argentina and South Korea win

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photo by Joe Toth/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

For U.S. national team fans, the second day of the World Cup was one to remember.

The United States fell behind early to England in the Group C opener, allowing Steven Gerrard to score from close range after Emile Heskey found him wide open in the 4th minute. Unfortunately for England, goalkeeper Robert Green committed the gaffe heard 'round the world when he fumbled a Clint Dempsey shot into his own net.

The Americans maintained the 1-1 score with an improved and physical defensive performance. Jay DeMerit and Oguchi Onyewu helped shutdown and frustrate Wayne Rooney, while Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark caused trouble for Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Tim Howard also came up big for the Americans, recording six saves en route to being named Man of the Match.

Here are highlights from the match as well as from the rest of Saturday's matches:

South Korea beats Greece in Group B opener, 2-0

In the early match of the day, South Korea defeated Greece, 2-0, to grab first place in Group B.

Goals from Lee Jung-Soo and Park Ji-Sung paved the way for South Korea, with the former's goal coming in the seventh minute of the match. Jung-Soo netted from close range when a free kick delivered by Ki Sung-Yueng got past a pair of Greek defenders and found him open at the back post.

Ji-Sung netted in the second half, taking advantage of a misplaced pass by Vassilis Torosidis before dashing towards goal and scoring with a finesse shot past 'keeper Alexandros Tzorvas.

The two goals surrendered summed up Greece's day. The 2004 European champions struggled with the pace of South Korea, and looked out of sorts on offense. It wasn't until the final 15 minutes that it appeared that Greece had a sense of urgency, but by then it was too late to grab a result.

Heinze header sees Argentina top Nigeria, 1-0

After South Korea beat Greece in the Group B opener, Diego Maradona helped Argentina keep pace with the Tigers of Asia by leading it to a 1-0 victory in his World Cup coaching debut.

Gabriel Heinze accounted for the lone goal of the game, scoring off an impressive diving header in the sixth minute. The Argentine defender took advantage of some lax marking and place the ball in the top corner.

Despite unleashing 20 shots and maintaining much of the possession, Argentina had to sweat out its victory. Fine goalkeeping by Vincent Enyeama, who stopped a good amount of great Messi shots, kept the Nigerians in the game, and almost allowed them to tie in the waning moments of the the match.

Here are the match highlights:

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What do you think of Saturday's games? Do you see England or the United States claiming Group C? Happy to see Messi, Maradona and Argentina brush off their well-documented struggles? Think South Korea or Nigeria (or both) will get out of Group B? Worried by Greece's showing?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “Some punk chickensh*t hiding his identity while he attacks and insults people. ”

    Obviously I was wrong. Had I known you were posting under your real name Aristotle, I never would have insulted one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

    Reply
  2. I responded to everything you said, but I said nothing?

    You’re contradicting yourself. You said England’s attack was pretty subdued after they scored. I pointed out that it wasn’t subdued and was quite active along with the U.S. attack. Now you respond and you are agreeing with me, but not admitting it.

    You said this:

    “England swarmed around a lot and got close many times but had just about as many legitimate chances to score as the US did after the goal exchange.”

    If they swarmed around a lot and got close many times, you are in exact agreement with me and are now contradicting what you said first.

    You’re also telling me that Donovan disappeared a lot because he was defending. Why would he be defending when the U.S. has the ball? Defending what? Even when England had the ball, he should not be so obsessed with defense he takes himself out of the game for long periods. You don’t take your star player out of the game so he can defend.

    Then you’re last two paragraphs make no sense. I played a LOT, as a kid and in a league as an adult, but that has nothing to do with what we are talking about. I never said anything about aesthetically pleasing soccer. Where do you get all of this from me making a comment agreeing with someone about Donovan’s tendency to disappear from games? As I said, Donovan himself admits to it as a problem. Perhaps what we’re seeing with that comment by Donovan is that he doesn’t really play soccer? Perhaps you should tell him that.

    Reply
  3. I love the way scumbags like you always make up names. Is this supposed to stop someone from realizing that it’s the same a*shole posting over and over again? Let me guess, this is Nicole who has changed her name maybe, so that she can act like trash and not have it associated with her regular name and also make it seem like someone else is supporting her?

    Regardless of whether it is or not, it’s pretty amazing that this post exhibits the same dishonesty, insults, and ignorance. Not to mention this particular article is old right now, yet a response came quickly, almost as if from an email notification.

    Apart from the insults, your post is full of lies. If you would stop changing your name we could probably get you banned.

    I didn’t post my background to impress anyone. It’s simply to point out the ignorance of someone actually telling someone else to read about the game, like they have no knowledge of the game, because they disagreed with them. You won’t find me telling people they need to read about the game or telling them that they have never played or watched soccer when there is no possible way of knowing that. That’s about as ignorant as it gets.

    The only complete fool about the game is you. Who are you? Some punk chickensh*t hiding his identity while he attacks and insults people.

    The last three paragraphs you posted in your response are nothing but lies, except for the last one which is just an insult. You have to make up stuff just to be able to attack me. Kind of funny how you and “Nicole” both make stuff up, huh?

    Reply
  4. “I probably knew more about the game than you when I was 10 years old. I was told by coaches at a very early age that my understanding of the game was very advanced. The first time that happened I was 10 years old. Since then I have played a LOT more soccer and watched the game and read about it extensively for 38 years. Well I guess we should ”

    Wow, I guess us poor regular folk should be impressed.

    And after all that you are still capable of being a complete fool about the game. Just goes to show you that some things just don’t take.

    “I have the U.S. game on tape and have watched it a total of three times, as I do quite often with big games. Given Donovan’s stature and importance to the team, he needs to do a lot more than have a few good crosses and passes. ”

    All that work and you still can’t see the team effort. All it took me was one watching (the orginal one) to see that it was a good result for the US and came from a lot of hard work.

    I feel sorry for you. You can’t even enjoy what must have been one of the best US games for years. And just because Nicole and others DARE to think they can comment on the game you act like some self centered a**hole whose opinion is the only one that matters.

    Go to hell you condescending male reproductive organ.

    Reply
  5. Well that was a lot of work to say practically nothing.

    Team defense starts with the strikers just like offense starts with the goalkeeper. That’s what Donovanand Dempsey were doing. England swarmed around a lot and got close many times but had just about as many legitimate chances to score as the US did after the goal exchange. Howard’s save off of Heskey for example? Timmy had that closed down all the way and Heskey just blasted it into his stomach. But Emile is all about power not guile.

    What I see in your commentary is that you never played;or perhaps you forgot what it means to just get out of a game with a good result which is exactly what happened.

    If you are looking at the USMNT for aesthetically pleasing football boy have you got the wrong team. Root for Hooland or Spain.

    Reply
  6. Wow! Another person with rose colored glasses.

    Bradley plays two defensive midfielders, but it was Donovan and Dempsey who were shutting down Lampard, Rooney, and Cole? After England’s goal their attack was NOT pretty subdued. It was frequently swarming the U.S. goal. I remember well, and have watched it again since, I was sitting on pins and needles the whole time, and screaming for Bradley to make substitutions, as were quite a few other people. I’m not saying the U.S. din’t have attacks as well, they did, but that doesn’t negate England’s attacks.

    I did not miss Altidore’s moment, and as great as it was, much like with Donovan, you need more than that for the whole game. If he had actually scored it would be a different matter, but he didn’t. Everyone else outside the U.S. recognizes Altidore is not much of a striker right now. He needs to score goals. Instead of pointing that out most U.S. fans just point out glory moments like the “legendary” Confederations Cup and now thee great play in this game. They don’t want to talk about how he doesn’t score or couldn’t hack it with a team that is now in the Championship League. Instead they blame his team for him not scoring!

    Finally, THE U.S. was lucky to tie, not unlucky. Bradley fielded a lineup with practically no offense and not surprisingly the U.S. were scoreless without a once in a rare while gift given to them by England. The outcome would have been, and should have been, a 1-0 loss. Yet because England gives us a goal, it somehow changes the whole U.S. performance, and means the coach didn’t make so many mistakes after all. Unbelievable.

    Reply
  7. Nicole I’m really sick of ignorant people like you who know nothing about soccer but go around acting like you’re some kind of expert and everyone else is clueless. Granted, there are a lot of people here who don’t know much about the game, but that includes YOU.

    Donovan DOES disappear, and he does it frequently. Just because you and all of the other fan boy/girls are so blinded with bias that you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t so. Donovan himself admits it.

    According to you and many others like you, certain players, Donovan especially, can do no wrong. If he has a really bad game, it was average. If he has a mediocre game, it was a good game, if he has a good game, it was a great game, if he has a really good game, he’s Pele.

    I probably knew more about the game than you when I was 10 years old. I was told by coaches at a very early age that my understanding of the game was very advanced. The first time that happened I was 10 years old. Since then I have played a LOT more soccer and watched the game and read about it extensively for 38 years.

    I have the U.S. game on tape and have watched it a total of three times, as I do quite often with big games. Given Donovan’s stature and importance to the team, he needs to do a lot more than have a few good crosses and passes.

    Why don’t you go kiss your Landon Donovan poster and make it all better for him.

    Reply
  8. Your facts are a little fuzzy.

    Buddle came on for Findley in the 77th minute.

    Holden came on for Jozy in the 86th minute.

    Reply
  9. “For being a little guy he sure can hold his own.”

    Cherundolo is about as big as Diego Maradona, Leo Messi, Ashley Cole,Claude Makalele, Frank Ribery.

    Those guys didn’t /don’t do too bad for little guys either.

    How much football do you watch?

    Reply
  10. Yeah, and Clark is the only defender that has ever been stupid enough to fall for that from Gerrard right? Gerrard has beaten players twice as good as Clark many times.

    It was a good goal and you can’t tell me that if Clark / Edu or any other US player were in that position the exact same thing would not have happened.

    Try to enjoy this run instead of trying to impress us wih your tactical nous.

    Reply
  11. True, Gullit could use a speech coach. He’s also being very careful not offend anyone but his true feelings seem to be right there on the surface.

    If I were sittng where Klinsi and Gullit were I’d be hard pressed not to reach over and strangle Lalas.

    It’s like bringing your high school senior BMOC little brother to a reception and trying to keep from him from embarassing the hell out of your family. If you look up AWKWARD CLOWN in the dictionary, there is a picture of Lalas there.

    Reply
  12. Footballing resume /= analytical insight. Gullit has contributed little to the studio segments, especially compared to what Martinez has added.

    I have great respect for anyone who can sit at a table with Lalas and keep a straight face/not tell him to shut up.

    Reply
  13. After the their goal England’s attack was pretty subdued. One reason you didn’t see so much of Donovan, at least in the normal sense, was that he was busy shutting down Ashley Cole and helping on Lampard and Rooney.

    Don’t kid yourself, that was a pretty potent England team and our midfield (includng Donovan and Dempsey) had their hands full keeping them quiet.

    You must have missed Altidore being denied by the goalpost after ripping past Carragher and blasting the ball through Green’s hands.

    The US were unlucky to tie.

    Reply
  14. I’ll reply and give some flak.

    Donovan didn’t disappear. He played an excellent game.

    You guys need to read up a little bit on how the game is played and then you’ll appreciate Landon Donovan.

    Reply
  15. He’s not as articulate as Martinez but don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s stupid when it comes to football. Next to Klinsman, he has the best resume of any of the ESPN guys.

    You can tell he and Juergen are just being polite when they listen to Lalas and don’t break out into hysterics.

    Reply
  16. Do you really think the next game lineup is going to change? we had a chance to put in buddle and gomez to go for the win and BB decided to stand pat until 82 minute, eventho, Dempsey was out of gas and losing his man. in fact, when Holden came in it wasn’t for dempsey, it was for Findley and moved Dempsey on top which he was still tired, few minutes later he decided to bring in Buddle. sounds to me BB is afraid to take out dempsey.

    Reply
  17. I saw that too. in fact, in a video shot you can see BB asking dempsey if he is tired. BB is so afraid to take his star players out, other teams with world class players get subed out when they can’t go any longer. I wonder who is in charge of the team? The only reason Holden got a chance to play for the NATS was because Dempsey got injured, come to think of it, that is the same reason we got Buddle and Gomez, do you think those two guys would have gotten a chance if CD9 was not injured?

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  18. so you don’t think it was clark’s fault? let me see, clark was covering him, turned his back when he realized Gerrard had made a move for the box he trailed. If he is going to let go of his marked man, he better be sure (talk) on who is going to take him. and you never front an attacking player unless you are the last man.

    Reply

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