Socceroo's drew with the dutch!

[galahs]

Whooo hooo!

Our soccer team ranked in the 40's has drawn 1 - 1 with the Netherlands ranked number 3 in the world in a friendly just a week before the world cup begins.



Brazil, Croatia and Japan here we come 

[Cal Price]

Oh dear, Brazil and Croatia. Good luck to the 'Roos, Croatia are not the side they have been but they are still pretty good, see you in the final it you knock Brazil out!!!!!

[galahs]

No if about it!

We're on our way! 

[Cal Price]

Hope so.

A lot of our cousins will not realise that this, to the Soccer playing nations, is a far far bigger event than the Olympics ever could be, in fact even the continental / regional tournaments are bigger than the Olympics in the traditional Soccer nations of Europe and South America.

It all kicks off Friday 9th June @ 1800 local time with Germany v Costa Rica and ends on Sunday 9th July with errrr well fingers crossed.......in the Final.

[nick_villan]

man nice win for england, 1-0. hey how come in eurpe most american soccer teams arent thought to do good in the world cup?

[Cal Price]

It's just the history of it. World cup started in 1930 in Uraguay and was held in one of the soccer strongholds Europe and South America every four years (wars permitting) only recently did this formula change, hence hosting by USA, Korea/Japan etc.

No European side has ever one in the Americas and only once has an American side won in Europe (Brazil in Sweden 1958) More surprising is that only seven countries have won it and only four have won it more than once. With the world wide expansion of the game and South Africa soon to host this could all be about to change but don't hold your breath yet awhile!

[pantablo]

so far so good, Argentina won! not decisive, but we'll take it!

[nick_villan]

arriva mexico 3-1 nice game. iran is better than i thought at soccer. well got to go get some beers in the fridge for the US game.
usa, usa, usa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cal Price]

Great start by Oz, what a final six minutes after japan had been all over them but failed to capitalise.

Before the tournament started, Sepp Blatter was saying that they were using only the very best refs and officials. I have not seen much evidence of that. I don't want to disrespect the countries some of them come from but I do wonder what standard of soccer they ref week-in / week-out and how it compares with world level. having said that, it's got to be a very difficult task.

[pantablo]

usa sucked.

[seamax]

usa sucked.

when were they ever good?? FIFA rankings are just bogus..

Brazil is playing right now. Kaka, Ronaldhino, Ronaldo..now that a front line..drool

[pantablo]

brazil is up 1-0 as of half time...

usa sucked-at THAT particular game...but they do suck overall too.

[nick_villan]

hey they were good last world cup, and they got screwd by the ref in that world cup. And besides u cant judge a team by one game, u got to see how a team has devolept over the years.

[pantablo]

they've now done 2 world cups, meaning 4 years total of qualifying games. they need to show their stuff this world cup or forever be considered -by this soccer fan- as perpetual also-rans.

[Gisser]

Almost nobody here gives a flip about futbol.  Actually, the typical American sportsfan dreads the day team USA rises above suck-level and matches begin to clog up the sportschannels (ala Nascar).  Thank goodness women's soccer didn't catch!