Diplomats in London and Washington have raised the stakes over Saturday's US-England World Cup clash by wagering a meal over the game's outcome.
The bet was brokered in cables between aides to US Ambassador Louis Susman and UK Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald.
"We will understand if you decline, given the outcome of the last such encounter," a US aide wrote, referring to the US defeat of England in 1950.
A UK aide said Sir Nigel took his steak like that win - "somewhat rare".
'Generous nation'
"Even for such an exceptionally optimistic nation as the United States, I am struck by the confidence with which your ambassador proposes this wager," Martin Longden, press secretary to Sir Nigel, wrote to Philip Breeden of the US embassy in London in an exchange first reported by Politico.com.
"It is testament, I assume, to the generosity of your great nation, since the British ambassador does not anticipate paying out."
Mr Breeden replied: "It is true that our soccer (a fine English word we have kindly preserved for you) history is not as long and illustrious as yours.
"However, as your generals noted during World War II, we have a unique capability for quickly identifying and advancing talent."
xbhaskarx said:
timetokill said:Should be the official badge.
Weezer is recording a new song this week for the U.S. soccer team...hopefully to be released before Saturday's game. It's called Reprazent!
Hey U.S. soccer fans .... do you have any cool ideas for the cover for "Reprazent"? any awesome photos of the players in action?
xbhaskarx said:It is the official badge, in this thread.
John Olivers job on "The Daily Show" is giving him an English soccer fans dream: the chance to attend the World Cup and perhaps more important taunt the Americans before they take on his national team.
Oliver and producer Tim Greenberg left for South Africa earlier this week to file reports for Jon Stewarts Comedy Central show. Oliver, a soccer fanatic from Birmingham, England, left behind one earlier-filmed report, where he visited the American soccer team before their World Cup opening match with England this weekend. Olivers report airs Thursday.
"It was a free exchange of opinions as to how the England game would go," Oliver said. "You can probably imagine how that degenerated."
The Americans were good sports about his visit, he said.
"Its the first time interviewing someone where I actually wanted to be them," he said of his time with the American soccer players. "I wanted to be them, enduring stupid questions from a fake journalist."
An American victory over his home country is possible, Oliver said, "but I hope to high heaven that it does not happen, because Im not even sure I can come back to the office if it does."
Back home, an American victory would unleash "a complex series of emotions, from huge embarrassment to outright humiliation to deep anger, which would probably link in to losing this country a couple of hundred years ago as well," he said.
"It would be a disaster in England," he said. "You cant even comprehend how bad it would be. It would be even worse to lose to a country that doesnt care about it anyway."
Yes. Thanks!Oozer3993 said:Is this better?
[UL=http://imgur.com/VRglN.png][IG]http://imgur.com/VRglNl.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
werd.... I bet it was about to get put in the bag.... and then they were like...... naaaaa i don't think so. :lolngower said:I ordered my US kit yesterday and it still hasn't shipped. BOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trust the English to ship a US kit late...I CALL SHENANIGANS!
Should include Newark for Portugal. I live right next to Ironbound and I think it has a larger Portugese population than anywhere else in the U.S. Too bad I got no love for the team and got to hit up the NYC bars for my France lovin. Awesome food in Ironbound tho.xbhaskarx said:Wall Street Journal:
The Five Borough World Cup
New York City, where more than 35% of residents are foreign born, is home to immigrants from the 32 countries competing in the 2010 World Cup. That means that nearly every game in the month-long tournament is apt to stir passions in parts of the city. Data from the 2000 Census reveals those neighborhoods with high concentrations of residents who trace their roots to nations in the tournament. Click on each flag to highlight a different nationality. Each dot represents ten people. Soccer balls mark bars or restaurants where World Cup games will be broadcast.
sw33tclyde said:If anyone's interested, ESPNClassic is about to start 12 hours of classic World Cup games, starting at noon.
@12:00: '2006 World Cup Film: The Grand Finale'
@02:30: 2002 WC Second Round - USMNT vs Mexico
@04:30: 2002 WC First Round - USMNT vs Portugal
@06:30: 1998 WC Second Round - Engerland vs Argentina
@08:30: 1994 WC First Round - USMNT vs Columbia
@10:30: 1986 WC Quarterfinal - Argentina vs Engerland
*All times EST(-5GMT)
captmcblack said:I have a family event to attend at 7pm, so I can't get tanked while I watch the game on Saturday
SO SALTY.
sw33tclyde said:This 2006 WC Film is pretty badass, so far its been segments of the best moments of important matches. Lots of gif potential.
Edit: And now they've just shown the USA v Ghana match, ref gifted that penalty :/
MidnightRider said:Wish I was at home so I could watch.......![]()
MidnightRider said:
sw33tclyde said:Edit: And now they've just shown the USA v Ghana match, ref gifted that penalty :/
There are people who like US Soccer that much in Las Cruces?MidnightRider said:USMNT-themed car
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MidnightRider said:HOVERTWINS ACTIVATE!!!!!
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MidnightRider said:HOVERTWINS ACTIVATE!!!!!
xbhaskarx said:It is the official badge, in this thread.
Rivers Cuomo:
I hate the name, but any ideas for this?
![]()
Altidore and Dempsey, the two goal scorers in our biggest recent win
xbhaskarx said:
Oliver and producer Tim Greenberg left for South Africa earlier this week to file reports for Jon Stewarts Comedy Central show. Oliver, a soccer fanatic from Birmingham, England, left behind one earlier-filmed report, where he visited the American soccer team before their World Cup opening match with England this weekend. Olivers report airs Thursday.
He keeps a signed jersey from his favorite team, Liverpool, hanging in his Comedy Central office, so the trip is a huge perk. Oliver dreamed of playing soccer professionally when he was a young boy.
Atlagev said:Liverpool?! I love John Oliver, but c'mon, man! Support your local team! Up the Villa or City or whatever! Nothing against Liverpool FC, but I personally don't like it when fans support a different team than the one in their area...
woodchuck said:According to wikipedia, he was born in Birmingham, raised in Liverpool.
sw33tclyde said:If anyone's interested, ESPNClassic is about to start 12 hours of classic World Cup games, starting at noon.
@12:00: '2006 World Cup Film: The Grand Finale'
@02:30: 2002 WC Second Round - USMNT vs Mexico
@04:30: 2002 WC First Round - USMNT vs Portugal
@06:30: 1998 WC Second Round - Engerland vs Argentina
@08:30: 1994 WC First Round - USMNT vs Columbia
@10:30: 1986 WC Quarterfinal - Argentina vs Engerland
*All times EST(-5GMT)
Forget everything said or written about Bob Bradley over the past three-and-a-half years. None of it matters. Never did, really.
Any analysis on the U.S. coach's ability to inspire and steer this team is entirely moot. Nothing said by media or supporters about his performance, none of the criticism or acclaim -- much of it attached to last year's Confederation's Cup achievement -- is relevant. If you voted "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" along the way, then you jumped the gun.
For Bradley, the highly organized taskmaster and fourth U.S. coach in the past 19 years, everything that has happened since late 2006 has basically been about three games. The next three, to be precise, starting with Saturday's celebrated clash with England.
The crucible is now squarely upon him. Bradley has three matches to show whether he's been up for the job all along.
U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati made Bradley the choice to succeed Bruce Arena once the courtship of Jürgen Klinsmann went off course late in 2006. From the day Bradley was hired in December 2006, the U.S. coach always had two targets, and he surely needed to nail them both. Everything about his $475,000-a-year job always came down to achievement over two measures: He had to qualify for the 2010 World Cup -- which was sort of the low bar of the exercise. Past that, Bradley needed to get into the second round in South Africa.
That's it. So here we are.
Game 1: England 1, U.S. 0. I expect the U.S. will play cautiously, staying compact as it usually does against top international teams. England will push to get the opening goal, but if that happens I still dont expect the U.S. will open things up. A 1-0 loss to the group heavyweight wouldnt be bad for the Yanks goal-differential.
Game 2: U.S. 2, Slovenia 1. In what should be the key group game for the Americans, I expect to see a more attack-minded lineup (think José Torres instead of Ricardo Clark) and a concerted effort to go ahead early and maintain the lead. Three points will be crucial here, and Bob Bradleys team knows it.
Game 3: U.S. 2, Algeria 1. I suspect the Algerians will be eliminated by this point, but that hardly means it wont be a dangerous game for the Americans. (Remember the U.S.-Poland game in 2002?) Getting a victory here could be crucial considering Slovenia may play against a less-than-full-strength England side in the other game, so look for a less-cautious U.S. tactical strategyand, in the end, a second-place finish for the Americans in the group.
HOW FAR WILL THE U.S. ADVANCE?
Conventional wisdom says the Americans will finish second in Group C and meet Germany (the expected Group D winner) in the second round. But Group D is more unsettled than you might think considering its depth (Germany, Serbia, Ghana, Australia) and the injuries to stars Michael Essien (Ghana) and Michael Ballack (Germany). I think Serbia will win the group ahead of Germany and meet the U.S. in the Round of 16. It wouldnt be an easy match-up for the U.S.; Serbia has an excellent back line (including Nemanja Vidic, Neven Subotic and Branislav Ivanovic) and a solid attack involving veteran Dejan Stankovic. Prediction: Serbia 2, U.S. 1.
Tab Ramos vs. Colombia, June 22, 1994
Brian McBride vs. Portugal, June 5, 2002
Brad Friedel, vs. South Korea, June 10, 2002
Claudio Reyna, vs. Mexico, June 17, 2002
Landon Donovan vs. Italy, June 17, 2006
Gotta love the bias :lolxbhaskarx said:New York Times:
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
United States vs. England
After watching a video, cast your vote.
Mr Cola said:Gotta love the bias :lol
xbhaskarx said:I voted for the US even if probability-wise I think the US has less than a 50% chance of winning, there's no way I would vote for England to beat us.
Mr Cola said:i like that the US think they can win, who the hell wants a game where the other team has given up before they start?
<3MidnightRider said:Did I ever tell you I loved you?
Mr Cola said:i like that the US think they can win, who the hell wants a game where the other team has given up before they start?
The only thing i dislike is the USA USA USA stuff, im not sure why, maybe its personal but its hard to argue against. The thing about this forum is its about 95% American, so even the soccer thread is dominated by Americans :O which we, Europeans, are genuinely not used to seeing, so it appears that loads of Americans are coming out of the woodwork just because the US is in the tournament. That being said ive spoken with, yourself included, lots of Americans who know their stuff and thats good banter, theres not a real England fan on this forum or in real life who doesnt think the US could beat us on their day. I genuinely 100% believe it will come down to the first goal, England are a bag of nerves at the moment, we need confidence badly.xbhaskarx said:The thing is, these other folks see our optimism and confidence as "typical American arrogance" which is total bullshit. I don't know any USMNT fan who thinks we're going to destroy England, or who thinks we're the better team, or who thinks we would win the majority of the time out of 100 matches. But every American fan thinks we CAN win, because it's one match and if we show up and play hard anything can happen. Meanwhile fans of top-tier countries complain about how they will inevitably lose in the quarterfinals...
Why thank youAstroLad said:mr cola you are probably one of the most sensible fans i've seen on gaf. i do enjoy your good-natured posts