Last Thursday, with its humiliating loss to Third-World Ghana in Nuremberg, Germany, great expectations that the U.S. would accomplish its mission of winning this year’s Word Cup were summarily dashed.
Alas, its mission in Iraq is not the only victory America’s superpower is unable to guarantee….
NOTE: Although I harbored no great expectations, they were dashed when my team – Trinidad and Tobago – was also eliminated in the first round . Unlike the U.S., however, T and T players could leave the field with their heads held high (led by team captain Dwight Yorke) – having acquitted themselves well against perennial soccer powerhouse England and playing Sweden to an improbable draw.
Indeed, such was the promise T and T displayed that I shall have great expectations when they take the field for the next World Cup in South Africa in 2010….
UPDATE (11:32 am): A surprising number of you have emailed challenging me to choose a team to win the World Cup, now that T and T have been eliminated. I accept. And, even though I appreciate that Germany and Argentina are heavily favored, my regional loyalty and due regard for the superior talents of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho compel me to choose: Brazil, Brazil, Brazil!
2006 World Cup
Political Teenager says
USA players such a landon donova failed to live up to their billing as up and coming stars.
T&T gave us (england) a run for our money and they were unlucky not to get a draw. Hislop was inspired against Sweden!
My tip to win the world cup will be the winner of the Germany-Argentina quarter Final, but as an englishman i hate both teams immensly.
Noel S says
Why? Because the second most watched sport in America is Nascar.
Asked a coworker, who enjoys blowing his horn about the popularity of Nascar to tell me the latest baseball standings. He missed one. Asked him to name the top five ranked Nascar drivers and he named one. Nascar anyone.
Noel
ALH ipinions says
Political Teenager,
I appreciate your antipathy for Germany and Argentina. But I fear rooting for England to win the World Cup is rather like rooting for Tim Henman to win Wimbledon….
Noel S
I too find the fascination with NASCAR utterly incomprehensible. At least in Gran Prix, the courses make for more interesting viewing.
Political Teenager says
Tell me about it. I feel i lose 1 year off my life expectancy each time they play as it is never easy to watch.
I am resigned to the knowledge that we will go out on penalties at some point in this tournament.