Why The World Cup Tournament Has Been So Uneventful Thus Far

The World Cup is always a universal spectacle. It seems that everyone in the world cares greatly about it, with the exception of the United States. Even this year, however, it seems like Americans are invested in the tournament more so than years past.

First off, I have to say I am a little disappointed with the action. The goal scoring is way down. Most of these games have either ended 1-0 or 1-1. As of today, only two teams have scored 3 goals in a game and as of this morning, no player had scored more than one goal. Here are some theories.

The ball. This year’s world cup has introduced a different soccer ball, which might possibly explain why goals haven’t been going in. I doubt it though, as shots on goal are way down as well.

Defensive effort. Are most teams stepping up on their defense this year? It is possible. This could explain a lack of scoring opportunities.

Is it possible that the vuvuzelas, also known as the terrible noise making horns, are distracting the players? As an American watch the game, I know it is distracting me.

Since it is technically winter in South Africa right now, temperatures have dropped. Certain star players have been seen wearing long sleeved shirts and you can visibly see people exhaling air. Maybe the conditions aren’t what most of the players are used to.

There have been a few shining moments in the tournament so far, however. The United States and South Africa both showed up in their first games, tying the favorites England and Mexico, respectively.

Unfortunately for the host country, they most likely will not see the second round. At the time this article is written, South Africa will have to beat France by a considerable margin in order to keep their tournament hopes alive. At least the country is bringing in money.

See more of this author’s advice about topics such as the wireless left handed keyboard and portable bluetooth keyboard.

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Wayne Rooney Scores Twice In Man U Victory Over AC Milan

Manchester United is in good shape to advance to the Champions League soccer quarterfinals following a 3-2 win over AC Milan at the San Siro. The competition itself was overshadowed by the fact that it was the first time that David Beckham had played against his old team since leaving Old Trafford in 2003, and Wayne Rooney squashed Milan’s early hopes with two goals to put the game on ice. Clarance Seedorf scored at the 85 minute mark to make the score respectable, but Man U controlled play after the halftime break.

AC Milan got on the board first just three minutes into the game as Beckham set up Ronaldinho’s goal that sent the San Siro into a frenzy. Paul Scholes evened the score at the 36 minute mark and the teams went into the halftime break tied at 1-1. Rooney would net his first goal at the 66 minute mark and would score again just 8 minutes later to give Man U a 3-1 lead.

The 24 year old Rooney is becoming recognized as one of the best strikers in soccer. He’s now got 25 goals on the year with 19 games left to play. He’s also received high marks from the soccer press for his playmaking, heady play and overall attitude. The consensus is that he’s already one of the best in the world and is only getting better.

After the game, Beckham complimented Rooney on his play and suggested that he receive consideration for the World Player of the Year award:

“I hope he is a contender for the World Player of the Year and the Ballon D’Or. I would love to see him win every title possible. I have seen Wayne from being a young lad. I played in his debut for England and I have watched him score goals week in and week out ever since. It is amazing to see.”

“He looks after himself and works hard. The way he plays is the way he trains. That is why he is so good and why Wayne is ready for any game. It doesn’t matter how many games he has played or how many he will be involved in to the end of the season, he will be ready for anything.”

There’s a good chance that Beckham and Rooney will be teammates on England’s World Cup team this summer. Beckham made note of that fact:

“I wouldn’t want to see him do it again against us in a few weeks but of course I’d like it in the World Cup.”

Rooney’s sizzling play and Beckham’s veteran leadership and dominant free kicks are a big reason why England is among the World Cup betting favorites before the team has even been made official. England will start World Cup play on June 12 against the United States.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer specializing in sports handicapping, harness racing, soccer coaching handicapping and hockey. He is also a well known expert on NFL football betting and has made many broadcast appearances on TV and radio. He lives in Southern Nevada, Nevada with three dogs and a wombat.

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David Beckham Could Miss Entire MLS Soccer Season

When David Beckham suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in a Serie A game in mid-March, doctors gave him an outside chance of returning in time for the World Cup or at the very least part of the MLS season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either of these favorable scenarios will transpire. In a recent statement to the media Beckham broke the news that his recovery is behind schedule and he won’t be able to resume playing soccer until November at the earliest.

This timetable does leave open the possibility that he could return to action should the Los Angeles Galaxy make the MLS playoffs. As far as a potential return to England’s national team the first realistic opportunity for Beckham to play would be in a European Championship qualifier against Wales in March 2011. He’s been assured that he’s welcome back at AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A league whenever he’s back in playing shape.

Beckham explained his recovery process:

“I won’t be running for another three months, so I will be playing again in, probably, November.”

“My mentality is to kind of push it and get moving and running and soon as possible. But it’s an injury that has to take time to heal. It’s frustrating. It’s obviously disappointing because I’ve been working for the last two years to get into the English squad [for the World Cup].”

“At the moment, it’s just getting the motion back into the ankle, the tendon, because it’s still repairing. I’m trying to get mobilization back into the ankle.”

Beckham also discussed the injury itself:

“It was like being hit by a hockey puck. I thought someone was behind me and kicked me. Obviously no one was there and I saw my foot hanging and then I felt down there and there was a hole.”

The former England captain would have likely served in a reserve capacity with the World Cup squad, though his Howitzer-like free kicks remain one of the most feared offensive weapons in the sport. Even without Beckham in the lineup and with lingering injury issues plaguing Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney soccer betting enthusiasts are bullish on England’s prospects this summer. The ‘Three Lions’ are currently the third favorite in World Cup future betting behind Brazil and Spain.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Mexico Wins A Crucial World Cup Qualifying Game Against The United States

An early goal gave the United States soccer team hope, but in the end the result of their World Cup Qualifier against Mexico at Azteca Stadium was a familiar loss. Mexico rallied for a 2-1 triumph in front of their home fans, sending the US to defeat for the 23rd time in 24 games at the venue.

The United States quickly silenced the raucous crowd of 100,000+ with a goal by Charlie Davies just eight minutes into the game. It was the first time in history that the US soccer team led a match at Azteca Stadium.

Mexico would pull even just ten minutes later when Israel Castro beat US goaltender Tim Howard with a blistering shot off the crossbar. That set the stage for Miguel Sabah’s goal in the 82nd minute which gave Mexico the 2-1 victory. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre sounded both elated and relived with his post match comments:

“Today is a day to celebrate, drink a few tequilas, and then get back to work. Everybody will go to bed tonight a bit more relaxed.”

US Coach Bob Bradley noted:

“I think it’s a tight game and a fair score. It’s tough loss to have so many guys work so hard and then give up a late goal. The feeling inside is one of great disappointment.”

US forward Landon Donovan spoke of the difficulty in playing at the high altitude:

“We did a good job starting the game well and scoring. They made one play at the end that made the difference. It’s hard to play here, man. It wears you out. It’s just exhausting.”

The Americans play Sept. 9 at Trinidad and Tobago. Theyll finish up qualifying on Oct 10 at Honduras and at home against Costa Rica on Oct. 14. Mexico will play at Costa Rica on Sept. 5 and host Honduras on Sept. 9. Mexico will wrap up qualifying on Oct. 10 at home with El Salvador and at Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 14.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

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Lyon Just A Bit Better Than Real Madrid In Champions League Play

Jean Makoun scored early in the second half to give Lyon a hard fought 1-0 victory in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League matchup against Real Madrid. The Spanish champions lost for the third straight time on Lyon’s Stade Gerland home field and will now have an uphill battle when the teams meet at Bernabeu to advance to the next round. With the Champions League final slated to be held in their stadium, an exit this early in the competition would be nothing short of an embarrassment for Real Madrid. They’ll need a multigoal victory to assure themselves of advancing to the next round.

Lyon controlled the play in the first half and held a decisive possession advantage. Unfortunately, they didn’t get many accurate scoring chances with a number of them going wide or high of the net. Despite Lyon’s time of possession advantage in the first half, Madrid actually got the best scoring chances in the first half. Following Makoun’s goal just 2 minutes from the start of the second half, Madrid controlled play but could not score the equalizer. For the game, Madrid held a 66% to 34% time of possession advantage.

Real Madrid has won the Champions League title 10 times, but now must rally from this 1-0 deficit when play resumes on their home field in May. Despite their tradition of success, Madrid hasn’t made it past the round of 16 for six straight years. Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t particularly worried heading into the home half of the matchup:

“In football anything is possible. We’ve lost here but we have a game at home in which we can repeat what they did here. I’m calm. In this competition you have to suffer. I’m sure that we will give a good answer in the return game and that we will win. The Bernabeu will help us. We will have to give to give it everything from the first minute until the last. The tie is not lost.”

Madrid General Director Jorge Valdano added:

“It’s been a bad night in general, especially the result. We had ups and downs during the match, but at no moment were we ourselves. The result means we have to really concentrate at the Bernabeu. Lyon barely stepped out of their half in the final minutes, but they made things very difficult for us for a long time, especially in midfield.”

Real Madrid will have to do without a couple of starters in the rematch. Marcelo and Xabi Alonso are suspending for the May contest due to bookings in previous contests.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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Streaming Live Soccer Online

Are you tired of not being able to watch live soccer and miss your favorite football team because your cable or satellite subscription does not carry it? Are you a die-hard fan of one of Europes best football players or, if you are that way inclined, just into the beautiful game because of those even more beautiful players? Whatever drove you to watch live soccer, surely you will be pleased to read this article.

You want to watch LIVE soccer using your computer and a running internet connection? With the technology available today this is entirely possible. And, you won’t be paying those insane prices that you would for a cable or satellite service, neither.

Over the past decade or so, the internet and computers have completely changed the way we live our daily lives. Researching your next term paper, finding quick medical suggestions, and reading up to date news stories are just a few ways the internet has improved our way of life. Well, now you can add live and streaming sports telecasts to that list.

With minimal effort on the search engine, it is very much possible to find a site that offers you the ability to watch live soccer online. Most come with very low fees, either one-time payments, monthly, or annually depending on the service you have chosen. Watch every game that your team or teams play. Right at your own computer.

More often than not, these sites act like a gateway and gives you access to services that provide the streaming service themselves. Rarely will you find a website that offers the streaming information right on the site.

Before you shell out the fees, make sure to look through the schedules that the websites offer. How many matches do they provide you with? Are your teams involved in a lot of those games? Often, you will find that you can watch most of the matches that are generally shown to satellite providers only.

Once you sign up, you will generally be presented with a great number of matches to choose from. Most sites allow Windows Media Player or Real Player to run the feeds but some may make you download a certain software which they will freely give to you.

The beauty of these services are that you are not going to be confined to your computer at home. From anywhere that you can access the internet you can enjoy countless hours of streaming live soccer matches.

Lawrence Fader would like to invite you to Watch Live Footy Games and see the quality that streaming video can provide.

categories: soccer,football,streaming,video,internet,computer,online,sports,cable

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