Four years ago, almost to the day, I was swigging down an Asahi at my local, minding my own business, when thousands of UK football fans showed up in Tokyo for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Long story short, I spent the next several weeks glued to the tube (at my local, of course), enjoying what has become my second favorite spectator sport. So addicted I became to the pastime you Americans call "soccer," that I took a very expensive Shinkansen trip to Osaka to see Senegal and Turkey in the quarters.
To many of my European and Aussie mates' chagrin, the Americans did very well in 2002. So well, that I made a bet that the U.S. would at least make it to the quarters in 2006. Now that we're here and I see that our team is part of Group E, I'm not so sure.
That's a nasty group. So is C.
Posted by: JeremÃas | 06 June 2006 at 12:32
That is why they call it el grupo de la muerte. They deserve some props if they can make it out alive.
Posted by: Comandante Agi | 06 June 2006 at 12:53
So which group is the Group of Death? C or E?
Posted by: Roxanne | 06 June 2006 at 16:02
Both. Bear in mind that Italy faces the US in Kaiserslautern, which will be about as close to a home field advantage as the US can have.
Posted by: Randy Paul | 06 June 2006 at 20:49
Yes, I've seen the label applied to both. It's not like 2002, when the group that included Argentina, England, Nigeria, and Sweden was the clear choice for GOD. In terms of FIFA's rankings, Group E is tougher, but Group C could prove to be just as competitive.
Posted by: JeremÃas | 06 June 2006 at 21:29
Kaiserslautern? hahahahahahahah! Things are better than I thought. You might as well have the game in Des Moines!
Posted by: Roxanne | 06 June 2006 at 21:58
That begs the question, what is your favorite spectator sport?
I think the first games in E are going to be key. If Italy wins, they should cruise, if not, any thing is possible.
USA needs to draw, at least, in round one.
Posted by: Dick Durata | 07 June 2006 at 01:03
That begs the question, what is your favorite spectator sport?
Why baseball, of course.
Posted by: Roxanne | 07 June 2006 at 05:52
Speaking of the World Cup - the Wiesenthal center is looking for people to sign a petition asking the Germans to bar Armadinejad, the President of Iran, from attending as a VIP. General idea is that it might be inappropriate for Germans to roll out the red carpet to a Holocaust denier.
Petition is here: http://www.wiesenthal.com/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=1738461
Blog Post on it with some other link(s) here: http://www.bother.com/?p=269
Posted by: Jason Weisberger | 07 June 2006 at 12:40
If one believes the FIFA world rankings (and they should be taken with a measure of salt) group E is by far the most difficult group. The Czechs are ranked second, the US (curiously) joint fifth with Spain and Italy a lowly 13th. Hmmm. The bookies don't seem to believe this though.
Posted by: yank in london | 08 June 2006 at 09:50