WC 2010: Group C Chat (England etc)

[ml1dch]

Are you sure?

If it is, then it's a very good one.

Almost indistinguishable from a genuine photo.

[leviramsey]

The current Sports Illustrated has a bit on the USA's goalkeepers, including Guzan.

The USA's three World Cup keepers draw strength from Premier League experience and an unusual solidarity

When the USA meets England in its World Cup opener on Saturday, the Americans will have a talent disadvantage at just about every position on the field except one: goalkeeper. In fact, you could argue that any of the three USA keepers -- starter Tim Howard, 31, and backups Brad Guzan, 25, and Marcus Hahnemann, who'll turn 38 on June 15 -- is better than any of England's keepers (Robert Green, David James, and Joe Hart). The Americans play in England's Premier League: Howard has spent four seasons at Everton after breaking in with Manchester United; Guzan has apprenticed behind former USA international Brad Friedel at Aston Villa for two seasons; and Hahnemann, the wild man of the bunch, completed his first season with Wolverhampton after seven years at Reading. That experience gives the Americans the added benefit of familiarity with the players they'll be facing in Rustenburg; the entire England squad is drawn from the Premiership.

How to explain the USA's superiority in goal? How do the three work together? And what are Howard and his partners expecting from the showdown against England? SI sat down with them for a group chat.

SI: You guys are better than England's goalkeepers. Why?

Hahnemann: People say it's because we grew up playing basketball and baseball and American football. Guys in England play cricket, so they get some hand-eye coordination, but watch them try to throw an American football or a basketball and you realize they don't quite have it. I've been in England 11 years now, and seeing my kids grow up in youth soccer there, none of the kids really wanted to be goalies. In America it's a sought-after position.

Howard: The best goalkeepers in the world are first and foremost amazing athletes, shot stoppers. You have to fly through the air and be powerful. American [soccer players] traditionally are more athletic than anything else.

Guzan: In America, maybe the most athletic player isn't necessarily the most skilled, so he can fall back on that athleticism and be productive in goal.

SI: On a lot of national teams, the keepers don't get along. Past USA squads had some friction between Friedel and Kasey Keller. I've heard you guys get along.

Hahnemann [deadpan]: I don't like any of these guys

Guzan: Exactly.

Howard: We all want to play, and only one guy can. It's not like midfield: one guy's not going to get three games and the next guy gets two. It takes some big people to overcome that and accept each other.

Hahnemann: If guys can't get over their egos, then you can't get along. We are a miniteam. People say we're no different from anybody else, but we're the ones standing back in goal wearing a different colored shirt. We are different.

Howard: The life of a goalkeeper is funny. There was a time when I was under Kasey [on the USA squad]. Understood. Got it. Cool. Then later I was still under Kasey, but my mindset was, You know what? I'm better than him, and I'm not playing. Whether I was better wasn't the issue. In my mind I was. Then that relationship slowly changed. There was a bit more of an edge to training, maybe around the hotel. Never a disrespect, but the tide turned and I thought I'm not happy with this anymore.

Guzan: You want to be playing in big games. But you have to understand your role and be prepared. I knew I probably wasn't going to play on the weekend during the season [at Villa] because [Friedel] had been playing, but what happens if he gets hurt? We all have to be ready for that call. If you're satisfied being a No. 2 or No. 3, you're never going to be a part of those great games that you dream about.

SI: How much do you communicate during the season?

Hahnemann: I try to call Timmy every once in a while, but he never answers the phone. I talk to Gooz all the time!

Guzan: Timmy's banter is very poor.

Howard [laughs]: I'm terrible, I know. We're on text, but it's harder than you think. We're always traveling at the same time.

Hahnemann: Me and Gooz see each other every once in a while. We live close together. Sometimes he'll end up at the model shop. We're buying model helicopters and planes and stuff....

Guzan: I'm watching you buy everything in the store

SI: Goalkeepers have a reputation for being offbeat. What about you guys?

Howard [points to Hahnemann]: He is!

Guzan: Spot on, right there!

Hahnemann: [Goalkeeper is] a lonely position, especially when the ball goes in the net. The key word is individual. Guys used to make fun of me because of what I'd wear. I'd come in wearing shorts and a T-shirt in the middle of winter. And when people got on me, I'd come back the next day wearing my camouflage jeans.

SI: Are there any things Hahnemann does that stand out to you guys as offbeat?

Howard: What doesn't he do? He dips [tobacco]. He shoots guns. He listens to Five Finger Death Punch, which I've never heard in my life.

Guzan: You're missing out.

SI: Who are the hardest forwards to play against in the Premiership

Hahnemann: Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres. Their speed is incredible. Drogba might not look as quick, but he's big and strong. With Torres, you think little quick pretty boy, and then you see him win headers in the six yard box. And Rooney's got everything, basically. It's pretty frightening.

Howard: I don't think anyone would disagree with Rooney, Torres, Drogba. What sets Drogba apart is that he hits every single ball so hard. On an angle, he doesn't look to curl it: he smashes it. When he hits a header, he powers it in. There's nothing finesse about him.

SI: Rooney's clearly the biggest threat on the England team. What will you be watching for?

Guzan: What separates the best strikers is their determination to score goals, their ability to create half a yard at the top of the box and get their shot off.

Hahnemann: A lot of people forget about Rooney's work ethic. He's not just standing on the spot waiting for people to cross him the ball. He makes 90% of his goals himself. He chases down balls. If you get a back pass, you'd better hurry your ass up because he is going to close you down.

Perhaps no great insight there (though I guess if you want to sight Guzan, a model shop is a decent bet...), but it's good to see Little Brad and the Villa getting some US press around the World Cup.

[Awol]

The crowd should wave a few BP flags, that'll wind the Septics right up.

Won't be an easy game but I think we'll beat them 3-1.

[kurtsimonw]

I think Slovenia will probably go through with us now, might even win the group. Only conceeded 4 goals in qualifying and there group wasn't exactly piss easy, they had Slovakia, Poland, N.Ireland and the Czechs, they then knocked out Russia in a play-off.

I reckon they'll beat Algeria and the states and we'll have to beat them to win the group.

[kurtsimonw]

From Ponky in match thread.

You guys were so cock-sure of yourselves leading up to this that you really didn't account for the possibility that (a) the USA might give you a bit of a contest

Not sure where you get the impression really. I'll happily copy and paste the predictions for the game from another (American) forum that I use. Let's just say I was the only one that got the score/result right, not one person went for an England win. I'm sure any sensible English fan was fully aware that it wasn't going to be easy. You would think the Americans were the favourites with how their fans were acting.

I suppose this delays the usual US insecurities a few days at least though?

[Jez]

Same old same old England.

Lampard clearly a good player, shite for England did he go off at half time?

Thats just one example.

When Heskey is your best player regardless of miss you know your in trouble.

[VillaGoMarching]

Same old same old England.

Lampard clearly a good player, shite for England did he go off at half time?

Thats just one example.

When Heskey is your best player regardless of miss you know your in trouble.

Nail on the head Jez,

Was Lampard playing?, was Rooney? infact after 30 minutes, i've have sworn, our whole midfield got subbed off with Milner.

[kurtsimonw]

I think that's a little unfair on Heskey. He did 1 thing wrong all night, so he'd have been one of our better players regardless.

I don't think the Lampard/Gerrard thing can work with them both in the midle of a 4-4-2. Both like to make runs and that leaves us exposed, far better team with Gerrard out left and Barry/Lampard in the middle. We slaughtered Croatia like that anyway.

[TrentVilla]

So much hype such an utterly shite performance. Same old England.

[Maradona10]

Lampard is truly shite been saying it for time, but why is it these players are always kept away from criticism! It's

like some fans still saying Heskey was shit lol

[PompeyVillan]

USA are a good team. They are the only team in years to beat Spain, so an upset wouldn't have actually have been that much of an upset.

Rooney needs to turn up to the next game.

[TrentVilla]

Lets not kid ourselves the USA team are okay, they are solid, organised, hard working and made up of decent experienced players but that is about it. They are nothing special, nothing better than just above average and they are a side that we should have brushed aside, I know there are no easy games in a World Cup but the US are really nothing special.

We were poor, really really really poor. Yes we would have won the game if not for Robert Green but nonetheless the performance was terrible and for me at least the myth of the genius of Capello was dismissed.

After all these years surely to God the entire world knows that Lampard and Gerrard in central midfield doesn't work, it never has and it never ever will but in the absence of Barry what does he do, he plays the two of them. Gerrard played quite well but Lampard was wasted in his position, seriously playing a 20 goal a season midfielder as your deep player is madness.

Then there was Milner on the left who was clearly not fit/well and then we had the joke that was Shaun Wright Phillips on the left, I mean seriously he is **** ineffective on the right but on the left? Seriously forget it, why not use Joe Cole?

Then there was our absolute inability to get Rooney in the game, what the **** have they been doing in training?

Meanwhile at the back, Ledley King is injured already, anyone surprised? Then there is Carragher who was too slow for international football 3 years ago and guess what he hasn't got any **** quicker.

Then there is Robert Green, **** Robert Green. How many on here would have picked him as England number 1? The guy is always spilling shots that come straight at him quick and low, he gave away 4 or 5 goals last season with his **** ups. Joe Hart is a far better keeper, far better. People say he hasn't had the games for England, he doesn't have the experience, granted he doesn't, but he can **** catch a ball.

Last nights performance was poor, really really poor despte ITV's attempts to convince us otherwise. We may win the next two games but even if we do we haven't a hope in hell of winning the thing.

[mykeyb]

That team with that formation and the way they played could have been under Sven or McClaren. Nice to see how far Capello has brought us.

Lampard again fails to deliver in an England shirt. King is obviously not going to be fit enough and Heskey somehow was probably our best player.

Next game Barry for Lampard unless we go 4 5 1, Joe Cole for Milner.

If England are to go further we need our 2nd striker ie Heskey to be much more of a goal threat.

Oh and ITV HD absolute shite, christ knows how much of the live game was missed because of the slowmo replays we kept seeing.

[Davkaus]

Oh and ITV HD absolute shite, christ knows how much of the live game was missed because of the slowmo replays we kept seeing.

Whilst ITV HD is awful, the slow-mo replays are apparently out of their control. They're the main feed that is given to all broadcasters, everyone watching in different countries sat through the same crap.

[TrentVilla]

Totally agree mate, how long has Capello been in charge? For all the hype and all the talk nothing has changed, well okay the players have better dinning habits and always wear a tie but on the pitch? Nothing, nothing has changed. How on earth can he think Lampard and Gerrard was suddenly going to work???

I don't blame Lampard for his poor display, he did what he could but was used in totally the wrong way. He has made his name at Chelsea playing in an advanced role with hard working, grafting ball winners in the hole behind him and he has excelled, yet yesterday once again he was asked to do the role that others do for him at Chelsea. Madness.

I know we didn't have Barry but that wasn't a surprise, he has been injured a while we could and should have figured out another way to play, another system or different personnel. I really thought we'd got past just picking the best 11 players and hoping they could play together but picking Gerrard and Lampard in that line up shows we've not progressed at all not learnt a thing.

[drat01]

My wife is off to South Africa for the World Cup. Not to watch, but to take Robert Green's place because she doesn't miss a **** thing.

[trekka]

I still say we'll top the group. We'll win against Slovenia and Algeria and it wouldn't surprise me to see a bit of a backlash on Friday against Algeria with Rooney finally entering the competition.

[The_Rev]

[CastleBromVilla]

Bet it hurt when Steeeeeeeeevie GBH scored eh?

I was expecting some daft comment like that from you to be honest.

No it didn't. As I said yesterday, I support England and anyone who pulls on the shirt even if I don't like them and I don't like Gerrard.

I think I made this pretty clear yesterday, so no it didn't hurt.

Was you sick?

yawn...

I take that as a yes then. See you later me old pal.

I take it you are a little hard of reading.

Stop deleting my posts

Surely the ones you should be deleting are your own? What you just posted isnt something i'd expect from a moderator.

[mykeyb]

My wife is off to South Africa for the World Cup. Not to watch, but to take Robert Green's place because she doesn't miss a **** thing.

Thats a good one Drat.......10/10