This is especially for my fellow English skullbrainers (but all are welcome to comment of course). Next Monday we'll have Mexico visit the English squad on their own turf. I'm assuming Mexico is going to lose, 2 goal difference should be normal, 3 would be somewhat unpleasant and 4 or 5 goal difference will be really worrying and disappointing. I know England has a great squad but they just started training together so...

Anyways, here's where the real warming up starts for us. Hopefully we'll have a great match and I won't be crying very hard on Monday.

Never assume anything . . .

exactly!!

Hahaha... OK... pessimist are we? I'm just realist. I'm wondering what other games are happening apart from that one, that include teams from members of the board. There's plenty in the world cup so...
US, France, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, England and Mexico. Am I missing anyone? Perhaps no one else likes football?

I like the sport. I don't follow it much, but I always look forward to the World Cup. I'll try to catch up on who the teams to watch are in the next couple of weeks. I think the time difference is going to be a killer when it comes to actually watching games, though. Recording is not an option for me. It just isn't the same as watching it live. I've stayed up until all kinds of crazy hours of the night/morning to watch World Cup games in the past, so I'll probably just do that again.

Josh and I are way excited. This year I made a promise to myself that I would watch every game I could. Josh will be joining me and any london skullbrainer is welcome to join us!

I'm sure you've all seen this Nike Commercial.

Also, it seems having the 9 hr difference between Cape Town and CA will put some of the weekday games at 7am-ish time frame, PDT.

The friendlies don't do anything for me but once June 11th hits I'll be watching. Should be an interesting tournament and hopefully cooler heads will prevail. (refering to Rooney and the former great Zidane)

Actually I had not seen that one!!! Odd if you consider we have like billions of football commercials. Thanks.
I'll be able to watch most games (I work home office ) but now some of the games are payper view... Not sure how that works in your countries but didn't use to be like that. I actually called to hire the service but they never showed up. I'll be missing 12 games.

Your right Bryce the real thing starts the 11th but it's always fun to see how your team is doing before. So I'll be watching both our teams tomorrow.

Just londoners?

I'm stressing about where to watch the US v England game.
I would love England to win the World Cup, but I'd do just about anything to have the US kick the shit out of England.
If I watch it in an England pub, I'll be surrounded by people who hate me, if I watch it in a US pub, I'll be surrounded by annoying accents that I hate.
I may just settle for the Irish pub around the corner

But bring it on!

New Zealand v Australia playing right now.

NZ 1 AU 0

it's always worth watching when its NZ v AU i guess you could compare the rivalry to USA v Canada in Hockey.

What I like about the WC is I usually don't get to find out about all the footballing talent coming out of places like Cameroon, Ivory Coast and even Japan.
Which is why I like the early rounds sometimes, as these teams still have the spunk to put up a good game, without much strategizing, just playing football the best way they know how.
I think understanding and participating in tournament strategy comes with a longer lived team spirit, which doesn't happen to more established footballing powerhouses that often either.
Sadly, of course, once the advancing teams establish themselves, the quality of the remaining games diminishes a bit, due to all of them clever tacticians.

Also, I think African teams will have a good showing, perhaps even make it to the finals. Not South Africa itself though, I don't think. Although, I know about their football talent even less..

It should be good entertainment, I hope. And may your favorite team bring home [to you] the trophy!

So England warm up tonight.,..probably be a team of substitutes/fringe players. Anyone wanna guess who's going to break a metatarsal? Rio? Milner?

That was a close one for Australia!!! in the last minute they pulled through!!!

Let's hope this World Cup is not only about tacticians... Italy 90' was like that and I recall it to be a really boring one. Let's hope star players bring their talent with them.

As for tonight... hope not all of England's team is bench players... Mexico needs a real adversary... (nuff of angola, senegal, bolivia, new zealand, chile's subs and iceland)

Since the Habs are probably going out tonight, I'll have all the time in the world for the WC. Will be rooting for England, France and Japan.

Wonder if Canada will make it there one day...

Loved the Nike ad, btw!

I remember Canada being in the Mexico '86 WC.

US v Czech Republic is tomorrow. I'm curious to see how the US squad comes together for this particular tourney.

As luck has it, my last day at work is June 11, so I'll be catching every single game I can.

It'll be another let down I'm sure.. They are like the Clippers of the soccer world. They have some talent but lack the drive and killer instinct to actually compete. If they want to be competitive they are going to have train and play all year round and train with clubs outside the US.

I agree, but that seems to be coming along (slowly but surely). Perhaps by the next Cup we'll have a much higher percentage of players outside of the MLS. I just wish Charlie Davies was in the mix. I totally understand that he's not ready to make his comeback, but it really sucks for us.

i eat my words...

next up,,,friendly with japan on sunday,,,cappello better bring on frankie L

well 3-1 england I'm not surprised, you British won just walking, at this point I have no hope for mexico

Ha! What do you know? Power went off for 4hours in 4 blocks... Mine included. Could not watch the game, only the last 30mins... We lost anyways so... blah!!
Now up against Holland, the day after tomorrow... here we go again.

I don't think it was the total embarrassment you anticipated . . . Mexico were pretty tight up front but let down a little in defence when we got through. We have another friendly against Japan on Sunday . . .