From: Hildegaard Beauregard [ljlife@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2002 4:13 AM
Subject: U.S. starts with biggest bang, whimpers to victory

The U.S. won 3-2 over Portugal. They very nearly
frittered it all away. As with Senegal and France, the
best team lost. But that's why they play the games.
The goal is, well, the goal, and you have to score, no
matter how much better you are. Portugal did not score
in the 2nd half. The U.S. was enjoying their scoring
fest so much, the scored one for Portugal, too.
Defender Jeff Agoos, trying to clear a dangerous
center pass into the middle of the box, kicked the
ball in the air squarely into the U.S. net.

The U.S. yielded the lead in the group back to South
Korea on goal difference. That will matter only in the
case of a tie on group points, obviously will not
matter if a team wins its matches.

The U.S. definitely showed a weakness that South Korea
can exploit. They do not control the ball well.
Against Portugal their passing in the field for
possession was horrible, and Portugal ran possession
all through the second half but for the final 4
minutes or so, when the U.S. used sidelind stalling
tactics at the Portugal end. A team like Korea, with
the speed they have and the way they ran around
Poland, could cause real trouble for the U.S., the way
Portugal should have. The U.S. can't count on jumping
up 3-0 on everyone they face.

Nevertheless, this is the biggest moment in U.S.
soccer history in a long, long time -- since probably
the '50s. A win over Portugal is a huge gain for the
world soccer status of the U.S. Even if they end up
not advancing from the group, they will have this
feather in their cap, which is certainly better than
in France in '98, when they finished last in their
group, losing even to Iran.

Germany and Ireland are up next, the first match of
the second round of group matches. Now maybe we'll get
an idea of just how good Germany is. My faction of
German friends are trying to secure my allegiance, but
I will confess to you that I would like Ireland to
win.

Ireland lost possibly their best player, Roy Keane
(who plays for Manchester United), when the coach
dismissed him from the team after repeated arguments.
But, as Zinedine Zidane of France said of comments
that his absence was the cause of the French loss to
Senegal, a team doesn't get to the World Cup because
of one player. Ireland qualified from the same group
as Portugal and Holland. Holland, considered one of
the top five teams in the world, was knocked out in
their last qualifying match by Ireland, and in that
match Ireland were down to 10 men most of the way!
Ireland finished second to Portugal only on goal
difference, then won a play-off to qualify for the
World Cup.

That's a preview that you will receive ex post facto,
of course, unless you are up at 4:12 a.m.