Sports: Soccer

Washington Post soccer writer Steven Goff was online Monday, June 19, at 10:30 a.m. ET to chat about this year's World Cup. Goff was live from Germany to take your questions after Saturday's match between the United States and Italy.

Post Coverage: World Cup 2006

Blog: World Cup Journal

The transcript follows.

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Steven Goff: Guten Tag, my friends

Greetings from Hamburg...

Soooo, anything on your mind today?

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Bethesda, Md.: Hey Steven,

On a scale of 1-10 how poor were the refs for the US/Italy game?

Similarly, have you found that the officials in this World Cup have a hair-trigger when it comes to yellow and red cards?

Steven Goff: Arena addressed the officiating in today's Post and we'll discuss it in longer context in probably tomorrow's paper.

I don't think the USA-Italy referee was as bad as everyone thinks. The red card to De Rossi was deserved. Mastroeni's red was debatable, but it was an awfully stupid challenge. As for Pope's, I can see it both ways. The USA goal definitely should not have been allowed.

Steven Goff: The Beasley goal, that is...

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Richmond, Va.: Steve,

Thanks for doing these chats, even though you're thousands of miles away and obviously quite busy! What's up w/ Brazil? They've looked quite bored in their first two games. Any idea what the problem is?

Steven Goff: Yeah, clearly Brazil has not looked as sharp as Argentina or Spain. I've been disappointed, but let's wait to see how they respond in the elimination stages. They have to be careful because a matchup with Italy or the Czechs or even the USA and Ghana could be problematic in the round of 16.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Who would you replace Mastroeni with?

Steven Goff: That's the big question. Arena could leave Reyna in a deep midfield position. Not a lot of options...

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EdB: Will the USA really miss Eddie Pope? It does not appear as if he has had a good tourney so far. Also, where was E Johnson at the end of the ITA game??

Steven Goff: Yes, they will miss Pope, although he seems a step late on a lot of situations.

As for Johnson's absence, by the 80th minute, the U.S. was playing for a tie. So essentially all nine players (eight, actually) had to become defenders. Johnson doesn't play defense well and, at that point, McBride was all over the place. It was a courageous effort by those who were on the field at the end.

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Washington, DC: Steven,

Thanks to you and your colleagues at the Post for the oustanding coverage of everything surrounding this Cup. I hope there's some momentum towards continued expanded soccer coverage moving forward.

How has your experience been as a U.S. journalist at the WC in Germany? Has there been much anti-American sentiment? Any lack of respect for your credentials, knowledge, etc?

And how has the experience been for US fans in Germany? Have you heard of any problems or frustrations our fans have faced? Do you think many US fans tone down the visibility of their patriotism, either because they have concerns about safety or because they want to avoid the unfortunate stigma that strong US patriotism can breed in this geo-political era?

Steven Goff: Thanks for your kind words. Our soccer coverage is based on the level of interest of readers, so we'll continue to do what is necessary to satisfy everyone.

It's been a great experience here in Germany for me and, I assume, for most U.S. fans. I have not seen any anti-USA incidents. The World Cup is one big party and most everyone gets along.

However, I have grown tired of the constant questions from many non-U.S. writers about why isn't soccer the most popular sport in America, or does anyone in the States care about the Cup. Or how could you (as a U.S. reporter) possibly know anything about football since it's not the biggest sport in the States. Sigh...Stereotypes never go away.

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Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.: Hey Steve,

Whaddaya think?

Keller

Cherundolo/Onyewu/Bocanegra

Dempsey(Beasley)/O'Brien(Olsen)/Donovan/Reyna/Convey

McBride/Johnson

Steven Goff: I doubt O'Brien starts. As Arena said in today's paper, O'Brien has not played in a game of this magnitude in a long time and his injuries have taken a toll on his effectiveness.

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Arlington, Va.: It seems like all the descriptions of the game have gone out of their way to characterize the US goal on Saturday as a fluke. While fate certainly smiled on us at that moment, I wish someone had pointed out what a quality ball Convey played in, taking a vicious hook at the last moment that kept the goalie from clearing and probably wrong-footed the defender. Moreover, the defender had to do something because McBride was sliding in behind him ready to stuff it in.

Steven Goff: The U.S. team deserved a goal at that point after creating some opportunities. It just happened to come on an own goal.

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Arlington, Va.: What do you think it will take to get Americans to rally for the us?

Steven Goff: Huh? Americans aren't rooting for the American team? I find that hard to believe.

Does the World Cup consume the United States like it does Italy and Germany and England? No, of course not. And there's nothing wrong with that.

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Washington, D.C.: Why did Arena leave Pope in after half-time? He already had a Yellow Card, wasn't playing particuarly well, and was still being overly agressive considering the way the game was officiated. Help me understand?

Steven Goff: And put in who?

I'll take my chances with Pope, who is starting in his third World Cup, than Jimmy Conrad or Gregg Berhalter.

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Quality of Play: Am I missing something? The quality of play has struck me as not particularly high this time. What's up?

Steven Goff: Some matches are great, some are not so great. Every Cup is like that. The Argentina-Ivory Coast, Germany-Poland and USA-Italy games were extraordinary.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Awesome coverage--thanks to you and your colleagues on a great job.

Why are head-to-head results not a factor in breaking ties?

Steven Goff: Thanks for your kind words. We like to think we're covering the Cup better than the TV clowns.

No head to head, it's just the way it is. Goal diff is the first tiebreaker, total goals the second and, I believe, head to head third.

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Stuttgart, Germany: We're here for the 3 USA games, and despite the results, the USA fans have been awesome. I hope the TV coverage back home is showing just how many USA soccer fans have made the trek here! Thursday can't come soon enough!

Steven Goff: Thanks, Stuttgart. Hope you're enjoying your trip.

I don't know if this came across on the broadcast, but the American fan presence at the Italy match was breathtaking. In terms of U.S. support on the road, there's no comparison between now and 1990 or even 1998.

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Alexandria, Va.: That guy with the blue paint on his head was simply Dr. Tobias Funke, still out there chasing his dream.

Steven Goff: Yes!

Great reference...

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The Midwest: Mr. Goff,

I was a USA doubter until Saturday. I watched that match and was throughly impressed with the heart shown by the US players. Made me feel pretty sheepish for not being behind the team in the first place: it seemed so easy in 1994.

I wonder (rhetorically) why that is.

Steven Goff: It was a heroic effort.

Every game unfolds differently, but certainly the Americans played with greater urgency and effort following the Czech fiasco.

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Arlington, Va.: Steve - What is up with France? Do you buy into the theory that Zidane and Henry cannot play well together? Also, is Argentina even starting their best lineup with Messi and Tevez coming off the bench?

Steven Goff: I figured France would be a disappointment this year, and they've come through. Chemistry isn't right, coaching is questionable, age is catching up. They should still advance, but this is not the France of '98.

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Scottsdale, Ariz.: Will the US ever get any respect from the international media? I've seen so many negative articles about the game. If what happened to the US happened to England or Germany I think the EU would have disolved and there would have been an emergency meeting of the UN.

Steven Goff: It really is amazing how little respect and how little knowledge many foreign reporters have of the USA team. Some of the stuff I've seen written is mindboggling. I can guarantee you the U.S. media knows more about the English team than the English media knows about the U.S. team. (I can't tell you how many times I've been asked why Freddy Adu isn't on the WC team.)

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Herndon, VA: How is this for the U.S. lineup on Thursday:

GK -- Keller

D -- Cherundolo, Gooch, Conrad, Bocanegra

M -- Dempsey, Reyna, Donovan, Convey

F -- McBride, Johnson

Reyna would take Mastroeni's role as defensive mid-fielder.

Steven Goff: Possible, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Beasley starting again because of his speed. We'll see...

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Montpelier, Vt.: Steven, thank you for your tremendous coverage of The Beautiful Game.

According to our wonderful commentators on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, it sounds like we have a starting line-up for the match against Ghana. Everytime that Lalas, Harkes, Foudy, Cello, and Georgio make a comment, they throw in, "Back when I was playing in the World Cup..........." Hey, I have an idea, Brent Musberger could be in goal, JP can be a flank player, Tommy could be a center back, and Adrian could be up top with Reece Davis. Throw in a Pert Plus commercial at half-time with Paul Calegeri and it would be perferct arrording to this crew!

What shampoo do you thinnk Cello uses?

Steven Goff: Thanks for your kind words, Green Mountain Man (or Woman).

Fortunately, I am not subjected to ESPN/ABC coverage (We get the good stuff here). Turn it off, switch to Univision. Until JP Dellacamara is named the lead announcer for the WC, I have no interest in their muck.

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Chicago, Ill.: Playing for a tie! Well that doesn't suprise me with Arena. Shouldn't the US have been attacking in the 80th minute. I disagree about McBride, he missed numerous chances to beat the Italian defense. And Reyna WALKED the last 10 minutes of that match. A great team performance but Arena should have taken advantage of the tired Italian legs and used the last US sub. The team played well on Sunday despite Arena, not because of him.

Steven Goff: You're tied with one of the best teams in the world! It's the 80th minute! You are a down a man! Of course, you're going to play for a tie. The U.S. team already knew, because of the Ghana-Czech result earlier in the day, that they could stay in contention with a tie. A loss and their out. You have to get the point and then take your chances in the third match.

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Bethesda, Md.: I also blame the media for not doing their part to promote f¿tbol (okay, football) the way they go out of their way to promote other sports. Even the post follows this pattern, I mean, I recently saw a big picture of Tiger Woods and an article about his "troubles" on the front page of the WaPo but had to dig hard to locate information about the World Cup? I attribute it in part to a tendency toward personality-cult in the media as well as focusing too much on what $ponsor$ want. The media influences public choices, likes and dislikes, and they tend to follow the money.

Steven Goff: It's not our job to promote anything.

Tiger Woods is one of the most popular athletes in all of American sports. His current situation is incredibly newsworthy.

Dig hard to find WC stories? We have at least three or four of em in the paper every day and our coverage is displayed prominently on washingtonpost.com

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Manassas, Va.: Do you think people in the US understand how monumental its tie with Italy was? Italy is a three time champion, favored to win the Cup, and is always a favorite playing against the US.

And the US managed a tie---with 1 player less!

Epic indeed...even if it's a tie.

Steven Goff: It was one of the most incredible sporting events I have ever witnessed. U.S. reporters at the game who don't usually cover soccer said the same thing.

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Arlington, Va.: To me Demarcus Beasley continued to disappoint on Saturday. Was there one instance at all where he tried to use his speed and relatively fresh legs to exploit all the open space and tired defenders on Saturday? Just one? There were a couple of times when he got the ball unpressured, took a couple of slow steps forward, then turned to play the ball back. I know that when you are down to nine men you need to be ultra careful about positioning, but I wish I had seen a little spark. If his role was strictly defensive, why not put in Lewis?

Steven Goff: Gotta disagree. Beasley was quite effective when he entered under difficult circumstances on Saturday. He scored a goal (which was disallowed) and used his speed to track back defensively.

I wouldn't be surprised if he starts again to counter Ghana's team speed.

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Brisbane, Australia: What is your response and opinion of Kornheiser's overt disdain for soccer?

Steven Goff: He's a columnist. Columnists are paid to voice their opinions. That's his opinion. Sad and misinformed, but his opinion nonetheless.

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Stockholm, Sweden: Steven,

Why does the Post report that Ghana shocked the Czech Rep.? Anyone who's been watching knows that Ghana is a very good football team. They played well offensively against Italy although they didn't score and, after seeing that game, I wasn't surprised a bit by them beating the Czech's. The U.S. has their work cut out for them in there next match!

Thanks

Steven Goff: It was the biggest surprise of the World Cup so far. I wouldn't say I was shocked by the result, but certainly an upset based on the Czechs' history, Ghana's lack of WC experience and the results on the first day of Group E play.

Indeed, the Americans will have a very difficult time winning this upcoming match.

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Washington, D.C.: Thanks for all the great coverage. The Post has been head and shoulders above most other US media outlets even before the tournament kicked off. You guys should be proud.

Anywho, do you think Bruce's decision not to sub late in the game was partly motivated by the fact that giving up our last sub with 9 men on the field means that we're one injury away from playing with 8? That's what I kept thinking. As fans, we want to see that late game winner, but as a coach, you can't be the guy who coached us out of contention.

Steven Goff: Thanks for your kind words. We're proud of our work so far and plan to continue to cover the Cup intensively, whether or not the U.S. team advances.

As for the late sub, Arena had faith in who he had on the field and, in the end, he was right.

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Bethesda, Md.: A Guardian Unlimited columnist suggested that the US should enjoy our role as the underdog now because in ten years we're going to be 'boring world beaters.' Do you see the team being fear alongside Brazil, Argentina, and England within the decade?

Steven Goff: I saw that column -- very well-written except for the cheap shots at U.S. reporters.

I think the world beaters comment was tongue in cheek. U.S. soccer has got an awful long way to go. As I've said before in these chats, Spain and the Dutch have never won a World Cup, so you can't expect the U.S. to suddenly win one.

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Anonymous: Hey Steve - have been loving the WC games. How do I get some more education on world soccer? Magazines? Websites?

Steven Goff: World Soccer magazine and FourFourTwo magazine are by far the best for international coverage, IMO. Soccer America is also quite good for a U.S. perspective, although they've cut back on their issues per year.

Among web sites, the BBC's is my favorite.

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Beasley scored a goal...: ... that was disallowed?

No he didn't.

It wasn't a goal, and would never have been ruled a goal.

The offside call on McBride negates the shot, not the score. (McBride would still have been called offside even if Buffon had saved Beasley's shot, and frankly Italy should be very worried that he didn't.)

Not Beasley's fault, but there it is.

Steven Goff: Okay, splitting hairs, whatever.

Beasley's apparent goal was disallowed.

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Arlington, Va.: IMHO, some of the comments in this column show the lack of understanding of the game that is part of what is holding the US back, i.e, the disdain over the idea of playing for a tie when you are down a man to a world power.

Steven Goff: Has nothing to do with a U.S. mentality. When you're down a man, and the game is tied, and you're playing Italy, and you are a team with limited abilities, you play for a tie and take your chances in the final game.

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So...: ... why exactly did Arena bring O'Brien?

Steven Goff: Because of O'Brien's big-game experience and ability, you have to bring him along. He seemed close to being ready to play, but a back injury last week set him back.

Would you rather have Kerry Zavagnin?

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Arlington, Va.: Do you think the United States is going to be able to qualify for the next round?

Steven Goff: My hunch is that they will tie Ghana and not advance.

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New York City: Regarding the (second) all-important game: Italy - Czech Republic. Do you think Italy will be going for a tie? As I understand it, a tie gets them through. If I'm Italy, I would go for the win to avoid Brazil, but that's me. What do you think will happen in that game?

Steven Goff: Italy MUST play to win. They can't take the risk of playing for a tie and then watching Ghana beat the USA, which would give Ghana first place with six points.

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Laurel, Md.: Hello! Just saw Switzerland beat togo 2-0 ... who do you think will come out of that group? france and switzerland or can korea hang on just long enough?

Steven Goff: France should get through since their last game is against Togo and a victory would give them 5 points. Switzerland and Korea are at four apiece right now, so the loser would likely be out. If they tie, it will get interesting in the tiebreakers.

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Will the Czechs bounce back?: It had to be said.

Steven Goff: Brilliant.

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Arlington, Va.: Ghana, Ghana, Ghana. People have said not to overlook them from Day 1, but given they are missing two starters because of accumulated yellows, are they as dangerous?

Bennie O has got to get the start!!

Steven Goff: Essien has been one of the best players in the tournament and their team speed is such a weapon. Very difficult game for the U.S. lads.

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Washington, D.C.: Do the FIFA rankings mean anything. Entering the WC was the U.S. the fifth best team in the world?

Steven Goff: Pay no attention to the rankings. They are soccer's version of the BCS in college football. Actually, the BCS is much more accurate than the FIFA rankings. NO ONE, not even the American team, believes the USA is the fifth best team in the world.

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Burke, Va.: So what was your "hunch" about US v CZE, US v Italy?

Steven Goff: I predicted a 1-1 tie with the Czechs and a 1-0 loss to Italy.

So my guess of a 2-2 tie with Ghana will probably be a good thing for the U.S. team, eh? :-)

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Washington, D.C.: What's the word on the street about Ecuador? They'll have a tough fight in the Round of 16, but they've had a great showing so far.

Steven Goff: I love watching Ecuador because they work so well together as a team and have a nice attacking flair. All they need against Germany is a tie to win Group A. Not an easy task, but certainly possible.

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Washington, D.C.: I was at the US - Italy game, and even if Beasley's goal shouldn't have counted, there is no doubt that the US got screwed by the officiating. The Italians were falling over at every point of contact and they should be embarrassed by their performance.

I was sitting at the game with friends from Norway who said the US gained tons of respect with how the game turned out. Have you heard that from other reporters?

Steven Goff: Absolutely. Expectations were very low after the Czech loss and the Americans regained a lot of respectability for their Italy performance.

Italy was mad at the ref. The U.S. was mad at the ref. Whatever, I thought it was a fair result.

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Arlington, Va.: I second the previous scepticism on O'Brien. It's not like he's Wayne Rooney or Ronaldo, he's a talented yet not particularly athletic player who has had some nice games. If he can't play, he's just taking up a valuable space.

Steven Goff: Arena felt he was worth the risk.

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Washington, D.C.: Why doesn't the US team just go Soth of the border, preferably South America, and take the left overs of Brazil and Argentina picks and nationalize them? On the Nike website the Jogo bonito it shows these kids that love this game with so much passion, and sometimes do not make the cut, this can help fill the void many other countries have done it, do it, and well we can see it working to their advantage, ie, many Africans playing for European teams.

Steven Goff: Huh?

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Arlington, Va.: Who is the current favorite?

Brazil has been flat, Germany's defense won't stop a powerful offense, Argentina's defense hasn't really been tested, France can't pull it together.

It seems the field is more wide open that in past World Cups. Could we see a shocker this year?

Steven Goff: I, and most of Latin America, would love to see an Argentina-Brazil final. Spain looks good too, but we know their history in the knockout stages. If Rooney regains full health, England could go a long way.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Steve:

Do you think the speed of International play has been a problem for the U.S. especially MLS players.

Steven Goff: So far, no, but it will be against Ghana.

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Sydney, Australia: You all complain about little respect being given to the US by the world media. What about Australia. They have been roundly dismissed by the media in the US especially yet were given a similar chance of winning as the US by bookies in England etc. After yesterday, I hope we get a little respect. P.S. (Compare the club sides of the players of each team)

Steven Goff: Australia gets less respect than the U.S. because it had been so long since their last WC appearance. Clearly, based on their roster, they have enough talent to advance.

Go Socceroos!

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Steven Goff: Time's up, folks.

Thanks for all your questions.

As always, feel free to reach me directly at goffs@washpost.com

Peace

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