My take on the game: It looked even and boring 11 v 11. Lennon was a spark - he played very well. Then the sending off - more on that later. After that the game opened up and still looked even. Portugal never really threatened and Lennon, Crouch, and Hargreaves all played very well. Ricardo came up huge on the penalties, but I could tell Lampard and Gerrard were going to the right - they both telegraphed their shots. The sending off: Absolutely a red card. While the two of them were tussling standing up, Rooney was grabbing his groin trying to get at the ball. When Carvalho went down, Rooney stepped on his balls. He knew what he was doing. Whether or not the ref saw it is irrelevant - it was a deserved red. Ronaldo did nothing wrong (then), although he went down easily all throughout the game.

From what I understand, Germany assistant coach Oliver Bierhoff was the one who initiated the post-match scrum.

Draman looked very good too.

I like it mostly because they say which player has the ball, something that the English broadcasts lack (or get wrong too often!). But thanks for the info about Chilavert.

If I were English I'd rather have faced France before Portugal got Deco and Costinha suspended and CR injured. Now they have a better shot at Portugal, who looked very strong taking down the Netherlands. I don't think Joe Cole will have an easy time against Miguel.

Is that the same Riquelme that kept passing to Mexicans and out of bounds?

Not knowing Spanish, I don't know if every time they say "Chilavert" they're talking about the Chilean arquero or if it's actually a common word. Whichever, he says it a lot.

Well, it would have looked better if they hadn't been robbed against Ukraine - an obvious penalty denied only to have one given to Ukraine on a dive. I would have given them a good shot against Switzerland.

I could see Chipperfield with some interest.

What I think the deal is with the Mexicans is this: Mexicans play well together as Mexicans in a Mexican system. If you watch the Mexican league, the games are often unbearable. There's solid defense, combative midfielders, and woeful forwards and goalkeepers. The players fit into this system well, but asked to go outside of it they can't really make the adjustment. This is part of why Mexico does so well internationally. But taking individual players to European teams and leagues, they don't have the individual skill level necessary to make it. Some do - Marquez and Hugo Sanchez to name a few.

Pablo Ramirez! Overreaction makes it exciting, especially if you don't speak Spanish. And what's a soccer game without a few mentions of Hugo Sanchez?

I feel like the Americans aren't experienced enough internationally or in Europe to dive often/well.

Dave O'Brian is the worst, though. He always gets the players and calls wrong, and Marcelo Balboa just goes along with it.

With that Lucas secures his future at Blackburn ... well done. Or the Italians love him so much for gifting them a penalty, they sign him up.

I thought Deco's second yellow was deserved - if you pick up the ball and walk away with it when your team is winning, that's delay of game and a yellow card. Of course, Cocu should have also gotten a yellow. Also, he didn't take off his only striker, Simao Sabrosa and Figo were playing as forwards in a 4-3-3.

They got there first and were both in a position to play the ball - Rooney ran into them. Not a penalty.

A red would have been deserved, even though I still dislike CR. Despite the comments about the cards, I don't think the ref called a bad game.

And with a defender on his back.

Figo was an absolute disgrace. I was waiting for another Dutch player to get some revenge with the ref's back turned. It seemed to all start when the ref missed Costinha's foul on Ooijer that could have sent him off.

Short for John Paul Dellacamera.

And Joao Ricardo from Angola, who has no club now. Jaziri from Tunisia looked impressive too, and Trabelsi may be out from Ajax.

Yeah, I've just been watching Univision whenever Shep Messing comes on and I just listen to the Spanish.

Just because Germany has played better doesn't mean that the group is easier. And Germany's thorough trashing of Sweden just proved it.

I can't listen to Dave O'Brian and Marcelo Balboa or Glenn Davis and Shep Messing. That leaves two commentary teams I think are okay - JP Dellacamera and John Harkes and Adrian Healy and Tommy Smith. In the pre-/post- game shows, Eric Wynalda and Julie Foudy are pretty good, and Rece Davis is fine as a straight man. What really bothers me, though, is the graphics that ABC/ESPN throw up on the screen that block so much of the action.

USA 1-0 in a squeaker. Get O'Brien and Johnson in!