A couple of the keepers have looked good......particluarly the Iranian keeper and to a lesser extent Agassi of Togo......oh and that Lanky Aussie of course!

What about Asamoah Gyan of Ghana....although he might already play for someone good!

BAM!! Back to the top of the league!

Hee hee. What a referee. I wonder if there would have been a re-match if Croatia won after that D'Urso piece of refereeing.

And what about Emerton? His performance just makes me think it would be stupid to get rid of him on the cheap. Someone just needs to pull his head him; tell him to swallow his pride and admit that he isn't a right rightmielder, but rather a versatile player who can play right wing back. He would look good at right back, one because of his work rate (which would help defensively), and two because he has space for attacking, which he doesn't get playing further up the ground, where he obviously looks cramped. He could be the one to contest Lucas Neill's spot. I wouldn't mind seeing him tried in the centre of midfield either, either defensively or attacking - for a tryout, that is.

If Lucas does leave...and on tonights display there should be some clubs in for him...then i think we have his replacement , at least in the short term in Emerton! Great performance tonight by both our guys!

It's a game the the US should have won. Too many players didn't turn up today...especially Donovan. I was expecting big things from him but he's been very, very disappointing throughout!

how are we judging the eventual winner? On averall worth?

Owen Hargreaves played well last night....for me the second best England player behind J. Cole. Its funny how he is always the scapegoat even when he plays well. So he gave away a corner that led to the goal...i dont think he is to blame half as much as the defenders who were caught napping in the penalty area....

Apart from the 2 goals did England have any shots on target?

the thing that really annoys me about the whole situation is Sven refusal to play Walcott...whats the point in taking him if you're not going to play him? A complete waste of time!!

No changes to todays table....i'm not a computer wizz so i fdont know how to get the graphic up.

The important thing is that that i am still winning!!

i guess i was hoping that Sven would have the guts to play one of the midfielders on a card with a holding midfielder....then he would see how the team could and should be! Also i was hoping that Lamps would get booked so we would see Gerrard as the attacking midfielder in the 2nd round.

On the card situation.....if you collect you second yellow in the final group game then you miss the second round....however if you only have one yellow after the final group game then it is scrapped.

Reports are sayingthat Sven is going to rest Lamps and Gerrard for Hargreaves and Jenas!! Now i can understand resting one of them but in my opinion Jenas shouldn't be anywhere near the England team. It also says he's going to go with a diamond formation in a four man midfield!

If this is true i cant see us beating Sweden! Which means Germany in the second and Argentina in the quarters? Hoorah for Sven!!

I already have - on 2nd in the group AND losing in the round of 16.

Well if you're throwing you money away i'll have some please!

Blushing- I had got the Group A/B matches mixed up so we could well get Germany in the last 16 and something less intimidating in the QF.

Still, we might see teams trying to throw matches when the last Group stage matches are played as countries try to avoid a half of the draw of death if other results throw up some unexpected second places eg Oz ahead of Brazil.

Im not bothered about avoiding Germany in the second round...i just want to avoid Argentina until as late as possible...which means the final hopefully!

a win against togo and they should be fine.

Whats the group?

South Korea 4 pts

Francs 2 pts

Swiss 1 (stilll to play)

Togo 0 (still to play)

I expect the Swiss to beat Togo

so then

South Korea 4 pts

Swiss 4 pts

Francs 2 pts

Togo 0

Last games are Swis vs Korea and France v Togo

France winning and the swiss and Koreans winning

Thats 5 pts apiece it'll go down to goal difference

could be very very interesting

i think you mean Korea-swis drawing and france winning.

What makes this potentially very, very interesting are all the reports of unrest in the Togo camp. What happens if they refuse to play agianst switzerland? Surely the swiss would be awarded a victory by default?! But what would happen with the goal difference?! I know that when i played powerleague a 10-0 victory was automatically awarded if the other team didn't show...although i doubt it's the same in the world cup!!!

I dont think it will happen..but it could!

I don't mean to belabor this point, and hopefully this is the last I will say on this, but I just have to disagree, Lathund.

A red card should be an intentional, reckless foul. Mastroeni's was fully deserving of a yellow, but it was more mistimed than malicious. And as for the first/second yellow card thing... perhaps it's just my view, but I think the refs had better be pretty darn sure that someone deserves to go off. And if you find a replay for that one, he got enough ball to save himself from a yellow card.

And Lathund... of course I think the red cards are ridiculous, because they went against my team. You would be pretty upset too if those calls went against Sweden.

Of course, the saddest part of all of this is that the referee is even a topic of discussion. Had he done his job right, we could be talking about what a great match it was instead of analyzing the referee's nightmare of a game.

I dont think any of the US red cards would've happened in the premiership...but its not the premiership, and referees seem to be pretty strict during the WC especially on tackles such as the first Sending Off. I don't think you can blame the referee for the decision because everyother ref in the tournament would've done the same thing if they were worth their salt, as that's what they've been tolds to crack down on!

With all the talk of the sending's off, you shouldn't forget the manner in which the US played afterwards...maybe the best performance so far in the compitition..obviously for different reasons than Argentina. You should be very proud!

You know how the old saying goes: the best referees are the ones that you never even knew were on the field, such was their minimal impact on the game.

Well, Larrionda put his stamp on this match from the get-go. It's a shame, because this had a chance to be a really great game. Cookiemonster showed what the commentators were talking about after the game: he was suspended from the 2002 World Cup for "irregularities" in his refereeing. So how does he make it back onto the approved list for this year's Cup? Yet another black eye for FIFA. If that man is ever allowed to referee another World Cup match, it will be a disaster for football.

I'll just say this about the refereeing, then I'm done: it's the World Cup, for God's sake. You have got to give the players some leeway, especially when you consider how physical a match like this one is going to be. Incidentally, I thought that while De Rossi's red card was fully deserved, Pope's was certainly questionable, and Mastroeni's was a joke. A straight red for a mistimed tackle? A yellow would have been fully deserved, but to send a man off in the World Cup for a mistimed tackle is absolute tripe.

As for the (completely overshadowed) game: you're absolutely right in your assessment, Joey. The U.S. did very well to get a point, especially after going down 1-0 and especially after going down to 9 men. I think what may have frustrated the commentators was the fact that the U.S. opened by controlling play in the first 20 minutes with 11 a side, and even at 10-v-10 it would have been a pretty even game. Down to 9 men, it turned into a siege; granted, we did well to hold off the Italians, but given the way the U.S. controlled the flow of the game for most of the first half, you got the feeling that the Azzurri may have been there for the taking.

The U.S. were fortunate with the own goal, but in the end I think the point was a fully deserved one.

I honestly dont think you can have any complaints about the sendings off....the first one could've easily broken the guys ankle and the second was a booking. Although i think he got the sendings off right....I agree that the ref was poor on the whole though....the u.s second goal should've stood in my opinion.

The performance should give the US confidence going into the final game with Ghana...should be a cracker!!!

i really think the Czechs are up against it now....

does anyone know why that Ghana player pulled an Isreali flag out of his sock when they scored the second? though it was a bit strange!

i'm quite surprised...i forgot about this for a few days and i thought i'd be bottom!!

Argentina's performance against S & M was one of the best i've seen in a long time (certainly since Rovers v Spuds!!). I was very disappointed with Serbia though, i thought they were very poor.

The one good thing about England playing poorly is that they can only get better...and hopefully reach their peak just in time for the quarter finals...of course they will still get a 5-0 hammering from the mighty argies wont they Neekoy!!!

Seriously though...if these two did meet i think that the form guide would go out of the window to a certain extent with all the history involved...and i think it would be a very, very dull game. just like the last world cup.

Don't worry. You'll still win it.

That's the spirit!!!

It's not on BBC unfortunately so we cant hear the pearls of wisdom from Hansen....i'm sure Venebles, Pearce and Allardyce will have plenty of bad things to say....they're not bitter though...honest!!

I should've read all the way through before i entered this debate.....

Spain do have a very talented squad.....but i do not watch them week in week out so i cannot possibly comment further. What i can comment on is the England team and i still think that England have 11 world class players and will win the world cup

Do you get to watch much spanish football in Aus Neekoy?

I didn't say Lucas was World Class, I said he was better then Neville

If Owen is world class so is Raul.

Ronaldinho has a better delivery and workrate

FOR EDDIE, England has a team capable of winning the WC, but it won't. Why do you think I hate the England team so much? I actually enjoy watching them play, they are overrated as a whole, but I still like to watch them play.

Lucas Neill is not better than Gary Neville....

Beckham has a better delivery than Ronaldinho.....just becasue he is the best player in the world doesn't mean he is the best at every single aspect of the game....he is at most, but not in delivery.....or workrate.

I'm with Eddie on this one....

With the exception of crouch...i beleive England have a world class player in every position.

Neekoy...Beckham IS world class...name me one player who has a better delivery and work rate? He's coming off the back of his best season for Donkeys years. Owen is world class...granted he needs minutes on the pitch, somehting that Sven doesn't seem to want to give him...But he will show his class this tournament!

As for 'England looked 3rd bestin their group'.....well where does that leave Brazil then? Bottom of their group?

I was taking you seriously until you claimed that Lucas Neill was world class.......Surely that happens as soon as he signs his spurs contract! :ph34r:

I offically hate you now

I was in sitting in a pub in K-Town for the game as the €200 price that touts (all with dodgy East London accents) were offering for tickets was way too steep for me.

Australia did dominate the game but were very wasteful with their passes especially Wilkshire who should never play in the first team again. The Japan goal was the worst decision of the cup so far and how any ref or assistant ref couldn't see that beggars believe.

Also, shame that the real football fans were outside the stadium while tennis/union/Aussie Rules fans were in the ground sitting on their arses and chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi"

The japan goal was the 2nd worst decision in the cup i think...behind his failure to give a penalty and a red card! I dont think we'll see this ref beyond the group stages!

I understand that you Aussie's are excited to get your first world cup win and all but i think you're getting a bit carried away. You were very, very lucky to get anything from the game....

The ref can't really be blamed for japans goal because it could've easily been Moore who barged the keeper...but the penalty decision was aweful...and i cant beleive japan didnt even appeal for one!!!

Anyway a win is a win so congrats....something tells me you'll have to do better than that against the boys from Brazil though!!

Incidentaly, I thought Bert had a good game in the end!