USA-Honduras Game Log

I'm sorry about the tardiness of this post; I've just been caught with random happenings and was gone in Vermont for the weekend. Anyways, on with the game log!

I'd like to first point out how hilariously large the Gold Cup actually is. The world cup is the size of a large goblet, the Gold Cup is literally the biggest trophy I have ever seen. Aliens from space would assume this is the single most prestigious trophy in the world.

22-0-1 in the group stage. Always comforting.

Starting XIs:
I don't know a single player other than Palacios, who will surely be the best player on the pitch tonight.

USA Starting XI:
Adu Ching
Quaranta Beckerman Pause Rogers
Cherundolo Parkhurst Marshall Pearce
Perkins

I only have heard of Rogers from his domination at the Grenada game (ooohhh how impressive) and then I only know Adu, Ching and Cherundolo well, and know only bad things about Parkhurst and Pearce. I could be more thrilled by the lineup: Adu is unproven, Ching isn't particularly talented and then everyone else not named Cherundolo either sucks or is unknown.

Pretty big Honduran support here, always good to see the road crew.

After the coin toss, the refs put their fists together in a foursome as if they're on Captain Planet. Is this good or bad?

1' Early corner, always a good sign.
2' I'm sure Pause and Beckerman played well against Grenada, but no matter how well they play, sorry commentators, they are NOT closing the gap on the starting midfielders.
3' Wow, we almost shipped a goal (an English phrase I adore), sloppy play.
4' Oh, it's Carlos Palacios. Who the fuck is that? Well so much for Wilson Palacios being the best player on the field. Now everyone sucks.
6' Do we need to go for super-authentic Latin pronounciation? It sounds so forced. I feel like Americans are the only people on Earth who feel like they're not entitled to have their own accent. No one will be insulted if you say a Latin name with a white American accent, and you won't get laughed at.
8' We look like shit, this is so sloppy. Considering the quality of the other side, I feel like this is going to be a "Sloppy Drunken Hookup" game. It was sloppy, it was ugly, no one wanted to watch it, but at the end of it, you got laid anyways.
10' Why is Honduras's B team here? What is their A team up to? They had no other touneys.
12' Weak free kick by Freddy Adu.
13' Honduras doesn't really want to win this, and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. I, on the other hand, want to shoot myself in the face.
14' God, Heath Pearce sucks.
15' I like this Rogers fella, he's exciting, though not nearly as exciting as this terrier of a commentator would have you believe.
17' Just as I start to like him, Rogers loses the ball in a particularly dumb fashion.
19' Honduran coach Reyna is a professor apparently, but honestly looks much more like a drunk barfly who goes off the handle whenever someone asks him where his life went wrong.
20' Honestly, the Honduran "B" team is the better team thusfar, but they are gunning for the Guinness World Record for whiffs in a single game.
22' Ching misses a golden, albeit difficult, opportunity, but that was great play by Beckerman.
25' Speaking of Beckerman, is there a reason we have a white rastafarian? Do you think he would have been a top player if he had shaved that shit?
27' Decent corner.
28' Ref is "letting them play." This game is honestly going to have to take a knife to get a card.
30' Martinez just missed a one-on-one with Perkins that he had all day, all park and all life to regret. As unforgiveable as it gets.
32' Pause just handballs. That may be the first time he touched the ball.
34' Adu misses a free header from 6m out, and Rogers skys a shot from 30m. Sigh.
36' Ching just got DECKED.
38' Horrendous finishing. This is painful to watch.
40' Frustration tackle by Heath Pearce, absolutely moronic. Deserved the yellow.
42' Both teams playing for half.
44' Rogers is ready for Europe, he has been diving all half.
45' Pearce is AWFUL!

Well that was ugly. Honduras has been the better side. Rogers has had great and awful moves, Beckerman has been the best and Heath Pearce has unfortunately been the worst.

51' I was more interested in making myself sandwiches. Missed the first six minutes. More horrendous finishing greets me as I return, though Ching nearly lands a nasty goal.
55' Rogers can effortlessly get to the wing.
57' Great Honduras chance, followed by a great counter. This is futbol!
61' Rogers really could be great if he puts it all together.
63' Feilhaber for Pause, Davies for Adu. Great subs, massive upgrades, though I'm sorry John, I think "household name" is pushing it for Charlie Davies.
66' Ok, no one was more excited by Oguchi Onyewu going to Milan than me (read below), but one nasty drawback: commentators getting a little too, shal we say hopeful?, with transfers. "Charlie Davies could be going to a top European club, even a Real Madrid, perhaps?" Perhaps not.
68' Don't get me wrong, I love Stanky Legg Davies, I'm just saying he won't be going to Real Madrid anytime soon (or later most likely).
71' Davies nearly COBRA STRIKES Escobar for a goal. That leg is capable of so much.
74' BRILLIANT GOAL! Great play by Feilhaber, set the whole thing up, but well played by Ching and then great pass/hold by Davies and Quaranta finishes emphatically.
77' Davies is looking quite tricky, I like it.
79' GOL! Cherundolo puts in a great cross, Ching finishes it, all started by a cheeky free kick. All great things. Cherundolo wants that starting spot, and probably deserves it.
81' Look, I give commentators a lot of flak. But can someone explain to me what exactly a "Bundesliga cross" is? I can understand a "non-MLS" cross, and that would be a good one.
82' Cooper for Brian Ching. Might as well. Cooper is the poor man's Conor Casey. Which is probably way too harsh of a insult. Sorry coop.
85' Looking positively Euro with this one-touch pass possession. Benny Feilhaber might become the best American outfielder in a few years.
86' A screamer by Cooper. Casey is now the poor man's Cooper, that shot was enough.
87' Well, my TV is fucking up, and I can't see anything. This looks like it for the journal, though as we all know, it all ended up OK. Giblinho, signing off.