They're well organised at the back, but they're defending too deep. Not impressed with their midfield. Bradley seems to have regressed.

I think with other sports hugely taking the interest of too great a proportion of kids - from a deep cultural perspective - both the core support and, more importantly, the player-base, will stop football really taking off there.

More WC heart break for Ghana. Real chance USA will progress in secon dplace from this group. USA v Portugal will be interesting.

Same as here in Australia. Football here has taken off is a massive way these last few years. We get 48,000 to the Sydney derby and 55,000 to the derby in Melbourne.

Manchester City have taken over Melbourne Heart and re branded them Melbourne City and the New York club (also owned in part by city) are loaning out players to Melbourne (David Villa is going there after the world cup).

However the media in Australia are still very anti football. Much of the media sports funding comes from AFL and NRL so they have vested interests in keeping the game in its box. Same in America.

If it becomes massive in America it will do the same here, just because Australia is so Americanised now.

The Ghananian manager for me had a major mare by not playing Kevin Prince-Boateng from the start. I don't know whether it was because he wasn't fully match fit or he was being disrespectful to the States by resting him. Either way it came back to bite him in the arse. The US were well and truly under the cosh in the second half after he came on, but yet again the US mentality of never giving up won the day.

I thought Beckerman was superb. Very impressed with him. He took up the defensive duties Bradley (who was very poor) was originally tasked with. Impressed wth Johnson too.

Football, herein referred to as 'Soccer', in the USA will never be as big as the 'core' American sports: American Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Ice Hockey.  Even down here in SoCal, which is almost 50% Hispanic population, Baseball rules.  Unfortunately, those who are interested in soccer tend to have recent and deep roots to Mexico and Central America and will always cheer on or if lucky enough play for the team of their parents country.  Which, is a real shame as the grassroots game, so to speak is thriving, and everywhere you look there's recreation league games and kickabouts on any strip of grass.  The University soccer leagues are also quite strong, but the journeyman effect and the franchise model just don't make that step up work like it does in Europe/established nations.  Last but not least, the massive distances in USA mean people are just not willing to follow their club team multiple times across country.  There's still some ingredient missing.

All that said though, nothing has regressed and over the 6 years I have been here, if anything more and more people are soccer aware.  TV coverage of world club football is much better with Sky Sports streams used for EPL games (good knowledgable commentary, coverage, and pundittry enhance peoples enjoyment and understanding).  And this is a digression but to show the increasing interest in other non-American sports, ESPN even stream Test Match cricket courtesy of Sky Sports  'Muricans still don't get it though 

Yep, here in Sydney 'soccer' was always a 'wog' sport for the Greek, Italian and Balkans communities and seen as 'unAustralian'

Only is the last few years is this view changing, the future is looking bright for domestic football in Australia. Especially as teams are now doing well in the Asian Champions Leauge. Many in Japan, China and Korea are following the Australian domestic football and many Asians are startign to attend games here.

Asian money is also starting to flow in to the game here. Western Sydney Wanderers are part ownded by a Chinese multi millionaire buisness man.

Upset the apple cart tonight and going for Mexico to win against Brazil.....Whatever the outcome it will be a battle....

England team swimming in a sea of positivity:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27875038

Defiinitely give the impression of being the type of team which gets better and better as the tournament progresses.

It does seem like an African team is no closer to winning the World cup than they were 20 years, inspite of all the player exposure to European football.

Nigeria of 1994 were much better than this current lot

Looking forward to Belgium vs Algeria. Certainly much Tottenham interest there. I'm especially interested to see how well Tim Sherwood plays.

Was an interesting WC in 1994, some records still stand too.

Oldest known player to play in a WC Roger Miller for Cameroon was 42 years old against Russia in USA 94. And the most goals scored in a single game by the same player was by Oleg Salenko who scored 5!..... again in the same game against Cameroon. Still an all time record, try and beat that Ronaldo and Neymar!

Well they've certainly underperformed, not having been to the World Cup for 12 years.

As for the Premiership, well I expect the Belgian manager to start just one of the three Tottenham players (Vertonghen) - assuming no injury issues. And he'll be plonked in a position he absolutely detests i.e. LB.

Yes, contrary to my last post, the win yesterday has lifted a few eyebrows here in USA, and the media is full of news and talk about the win over Ghana.  Being drawn against Ghana was the best thing that could happen for USA as they have been billed as USA's nemesis team (like Germany are to England).  The late Ghana goal and then late winner had left the game on a  cliffhanger, which really captured attention.  I couldn't believe my ears when they were chatting about it on the breakfast radio on my drive to work this morning, where they usually only discuss traditional American ball sports, motorsports, and golf.

Interesting point to consider. If Belgium started with a near first XI of Premier League players (unlikely but hypothetically), would that mean they could suffer from the same failings that England do on the World stage, in that the English Premier League game style is (often touted as) not suited to international football?

Ghana would have been in the semis 4 years ago had they scored the penalty gifted to them by Suarez's handball on the line, and Cameroon would have got to that stage in Italia '90 had they not surrendered the 2-1 lead they had against England in extra-time in the QF. Off the top of my head I can't recall whether or not any other African nations have reached the last 8 of the World Cup.

So far this is the worst game of the World Cup by a country mile.

Well, as I predicted a rather dull World Cup I am happy to admit that I have been wrong ( so far). For me, it has been rather good, I hope it continues!