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DEL.ICIO.USArgentine beauties
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not just their pretty faces, but the way these guys play. Especially on attack.
Riquelme, what a playmaker. Crespo and Saviola got the goals, and the Elephants, one of four African nations making their World Cup debuts, made it close with a late goal but couldn’t equalize. A number of better chances in the first half may come back to haunt them in this Group of Death.
The fellas on XM Radio (Phil Schoen, Manny Lagos) wonder why Carlos Tevez didn’t figure for Argentina, and are questioning Jose Pekerman’s subs in general. I ask where do you put him and Leonel Messi, considering the talent that starts for this team? Better yet, the Argentine defense that doesn’t get much love did a decent job on Didier Drogba.
XM’s play-by-play isn’t bad, but the real value to the service are interviews and analysis around the games. The morning call-in show is nothing special. The bummer is you can’t listen to any XM sports programming on the Internet. Gotta have the receiver at home or in the car.
I’m hesitant to lash out at ABC/ESPN/ESPN2’s coverage since this was my first day listening to the commentary, but I thought doing some of their remote pieces from Belmont Park totally absurd.
The rest of the global media is doing remotes from — outrageously enough — Germany! But the U.S. English-language rights holder? It’s talking soccer, when it’s not promoting its other programming, at a horse track! Yes, I know it’s the site of a race it’s showing later in the day. Only in America, yedy yedy. It’s just cheesy. Like Velveeta.
I was hoping there would be a bit more of an effort to convey the feel of the passion and spectacle of the World Cup, but you’ll have to tune into Univision for that.
Dave O’Brien is a solid announcer, but it’s clear he doesn’t know the game. Too bad Marcelo Balboa was so obsessed with strategy in England-Paraguay that he didn’t offer much perspective on what it’s like to play in the World Cup. John Harkes did that well teaming up with J.P. Dellacamera. Glenn Davis and Shep Messing were fine in the Argie game.
I’ll let this entry be a free-for-all heading into tomorrow’s games, kicking off with Holland-Serbia & Montenegro and Mexico-Iran. Be back with you on Sunday.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bobby Gray
June 10, 2006 5:48 PM | Link to this
I understand what ESPN/ABC are trying to do. They are trying to popularize football through American style commentating. But it is insulting to listen to this man, as if he is commentating for a Nascar race. It is a disgrace. And the random facts they throw at us, who cares? How can you forget Beckham’s name? A commentator actually called him, Michael Beckham. How can you call Ivory Coast, ‘Ivory Croast’? The commentator in that match didn’t say Eboue’s name once in the first half. Maybe because he has never seen or heard of him before. This commentator returns in the second half, and calls Eboue, ‘E-bow-ay’. Insulting. There were so many errors. The commentary was very bland, and to be frank, it insulted my football intelligence. Again, I understand that commentators are trying to popularise the sport of ‘soccer’ in the US, but the commentators so far, have been a disgrace to the beautiful game. That’s just my opinion. The least ESPN/ABC could do, is get someone who knows a little about football.
By Nicholas Irwin
June 10, 2006 7:09 PM | Link to this
Um…there is a GEORGIA boy on the team this year, if you care about such things: Josh Wolff. He was also on the ‘02 team, which is also the team that Mathis was on.
By Nicholas Irwin
June 10, 2006 7:10 PM | Link to this
Oops…I guess that should’ve been in the other entry. Oh well, it’s all on the front page anyway.
By Michael
June 10, 2006 10:50 PM | Link to this
That was Marcelo Balboa that called him Michael Beckham. He corrected himself about 5 seconds later. Have you never listened to a Larry Munson broadcast? He’s easily one of the top college football radio announcers of all time but can mess up names.
I would also tend to give any soccer announcers a break at a World Cup. We’re talking about 32 different nations from 6 continents with 23 players each. It must be EXTREMELY hard to have a lot of knowledge about teams, players, and leagues on seperate continents. If these guys don’t give commentary you like, that’s one thing. But they all seem to be doing the best damn job anybody could do at such a huge event. I hope Dellacamera does at least one of the American games. He’s by far the best soccer announcer in the U.S.
By Henry
June 11, 2006 8:42 AM | Link to this
The ABC/ESPN anouncers are terrible. Here is a sugestion for them to learn how. If you cannot understand what is going on when not looking at the tubem the anouncer should be terminated. I sometimes have to watch Univision to enjoy the pros. 5 down 54 to go. So far so good with one terible game. England vs Paraguay. If the Brits have to depend on Beckhams free kicks so a defender scores for them they should go home. Tabloid greatness does not winn world cups.
By Ryan
June 11, 2006 10:28 AM | Link to this
File this under Wendy’s free for all, but any suggestions how to catch Group E matches tomorrow during the damnable workday? I’m flying during Italy Ghana, but thinking of employing the “really long lunch meeting - with one or two stouts” during USA Czech. Why can’t the U.S. Government just declare a national holiday like every other nation in the world? HA!