In a game clearly dominated by the Koreans, US goalie Friedel comes up with monstrous saves to preserve a tie.

Ahn Jung Hwan’s second-half header cancelled out a slick Clint Mathis strike as the Group D upstarts split the points in the red cauldron of Daegu, Korea. The home side very easily could have won the match as they not only had a Eul Yong Lee penalty saved by Brad Friedel, but they created far and away the greater number of chances.

You can say that again! The US will have to be sharper against Poland if they want to advance to the next round!

Can Team USA make it two in a row?

Not even the most ardent red, white, and blue supporter would have put a bet down on their boys going 3-0 up on group favourites Portugal after just a bit over 30 minutes, much less winning the match with the talent-laden Iberians.

Amen to that! But now, we’re playing a team that I expected them to beat anyway. Hopefully they won’t get overconfident and will play with the same intensity that they did against Portugal.

I thought I had lost this!

##Not Lost After All!

[[cousins]]

I was sure that I had lost this picture when the CD that it was on was damaged. It turns out, however, that it wasn’t on that CD! Thank God!!! This was the first time in nearly 25 years that all of us were together (I think the last time was when Faith was just three years old!!!). Who knows when this will happen again.

This is a double blessing because the CD that I thought the picture was on is destroyed beyond repair.

OK people… this is just plain stupid.

An internet site has gained nearly 4000 signatures on a petition to change the name of the second instalment of The Lord of the Rings…

The petition reads: Those of us who have seen The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring know what an amazing director Peter Jackson is . . . However Peter Jackson has decided to tastelessly name the sequel The Two Towers. The title is clearly meant to refer to the attacks on the World Trade Center. In this post-September 11 world, it is unforgivable that this should be allowed to happen. The idea is both offensive and morally repugnant.

I can only conclude that the people that started this petition are either:

• Stupid
• Ignorant
• Just Kidding

If so, there should be a disclaimer somewhere on the page.

Let’s get one thing straight… **The Two Towers** isn’t the name Peter Jackson chose, it’s the name Tolkien chose 50 years ago.

The United States shocked Portugal with three goals in the first 36 minutes, then held on for the upset at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Korea to move to the top of Group D with FIFA World Cup™ co-host Korea.

###What a GOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!

[[mcbride_goal]]

The US beats Portugal 3-2 in their World Cup Opener

###The Miracle on Turf?

[[us*worldcup*team_2002]]

Football-mad Portugal was swept by a wave of disappointment following a surprise defeat to the United States in its World Cup debut that left many fans shaking their heads in disbelief.

[[american_flag]]

Could it be possible? Could the US actually advance in the World Cup? Well, that seems all the more likely now. The US team simply outplayed one of the best teams in the world.

I believe this is the easiest game of this phase. If we don’t win this match, then we are doing badly, socialist member of parliament Alberto Arons de Carvalho told daily A Capital on Wednesday.

I hate to break it to you buddy, but just as socialism is an abject failure, so is your football team!

With that victory, it seems more than likely that we can win our group and start the second round in the top bracket. Onward and upward.

It’s hard to say if this should be taken seriously or just as pregame posturing.

Clint Mathis and Claudio Reyna are both injured.

Two of the most recognizable names on the U.S. squad sheet may be missing from the final eleven for the North American outsiders’ Group D opener with European powerhouse Portugal on 5 June in Suwon. However, the side remains driven by the steam of a brave team spirit, oozing solidarity.

Hopefully we can do what Senegal did to France, and South Korea did to Poland… provide the world with another upset.

This is the best US team ever. We should be a lock on the second round. But first, we have to perform well against a superior Portugal tomorrow morning. Set your alarms!

And they said it couldn’t be done.

In a research paper published a few days ago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology student Andrew Huang detailed the procedure by which he retrieved the software “keys” that a game disc must contain for the Xbox to recognize its contents as legitimate code. Using the key, hackers presumably could write Web browsers, MP3 players and other sought-after applications for the console.

Rabid soccer fans in Boston don’t mind passing on sleep to watch the World Cup in real time

Tape delay is for sissies. We want our World Cup, and we want it now.

Why else would Rakey Donohue, his girlfriend Denise Ryan, I, and 85 other sleep-deprived World Cup-aholics have packed Bad Abbots, an Irish-style soccer bar in Quincy at 2:30 on Saturday morning? When I suggested to Rakey that it might be more convenient to watch ABC’s rebroadcast of the critical Ireland vs. Cameroon match at 3:30 that afternoon, he shot back: Are you mad?

This is gonna be me tomorrow morning… US vs. Portugal. Come on people… support your team!!!