# Prelude to South Africa 2010: the 2009 Confederation Cup **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 12, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553 "2009-06-12T15:16:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/221 "2009-06-28T18:24:56Z")
Ok, folks, it’s showtime! Now, to see if it’s fluke or reality. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/222 "2009-06-28T18:43:52Z")
Dempsey scores!!! ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/223 "2009-06-28T18:45:30Z")
And Brazil is trailing for the first time in the tournament! I hope they can keep this up. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/224 "2009-06-28T18:49:36Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Dempsey scores!!! Good ball in, and enough of a touch to wrong foot the keeper… then the SA video feed gets interrupted, so I turn to the Dope while listening to the commentary in Sotho… ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/225 "2009-06-28T18:51:22Z")
It definitely gave them some spirit. They’re looking pretty good right now. I figure is they can keep it this way, the whole second half will be 11 men behind the ball. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/226 "2009-06-28T18:55:15Z")
Holy. Crap. Look, I’ll be blunt - after I wasted a day off to watch the second match the only thing going through my head was “Czech Republic 2006, where we excelled in passing backwards”. We got into the semis on a huge fluke. But the Spain match …good god, we looked like a different team (would it be too snarky to say “like a real team”?), and so far in this match we do as well. 75 minutes until the fat lady sings and, while I expect a dirge in the end (I mean, c’mon…), it’s incredibly rewarding to not be embarrassed by our performance in the latter stages of this tournament. ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/227 "2009-06-28T19:01:33Z")
Well bloody hell! Awesome break-away from the USA! Brazil themselves would have been happy with that (then again, they’d probably be happy with a tap in right about now)… ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/228 "2009-06-28T19:01:38Z")
2-0 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/229 "2009-06-28T19:01:41Z")
WOO!!! Did you guys see that? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/230 "2009-06-28T19:01:43Z")
Donovan!!! ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/231 "2009-06-28T19:02:49Z")
That was a great second score! USA 2, Basil 0! ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/232 "2009-06-28T19:08:04Z")
Eventually I’m going to have to say something nice about an Everton player. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/233 "2009-06-28T19:08:26Z")
ESPN swapped it from 2 to 1. So I missed the first goal during church as it wasn’t taped. Jerks. But that second was amazing. Where has this team been? ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/234 "2009-06-28T19:15:41Z")
From BBC live text: > [@](#): > > 2012: Luis Fabiano runs just offside and the Brazilians are growing increasingly frustrated. They are probably as disbelieving as the Spanish were on Thursday. Where has this USA team come from?? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/235 "2009-06-28T19:20:06Z")
Half time. Up 2 - 0. Who woulda thunk it? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/236 "2009-06-28T19:26:00Z")
I don’t quite know what to say. Amazing. This is NOT the same team that played the first two games. It can’t be. 2 - 0 over Brazil. C’est incredible!!! 😃 :eek: ETA: I think we will need a third goal to win. EATA: God am I tired of Messi’s shoes and the “spark”. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/237 "2009-06-28T19:26:26Z")
So what’s the key here? Y’all can see the mistakes we’re making, particularly with poor passing/communication. Are we being underestimated (the other side not capitalizing on those errors)? Is it just because we have a killer defense? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/238 "2009-06-28T19:28:37Z")
> [@chique](#): > > Is it just because we have a killer defense? The goalkeeper certainly deserves a fruit basket… or something… ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/239 "2009-06-28T19:29:31Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > The goalkeeper certainly deserves a fruit basket… or something… See post #232. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553/240 "2009-06-28T19:35:36Z")
Bob Bradley DOES have a brain! Brilliant game strategy. Don’t even bother to contest a midfield battle you know you can’t win. Let Brazil’s wingers do whatever they want. Then dominate the middle-back by heading out any passes in. Allow them to shoot from distance cuz Howard’s got that. Then score on counters and set-plays. Bravo Bradley! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prelude-to-south-africa-2010-the-2009-confederation-cup/499553.md?page=13)