i just wanted to be first post...

glad you enjoyed the game wil......

we were doing that too.....
it's too hard to resist, doing the 'khaaaaaannnnnn' yell....

cheers

Hehehe. Love that kaaaahhhn yell. Classic

and now that i am first post, i just wanted to say thanks for the updates on the soccer matches, wil... i read you all the time and admire your writing skills...

i appreciate the football updates - you get me excited about the world cup, which is more than my dad has been able to do...i'm so pumped about the semi-finals and the final game - just not pumped enough to watch it on tv, so please keep up your daily updates...

thanks!
renee in toronto, on

Great game wasn't it! Glad you all enjoyed it. We must all make the most of this world cup!

First let me say that I don't get into sports. Today, however, I had a revelation. Soccer is probably the one sport I can appreciate, if not watch regularly. The players have to THINK, not just follow a plan of action directed by someone else. It's extremely physical without being overly violent (unless you're in the stands) and it takes incredible skill, both mentally and physically, to be a damn good soccer player. If any part of you is lacking, you will not play well. If you don't know your teammates well enough to anticipate where you need to be, you will fail. I cought a glimpse of the game online today, and I have to say that even as a geeky girl with no interest in sports, I can see why this game causes riots. w00t!

Hey Wil,

I guess you will now have to join me in mourning (I'm English - and darnit did we throw away our best chance to win the World Cup in decades :( Well done to USA though. They put up a great fight and deserved at least one goal. Hope the fanbase picks up your side of the Atlantic - your team deserves it. Well, who to support now? I'm pretty sure Brazil will win and, being English it would be nice to say that we lost out to the winners. But my heart is set with Korea. Boy do they have guts. KOREA !!! KOREA !!!

Hey Wil,

Did you as a soccer player like me appreciate Quiddich in Harry Potter and the role of the goal keeper?

Just wondering.

Chris

Hey Wil,

Did you as a soccer player like me appreciate Quiddich in Harry Potter and the role of the goal keeper?

Just wondering.

Chris

Hey Wil,

Did you as a soccer player like me appreciate Quiddich in Harry Potter and the role of the goal keeper?

Just wondering.

Chris

I was up at 5am at the local downtown sports bar with about 300 other bleary eyed americans drinking beer. At 630 the game started at 830 3/4 of us were drunk while the other 1/4 had to goto work. Me being 1 of those that had to goto work =)

It was a good damn game too bad we couldnt pull it off

kaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!

Didn't you wake everyone else in the house up yelling "Kaaaaaahhhhhhhnnn" in the middle of the night?

my brother got up at 5:30 to watch that game.

i figured it was really intense because he kept yelling at the screen.

Hi Wil

Im from Germany and i think the USA Team played very good. The game was very hard for the German Team. I think the USA have the best players and Germany had enough luck to win this game. Without Kahn, USA have win. USA is the real winner. I hope you understand my bad English. Bye Silke from Oldenburg/Germany

Bugger, England lost. Oh well losing against Brazil ain't as bad as it could of been.

Funny to see USA do so well, I picked them out of the Hat in a sweepstake at work 1 month ago and thought that was my 2 Quid out the window, but they did so well i got a bit more out of my money.

Dang, that's dedication.

We couldn't even stay up for the England-Brazil game.

We're weak, I tell you, weak.

KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHN

YOU KILLED OUR CHANCES

I share your sorrow man ;0) Was odd to watch the first half of a football match in bed, then watch the second half in your school hall absolutely packed with students with more patriotism than respect for when their team are diving all over the place. And then, within ten minutes of the game, to be sitting in the library doing drama research. Weird :0/

But commiserations to USA and England - at least there's Portugal '04 for us *Smiles weakly*

haha that is so wierd. I watched the whole game and never thought of the Kahn reference. . and I just watched the movie less than a week ago. Maybe I just don't think at all bout trek. . Oh and I don't think the game came down to the goal keepers. I think it came down to the fact that Donovan sucked. Alot.

predictions:
korea over spain, 3-2
senegal over turkey 1-0

Wil, You are such a trekie! LMAO

wil, i would just like to reiterate....
you are the funniest guy ever
that kaaaaahhhhh thing was great! completely off guard
and i yelled it out loud (at my moms school, in her classroom) and her students were frightened!
it was great!
i love you wil! platonically, that is
so anyway
i must go, as i cannot monopolize her computer!
buahahahah!

shame about the england game :/ i was in the middle of an a-level when i heard the rather disappointing news.
ahh well. two great teams out. i have to say, i'm immensely impressed with the USA - their performance today was fantastic, far better than england's. we played rather idiotically, in fact. but never mind. there's always 2008!

btw, i just linked your site from mine... just checking that's okay.

duh. 2006 would have made more sense.
sorry. mid-exams. it's a trying time :p

I did say the USA had a great chance of beating the germans and although they lost in end i think the performance vindicated my confidence in them. Also it was definate handball on the line by the german defender.

also loved that free kick by ronaldinho, fantastic!

I think USA did much better than Germany today. Sure, as a German, I'm happy the Germans managed to "stay in" a little bit longer, but it was not a game the German team can be proud off - USA did a better job and had more and better chances...
But we had Khhaaaaan (if you ask me, the only reason why we are still in :))

Oh and by the way, I can't spell Kahn....

the game didn't have the right winner - although even as an austrian i have to admit, that the german team is in a way less arrogant than in all the worlcups before - so it is possible to accept their being lucky. very fascinating to most europeans is the us-soccer boom - unpredicable some years ago and highly appreciated by everyone - finally you enter real world series and championships ;)

I think that England vs Brazil was a much more on ur seat game .... :( cos now we are out, thanks to our crappy pot shots. It was a good game, the country taht invented Football, and the country that made it famous.

I managed to catch the second half after I got off work (man nightshift sucks) and was really hoping there for the last half. They played so well I was sure they could pull it off. That one was soooo damn close! Ah well. Maybe next time around.

It's not Kahn, it's Khan.

That is all.

Hey has Wil ever met shatner?

The writing was on that wall from kick-off. USA had loads of shots on target, but if you don't get them against a team like Germany you get punished. Shots on target just make them more determined. At least we've been spared an England vs. Germany final though...

Wil, I think the best thing I can take away from this game is that the US finally played the better game and LOST! They have so long gotten the cheap wins on a few executions, despite giving up three times as many shots. Now they finally play better and lose. This is a team that is now thoroughly on the world stage.

*sigh* USA out.

*sigh* England out.

Is there any justice in the world? :) At least they got farther than perhaps any of us expected!

So, who's gonna win the world cup? My heart says either Korea or Senegal, my head says Brazil. Hopefully Argentina have a better chance of winning the world cup than Germany...

Roll on Euro 2004!

*sigh* USA out.

*sigh* England out.

Is there any justice in the world? :) At least they got farther than perhaps any of us expected!

So, who's gonna win the world cup? My heart says either Korea or Senegal, my head says Brazil. Hopefully Argentina have a better chance of winning the world cup than Germany...

Roll on Euro 2004!

Hi Wil,

I`m glad that you enjoyed the game. I didn`t! :-)
You Americans were more than a match for us. You kept our team very busy on that field. During most parts of the game USA was the better team, technically speaking. I am German and I like soccer, so I am glad that our team made it to the semi-finals (and believe me: this is where it will stop!), but bravo to Team USA for having done a great tournament.

Hey! I'm so happy i found this website cause i'm such a big fan! i think you are just awesome! I have your movie Stand By Me and it is my favorite movie of all time! i love your daily (well sometimes daily) updates. you make me crack up alot! well i just like you to know of another nerdy :) fan out there!

Steph

Hey! I'm so happy i found this website cause i'm such a big fan! i think you are just awesome! I have your movie Stand By Me and it is my favorite movie of all time! i love your daily (well sometimes daily) updates. you make me crack up alot! well i just like you to know of another nerdy :) fan out there!

Steph

Hey! I'm so glad i found this site cause i am such a big fan! I loved you in Stand By Me (have the movie) among other movies! I think you are awesome! I want to be an actress! When are you going to get the section on your site for aspiring young actors or do you already have it up. i think you are great from nerd to nerd ;)
thanks for such a great sight

Stephanie

sorry i didn't mean to post that 3 times not good with computers so just don't think i'm stalking you

p.s told you i'm a nerd :(

Hey, you guys played a lot better than I had expected you to. You nearly got us, but that strange mixture of luck and total incompetence saved us again. I wonder how long this will go on.
I don´t think we´ll pass the semi-finals either, but:

We´ve defeated the Empire!!!

YES!

Oh, btw. please don´t declare us terrorists now...

Oh well. There's always the next World Cup, I suppose. And for some odd reason I think Germany is going to pull out the overall win. Call it a hunch.

I also agree that Germany will pull it off. The last game was a real eye-opener for them. The USA did extremely well and surprised a lot of people.

having a strong u.s.a. soccer (football) team gets us more respect in some parts of the world than anything else we could do...and unlike the evil star trek "khan"...this one didn't do it "for hate's sake"...and after the fantastiic run of the u.s.a. soccer team...all i can say is "i feel young"...d.burr

also congrats to my long lost relatives in germany...condolences to my long lost relatives in ireland...better luck next time...d. burr

Well, really lots of luck on our part (I'm German).

The last thing I heard before I switched the TV off was Klinsmann saying: "Well, we played even worse against the Czech Republic in 1990 and then won the cup..." Amen to that one :-)

Wil, it wasn't your American eyes...my very German-biased husband thought it was a bad call, that gave Germany the free kick resulting in the goal. The US played hard...however...my husband was confident enough in Germany that he decided against attending last night's game...he hold's tickets to Tuesday night, I'm having a hard time getting him to come down off the ceiling.

It was a typical German World Cup match I'm afraid. If there's one team that always drags themselves through with a 1-0 it's the Germans.

The only scant consolation is that England beat them 5-1 during the qualifiers.

Oh, and that Oliver Kahn looks like the guy from Castle Wolfenstein...

being a scotsman I had no team at the world cup to support...however I had pulled the usa out of the hat in my office sweepstake so had a vested interest in u guys doin well...did my best homer simpson "u-s-a, u-s-a" chants whilst watchin their games and I am just hellasorry that u guys lost out to what was a very definite penalty for handling on the goal line...what makes it sadder is that the referee was a guy called hugh dallas from scotland...the shame...i love u guys as eric cartman would say...

being a scotsman I had no team at the world cup to support...however I had pulled the usa out of the hat in my office sweepstake so had a vested interest in u guys doin well...did my best homer simpson "u-s-a, u-s-a" chants whilst watchin their games and I am just hellasorry that u guys lost out to what was a very definite penalty for handling on the goal line...what makes it sadder is that the referee was a guy called hugh dallas from scotland...hellalame...the shame...i love u guys as eric cartman would say...

Wil?

Just wondering! Have you heard of the Hollywood United football team? They are mainly made up of British ex-pats (but they wont hold that against you ;o)), and I read somewhere, that they are always on the look-out for fresh meat, I...I mean talent! lol

I know Rod Stewart plays for them, as well as a few of the Sex Pistols and Vinnie Jones has turned out for them a few times as well!

Time to give a big thanks to all the old school American players who made this possible. Guys like Alexi Lalas (who didn't play on this World Cup Team) Agoos, Balboa(who also missed this one) Cobi Jones, and Ernie Stewart. Guys that in many cases were walk ons for their collegiate teams. Alexi for Rutgers and Cobi for UCLA. They weren't supposed to make it to the international level but they did. If Ernie had been called up to the Dutch national team he'd have never played in a World Cup as the Netherlands have failed to make it the last two times.

Thank you for the memories and with guys like Mastroeni, Donovan and Beasley, I am really looking forward to the future.

soccer is confusing. just cuz i know nothing about it.
and when the ball comes at your head? that's scary.

Soccer Is definitely a third world sport.BORING!! It's funny how "soccer enthuiasists" try to ram their little sport down peoples throats. If you don't like it you don't understand it!! Waaaahh!! they try to put the ball in the goal, and it does'nt happen much. Take your Soccer and shove it up your ASSES!!

Hey Wil,
I didn't watch the game .... yes, beat me with a stick... but I didn't need to, with your great recaps!
Lily

You're into soccer, too? And hockey?

Hmmm... there was a film called Baseketball, so why not...

Soccerockey!

Hey, Wil!

You should have heard that "Kaaaaahhhhhhnnnnnnn" yell in the pup in Kempten (germany) I watched the game (funnily it was an american bar called "rookies").

I died several most cruel deaths watching the USA's wonderful forceful play and was raised into heaven seeing Ballak make the goal.

Olli Kahn stole the game from the USA.

Now it's 8:30 the next day and I watch the game of our next contrahent. I think it will be spain...

I was just pissed the USA beat Mexico, they did play far beyond what anyone (including mexico) expected. props for going down well...It was a good day to die...;-) i couldnt help myself

Balls, the handball incident was a definate and should have resulted in a penalty kick and a sending off. We in England must have had different coverage of the game because on the replay it clearly shows the ball hitting the defenders wrist, the arm snapping back from the impact and the ball bouncing out. The USA did score in that game and were cheated out of thier world cup advancement by a poor German. The Germans as usual dived whenever anyone got near. And the whole game was a farce. Now is the time for the fourth official to be watching replays throughout the game and relaying it back to the ref. I'm sick of the fouls, shirt pulling, simulation and other cheating that's gone into this world cup.

It was definitely a penalty for handball - Blindo Hugh Dallas must have thought he was back at home in Scotland to miss that one. Might not have changed the outcome, but it would have made it a lot more interesting.

Wil, at the risk of sounding commercial, I have one word of advice to you to avoid middle of the night referee calls.......... TiVo.

I think a lot of people are forgetting that the United States was ranked 10th in the world coming into this World Cup. Just because we tend to underachieve on the International stage, and our best club side probably couldn't beat a bunch of Portugese university students, doesn't mean that we didn't belong in the Quarterfinals.

But hopefully now MLS will start to resemble a Football Association with real footballers that play real football with a real football. (Can you tell I'm not a Raiders fan?)

My commiserations to the USA team, but my heart is broken from the lucklustre performance that saw a not-great (relatively compared to teams in their history) Brazil take England out.

We really had a chance to make this another 1966 but we were too tired and inflexible. Perhaps the players play too many games during the normal league run (what with the English Premiership, Champions League etc etc)

Korea vs Spain though - WOW! Another shocker in a perhaps the most surprising World Cup ever (eg France out, Argentina out, Italy out etc). Its a pity had that otherwise Man of the Match Joaquin had to marr the ending with an angry outburst directed against officials.

I'm even surprising myself by rooting for the Koreans to win! Their fitness and gamesmanship has been a breath of fresh air. When we routinely have players diving for penalties, pretending that they're hurt when they're clearly not, pulling shirts, pushing, using elbows etc - its refreshing to see the Koreans get up after a nasty tackle and play on without having to stop the game for a bout of histrionics.

Just like Andy Taylor said above, my heart says Korea, my head says Brazil (although a Brazil - Germany final would be great).

Penalty would have been a harsh call and a red card would have been a crime.

The defender even tried to get his arm out of the way, this would never have been called a handball on the field so why should it have been a handball on the line?

The red card comes if it is a DELIBIRATE handball... but I guess Da was one of the 80% of people in Britain a recent poll showed didn't know the laws of the game :p

Wil! I was a goalkeeper as well and I have to say this World Cup has been a former goalkeeper's dream to watch! So many of these games have been decided by the keepers. I was sad to see Friedel beaten by a free kick that shoudn't have even happened. (Germany must be taking acting lessons from Mexico, eh?) He had a hell of a run. I admit he wasn't my favorite American Keeper going in. (KELLER KELLER KELLER!) But damn he made me proud!

Oh well, the world is officially on notice. USA... The Sleeping Giant has awoken!

Burma- OUT

Did not Landon Donavan have an incredible tournament? WOW!

Kaaaaahhhhnnnn! He is the only reason we are not in the semi-final.

GO USA!

Shouldn't that read Captain Fucking Kirk?

Kaaaaaahhhhnnnnnn! ((laughs)) That never gets old.

What channle dos these soccer game's come on? I'm going to have to check it out.

Today is my 18th birthday! Now I can rent porn. ((laughs))

Odd.
I hang out on the Children of Acid site. Guess who I see?
Wil Wheaton.
Not to cut you down or anything but, you hardly seem like an Acidhead.
But then again, looks aren't everything. I don't personally know you or anything, I've been to this site a couple times and you seem to be a little too settled to be a Lords Of Acid freak.

Oh I quite agree with you on the handball issue and Kahn was the best in that game. Amazing. With that game, he has become one of my most favoured goalkeepers. Later.

Hey Wil and everyone else -

Okay, it would have been interesting to see the US advance but, really - would it have meant ANYTHING except to the few soccer fans in this country? No way. When you get the President of South Korea, after the Koreans won today, stating "This is the happiest day in our country in five thousand years" (okay, maybe that's a little paraphrased) do you think we, as a country REALLY deserved it? Don't think so. The guys on the US team certainly DID deserve it but it would have been anything of consequence to this counrty? Nope, I don't think so. I think George II MIGHT have given it an "Oh, that's nice" but not much more than that and the vast, vast majority of sports fans out there would have just brushed it off.

Later,

K

Somehow, I'm not surprised Uncle Wil likes the Lords of Acid, Andromeda.

The red card comes if it is a DELIBIRATE handball... but I guess Da was one of the 80% of people in Britain a recent poll showed didn't know the laws of the game :p

Posted by Jói at June 22, 2002 06:53 AM

You see, that means your giving the German player the benefit of the doubt. I am not from the multitude of camera angles I've seen my opinion is that:
A: Tha ball was struck with enough force to move the arm and deflec should the arm NOT have been held in position.
B: The arm was held away from the body sufficiently to deflect the ball even though the player was holding onto the goal with both hands previously.
C: Germany always cheat at this level of play. The ref should have scorecards for the dives.

I told you Germany will win...

I saw the game from Cairns, Australia live too. I am an American on a study abroad. That kick that resulted in the point definitly did not look like a foul, in fact, to me at least, none of them looked like they deserved anything (maybe a couple here and there). I really wish they could have won -- especially since I was watching the game with several Germans. Either way, it was a good showing, especially considering that the USA has only ever made it this far one other time (1930's I think). --llanos

Still in mourning over England being resoundly thrashed to bits by Brazil, but at least when my husband and I go out now, we'll be spared a white and red painted neanderthal bawling 'Owwwaaayyyy The Lads!! C'mon Becks! Innngerlund, Ingerlund!!' Dunno how the USA are doing at the time of writing, but it's great to see 'em in the games!

Cool site Will....BTW, here's one (very ancient) Trekkie who actually LIKED Wesley Crusher, AND who LOVES Russell Watson's theme to Enterprise ;)...ok, so shoot me!!

Losta Hugs :)

MadamCodXXXXXXXXXXX

.....oookkkaaay, so I didn't read the thread carefully enough. Ah Well, Team USA will have a chance in 2006!

....and I don't have to wear a chicken costume!!! My american co-worker and I had a bet on the game, the loser had to come to work dressed up as a chicken. Thank god for Kahn!

Joi - That number (80% of england doesn't know the rules). Ask any diehard fan of the big four US sports and I doubt they could define a balk or infield fly in baseball, holding in football, icing in hockey or why most fouls are called in basketball. Cheering like blind fools must be more important than having much of a knowledge of the game.

k

Da:

> B: The arm was held away from the body sufficiently to deflect the ball
> even though the player was holding onto the goal with both hands previously.

"Look, he's moved! Must be cheating!!!"

> C: Germany always cheat at this level of play.

Now, that's a great way of deciding whether to send a player off or not.

If I had it on tape I could comment on your first point, too, but the last two definitely weren't very convincing.

It should have been a penalty though.

Anybody but the Germans! Now England, Ireland, USA and Senegal are out Im cheering for South Korea! Nice to see them beat Spain! ha ha ha!

That part during halftime when TeamUSA were about to tunnel there way to freedom but then decided to return and play the rest of the match with Germany...that was priceless.

Bushie Bush

Ok so maybe the last one was a bit of a dig. :p

hey k, there are actually more soccer fans in the u.s. than you might believe - and think of it this way: we have probably the same amount of fans that are in england, or germany or spain. it's not our fault we have a bigger population that makes the soccer-loving majority seem lesser... :-P the way soccer has been organized in our schools though, i know many many kids my age (17) who love soccer - and as more generations learn it, it will become bigger - just like our other games, it has to become more ingrained. also, i really don't think it matters how happy the president is - if south korea has nothing to be prouder of in 5000 years, something is seriously wrong. (well, duh, :p) and if it makes ya feel better, dubya called the team pre-game.

Hey "Uncle Willie",
Okay, I AM V DISAPPOINTED THE US LOST!!!!! & it figures you'd root for the germans :P but anyway, eNGLAND lost and thats all that matters. Love ya!!

Wil - you are such a cool dad! I'm two years into my journey into fatherhood, and I have to admit you inspire me. It sounds like you offer your kids a lot of strength, courage and fun.

We didn't watch much soccer together (hey my daughter is two years old - waking up at 4 in the morning is the *last* thing I'm going to encourage!!), but we did a lot of cheering for Canada's hockey teams in the Olympics. When I ask her who her favourite team is, she now smiles and yells "CANADA". Too cool.

I enjoy reading about your life and family.

Blog on, m'man!

Am still sad that USA lost. They were the best there. Germany only won because of luck.

Bye, Helene

In case you sleep through any of the remaining games....you can find great commentary on http://www.worldcupblog.org

It's getting great reviews and it's as hilarious as it is serious about the sport.

Fun.

hi!!
There was (or this still is) a webpage (don't know the title): there is a a drownd Enterprise bridge with Jirk and his crew. Below this there are colors, if you click on them you will hear someething nice:))!! Like this Khaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn!!!!! or Enterpriiiseeee with a strange looking!! It's cool!! If anyone fond this please send me the title of this page! Thanks! Have everyone a nice summer holiday!!!! (Evrybody have a summer holidayya lalalala la...!!!) Agi

Surprised you even know about it, let alone be watching

Surprised you even know about it, let alone be watching zip code database. Web page

I know Eric in Antalya of Turky .Father of Marvin with meravilios bady.The bady perfect and Simpatic

I know Eric in Antalya of Turky .Father of Marvin with meravilios bady.The bady perfect and Simpatic