Dear England,
5-3. Can you believe it? Sure, it’s from a hockey game. But we lost to the States. At our own game. A game that they, as a country, don’t really care about. It was awful. So, so awful. I was 
actually in America when it happened.
Did I mention that already? I was there. In their country. Living openly as a Canadian. It was unbearable. They are unbearable when they beat you. In May, I caught shit for it. In May. Three months after the fact.
“Hey, isn’t hockey your sport? Like, the most important thing to your country? And we beat you? Right? We beat you, right? God, that’s gotta be awful. Does it hurt?”
Yeah. Of course it hurts. Because you know. You know that your country could do better, should do better. Is it because of the global spread of the game? The influx of foreigners into “our league?” Hell, “our league” is run by an American now. Did you know that? He’s from Queens. He worked in basketball. And now he runs the league Eddie Livingstone started in a hotel in Montreal. Sorry, you guys don’t care. You’ve gotta be wondering why this is analogous.
Well, here it is. Look at the American hockey team. Now, you’re English, so maybe you don’t recognize their names. Let me explain something. Almost none of those guys, if they were Canadian, would start on the national hockey team. Got it? Now break out your copy of the American World Cup squad. How many guys make England’s final squad? How many start? Tim Howard, granted. You’ve got goalkeeping trouble, I get that. Anyone else? Does Clint Dempsey beat Joe Cole for a spot in the first XI? Would you take Landon Donovan over Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard? You wouldn’t, would you?
But yeah. They might beat you. You feel it, don’t you? They really could beat you. They might catch you on an off day. They could get lucky, because you have to know they’re going to be up for it. They’ve been up for it since the draw, maybe even earlier. And you may very well lose. And it will suck. But hey, it might just work out in the end.
Sincerely yours,
Canada
2010 Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalists (but only barely)
Gareth Simpson is a Canadian writer and student-on-hiatus. For reasons he will never really understand, you can follow him on Twitter.
Read More: England, USA, World Cup
by Gareth Simpson · June 11, 2010
Hahaha, oh you guys. Now I don’t even know what to think about this match.
Byfuglien and Kane would start for Canada- Kane on line one and Byfuglien on the checking line, for sure. Maybe Miller starts in goal, maybe a couple of the guys who stayed home for the US at least would make the team. And Bettman is maybe the worst case of failing up I’ve ever seen- and I was there for Steve McLaren and Houllier (low blow? Maybe, but Houllier went from five strikers to one and I’ll never forgive him for Cisse). If Dempsey were from anywhere else in the world he would probably get a lot more respect, I feel. Him, Howard, and maybe Gooch start for England, and Spector would be in the final squad (style doesn’t fit the U.S.’s style, but he’s a prototype RB for an English 4-4-2, up to and including catastrophic failures of concentration).
@Joe Agree to disagree. National bias may play into it, but I’d take Iginla over Kane every day of the week. Kane’s been good lately, but Iginla has been one of the best players in the world for years (and is a born leader.) Same with Miller, who hit a good run of form. I can’t say he is better than Brodeur (or even Luongo, based on sheer talent.) It’s galling, but I get that’s the point.
To your point on the footballers, I’ll buy Howard as a starting keeper. I’d take Dempsey over Wright-Phillips, but on form Walcott beats them both. I’ll also grant you that I prefer Spector over Carragher at RB, but a truly despicable part of me prefers Gary Neville to the both of them. But that’s it. It’s all just banter anyways.
@Gareth- Dempsey has a bit of magic that few players have, that rare combination of skill, fortitude, and a sense of a moment that allow individual moments of brilliance that only a few players in the world can equal (the Nedved gear, as I call it). Fewer still can be that brilliant over an entire match- see Real Madrid v. Man U. in 2002 ( I think I have the right year), where we saw Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Figo, and Zidane do it. You take a player like Dempsey (and on a higher scale, Gerrard or Rooney), because you only need that one moment in a football match. Wolcott and Wright Phillips don’t bring that to the table, part of the reason that wingers come and go until you find one who has that magic, and part of why Blanco has stayed so long on Mexico.
I forgot about Iginla, but Kane plays on the wing. I’m sure there’s a spot for him. Maybe he can take Toews’s, who disappeared in the Stanley Cup.
Cool, we can talk hockey: no way anyone starts ahead of Ryan Miller. It doesn’t really matter which country or team. The only one I would consider taking over him is Jaroslav Halak. And Toews disappeared for the first three games but was outstanding in the last three. The same is true for Kane and Buff. And Ignila any day of the week would be my pick.
I think the US has an edge, but only because this game is the only game for them. England is more focused on the quarters. Maybe if Rooney is on fire (perhaps literally) then there could be a blowout.
well well well!
I am English which means that today I stand, accompanied by many, in the all too familiar schism between blind optimism of 66′ recreation and the tacit agreement with my inner-self acknowledging the all too common feeling of England’s imminent WC exit.
This is year is worst than normal we kick the whole thing off with a game against a country who’s football terminology makes them sound like a 90-year-old trying to explain what the internet is and the plausible uses of twitter. A country who play sports that the rest of the world pay little attention to while calling them the World Series. A country who’s meddling in international relations is as subtle as a Roberto Carlos free-kick run-up! A country who are the least gracious in defeat as well as the least humble in victory! My blood boils and my toes curl up the millisecond the sounds of “USA, USA, USA” reach my eardrums. Annoyingly, added to all of this USA’s WC 2010 squad is actually quite good! I will admit I am a little scared and for good reason.
With players such as Donavan and Dempsy who have shown in the past they can perform to world-class levels when the moment requires. The opening game of a world-cup against their professors of football, England, is indeed one of those moments! England on the other hand have been lack-luster in their warm-up games as well as having a centre-back with knees as weak as Bush’s foreign policy. The starting 11 is as little known to the squad as it is to the public, with fears that Gerrard will once again be pushed out to the left-wing and Heskey will be failing over in the box for 90-minutes.
With the same annoying mis-lead belief that has Tottenham fans claiming they are a big club, I think we will do it, cause well….. we are England and this is Football not soccer.
I will now remove my tongue that was only very slightly in my cheek
@Joe “I will now remove my tongue that was only very slightly in my cheek.” Good! Now be prepared to accept my boot as I stick only very slightly up your ass! USA, USA, USA!
I knew this would happen if we let hockey come into this.
hehe
Nothing like a bit of banter to ginger me up for the game!
I wish USA the best of luck, especially in the 2nd round against Germany
Thank you, Tim Howard. Also Bob Green. I’ll take it, happily.
What lineup adjustments, if any, do you guys see for Slovenia?
England did their best to throw this game away, so I guess it was a fair result in the end.
usa topped the group. that’s kind of like beating england, isn’t it?
Re-read this again. A nice memory of both that round-robin game (and the soccer-like horizontal dogpile) and of Zach Parise’s seconds-left equalizer in the gold medal game (no less exciting than Bradley’s vs. SVN IMO, though it was ultimately for naught).
Hey, from an American: you know it’s only w/ you two, right? The ribbing is much less fun and rewarding when tried w/ other countries. Could be just the language thing.