Open Thread: Italy v. Spain & USA v. Barbados (2nd half Italy-Spain Liveblog)

Well, it doesn't look like any of us are available for duty to day, so please use this thread to amuse yourselves.

Suggested things to discuss:
Why a certain player will go to your favorite club and be awesome.
Why a certain player will go to your rival and suck balls.
How a crazed lunatic can pull a wife like to the right. (NSFW pic link)
Does Donadoni really look like Wayne Coyne or is it just me?

Lineups after the jump. Have fun and stay awake.

Italy-Spain 14.45 EDT (ESPN)
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Aquilani, De Rossi, Massimo Ambrosini, Perrotta, Cassano, Toni.

Spain: Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila, Senna, Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Villa, Torres.



USA-Barbados 15.00 EDT (ESPN Classic)
USA: Guzan; Moor, Califf, DeMerit, Pearce; Kljestan, Szetela, Bradley, Lewis; Adu, Beasley.
Subs: Seitz; Bocanegra, Onyewu; Thorrington; Shea, Barrett, Rolfe.

Barbados: Rouse; Neblett, Straker, Boyce, Skeete; Nurse, Parris, Miller; Ifill, McCammon, Williams.


46:00 Hello gents and ladies...I just got done signing my contract with Arsene Wenger and achieving fame and fortune like Nike promised.

Hopefully we will get a bit of excitement in this 2nd half.

48:00 Iniesta blew a wonderful chance when Torres picked him out in the box and David Villa dummied the ball. Iniesta was in on goal too. Woeful touch.

49:00 David Villa had a wonderful turn inside the 6 yard box after collecting a ricochet but dawdled on the ball allowing Chiellini to recover and block his shot.

50:00 Toni offside just barely on a Grosso cross. Just a shade off.

51:00 Spain dispossessed at half but Cassano plays a terrible ball on the break.

53:00 Spain on the break hits Villa on the right who tries to cross (shoot?) the ball but it was deliciously awful hit towards the stewards.

55:00 Torres had a chance after saving the ball on the touchline but the italian defender blocked the cross towards Villa in the box.

57:00 I'm not sure, but if Andy Gray ran into the ref on the streets, I think he would spit on him. Every call of his is bad and Gray is right.

58:00 Perotta off for Camoranesi.
Corner to Spain, Xavi over it...

59:00 Buffon knocks it out to Silva who shanks an open shot from 23.

Cazorla on for Iniesta. Fabregas on for Xavi.

Interesting change that really shakes up the middle of the pitch for Spain.

61:00 What a save from Casillas! There was a scramble in the box as the tree Toni managed to get a foot to the ball as Casillas came out, the ball dropped in the box with a brief scramble that allowed Casillas to get back in position as Camorenasi turns on the ball and Casillas pokes it away with his left foot.

64:00 After that disco in the box, the teams have taken a disco nap.

67:00 Disco nap over as Italy starts to push forward again with Toni drawing a free kick wasted by Camoranesi.

69:00 Panucci jawing at Fabregas for some reason. David Villa lines up over a free kick from 30...deflected off the wall for a corner.

70:00 Fabregas with the corner that results in nada.

Zambrotta feeds a nice ball to Toni, who is too tall for the Spanish defenders, who heads it but can't get it on frame.

72:00 Villa booked for a dive...but it looks like he lost his footing after standing on the ball for way too long. What a waste...

Replays show Torres shoving an Italian defender and the patting him on the face. Lucky he wasn't booked.

74:00 Cassano off, di Natale on...he didn't do a lot tonight.

75:00 The ref is really a nag...blowing his whistle for every little thing.

77:00 This half has been even more boring than the first half.

78:00 Torres with a lovely touch and had Panucci beaten but nobody was in the middle of the box and he wins a corner that Buffon punched out.

79:00 Senna rockets a free kick at Buffon who swats it away like a mosquito.

81:00 What a shot by Senna from 22, Buffon spilled and it only didn't go in the goal because of the post.

83:00 Ramos made his first good defensive play of the tournament knocking Toni off of a header.

Toni took the ball away from Grosso who was hard charging. Toni was trying to get a foot on it through some sort of bicycle kick.

85:00 Torres off for Guiza. Boo!

Unfortunately for Torres, the Spanish squad doesn't have the right talent to exploit his skills. Nobody will free him with a good ball and nobody supports him on his runs.

86:00 Guiza with a bonehead move. In the middle of the box with room he handles it. What a dunce. That was a goal.

90:00 So, immediately after Torres goes off the pitch, the Spaniards start feeding balls that are perfect for him to run on. You would think maybe his teammates don't like him.

90:00 +1 This ref has been snookered by the Italians. Every time they are down he makes the play stop even if there wasn't a foul. Toni just did it on a Puyol tackle.

90:00 +2 David Villa with a terrible touch on a great Fabregas ball. Villa had the ball in the box and turned it back into the defense instead of away to a left footed shot that would have been on goal.

That was really poor. Should have taken him off instead of Torres.

End of Regular Time.

No subs left for Spain and only one for Italy. Spain really needs to change their tactics because Italy is just packing the box.

91:00 Silva draws a foul from 24. Silva takes it...

92:00 Chiellini and Ramos tangle in the box, Sergio calling for a penalty and then Chiellini gets in his face.

93:00 Nice counter from Spain. Villa crosses it to Guiza who heads it to the middle to Fabregas whose shot is blocked but the rebound came to Silva who unleashed a shot just inches wide.

94:00 Whistle on Fabregas who kicks Chiellini in the bottom of the foot. That smarts.

95:00 Grosso tries to feed Toni in the box, but just deflected before Toni arrives...di Natale gets an excellent header that Casillas tips over.

96:00 De Rossi's corner is headed near post but over by Toni.

99:00 That was an amazing attempt by Villa. He had fallen down in the box but the ball was in his wickets and he somehow gets a foot on it to get it to the oncoming Fabregas, but he gets squeezed out.

103:00 That was some Spanish class as a Spanish fan grabs his crotch during a chant. Lovely. I'm sure Disney is very happy.

104:00 Guiza and Spain are desparate. Guiza has no creativity and just tries to lash one in when Buffon had the angles instead of trying to cross one to the middle.

End of First Extra Period.

We really need a moment of brilliance.

106:00 Back on.

107:00 Ramos whistled for kicking Camoranesi in the shoulder. Dangerous position at the corner of the 18. De Rossi tries to loop one in but nobody moved.

108:00 Del Piero on for Aquilani.

110:00 Silva releases David Villa but just a hair too far and Buffon is out smothering it. Corner. Nothing doing.

112:00 Cazorla booked for dissent when he should have had a corner.

This ref is awful. Stopping play again.

116:00 This game sucks hard, like Jenna Jameson.

117:00 Really, I can't tell you how much I am hating this match right now.

118:00 David Silva doubles Del Piero because he knows Ramos will get his jock handed to him.

119:00 Guiza has another wonderful off-target shot. if you want to strike from sea, at least hit the beach.

120:00 Cazorla takes a shot across the face of the goal but misses picking out David Villa who was running on free. Spain's wingers are awful.

End of Extra Time

On to PKs. Two of the top GKs in the world Casillas and Buffon. This could be interesting. Has Buffon already used up his PK luck with his Mutu save? Can Spain and Casillas finally prevail on PKs?

Mike Georger in the comments directs us to the Wikipedia page of Herbert Fandel, the ref. He is apparently a stunt-butt.

David Villa scores the first. 1-0 Spain.

Grosso hits a lovely one to the side net. 1-1.

Cazorla steps up for Spain and slots it lower right. Spain 2 - 1 Italy

De Rossi up and is stopped by Casillas. Lovely save by Casillas. Spain 2 - Italy 1

Senna up for Spain, and chips it into the top of the net...Lovely. Spain 3 - Italy 1.

Camoranesi slots it home top right. Spain 3 - Italy 2.

Guiza up for Spain...Buffon saves. Poor kick. Spain 3 - Italy 2.

Di Natale steps up for Italy and Casillas saves. Another great save. Spain 3 - Italy 2.

Fabregas up for Spain to send them on to the semis. Spain 4 - Italy 2.

Thank the lord. I don't want to watch another Italy game. Casillas was brilliant.

Spain will face Russia in the semis which should be a great matchup. Spain beat Russia 4-1 in the first match of the group stage, but Russia seems much improved. Spain also beats the June 22 hex and advances on PKs. Now if only Aragones can figure out how to use Torres properly with all the rest of his talent.

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