From: "Phil Payne" 

"George Sherwood"  wrote in message
news:448e2b8c{at}w3.nls.net...
> "Phil Payne" 
wrote in message
> news:448de89e$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> >
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/jonah_freedman/06/12/us.openinglo
ss/
>
> > "The Yanks were sluggish, mistake-prone and completely out of sorts
> > against
> > the No. 2 team in the world, which basically did what it wanted."
>
> Oddly some of the same type of comments made against England in their
> victory against Paraguay.

They won.  That was all they needed to do - get three points.

Remember that Wayne Rooney's injury a few weeks back was simply the result
of overexertion - no other player was involved.  Why run the risk of
something like that, Day One of a tournament when there's a long way to go?
They were obviously told to win but otherwise keep the brakes on.  It was
indeed a tedious match - the football was third-rate.

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5