ABC World Cup Analysts: TERRIBLE!

[Meshuga]

Eric Wynalda, Alexis Lala's, and the female analyst (I don't remember her name) made my eyeballs roll more times than there were yellow cards given in this tournament. They were just terrible and repeating clichés they found in soccer websites.

The worse part of it all was the fact that they were the ones creating all the hype around the American team and when the US failed to advance they were embarrassed so they tore Bruce Arena a new A-hole. The best part of ESPN/ABC coverage was one time when Bruce Arena was being interviewed and said something like "I would like to remind your analysts that they were part of that 1998 losing team that failed to even tie a match and they should know how hard it is to win a game at this level..."

The ABC people thought it was funny that the refs were given medals today after the final match and that "they never saw that". Well, the refs do get medals because being a referee at the final game is an honor and only the best performers get to officiate the final game. I remember seeing Colina (referee from Italy) receiving a medal after officiating the Brazil vs. Germany final game in 2002.

Anyway... Thank God for Univision for being an option! :-)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

1. Wow that is hilarious

I'm glad I didn't have to listen to that.

I'm surprised there were no "what the fuck is offside, I've never seen or heard of that before?"

I was watching the BBC coverage with the BBC radio audio (I'm not keen on the BBC TV commentators).

[AmandaRuth]

2. as a american football fan, i find your remarks

about refs very interesting. I admit I have been watching the world cup and for the first time in my sports fan life, really enjoyed watching soccer. :D :D

Remembering the travesty of the superbowl officiating makes me appreciate the refs having to compete to officiate at this level. I guess having the Italian player ejected at the game would be like having Michael Jordan ejected during an nba finals game, which of course, would never never happen in the USA. Thanks for the explanation, and I look forward to watching more soccer. :beer: :beer:

[alarcojon]

3. I agree, they sucked

Luckily, I speak Spanish and watched on Univision. The announcers are much more animated and much more informed about the game.

BTW the female announcer was Julie Foudy from the US women's team.

[HuckleB]

4. Yes, Univision ROCKS!

Alas, sports commentary sucks across the board in the US. It doesn't matter what sport you're talking about.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

5. Also, Balboa knows nothing of Football...

I hate that fucker...And for the last time you small minded gimp, Rooney was not red carded for stepping on that dude...he was red carded because he pulled Ronaldo away and it was seen as an aggressive move. He kept talking about it during every game after that one. And son of a bitch, we don't get univision here! UGH. I looked today. I was so frustrated during the whole game. Everything he said was WRONG.
Duckie

[Karenina]

6. My advice for Amis is

to watch the GAME with commentary in a language you do not understand. Then you can just watch THE GAME in peace without being propagandized.

[Ravenseye]

8. Yeah Balboa is an idiot

He also loves every player that dives. Everytime someone dives and they catch it on replay he talks about how smart a play it is to fake a dive.

Freaking asshole. He's so horrible.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. He was for anyone besides England.

I don't know if Rooney had maybe pissed in his cornflakes or something, but he was brutally happy after he was thrown out. And he was still saying he was thrown out for something he wasn't thrown out for.
Duckie

[Ravenseye]

14. Oh I know! I wondered aloud if he had portugese relatives

He was so clearly biased against England, it made me wonder what the problem was. How you could have watched the England/Portugal game and not come away from it saying that the Portugese are an embarrasement to the sport of Football, I don't know how, yet there was Balboa.

"oh that was smart of Ronaldo to run up there and get Rooney to react"

"oh that was a smart play to take a dive there. He really sold that well."

"See that's a smart play. Go down and force the English to put the ball out of play, which ruins their momementum, and allows everyone to get a drink of water."

Balboa is the worst Soccer/Football announcer EVER. ABC should fire his ass.

[sleipnir]

13. He berated Beckham the entire tourney. It was terrible.

He should be fired and then beat upside the head with Zindane

[YellowRubberDuckie]

16. That's a great idea.

Beckham is a great player...he's low key, but he's great at set ups.
Duckie

[gardenista]

7. Agreed. The non-stop chatter drove me nuts.

They're idiots.

[Ravenseye]

9. I wish they'd give us a SAP choice

How hard would it be to put the SAP on the BBC announcers? They're so much better and luckily speak English.

Univision is a solution only if a) you speak spanish and b) you get Univision.

Hence my only option was ABC and Balboa "The idiot"

[GOPisEvil]

11. How did we get stuck with Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa for the final?

JP Dellacamera and John Harkes were a MUCH better team and more pleasant to listen to, in my opinion. It might be because Dellacamera is primarily a soccer broadcaster, unlike O'Brien. O'Brien TOTALLY missed Beckham's goal vs. Ecuador. Just missed it. A real pro would have gotten that call right.

[Kellanved]

12. The refs even got medals after the 3rd place match

As is the case in all international tournaments. I think Arena is unfairly judged - for a team of 2nd and 3rd league players, they did very well. With a little luck, they could have managed reaching the knockout phase.

I actually bought a USA jersey today because of it.

[NJ Democrats]

15. I don't speak Spanish

But I still watch on Univison. They are so much more excited and it sounds better. I can't stand Balboa and O'Brian (At least I think that is there names). I do like Tommy Smyth though.