Congratulations to Landon Donovan. I really hated him in 2002 for his unfounded arrogance. I disliked him in 2006 for his overrated status. But he returned in 2010 a humble man, one who hungered for the Cup like no other on his team. His humbleness and determination have seen the USA through to Round 2 in first place. Truly, he is a most-deserving MVP of the 2010 USA World Cup team.
I'm happy England has made it through. I'm happy the USA (just for Donovan) has made it through. But I feel bad for Slovenia. The USA goal bumped them out, and that's gotta sting. Algeria may feel like the USA crushed their chances for Round 2, but in reality I'd say Slovenia are the real victims here. Algeria was out anyway with England's win over Slovenia (with the two advancing to Round 2): all the American goal did was to swap the USA's fate with Slovenia's.
Sometimes, footballers' shenanigans amuse me. But the red-carded Algerian really pissed me off. Sure, he wasn't the first or necessarily the most loud team member to yell in the ref's face. But it was clear from the slow-motion replay caught on camera that he nastily, hatefully shouted in the ref's face at the top of his lungs. And for what!? Imo he deserved the card -- not like it mattered anyway! -- and his dumbfounded look of pretend-innocence as he walked off of the pitch -- "Who, me!?" -- really pissed me off. -_-; Football is one of the few full-contact gentlemen's sports we have left, most of the other sports these days being either one or the other but not both. I'd like it if football stayed that way, and so I'm only too happy to see people carded for bad behavior on the pitch.