Up Next the Rams for the Chip

George Washington for the First Fight

Going into the Atlantic 10 tournament, the Saint Joseph’s Hawks were on a two game losing streak; something that they have never done prior. The Hawks were able to overcome a 16 point deficit by the whole team contributing. There were no nerves being down by 14 with starting the second half. GW could not sustain the 68% 3 point shooting that they had in the first half. St. Joe’s defense improved, and the offense was able to drive the ball to the basket to a 80-86 win.

Down go the Flyers

Even though Bembry had a quiet game, other players like Papa and James Demery stepped up to push the Hawks to a 82 – 79 victory. After taking a seven-point lead at halftime, St. Joseph's extended it to an 11-point lead midway through the second half. Dayton’s press defense late in the game was hard for SJU to handle, but the Hawks team shot an astounding 88% from the foul line. Papa Ndao had a tremendous game; making his shots when it mattered most. This marks the second time the Hawks beat Dayton this season, so there is no discussion that they only won previously because of Hagan’s being insanely loud.

The Friendly Enemy in the Final

SJU was on a 7 game winning streak before they lost to VCU Rams 82 to 85 in Hagan Arena for the second game of conference play and their first home game of conference play. What hurt the Hawks the most was not making the foul shots late in the game, with being 46%. It was definitely the most devastating loss of the season.

3 Keys to Win the Chip

1.      Limit the Turnovers

Shavar Newkirk and Lamarr Kimble are a tremendous point guard duo because they complement one another’s skills. While Kimble is a much more of a true PG, Newkirk has great north/south speed. Where the point guard position has troubled the Hawks is with turning the ball over 9 times. The mistakes need to be limited; and most importantly maintain possession.

2.      Strength in Numbers

Without a doubt, the main reason why the Hawks are able to make it this far in the tournament, and were able to play so competitively is their depth. Their depth developed throughout the season, and it is continuing to grow even further. With Miles and Bembry being the team’s anchors on the court, they need to be assisted by a player stepping up behind the arc.

3.      Don’t Back Down

No matter what happened throughout the season,  this year’s team was able to sustain themselves. No deficit was too much for them to prevent them from fighting. Since, VCU has size, if the lanes open up because it will end up being an easy victory for the Rams.Saint Joseph's cannot be intimidated by their size. It will be a huge help if St. Joe's is able to move the ball quickly early down the court because their athleticism can trump VCU's size.

The Hawk Will Never Die

Saint Joseph’s won the Atlantic 10 championship when they were a four seed two years ago; and now as a four seed again, they are in the finals. St. Joe’s will play against the defending A10 champions for a chance to reclaim the title. The Rams and Hawks did not get to play each other twice during the season, but they will play each other in the conference championship at 12:30 on CBSSN. 

- Pants

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Chip Kelly Eulogy

Chip Kelly is gone and the Eagles 2015 season is over. The Eagles owner seemed to have never trusted the three-year Philadelphia coach. Kelly is being held completely accountable for the terrible season. The maddening and frustrating season is finally over. It is finally time to move-on.

No matter what your thoughts are of Chip Kelly, do not just talk trash on him because he is gone. I enjoyed his time with the Eagles, but he is dead to me. People forget that Kelly’s ideas are simple, and think he is smarter than he actually is. His whole coaching philosophy is built around maximizing the number of plays. I enjoyed the Eagles being the fastest operating team in the NFL, but there comes a time when the brakes need to be pushed.

Kelly’s criteria for players were too strict. He did not appreciate NFL talent. I am all for having bigger players that beat-up on smaller players, but I would prefer having the smaller player if he is more talented. Hiring personnel with character and teaching skills only works in corporate, not in the NFL. It was great having a larger player like Jordan Matthews as a slot receiver, but I think I prefer Riley Cooper’s personality.  

The main reason why the team suffered this past season was because of Chip Kelly. The team that he created did not have the right personnel, and did not play together. The team was talented, but they did not play like a team. There were wide-open receivers being overthrown and great throws being dropped. Chip fostered a poorly coached team that impaled themselves with penalties.

But, when it is all said and done Chip Kelly is no longer the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were not the team every thought they were, and once again the experts were wrong. Chip Kelly will get another coaching job in the NFL, and the Eagles will be successful in the future. However, right now I think it is time to take a step back, and really look at what is going on in the Eagles locker room. It is time for new personnel and players, it is time for a change!

-Pants (Glen)

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The Curtain has Closed

Eagles Score First and Gives False Hope

It was a beautiful opening drive, in which it was the 3rd time the Eagles scored on the opening drive all season. But it ended with Philadelphia being eliminated from the playoffs, and Washington clinching the NFC East in Philadelphia 38-24. Redskins

Mo Murray Mo Problems

Once again, DeMarco Murray causes problems for his team. It is not as if I think he should never play. His role should be specifically limited as the third down and short yardage down running back. He is the third best running back and should be treated like one. Murray’s specialty is short yardage and running downwards with power. As soon as the Eagles were able to muster up momentum, number 29 fumbled the ball that led to a touchdown; and indefinitely ended the Eagles season.

Do You Even Blitz?

With Byron Maxwell out, the Eagles needed to apply pressure onto Kirk Cousins quickly. The defensive line was not able to apply consistent pressure ever since Bennie Logan was put on the injury list before the Patriots game. Cousins had more time in the pocket than it takes the Eagles to run a play. All of Philadelphia is confused as to why their team rarely blitzes. Washington offensive controlled the line of scrimmage the entire game. My only thought as to why the Eagle’s defensive coordinator did not blitz was because he does not trust the coverage enough.

What do They get Paid for?

Almost every drive of the Eagles had a dropped pass. The fact that wide receivers get paid to catch a football, and fail at their job is embarrassing. It is baffling how such a simple job is hard for the Eagles professional athletes.

Random Thoughts

Its Saturday Night Football and the Thursday night crowd shuffles in. 

The commercial with Andrew Luck plucking facial hair from his bearded face creeps me out because of how disturbing and disgusting it is.

Kirk Cousin has beginners luck. Eagles fans saw it with Nick Foles; so I hope Washington can enjoy it while they can. Never the less, I am so pumped to watch Washington get smoked round 1 of the playoffs.

  
A wrap-up of the Eagles season will be posted after the Giants game. 
- Pants (Glen)

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Chip's Vision

I cannot wait to go to training camp and watch great Eagles players like Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Evan Mathis, and Trent Cole. WAIT WHAT!?!?!!? They are no longer on the team?!!?? Whoever is in charge of the Eagles must be an idiot!

Chip Kelly decided that these players were no longer worth keeping on the team. Although it is not completely his idea as he gets input from other coaches and personnel, he does make the final decisions. Therefore, the decision to not hold onto these players were certainly not knee-jerk. Chip is a philosophical guy that has a vision of how he wants the team to be. These team decisions were carried-out to help the Eagles move in a direction to achieve Chip's vision.

When Chip became the head coach of the Eagles, his creative play calling was limited because of the players he inherited. Eagles fans were expecting innovative and action-filled plays like Kelly ran in Oregon.

Culture. Culture. Culture. Chip Kelly fully believes that culture is more important to a team than scheme. Any head coach would want players to buy in their system. Without buying in the team cannot perform as the coach desires. Chip wants players to be discipline and follow his regimen. If Coach Kelly was in charge of the Sixers in 00-01, he would have released Allen Iverson. Chip will do what it takes to put together a team that plays the kind of football that he envisions. This years team is one step closer to molding the team.

The rate that Chip Kelly has pushed his vision and turned the roster over is outstanding. There probably has never been an organization inside or outside of football that has implemented their own guys on board faster than he did. Chip is not only talking about his ideas, he is following through with them. The rate that the roster has been turned-over was accomplished at a staggering rate. Additionally, it was done without having a losing record. No matter what the changes Eagles undergo, they will still be the Eagles. Just remember there is a reason for the changes, achieving his vision.

- Pants (Glen)

Chip Chip Hooray for the Dictator

Chip Kelly is now the man in charge in Philadelphia. Whatever he says goes, and do not let him tell you differently. Kelly tries to elude a perception that the personnel decisions are group effort and not just his. The Eagles head coach does listen to other’s input, but he has the final say. Chip is the Kim Jong-Un of football. He was given control of the entire team. He has final say in every decision. 

It is not smart for Chip Kelly to make as large a number of changes as were made this offseason. But Chip could care less. He takes risks, and you cannot be known as a risk taker without being illogical. Kelly is a bias coach. He will do as he pleases until he gets the results that he wants. Moreover, he will take drastic action to get the results. In effect of all of these moves this offseason, it is evident that Chip Kelly wants to win now.

The Philadelphia Eagles head coach was trigger happy with making trades. Just like any Dictator, President, or newly appointed CEO if you don’t support him, you are out. Chip Kelly would like each of his players to be like a swiss army knife. Having players that can fill many different roles can help Kelly create mismatches to take advantage of the opposing defense’s weaknesses. The Eagles offense has many weapons to give the ball to. There is not one player that is relied upon. The opposing defense has to account for every position. The Eagle’s wide receivers do not need be superstars; they just need to be a part of the team to move the ball forward.

This is why Chip had LeSean McCoy sent packing. He brought in a more versatile duo of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews. Murray and Matthews are downhill running backs that fight for every yard. They do not dance for yardage like McCoy did. Darren Sproles fits Chip Kelly’s offense perfectly, because of the different roles he fills. It is great to see a return of multi-back attack.

All of the pieces that Chip Kelly acquired this offseason will need to jell together. It will be exciting to watch. Who knows what is to come? That is just part of the excitement of Chip Kelly. The only thing that we do know with Chip Kelly is that he will do what he wants. 

Emotional Loss for the Hawks

Saint Joseph’s Hawks fell to the Richmond Spiders 57 to 63 in an emotional game at Hagan for their last weekend home game. Overall, the entire Hawks team had poor shot selection. Instead of taking it to the basket, they took questionable shots. With a field goal percentage of .393, they were left being vulnerable. Even though the game was emotional, it lacked energy.

Despite the Hawks not backing down, the Spiders did let up. With close to three minutes left the game was tied at 54, however with a step-back three from T.J. Cline the Spiders took lead. Richmond’s guards Trey Davis and Anthony Kendall were able to control the ball the entire game. Listening to Martelli talked after the game it became apparent that they did not plan for the success that Davis had.

Richmond’s zone allowed a mismatch early for DeAndre, but team did not expose it. During the match-up, DeAndre Bembry, “Mr. Everything” was not able to get much momentum. Turning the ball over five times did not help the team overall.  Though Bembry made some unbelievable plays, including an amazing block he was never truly able to get started. Number 43 for the Hawks seems to play better when he is away. Bembry may possibly play better when he feels as if he needs to overcome something. After 25 consecutive games, Bembry ended the night in single digits; which is something that did not happen since the Gonzaga game. He may be the most underrated player in the NCAA, but he does not do himself any favors in winning the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Good thing he does not care much for personal accolades.

The bright spot for the Hawks was Aaron Brown. It is unclear why Phil Martelli does not show much faith in him. Besides missing a couple of lay-ups in the first half, he kept the Hawks fighting. The Hawks may not have a presence under the basket, but Brown proved that he can be productive along the baseline. Aaron Brown finished the night with a team high 15 points.

The Hawks have two games left in the season. On Wednesday, March 4^thagainst Rhode Island  it will be their last home game. The only changes they hope to make in the final two final two games of the season is a genuine desire to win. Their efforts to end the season strong did not start well against Richmond.

--- Pants

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Defense Wins in Hagan

Defense won the game for Saint Joseph’s Hawks against the George Mason Patriots, with a score of 54-58 in Hagan Arena. If the Hawks repeat this performance in the last 8 Atlantic games, it will not be enough to finish in good-standing.  The team needs to improve offensively. St. Joe’s struggled to take the ball past Mason’s aggressive defense. In the second half

DeAndre Bembry’s sealed the game with a dunk. The game would have been over well before the dunk, but free throws were once again were an issue. It is hard to win a college basketball game when the team is shooting 51 percent from the foul line.

Head Coach, Phil Martelli is aware that the team will only win their upcoming games from playing strong defensively. Martelli will put together a starting lineup based on who will provide the best defensive match-ups. The Hawks totaled 12 steals and were able to capitalize on 7 of those possessions.

Besides a strong defense, Jai Williams energized the team with his high energy plays. He has been improving during practice and deserved the opportunity to play against George Mason. Jai is tremendous at using his size and athleticism to his advantage. He could be an offensive presence that the Hawks need under the basket. Williams entered the game and scored 6 pts in one and half minutes. Jai and DeAndre came to Hawk Hill in the same recruiting class. Their relationship was shown as Bembry found Williams under the basket twice. Defensively, Jai’s effort was the key as he gave all that he could to block as many shots. Two attempts ended up being fouls, however one was successful.   

Jai Williams and Javon Bauman had a tough match-up. The two Hawk centers were defending against George Mason’s best player, center Shevon Thompson. Thompson is ranked 16^th in the national with 11 double doubles.  Thompson grabbed rebounds and scored with ease. He finished the game with 15 points and 16 rebounds. 

Isaiah Miles left the first half  with 2 and half minutes to left with a reported sprained knee. During halftime, he wrapped it up with ice, and returned in the second half. It did not appear to affect him too much, but he had open shots that he did not take advantage of. Miles also did not appear to attack the ball in the air like he has in the past. Hawk fans hope that the injury does not linger during the remaining games.

The biggest positive is that the Hawks never lost the lead throughout the entire game. Saint Joseph’s plays next against Rhode Island in Hagan Arena at 7:00pm on Wednesday. 

-- Pants

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The Friendly Jesuit Match-Up

Saint Joseph’s Hawks pulled away with a win against Fordham Rams. Phil Martelli said himself that if the game was played away, they would not have won. The Hawks broke their four game losing streak. The team stopped feeling sorry for themselves and kept their heads up after being winless the past 26 days. James Demery, Shavar Newkirk, and Aaron Brown earned their first Atlantic 10 win.

Chris Wilson had a career night with 23 total points. Most of his points came from behind the arc. With making five of nine three point attempts. Despite having a noticeable limp in the second half, Wilson scored 12 points. Both DeAndre Bembry and Chris Wilson were six for six from the free throw line, and as a team the Hawks were 19 for 22. Besides free throws, another that factor that separated Saint Joseph’s from Fordham was the amount of second chances. The Hawks had 17 more rebounds than the Rams, which helped them to have 14 second chances.

Recently, the biggest concern for the Hawks has been turning the ball over. Between the Fordham and VCU, the Hawks have 36 turnovers. St. Joe’s knows how to handle the ball. They may not have shooting skills, but they do have ball skills.

In conference play, James Demery is averaging 8.8 points per game. He is also making a positive difference defensively as well. James Demery will be an impactful part of the team moving forward. He has become a valuable piece of the team. Any fan can tell that his confidence has grown by the fact that he has become more assertive. The power that he attacks the rim at is why the initially Hawks offered him a contract.

James Demery can also contribute with strong perimeter defending. It appeared that Demery and Bembry took turns defending Fordham’s best shooter, Eric Paschall. They held him to 16 total points. Perimeter defending was supposed to be one of the stronger parts of this year’s team. The two wing guards have athleticism that St. Joe’s needs to take advantage of. 

- Pants

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Athletic Freshmen: Newkirk and Demery

We have seen the Hawks go against top and sub-par Atlantic 10 competition. No matter who the opponent is, they have been out-played. The Hawks would fall to an early deficit, and then attempt a meaningless comeback. The team is forced to try to find their identity while attempting to comeback. Shavar Newkirk and James Demery are two freshmen that Hawk fans are seeing develop throughout this season.

There is not much of a point in giving Chris Wilson additional senior minutes. Freshman point guard, Shavar Newkirk should be slowly gaining minutes each game in order to prepare Newkirk to start next season. If Newkirk improves each game, he should be starting by the end of the season. Maybe Chris Wilson will be on the bench to start the game, similar to Tay Jones. Number 1 for the Hawks is a tremendous team player. He has the second most steals for the Hawks with 12, behind DeAndre Bembry’s 26. Just like the team, Newkirk’s main issue is finding ways to score. He is too small to play under the rim. Newkirk made his first 3-point shot against George Washington and is now 1 for 15 behind the arc. The freshmen point could become an effective scorer if he develops a jump shot from within the paint.

Unlike Shavar, James Demery is a starter. Being a wing guard, Demery has a similar role on the court as DeAndre Bembry. It appears that at times Coach Martelli has taken James Demery out of the game because of Demery committing typical freshmen mistakes. Demery can be the most explosive player during a game. He attacks the basket with ease. As he gets the feel for college basketball, James will gain confidence. Hawk fans have seen him struggle from under the basket. As he develops, he will be able to play under the rim better. James Demery’s first 3 pointer brought the Hawks into overtime against LIU.

Both Shavar Newkirk and James Demery seem to be enjoying being Hawks. They were part of the past incoming athletic freshmen class. Martelli wants to build his team around athletic players that want to be Hawks. Coach should let Newkirk and Demery play through all of their mistakes. The team will only improve, when they do. Benching potential future Hawk stars will not benefit the team. Martelli has to learn to allow the players to play through their mistakes, especially Newkirk and Demery. These two athletic freshmen will not learn how to shoot on the bench.

The Fordham Rams will come to Hagan Arena on Wednesday. The Hawks and the Rams hope to get their first win in the Atlantic 10. St. Joe’s will not have an easy win this season. It is too early to call the season a wash. The team has talent; they just need to find ways to score.

- Pants

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Do Y’All Really Believe?

Belgium defeated United States 2-1 to send USA home from the World Cup. It was an exhausting and sad way for it to end. They were eliminated by a country that is barely a country. Belgium could not have even thought of an original flag. It looks just like a modified German flag. Belgium waffles don’t even taste good. Let’s invade Belgium!

Everybody in the world saw Belgium’s goal in the 93^rd minute coming. There was no realistic chance for USA after that point. It appeared that USA’s strategy was to attempt to tire Belgium out by allowing them to play as much offense as they could. If so it was a successful attempt, but a poor strategy. They barely hung on throughout the game but could not gather any offensive momentum. Even though there was a clear winner, they did not quit. The United States had minimal offense until the 110^th minute. The main reason why is because of their lack of quality midfield play. Their wing midfielders were too slow.

The United States will never be known for having sturdy hamstring by the world. They will continue to be known for their overweight citizens. Jozy Altidore played in less than twenty minutes of the World Cup due to pulling his hamstring. Altidore was supposed to command attention by being a physical sole forward up in front of the American attack. Altidore was healthy for Tuesday’s game but was not part of the starting lineup. USA had to use one of their three substitutions on their right defensive back, Fabian Johnson who was also pulled his hamstring. Johnson helped USA’s attack to be more creative and dangerous play. Both Altidore and Johnson’s play was a huge loss. 

American soccer is just like their beer. They are both weak and watered down. Both their beer and players are imported from Germany. I cannot imagine rooting for a soccer team that consistently plays well. A good soccer team almost seems un-American. I am sure all of the Americans who plastered face paint on their face are now regretting it. This amount of love for a team that has a 25% winning percentage throughout their four games of the World Cup. This is great news for the Sixers and Cowboys. USA soccer is Charlie Brown and the rest of the world is Lucy. Hope the world is happy that they beat our low tier athletes. USA should teach soccer to Lebron, Desean Jackson, and Adrian Petereson and dominate the world’s game. The World Cup would then be a breeze. America does not care as much as the rest of the world about soccer. USA beat nations that are obsessed about it. Since we moved onto the round of 16 and do not care, United States is like the spoiled rich bratty girl that gets a car for her Sweet Sixteen. USA does not care. In fact they are just pretended to.

Jesus, I mean Tim Howard saved 16 shots and deserves a purple heart for the most saves in a World Cup game. Howard is the first bald guy with a beard anybody should trust. Without his efforts USA could have easily lost the gamee 6-0. This game was not USA vs BEL it was Tim Howard vs BEL. Tim could not do it all. He had more shots to him than any alcoholic. Howard had more blocks than the Lego Movie. Hockey goalies have had games with less saves than Howard did. It was evident that Timmy executed what the team practiced. Belgium outclassed USA but not Howard. 

That Tim Howard might be a keeper, but his age does not guarantee he will stay around for the next World Cup in 2018. At least USA can guarantee they will be able to be even more competitive during the next World Cup. They have young talent that was being developed this year. 19 year old, Julian Green scored USA’s only goal to keep the game interesting by keeping hope alive with less than 10 minutes remaining in overtime. Julian not only kept USA’s hopes alive in the final minutes but made everybody feel less accomplished. Green is one of many young rising stars. The future is bright. Before the World Cup they were on a 12 game winning streak. America did great getting the round of 16. The United States Soccer 2014 World Cup team is not who the world thought they were. They exceeded expectations and are in the right direction of improving. They got out of a group with teams of Fifa rankings of #2 and #4 in it. USA soccer is bigger than ever. Americans now cannot wait for 2018.

USA's Loss is a Win?

Germany attacked United States early as if they wanted revenge from getting crushed in two World Wars. The Germans should have also won an Oscar for Thursday’s performance. The movie would have been called How to Fake a Shin Injury. The Germans dominated the game so much it looked like they were playing with more men on the field. They got to every ball first and won every challenge. Wherever USA passed it there was a German waiting for it. They made us weak with rapid aerial attacks. It was like a modern day Blitzkrieg. 

Once again Michael Bradley shows how terrible he is. The bald pasty white midfielder for United States has some of the worst first touches out of anybody in the World Cup. While watching a USA match there a few things you can expect: goals, injuries, and Michael Bradley screwing up. He leaves the defense open and vulnerable for attacks. Poor midfield play is what makes the United States defense look worse than it actually is. Even though Germany is one of the fastest teams in the World Cup, both the defenders and the midfielders need to stop watching the ball. Instead of watching the ball they should get back and help their goalkeeper Tim Howard. 

While Bradley is playing poorly, One of the players that came into his own on the national level is Kyle Beckerman. His club team is Real Salt Lake and now plays a pivotal role for USA. Even though he is 32 years old this is his first chance at the national level. Some people believe Beckerman should get a red card for his wild dreadlocks. If he was not wearing the United States uniform you would think he crashes on a different friend’s couch every week without paying rent. No matter what he looks like, he is a player on the American team that should have more of a name than he does. Kyle plays the holding midfield position.  A holding mid-fielder is a mid-fielder who makes the middle of the field stronger while bolstering the defense. He is well disciplined and a sound tackler.

The United States only were playing soft and were unable to get into Germany’s half before it was too late into the game. USA needed a bit more bite to their attacks. Maybe USA could have used Luis Suarez’s assistance to put some teeth into our attack. Their attack would have been more feared and ferocious. But I am sure Suarez took a bite of the Italian player because he was just craving some Italian food. Everybody loves some good Italian food. Part of the reason Suarez was so hungry was because he ate Chinese food before the match. We all know that an hour after eating Chinese food you are starving again. He has had two other instances of biting other players before. Suarez looks like a donkey and thinks he is a zombie (or Vampire). Luis already missed 32 games due suspensions. He is clearly deranged and needs help. But the bizarre part is that the national media in the United States is acting like this is a common occurrence because is soccer and a typical foreigner. 

It does not get any more American than losing and still being a winner. This is like a romantic comedy where a star high school sports athlete loses the championship but gets the girl at the end of it. When you believe you can win, you do. Even when you lose. The tie with Portugal felt like a loss for the United States. However, the loss against Germany feels like a win. The United States believed that they could win. What actually happened was that they won from a mathematical advantage. There are not many times that people can feel this great after losing something in their lives. The United States were shutout on Thursday, but they still advance. The postgame speech by the United States coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, must have been a bit unorthodox. Do you talk about how poorly the team played or about how it does not matter because the team is moving onto the next round?

Coach Klinsmann could not have said, “Great job guys! A few more close losses like this one and then we can win this thing.” Because it is elimination time.  Every game has to end with a winner and a loser. There will also no longer be a game ending in a tie.

Of course the United States did not advance because of a loss. They advanced because they had a 1-1-1 record and 0 goal differential. This is the 2^nd straight World Cup the United States have advanced to the knockout stages, which is the first time it was accomplished. It is also their 3^rd time in the last 4 World Cups. Their only knockout win in those years was 2-0 over Mexico in 2002. When it is a World Cup tournament that Spain, Italy, and England do not advance, it represents how difficult it is to move forward. These nations wish they could be where USA is right now. The United States did not back into the next round with ease. United States will be going against Belgium next. Belgium is just as good, if not better than Germany. It is hard to tell because there has to be a team that tested them yet. Hopefully United States will give them a fight on Tuesday 3:30. Until then it is not okay to eat Belgium waffles.