The Soccer Thread

[Jon]

Pappa really likes to let it rip. 1-0 Fire in the 80th minute at DC.

[CubInOK]

Maicon is good.

[wolf stansson]

Buddle scores 2 more for 7 goals in 4 games.

 

He still has yet to do anything in his long MLS career that makes me look at him and say he's got Intl quality. He's hot, but he's still just an ok MLS striker.

 

More importantly, the Galaxy have an awesome back 4. They could be the best team in the league despite having only 2 attackers that are even average. Granted one happens to be by far the best in the league, but it's still impressive.

[Guest]

Nice job, Arsenal.

[wolf stansson]

Herculez Gomez finished two more before the half. He now has 10 for the season which ties him for the lead with Chicharito Hernandez of Chivas/United.

[USSoccer]

If you put a handgun to my head and made me choose Buddle or Gomez, I'd choose Buddle.

 

Without the handgun, I'd still take Adu over both as the final forward

[wolf stansson]

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ro-worldcupwindow041410

Martin Rogers quick column about Herculez.

 

I know Club America is very interested, but I'd be curious to see what European teams are calling.

 

I've watched clips of all his goals. I'll say this. It's clear some of his goals are a byproduct of lazy Mexican marking and Herculez being a much more direct player than the Mexican league is used to. A really direct player like Didier Drogba would score about a billion goals a year playing against Primera defenders. All that is true, but I've also seen some very composed, strong finishing and some serious aerial prowess. Again, Mexican league defending ain't the most physical or quick and we've seen first hand how much of a shock the pace transition can be when Jose Francisco Torres gets a run out and looks overwhelmed at first. However, Gomez is an MLS product. He's used to physicality and direct flow of play. Getting a little taste of actual tactical build up instead of the chaos that is MLS offensive schemes and counter attacks appears to have suited him well. He's been excellent at exploiting space and he's made some fantastic runs off the ball (in the limited samples I've seen).

 

At this point, I'm taking him over any of the current MNT strikers in MLS and Adu. I think he could work well off Jozy and with set pieces being absolutely critical and one of our greatest strengths, an added aerial threat could be very helpful.

 

This could be the right call and it could also very easily just be me going with the unknown hype over known mediocrity.

[USSoccer]

If one assumes that we take four strikers, and Jozy and Charlie are healthy, that leaves 6 guys for two spots:

 

-Ching and Casey for the holdup/target role. Ching is more experienced and tactically stronger. He's been the lone striker in our 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrid setup. Casey is stronger and get himself into scoring positions more frequently (i.e., I think his off-the-ball positioning and runs are better) but he's slow as hell and a poor finisher. Ching is better defensively and Casey better offensively.

 

-Buddle, Gomez and EJ for the backup striker role. Buddle is the most physically gifted of all three, and the biggest headcase. EJ is EuroBuddle, has pace but poor tactical acumen. Gomez plays in the softest defensive league of the three, but leads said league in scoring. Buddle is better in the air, Gomez an better poacher and EJ better on the counter.

 

-Adu is the least likely of the group to go, sees the least amount of tick, but is the most likely to be able to break a bunker and provide a moment of genius.

 

LD and CD8's flexibility help us here. Deuce can play the holdup role late in games, eliminating the need for Ching or Casey. LD can play the backup striker role if need be. Their flexibility opens the possibility of using the 23rd spot on Adu, however unlikely it may be. I wouldn't take a forward based on his ability to defend within the setup, but Bob will. The May camp will clear this up, but if it were me, today, I take:

 

Jozy

Chuck D

Buddle

Adu.

 

Buddle can back up Chuck D, CD8 can back up Jozy and Adu can be used to break Slovenia and Algeria's bunker. If we are 1-1 in the 65th minute and need a goal to advance against ALG, do you really want our bench options to be Casey/EJ/Ching? That would be disastrous.

 

We should only take 7 defenders and three keepers. That leaves 9 MF's and 4 strikers. The 8th defender taken to the past 4 WC's by the US has never played. With Spector and Bornstein able to fill central and wing spots, we should not take a 7th defender. The defenders should be:

 

Gooch (CB)

Boca (CB/FB)

Demerit (CB)

Bornstein (CB/FB)

Spector (CB/FB)

Goodison (CB)

Cherundolo (FB)

 

 

The mids:

 

Donovan (LM)

Dempsey (RM)

Bradley (CM)

Edu (CM/CB)

Holden (RM)

Torres (CM/RM)

Clark (CM)

Bedoya (LM)

Feilhaber (CM/RM)

 

It's the defender pool which worries me far more than the forward group. If Gooch isn't ready to go, we're in deep trouble. We'll have to bring a player like Marshall or Conrad, both of whom aren't international quality, or play Boca centrally which I'm not keen on, or have Goodison pair with Demerit, but defenders collect cards, and our central defender depth will be tricky. If Gooch is ready, forget the 9th MF, since Bradley would almost certainly forget Adu or anyone else in that 4th FWD spot, add Dempsey to the forward group and bring Pearce along with the Marshall/Conrad/Gibbs/Gonzalez choice at CB. Our offensive ability will be hampered by that, and our defensive quality would be pretty poor. Gooch's health will trigger more worrisome decisions than Davies' in the end.

[Guest]

What do you do if Davies isn't able to go, or at least can't play 90 for 3 games in a week? I bet you see Ching because of CD's health.

[wolf stansson]

I'd take Ching and Gomez over Buddle and Adu. If Charlie can't go, take Buddle.

 

I don't value the tactical flexibility Adu brings like you because a) I don't think he'll actually be capable of pulling anything genius off due to rust, lack of confidence and/or just being poor, b) he doesn't deserve to go and his ego doesn't need the validation, c) Bradley has never shown the ability to get the most out of Freddy and d) Gomez and Ching's value on set pieces is far, far more likely to be what gets us scoring against a potential bunker than Adu's creativity. Buddle is a red card liability, he's on a rich vein of finishing form right now, but we have a huge sample size over his lengthy MLS career to look at and see he is a poor finisher whereas with Gomez we can at least point to injury and being played in the midfield as the reason he never lived up to his goal scoring potential. Also, Gomez and Ching don't lose possession or blow chances like Buddle. Even with his brace Saturday, I counted 6 times in the first half where he made a bad decision or bad link up pass that resulted in a turnover or GK. With the Galaxy, he is the guy. He is the only center forward and with Landon playing wide, the only person in position to score who can actually do it. It allows him to be selfish and beat up bad defenders like Nat Borchers. With the MNT, he needs to be a complimentary forward to Jozy, Charlie or Deuce. I have no reason to believe he's capable of that tactically or physically. He's a truly [expletive] passer. Can't hold the ball up and link with other forwards.

[USSoccer]

What do you do if Davies isn't able to go, or at least can't play 90 for 3 games in a week? I bet you see Ching because of his health.

 

In my world where I'm USMNT coach and married to Jessica Alba, Charlie doesn't start but comes off the bench for 35 against England and Slovenia and starts against Algeria. Jozy plays up front in the 4-5-1/4-3-3 against England and we play Deuce and Jozy up front against Slovenia.

 

I am of the mind that in a short tourney, you can afford to take a specialist like Adu with one role in mind over a guy like Ching, and taking Davies as an impact sub isn't really much of a risk. If Charlie can't go at all, then I take Ching in place of Charlie, drop Bedoya and add Beasley to the roster because we're going to really have to concentrate on defending and countering rather than attacking, and Beasley can probably defend better than Bedoya and has more value in that setup, as much as it pains me to admit.

 

In the real world, where I work for an insurance company and am not married, I'll concede that you're probably correct and Ching goes and Adu doesn't. Bradley is far more likely to look at Ching's workrate and holdup play as greater positives than the potential usefulness of an offensive only specialist like Adu vs a bunkering defense.

 

The other variable is that Ching is hurt, and may not be ready in time anyway, in which case it's Casey who Bradley will likely take.

[USSoccer]

I'd take Ching and Gomez over Buddle and Adu. If Charlie can't go, take Buddle.

 

I don't value the tactical flexibility Adu brings like you because a) I don't think he'll actually be capable of pulling anything genius off due to rust, lack of confidence and/or just being poor, b) he doesn't deserve to go and his ego doesn't need the validation, c) Bradley has never shown the ability to get the most out of Freddy and d) Gomez and Ching's value on set pieces is far, far more likely to be what gets us scoring against a potential bunker than Adu's creativity.

 

While I agree that Bradley hasn't and probably doesn't have the ability to get the most out of Freddy, I will disagree that Ching is an asset on set pieces. Ching isn't that good in the mixer. He's a very good holdup player, but he isn't an offensive threat. Like I told TT, I think as the 23rd man, Adu can potentially have more value in a short tournament than a player like Gomez. I'd drop Ching in my scenario not because I don't see his value, but because I think Jozy and Clint can probably handle any hold up duties, Ching's not a lock to be 100% healthy, and we'll only really need a hold up player against England anyway. Slovenia and Algeria are going to bunker and counter us. Against those two sides, Gomez and Adu have more value than Ching. Matchup wise, Ching doesn't fit there. He'd be of most tactical use against a more physical side as a holdup/lone forward or as a player brought in to be able to fight for possession late and kill off a game. Tactically, we're not likely to need that kind of player during the first three games.

 

Rust can be shaken off with the May camp/Send off friendlies, and he's not likely to play anyway unless we need his specific skill set. Still, as a coach, I'd rather have that card to play than the Gomez/Ching/Casey card off the bench.

 

EDIT: This is all moot anyway, since I think Adu isn't a lock to even go to the May camp, and even if he's there, would have to beat out at least 6 guys ahead of him for that spot and even then Bradley probably won't take him. It's just what I would do as of now.

[Guest]

Inter up 3-1 on Barcelona just after the 60 minute mark.

[wolf stansson]

http://www.fanchants.com/football-songs/chelsea-chants/jose-mourinho/

[Mark Priors Calves]

http://www.fanchants.com/football-songs/chelsea-chants/jose-mourinho/

 

He is still the special one.

[Guest]

Bayern has been controlling this game but Ribery just got a straight red for stepping on Lisandro's ankle.

 

Could have been a yellow, as I don't think there was a ton of intent in it, but I'm not surprised it was a red.

[Guest]

Lyon gets a BS red on a second yellow that evens things up. A Bayern player's foot was up just as high as the Lyon guy and both players got only the ball but it's Lyon that gets carded.

[shnsajax]

Robben has been in great form lately. Hopefully he can stay healthy come this summer.

[wolf stansson]

Setback.

http://www.estrepublicain.fr/fr/sport/sport-franc-comtois/info/3029305-SPORTS-FRANCHE-COMTE-L1-Bien-finir-a-Bonal

Q. Où en est Charlie Davies ?

A. Il ne rejouera pas en L1 cette saison. L'homme va bien et c'est l'essentiel. Depuis qu'il a quitté son fauteuil roulant, il a souffert physiquement pour revenir, il court, commence à retoucher le ballon. On sait qu'il risque d'accuser un contrecoup moral s'il manque la Coupe du monde, ce phare qui l'a guidé après son accident. Il est trop tôt pour se projeter sur la suite.

Sochaux's pres nixes a CD9 return for the Ligue 1 season.

[brinoch]

Still 50 days to the first game -- just over 7 weeks. That's a lot of time for training, but not a lot for match fitness -- which is different. My guess (out of thin air) is that CD9 will probably make the roster and be used as a late-game sub.

[Mark Priors Calves]

ESPN's E:60 did a profile piece on Clint Dempsey the other night. I'm sure they'll be replaying it.

 

I thought it was pretty well done, it discussed Clint's sister dying when he was younger and the impact of that on his career.

[UMFan83]

I only come to this thread maybe once a week so apologies if this has been posted already, but ESPN as part of its on demand content (on Comcast), has the 1994 USA/Columbia game and the 2002 USA/Mexico (as well as 98 England/Argentina) game available to watch. I am watching USA Mexico right now, this was such a happy day.

[CubInOK]

Great day for Americans in the Prem with Spector scoring an own goal and Altidore being shown red for headbutting a guy.

[Guest]

Video of Jozy's red.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQ1P1MriFg

[Guest]

Video of Jozy's red.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQ1P1MriFg

 

Impressive restraint for not giving that goon a real reason to fall down after that dive.