The Soccer Thread

[shnsajax]

Was your reckless driving going 124? Thats beyond reckless. I'm actually hoping its depression and not stupidity.

[shnsajax]

So Davies claims he wasn't the one driving now and that he switched palces to cover up for one of his teammates.

 

"That's not possible for me to go 120 mph on the road after an accident and think everything will be fine," Davies said. "If a kid survives such a serious accident and then almost exactly a year later is driving at a reckless speed, it's like, 'This can't be serious.' ... If someone has a second chance like I do, to take advantage of something like that, it's not something I could do. I learned too much from the whole experience to let something like that happen."

 

Still he shouldn't be in a car with someone driving like that, or at least be saying something to the driver. However I do feel a little better about the whole thing.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I take back my dumbass comment.

[USSoccer]

Either way, it's clownery from a guy who should know better than to allow himself in that situation again.

[shnsajax]

Either way, it's clownery from a guy who should know better than to allow himself in that situation again.

 

Exactly, brings up a lot of questions about his maturity which will ultimately play a huge role in what type of player he becomes.

[wolf stansson]

Was your reckless driving going 124? Thats beyond reckless.

126. I don't know why I did it and I agree that it's beyond reckless.

 

 

This kid needs to stop getting in cars with dumbasses. I stick by my prediction that he'll play first team in MLS before anywhere in Europe again.

[Guest]

My goodness, you have to wonder what he's thinking mentally right now. Is it depression like shnsajax said? :|

[shnsajax]

Great buildup and finish by Jozy.

[Exile on Waveland]

Terrible clearance, yeesh.

[shnsajax]

Terrible clearance, yeesh.

 

That was horrible then they did it again. Jozy should have 2 now.

[shnsajax]

Nice job Gooch.

[Outshined_One]

I was getting on the train at Roosevelt about two hours ago when this massive group of people came up the stairs, decked out in Polish gear, face paint, the works. Most of them were singing. A few of them were blowing vuvuzelas. I'm betting at least half of them were Americans of Polish descent.

 

Traitors.

[USSoccer]

My daughter and I just got back from the game. Intense atmosphere. We were in the front row behind the north goal...and it's getting old to be completely outnumbered anytime we play anyone in Chicago.

 

I'll reserve comment on much of the match until I watch it on TV, but I will say it's always nice to earn a draw at an away game. :roll:

[wolf stansson]

Our back line is absolutely helpless with the ball at their feet and running backwards, Edu is a terrible centerback and Altidore can't finish.

 

Other than that, Jones was absolutely class, the 4-5-1 looked like the logical winner we all thought it would be, Holden is blossoming into a cornerstone player and will only show better with Landon's speed to his side, Clint is on excellent form, Mikey was his usual hyperactive self, Howard is still god and Gooch is healthy.

 

Our World Cup could have been very, very different with Jones anchoring the midfield instead of Edu and Clark.

 

Howard 8

Cherundolo 7

Onyewu 6

Edu 4

Bocanegra 5

Holden 7

Jones 8

Bradley 7

Feilhaber 5

Dempsey 7

Altidore 5

 

Bedoya 6

[shnsajax]

I was going to say I love jones and Mikey playing together. Holden could be an absolute stud in 2014. Jozy needs to learn how to take a little off his shots and finish accurately. I was surprised how physical the match was, though just the way Poland will always play it looked like.

[UMFan83]

My daughter and I just got back from the game. Intense atmosphere. We were in the front row behind the north goal...and it's getting old to be completely outnumbered anytime we play anyone in Chicago.

 

I'll reserve comment on much of the match until I watch it on TV, but I will say it's always nice to earn a draw at an away game. :roll:

 

I hear ya man. I was surrounded by polish supporters and was actually told to "sit down and shut up" after celebrating the 2nd US goal. This is a little excusable considering the insane numbers of polish people living in and around Chicago.

[SpongeWorthy]

I don't really find that any degree of excusable.

[UMFan83]

I don't really find that any degree of excusable.

 

I should have clarified better. The comment wasn't excusable, the large polish presence at the game was.

[SpongeWorthy]

Not that I consider myself some tough guy or anything.

 

But if you're yelling at someone rooting for an American nationl team on American soil to shut up you're an [expletive].

[USSoccer]

Not that I consider myself some tough guy or anything.

 

But if you're yelling at someone rooting for an American nationl team on American soil to shut up you're an [expletive].

 

For the most part, the Polish fans around me were cool. Our seats were in the front next the the aisle, though, and these two hammered girls and their weird guy friend decided to stand the entire game there and scream POLSKA POLSKA. Even they were alright, though. The only thing that really happened was he spilled beer on me after the 1st Polish goal, and I told him he better not have got any on my daughter-he apologized really fast, though. Everyone else was pretty cool; the girls were fawning over my daughter the whole time since she was rocking her USMNT kit/scarf. The Polish fans brought the atmosphere, but I wish we weren't ridiculously outnumbered everywhere.

 

Things I noticed:

 

-There was a concerted effort to try and build possession through the back. It's a good goal for the first part of this cycle. Edu was having giant, giant issues communicating with Boca and Gooch. He was okay, but I have a feeling he'll only see time in the back in the same context of why he was at CB in the Slovenia game. Speaking of Gooch, he was good the entire game save the AYSO clearance on the first Polish goal. Dolo is class, and we will have issues replacing him. He's the only functional back we have that knows how to overlap, and is actually good at it. Boca tries, but he's offensively useless unless on a set piece.

 

-Jones and Mikey didn't mesh well at all. Jones is really fantastic-a significantly better Rico Clark, and was doing a lot of communicating with the other mids and the backline. Bad, bad, bad clearance led to the equalizer, but I liked what I saw. Mikey's touch was poor much of the game and looked unsure of where to be in a midfield that looked cluttered. Benny is a great sub to have on the bench when you're chasing a goal, but he's not a starter. His defense left Boca out to dry the entire 1st half. Stu was good offensively, but not defensively.

Both Benny and Stu were pinching in, which they aren't good at, and since we were basically playing 4 central players at once, our ability to hold possession suffered since the middle of the pitch was a damned mess.

 

-Clint was great. There was a gulf in class between him and everyone else save Jones. There were some passing sequences in the offensive third which were really, really nice. Jozy beat his marker like he owed him money the entire game. His finish was nice, and should have really had 3 in the end. Once he gets more confidence in front of goal he's going to be what we all hope. None of the defenders could handle his strength and pace. However, someone on our team needs to start taking some shots outside the 18.

 

-Bedoya does nothing for me. He's a guy. A squad player. Not impressed. Not fast, not strong, doesn't move well off the ball.

[wolf stansson]

Dolo is class, and we will have issues replacing him. He's the only functional back we have that knows how to overlap, and is actually good at it.

I actually think Sean Franklin will fit in really nicely for him. One of the few next gen back liners I have no worries about.

[shnsajax]

Best ownership news since the day Bill Wirtz died: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5654048/liverpool-agrees-sale-boston-red-sox-owners-pending-resolution-board-dispute

If this deal goes through, it turns Liverpool from being in a horrendous ownership situation to a very promising one.

 

If Liverpool enters into Bankruptcy Protection the deal is off and a 9 point penalty becomes a possibility. Tom Hicks should probably be prevented from buying a sports franchise ever again.

[USSoccer]

Dolo is class, and we will have issues replacing him. He's the only functional back we have that knows how to overlap, and is actually good at it.

I actually think Sean Franklin will fit in really nicely for him. One of the few next gen back liners I have no worries about.

 

I like Franklin too, but I think 'Dolo is really underrated. He's really good.

[wolf stansson]

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/europe/story/Davies-license-suspended-over-speeding

A French police official says American forward Charlie Davies has been fined 750 euros ($1,040) and had his driving license suspended over a speeding incident.

 

Davies was with his Sochaux teammate Jacques Faty when they were pulled over by police in the early hours of Oct. 3 after being clocked at 125 mph in France's Jura region.

 

Faty and Davies have both said Faty was driving the car, but they switched positions because Faty thought his license was still suspended from a previous speeding infraction.

 

The French police official, who was not authorized to be publicly named, said Monday that Davies has been fined.

 

The official said neither player has officially contradicted the original version of events to police.

 

The 24-year-old Davies almost died in a car accident in 2009.

So maybe he was driving? Whatever happened, Charlie needs to grow up.

[wvcbxl]

FYI the speed limit on French motorways is just under 81 mph (130 km/h to be exact)