The Soccer Thread

[USSoccer]

Pachuca's Torres wants to play for US. Call him up pronto.

 

It's amazing we don't have more Latin Americans on the team. They have some on the youth teams but it's taken a long time to develop.

 

It's because ODP isn't geared towards minority players unless they are middle class and up.

 

If he isn't called up for the next qualifier, then f Bob Bradley.

 

Get ready to f him. He's been quoted as saying some sort of nonsense like "he's not ready for the national team".

 

And yet EJ and Ching are.

[sethuel1]

Rumors are swirling that the US vs T&T tickets aren't selling that well. of course, when you make midfield seats to a semi-round qualifier something like $80, that tends to happen.

 

I blame Sunil. i want a full stadium

[shnsajax]

They should have put the game in Frisco :-)

[wolf stansson]

WTF is Matt Reis doing taking a pk in the Super Liga final? 2-2 after extra time and he was the second man to the spot for New England in the shootout. Missed way high.

 

Luckily for him, New England ended up 8-7 on the pk's and they won their first piece of silverware as well as finally getting over on the Dynamo.

[USSoccer]

If Kenny Cooper isn't in Chicago for the T&T game, I'm going to jump onto the field and smack Bob Bradley with a wiffle bat

[USSoccer]

US v Japan in the opening Olympic game this morning:

 

 

US won 1-0 on a Stuart Holden goal. Apparently, though, the team played like crap and should have lost. The same problems that plauge the senior team-no service from the back, turnovers in the midfield and poor touch up front-were evident.

 

 

Also, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to stay at Man U for at least one more season.

[wolf stansson]

Got up at 4:30 today to watch the US - Japan game. 1-0 US. Stuart Holden with a goal off a deflected cross in by Marvelle Wynne. Wynne got behind his guy on the right flank with a really nice turn and burst of speed, sent in the cross once he broke free, the defender kneed it out of the box right to Holden.

 

Starting lineup was:

 

------------------Guzan-------------------

--Wynne---Edu---Parkhurst---Orozco--

-----------------Bradley------------------

--Holden-----------------------Rogers--

-----------------Kljestan-----------------

--------------Adu-------------------------

---------------------McBride-------------

 

Subs that got in: Jozy (McBride), Feilhaber (Holden) and Szetela (Rogers).

 

Guzan 8 - Made some very nice saves, was composed in the box, came off his line when necessary and was very assertive when doing so.

Wynne 6 - Has a tendency to get caught out when coming up into the attack but did not today. Used his great speed to get up and put some crosses in. Biggest contributor to the only goal. He's the future at right back if he ever develops some touch.

Edu 5 - I love a center back who can play with the ball at his feet. Edu could have a big future at the position if he plays there more often. Unfortunately he fouled a guy in the box late in the game that should have been a penalty but the ref didn't call it. Almost cost us possibly not getting out of the group stage.

Parkhurst 6 - So solid. Didn't do anything significant good or bad, but his positioning is unparalleled in the US MNT setup. Knows exactly when and where to move when facing superior numbers.

Orozco 5 - Got caught out a few times, not a natural left back; needs some seasoning there.

Bradley 4 - Did nothing except a few hard fouls. Typical MNT Bradley performance as the holding mid with some rash challenges and bad passing.

Holden 7 - Great tackles, great work rate, scored the goal with a good strike, made some good runs and really combines well on the right side. He's fun to watch play because he looks like he is having fun and is an intense competitor.

Rogers 5 - I really like what I've seen of Rogers. Good ball skills, can take people on, makes quick turns and puts in a quick cross. Needs to work on the crossing, but the potential is there. Unfortunately he'd make a great turn and run but couldn't finish it with a good cross.

Kljestan 4 - Not the Sacha I've been watching at Chivas. He reminds a lot of a young Deuce where he struggles to assert himself on the international stage the way he does in MLS. Tentativeness led to some dumb turnovers and didn't show the killer instinct he shows at Chivas. I hope the more experience he gets, the more aggressive he'll get because he is a fun guy to watch. At least he had some nice tackles today.

Adu 5 - Poor Freddy was trapped all game. You could tell Japan's game plan was to not let Freddy beat them. He was marked all game but was still able to do some nice things on the ball and was of course good on the set pieces.

McBride 7 - Got no service to speak of but drew 8 or 9 fouls with his trademark work rate and determination. You could tell he was just too much for the Japanese defenders.

Jozy - Came in in the 74th, made a great run with the ball shrugging off two defenders in the box, but finish got away from him but had he been able to hold on, would've been a classic Jozy goal. I want to see him starting with McBride becaust McBride's skill with his back to goal and Jozy's skill facing the goal will be formidable for the Dutch to contend with. He's just a beast.

Feilhaber - Honestly, he should start. I know he hasn't had a game all year, but put Kljestan on a wing and put Feilhaber in the middle. No one can link through the midfield like Benny and when he is playing confidently, he's the best midfielder on the squad other than Adu.

Szetela - Barely a runout, not enough to judge.

 

 

All-in-all the biggest problem today was the pitiful job by Bradley and Kljestan linking from back to front and not giving any service. I don't think Kljestan is suited for CAM in international play. He's better off on one of the wings as of now.

 

We dominated possession, and it wasn't just England possession where they pass back from the midfield to the defenders and call it possession. We had it in the front third a lot. Unfortunately the Japanese put 10 back and just loaded the box. Japan had more of the dangerous scoring chances, and should/could have won 2-1 with a pk.

[USSoccer]

Isn't that the problem with the senior team as well? We don't really have a mid that can link up from the back to the wings and strikers?

 

The only way Bob's idiotic "Empty Bucket" works is with a real linking mid. And the only one we have is Benny, and he's such a question mark.

 

From the formation you posted, it appears that we used the Bucket again, which is really inexplicable at the u-23 level because our players certainly don't fit with that system. Sascha isn't a linking mid. Freddy isn't. They're both CAM's, or in Sascha's case, a wing mid right now. MB is just a destroyer right now.

 

Who the F is our technical director, anyway? Someone should be pointing this out.

[shnsajax]

I forgot about the game and should have woke up for it. Opening game wind are huge however they happen. When is the next game.

[wolf stansson]

I forgot about the game and should have woke up for it. Opening game wind are huge however they happen. When is the next game.

I think Monday against your Oranje mob.

 

Btw, Netherlands and Nigeria tied 0-0 so we are firmly atop the group. Excellent results today.

[shnsajax]

I forgot about the game and should have woke up for it. Opening game wind are huge however they happen. When is the next game.

I think Monday against your Oranje mob.

 

Btw, Netherlands and Nigeria tied 0-0 so we are firmly atop the group. Excellent results today.

 

I am pulling for the US in this one. A draw won't be a bad result but a win will put them through.

[USSoccer]

Ryan Babel is going to eat whoever mid is on that side alive.

 

However, Adu might tear it up since the Oranje don't exactly pressure the ball much.

[Guest]

4:45 am PT game time starts are brutal.

[wolf stansson]

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/08/dutch-olympic-t.html#more

The Dutch Olympic team will be down at least two players when it faces the United States on Sunday.

 

Veteran Dutch striker Roy Makaay, one of the Netherlands over-age players, and midfielder Evander Sno, are set to miss the vital showdown against the USA on Sunday. Makaay suffered a foot injury in the first half of the Dutch team's scoreless draw with Nigeria, while Sno is set to serve a suspension for his red card late in the same match (a red card he drew after a studs-up challenge on Columbus Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo).

 

The Dutch team is still stacked with talented attacking stars Ryan Babel, Jonathan DeGuzman and Roysten Drenthe, but the short rest and hot weather could make the absence of those two players tougher to overcome.

 

Tests on Makaay's foot revealed no break, but he will miss Sunday's match.

 

Dutch head coach Foppe de Haan is sure to cause a stir after making less than flattering remarks about the U.S. team ahead of Sunday's clash.

 

"Nigeria is confident on the ball," he said. "They have two very good strikers. The Americans are more of a team on the same level. They don't have anybody extremely good.

 

"They're totally different than Nigeria, in my opinion."

Somewhere, Jozy Altidore is taping thate statement to a wall.

 

What do you think about the Dutch facing the USA short-handed? Will Makaay's absence make a difference? Will Jozy Altidore make the Dutch coach eat his words?

 

F you, Dutch coach. Bradley, Adu > DeGuzman, Altidore, McBride > Makaay.

 

 

Ryan Babel is going to eat whoever mid is on that side alive.

Hmm...depends. If Nowak puts Holden there, he has the pace and endurance to keep with him and Bradley will be able to help out. Biggest problem will be Orozco out of position at left back.

[reggiemiller rules]

Freddy just made a great pass to spring Klejstan who ties the game at 1

[Jon]

Kljestan, that was beautiful!

 

Hopefully the Dutch don't decide to wake up now.

[Jon]

2-1!!

[shnsajax]

Ok only watching 5 minutes but seen a couple of obvious things. The back 4 looks very clumsy for the US. Very unsettled, Guzan looks sharp though.

 

Why is Altisore not starting? There is no excuse I can think of. Adu looks good, you can see something in him that few have ever had in the US. He almost looks bigger to, bulking up?

 

Only a couple of minutes but I like Kljesten. The goal help. Of course Jozy scores 2-1 USA!

[Jon]

I watched the first 20 minutes before skipping all the way to the 54th minute to catch up live. Those first 20 minutes looked horrible, so I'm not sure when the match started to turn around.

 

Even within the last 15 minutes Adu has made a handful of beautiful passes.

 

I don't know why Rogers started over Jozy, but I'm glad the substitution was made when it was. He made a few errors and was taken out shortly after.

[Jon]

Jozy is bringing some great pressure. Of course, he's fresh and this crappy pitch has probably taken something extra out of everyone.

 

I'll agree with Balboa. Adu was lucky he didn't get a red. Thankfully, the head official didn't really see what happened.

[shnsajax]

Adu got lucky

[shnsajax]

Babel's 5th gear is freaking fast. I like bringing in Benny at this point.

[Jon]

Nice job, Benny.

 

A lot of players have been misjudging headers today from what I've seen.

[Jon]

Arrrrrrgh. Could've put this one away.

[shnsajax]

Holden should have crossed!