The Soccer Thread

[USSoccer]

It simply amazes me that we went up against an 11 men behind the ball bunker and we couldn't come up with anything more creative than bombing the ball from midfield most of the game.

 

We started the worst possible lineup for it. Donovan isn't a back to goal player. He should have been lying deeper. Actually, you probably should have swapped Donovan and Dempsey and that would have helped. We had no midfielder willing to change the point of attack. Beasley was awful, Clint ended up all over the place trying to do too much, Donovan was beaten out of the game, and so you have Ching holding the ball up for no one.

 

We had no width, not enough creativity to break down the bunker...basically, we've learned nothing in 3 years. Nothing tactically has improved because our team selection still sucks. If Torres starts instead of Sacha (way too many stupid giveaways to justify his first XI status, btw) and maybe swap Dempsey and Donovan position wise, or start Adu, and you have something.

[USSoccer]

Ok, seeing as how I have been up all night keeping an eye on my sick daughter, I watched parts of the game again. Thoughts:

 

-Beasley and Pearce were the two worst players on the field, which is saying something, because for the first 40 or so, Califf was playing center liability. Both DMB and Pearce need to sit in Nashville. The three together probably combined for the worst performance in a meaningful game since the CZR game in 2006 where no one played well and Pope, Donovan and Beasley were atrocious.

 

-Dempsey was hit or miss rather than solid, but he and Donovan actually did try and assert themselves in the first half. Donovan kind of stopped after the first half. None of the mids took particularly good care of the ball. We played, ironically, exactly like Mexico did against us, bypassing the midfield positions and almost exclusively hitting long balls to Ching and Clint.

 

-Long balls would have worked against the Sallies had we had effective wing play. We were just that much taller and physical. Ching was holding well. The problem was that by the time we started to assert said physicality, Dempsey had decided to play almost exclusively centrally (where he should be anyway), leaving Hejduk along to cover that wing. So he couldn't really get forward, and Beasley looked completely lazy and slow. Deuce actually yelled at him on two different occasions to get forward, and I'm not sure how that ever should happen to a supposed veteran of the team. We need either better wing play (which presents a problem since Clint isn't a winger and Beasley is bad) or better fullback play (more likely with 'Dolo, Spector, and Wynne all options.

 

-Sacha shouldn't be starting. He's not done anything outside of the C friendly against Sweden to warrant pairing with Bradley. WAY too many idiotic giveaways. Inexplicable passing. Panicked shooting. A lack of composure and vision. He isn't ready. JFT or even Pablo (until Sacha or JFT are ready) should be starting. On the road, you can't afford a central mid to be so careless with the ball.

 

-On the buildup to Jozy's goal, the Sallie who should have been marking Hejduk was rolling around the center circle faking a strained vagina. That's what you get. At one point, ESA had 5 players on the ground, bitching it up. If Ching had pretended to be a striker for a split second and finished the point blank chance Jozy set him up with instead of drilling it into the keeper's chest, it would have been a karmalicious outcome for the worst example of time wasting since every Ghanian field player acted like snipers were in the stands in 2006.

 

Bob Bradley needs to never, ever carry 2 D-mids and 2 backup defenders over Adu ever again. Games like this are made for players like Adu, Torres, Dempsey and Jozy. Also, this is the first time in a long time that I saw us play completely disorganized, undisciplined ball.

 

-I can't shake the feeling that the two points lost in this game will come back to get us at some point. I feel this result was important for some reason, like something's changed after it, but I can't quite place what.

Edited March 29, 2009 by USSoccer

[Guest]

Every semi long ball or cross that we continued to send in over and over and over again just pissed me off more and more each time. You would have thought that after the 1000th long ball that didn't do anything, they would have tried something different occasionally. That's not to say that you completely quit it - and it was a long ball that led to the first goal - but mix it up a bit.

 

-I can't shake the feeling that the two points lost in this game will come back to get us at some point. I feel this result was important for some reason, like something's changed after it, but I can't quite place what.

 

How much does where we finish in the Hex matter in terms of World Cup stuff as long as we're in the top-3? I know that to finish third vs. first we'd have to lose and draw a few games which would hurt our world ranking, but I really have no idea how that affects placement in the World Cup (or if it even does at all).

[shnsajax]

If we do anything but demolish T&T on Wednesday I'm going to be right pissed off. We were LUCKY to get a draw out of a team we should handle with ease.

 

Exactly how I feel, though I don't as much want us to demolish T&T in terms of the scoreline (though it would be nice) but rather just play good soccer. If we attack well, dominate the play and generate quality chances, I'll be pretty happy. I'd love a 3-0 or 4-0 scoreline, but I'd take a 1-0 with great play over playing crummy but winning 4-0.

 

I just want to see the correct lineup starting the match.

[USSoccer]

-I can't shake the feeling that the two points lost in this game will come back to get us at some point. I feel this result was important for some reason, like something's changed after it, but I can't quite place what.

 

How much does where we finish in the Hex matter in terms of World Cup stuff as long as we're in the top-3? I know that to finish third vs. first we'd have to lose and draw a few games which would hurt our world ranking, but I really have no idea how that affects placement in the World Cup (or if it even does at all).

 

It doesnt but if you want to avoid the playoff with CONMEMBOL...i mean, do you see Mexico, Honduras or Costa Rica dropping points away to ESA?

 

It means we now need to win an away match we'd otherwise need to draw to avoid qualifying coming down to the last couple games. We've never won at the Saprissa or at Azteca.

 

The two points we lost out on make it that much more difficult.

[sethuel1]

Every semi long ball or cross that we continued to send in over and over and over again just pissed me off more and more each time. You would have thought that after the 1000th long ball that didn't do anything, they would have tried something different occasionally. That's not to say that you completely quit it - and it was a long ball that led to the first goal - but mix it up a bit.

 

-I can't shake the feeling that the two points lost in this game will come back to get us at some point. I feel this result was important for some reason, like something's changed after it, but I can't quite place what.

 

How much does where we finish in the Hex matter in terms of World Cup stuff as long as we're in the top-3? I know that to finish third vs. first we'd have to lose and draw a few games which would hurt our world ranking, but I really have no idea how that affects placement in the World Cup (or if it even does at all).

It doesn't, as long as we finish in the top 3. I mean, it might affect our FIFA ranking a bit, but we weren't ever going to be high enough in the FIFA ranking system to get a seeded position in the World Cup anyway,

[Mark Priors Calves]

i didn't get to watch the match until this morning and 6 of the 7 minute of stoppage time didn't get dvr because the stupid "cramping" during the second half.

 

-jozy needs to start seeing some serious minutes going forward. he was the the big source of energy and drive last night.

 

-i want to punch hejduk in the face every time i see him. when he scored, i didn't want to punch him, but then i changed my mind after another minute.

 

-beasley is very frustrating. he looks great some matches and completely horrendous others (last night).

 

-i don't blame guzan for both goals last night but he makes me nervous as our #2.

 

-i'm hoping for a 3-0 thrashing on wednesday night.

[USSoccer]

FWIW, the ELO models have us at exactly the number of points expected through 2 games.

 

I think the changes we make ahead of Wednesday's game will say alot for how Bradley is going to evaluate last nights hot mess.

[shnsajax]

I think its safe to say Holland will be going to SA. Not that I was ever worried.

 

1 Netherlands 12

2 Iceland 4

3 Scotland 4

4 Macedonia 3

5 Norway 2

 

Though it will be interesting to see what happens with Portugal, the Czech's, Turkey, and France. All four currently on the outside. Mostly looking at Portugal right now.

[wolf stansson]

I know things are bad at left back when I see that Bob called in Johnny Bornstein and I'm hoping he starts.

[wolf stansson]

If you're the kind of guy who likes to get in early on band wagons, get in on Freddy Montero last week.

 

A brace and an assist in game one.

 

This goal last weekend:

http://www.mlsnet.com/quickkicks/index.jsp?page=index&c=QuickKicks&p=501196&s=5016067&i=530781

 

He is like Landon only with balls and flair.

[USSoccer]

If you're the kind of guy who likes to get in early on band wagons, get in on Freddy Montero last week.

 

A brace and an assist in game one.

 

This goal last weekend:

http://www.mlsnet.com/quickkicks/index.jsp?page=index&c=QuickKicks&p=501196&s=5016067&i=530781

 

He is like Landon only with balls and flair.

 

He's a good example of what an actual good young player would look lke against MLS defenses.

[wolf stansson]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

[shnsajax]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

 

This completely blows.

[Guest]

How many games does ESPN air in HD anyway? I believe they did the finals last year but don't remember anything before that.

 

I don't remember them having any HD broadcasts yet this year.

 

What sucks is this will mean no second game on ESPN Classic after the first one (though I assume Setanta will have some games, not that that helps me since I don't get the channel) and, I'm assuming, no more ESPN highlight show. Hopefully FSC will put on an hour highlight show of their own on or allow ESPN to keep doing it.

[USSoccer]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

 

This is a bad, bad thing for soccer fans. Setanta isn't everywhere yet, and I'm not all that impressed with FSC's coverage of anything but the EPL, really.

[wolf stansson]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

 

This is a bad, bad thing for soccer fans. Setanta isn't everywhere yet, and I'm not all that impressed with FSC's coverage of anything but the EPL, really.

What does this mean for Derek Rae? Are we really going to have to listen to Max Bretos over pronounce every name or listen to Christopher Sullivan call Inter "Milan" and Man U "Manchester?"

[USSoccer]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

 

This is a bad, bad thing for soccer fans. Setanta isn't everywhere yet, and I'm not all that impressed with FSC's coverage of anything but the EPL, really.

What does this mean for Derek Rae? Are we really going to have to listen to Max Bretos over pronounce every name or listen to Christopher Sullivan call Inter "Milan" and Man U "Manchester?"

 

Ugh.

 

I would hope they'd just use whoever Sky Sports uses for this sort of thing, rather than using those two.

[Mark Priors Calves]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

booooooooooooooooo. i haven't seen any hd feeds from espn this year anyway.

 

i enjoy espn's coverage of the champions league, they don't make it too espnish and unbearable. i hope fsc doesn't try to put their influence on it and they should just pick up an british feed and use it.

[shnsajax]

FSC outbid ESPN for the Champions League next year, which means no HD broadcasts.

 

F.

 

This is a bad, bad thing for soccer fans. Setanta isn't everywhere yet, and I'm not all that impressed with FSC's coverage of anything but the EPL, really.

What does this mean for Derek Rae? Are we really going to have to listen to Max Bretos over pronounce every name or listen to Christopher Sullivan call Inter "Milan" and Man U "Manchester?"

 

Ugh.

 

I would hope they'd just use whoever Sky Sports uses for this sort of thing, rather than using those two.

 

If I have to listen to Max Bretos I will get satelite and just watch to Sky Sports. ESPN lost out on the EPL, I don't see how they could lose the Champions League as well. They should have something in the works to replace it otherwise National Team games is all we get with them. Or they just completely blew it.

[wolf stansson]

Ready your plastic, new kits are coming.

[shnsajax]

Looks like Shearer is set to take over at Newcastle, at least temporarily.

 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=632937&sec=england&cc=5901

[shnsajax]

Not an April Fool's Day Joke:

 

Bolivia 6

Argentina 1

 

WTF?

[USSoccer]

Beasley in at left back, Landon to left wing, Jozy up top. Pablo in for Kljestan.

 

Should be interesting.

[wolf stansson]

This is a very un-Bob lineup. I like the effort. I would play Landon removed from Jozy and put El Gringo on the left, but hey this is ok.