***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (2 Viewers)

[El Floppo]

Nascar is idiotixc btw

############duckfuxk

 

[Moe.]

Well at least that guat game in kc will be worth going to

Unless something funny happens, that game should determine who goes through, the US or Guat.

What a joke.

Why is it a joke? One of the big teams struggles in the semi's every cycle. It's certainly not our first bumpy road and Mexico squeezed by on the last game last semi final cycle.Floppo and I have always said we think the semi's are more difficult than the hex. The US had a great semi's last cycle but that was rare.

Calm down.

Huh? Just trying to give some perspective.

I'm calmer than you are.

You really weren't. And I was the least calm of anybody.

 

[The Z Machine]

What a dissapointing night. All 3 teams I wanted to win went up 1-0 on the road, only to lose either 2-1 or 3-1. Sad night.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Wins against A&B and Guat probably see us through on 10 pts -- though GD could enter into it then. Definitely worthwhile to run the score up on A&B if we get the chance. A win against Jamaica next week and the US would be in good shape again.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Wins against A&B and Guat probably see us through on 10 pts -- though GD could enter into it then. Definitely worthwhile to run the score up on A&B if we get the chance. A win against Jamaica next week and the US would be in good shape again.

correct. Even a loss against Jamaica and the US still has its fate in its own hands, although it will be more difficult since it will not only have to win both games, it may have to win by multiple goals to make up GD.If the US wants to avoid dealing with a tie breaker, then it needs 7 points in the last 3 games.That means if the US gets at least 1 point from Jamaica, it does not need to worry about trying to run up the score in Antigua, they just need to win. Note that Antigua has only had one home game in this round and they were not scored on. They may be the weakest team in the group, but no one has had an easy game against them yet.

 

[NewlyRetired]

So the media and fans seem equal in agreement that the midfield was a total mess last night, specifically Beckerman, Edu and Jones all had poor games in multiple areas of the game.

So how do you fix it with the current roster?

One idea might be to pray Boca can go 90 minutes, and move Cameron into the midfield.

Another idea might be to give Spector a shot lb and move Fab up to right MF.

Something like this would give the US significantly more width than they had albeit some likely serious problems defensively on the left side of the pitch.

...................Howard

Park/Cher Goodson Boca/Edu Spector

..................Cameron

..Fab..........Torres/Jones..........Shea

..........Dempsey

...................Jozy/Gomez/Boyd

 

[Christo]

So the media and fans seem equal in agreement that the midfield was a total mess last night, specifically Beckerman, Edu and Jones all had poor games in multiple areas of the game.So how do you fix it with the current roster? One idea might be to pray Boca can go 90 minutes, and move Cameron into the midfield.Another idea might be to give Spector a shot lb and move Fab up to right MF.Something like this would give the US significantly more width than they had albeit some likely serious problems defensively on the left side of the pitch....................HowardPark/Cher Goodson Boca/Edu Spector..................Cameron..Fab..........Torres/Jones..........Shea..........Dempsey...................Jozy/Gomez/Boyd

Spector could play CB or FB. Hell, he would have been an improvement in MF last night. He has experience there. I still think he's one of our more under-valued players.

 

[Sebowski]

So the media and fans seem equal in agreement that the midfield was a total mess last night, specifically Beckerman, Edu and Jones all had poor games in multiple areas of the game.

So how do you fix it with the current roster?

One idea might be to pray Boca can go 90 minutes, and move Cameron into the midfield.

Another idea might be to give Spector a shot lb and move Fab up to right MF.

Something like this would give the US significantly more width than they had albeit some likely serious problems defensively on the left side of the pitch.

...................Howard

Park/Cher Goodson Boca/Edu Spector

..................Cameron

..Fab..........Torres/Jones..........Shea

..........Dempsey

...................Jozy/Gomez/Boyd

Bolded are 3 of our 4 best field players on the roster right now. Find a way to get more of them on the field. Play Dempsey on the wing and start 2 of the 3.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I really don't think it makes a lot of sense to shuttle players outside their roles. Fabian Johnson Iran excellent fullback. We should keep him there. Cameron should stay a CB for the Nats for the sake of continuity. If we need guys to play quicker from the deep lying areas, I'd prefer having a Torres or even Adu play a deep lying role (I still think that's the only position either is suited for in the international game). If we need wide play, I'd like to see Pontious get a call up, but I prefer small changes to large ones. JK wants an established pecking order at each spot and I agree with that.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I really don't think it makes a lot of sense to shuttle players outside their roles. Fabian Johnson Iran excellent fullback. We should keep him there. Cameron should stay a CB for the Nats for the sake of continuity. If we need guys to play quicker from the deep lying areas, I'd prefer having a Torres or even Adu play a deep lying role (I still think that's the only position either is suited for in the international game). If we need wide play, I'd like to see Pontious get a call up, but I prefer small changes to large ones. JK wants an established pecking order at each spot and I agree with that.

Adu is having difficulty being an every day starter for one of the worst teams in MLS. I just don't see him ever getting called by Klinsmann for a real game. I have been on the Pontius bandwagon for a while now and I think he would be good for this team. But those type of suggestions do not help our cause on Tuesday since we are going to have the same roster. I think it would be a mistake to send out Jones, Beckerman and Edu again in their same roles.

 

[Eephus]

Ivory Coast-Senegal AFCON Qualifier streaming live on YouTube

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I really don't think it makes a lot of sense to shuttle players outside their roles. Fabian Johnson Iran excellent fullback. We should keep him there. Cameron should stay a CB for the Nats for the sake of continuity. If we need guys to play quicker from the deep lying areas, I'd prefer having a Torres or even Adu play a deep lying role (I still think that's the only position either is suited for in the international game). If we need wide play, I'd like to see Pontious get a call up, but I prefer small changes to large ones. JK wants an established pecking order at each spot and I agree with that.

Adu is having difficulty being an every day starter for one of the worst teams in MLS. I just don't see him ever getting called by Klinsmann for a real game. I have been on the Pontius bandwagon for a while now and I think he would be good for this team. But those type of suggestions do not help our cause on Tuesday since we are going to have the same roster. I think it would be a mistake to send out Jones, Beckerman and Edu again in their same roles.

Isn't it A&B? I don't think there's much worry about that. Jones won't sit compact in that game. Even Beckerman will play higher up.

 

[Eephus]

Ivory Coast-Senegal AFCON Qualifier streaming live on YouTube

Kalou equalizes for the Ivorians just before the half

 

[NewlyRetired]

I really don't think it makes a lot of sense to shuttle players outside their roles. Fabian Johnson Iran excellent fullback. We should keep him there. Cameron should stay a CB for the Nats for the sake of continuity. If we need guys to play quicker from the deep lying areas, I'd prefer having a Torres or even Adu play a deep lying role (I still think that's the only position either is suited for in the international game). If we need wide play, I'd like to see Pontious get a call up, but I prefer small changes to large ones. JK wants an established pecking order at each spot and I agree with that.

Adu is having difficulty being an every day starter for one of the worst teams in MLS. I just don't see him ever getting called by Klinsmann for a real game. I have been on the Pontius bandwagon for a while now and I think he would be good for this team. But those type of suggestions do not help our cause on Tuesday since we are going to have the same roster. I think it would be a mistake to send out Jones, Beckerman and Edu again in their same roles.

Isn't it A&B? I don't think there's much worry about that. Jones won't sit compact in that game. Even Beckerman will play higher up.

The next game on Tuesday in Columbus is against Jamaica, not Antigua. US plays @ Antigua in the second to last game of round next month.

 

[Eephus]

Papiss Cisse w/ a ridiculous header near the hour mark. CIV 1 - SEN 2

 

[Eephus]

Papiss Cisse w/ a ridiculous header near the hour mark. CIV 1 - SEN 2

...and Gervinho equalizes

 

[Eephus]

2 quick goals for the Elephants. Drogba on a PK and Gradel

 

[Eephus]

CIV 4 - SEN 2 FT

It was a very entertaining, wide open game although the video production was decidedly third world. Gervinho looks a lot more dangerous in a game like this where both defenses are disorganized.

 

[NewlyRetired]

CIV 4 - SEN 2 FTIt was a very entertaining, wide open game although the video production was decidedly third world. Gervinho looks a lot more dangerous in a game like this where both defenses are disorganized.

I had trouble getting this to work smoothly. How did Drogba look?

 

[Eephus]

CIV 4 - SEN 2 FTIt was a very entertaining, wide open game although the video production was decidedly third world. Gervinho looks a lot more dangerous in a game like this where both defenses are disorganized.

I had trouble getting this to work smoothly. How did Drogba look?

Nobody was doing much defending. Drogba had some opportunities but his finishing wasn't great. His goal was on a PK and he had a late "Hand of Drog" goal disallowed.P. Cisse's goal is worth tracking down the highlights. It was a 20 yd. header off a long ball from inside Senegal's own half

 

[Sebowski]

CIV 4 - SEN 2 FT

It was a very entertaining, wide open game although the video production was decidedly third world. Gervinho looks a lot more dangerous in a game like this where both defenses are disorganized.

I had trouble getting this to work smoothly. How did Drogba look?

Nobody was doing much defending. Drogba had some opportunities but his finishing wasn't great. His goal was on a PK and he had a late "Hand of Drog" goal disallowed.P. Cisse's goal is worth tracking down the highlights. It was a 20 yd. header off a long ball from inside Senegal's own half

My link

 

[El Floppo]

Well at least that guat game in kc will be worth going to

Unless something funny happens, that game should determine who goes through, the US or Guat.

What a joke.

Why is it a joke? One of the big teams struggles in the semi's every cycle. It's certainly not our first bumpy road and Mexico squeezed by on the last game last semi final cycle.Floppo and I have always said we think the semi's are more difficult than the hex. The US had a great semi's last cycle but that was rare.

Calm down.

Huh? Just trying to give some perspective.

I'm calmer than you are.

You really weren't. And I was the least calm of anybody.

went completely over my head. if it had been raising arizona I would have been all over it.

 

[El Floppo]

I always find these post-game quote sheets interesting:

U.S. MNT vs. JamaicaFIFA World Cup Qualifier; Kingston, JamaicaSept. 7, 2012U.S. Men’s National Team head coach JURGEN KLINSMANNOn the match overall:“A couple of things went wrong. Having that lead maybe gave players the feeling they can play the complicated way. I told them at halftime this is not the way it works. You’ve got to keep things simple on the field. Every time we played simple passing and combined, we created chances. In between those moments we just made things far too complicated. Then we give away free kicks in an area where we knew the Jamaican team has their strength in set pieces. After that equalizer, they rose to the occasion, they had a tremendous amount of energy and they gave everything they had and at the end of the day they deserved that win. They were hungrier and more determined and that’s how they came off the field as the winning team. We have to fix it now. We have to fix it back in Columbus and I think it’s clear to the players that in certain moments you just need to be a little bit smarter.”On what the U.S. can take away from the loss:“In the moment of a defeat you learn a lot. You probably learn more when you get beaten than when you win games. So, we learned a lot. We take that with us to Columbus, certain things that we did wrong tonight we will avoid on Tuesday and you’ve got to continue to build. The next game is always the most difficult one. We expected a very difficult game, we were aware of the Jamaican team, we respected them and we have to take it the way it is now. There are not only good moments like there were in Mexico and Italy, but now there are more difficult moments and so you’ve got to adjust to it and the good thing about the situation now is that we can repair things in four days.”On whether there will be changes made heading into Tuesday’s rematch:“Obviously, we’re going to analyze things and see on the tape how things went. When you have a little more distance you can see things a little bit better than you can on the sideline. The key to that game was really that we made things far too complicated in the first half. We allowed them to come back into the game. Instead of keeping the ball and moving it around simply, we gave them opportunities and opportunities to get free kicks and they scored off of a free kick in the first half and the second half. I think the team has the opportunity on Tuesday to fix it.”On potential roster moves for the next match:“We have a big enough roster to discuss certain things within the coaching staff and if we’re going to make changes, we will make changes. That’s not the point. Overall we have to give Jamaica a compliment at how they rose to the occasion. They were hungry and so determined. They wanted it so badly. They were very physical and we had problems with that. There is a lot to take from the game even if the result for us is a negative one.”On playing again on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio:“A return match within four days is something that everyone is used to. You play in Europe, there you play games every four or five days. It’s no big deal. We travel back to Columbus and we have another match and it starts 0-0 on Tuesday night and we will try everything to turn it around.”On leaving more veteran players off the roster and out of the lineup:“The guys that stepped on the field are in charge. They are responsible to give everything they have. They are responsible for the outcome. They have to match the Jamaican team and overmatch them in a certain way. I don’t complain about players that are not here because there are reasons why they’re not here. Michael [bradley] is injured, obviously. We take it the way it is. We have a good group here that is able to beat Jamaica and we were just making too many mistakes. It is what it is. Now we will prepare properly for the return match and try to get our points there.”On not having Steve Cherundolo or Carlos Bocanegra dress for the match:“We knew yesterday that Steve wasn’t 100 percent and we didn’t want to take risks. We both agreed that it was smarter to bring Michael Parkhurst on to start. On Carlos, he had some problems to get in a rhythm and there were some transfer things and we had a very good experience in Mexico with Geoff Cameron in the middle and Maurice Edu in the middle and Clarence for weeks has been playing consistent in Europe. They are ahead of him in that moment. That was the decision basically, very simple.”On the pressure to perform on Tuesday:“Pressure is always there in World Cup Qualifiers which is a wonderful thing because it’s important. We have no problem with that so we know we have to bounce back and prove everybody wrong in Columbus.”On footing the blame for Friday’s loss:“You can blame me, no problem. There was no over confidence. There was excitement coming out of Mexico City, but we expected a very difficult match tonight. We watched Jamaica a couple times on tape, we had scouts come down here. They have a good side. They were physical and prepared and hungry. They got back in the game with a free kick and they won the game with another free kick. You don’t even have to talk about tactics. It has nothing to do with whether you play a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 , you lost the game because of two free kicks and that’s what you have to accept and you’ve got to turn it around in a couple of days.”U.S. forward HERCULEZ GOMEZOn the match:“We were happy that we went up early on. I thought the tempo was controlled and then we started losing a little bit of the midfield. The conditions didn’t help us. We lacked creativity and gave up bad fouls. When you do that, it’s not a good sign and bad things can happen and they did.”On the U.S. trying to score the equalizer:“We needed to start taking advantage of the lack of width that we had in the first half. Maybe occupy some of those spaces on the outside, more 1-v-1 duels, try to combine things we couldn’t do because we were playing sloppy in the first half. We threw numbers forward, but I thought we did a better job of occupying those spaces and getting guys involved. It was just too little, too late.”On the quick turnaround:“I wish we could play them tomorrow. It’s good that we get to play them on Tuesday and we’re going to go from there. We let one slip today and we’re chomping at the bit to get our opportunity again.”U.S. midfielder CLINT DEMPSEYOn his quick goal and the rest of the match:“We were moving the ball well and got the ball wide and then I think it was a deflection that came to me right in front of the goal. It was an ideal start, but it was frustrating because we struggled on set pieces. We gave away too many free kicks around the box and they punished us for it. It’s always difficult when you have these qualifiers away from home, but you’ve got to make sure you take advantage of your home games, and now we’ve got a game against them again so hopefully we can give them some payback.”On the quick trip back to the U.S. for Tuesday’s rematch:“It’s always good to try to bounce back. We’ve got to get a win. It hurt us not getting any points tonight. We’ll get this taste out of our mouths because it’s not a good feeling.”On what the U.S. needs to do to improve on Tuesday:“The pitch will be better so it’ll move a little bit quicker. Tonight it felt like we were almost fighting with the ball, it kept bouncing up. It’ll be good to get back to normality using Nike balls on the pitches we play on, I think we can show our strengths. It makes for a difficult game when you come down here and the ball bounces up and bobbles the way it does. Both teams have to deal with it and I’m not making excuses, but I don’t think it makes for the best football being played for the fans to watch.”U.S. goalkeeper TIM HOWARDOn the quick start to the match:“The first passing sequence really seemed to hurt them and that was always going to be the key to this game and to our success. We got away from that a little bit, but in the beginning they found it difficult to cope with that.”On Jamaica’s two goals:“I think we gave away too many fouls in really dangerous areas. At this level, if you do that you’re going to get punished. We gave them six or seven, granted one was a deflection and the other one more times than not he probably puts it over or puts it wide but he got it right. When you give away free kicks in dangerous spots, that’s what you risk.”On a quick turnaround for the second match on Tuesday:“It’s good. It’s not a lot of time to dwell on a loss. We didn’t play well tonight. The game on Tuesday has more significance than ever because we need to get back into rhythm and a positive mind frame. We have to come away with three points, that’s a necessity now.”

 

[NewlyRetired]

Eddie Johnson continues his "I am still alive everyone" season with two more goals today helping Seattle win 2-1 over Chivas.

I don't know if it is just a fluke or not but his offensive aerial game is just sick this year. I think he has either 10 or 11 goals just with his head.

 

[Eephus]

AFC Wimbledon lost again 2-0 away at Northampton. They've slipped to 4th from the bottom of L2 with four points in five games.

 

[The Z Machine]

Eddie Johnson continues his "I am still alive everyone" season with two more goals today helping Seattle win 2-1 over Chivas. I don't know if it is just a fluke or not but his offensive aerial game is just sick this year. I think he has either 10 or 11 goals just with his head.

What about his movement off the ball? That was always his biggest problem. If he has learned some of that then he deserves another look. However form what I remember, he had either the lowest, or nearly the lowest football IQ that I've seen.

 

[NYCelt]

Samaras hurt. Out for a month. Not good for the bhoys CL run.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Eddie Johnson continues his "I am still alive everyone" season with two more goals today helping Seattle win 2-1 over Chivas. I don't know if it is just a fluke or not but his offensive aerial game is just sick this year. I think he has either 10 or 11 goals just with his head.

What about his movement off the ball? That was always his biggest problem. If he has learned some of that then he deserves another look. However form what I remember, he had either the lowest, or nearly the lowest football IQ that I've seen.

It is better. He will never be Robbie Keane in that area but he seems to better appreciate off the ball movement now. He did have a very low IQ and I fear it was also mixed with a healthy dose of laziness and off the field drug issues. This is by far the best he has ever looked. Not sure if it it good enough for the Nats level but it is nice to see a player blessed with so much raw ability to finally find a niche. He is on a very good team right now and appears to be fitting in nicely.

 

[JaxBill]

Missing my EPL fix over weekend coffee.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Missing my EPL fix over weekend coffee.

Got mine yesterday with the news that our important fantasy league defender Phil Jones just had surgery and is out for another 8 weeks

 

[El Floppo]

Speaking of forwards who don't know how to make runs... wth has happened to Agudelo? Since his trade, I've completely lost track of him.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Speaking of forwards who don't know how to make runs... wth has happened to Agudelo? Since his trade, I've completely lost track of him.

He is stuck in the black hole known as Chivas USA. He has played in 12 games for Chivas with 2 goals. Chivas is a mess offensively with only 21 goals scored all year as a team in 26 games. As a side note, Johnson set the record for most goals scored in a season for Seattle, with still 7 games to go in the season, in their short MLS life span. The best part of his game now is his hold up play in the middle third part of the field. And it's not just in MLS, he has looked good in CCL play as well.Fun picturehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/A1pnKUzCYAAFPbc.jpg:large

 

[El Floppo]

Speaking of forwards who don't know how to make runs... wth has happened to Agudelo? Since his trade, I've completely lost track of him.

He is stuck in the black hole known as Chivas USA. He has played in 12 games for Chivas with 2 goals. Chivas is a mess offensively with only 21 goals scored all year as a team in 26 games. As a side note, Johnson set the record for most goals scored in a season for Seattle, with still 7 games to go in the season, in their short MLS life span. The best part of his game now is his hold up play in the middle third part of the field. And it's not just in MLS, he has looked good in CCL play as well.Fun picturehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/A1pnKUzCYAAFPbc.jpg:large

HOpefully with first Henry and now Angel, he's been learning some tricks of the trade. But this has been a pretty fast free-fall from the USMNT for a guy who was almost a lock to start.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Speaking of forwards who don't know how to make runs... wth has happened to Agudelo? Since his trade, I've completely lost track of him.

He is stuck in the black hole known as Chivas USA. He has played in 12 games for Chivas with 2 goals. Chivas is a mess offensively with only 21 goals scored all year as a team in 26 games. As a side note, Johnson set the record for most goals scored in a season for Seattle, with still 7 games to go in the season, in their short MLS life span. The best part of his game now is his hold up play in the middle third part of the field. And it's not just in MLS, he has looked good in CCL play as well.Fun picturehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/A1pnKUzCYAAFPbc.jpg:large

HOpefully with first Henry and now Angel, he's been learning some tricks of the trade. But this has been a pretty fast free-fall from the USMNT for a guy who was almost a lock to start.

The US pushes some players too fast before they are ready IMO. Agudelo was the guy who had more international goals than club goals for a while. That is ###-backwards IMO. It feels like he has been around a while and yet he is only 19 years old. He will hopefully factor into the 2018 cycle.

 

[Mjolnirs]

USL Pro Championship this Saturday in Charleston.Charleston Battery tied #2 seed Rochester in the last minute of regulation then won in penalties to advance to the final.Wilmington upset #1 seed Orlando City 4-3 to advance to the final.Saturday night Charleston hosts Wilmington with a chance to win their 4th title in Club History.

Very cool. Are you going to this?

Battery win 1-0 and get that 4th title!A great story from this match. When the game ended a bunch of Battery supporters rushed the field, against the direction of the PA. These fans were in The Regiment which is the "official" supporters group and a couple of them took their Battery flags and ran to the Wilmington supporters section stood in front of them waving their flags. A few of the Wilmington players ran over and ripped the flags out of their hands and broke the poles.When my son and I were leaving and outside of the stadium we saw the Wilmington supporters gathered in a big group. I walked over to congratulate them on a great match and let them know how I thought the Regiment guys were tools for what they did and I really liked their players sticking up for them. This was received well and while I was talking to this smaller group one guy barged in and decided he wanted to start something with me.He was an older British guy and the conversation went something like thisrunk British Guy - You know what that was? That was F****** passion! You don't know what F****** passion is. I'm from England and we know what F****** passion is.Mjolnirs - um, ok. I just wanted to let y'all know I think it was wrong and liked what your players did.DBG - It was F****** passion! Have you ever been to England? We have F****** passion and you just need to F****** walk away!Mj - No, I've never been to England, but I pull for Germany and I know they kick your F****** *** every time they play!At this point the group grabbed him and he let out a yell as he tried to get to me. The other guys thanked me and told me to just walk away. As my son and I are walking away and laughing about this idiot he's behind us still struggling to get loose and yelling "come back you F****** Kraut!" Good times.

 

[El Floppo]

 

[NewlyRetired]

USL Pro Championship this Saturday in Charleston.Charleston Battery tied #2 seed Rochester in the last minute of regulation then won in penalties to advance to the final.Wilmington upset #1 seed Orlando City 4-3 to advance to the final.Saturday night Charleston hosts Wilmington with a chance to win their 4th title in Club History.

Very cool. Are you going to this?

Battery win 1-0 and get that 4th title!A great story from this match. When the game ended a bunch of Battery supporters rushed the field, against the direction of the PA. These fans were in The Regiment which is the "official" supporters group and a couple of them took their Battery flags and ran to the Wilmington supporters section stood in front of them waving their flags. A few of the Wilmington players ran over and ripped the flags out of their hands and broke the poles.When my son and I were leaving and outside of the stadium we saw the Wilmington supporters gathered in a big group. I walked over to congratulate them on a great match and let them know how I thought the Regiment guys were tools for what they did and I really liked their players sticking up for them. This was received well and while I was talking to this smaller group one guy barged in and decided he wanted to start something with me.He was an older British guy and the conversation went something like thisrunk British Guy - You know what that was? That was F****** passion! You don't know what F****** passion is. I'm from England and we know what F****** passion is.Mjolnirs - um, ok. I just wanted to let y'all know I think it was wrong and liked what your players did.DBG - It was F****** passion! Have you ever been to England? We have F****** passion and you just need to F****** walk away!Mj - No, I've never been to England, but I pull for Germany and I know they kick your F****** *** every time they play!At this point the group grabbed him and he let out a yell as he tried to get to me. The other guys thanked me and told me to just walk away. As my son and I are walking away and laughing about this idiot he's behind us still struggling to get loose and yelling "come back you F****** Kraut!" Good times.

wonderful heart warming story. Some fans are such idiots What did your son think of the drunk?And congrats on the Championship.

 

[Spartans Rule]

 

[Mjolnirs]

What did your son think of the drunk?And congrats on the Championship.

He's 24, probably thought ... amateurand, Thanks, we did our part in the stands. A friend and I and some others in the section like to stand during the games. We hope to start a SRO movement next season and have a solid group of standers.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Goodson is out for tomorrow's game on yellow card accumulation.

 

[Sinn Fein]

Champions League Fantasy League

http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/

League code: 1214241-422378

FootballguysLeague

Games start September 18

I started another thread for this, but not much interest, so I'll post it here.

This is the same format/site we did last year

 

[NewlyRetired]

Champions League Fantasy League

http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/

League code: 1214241-422378

FootballguysLeague

Games start September 18

I started another thread for this, but not much interest, so I'll post it here.

This is the same format/site we did last year

I tried to enter a team last night but had constant problems as it just kept rejecting the team for no reason so I gave up. I may try again today.

 

[NewlyRetired]

HOpefully with first Henry and now Angel, he's been learning some tricks of the trade. But this has been a pretty fast free-fall from the USMNT for a guy who was almost a lock to start.

I was thinking about this more. I am not sure it should be considered a free fall as much as a stand still. If you remember, when Agudelo was playing for the Nats, we could not have been more desparate for strikers. No American was playing well and no one was scoring which is why Agudelo got a shot even though he was not scoring at club level yet. Since then, look what has happened.

Jozy found a team and has been scoring regularly

Gomez continued to push his way into a great team in Mexico and has been scoring regularly

Wondolowski came out of no where to score like crazy for SJ

Boyd emerged as a new promising youngster.

And this does not even take into account Pontius, Cooper or the resurrection of Johnson at all.

While Agudelo did not raise his game, a bunch of players playing the same position as him did.

Here is an article which came out today about Agudelo and his thoughts about NY and where he is right now His contract is up next season

Now happy at Chivas USA, Juan Agudelo feels Red Bulls weren't interested in his development

By Alex Labidou | Goal.com – 9 hours ago

It has been a quiet few months for Juan Agudelo.

But for the former New York Red Bulls prodigy, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Rewind back to 2011, expectations for the still teenage soccer player were swelling to unrealistic levels. In the highlights-driven sports coverage of this decade, Agudelo's brief moments of brilliance led to some media outlets labeling him as the greatest soccer player ever produced stateside.

The problem is that at 19, Agudelo isn't the finished product yet. There is definitely special ability lying in the young striker but he hasn't displayed it on a consistent basis. That's why he is thrilled to be at Chivas USA, a club that is committed to his development, something he felt was lacking in New York.

As it turns out, Agudelo strongly values honest communication. Hence, he isn't disappointed that he hasn't been called up by Jurgen Klinsmann over the past few months. The U.S. coach laid forth a clear objective for him.

"I don't really have to be in touch with him because I understand what he wants from me, what he expects from me," Agudelo tells Goal.com. "I understand what I have to do and that's a good part about [our communication]. I'm not confused about what I have to do to get a call up. I understand what he wants from me."

And what exactly does Klinsmann expect of young Agudelo?

"He mainly expects me to prove myself at the club level. He's seen things from me on the national level but he wants to see that with my club," Agudelo explains. "Whether or not I'm playing out right or as a forward, he wants me to basically do my job which is to either get assists or goals."

Klinsmann has a point. Agudelo's early career has been marked by what he could do, and not what he has done consistently over the past two years.

Agudelo has scored against the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina but was largely anonymous in the United States' disappointing showing in the Gold Cup. His goal against D.C. United in April 2011 is considered one of the most attractive in Major League Soccer's history, lobbing a ball behind his head to finish past Bill Hamid at goal. Yet, he has only scored eight career goals in 44 league appearances.

Agudelo acknowledges that there is work needed to play at the level that he is capable of but he expresses his happiness in being in an environment that is willing to teach him.

He claims that the New York Red Bulls didn't have much of an interest in developing his talent. It is that belief that led to his exit from New York, not a guaranteed starting spot as some have reported.

"It wasn't about whether or not I was going to play or not, I just felt like I wasn't developing," Agudelo says. "I felt like I was developing with the national team but in training sessions [with New York], I wasn't getting much direction or belief in trying to improve my game."

He adds, "It wasn't a place where they were looking to develop young players... I felt like if that was the case then personally, I would want to be at a place where they are looking to develop young players."

Things are much different at Chivas USA according to Agudelo. While the results haven't gone the club's way as it sits in eighth place in the Western Conference, Agudelo believes that head coach Robin Fraser is committed in making him a better player. Describing Fraser's methods, it's clear that Agudelo sees a stark contrast between his current coach and his former coach Hans Backe.

"He just basically tells me what he wants from me and what he expects from me day in and day out. He tells me if I'm doing something wrong. That way I don't keep on repeating doing something wrong," Agudelo says.

"He's very positive. He always willing to help out and listen. There's more of a personal relationship with him."

Agudelo explains that Fraser encourages him to take on defenders and be more aggressive than he was at New York. He says that Fraser's confidence in him allows him to "feel free on the field," and it "really makes me feel comfortable."

It almost implies that that comfort level was nonexistent in New York.

Agudelo never directly criticizes Backe or the Red Bulls but it is obvious that he questions some of the club's decision making. When asked whether or not he still follows the Red Bulls, he immediately brings up Kenny Cooper's demotion to the bench despite scoring 14 goals.

"The thing that makes me a bit upset is the situation with Kenny Cooper," Agudelo says. "I feel like he's done so much for the team and they are where they are right now because he's their leading scorer. He's been getting goals and he's a great guy, it's unfortunate that he's not starting anymore."

Maybe Agudelo can relate to Cooper. There were plenty of times where the teenage forward sat aimlessly on the bench after having a brilliant performance in the previous match.

Yet, there's also a bit of shortsightedness to Agudelo's implied criticisms. Backe boldly gave Agudelo his first start in a playoff match against the San Jose Earthquake, disregarding the fact that the player was only 17 at the time. In the following two seasons, Backe named Agudelo as an opening day starter.

Furthermore, looking at Backe's track record both Tim Ream and Connor Lade became regular players under the Swedish coach.

It is more likely that Agudelo was looking for an arm over the shoulder, a coach who was willing to remind him of his potential and focus on making him a better player. In that case, Backe and Agudelo were a poor fit. The Red Bulls have a roster that is built to win a MLS Cup and Backe already has to manage the high-profile stars on the team.

Though Agudelo likely wishes things were a bit different at the Red Bulls, he recalls his final conversation with Thierry Henry as words of inspiration.

"Don't change the way that I play," Agudelo reveals of Henry's final words to the young starlet. "Good luck in LA, go out there and kill it. He said it was rare to see young players my age with that kind of fire on the field."

Agudelo's future is unknown. He could explore a move abroad either this offseason or when his contract expires next season. Trials at both Stuttgart and Liverpool prove that there is an intrigue from Europe about his talent and with one year left on his contract, he will be an affordable option for plenty of clubs.

But for now, Chivas USA's final eight games of the 2012 season are Agudelo's objective. Not trying to live up to everyone's massive expectations or representing the United States. For Klinsmann and the U.S. national team, that focus should be a sign of maturation.

Agudelo is beginning to realize what it will take to tap into his potential.

"There's no pressure. I have to do what I can on the field and the rest will take care of itself. If I perform on the field then good things will happen," Agudelo says.

 

[El Floppo]

Good stuff, andy- thanks for that article. And good point about the "free-fall", really being a plateau where competitors for his position have begun to rise above his previous level.

Great to read that JK is making things clear to him. And great to hear that he feels like he's found a better place to develop his skills. The more I think/see/hear about Backe, the less and less impressed I am. Kinda reminds me of my college coach- a guy who had gotten great results, landed great players, but couldn't put forth an idea of playing at a macro (team) or micro (player) level to save his soul.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Great to read that JK is making things clear to him.

I read an article a few months ago about Klinsmann and Adu which was similar about how he has to perform. I personally like that as I really believe in having good club form contributes heavily to your international experience. Klinsmann does have to walk a careful line though as he could easily be seen as two faced with how he is treating Shea.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Rules.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/zlatan-ibrahimovic-declares-himself-living-legend-malmo-003135180--sow.html

 

[NewlyRetired]

In this latest round of qualifying, starting on Friday, there were 34 straight games that did not end up scoreless, and then the last two UEFA games on Saturday went 0-0 back to back.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I thought this was pretty good.

Brian Sciaretta ‏@BrianSciarettaJamaican media asked Klinsmann what it would mean if #usmnt lost tomorrow. Klinsmann's reply "We won't. Don't worry"

 

[The Z Machine]

I thought this was pretty good.

Brian Sciaretta ‏@BrianSciarettaJamaican media asked Klinsmann what it would mean if #usmnt lost tomorrow. Klinsmann's reply "We won't. Don't worry"

Klinsmann seems like an interesting dude.

 

[berndog]

I thought this was pretty good.

Brian Sciaretta ‏@BrianSciarettaJamaican media asked Klinsmann what it would mean if #usmnt lost tomorrow. Klinsmann's reply "We won't. Don't worry"

Klinsmann seems like an interesting dude.

I'm glad he is confident. I see the US coming out with a 1-1 tie. Really hope I'm wrong.