***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (5 Viewers)

[whitem0nkey]

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[prefontaine]

Spain seems have the wrong game plan here. Why are they trying to attack through the air. Its the one advantage we have.

 

[Moe.]

Shouldn't that have been a foul there? Looked like our dude was tackled from behind without the ball being contacted.

yeah should have been, luckily villa shanked the subsequent chance.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Stream

Wow, it actually works! Thanks.

 

[Christo]

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[Steve Tasker]

Shouldn't that have been a foul there? Looked like our dude was tackled from behind without the ball being contacted.

yeah should have been, luckily villa shanked the subsequent chance.

Bradley keeps getting caught out of position. It's going to bite us in the ### at some point.

 

[whitem0nkey]

Damn Dempsey.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Gooch is the US MVP through the first 38 minutes, IMO.

 

[Genedoc]

Our defense in the box looks a lot more.....attentive?.....than it did vs. Brazil.

 

[DevilsTrifecta]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

 

[Steve Tasker]

Villa and Donovan. Donovan better not get a second yellow for diving...

 

[prefontaine]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

I put the over under on the last time Torres showered at 10 days

 

[whitem0nkey]

We need to stop playing like there's 1 minute left. Let's move the ball around.

 

[DevilsTrifecta]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

I put the over under on the last time Torres showered at 10 days

Maybe he's superstitious and hasn't showered since their win streak started.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

I put the over under on the last time Torres showered at 10 days

If my avatar shows anything, it's that Torres is a dirtball. I love the way he plays though....

 

[DevilsTrifecta]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

I put the over under on the last time Torres showered at 10 days

If my avatar shows anything, it's that Torres is a dirtball. I love the way he plays though....

Crazy good move he had there near the end of the half......crazy good save, too.

 

[prefontaine]

Shouldn't that have been a foul there? Looked like our dude was tackled from behind without the ball being contacted.

yeah should have been, luckily villa shanked the subsequent chance.

Bradley keeps getting caught out of position. It's going to bite us in the ### at some point.

I think of our two central midfielders, Clark has been out of position more often. Bradley has over committed to a tackle or to the attack a couple of times but nothing horrendous. He's also made a ton of open field one on one tackles. I think LD, Davies, and Gooch were our 3 best in that half but Bradley would probably be next (well, not counting Howard).

 

[prefontaine]

Spanish players have worse hair than the 70s Pittsburgh Pirates

I put the over under on the last time Torres showered at 10 days

If my avatar shows anything, it's that Torres is a dirtball. I love the way he plays though....

Dude is flat out awesome but not exactly the most hygienic looking fellow.

 

[Native]

Well we've looked good for three halves in a row. Good stuff thus far.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Shouldn't that have been a foul there? Looked like our dude was tackled from behind without the ball being contacted.

yeah should have been, luckily villa shanked the subsequent chance.

Bradley keeps getting caught out of position. It's going to bite us in the ### at some point.

I think of our two central midfielders, Clark has been out of position more often. Bradley has over committed to a tackle or to the attack a couple of times but nothing horrendous. He's also made a ton of open field one on one tackles. I think LD, Davies, and Gooch were our 3 best in that half but Bradley would probably be next (well, not counting Howard).

Clark's been pretty much nonexistant thus far, I'd say.

 

[scoobygang]

Gooch is the US MVP through the first 38 minutes, IMO.

I love the physicality with him and DeMerit together. I just wish that one of them had a smidgen of composure on the ball. I was hoping that Boca would help us with that on the left. At the beginning of the game, I thought he was a marked improvement in that area over Bornstein, but as the half went on he started aimlessly hoofing the ball too. I still think this might be the best back four configuration for the Nats.All in all though, this is one reason why I wasn't as upset as a lot of people even after Brazil. I think we've learned some things about a lot of players in this tournament. Guys like Spector, Feilhaber, DeMerit and Davies have all answered some questions. Hard to think of a player who has helped himself as much as Davies. He's raw, but as long any player with his combination of pace and workrate is going to be a useful option. The periods where Davies and Donovan were applying high pressure were the periods where the US looked best, IMO.

 

[prefontaine]

Shouldn't that have been a foul there? Looked like our dude was tackled from behind without the ball being contacted.

yeah should have been, luckily villa shanked the subsequent chance.

Bradley keeps getting caught out of position. It's going to bite us in the ### at some point.

I think of our two central midfielders, Clark has been out of position more often. Bradley has over committed to a tackle or to the attack a couple of times but nothing horrendous. He's also made a ton of open field one on one tackles. I think LD, Davies, and Gooch were our 3 best in that half but Bradley would probably be next (well, not counting Howard).

Clark's been pretty much nonexistant thus far, I'd say.

Yeah and he needs to be covering for Bradley when he gets out of position. When you aggressively pursue - and you pretty much must do this or Spain has way too much time and space - you need to know you have coverage. Clark needs to do a better job of this. He's okay, but I think he may be our biggest liability at the moment. May not be fair though because the job he and MB have is pretty rough against this midfield. Just the fact that they haven't had a ton of time and space says they must be doing something right.

 

[derek245583]

I am getting conflicting reports...My bookie gave me odds for a draw...

Can they draw in a semi final match?

This is the semi final is it not?

 

[prefontaine]

The periods where Davies and Donovan were applying high pressure were the periods where the US looked best, IMO.

I would say Davies play is going to spell the end of the 451. He may have forced a permanent move to the 442.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Capdevila is getting abused defensively...seriously.

 

[El Floppo]

so... what's been going on?

 

[Steve Tasker]

I am getting conflicting reports...My bookie gave me odds for a draw...Can they draw in a semi final match?This is the semi final is it not?

Yes, semi-finalThere will be no draw

 

[prefontaine]

I am getting conflicting reports...My bookie gave me odds for a draw...Can they draw in a semi final match?This is the semi final is it not?

I believe all soccer betting is done on the first 90 minutes. So while the game can't draw, the bet can.

 

[El Floppo]

 

[Steve Tasker]

The periods where Davies and Donovan were applying high pressure were the periods where the US looked best, IMO.

I would say Davies play is going to spell the end of the 451. He may have forced a permanent move to the 442.

Sorry to all the Kenny Cooper lovers in here...

 

[derek245583]

I am getting conflicting reports...My bookie gave me odds for a draw...Can they draw in a semi final match?This is the semi final is it not?

I believe all soccer betting is done on the first 90 minutes. So while the game can't draw, the bet can.

Thats unfortunate to hear.

 

[El Floppo]

HOLY HELL!!!!

 

[Genedoc]

Our G has saved our nuts a couple of times.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Awful first touch from Altidore...

 

[Genedoc]

Noob question - when can the G use his hands, when can't he. TIA.

 

[Steve Tasker]

If the ball is inside the big box (18-yard box), he can use his hands.

 

[El Floppo]

over/under on when Spain scores?

 

[Steve Tasker]

over/under on when Spain scores?

next 10 minutesHoward is playing great though

 

[El Floppo]

jozy'a first touch is lead this half.

 

[prefontaine]

Dempsey is such a diver but we needed that call

 

[JaxBill]

Going in, I was worried about them surviving the first 15 minutes. I just had the half wrong.

 

[El Floppo]

over/under on when Spain scores?

next 10 minutesHoward is playing great though

I hope not... but it's looking more like that'll be up to Spain than the US.

 

[Steve Tasker]

at Spanish fans on a different message board who had predicted 5-0 and 4-0 Spain wins:

"This just proves that Spain don't care about this #### tournament"

 

[prefontaine]

over/under on when Spain scores?

Goal imminent now

 

[El Floppo]

Going in, I was worried about them surviving the first 15 minutes. I just had the half wrong.

.... whoa... living dangerously in minute 53 Can we say, regardless of the final score, that the US has redemed themselves with that first half?

 

[El Floppo]

:shootinggallery:

btw- Harkes is dead-on today with the recurring comments about the spacing in our central MF (what I've been trying to say the last few days)

 

[Steve Tasker]

Capdevila is wiiiiiide open on the left wing...surprised Xavi and Fabregas haven't found him yet.

 

[prefontaine]

Going in, I was worried about them surviving the first 15 minutes. I just had the half wrong.

.... whoa... living dangerously in minute 53 Can we say, regardless of the final score, that the US has redemed themselves with that first half?

If nothing else, we've played with more passion in the last two matches than we've shown since vs Mexico.

 

[El Floppo]

how long before Bradley subs somebody in and switches to a 4-5-1?

(soon... min60ish)

 

[Moe.]

kinda wish they would just go ahead and score so we'll open it back up, maybe bring feilhaber on.