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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter jpeace121
- Start date
The Z Machine
Footballguy
US fans should be used to this sort of thing by now. I'm talking about the lack of presence in the MF and getting beat down the flank for a good cross.
jonessed
Footballguy
Might as well give a nice elbow to the head while they're down. Apparently that's cool now.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
What, wha?
Justin.tv cut to a shot of the US Army guys in Tikrit waving a Mexican flag. Diversity.. gotta hate it.. Just kidding.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
On the American mun2 feed, they had some Army guys overseas watching the game....they showed them smiling and waving earlier. Then Mexico scored and they all pulled out Mexican flags and shirts and started celebrating...
QuizGuy66
Footballguy
If that's true somebody needs to ship them a tape of the very same fans at Azteca chanting Osama Osama after they beat us there in a WC Qualifier in '01.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Mexico deserved to win this game.
TwinTurbo
Footballguy
Boca is the goat of this match. What a horrible game by him today.
QuizGuy66
Footballguy
Mexico deserves to never win a game.See my last post.-QG
Desert_Power
Footballguy
How are cards not given for time wasting?
The Z Machine
Footballguy
I agree.But a draw would have been nice...
QuizGuy66
Footballguy
jonessed
Footballguy
Howard had to chase one guy down and hit him in the back before he gave up the ball.End of games like that are always full of players pushing a fine line, but there was definitely some excess there.
prefontaine
Footballguy
Ok, here's my thoughts on the game:
Davies - really provides an extra spark. His burst of speed provided our only real chances of the game and he plays with very high energy. Shame he started cramping late as it meant we had to use our last sub on him.
Ching - meh. I understand the role we are intending for him but I think we are better off with a more dangerous, if less possession oriented player, like Jozy is on the pitch. His complete lack of pace just doesn't fit a counterattacking style.
Donovan - he was okay. The pass to Davies was well weighted and he had a couple of other spots where I thought he was okay but was not his best game. Given his form, I sort of expected to see a more dominant performance out of him. That said, we didn't lose this game because of LD.
Dempsey - the curious case of Clint Dempsey continues. He plays really well. He completely disappears. He generally seems to be more consistent at Fulham than for the US. Maybe he lost his form over the last month or two but he really provided almost nothing today.
Clark - what to say. He really seemed to be nowhere. He didn't make any bad plays, but his positioning remains a weakness and he wasn't where he needed to be at times. His first touch is often bad and he lacks patience and confidence on the ball to distribute when we gain possession.
Bradley - worst game I've seen him play in a while. I'm almost positive his assignment was to pinch on Dos Santos (like he did on Xavi) but he seemed to be running around aimlessly at times. He also had trouble with his distribution but mostly I expect more out of him than Clark. He did win the ball a few times in the midfield and our goal I believe was started by him winning possession. I think our next best opportunity was also started the same way. So while I don't think he played well, he wasn't flat out miserable.
Cherundolo - simply doesn't have the speed any more but he still has a classy right cross and positions himself okay. I know his form probably isn't back yet but he plays smart and you can't fault his effort. Wing backs are not going to be our strength any time soon but Dolo didn't totally fail today.
Onyewu - our MOM imo. He is rock solid in the middle and even though he isn't the quickest guy out there, he uses his size and strength well. He seemed to win 90% of the balls sent into the box. Of course that says a lot about his fellow defensemen too.
Demerit - seemed slow and out of position a lot. His clearances were pathetic and more than once he won the ball only to give it right back to Mexico in very dangerous spots. He was doing all the things we were taught not to do in high school - do not clear into the center of the pitch. Headers should be high and outside. When in doubt, kick it out baby.
Bocanegra - ouch. Not a pretty game. He didn't push up on the left wing at all and his late runs cost us possession a couple of times. He got beat consistently in the corner and was out of position a number of times. The first goal he was slow to react and should have stepped up as the pass was played. I'm quite sure they moved Dos Santos to the right wing to take advantage of him in the 2nd. Dos Santos had a point where he was wide open just off the 6 yard box and it was clearly his assignment but Boca was nowhere to be found. And of course, the last goal was his man. I just don't see him as an answer on the wing against quicker opponents. Maybe he goes back inside. Maybe we send el capitan to the bench.
Howard - as always, he was Tim MF Howard.
Subs
Benny - I love his confidence on the ball and his vision. All game we seemed rattled in the middle but when the ball came to Benny, we were able to hold and create opportunities. He and Clark bring different skill sets but I think Benny is just a better player and simply makes everyone else better around him.
Holden - tremendous crosses. After watching this kid play, I hope LD will let him take free kicks and corners when he is on the field. The cross he made that Davies just missed was spectacular and the one he unleashed for LD created what should have been a good opportunity. He also works hard and seems to be a team player. I hadn't watched a lot of him prior to the Gold Cup, but I'm sold on him.
Jozy - not sure he had a touch on the ball. Mostly his fault as he only played 15 and still didn't seem to be working hard. Somebody needs to kick this kid in the butt and make him realize, he doesn't need to save anything for later.
To be honest, about what I expected at Azteca. Mexico controlled possession and the game and a draw would have been a great result. Shame but this result shouldn't really surprise anyone and isn't something to worry about.
Davies - really provides an extra spark. His burst of speed provided our only real chances of the game and he plays with very high energy. Shame he started cramping late as it meant we had to use our last sub on him.
Ching - meh. I understand the role we are intending for him but I think we are better off with a more dangerous, if less possession oriented player, like Jozy is on the pitch. His complete lack of pace just doesn't fit a counterattacking style.
Donovan - he was okay. The pass to Davies was well weighted and he had a couple of other spots where I thought he was okay but was not his best game. Given his form, I sort of expected to see a more dominant performance out of him. That said, we didn't lose this game because of LD.
Dempsey - the curious case of Clint Dempsey continues. He plays really well. He completely disappears. He generally seems to be more consistent at Fulham than for the US. Maybe he lost his form over the last month or two but he really provided almost nothing today.
Clark - what to say. He really seemed to be nowhere. He didn't make any bad plays, but his positioning remains a weakness and he wasn't where he needed to be at times. His first touch is often bad and he lacks patience and confidence on the ball to distribute when we gain possession.
Bradley - worst game I've seen him play in a while. I'm almost positive his assignment was to pinch on Dos Santos (like he did on Xavi) but he seemed to be running around aimlessly at times. He also had trouble with his distribution but mostly I expect more out of him than Clark. He did win the ball a few times in the midfield and our goal I believe was started by him winning possession. I think our next best opportunity was also started the same way. So while I don't think he played well, he wasn't flat out miserable.
Cherundolo - simply doesn't have the speed any more but he still has a classy right cross and positions himself okay. I know his form probably isn't back yet but he plays smart and you can't fault his effort. Wing backs are not going to be our strength any time soon but Dolo didn't totally fail today.
Onyewu - our MOM imo. He is rock solid in the middle and even though he isn't the quickest guy out there, he uses his size and strength well. He seemed to win 90% of the balls sent into the box. Of course that says a lot about his fellow defensemen too.
Demerit - seemed slow and out of position a lot. His clearances were pathetic and more than once he won the ball only to give it right back to Mexico in very dangerous spots. He was doing all the things we were taught not to do in high school - do not clear into the center of the pitch. Headers should be high and outside. When in doubt, kick it out baby.
Bocanegra - ouch. Not a pretty game. He didn't push up on the left wing at all and his late runs cost us possession a couple of times. He got beat consistently in the corner and was out of position a number of times. The first goal he was slow to react and should have stepped up as the pass was played. I'm quite sure they moved Dos Santos to the right wing to take advantage of him in the 2nd. Dos Santos had a point where he was wide open just off the 6 yard box and it was clearly his assignment but Boca was nowhere to be found. And of course, the last goal was his man. I just don't see him as an answer on the wing against quicker opponents. Maybe he goes back inside. Maybe we send el capitan to the bench.
Howard - as always, he was Tim MF Howard.
Subs
Benny - I love his confidence on the ball and his vision. All game we seemed rattled in the middle but when the ball came to Benny, we were able to hold and create opportunities. He and Clark bring different skill sets but I think Benny is just a better player and simply makes everyone else better around him.
Holden - tremendous crosses. After watching this kid play, I hope LD will let him take free kicks and corners when he is on the field. The cross he made that Davies just missed was spectacular and the one he unleashed for LD created what should have been a good opportunity. He also works hard and seems to be a team player. I hadn't watched a lot of him prior to the Gold Cup, but I'm sold on him.
Jozy - not sure he had a touch on the ball. Mostly his fault as he only played 15 and still didn't seem to be working hard. Somebody needs to kick this kid in the butt and make him realize, he doesn't need to save anything for later.
To be honest, about what I expected at Azteca. Mexico controlled possession and the game and a draw would have been a great result. Shame but this result shouldn't really surprise anyone and isn't something to worry about.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Ok then- just got finished watching....
What I said about Mexico's play in the knock-out stages of the GoldCup- that they put pressure high up the field and took over games made me wonder after that shambolic final why they weren't doing the same in WCQ... that's today's game right there.
The US got absolutely nothing going today due to Mexico's constant pressure up the field. The few times the US had time to move ball around, they played fairly well- but that was a matter of a few minutes over the 90. Fortunately the US has enough players with quality to find a goal even when the game is going against them- amazing turn and release by Donovan, just as amazing first touch into space and finish by Davies. But outside of that... woof.
Full credit to Mexico though- they FULLY deserved three points today with a dominating performance.
Some general thoughts:
Shape:
- Bradley and Clark, and even LD and Dempsey, were too deep leaving huge gaps between the MF and Ching/Davies. Yeah- they were under pressure, but you could see the difference in the shape the US used on both sides of the ball as soon as Clark went out. Any time one of the non-forwards got the ball, there was nowehre for them to go other than up the field to nobody; the flanks with LD and Dempsey were non-existent offensively as a result. And how many second balls just bounced and bounced with nothing but green shirts nearby?
- For playing so deep in a packed middle, Mexico did a fantastic job finding the spaces that still seemed gigantic despite the packed MF. Full credit to Mexico, but some questions again about the defensive shape today... hard to comment based on watching the game on TV (notgetting to see how people were moving off the ball).
- I actually thought the Gold Cup team looked better against Mexico in the first half of that 5-0 thrashing than our A teamever did today.
Players:
Howard... what to say. Prefontaine already called it- Tim MF Howard. Came up big a couple of times,but not much to do on the goals (what a first goal by Castro! even thoughhe had time to polish his shoes and sign autographs before taking the shot). Good distribution.
Cherundolo.... passable job defensively- thought he gave guys a little too much space on the flank, but he didn't get burned by it IIRC. Couldn't get going forward where his game shines, and his distibution with LD constantly on top of him, wasleft to pumping the ball forward.
Gooch... Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but could Milan's influence already be paying dividends? He's obviously a monster defensively, butI've always felt he lacked the foot skills and vision to be really useful with his distribution. But he was arguably the best passer of the ball today and showed great presence with the ball at his feet. As always solid on the defensive side of things.
Spector... Meh. Lack of quickness hurt him, and somebody was having a hard time closing the gaps at the top of the box... can't tell if it was him, Gooch, Boca, Clark or what, but I'm leaning towards him. Looked scared on the ball, and too eager to dump the ball out or long.
Boca... Boca, Boca, Boca...that was a nightmare. Slow, misplaced, heavy-footed, almost frantic. I'm a fan, and I know he's an outside back for his club, but ugh.
This defensive lineup was sooo disappointing after looking positive in the Confed Cup. Again- credit to Mexico for picking it apart, but some really poor play on the partof the a couple of theguys.
LD... again, great on that first goal, but was forced to defend too deep... or maybe it was just horrible distribution from the back that denied him any touches (again- credit to Mexico). Completely absent in the part of the field where he does damage.
Clark... woof. Truly horrible game on both sides of the ball and no suprise to see Bradley yank him so soon. Was part of thatcentral MF that Mexico was able to waltz through without much interference. I mentioned the few minutes that the US was able to maintain control-I can think of at least three promising possessions that were killed by Clark giving the ball away more cheaply than a TJ hooker. I've liked the way they've been pairing lately (when they'reboth able to stay on the field) but He and Bradley were just not clicking with their spacing.
Bradley... he usually does a better job playing more advanced when paired with Clark, but couldn't get himself unstuck today. Better than Clarkwith the ball, but had nowhere to go with it other than long to space.
Dempsey.... he played, right? At some point in the first half, whatever Mexican player that went at him figured out all they needed to do was one quick burst in ANY direction andthey were by him. Didn't help Boca in any way with his "defending". Didn't help anybody with his "attacking" when moved forward- I tactical move I applauded (but again, the players behind him weren't doing him any favors getting theball to his feet).
Holden... Looked to be one of the only players with the pace and desire to do something on either side of the ball. Didn't just dump the ball up and out...routinely sought out the shortball or positive space for his forwards. Hustled on D, but got caught out of position anumber of times... I guess a result of trying to push forward.
Benny... Such better shape through the middle when Benny came on, even though he didn't really do much on the ball. I hope he continues to get time with his club and stays healthy.
Ching... OMFG. I'm a long-time... wouldn't say "fan" but I get why he's been in thelineup all these years: holds the ball fairly well, decent in the air, capable ofplaying a quick ball to a slashing runner, works his ### off, has a good understanding of where to make positive runs to get himself into position to get his teammates involved (I haven't seen Jozy do the same yet). Those are all good things- but he's never been a guy who's going to win a game for you without a lot of help. The help was nowhere today and neither was Ching's skills. I've seen him play in person a few times, and he's a guy that just can't buy a call from the ref... they'll usually go against him when itlooks certain that it's him being fouled. I used to think it was maybe a respect thing, but I'm starting to wonder if he just fouls a lot
. completely useless today.
Davies... wow. Theonly US player where you could feel the stadium buzzing whenever he touched the ball. Such great balance, anticipation, and of course speed and ball-skills. This game carved his place on the rosterin stone. Imagine him playing along side BrianMcBride...
Jozy... Didn't get to do much so not much to say. Needs to avoid getting into ref/chippy bull-#### and just play the game.
Bradley Sr... based on the Confed Cup, can't really fault the lineup in the back. REALLY didn't pan out, obviously. I don't think he's to blame for the shape the team took when Mexico started pressing- hisguys needed to be able to possess better and push a little higher up the field. I actually liked the subs and pushing Dempsey up front (again, residue from the Confed Cup successes)- I liked that he had the confidence in a young Holden to put him in there.
Other thoughts-
- The Ref was pretty poor, but was not the difference in the game thankfully. Mexico should have had two yellows, but that wouldn't have changed things today.
- Phil Shoen? I have tinnitis, but wished I was fully deaf to his mindless inanities (is that a word?). I felt like he was commenting on a reality show, not a live in-action soccer game. Call the ####### game and leave the bull#### extraneous guessed at drama for somebody like Jeff Probst.
- I know this was MUN2's moment in the sun, but enough of the MUN2 advertising and visits from pal "Guadalupe" (really?).
- I know the feed was from Azteca, but anybody notice just how many replays of the Mexican goals there were? And usually during US possession...
What I said about Mexico's play in the knock-out stages of the GoldCup- that they put pressure high up the field and took over games made me wonder after that shambolic final why they weren't doing the same in WCQ... that's today's game right there.
The US got absolutely nothing going today due to Mexico's constant pressure up the field. The few times the US had time to move ball around, they played fairly well- but that was a matter of a few minutes over the 90. Fortunately the US has enough players with quality to find a goal even when the game is going against them- amazing turn and release by Donovan, just as amazing first touch into space and finish by Davies. But outside of that... woof.
Full credit to Mexico though- they FULLY deserved three points today with a dominating performance.
Some general thoughts:
Shape:
- Bradley and Clark, and even LD and Dempsey, were too deep leaving huge gaps between the MF and Ching/Davies. Yeah- they were under pressure, but you could see the difference in the shape the US used on both sides of the ball as soon as Clark went out. Any time one of the non-forwards got the ball, there was nowehre for them to go other than up the field to nobody; the flanks with LD and Dempsey were non-existent offensively as a result. And how many second balls just bounced and bounced with nothing but green shirts nearby?
- For playing so deep in a packed middle, Mexico did a fantastic job finding the spaces that still seemed gigantic despite the packed MF. Full credit to Mexico, but some questions again about the defensive shape today... hard to comment based on watching the game on TV (notgetting to see how people were moving off the ball).
- I actually thought the Gold Cup team looked better against Mexico in the first half of that 5-0 thrashing than our A teamever did today.
Players:
Howard... what to say. Prefontaine already called it- Tim MF Howard. Came up big a couple of times,but not much to do on the goals (what a first goal by Castro! even thoughhe had time to polish his shoes and sign autographs before taking the shot). Good distribution.
Cherundolo.... passable job defensively- thought he gave guys a little too much space on the flank, but he didn't get burned by it IIRC. Couldn't get going forward where his game shines, and his distibution with LD constantly on top of him, wasleft to pumping the ball forward.
Gooch... Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but could Milan's influence already be paying dividends? He's obviously a monster defensively, butI've always felt he lacked the foot skills and vision to be really useful with his distribution. But he was arguably the best passer of the ball today and showed great presence with the ball at his feet. As always solid on the defensive side of things.
Spector... Meh. Lack of quickness hurt him, and somebody was having a hard time closing the gaps at the top of the box... can't tell if it was him, Gooch, Boca, Clark or what, but I'm leaning towards him. Looked scared on the ball, and too eager to dump the ball out or long.
Boca... Boca, Boca, Boca...that was a nightmare. Slow, misplaced, heavy-footed, almost frantic. I'm a fan, and I know he's an outside back for his club, but ugh.
This defensive lineup was sooo disappointing after looking positive in the Confed Cup. Again- credit to Mexico for picking it apart, but some really poor play on the partof the a couple of theguys.
LD... again, great on that first goal, but was forced to defend too deep... or maybe it was just horrible distribution from the back that denied him any touches (again- credit to Mexico). Completely absent in the part of the field where he does damage.
Clark... woof. Truly horrible game on both sides of the ball and no suprise to see Bradley yank him so soon. Was part of thatcentral MF that Mexico was able to waltz through without much interference. I mentioned the few minutes that the US was able to maintain control-I can think of at least three promising possessions that were killed by Clark giving the ball away more cheaply than a TJ hooker. I've liked the way they've been pairing lately (when they'reboth able to stay on the field) but He and Bradley were just not clicking with their spacing.
Bradley... he usually does a better job playing more advanced when paired with Clark, but couldn't get himself unstuck today. Better than Clarkwith the ball, but had nowhere to go with it other than long to space.
Dempsey.... he played, right? At some point in the first half, whatever Mexican player that went at him figured out all they needed to do was one quick burst in ANY direction andthey were by him. Didn't help Boca in any way with his "defending". Didn't help anybody with his "attacking" when moved forward- I tactical move I applauded (but again, the players behind him weren't doing him any favors getting theball to his feet).
Holden... Looked to be one of the only players with the pace and desire to do something on either side of the ball. Didn't just dump the ball up and out...routinely sought out the shortball or positive space for his forwards. Hustled on D, but got caught out of position anumber of times... I guess a result of trying to push forward.
Benny... Such better shape through the middle when Benny came on, even though he didn't really do much on the ball. I hope he continues to get time with his club and stays healthy.
Ching... OMFG. I'm a long-time... wouldn't say "fan" but I get why he's been in thelineup all these years: holds the ball fairly well, decent in the air, capable ofplaying a quick ball to a slashing runner, works his ### off, has a good understanding of where to make positive runs to get himself into position to get his teammates involved (I haven't seen Jozy do the same yet). Those are all good things- but he's never been a guy who's going to win a game for you without a lot of help. The help was nowhere today and neither was Ching's skills. I've seen him play in person a few times, and he's a guy that just can't buy a call from the ref... they'll usually go against him when itlooks certain that it's him being fouled. I used to think it was maybe a respect thing, but I'm starting to wonder if he just fouls a lot
. completely useless today.Davies... wow. Theonly US player where you could feel the stadium buzzing whenever he touched the ball. Such great balance, anticipation, and of course speed and ball-skills. This game carved his place on the rosterin stone. Imagine him playing along side BrianMcBride...
Jozy... Didn't get to do much so not much to say. Needs to avoid getting into ref/chippy bull-#### and just play the game.
Bradley Sr... based on the Confed Cup, can't really fault the lineup in the back. REALLY didn't pan out, obviously. I don't think he's to blame for the shape the team took when Mexico started pressing- hisguys needed to be able to possess better and push a little higher up the field. I actually liked the subs and pushing Dempsey up front (again, residue from the Confed Cup successes)- I liked that he had the confidence in a young Holden to put him in there.
Other thoughts-
- The Ref was pretty poor, but was not the difference in the game thankfully. Mexico should have had two yellows, but that wouldn't have changed things today.
- Phil Shoen? I have tinnitis, but wished I was fully deaf to his mindless inanities (is that a word?). I felt like he was commenting on a reality show, not a live in-action soccer game. Call the ####### game and leave the bull#### extraneous guessed at drama for somebody like Jeff Probst.
- I know this was MUN2's moment in the sun, but enough of the MUN2 advertising and visits from pal "Guadalupe" (really?).
- I know the feed was from Azteca, but anybody notice just how many replays of the Mexican goals there were? And usually during US possession...
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
good work Floppo, although I think you mean DeMerit rather than Specter. Otherwise, I don't necessarily agree Mexico's game was "dominant", but no question they earned the three points.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Right... DeMerit. Good catch. You really don't think they dominated the US? I'll give you that Mexico didn't create a ton of true scoring chances that would be the normal hallmark of a "dominant" performance, but they shut down the US almost entirely (barring that fantastic LD to Davies combo).
prefontaine said:Ok, here's my thoughts on the gameavies - really provides an extra spark. His burst of speed provided our only real chances of the game and he plays with very high energy. Shame he started cramping late as it meant we had to use our last sub on him. Ching - meh. I understand the role we are intending for him but I think we are better off with a more dangerous, if less possession oriented player, like Jozy is on the pitch. His complete lack of pace just doesn't fit a counterattacking style. Donovan - he was okay. The pass to Davies was well weighted and he had a couple of other spots where I thought he was okay but was not his best game. Given his form, I sort of expected to see a more dominant performance out of him. That said, we didn't lose this game because of LD.
Here are my thoughts, and I'm quoting Pre and Floppo as they are two of my favored posters in terms of soccer threads....Ching - I'm a huge fan, as I get to see him play a lot of Dynamo games. He is a very good player, especially at the club level. That being said, I don't think he should have started this game. Ching is good when we can build an attack through the midfield and we need someone to get the ball to the right player at the right position. He actually had a brilliant pass to Davies (or LD) on the left wing. But, other than that he was largely absent in this game. The Mexican's dominated play, as I expected, and I think we would have been better suited to have started Jozy who has a ton of speed and could have helped out on the counter attack. If the US had Davis and Altidore left at top, I think the Mexican's wouldn't have been able to press so many into the attack, as they would have had to had respected the US speed, especially after the first US goal.Also, Davies is overrated, imo. Yes, he scored a nice goal. But on how many occasions did he try to go 1 v 3 and get easily dispossessed. He cannot create for himself...oh, did he also miss that header that was on a plate in the penalty area in the game? All in all, the US defense was terrible. They did tighten up a bit after the first Mexican goal, but couldn't clear worth a crap. All this #####ing about the reffing is just #####ing too. You have to expect that on the road, it's the same all the time. The ref did an alright job, imho, my only complaint is that he was too quick to grab the yellow. The US effort was to blame here.One last thing...wtf happened to injury time? Davies, and the conflict there after was way over three minutes alone, yet we didn't even get to three minutes in the second half injury time.El Floppo said:Ching... OMFG. I'm a long-time... wouldn't say "fan" but I get why he's been in thelineup all these years: holds the ball fairly well, decent in the air, capable ofplaying a quick ball to a slashing runner, works his ### off, has a good understanding of where to make positive runs to get himself into position to get his teammates involved (I haven't seen Jozy do the same yet). Those are all good things- but he's never been a guy who's going to win a game for you without a lot of help. The help was nowhere today and neither was Ching's skills. I've seen him play in person a few times, and he's a guy that just can't buy a call from the ref... they'll usually go against him when itlooks certain that it's him being fouled. I used to think it was maybe a respect thing, but I'm starting to wonder if he just fouls a lot. completely useless today.Davies... wow. Theonly US player where you could feel the stadium buzzing whenever he touched the ball. Such great balance, anticipation, and of course speed and ball-skills. This game carved his place on the rosterin stone. Imagine him playing along side BrianMcBride...
Kendall
I heart waffles
Pre and Floppo pretty much summed it up.
Howard has been so good lately I expected him to save that second goal.
It looks like when the US plays against teams with fast wingers Boca should be moved back to the middle and someone else should get LB duties (Spector? Hejduk?).
Clark was awful. Bradley seemed to play a lot better when Clark was taken out.
Ching looked bad too, but Donovan and Dempsey never seemed to push forward.
The US just couldn't posses the ball and it really hurt them.
Howard has been so good lately I expected him to save that second goal.
It looks like when the US plays against teams with fast wingers Boca should be moved back to the middle and someone else should get LB duties (Spector? Hejduk?).
Clark was awful. Bradley seemed to play a lot better when Clark was taken out.
Ching looked bad too, but Donovan and Dempsey never seemed to push forward.
The US just couldn't posses the ball and it really hurt them.
TLEF316
Footballguy
that doesnt really say all that much. The defense sucked in general.I'm pretty confident that Spector is the better player and should have been on the field.
Kendall
I heart waffles
I think you're wrong on that part. I don't think Spector for Dolo would have made any difference.
TLEF316
Footballguy
would we have gotten a result, probobably not. But he is the better player with the higher ceiling.
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One thing I have frequently noticed in American soccer is that we, at almost all levels, really lack imagination both with and without the ball. Too much standing around, not enough runs off the ball; too many passes to feet, not enough passes to space; We rarely handle the ball well on a first touch anyways - so that compounds the problem. Watching simple things like throw ins and watching all the players standing around brought back memories of youth soccer. Heck even our set pieces lack imagination/creativity.We have spent so many years perfecting the pack the defense and rely on counter-attacks style of play, that I don't know how we get over the hump against comparable teams.
Kendall
I heart waffles
I would disagree that right now Spector is the better player than Cherundolo. Dolo had some pretty decent attacking moves and flew by some Mexican players yesterday. I do think Spector will be a better player in time.
Moe.
Footballguy
wrt Dempsey, there was an article on premierleague.com where they interviewed Hodgson, he talked about how impressive Dempsey has been and how much he has improved since he took over, but he also said that he hasn't really done much since the Confed Cup. He didn't even go to Australia with Fulham. He did play in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier but I'm sure he was pretty rusty yesterday. Not really an excuse but after all the games he played last season and then the Confed Cup it shouldn't be too surprising.
prefontaine
Footballguy
There are a lot of excuses for yesterday but the fact is, we just didn't get it done. Dempsey was just one of many and frankly it is pretty normal for us at Azteca. Anyway, Demps signed a 4-year extension with Fulham today. Good for him.
prefontaine
Footballguy
I find it interesting that on several other boards there is a lot of vitriol towards Michael Bradley for yesterday. As I said above, I didn't think it was his best game by any means but I notice Floppo didn't single him out much and that no one else here has come down with pure hatred. Why is there so much hate for this guy?El Floppo said:
Kendall
I heart waffles
Coach's son. You see it a lot in other sports too. People just want to assume the coach is playing favorites and picking his kid to play and overlooking the fact that the Coach's kid can play.
prefontaine
Footballguy
He definitely mistimed the header. I have the same problem running onto headers though I'm very accurate and when not having to sprint I think I'm pretty good in the air. I missed one just like that this week so I laughed about it but it is a bit disconcerting for a young speedy professional forward to do that as opposed to an old slow duffer of a midfielder. I'm not sure overrated is fair. He is actually a great complement to the game we play. His speed alone creates opportunities that would otherwise not exist and we don't possess the ball enough against quality opponents to go for a guy with great technique (nor do we have one anyway). Yes, he puts his head down too much and charges forward at times, but the alternative is to pass it back and watch us lose possession further up the field (kidding, but it sure seems that way at times).
The Z Machine
Footballguy
If any Bradley shouldn't be seeing the field it's Bob, not Michael.
The kid can play and he deserves that starting spot. It's yet to be seen if Jermaine Jones and Feilhaber would do better than Bradley and Clark, but for the time being... that spot is all MB.
Clark on the other hand played very poorly and I think his run in the starting 11 might be coming to a close quickly.
A few more comments: I didn't like the way that LD had to track back all the way to the end line to defends and try to dispossess the Mexican wingers. That's a bad sign for the team as it means that the opposition wingers are getting up the field, the defense is packing into the center, and that LD cannot effectively counter attack from 105 yards away from the opposition goal. Aside from the fact that he's simply not a great defender and is too small to get really stuck in, he needs to play higher up for the US to have good goal scoring opportunities. So many of our chances come from LD doing something with the ball, whether it's making a guy miss in the midfield, making a diagonal run, or even making a great through-pass. Finally, I much prefer him on the left and Dempsey on the right (they switched up a bit too much this game I think).
I really hope that Jones provides some semblance of possession in the defensive MF. It could be a wonderful improvement that could put the US on the next level.
The kid can play and he deserves that starting spot. It's yet to be seen if Jermaine Jones and Feilhaber would do better than Bradley and Clark, but for the time being... that spot is all MB.
Clark on the other hand played very poorly and I think his run in the starting 11 might be coming to a close quickly.
A few more comments: I didn't like the way that LD had to track back all the way to the end line to defends and try to dispossess the Mexican wingers. That's a bad sign for the team as it means that the opposition wingers are getting up the field, the defense is packing into the center, and that LD cannot effectively counter attack from 105 yards away from the opposition goal. Aside from the fact that he's simply not a great defender and is too small to get really stuck in, he needs to play higher up for the US to have good goal scoring opportunities. So many of our chances come from LD doing something with the ball, whether it's making a guy miss in the midfield, making a diagonal run, or even making a great through-pass. Finally, I much prefer him on the left and Dempsey on the right (they switched up a bit too much this game I think).
I really hope that Jones provides some semblance of possession in the defensive MF. It could be a wonderful improvement that could put the US on the next level.
whoknew
Footballguy
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Still no confirmation as far as I can tell that ESPN is showing EPL football this Saturday. As of right now, I'm planning to listen to Chelsea's opener on Sirius radio in my garage. Will record Everton - Arsenal, which looks like the most interesting game on FSC from the opening weekend.
Sorry, but a recreational player missing a header is one thing. A striker on a national team....not even getting his head on the ball....is another.I agree that his speed definitely creates opportunities, similarly to Altidore, but again, far too often I see him trying to take on 2 & 3 defenders, when a pass to another player is the obvious play. I still like Davies just fine, just don't want to see him out there 90 minutes (or until cramps set in).
quickhands
Footballguy
who is gonna play more
Skertl or Agger
Carew or Agabonalor
Skertl or Agger
Carew or Agabonalor
Kendall
I heart waffles
Skrtel is a little banged up right now, so Agger is going to see the field more at first. I'm not sure about Carew or Agbonlahor, I like Carew more personally, but I see them getting about equal time.
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Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Agbonlahor had 34 apps last year, Carew had 27.I'd expect similar this year...Agbonlahor is the "future"...Carew's just a productive vet.
SmoovySmoov
The Way of the Samurai
You mean, all season, or this weekend? If you're talking about all season........Skrtel is a mainstay, but has an injury at the moment. Agger is looking to be a regular starter for the first time. If I had to choose between the two, I would go Skrtel, but be aware of the injury.
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