World Cup 2006

[jlb1705]

I do agree with your assessment of the aerial attack, but a player like McBride is vital with the style of play that Bruce Arena employs and also when you have players who are more willing to pass backward than attack.

In the three matches, I don't recall any point where the opponent had to play interior defense. The US was predictable because they knew that the only way they were willing to attack was with overlapping runs on the wing in an effort to get service to McBride. I recall one point at crunch time in the match against Ghana where Donovan actually carried the ball in from the right wing. He got inside the box, back to the corner and facing the penalty arc. If he would only turn toward goal, he would've found enough space to approach and shoot on goal. Instead, he attempted a pass in to a congested center, giving the ball away for a counterattack. My point is, there was not even a hint of a threat throughout the three matches that US players were willing to attack off the dribble or make runs at the center of the opposing defense. Really, all any of the opponents had to do was defend the wings, mark McBride, and have the keeper come flying off his line on any service into the box.

 

[Bucklion]

You may not like being tied to the Euro style, but let's face it...if we are going to make it anywhere significant in the World Cup, we have to beat European teams, often on European soil. This is where I agree with the assessment that McBride is a huge loss. Yes, his shooting with his feet is nowhere near as good as it was, and probably not even World Class anymore, but he is able to get in there with the big defenders and take a pounding, still getting himself on the end of balls in the box. We don't have anyone else that can do that, and Euro teams have killed us for years on that. The biggest, strongest athletes from a lot of other countries are soccer defenders...they are basketball players or football players in the States. If shooting was all we needed, we could still have Clint Mathis in there. Problem is, he is a liability in 9/10 games, and so are a lot of other forwards we have. I admire Johnson and Wolff, and the energy and running they bring, but I don't see them pushing us over the top, because I just don't think they can, at least by themselves.

As far as MLS goes, I like the league, and have followed the Crew since it started. But our style of play in MLS does not seem all that conducive to winning international competitions, at least by itself. Ideally, we need guys who get both domestic and European experience...that way they can keep our league fruitful and see what it takes to beat the heavyweights come WC time. Every player on the Italian team plays in Serie A...imagine how valuable a year or 2 would be for all of our young and promising players.

 

[greatwhitenorth]

I wouldn't necessarily say the US has to play like the Europeans to win at Soccer. You just need to develop some top end talent. Right now you have a lot of solid players who really are only fringe players in the major leagues in Europe. They can play pretty well as a team but they have no star player to drive them to the next level. If soccer has the same type of developmental growth as hockey did in the US I think in 10 or 20 years the US can compete for a world cup. Over the last decade the US has started to produce some of the best hockey talent in the world, in this years draft several of the top prospects including the projected 1st overall pick are American. As a result of this, the US is always a medal contender at international events. There's no quick fix you just simply have to wait for the talent to develop. Well I guess you could try and steal the Brazilian team cuts and have them play for you (Brazil could probably have 3 teams in the World Cup) but that's actually my plan for Canada. Hey at least you guys have a team in the World Cup.

 

[sandgk]

Hey at least you guys have a team in the World Cup.

And, it is worth remembering this is the 5th World Cup in succession.

The bleakness is relative, not absolute.

 

[sandgk]

Germany has been having their way with a flat and uninspired Swedish side. Leading 2-0 at the half. The worst aspect of the game is not the absence of any effective Swedish play - it is the gleeful manner in which the referee has decided the game with a red cad issued to Lucic, taking the Swedes down to 10 men. Grinning as he issues the ouster to Sweden's number 4, Carlos Simon accepts some hearty pats on the back from a German player.

It isn't as if Germany needs any help.

 

[sandgk]

Surprise Surprise -

6th minute and Mexico goes up 1-0.

10th minute and Aregentian equalizes through Crespo (correction - an own goal) - that is the way to overcome an early goal.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a real game on our hands.

Surprising that Gabriel Heinze is not sent off after his take down of Fonseca outside the penalty box. It was one-on-one, only the goalie to beat, and that should have netted a red card. (As usual the commntators (harkes delacammera) catch on to the deal after the fact. They first assert that Mexico is claiming Heinze had a prior yellow. Its bad enough they cannot keep track of the game, why suggest those playing it are simialry afflicted.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Soccer in Europe can sure be sure a "riot".

Hooligans involved in 2 violent disturbances

More than 120 arrested when English fans clash with Germans, police

STUTTGART, Germany - Police broke up two brief but violent disturbances involving English soccer fans Saturday, arresting more than 120 people the day before England plays Ecuador in a World Cup second-round match.
Following Germany’s 2-0 afternoon win over Sweden, English and German fans clashed near outdoor viewing screens in this southern German city. German fans were singing in celebration when England fans began throwing plastic chairs and bottles at them, police spokeswoman Christiane Honer said.
Five Germans were injured before officers in riot gear separated the two sides.
Associated Press Television Network video showed officers wading into the crowd and handcuffing at least two people, though police said there were no arrests.
Early Saturday in the same downtown area, police arrested 122 English fans who had been throwing bottles and glasses at passers-by from a pub terrace.
Arriving officers also became targets of what police described as drunken fans. Eventually the disturbance required about 200 police, including British officers who helped calm their compatriots.
No one was injured, according to police spokesman Stefan Keilbach, who those fans will be held until Monday.
About 50,000 England fans were expected in Stuttgart for the England-Ecuador match. They will be greeted with a heavy security presence — about 1,800 officers on patrol along with British police.
In Munich, where Germany beat Sweden, 49 people were arrested in various incidents, police spokeswoman Veronika Flemisch said. Aside from several arrested for trying to hop the fence into a separate stadium where the game was being broadcast, others were arrested for offenses such as drug possession and public drunkenness.
“I wouldn’t call it quiet with all the people in the city, but there’s nothing serious,” Flemisch said
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13513578/

 

[sandgk]

Here are your friendliest fans

Well, the 1st half promised so much, the 2nd of the Argentina - Mexico game went very flat for long periods. Tevez and Messi seem to have geed up Argentina as they approach extra-time. Argentina being more experienced in this type of game I'd give them the strong edge.

And eight minutes into extra time that edge shows as Rodriguez notches the go-ahead goal with a superb first strike from a cross.

 

[BuckBackHome]

And eight minutes into extra time that edge shows as Rodriguez notches the go-ahead goal with a superb first strike from a cross.

That was absolutely gorgeous. In all my years of playing I would have been happy had I even directed a chest trap to a sidekick toward the goal, let alone a perfect shot. If I had done that I would have walked off the field never to play again. Leave at the top!

 

[sandgk]

Congratulations to Mexico for what was a pretty steady defensive showing - only the best of shots by Rodriguez beat them in extra time.

Can you imagine the upcoming Germany vs Argentina game? Just how darned good will this one be?

Germany has a very good strikers, yet a highly suspect back-line and a keeper who looks like he is having kittens whenever a shot makes it way toward him. They also have the bouyancy that comes from having fans in numbers at all their games.

Argentina has across the baord and on the bench better players in many positions than most other teams in the tournament. They have strikers and attacking mif-fielders who will punish defensive break-downs. They also have exactly the type of back-line you need to take the sting out of Germany's pair of strikers.

I'm looking for Germany to lose, though not without getting a pair of goals. They will have to face a somewhat more tired Argentina squad after this game - though that Argentinian bench is plenty full.

Argentina to win 3-2

 

[Oh8ch]

A couple of points.

1. After playing (albeit poorly) as an adult and coaching youth soccer for 10 years I have come to appreciate soccer more during this cup than ever before. Thanks to wider perspective of HDTV I have finally seen the absolute beauty of the game. Soccer (like Hockey) is almost unwatchable on standard TV and live you simply do not see this quality of soccer in the US. The Argentine match was a masterpiece.

These guys are good. If you don't have HDTV visit your local sports bar for at least one match.

2. I don't understand the elimination of the Golden Goal.

Ending the game on a goal is tremendously exciting. And what does the rule change buy you? Once one team scores the only way the trailing team can win in OT is to score two goals before time runs out - a highly unlikely outcome. If there is no further scoring (most likely) or the leading team scores again nothing changes - so why bother? And if the trailing team scores to re-tie the match you go to penalty kicks - which is the worst way to decide a match.

And it is not like the extra time is not already penalizing the exhausted winner who must play again in a few days.

Ending the game on that final goal today is what the soccer Gods intended when they created the sport.

3. After listening to the announcers for three hours I am still not clear on one point. Does Mexico get to play again, or do they just go home?

 

[sandgk]

A couple of points.

1. After playing (albeit poorly) as an adult and coaching youth soccer for 10 years I have come to appreciate soccer more during this cup than ever before. Thanks to wider perspective of HDTV I have finally seen the absolute beauty of the game. Soccer (like Hockey) is almost unwatchable on standard TV and live you simply do not see this quality of soccer in the US. The Argentine match was a masterpiece.

These guys are good. If you don't have HDTV visit your local sports bar for at least one match.

2. I don't understand the elimination of the Golden Goal.

Ending the game on a goal is tremendously exciting. And what does the rule change buy you? Once one team scores the only way the trailing team can win in OT is to score two goals before time runs out - a highly unlikely outcome. If there is no further scoring (most likely) or the leading team scores again nothing changes - so why bother? And if the trailing team scores to re-tie the match you go to penalty kicks - which is the worst way to decide a match.

And it is not like the extra time is not already penalizing the exhausted winner who must play again in a few days.

Ending the game on that final goal today is what the soccer Gods intended when they created the sport.

3. After listening to the announcers for three hours I am still not clear on one point. Does Mexico get to play again, or do they just go home?

In reverse order 3 - Mexico is done, and the only reason not to go home is to watch the rest of the games live.

2 - The "Golden Goal" issue - soccer is in most countries as unwilling to change as baseball is on these shores. So, as extra time was already an institution for competition matches the Golden Goal got the axe by the IFAB in 2004. It was previously an option for competitions, rather than a requirement. The thought of most traditional powers (read Europe) was that a sudden death finish went against the spirit of the game - where it can often take a little time to mount and develop an attack.
EDIT - And, it was also felt that the intention of the Golden Goal was not reflected in the tactics teams used in response to the same, that is, they went into defensive shells to prevent suddenly going out to a Golden Goal. Which put everything into Penalty shoot-outs which nobody playing prefers to an on-the-field result.
Well, that is the official line - the more pithy explanation is that IFAB wanted to remove what was seen as an American influence on the game.

1 - HDTV - what you said. I have some games recorded on DVR, but that was in 480i. The difference between that and the 1080i (ESPN) or 720p (ABC) feed is like night and day. I cannot wait for college football season to start though till then catch a game of baseball (or one of these soccer games) in HD.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Dumb American

Fan forgets hotel location in six-hour ordeal

Fri Jun 23, 7:44 AM ET


BERLIN (Reuters) - German police rescued an American soccer fan lost in Hanover and unable to find his hotel again after helplessly wandering around the city for more than six hours after a match, federal police said Friday.
The 25-year-old Boston man had checked into his hotel in the afternoon before going to see a match between Poland and Costa Rica but could not remember his hotel's name, its address or anything else about it, police spokesman Holger Jureczko said.
"He came into the police station at 3 a.m. and asked for help," Jureczko said.
"The only thing he could remember was paying 10 euros for a taxi ride to the city center and that he went past a park and a Mercedes dealer. There are a lot of Mercedes dealers in Hanover but we were able to find the one in the vicinity of a park."
Police took the American to the area that matched his vague description in the city of 500,000 and spent an hour driving up and down streets in that quarter until he recognized his hotel just before dawn Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/world_odd_dc;_ylt=AtUgBTaki19nduZbtu3DeyjtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

 

[sandgk]

Well it looks like Svengali wants to give Ecuador every chance to win.

He will be running with a lone striker in the form of Rooney. Crouch rides the pine (which may be a good thing) mysteriously there is still no Walcott sighting.

Has Sven been getting tips from Arena? Not a good shape to the England side.

The first clear chance falls to Ecuador. Off the cross-bar.

Sven's plan looks like an empty page thus far.

Half-time and the only hope is this.

England have not played two good halves of football thus far this tournament.

England just played a poor lackluster half.

Thus, the 2nd half should be the good one for England in this game. Well, that's the hope.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

it's almost painful watching england play as "good" as the US.