First World Cup since 2002. Belgium, IF the USA meets them, should be a difficult opponent. They have had some decent teams and were in the semis in 1986.
Posted on 06/26/2014 7:23:27 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
Can two defensively suspect teams settle on a needed draw? If Team USA and Germany simply equal each other’s goal tallies, both sides will go through to the knockout rounds. In most cases, it would be expected that the two sides should line up in highly defensive formations and show little adventure, committing only the minimum number of men to any attack. If both sides play defensively, the draw will come regardless of any conspiracy.
The problem is, neither side is built to play the sort of boring, unadventurous soccer such a fixture requires. American fans are well aware of the struggles of Team USA to secure a back line, and Jurgen Klinsmann has settled on a system which uses two deep-lying and mostly defensive midfielders in Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman to protect that back four.
Similarly, Germany is not the Germany of soccer legend, solid and hard-working and just good enough on set pieces to score one more goal than its opponent. Instead, under Jogi Loew Germany has been transformed into one of the most innovative and exciting attacking teams in the world. Playing a 4-3-3 without any true forward, the German system arguably includes either two or three false nines. As Mario Götze, Mesut Özil or Thomas Mueller drops out of the forward position and drags a defender out of position with him, one of the others or a midfielder like Sami Khedira will see the space that opens up and make a run toward the danger zone. These runs have produced many big chances already in the tournament, and the Germans have averaged three goals per match.
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I think that just might be gamesmanship on Klinsi’s part. You just don’t come back that quickly from a hammy like that.
Messi is finally producing for the Argies, that bodes well for them.
And Colombia has played really well, don’t forget about them.
Bet the KOOKS aren't going to like that.
This tournament has been unpredictable, good luck with going with the old favorites. It’s already been a bit of a changing of the guard.
Yep, I was the guy raving about Italy after the game with England.
What do I know?
I never imagined Costa Rica making it out of that group, much less winning it.
First World Cup since 2002. Belgium, IF the USA meets them, should be a difficult opponent. They have had some decent teams and were in the semis in 1986.
I have been watching World Cups for 50 years. I have watched many of them living abroad in various countries. I enjoy the spectacle and the atmosphere. I am glad we are still in it. The longer we stick around, the more fans will be attracted in this country to the sport, which is truly the world's game.
I do know the opposition. I also know what negative football is and that’s what we played.
I did not expect victory today. I did expect a better performance than I saw.
Of course, a Michael Bradley sighting at this World Cup would be very nice too. :)
But hey, they are in the last 16 in successive World Cups for the first time ever and that does mean something.
In the knockout stage, anything can happen. Chile could give Brazil a test. And the same holds true with Mexico against Holland.
I wonder if the “Manaus Effect” hurt the US today, especially with Germany having an extra day.
I think the US knew as long as they kept it within a goal they’d be in good shape.
Had these two teams met for the first game instead of the last, who knows if it would have been different. In the first game, both teams have to try to get maximum goals. It’s a little different when you play last, when you know what you need to go through.
We played to advance. Our opposition was a superior team. If we had tried to open up the game and go on the attack, we would be vulnerable to deadly counterattacks. It may have been more appealing football, but the result would probably have resulted in our losing big to the Germans. How can you argue with the result? As in any tournament, the objective is to advance no matter how ugly the game.
If we meet Belgium, I hate what that nation is politically. I knew about their soccer/football team well before all of this rubbish nowadays but I do dislike the politics there. That’s certain. I don’t know if we put sports and politics together, I usually separate it.
On which side? ;)
We definitely need to overhaul our academy system to develop the young talent. Right now, it simply takes too much money and time for most parents to do what is necessary to develop their kids.
Trying to do it through schools won’t work, like it does with basketball and football. There simply aren’t enough good coaches to go around.
Shall we refer to them as...
A. The Sprouts
B. The Phlegms
C. Miserable, Fat Belgian Bastards.
The defense solidified after that, the loss of Altidore is still looming in our offensive game. I still can't believe we didn't tie the game in that last minute, that's twice now we've failed with point blank opportunities. Failing when it's right there for the taking is a sign of our weakness. Altidore's strength, will and scoring ability is missed in a huge way.
We need to develop a good domestic league. The MLS is getting better. And more of out top-notch talent needs to play in the big-time European leagues. It is a conundrum of sorts because you would prefer our best talent to play at home, but the reality is that the European leagues are better. If you want to become a world-class basketball player, you play in the NBA. The Spurs certainly were the beneficiaries of foreign talent.
Yes, it’s too hard for a Cinderella to string together wins in group play and then make a serious run in the knockout rounds. There are just too many quality teams at any given WC and sooner or later one will catch you and send you home.
I kind of thought Germany would get a goal, then pretty much take the foot off the gas, knowing that a tie still wins the group.
I think deep deep down they didn’t want to run it up on Klinsi, just do enough to be comfortable.
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