OT: *** 2014 FIFA World Cup ~ Brazil ~ 6/12-7/13 [ESPN] ***
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Kokoschka
Registered User
- May 13, 2012
- 3,166
- 50
It's going to be interesting to see what Belgium can do against Argentina. For once, they won't have to face a team that's trying to build a human wall in their own end.
Defense has to be better though, and they certainly have the ability to be better. Vertongen, Alderweireld and Kompany looked gassed in the end.
Defense has to be better though, and they certainly have the ability to be better. Vertongen, Alderweireld and Kompany looked gassed in the end.
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Dr. Ogrodnick
Registered User
- Jan 10, 2007
- 3,848
- 1,876
2 things:
Wondo, you literally made the team for one reason, and that's cleaning up goals in the 6. Game on your foot in the one situation that you are on the field for, and you flub it.
Bradley. Bradley Bradley Bradley. I know you have your defenders, and the announcers told me how much you were playing out of position, but your errors were so basic, like not being able to complete a pass to an open man 10 yards away, or bungling your first touch. Yes you assisted on the goal, and you run a lot, but you were always the limiting factor as to how far this team could go and continued to be so today and a chief reason why our possession stats were so bad throughout the tourney.
I look forward to 4 years from now when hopefully these 2 are pushed off the team for better class.
Timmy you deserved better today.
Wondo, you literally made the team for one reason, and that's cleaning up goals in the 6. Game on your foot in the one situation that you are on the field for, and you flub it.
Bradley. Bradley Bradley Bradley. I know you have your defenders, and the announcers told me how much you were playing out of position, but your errors were so basic, like not being able to complete a pass to an open man 10 yards away, or bungling your first touch. Yes you assisted on the goal, and you run a lot, but you were always the limiting factor as to how far this team could go and continued to be so today and a chief reason why our possession stats were so bad throughout the tourney.
I look forward to 4 years from now when hopefully these 2 are pushed off the team for better class.
Timmy you deserved better today.
StepansLabyrinth
Rational Police
- Jul 2, 2009
- 1,845
- 1
Bradley played well. Sent a bunch of handful of good long passes on the break and showed a lot of effort getting back when he needed to. I'm not sure where his touch went and he lost a few balls but every midfielder does on occasion. I'm not going to excuse his early games but he played well (in the only game he was used correctly). Blaming him for todays game is asinine, he sent in a perfect ball for our only goal.
Dr. Ogrodnick
Registered User
- Jan 10, 2007
- 3,848
- 1,876
He had a couple of nice balls today. He also had a bunch of giveaways and was a big a reason why Belgium was able to dominate for long stretches. It was his best game sure, but it certainly wasn't good, and he's holding the US team back in his current role.
StepansLabyrinth
Rational Police
- Jul 2, 2009
- 1,845
- 1
I saw just as many giveaways from Jones today. Also, Belgium dominated possession because the US parked the bus. It wasn't a bad idea, the majority of the chances Belgium had in regulation were from far away. The US just kept trying to hoof it up the field constantly and without Jozy we had no one to keep possession.
Bradley is a central defensive mid that was being played in an attacking role. Considering that he's been the best midfielder on the national team for over 5 years now, I think he'll be fine going forward. I was confused that his touch was so bad in Brazil but I'm going to give him some time because he's a better player than he showed. He was great in Italy, maybe playing in the MLS wasn't the best idea for him.
Tim Howard was absolutely sensational. Did not deserve to be on the losing end of this one. Wondo's flub will haunt me for a while. Bradley was ****ing useless and couldn't make a damn play. Still proud of this team though, it just ****ing sucks we have to wait four years now.
TollefsenFan
Registered User
Belgium got the best and most Complete team in this touranment. Great goaltending, great Central defense, a Whole bunch of world class strikers. Some worldclass wingers like Hazard. There is no shame loosing to this belgian team.
darko
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2009
- 70,272
- 7,803
They are a good team but they are not that good. Their best striker is injured.
Good team but not as good as Holland/Argentina/Germany etc.
I think this isnt Belgiums world cup to win but to get a taste of what is to be expected in 2018, their whole core is ridiculously young.
TollefsenFan
Registered User
They are better than Holland. Belguim got far better goaltending. A much better Central defense. The Dutch got a little better offense With Van Persie, Huntelaar and Robben, but Lukaku and Hazard are still very good offensive players. Lukaku scored 15 goals for Everton and Hazard got the Young player award in EPL. Scoring wont be a problem.
Argentina got some of the best strikers in the world, but thats about it. They need better goaltending and defense when they face better competition. Germany got a very good team on paper, but imo Belgium got more Depth than Germany.
I would say that Belgium is the most talented team in this tournament, but they lack world cup experience. That lack of experience might be a problem.
Went to a bar in the city and as luck may hold it there was a coach from the US womens soccer team there. He heard me trash Cameron, Faillaini, but finally had enough when I got to Bradley.
Began telling me how he had ran the most out of anyone on the US team and how he was doing all the grunt work and how ungrateful people were that we had him.
To which I replied with a comparison to Rick Nash and how we paid him to be an offensive catalyst, not do grunt work defensively. Bradley played with 0 urgency until we went down by 2 goals.
He did play better yesterday than he did in the previous 3 games, but still no where to the level that we needed him to play at.
There were a couple of holes on this team.
Bedoya, Cameron, Beckerman, Wondolowski. I'm not going to consider Bradley a hole... but he was a definite disappointment. For all the love that Wondo gets, he was invisible in any game he played in. And when push came to shove, not only did he NOT pass it to the wide open Clint Dempsey right next to him, but he sent a massive shankopotumus with the game on his foot.
Timmy Howard... unreal performance. But a team isn't just about 1 player. As we saw in the first two games, we needed several players to be difference makers - namely Howard AND Dempsey. Dempsey was contained for the entirety of the game... he also could have tied the game on that set piece free kick but he also shot it directly into the goalie.
Aside from that... we lacked the soccer skill that Belgium had. They flicked balls creatively to each other with their heads, made little flick passes that surprised our back four because.. simply... American players aren't used to seeing such skill in the MLS or even in much of the EPL.
I will say one thing though, Julian Greene has the potential to be an absolute star. In 4 years, with more emphasis on our playing style that Klinsman implemented recently, and more of a showing (hopefully) from players that have more skill... we should be primed to maybe make a big dent in the WC.
FWIW, the US soccer coach said he was "so happy that Donovan was left off the roster". When I pressed him about why, he said he was a locker room cancer that couldn't work with most of the players on the current squad. Apparently Klinsman also found red flags with his EPL teams that signed him to play on their 1st squad and quickly watched as Donovan fell to their reserves because of character deficiencies.
Can't wait for the team in 4 years, I truly believe we will see more skill and an even better outcome than we did this year.
Began telling me how he had ran the most out of anyone on the US team and how he was doing all the grunt work and how ungrateful people were that we had him.
To which I replied with a comparison to Rick Nash and how we paid him to be an offensive catalyst, not do grunt work defensively. Bradley played with 0 urgency until we went down by 2 goals.
He did play better yesterday than he did in the previous 3 games, but still no where to the level that we needed him to play at.
There were a couple of holes on this team.
Bedoya, Cameron, Beckerman, Wondolowski. I'm not going to consider Bradley a hole... but he was a definite disappointment. For all the love that Wondo gets, he was invisible in any game he played in. And when push came to shove, not only did he NOT pass it to the wide open Clint Dempsey right next to him, but he sent a massive shankopotumus with the game on his foot.
Timmy Howard... unreal performance. But a team isn't just about 1 player. As we saw in the first two games, we needed several players to be difference makers - namely Howard AND Dempsey. Dempsey was contained for the entirety of the game... he also could have tied the game on that set piece free kick but he also shot it directly into the goalie.
Aside from that... we lacked the soccer skill that Belgium had. They flicked balls creatively to each other with their heads, made little flick passes that surprised our back four because.. simply... American players aren't used to seeing such skill in the MLS or even in much of the EPL.
I will say one thing though, Julian Greene has the potential to be an absolute star. In 4 years, with more emphasis on our playing style that Klinsman implemented recently, and more of a showing (hopefully) from players that have more skill... we should be primed to maybe make a big dent in the WC.
FWIW, the US soccer coach said he was "so happy that Donovan was left off the roster". When I pressed him about why, he said he was a locker room cancer that couldn't work with most of the players on the current squad. Apparently Klinsman also found red flags with his EPL teams that signed him to play on their 1st squad and quickly watched as Donovan fell to their reserves because of character deficiencies.
Can't wait for the team in 4 years, I truly believe we will see more skill and an even better outcome than we did this year.
Where do they have more depth? At center forward and at coaching I'd agree, but else?
NYR89
Registered User
Helluva performance from Howard. He's like Hank. Always brings it and deserves better. I was against Landon being off the team at the start, but Jurgen is a genius. This team molded together like I've never seen from a US side and it showed.
Green and Yedlin are the future of this team and I couldn't be more excited. Yedlin shut down Hazard and created multiple chances. I can't wait to see that speed in the future. Lots to look forward to on the US end.
Green and Yedlin are the future of this team and I couldn't be more excited. Yedlin shut down Hazard and created multiple chances. I can't wait to see that speed in the future. Lots to look forward to on the US end.
mti79
Registered User
- May 11, 2007
- 4,186
- 546
Belgium was outstanding yesterday. I think they're legitimate contenders to win the World Cup this year. The US hung in yesterday with solid defense and remarkable play by Howard. We had chances to win/tie it up and didn't convert. Nothing to be ashamed of if you're a fan of US Soccer. Wondo should've buried that opportunity but didn't. It happens. That "trick" free kick was awesome. Dempsey should've buried it. Lukaku came on and changed the complexion of the game. Our D was gassed and he literally ran over them and created both Belgium goals.
Now, I root for the Dutch. See you in 2018 world! The US will be back
Now, I root for the Dutch. See you in 2018 world! The US will be back
Jabroni
The People's Champ
- Jun 1, 2008
- 7,526
- 174
Woah, slow down there Fitzy...
But seriously? You think so? I mean, to come in and score that goal: great coordination and poise.
Another player I liked was Yedlin. Man is he fast.
Fitzy
Very Stable Genius
- Jan 29, 2009
- 36,357
- 24,158
Woah, slow down there Fitzy...
But seriously? You think so? I mean, to come in and score that goal: great coordination and poise.
Another player I liked was Yedlin. Man is he fast.
If he ends up a starting inverted winger on Bayern Munich at the level of Ribery or Robben, like they expect, yes, he'll be the best.
I like Landon a lot but he was an Everton level player at the peak of his career, not a starter on the best team in the world.
An inverted winger who can score and beat people on the dribble is a godsend for this team.
Jabroni
The People's Champ
- Jun 1, 2008
- 7,526
- 174
Definitely. USA has a lot of good players but no "great" players to do the above-mentioned.
