Wednesday, June 30, 2010
World Cup Withdrawal
Wed-June 30-The first break since the start of the World Cup and no live soccer....aaarrgghhhhh. Guess we'll have to watch a game replay and gear up for Friday. Thank you 'On Demand'.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Round of 16: Japan vs Paraguay
Watched this game before work...liked how both teams played going into this one. I was hoping Japan would play the same way they did the Denmark game...taking it to Paraguay...did to some degree, but I think Paraguay was much better on the ball than the Danes.
Both sides had chances but it wasn't a very fluid game. Then it came down to pk's. I wondered why, as he was approaching the ball, Japan would pick a defender, who had never scored for the national team, to be one of the first five. Maybe they'll rue that decision for the next 4 years. I feel bad for him; hit it strong, but leaned back a bit and hit the crossbar. Bummer for Japan. Their goalie almost got to 1 for Paraguay...but the boys in the red and white stripes were perfect and won the match.
Liked both teams, wish Paraguay lots of luck against Spain in the next game.
Both sides had chances but it wasn't a very fluid game. Then it came down to pk's. I wondered why, as he was approaching the ball, Japan would pick a defender, who had never scored for the national team, to be one of the first five. Maybe they'll rue that decision for the next 4 years. I feel bad for him; hit it strong, but leaned back a bit and hit the crossbar. Bummer for Japan. Their goalie almost got to 1 for Paraguay...but the boys in the red and white stripes were perfect and won the match.
Liked both teams, wish Paraguay lots of luck against Spain in the next game.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Okay--more on the US team
Why doesn't someone come out and say what the real problem is with the team under Bradley....he crafted this team around his son Michael. When his wife cried about Michael not being on the national team he put him on, he put him in Michael's favorite position as an attacking center mid and made Donovan and Dempsey move into other supporting positions. He hasn't pulled his kid off since he put him in several years ago.
Yes Michael doesn't seem to do as many hospital tackles as he used to and he hustles. But lets face it, half the time he's hustling because he just gave the ball away and has to get it back. No real vision to distribute the ball...of course we don't have strikers that make slanting runs or come back to the ball...another discussion...or not!
Sure Ricardo Clark gave the ball away in a really bad place in the Ghana game but!!! Michael Bradley dribbled the ball toward Ricardo, drawing the 2 mids from Ghana closer, then passed to Ricardo from a short distance away...and BAM! Ghana got the ball. What a bone head thing to do--and if you watch little Bradley often enough you see he does this a lot...dribble into traffic. Ugh!
So, in the meantime, since little Bradley gets to play where he wants to play, Donovan who in the past and in club is lethal as an attacking center mid or striker, moves wide, as does Dempsey on occasion. As long as Sr. Bradley is coaching the national team the 9 other field players on the pitch will be picked and positioned to compliment his son....incredible! I'm hoping for a change in the coaching and a change in midfield.
Yes Michael doesn't seem to do as many hospital tackles as he used to and he hustles. But lets face it, half the time he's hustling because he just gave the ball away and has to get it back. No real vision to distribute the ball...of course we don't have strikers that make slanting runs or come back to the ball...another discussion...or not!
Sure Ricardo Clark gave the ball away in a really bad place in the Ghana game but!!! Michael Bradley dribbled the ball toward Ricardo, drawing the 2 mids from Ghana closer, then passed to Ricardo from a short distance away...and BAM! Ghana got the ball. What a bone head thing to do--and if you watch little Bradley often enough you see he does this a lot...dribble into traffic. Ugh!
So, in the meantime, since little Bradley gets to play where he wants to play, Donovan who in the past and in club is lethal as an attacking center mid or striker, moves wide, as does Dempsey on occasion. As long as Sr. Bradley is coaching the national team the 9 other field players on the pitch will be picked and positioned to compliment his son....incredible! I'm hoping for a change in the coaching and a change in midfield.
Round of 16: England vs Germany
This game was tough for me as a fan because I like both teams. I lived in England and started school there, and have German blood in my veins...so whoever won was who I was going to cheer on...but I was definitely leaning toward Germany. The game didn't disappoint!
The Germans were: tireless, inventive, fluid, fast and their passing was a thing of beauty. I could watch the run by Oezil and subsequent goal by Mueller over and over again. The players anticipate, make diagonal runs, use the width of the pitch...very entertaining!
England: Lampard finally woke up and was in this game. He hadn't been in any of them prior to this game. They were disjointed and the fans back in the UK who know them the best called it--the players just weren't collectively in the tournament. Terry played the martyred ex-Captain causing a rift in the side...to say that wasn't his intent when he had the press conference after game 2 in group stages was ludicrous! besides being total BS. He's let his Chelsea success go to his head!
Gerrard worked his buns off the whole tournament starting from his first goal and can hold his head up; Heskey was a scape goat for much larger problems and if everyone remembers, fed the ball that Gerrard put in the net; the keeper situation has been in question since Seaman retired; Crouch didn't have a chance to prove he can be a problem to defenses; they still didn't fix the Gerrard/Lampard midfield issue (should have sat Lampard down in the early games when he wasn't producing); Dawson, in my humble opinion, would have partnered Terry better in the back than Upson; their wing play was missing despite having 2 of the fastest wide players in the Prem, blog blog blog. I love watching all these blokes play during the season, but this was poor form for them as a whole. Could go on...but they're already depressed.
If I had my way...they wouldn't have had to play each other until farther into the tournament because it is sad England is out. So....Go Deutschland!
The Germans were: tireless, inventive, fluid, fast and their passing was a thing of beauty. I could watch the run by Oezil and subsequent goal by Mueller over and over again. The players anticipate, make diagonal runs, use the width of the pitch...very entertaining!
England: Lampard finally woke up and was in this game. He hadn't been in any of them prior to this game. They were disjointed and the fans back in the UK who know them the best called it--the players just weren't collectively in the tournament. Terry played the martyred ex-Captain causing a rift in the side...to say that wasn't his intent when he had the press conference after game 2 in group stages was ludicrous! besides being total BS. He's let his Chelsea success go to his head!
Gerrard worked his buns off the whole tournament starting from his first goal and can hold his head up; Heskey was a scape goat for much larger problems and if everyone remembers, fed the ball that Gerrard put in the net; the keeper situation has been in question since Seaman retired; Crouch didn't have a chance to prove he can be a problem to defenses; they still didn't fix the Gerrard/Lampard midfield issue (should have sat Lampard down in the early games when he wasn't producing); Dawson, in my humble opinion, would have partnered Terry better in the back than Upson; their wing play was missing despite having 2 of the fastest wide players in the Prem, blog blog blog. I love watching all these blokes play during the season, but this was poor form for them as a whole. Could go on...but they're already depressed.
If I had my way...they wouldn't have had to play each other until farther into the tournament because it is sad England is out. So....Go Deutschland!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Round of 16: The US vs Ghana and then some...
So...I've got to comment on the US game last night. Sad for the US fans and the players. It was a deflating game compared to the exhilaration of the one against Algeria. And maybe that was the problem. The team needed to collectively move on and prepare for the next. But we like to relive past glories...so that's all anyone wanted to talk about.
Let's be honest, our side has no natural strikers unless you move Dempsey and Donovan in as strikers. They don't give up, they will battle to get to the ball. And we have very little depth in most positions except maybe keeper. Our game last night was pedantic, predictable, and while the team had given us thrilling and chilling late game "miracles" in group play, was sadly reminiscent of past years. I think Dempsey played consistently well throughout the tournament; Donovan inspired and did what he could; Tim Howard played well, in fact I think he shined in a position where most keepers from other sides had problems; I think Bocannegra also had a good strong tournament...except for the added time when the goal was scored.
Altidore seems like a nice guy but he was in too long and I think overall, is overrated. He crossed a couple good balls in, but he has NO movement off the ball and what he does is pretty lateral. You could see this when he had the short spell at Hull in UK. No slashing, diagonal runs and he got bumped off a ball similar to the one Gyan finished for Ghana. Obviously, Sr. Bradley was out of ideas on top. But he did pick the side after all, he's got no one to blame for lack of choices but himself....that's another topic.
No one talked about it, but on the scoring run by Gyan, Bocannegra gave him a good bump, but then pulled off and looked into the heavens while Demerit was still trying to run with Gyan. Never saw Bocannegra do something like that....and what happened? Any ideas...anyone hear why? Perhaps if he'd kept running the guy couldn't have pulled the shot off.
This game was probably one that we should have pulled off; but it's not too surprising we didn't. Donovan said "we were a little naive". Hmmmm.....Clark starting instead of Edu maybe? One of those things we'll probably never know. Better luck next time.
Let's be honest, our side has no natural strikers unless you move Dempsey and Donovan in as strikers. They don't give up, they will battle to get to the ball. And we have very little depth in most positions except maybe keeper. Our game last night was pedantic, predictable, and while the team had given us thrilling and chilling late game "miracles" in group play, was sadly reminiscent of past years. I think Dempsey played consistently well throughout the tournament; Donovan inspired and did what he could; Tim Howard played well, in fact I think he shined in a position where most keepers from other sides had problems; I think Bocannegra also had a good strong tournament...except for the added time when the goal was scored.
Altidore seems like a nice guy but he was in too long and I think overall, is overrated. He crossed a couple good balls in, but he has NO movement off the ball and what he does is pretty lateral. You could see this when he had the short spell at Hull in UK. No slashing, diagonal runs and he got bumped off a ball similar to the one Gyan finished for Ghana. Obviously, Sr. Bradley was out of ideas on top. But he did pick the side after all, he's got no one to blame for lack of choices but himself....that's another topic.
No one talked about it, but on the scoring run by Gyan, Bocannegra gave him a good bump, but then pulled off and looked into the heavens while Demerit was still trying to run with Gyan. Never saw Bocannegra do something like that....and what happened? Any ideas...anyone hear why? Perhaps if he'd kept running the guy couldn't have pulled the shot off.
This game was probably one that we should have pulled off; but it's not too surprising we didn't. Donovan said "we were a little naive". Hmmmm.....Clark starting instead of Edu maybe? One of those things we'll probably never know. Better luck next time.
Futball
This blog is about Futball, or soccer in the USA, and it's my point of view. I'm not a professional, player, or ex-player. I'm a watcher. A passionate watcher. And I know what I like, and what I don't like.
One of the things I find I often don't like is what the "experts" have to say about this sport that I am so passionate about. So, I'm going to use this forum to put my opinion out there!
I'm just getting started today after watching Germany take down England 4-1. I've set this up, and now . . . I'm going shopping! But, in the immortal words of actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back!"
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