All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Just a reminder, the US U-20 nats play South Korea in the U-20 World Cup today. It's on ESPN U at 1:45 p.m. Pacific.

Brazil and Poland will kick off shortly ... anthems right now. Apparently they're using Olympic Stadium (with FieldTurf) for this group.

 

Interesting set-up here. Poland-Brazil (which Poland won 1-0 despite playing with 10 most of the game) got Steve Bennett, one of the better referees in the Premiership, to run the middle.

USA-South Korea gets some schmoe from El Salvador who, thus far, looks like he's auditioning for the NBA. Not only that, it's an all-North American refereeing crew (ARs from Canada and Panama). Crackerjack planning by you, FIFA.

If you're curious, it's 1-1 late in the first half. Danny Szetela put the US up early, ghosting in to head home a one-hopped cross. Young Rok Shin ran onto a good diagonal ball and beat Chris Seitz 1v1 to tie it in the 38th minute. Not much Seitz could do ... the US defense horribly square.

Jozy Altidore's blown two chances to put the US back in front. He put a free header wide from eight yards out and later whiffed a side-foot volley after beating the Korean trap. The Koreans had a goal disallowed after a very late foul call against them by the Sallie center.

Can't see this staying 1-1. Both teams look dangerous going forward, and the US defense isn't giving Seitz much help.

 

75th minute, still 1-1.

Foul count:
USA 21
ROK 8

EDIT: As I post that, Seitz with a huge 1v1 stop. The defense left (No. 19) in unmarked, Seitz stopped him once, scrambled back and made two more lunges before the guy shot into the side-netting.

 

Full time, 1-1.

US could've had a penalty, or at least a free kick and a Korean sent off, in the first minute of stoppage time. Altidore zipped past the last Korean defender and ran onto a long ball out of the back. The defender slid through the back of Jozy's legs right at the top of the box, but the ref didn't call anything.

Total fouls -- US 26-12 KOR, yet strangely, two yellows apiece. Probably a fair result. Both teams had their chances, though the Americans tried to Arsenal the ball into the net far too often. Seitz consistently came up huge, and he'll need to if the defense keeps playing like that.

In Group E, Asian U-20 champs North Korea tied Panama 0-0. Uruguay beat Bolivia 1-0 at the Copa America, and Venezuela and Peru are scoreless in the 35th minute.

 

I watched the first half of the Venezuela/Peru game. Gawd, two awful, awful teams.

 

Brazil won today, but again look exactly how they are, missing their most important players.

Is anyone else watching on Spanish TV. The way the commentator turns into Barry White whenever he says forward Wagner Love's name is hilarious.

 

Sorry, GB. I've been watching everything with the sound off. Works for MLS and the Copa, but not so much with the U-20 broadcast's lack of graphics.

Brazil's PK was pretty dicey. They'll beat Ecuador, though, and finish second behind Mexico. Can't see Chile getting more than a point off El Tri.

 

Who says there is no God?
I was on vacation during the Gold Cup final, and the Good Lord was kind enough to make it rain on Sunday so that my lovely wife would be agreeable to two hours (plus the potential for OT) in a sports bar watching the game.
What a fab start to my trip.

 

Well, the US is back in action. In fact, the US (including the young'ens) are in action every day this week but Wednesday!

US v. Paraguay today.
US-U20 v. Poland tomorrow.
US v. Colombia Thursday.
US-U20 v. Brazil Friday.

As if the heat wasn't enough to keep me in the a/c.

Ives, yes I'm his pimp, has his projected line-up for tonight's fixture.

-----------------Johnson------------------
Mapp-----------Feilhaber----------Nguyen
--------------Clark----Olsen------------
Pearce-------------------------Bornstein
----------DeMerit-----Conrad------------
-------------------Keller-------------------

I'll be honest and say that this might be the first time that I'm not so sure. I just don't see Bornstein getting used on the right. I'm sure it's possible, but I don't see it.

Also, I would like to see and learn more about Charlie Davies.

 

The Paraguay game was a thoroughly frustrating experience. The US played well at times, really poorly in others and still had more than enough chances to win with a watered down squad. A 3-1 score was not a fair result, considering Paraguay's second goal came gift-wrapped by Bornstein and the third was off a free kick in garbage time. Can't help but feel the US had the run of play for a majority of the game.

I keep wishing the US had sent a full-strength squad to this thing, just to find out what would have happened. Most important international tournament of the year, and we've got two kids out there missing wide open headers inside the box.

Oh well. I guess it means something that the US has reached the point where its 'C' squad can play with a legitimate World Cup side in an important event.

 

Didn't see it, but the result is frustrating.

I like that our fringe players are getting a workout, but I desperately wanted us to erase the bad performance of the last World Cup.

 

I saw the game, and were it not for a: some wasteful finishing, especially a couple of chances early, and b: some great saves by Paraguay's goalkeeper, the U.S. would have won this.

And I know the Copa America is a big deal, but winning your own Federations tournament, should have been and was the priority.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Medellin Mob has gotten to the Columbians. It's 3-2 Argentina, but Columbia just had had a great effort go off the bar.