All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Crass, I think a large part of the disjointedness of today's game was simply because the 11 guys on the pitch had no time to prepare and adjust to each other.  They've all been off playing with their club sides for the last six months, and now they're playing with a completely different group.  It just took time for them to anticipate what runs each other would be making. 

Give them a week of a training camp and they look a whole lot smoother than they did today, with or without Reyna on the field.  Poin, I'm with you, I've never been a fan of his at all, but just with the young, brash attitude these guys have now, we don't need him at all.  I'll go ahead and re-emphasize that point..... 

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

I think Reyna's distributional qualities suit him to a holding role in midfield and aid a speedier team on the counterattack.

This game shows how much of a difference maker Pablo is in the center of the field.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

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http://www.soccertv.com/

run by SJ fave and award-winning poker journalist Oliver Tse

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Hey, Zizz -- you think maybe Poland had something to do with why the U.S. was "disjointed?" If the U.S. had played Guatemala with this crew, we'd have won 9-0. Poland played terrific defense all night, and still we won.
I was surprised Crass didn't like Dempsey's first half play. I thought he showed a lot of spark -- even before the goal. It was Beasley who was too slow with every decision. That's as poorly as I've seen him play. I'm sure it was an aberration.

As for O'Brien, his lack of understanding of soccer is apparent in every game. He twice gave Cherundolo credit for the ball into the box that led to Dempsey's goal, when a passing familiarity with this team would have reminded him that the ball came from the left, and from a left-footed player, so it couldn't possibly have been Cherundolo. (It was Eddie Lewis, as you'd expect). O'Brien talked in the Japan game about the U.S. "trying to clear the zone," which is hockey talk.
I understand that ESPN/ABC doesn't want to pay JP Dellacamara since they have O'Brien under contract to do a certain number of events. But couldn't somebody teach the guy soccer if he's going to do the World Cup? At least Jack Edwards made certain he was up to speed on the sport.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

The problem with Dempsey is that he can't make decisions quick enough. There were a few points where he had the ball and just ended up getting fouled because he couldn't dump the ball off. Shit like that gets you injured quick. Add in that he just doesn't have much of a left foot and you have a fairly predictable player.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the kid. Hell, this has to work out for him because his rapping career will go nowhere.

I just didn't see much. He seems way to overwhelmed on the big stage.

Going back to the England/US game in Chicago, I thought that would be a place where he makes his mark. Dempsey, in MLS, plays a hard nose style that borders on dirty at times. In Chicago, I want him to step up and take out someone. I want him to lay that mark. He didn't.

He has a future. It just isn't here yet.


Here is another thought, and this may have been mentioned before, yesterday's win was HUGE. The US does NOT win in Europe, especially when playing European teams. The US had no business tying Scotland, even with their D-Team on the pitch.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

I like O'Brien in baseball, but he had a rough one yesterday. When Twellman nearly killed Keller on a clearance, it was a good play by Twellman. He couldn't tell the difference between EJ and DMB.

The game didn't prove much to me. Post-goal, I watched it on fast forward.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Webster, my buddy, did you make up your Welcome Back Jolley poster yet?

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

I wonder what Jack Edwards does during the broadcasts of the US games? Is he in a fetal position in his living room in his bathrobe using a cereal spoon as a mike with a cardboard cutout of 'Celo?

As to Jolley -- good player, solid citizen. Tim Regan wasn't the answer, but I don't know that he is. Not sure that he's the guy on want on the left in a 3-5-2.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Nice.

Well, Regan was cut. I'm wondering about Graham, however he's tall which automatically makes him a lock.

Some that I've talked to are not too happy about acquiring Jolley back for that all important 4th round supplemental pick. "Noonan will torch him," they say. Me, I don't know. I'll wait and see how much playing time he actually gets.

Could result in a line-up like this, though:

-------------Magee------Youri-----------

Henderson------Guevara----Gaven

---------------Serioux------Lisi----------

----Jolley---------Graham-------Canero------

----------------------Meola-----------------

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Telemundo f'ed me last night. I set it up on the tivo:

Channel 52: "Futbol: Estados Unidos - Polania"

Got up early this morning and proceeded to see four straight half-hour infomercials for Universal City Nissan.

No game. But if you want to buy a Nissan with "credito facil" I know where to steer you.

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Crass -- Wynne not starting in your world?

 

Re: USA/Poland Thread (soccer)

Poin, sorry to hear that. I didn't even bother trying to record it. I should have, though.

All reports out say he isn't ready yet. So I have no idea what Mo will do.

I'm just looking at what they got.

We know Canero is starting. So unless they move him up and take out Gaven, then where does Wynne fit in?