The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

We don't take players on 1 v 1. It is take what they give you passing, but the crosses and finishing stink.

 

Men's game or women's game. At every level of American soccer, dribbling and creativity is discouraged.

 

Clint Dempsey: U MAD?

 

We've talked about this before.

I'm convinced the structured nature of American soccer is the cause of it. You don't have kids playing pickup games like you do in other nations. Pickup games are where you learn the fancy crossovers and creativity.

 

1st match at Antigua...I know this off the top of my head because I was planning on being there. My wife and I had happened to plan our 10th anniversary on the island in Jan. and I happened to see the schedule on the island's website. I was pumped to get to be one of the few Americans that might be there!
Then I found out a week after we booked the trip that Mrs. Chiquet was preggo and due in Nov. There went island hopping!

 

Congrats Spike.

 

On the goal:



The ESPN broadcasters, as well as a few people on Twitter and the always overheated Martin Rogers, felt that the Jamaica goalie made a horrendous mistake here. Others felt it was a great goal.

I thought it was a case where a ball was hit with solid velocity, and while it curved toward the center of goal, it was well-placed around and over the wall. The goalie was shading to his right side of goal because the wall ideally has the left side covered, AKA, "soccer by the book." He saw the danger, stepped over, got there just a tad too late, and simply got beat by a good shot. Didn't see it as horrendous keeping by any means.

What did all of you think?

 

Looks like a little bit of both. Definitely a solid shot. A world-class keeper probably keeps it out though.

 

This is exactly what's so aggravating to me. They can look so good in some spots and then if not horrible, then close to it, at others. Very inconsistent.

 

Yeah, from the bit I read about it, I was thinking something much worse than that. He leans the wrong way, no doubt, but if it just beats him, I don't think it looks quite as bad.

He does take that half step to his left, though, and still misses it. Still, I'd call it a failure to make a pretty good save, albeit one that you'd expect a top-class goalkeeper to make.

 

My daughter's first soccer coach was Mexican. He was an outstanding teacher and trainer. He taught my daughter all the skills and fakes and moves, and she still uses them every now and then in games. But on the weekends, her old coach became infatuated with winning. Everything he taught them went out the window and it was "Win, win, win." My daughter was scolded a few times for attempting a move and losing the ball ... even though that's what he would teach during the week.

 

Yeah, that's one you see all the top goalies (or most of the top goalies) get to. Like I said, I'll take the 3 points, regardless of how ugly it might've been.