Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[theory]

Also Brooks really has to step it up.  It's no surprise he wasn't in the starting XI; let's hope he doesn't have to be.

edit: !!!!!

[hvb]

Also Brooks really has to step it up.  It's no surprise he wasn't in the starting XI; let's hope he doesn't have to be.

edit: !!!!!

There he did

[Teproc]

Congrats guys. Got that revenge on Ghana, now you just need to show everyone that one incredibly talented/annoying player does not a team make (you are playing against Portugal next right) ?

Also, what does USMNT mean ?

[Teproc]

About the Germany game : sure, they played well, but I don't get why everyone seems so impressed with their match. The Pepe exclusion was somewhat debatable and from there Portugal just gave up. I say this as someone who is rooting for Germany over everyone except France (which sucks because France-Germany is a likely quarterfinal if everything goes well), I'm especially worried with the whole Lahm as a midfielder thing.

[Ozle]

Smash and grab time for the USA!

Portugal looked poor, especially after the cheating german dive, the game was done.....(although thats not what pepe was sent off for)

Germany looked comfortable before then, for an opening game it was a good performance. 4-0 against anyone is a good result at the world cup! France only beat hondurous 3-0 with 10 men!

[Ozle]

Congrats guys. Got that revenge on Ghana, now you just need to show everyone that one incredibly talented/annoying player does not a team make (you are playing against Portugal next right) ?

Also, what does USMNT mean ?

There was a big scandal a few years back in USA football, so they use the acronym USMNT, which means:
U Suck men not Transvestites

(Or at a guess it means United states mens national team)

[ashersky]

To be "the best player" he needs to show up for big games.  You know, like the World Cup.

Every single touch Bradley had was flubbed, passed directed into touch, or to the opposing team.  He looked like a scared little boy.  I recall a much more impressive Bradley in the past, but this was an empty shell of the man we used to know.  His was by far the worst performance on the pitch by a red shirt.  Bench him.  Start Brooks, drop Zusi back to defense, and put DaMarcus in mid.




On a side note, this is why I love soccer.  Ghana was demolishing us on the field and it was clear we would concede.  Howard alone can't save the world.  And it happens.  And I'm crushed, ready to swear off another lost World Cup, another wasted four years.

And then...magic.  From one sub to another, the sort of goal that reminds you that USA does have strengths, does have fight.  Brooks didn't believe, but he does now.  So can we.

[Ozle]

Thats why a lot of people love football, the unpredictability, the fact that teams are rarely out of it till the end, and the chance of an upset

[theory]

On a side note, this is why I love soccer.  Ghana was demolishing us on the field and it was clear we would concede.  Howard alone can't save the world.  And it happens.  And I'm crushed, ready to swear off another lost World Cup, another wasted four years.

And then...magic.  From one sub to another, the sort of goal that reminds you that USA does have strengths, does have fight.  Brooks didn't believe, but he does now.  So can we.

Alternative theory: US didn't deserve that win, but in soccer random things sometimes happen, and it is better to be lucky than good.  A set piece goal + a 30second opening goal is more than enough luck to get you 3 points.

[liopoil]

Yay, US won. On another note, I have a decent lead in the bracket challenge!

[ashersky]

On a side note, this is why I love soccer.  Ghana was demolishing us on the field and it was clear we would concede.  Howard alone can't save the world.  And it happens.  And I'm crushed, ready to swear off another lost World Cup, another wasted four years.

And then...magic.  From one sub to another, the sort of goal that reminds you that USA does have strengths, does have fight.  Brooks didn't believe, but he does now.  So can we.

Alternative theory: US didn't deserve that win, but in soccer random things sometimes happen, and it is better to be lucky than good.  A set piece goal + a 30second opening goal is more than enough luck to get you 3 points.

Very fair counter.

Absolutely right that we weren't the better playing team today.

[Ozle]

You cant say they didnt deserve it, the object is to score more goals than the opposition. Barring cheating and dodgy refs the team that scores the most goals wins.

 Having 15 times the amount of shots on goal, or 65% possession doesnt mean nothing if you dont score.

[ashersky]

Ghana was the favorite with punters, right?

[theory]

It's not an undeserved win in that the US should be stripped of the win, it's undeserved in that the US was not the better team on the field today.  You can play worse and still win, and it seems clear that the US did just that today.  I think if Ghana had started Essien/Boateng it would have been a very different result.

[yuma]

To be "the best player" he needs to show up for big games.  You know, like the World Cup.

Every single touch Bradley had was flubbed, passed directed into touch, or to the opposing team.  He looked like a scared little boy.  I recall a much more impressive Bradley in the past, but this was an empty shell of the man we used to know.  His was by far the worst performance on the pitch by a red shirt.  Bench him.  Start Brooks, drop Zusi back to defense, and put DaMarcus in mid.

On a side note, this is why I love soccer.  Ghana was demolishing us on the field and it was clear we would concede.  Howard alone can't save the world.  And it happens.  And I'm crushed, ready to swear off another lost World Cup, another wasted four years.

And then...magic.  From one sub to another, the sort of goal that reminds you that USA does have strengths, does have fight.  Brooks didn't believe, but he does now.  So can we.

I disagree with all of your points except the end. Bradley is the best player on the team. Not showing up for one game does not a bad player make nor cause him to deserve to be benched. The whole system we opperated was based on him--the Christmas tree. And it wasn't just him. It was everyone playing a bit off.

Brooks shouldn't start--unless Besler is still injured. He played the game of his life but Besler is far superior on defense, hence the start. Scoring one goal does not make you a better defender.

The biggest disappointment was Johansson. We might get our wish with Donovan back on the team if Altidore can't go.

And the US deserved to win this. Ghana outplayed and controlled yes. But the chances they got weren't that great. The US played a great bend but not break strategy. The lone goal as a piece of brillance that really you can only fault Howard for being off balance. More possession would have been nice, but that isn't the US's priority in the first place. We were always going to be outpossessed.

[ashersky]

To be "the best player" he needs to show up for big games.  You know, like the World Cup.

Every single touch Bradley had was flubbed, passed directed into touch, or to the opposing team.  He looked like a scared little boy.  I recall a much more impressive Bradley in the past, but this was an empty shell of the man we used to know.  His was by far the worst performance on the pitch by a red shirt.  Bench him.  Start Brooks, drop Zusi back to defense, and put DaMarcus in mid.

On a side note, this is why I love soccer.  Ghana was demolishing us on the field and it was clear we would concede.  Howard alone can't save the world.  And it happens.  And I'm crushed, ready to swear off another lost World Cup, another wasted four years.

And then...magic.  From one sub to another, the sort of goal that reminds you that USA does have strengths, does have fight.  Brooks didn't believe, but he does now.  So can we.

I disagree with all of your points except the end. Bradley is the best player on the team. Not showing up for one game does not a bad player make nor cause him to deserve to be benched. The whole system we opperated was based on him--the Christmas tree. And it wasn't just him. It was everyone playing a bit off.

Brooks shouldn't start--unless Besler is still injured. He played the game of his life but Besler is far superior on defense, hence the start. Scoring one goal does not make you a better defender.

The biggest disappointment was Johansson. We might get our wish with Donovan back on the team if Altidore can't go.

And the US deserved to win this. Ghana outplayed and controlled yes. But the chances they got weren't that great. The US played a great bend but not break strategy. The lone goal as a piece of brillance that really you can only fault Howard for being off balance. More possession would have been nice, but that isn't the US's priority in the first place. We were always going to be outpossessed.

Did we watch the same game?  On replay, mark down each touch Bradley had and what he did with it.  Breakaway attack at the 61st minute?  A wide-open Bradley drives a pass over the head of his open winger into the bench.  Countless dispossessions in midfield and he drew zero fouls?  How many passes did he actually get through to his strikers from the attacking central mid position?  None.

This game has sapped all my goodwill and fandom for Bradley, to the point where he is my least favorite player in all of soccer, perhaps sports.  My hopes and expectations may have been too high, so the fall was greater.  But as you say, if he's the truly best player in USMNT, there are no expectations too high.

I would rather take the old and broken Del Piero, naturalize him, and start him against
Portugal at this point.  And as a Fiorentina fan, you know how much I loathe Del Piero.

[theory]

It's unfair to ask Johansson to substitute for Altidore and expect the same results.  Messi wouldn't work well as a target man either.  Johansson is no Messi but he is simply not suited to be the big target man unless he signs up with BALCO.

[2.71828.....]

You cant say they didnt deserve it, the object is to score more goals than the opposition. Barring cheating and dodgy refs the team that scores the most goals wins.

 Having 15 times the amount of shots on goal, or 65% possession doesnt mean nothing if you dont score.

The possession stats don't lie, but a bunch of the shots that Ghana took were from 25-30 yards out and not threatening at all.

[ashersky]

If Altidore is out for good, can they bring someone in from the outside?

[ashersky]

If Altidore is out for good, can they bring someone in from the outside?

That's a no.

A US Soccer spokesman told reporters shortly after Altidore left the match that he suffered a strained left hamstring. According to FIFA regulations, if Altidore is unable to continue in the tournament, he cannot be replaced in the roster, as the deadline to make changes passed on Sunday for the United States.

[soulnet]

Alternative theory: US didn't deserve that win, but in soccer random things sometimes happen, and it is better to be lucky than good.  A set piece goal + a 30second opening goal is more than enough luck to get you 3 points.

You make your own shuffle luck.

[soulnet]

It's unfair to ask Johansson to substitute for Altidore and expect the same results.  Messi wouldn't work well as a target man either.  Johansson is no Messi but he is simply not suited to be the big target man unless he signs up with BALCO.

If by target man you are referring to the typical 9 position (centre forward), Messi has played that position before for Argentina and I believe also for Barcelona.

[yuma]

Ash... My goodness you are overdramatic...

If you feel this way about Bradley then I am guessing you didn't watch any US qualifying? Because w/o Bradley we may not have qualified... or at least would not have finished at the top of CONCACAF

For example this:


Also this:


And of course this:


start at 2:20 for the last one.

Yes, Bradley had a pretty bad game here. But for the US to succeed on a consistent basis he 1. needs to be in the lineup and 2. needs to play well.

No one else can create plays out of nothing for himself and others the way he does. There are other good players on the team, but he is the key.

[yuma]

It's unfair to ask Johansson to substitute for Altidore and expect the same results.  Messi wouldn't work well as a target man either.  Johansson is no Messi but he is simply not suited to be the big target man unless he signs up with BALCO.

Oh I agree that it was a bad place for Johansson to come into. So I was fine with his performance in the first half, but during the second half--after he had time to get acclimated and adjusted--he played extremely poor. And I don't expect him to be an Altidore and be a big man, but he didn't exhibit any of his skill sets either.

[ashersky]

No one else can create plays out of nothing for himself and others the way he does.

This is patently ridiculous.  Let me name some off the top of my head...

Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Suarez, Yaya Toure, van Persie, Pirlo, Kaka, etc. etc. etc.



Yes, I'm emotional.  It's US Soccer.  I'm going to be emotional.  I want to see the US win the World Cup while I'm alive.  Preferably as soon as possible.  One bad game from your star player can doom you.

Just because we like a player, or are huge fans of a player, or think a player is the best playmaker in the world, the most obnoxious thing a fan can do is act like they are perfect when they aren't.  If Joey Votto goes 0-4 with 4 Ks, I'm not defending his performance in that game, no matter how big a Reds fan I am.  And so I refuse to defend Bradley's crap play in this game one iota.  He needed to step up and be the leader, the playmaker, and he wasn't.  Jones had a much bigger impact, for example.  And thank goodness he did.