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[ashersky]

You don't need to show me how great Bradley has been for the US team.  I know he's been great.  I'm arguing he was complete crap today.

[silverspawn]

i just want to see germany lose

[ashersky]

i just want to see germany lose

Root for USA!

[Davio]

I don't want to see Germany lose per se (and I'm saying this as a Dutchman, Germany is usually our nemesis); I just want to see Germany play nice attacking dominant football. Well, this goes for all teams.

I liked Götze, but Özil was severly underwhelming and got rightly substituted.

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

[Teproc]

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

I fear they might collapse under pressure, but I'm fairly excited about Belgium as well.

[Awaclus]

Also, what does USMNT mean ?

Something Mutant Ninja Turtles.

[ipofanes]

I don't want to see Germany lose per se (and I'm saying this as a Dutchman, Germany is usually our nemesis);

"Nemesis" is a bit much, arch-rivalry, though less intense than 20 years ago. But we are hardly to you what Italy is to us.

I just want to see Germany play nice attacking dominant football.

My only gripe about yesterday's match: They had it too easy.

Well, this goes for all teams.

Not everyone can play dominant football. Someone's gonna take the submissive part. Or as we say in Germany: "Man kann nur so gut spielen, wie es der Gegner zulässt." (You can't play a nicer game than your opponent allows you to.)

I liked Götze, but Özil was severly underwhelming and got rightly substituted.

I think the tactics worked really well with Özil on the right and Götze on the left and I'd have expected Schürrle to assume Götze's position, with Götze either being replaced or taking over Özil's position. Even with Reus missing there is still some depth in the offensive and it is good to try some variants and see what works best.

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

May they resume their attractive football they played in the late eighties (not the offside trap shit in the early 1980s which won't work anyway any more). Hope to see 1986 history repeat itself with a nice group stage match against Russia.

[hvb]

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

algeria - belgium running. belgium has a lot of really good players, but do they have a good team? not sure about that, to be honest i doubt that. i know it was the nr. 5 pick of a lot of ppl before WC started (behind Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany). I just dont believe that all this talented players can be formed into a team which is capable of reaching semifinals+

[2.71828.....]

Huge game for Mexico.  If they lose, they have to assume that Croatia will beat Cameroon, which could possibly set up an exciting final match between Mexico and Croatia for the 2nd place finish in the group.  Having the goal difference advantage would be huge in such a match, so losing by more than one would be devastating.

A draw would almost have the same effect as a loss (assuming Croatia defeats Cameroon), except they do not have to worry about goal differentials, and all they need is a final match tie or better to advance.

Obviously winning is winning

edit: and obviously the result tomorrow between Croatia and Cameroon is not set in stone

[StrongRhino]

Ok, 0-0 tie. Kind of disappointing, I think Mexico could have pulled off a win here, but happy with the result.

[Teproc]

Result seems fair. As much as I wanted Mexico to win by the end, given how uninspired non-Neymar Brazilians have been, the teams really were evenly-matched here. This time, the referee didn't save them.

[yuma]

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.

None of these players are from the US so I don't see your point..

and I am not saying that Bradley played a good game yesterday. He didn't. I already stated that. I am arguing that he should not be benched based off one poor performance, which is what you suggested should happen. I pointed out that in very recent games--and games not so recent--he has been our best player and that we need him to perform at his best for us to succeed on a consistent basis and that we don't have another player that can do what he does unless somehow you can convince FIFA to allow Messi or Ronaldo or Xavi to switch their citizenships.

Would you say that if Joey Votto went 0-4 in game 1 of the World Series that he should be benched for the rest of the series? I don't think you would.

I am glad you are intense about the US. I am too. But calling for the benching of our best player based off one poor game is too intense. That is all I was trying to say.

[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.

None of these players are from the US so I don't see your point..

and I am not saying that Bradley played a good game yesterday. He didn't. I already stated that. I am arguing that he should not be benched based off one poor performance, which is what you suggested should happen. I pointed out that in very recent games--and games not so recent--he has been our best player and that we need him to perform at his best for us to succeed on a consistent basis and that we don't have another player that can do what he does unless somehow you can convince FIFA to allow Messi or Ronaldo or Xavi to switch their citizenships.

Would you say that if Joey Votto went 0-4 in game 1 of the World Series that he should be benched for the rest of the series? I don't think you would.

I am glad you are intense about the US. I am too. But calling for the benching of our best player based off one poor game is too intense. That is all I was trying to say.

He should be benched right now, but then not benched.  Like, "dude, that sucked, you aren't player ever again!"  And then before the game, "okay not really, just don't suck again!"

I'm less wound up today.  Obviously you don't bench your best player(s).  Well, sometimes you do, if they are ancient like Drogba or Essien.

My point in listing those players was that you said no one else, and thought you meant in the world.  I see you meant on the US team.  That's a bit harsh on some of our other players.

I'm still bitter that Stuart Holden has been injured his entire life and didn't make the team.

[Twistedarcher]

Bradley is definitely our best player and needs to be on the field for every minute of every game. Our ceiling with Bradley playing well is higher than our ceiling with any other player in his role. Besides, I don't know who you put in midfield -- you could put Dempsey in the middle I guess but he's probably needed further forward with Altidore injured. Zusi is better out wide, Beckerman and Jones are both more defensive, you don't have anyone who could be the linchpin of the attack in the same way Bradley's capable of. Diskerud is probably the best bet but I wouldn't trust him over Bradley.

I think we have to live and die with Bradley, there's just no capable replacement.

It does suck that Holden has been injured, he would be capable of playing the same role if he'd kept improving, and probably would have been among our best players. I'm amazed that Bolton offered him another contract, I'd be surprised if he's ever really healthy again.

[Davio]

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

algeria - belgium running. belgium has a lot of really good players, but do they have a good team? not sure about that, to be honest i doubt that. i know it was the nr. 5 pick of a lot of ppl before WC started (behind Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany). I just dont believe that all this talented players can be formed into a team which is capable of reaching semifinals+

Belgium's main problem is inexperience at this stage. They do have a solid team, but showing it at the WC is another thing altogether. I'm happy for them they converted the 0-1 into a 2-1 win.

[ipofanes]

Finally the Belgians are kicking off, expecting a lot from them.

algeria - belgium running. belgium has a lot of really good players, but do they have a good team? not sure about that, to be honest i doubt that. i know it was the nr. 5 pick of a lot of ppl before WC started (behind Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany). I just dont believe that all this talented players can be formed into a team which is capable of reaching semifinals+

Belgium's main problem is inexperience at this stage. They do have a solid team, but showing it at the WC is another thing altogether. I'm happy for them they converted the 0-1 into a 2-1 win.

One can argue that no team had a better start into the tournament. To learn from your tactical errors without ceding any point is huge.

[Ozle]

Coming back from looking hopeless and lost at 1-0 down was a big show of character for Belgium.

Nice to see Chadli is as useless for Belgium as he is for Spurs though.


All this debate about the US player is the same as what is going on in England after Rooneys first poor game, the country seems to be split down three ways:

He never performs at a World Cup, bench him.
He was played out of position, he is our best player so play him behind the striker
He is a world class player, he should be able to play anywhere.

[Davio]

A similar debate was held in the Netherlands regarding van Persie.

The coaches kept putting van Persie at the striker position (van Persie himself wanted to play there) where he would suffocate with heavy defenders breathing down his neck. This would force him to drop back to midfield where he would pick up the ball, but it's already too crowded there.

You can see this happening during the last world cup, van Persie only scored 1 goal against Cameroon!
Luckily for us, he's already had a better start this year.

[Twistedarcher]

Coming back from looking hopeless and lost at 1-0 down was a big show of character for Belgium.

Nice to see Chadli is as useless for Belgium as he is for Spurs though.

I thought Chadli played well for us this season -- he was a good squad player, which given what we paid, is a good return. He didn't light it up, and was definitely injured a lot, but he played OK when he was on the field.

[Qvist]

That goal from Cahill

WOW!!!!!

[Teproc]

Yep. I want to say the Dutch are in trouble, but 1-1 was also the score at halftime of the Spain/Netherlands game, so...

[Davio]

The 1-1 with Spain was completely different than this 1-1 though.

With Spain, you could really feel the momentum was shifting after that goal. With this game, Netherlands has been struggling and doesn't seem to be finding a way out.

In all honesty, I think we should be happy if it stays 1-1 and move 1 point closer to surviving the group.

[Ozle]

Coming back from looking hopeless and lost at 1-0 down was a big show of character for Belgium.

Nice to see Chadli is as useless for Belgium as he is for Spurs though.

I thought Chadli played well for us this season -- he was a good squad player, which given what we paid, is a good return. He didn't light it up, and was definitely injured a lot, but he played OK when he was on the field.

Possibly i have too high expectations, but what we really didnt need was another playing bombing down the wing and then unable to put a decent pass in most of the time? We got loads of those already!

I say he was a first team player considering he played in about 25 premier league games.....

[Ozle]

Gutted, really wanted australia to win that, would have made that group so exciting on final day!

[soulnet]

Great match between Spain and Chile. And great Chilean goal. Spain is quite a disappointment.