Slovenia, Algeria & Overall
> Team USA’s game against Slovenia got off to an awful start, which honestly, is almost to be expected for the Yanks at this point. And unfortunately Oguchi Onyewu’s fingerprints were all over both goals. On Valter Birsa’s strike in the 13th minute Guch was actually backpedaling as Birsa moved into space right in front of him. Why Guch didn’t charge him and close down some of the open space is beyond me.
Guch’s mistake on the second goal was even more inexcusable. With the rest of the defense in a perfect line Guch was caught a step out of position on the Green Dragon’s counterattack thus making Zlatan Ljubijankic onsides rather than off.
US keeper Tim Howard was caught totally flat footed and off his line on the first goal…really nothing he could do. On the second score I believe Howard could have done better and come up with one of those miraculous saves he has spoiled us all with.
> The second half comeback was great, some of the most riveting soccer I have seen in my days of watching the good ole USA. The most encouraging thing to me was that our stars played well. Landon Donovan was all over the pitch and his service on set pieces was excellent. Michael Bradley (MB) played one of the best matches I’ve ever seen him play. He defended, he came forward and of course he scored. And finally Jozy Altidore mixed playing physical and holding the ball with being a dangerous scoring threat. His knock down header to set up Bradley was sublime.
While there’s no doubt the players worked their tails off, much of the credit has to go to coach Bob Bradley (BB) because the subs he made in the second half all paid off. Starting Jose Torres in the midfield was obviously a mistake (which is why I don’t coach soccer) and Robbie Findley just flat out doesn’t have the instincts needed to consistently make the right plays at this level (tends to hold the ball too long).
After some early jitters Maurice Edu looked very good both defending and coming forward. He seems to have a good chemistry with MB about how to work as a tandem in the middle. Benny Feilhaber (not a fan) didn’t do anything that killed us, so I take that as a positive. Even late sub Herculez Gomez made a difference as his diagonal run across the box opened up the space MB needed to tie the game.
> Now on to referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali. When I first heard his name during the pre-match I thought to myself “That has got to be the first African ref I’ve ever heard of, and from Mali of all places, wow.” I’ll get to the non-goal in a second, but lost in the shuffle is the yellow card he gave Findley for getting hit in the face with the ball. So not only is Robbie suspended for the next match but the whistle blew while the ball was loose on the ground in the 6-yard box. So prior to the horrendous call he made a terrible call that cost us a player and possibly the equalizer (score would have been 1-1).
I’ve watched the slow-motion replay of what happened in the 85th minute about 50 times at least and here’s what I see. Carlos Bocanegra getting straight up taken down (which is a penalty kick). MB unable to move because he’s being bear hugged. Not a single US player even close to being offside and a good, clean, fair game winner by Edu. The best explanation I’ve heard is that Coulibaly felt he shouldn’t have called the foul on Altidore that led to the free kick. So in an NBA-style “make up call” he decided to blow the whistle and make things right in his own mind. In real time you can actually see him blow his whistle almost at the kick of the ball and he also does not point, gesture, whatever as to what he is calling on the spot.
> Yes we were robbed, but it’s time to get over that, move on and focus on advancing to the second round. Our mental approach to the Algeria match (6/23 at 7 AM Pacific on ESPN) can’t be one that lets Coulibaly beat us twice. Instead we have to focus on starting the game better and not conceding the first goal so quickly (for a change). The Desert Foxes have a lot of quickness along the flanks and like to play a wide open style, so we will certainly get our chances.
> Determining the staring 11 for the final match of group play is where BB will really earn his money. As much as I love the guy for all he’s done for USA soccer Guch has to be dropped. He’s been at least partly responsible for all three goals and the World Cup is not the time to be patient while he plays himself back into shape. As far as I see it BB has 3 choices; Replace Guch with Clarence Goodson and be done with it. Move Boca into the middle and play DeMarcus Beasley on the left (do not mention the name Jonathan Bornstein to me). Or gamble and possibly give Edu a try in the middle next to Jay DeMerit. If I’m BB I’m not willing to risk advancing on Guch’s match fitness.
Being without Findley for a game really doesn’t bother me. I’d much rather have a more seasoned player running up top with Jozy. My first choice would be Gomez followed by Edson Buddle. Herculez is just too opportunistic and crafty to leave on the bench all game long when we are going to need goals. It’s also possible that BB moves Clint Dempsey up top along side Altidore freeing up another midfield spot.
The “other” midfielder to play with MB, Donovan and Dempsey has been tricky to say the least. I’d like to see Edu in there and if Clint moves up top maybe give Stuart Holden a try as well. After his fine halftime substitutions against Slovenia I trust that BB knows what his squad needs where to beat Algeria way more than I do.
> The Yanks can advance to the knockout stage three ways; Beat the Desert Foxes outright. Tie Algeria and England loses. Tie Les Fennecs and England ties but does not outscore us by 2+ goals.
Big picture alert: If you would have told me before the Cup that if we beat Algeria we advance AND possibly win our group I’d have taken it in a HEARTBEAT. Any member of Sam’s Army would have said the same, and if we play like we did in the second half of the Slovenia match we should be just fine.
> From 6/22-25 is where the real business starts and ends. Four teams per day will move on to the second round and four teams will head home. Brazil still looks like the side to beat. Spain may not be scoring a lot but they are very dangerous. Holland is kind of flying under the radar, which is probably good for them. South America has been the real story though with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Chile all leading their groups (5 of the 8 groups overall).
> Any red-blooded American has to love what is happening to France right now. First manager Raymond Domenech kicks star striker Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) off the team for a heated exchange between the two at halftime of France's loss to Mexico. Then the whole squad decides not to train on Sunday to show their displeasure with Domenech’s decision. Needless to say Les Bleus are the laughing stock of the international soccer world right now…and rightly so.
Somewhere Irish eyes are smiling…
Guch’s mistake on the second goal was even more inexcusable. With the rest of the defense in a perfect line Guch was caught a step out of position on the Green Dragon’s counterattack thus making Zlatan Ljubijankic onsides rather than off.
US keeper Tim Howard was caught totally flat footed and off his line on the first goal…really nothing he could do. On the second score I believe Howard could have done better and come up with one of those miraculous saves he has spoiled us all with.
> The second half comeback was great, some of the most riveting soccer I have seen in my days of watching the good ole USA. The most encouraging thing to me was that our stars played well. Landon Donovan was all over the pitch and his service on set pieces was excellent. Michael Bradley (MB) played one of the best matches I’ve ever seen him play. He defended, he came forward and of course he scored. And finally Jozy Altidore mixed playing physical and holding the ball with being a dangerous scoring threat. His knock down header to set up Bradley was sublime.
While there’s no doubt the players worked their tails off, much of the credit has to go to coach Bob Bradley (BB) because the subs he made in the second half all paid off. Starting Jose Torres in the midfield was obviously a mistake (which is why I don’t coach soccer) and Robbie Findley just flat out doesn’t have the instincts needed to consistently make the right plays at this level (tends to hold the ball too long).
After some early jitters Maurice Edu looked very good both defending and coming forward. He seems to have a good chemistry with MB about how to work as a tandem in the middle. Benny Feilhaber (not a fan) didn’t do anything that killed us, so I take that as a positive. Even late sub Herculez Gomez made a difference as his diagonal run across the box opened up the space MB needed to tie the game.
> Now on to referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali. When I first heard his name during the pre-match I thought to myself “That has got to be the first African ref I’ve ever heard of, and from Mali of all places, wow.” I’ll get to the non-goal in a second, but lost in the shuffle is the yellow card he gave Findley for getting hit in the face with the ball. So not only is Robbie suspended for the next match but the whistle blew while the ball was loose on the ground in the 6-yard box. So prior to the horrendous call he made a terrible call that cost us a player and possibly the equalizer (score would have been 1-1).
I’ve watched the slow-motion replay of what happened in the 85th minute about 50 times at least and here’s what I see. Carlos Bocanegra getting straight up taken down (which is a penalty kick). MB unable to move because he’s being bear hugged. Not a single US player even close to being offside and a good, clean, fair game winner by Edu. The best explanation I’ve heard is that Coulibaly felt he shouldn’t have called the foul on Altidore that led to the free kick. So in an NBA-style “make up call” he decided to blow the whistle and make things right in his own mind. In real time you can actually see him blow his whistle almost at the kick of the ball and he also does not point, gesture, whatever as to what he is calling on the spot.
> Yes we were robbed, but it’s time to get over that, move on and focus on advancing to the second round. Our mental approach to the Algeria match (6/23 at 7 AM Pacific on ESPN) can’t be one that lets Coulibaly beat us twice. Instead we have to focus on starting the game better and not conceding the first goal so quickly (for a change). The Desert Foxes have a lot of quickness along the flanks and like to play a wide open style, so we will certainly get our chances.
> Determining the staring 11 for the final match of group play is where BB will really earn his money. As much as I love the guy for all he’s done for USA soccer Guch has to be dropped. He’s been at least partly responsible for all three goals and the World Cup is not the time to be patient while he plays himself back into shape. As far as I see it BB has 3 choices; Replace Guch with Clarence Goodson and be done with it. Move Boca into the middle and play DeMarcus Beasley on the left (do not mention the name Jonathan Bornstein to me). Or gamble and possibly give Edu a try in the middle next to Jay DeMerit. If I’m BB I’m not willing to risk advancing on Guch’s match fitness.
Being without Findley for a game really doesn’t bother me. I’d much rather have a more seasoned player running up top with Jozy. My first choice would be Gomez followed by Edson Buddle. Herculez is just too opportunistic and crafty to leave on the bench all game long when we are going to need goals. It’s also possible that BB moves Clint Dempsey up top along side Altidore freeing up another midfield spot.
The “other” midfielder to play with MB, Donovan and Dempsey has been tricky to say the least. I’d like to see Edu in there and if Clint moves up top maybe give Stuart Holden a try as well. After his fine halftime substitutions against Slovenia I trust that BB knows what his squad needs where to beat Algeria way more than I do.
> The Yanks can advance to the knockout stage three ways; Beat the Desert Foxes outright. Tie Algeria and England loses. Tie Les Fennecs and England ties but does not outscore us by 2+ goals.
Big picture alert: If you would have told me before the Cup that if we beat Algeria we advance AND possibly win our group I’d have taken it in a HEARTBEAT. Any member of Sam’s Army would have said the same, and if we play like we did in the second half of the Slovenia match we should be just fine.
> From 6/22-25 is where the real business starts and ends. Four teams per day will move on to the second round and four teams will head home. Brazil still looks like the side to beat. Spain may not be scoring a lot but they are very dangerous. Holland is kind of flying under the radar, which is probably good for them. South America has been the real story though with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Chile all leading their groups (5 of the 8 groups overall).
> Any red-blooded American has to love what is happening to France right now. First manager Raymond Domenech kicks star striker Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) off the team for a heated exchange between the two at halftime of France's loss to Mexico. Then the whole squad decides not to train on Sunday to show their displeasure with Domenech’s decision. Needless to say Les Bleus are the laughing stock of the international soccer world right now…and rightly so.
Somewhere Irish eyes are smiling…
posted by D$ at 7:23 PM
2 Comments:
I come to see my cousin's take on tonights NBA draft and I get a comprehensive World Cup report. Interesting...I'm glad to see we are winning, and sad to see the team without Brian Ching. Although he is getting a little old he deserved the chance to make the trip.
- Also...I'm interested to see where Cousins ends up tonight. I keep reading that he stock is falling, but I find that hard to believe given the up side.
Oh I'll be watching the draft from start to finish tonight, but I have World Cup fever right now.
As for the Cousins the knock on him is his attitude and heart. Normally things that don't improve. Don't want to draft the next Derrick Coleman!
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