Today's starting lineups. Iniesta on the bench and Asensio starting for him. Still can't figure out why David Silva is playing. He's been really bad. Also Nacho getting the start over Carvajal who doesn't seem fully fit. He's been bad also.
Quote:
Espana XI - De Gea, Nacho, Piqué, Ramos, Alba, Busquets, Koke, Asensio, Isco, Silva, Diego Costa
Russia XI - Akinfeev, Fernandes, Kudryashov, Kutepov, Ignasevich, Zhirkov, Samedov, Kuzyaev, Golovin, Zobnin, Dzyuba
That's the one thing I'd love for Spain to have...a Plan B target man. They did briefly in 2010 with Llorente, but they've never seemed interested in having that type of option on the bench.
That as a goalie or a defender you don't want to see him come in in the second half. Presents so many problems, particularly as you tire. Courtois even said, he's not a star or even an weekly starter, but he's a great piece to have.
awesome saves by keepers, and awesome counters. Heartbreaking for Japan.
Japan looked so sharp with possession for the first 70 minutes of the game. In terms of how we should have played them, could we have done that?
Others know better than I do, but it always seems to me like the US is afraid to possess the ball against top teams, or that they are just not as sharp and in control passing around.
Others know better than I do, but it always seems to me like the US is afraid to possess the ball against top teams, or that they are just not as sharp and in control passing around.
It hasn't always been that way. The 2002 USMNT really grew into the tournament and played its best against Mexico and Germany in the elimination rounds. Really good team.
I watched that tourney but don't remember it (other than the handball). I just always had the impression of the US team that they were as athletic if not more so than any team in the tournament, and had size for set pieces, and relied upon that and Tim Howard to stay in games and hope for the ability to capitalize on fewer opportunities.
I don't remember ever having a sense that they were a great at possessing the ball or making crisp passes to move the ball where they wanted it to go.
I watched that tourney but don't remember it (other than the handball). I just always had the impression of the US team that they were as athletic if not more so than any team in the tournament, and had size for set pieces, and relied upon that and Tim Howard to stay in games and hope for the ability to capitalize on fewer opportunities.
I don't remember ever having a sense that they were a great at possessing the ball or making crisp passes to move the ball where they wanted it to go.
Check out this goal against Colombia in 1994. Phenomenal. Link - ( New Window )
You know exactly what that means. The Russia/Spain and Croatia/Demark games were "play not lose" games. Boring as hell. If you want to draw in more US fans and grow the game in the US, this is the type game that US (non-soccer) fans would really enjoy. I've been watching WC since 1994 and still learning the game technically.
This game was played hard with scoring chances all over
"Game played hard" does not necessarily have to equal "lots of scoring chances". You think the teams yesterday didn't play hard? This game was fun to watch, no doubt...but if Belgium repeats this performance against Brazil they'll be going home with a spanking. At this point I'd say Russia has a better chance of beating Croatia than Belgium does Brazil.
Besides, soccer is already drawing in the US. It doesn't need every game to be a wild up and down affair to draw people. And if it did, I'd rather those people stayed home.
Here were the average attendances per match in some leagues in 2017/2018, according to worldfootball.net:
Germany Bundesliga: 44,646
England EPL: 38,297
Spain La Liga: 26,939
Mexico Liga MX: 25,183
Italy Serie A: 24,767
France Ligue 1: 22,524
US MLS: 20,815
Netherlands Eredivisie: 19,001
Argentina Primera Division: 16,723
Brazil Serie A: 16,418
It's not like everyone else is getting 65,000 per game and MLS is getting 15,000.
"Game played hard" does not necessarily have to equal "lots of scoring chances". You think the teams yesterday didn't play hard? This game was fun to watch, no doubt...but if Belgium repeats this performance against Brazil they'll be going home with a spanking. At this point I'd say Russia has a better chance of beating Croatia than Belgium does Brazil.
Besides, soccer is already drawing in the US. It doesn't need every game to be a wild up and down affair to draw people. And if it did, I'd rather those people stayed home.
Great, narrow minded view. If you want the US to get to the WC Finals, the game needs to grow and attract better athletes. Kids play what the parents watch on TV. I think we both agree that if the top US athletes start playing soccer as their primary sport USMNT could be a juggernaut.
If you want to mince words over my use of "hard" vs vigorous (maybe a better word) that is fine. Point is simply - Russia sat back and made few counters against Spain, while Spain was happy to pass around the perimeter and not even probe. I was rooting hard for Spain and was bored out of my skull as well as frustrated.
I think the Russia Croatia game will be good. I'd bet Croatia attacks more than Spain. I'm not selling Belgium short against any team including Brazil. Japan may have been a good wake up call.
I think we are looking at this from different viewpoints. You are an established fan, I am learning. You are saying the game is the game enjoy for what it is; I guess I am almost at that point. What I am looking at is the casual fan (and you have seen a few on the various WC threads) who sees a slow tactical game and decides not to watch again(boring), yet if he (or she) sees a game like Belgium/Japan says, hey I want to see more.
The athletes we already have playing soccer are good enough to compete on the world stage. Any issues we have are related to mismanagement at the federation level; not the available talent pool. The talent pool from which we are drawing is larger than most of the countries still competing in this World Cup.
Proper management at the federation level, quality coaches, and strong scouting networks are what's needed. MLS is already on its way to providing two of the three. Issues at the federation level can kill you no matter how good your players are. Look at Argentina for an example of that.
But of all our issues the available talent pool is the least of our worries. There are countries doing great things with a small fraction of what we have...Uruguay has a smaller population than the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Iceland has the total population of Spartanburg, SC.
What happened is the USSF president (Gulati) got starry eyed over a German guy (Klinsmann) that has made his home in California. Klinsmann is a good talker full of big ideas, and Gulati thought he'd be the perfect blend of German experience with American mentality for the USMNT. Gulati ignored numerous warnings from Europe about Klinsmann's incompetence and gave him enormous power over the team. Klinsmann then proceeded to poison the team, and it's still recovering from that trauma.
That's the short version. For the full story I strongly suggest reading the article linked below. It's the best summary I can find of the debacle of the last several years. Link - ( New Window )
The athletes we already have playing soccer are good enough to compete on the world stage. Any issues we have are related to mismanagement at the federation level; not the available talent pool. The talent pool from which we are drawing is larger than most of the countries still competing in this World Cup.
Proper management at the federation level, quality coaches, and strong scouting networks are what's needed. MLS is already on its way to providing two of the three. Issues at the federation level can kill you no matter how good your players are. Look at Argentina for an example of that.
But of all our issues the available talent pool is the least of our worries. There are countries doing great things with a small fraction of what we have...Uruguay has a smaller population than the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Iceland has the total population of Spartanburg, SC.
Yes, good points and I did overlook those at this time. JK and the old farts at the top killed us for 8 years. So I totally agree with what you say on management. We could and should be able to get to the knockout stage everytime(virtually) with the talent we have available.
Check out this goal against Colombia in 1994. Phenomenal. Link - ( New Window )
Heh, nice look, pass and finish for sure.
But if I'm remembering correctly that game will forever be remembered in Cali, Bogota, Barranquilla, etc. and especially Medellin for the Colombian defender's own goal early on. I was on a deal in Bogota at the time and of course meetings were suspended. The disbelief and anguish were palpable and extended well beyond our meeting room. Escobar was found shot just weeks later, died, and has become lore.
Thanks for that, but my "what happened" was less about the dysfunction in US Soccer's governance and direction, and more about what seems like the inability of a US soccer team to be able to pass the ball cleanly and crisply. Whenever I watch the US team, there's an inkling of watching kids play soccer where they just kick the ball as soon as someone comes near them.
Game of the tournament so far
Game of the WC!
Courtois showing what a goalkeeper can do beyond just stop shots (I'm thinking of you, De Gea).
Credit Japan, they played wonderfully
What a sequence...
Japan looked so sharp with possession for the first 70 minutes of the game. In terms of how we should have played them, could we have done that?
Others know better than I do, but it always seems to me like the US is afraid to possess the ball against top teams, or that they are just not as sharp and in control passing around.
It hasn't always been that way. The 2002 USMNT really grew into the tournament and played its best against Mexico and Germany in the elimination rounds. Really good team.
What does that even mean?
I don't remember ever having a sense that they were a great at possessing the ball or making crisp passes to move the ball where they wanted it to go.
I don't remember ever having a sense that they were a great at possessing the ball or making crisp passes to move the ball where they wanted it to go.
Check out this goal against Colombia in 1994. Phenomenal.
Link - ( New Window )
Quote:
would draw well in the US.
What does that even mean?
You know exactly what that means. The Russia/Spain and Croatia/Demark games were "play not lose" games. Boring as hell. If you want to draw in more US fans and grow the game in the US, this is the type game that US (non-soccer) fans would really enjoy. I've been watching WC since 1994 and still learning the game technically.
This game was played hard with scoring chances all over
Besides, soccer is already drawing in the US. It doesn't need every game to be a wild up and down affair to draw people. And if it did, I'd rather those people stayed home.
Germany Bundesliga: 44,646
England EPL: 38,297
Spain La Liga: 26,939
Mexico Liga MX: 25,183
Italy Serie A: 24,767
France Ligue 1: 22,524
US MLS: 20,815
Netherlands Eredivisie: 19,001
Argentina Primera Division: 16,723
Brazil Serie A: 16,418
It's not like everyone else is getting 65,000 per game and MLS is getting 15,000.
Real Madrid may be replacing one asshole in Cristiano with another.
Besides, soccer is already drawing in the US. It doesn't need every game to be a wild up and down affair to draw people. And if it did, I'd rather those people stayed home.
Great, narrow minded view. If you want the US to get to the WC Finals, the game needs to grow and attract better athletes. Kids play what the parents watch on TV. I think we both agree that if the top US athletes start playing soccer as their primary sport USMNT could be a juggernaut.
If you want to mince words over my use of "hard" vs vigorous (maybe a better word) that is fine. Point is simply - Russia sat back and made few counters against Spain, while Spain was happy to pass around the perimeter and not even probe. I was rooting hard for Spain and was bored out of my skull as well as frustrated.
I think the Russia Croatia game will be good. I'd bet Croatia attacks more than Spain. I'm not selling Belgium short against any team including Brazil. Japan may have been a good wake up call.
I think we are looking at this from different viewpoints. You are an established fan, I am learning. You are saying the game is the game enjoy for what it is; I guess I am almost at that point. What I am looking at is the casual fan (and you have seen a few on the various WC threads) who sees a slow tactical game and decides not to watch again(boring), yet if he (or she) sees a game like Belgium/Japan says, hey I want to see more.
Hope that makes some sense....
Proper management at the federation level, quality coaches, and strong scouting networks are what's needed. MLS is already on its way to providing two of the three. Issues at the federation level can kill you no matter how good your players are. Look at Argentina for an example of that.
But of all our issues the available talent pool is the least of our worries. There are countries doing great things with a small fraction of what we have...Uruguay has a smaller population than the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Iceland has the total population of Spartanburg, SC.
What happened is the USSF president (Gulati) got starry eyed over a German guy (Klinsmann) that has made his home in California. Klinsmann is a good talker full of big ideas, and Gulati thought he'd be the perfect blend of German experience with American mentality for the USMNT. Gulati ignored numerous warnings from Europe about Klinsmann's incompetence and gave him enormous power over the team. Klinsmann then proceeded to poison the team, and it's still recovering from that trauma.
That's the short version. For the full story I strongly suggest reading the article linked below. It's the best summary I can find of the debacle of the last several years.
Link - ( New Window )
Proper management at the federation level, quality coaches, and strong scouting networks are what's needed. MLS is already on its way to providing two of the three. Issues at the federation level can kill you no matter how good your players are. Look at Argentina for an example of that.
But of all our issues the available talent pool is the least of our worries. There are countries doing great things with a small fraction of what we have...Uruguay has a smaller population than the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Iceland has the total population of Spartanburg, SC.
Yes, good points and I did overlook those at this time. JK and the old farts at the top killed us for 8 years. So I totally agree with what you say on management. We could and should be able to get to the knockout stage everytime(virtually) with the talent we have available.
Check out this goal against Colombia in 1994. Phenomenal. Link - ( New Window )
But if I'm remembering correctly that game will forever be remembered in Cali, Bogota, Barranquilla, etc. and especially Medellin for the Colombian defender's own goal early on. I was on a deal in Bogota at the time and of course meetings were suspended. The disbelief and anguish were palpable and extended well beyond our meeting room. Escobar was found shot just weeks later, died, and has become lore.
Aloss to brazil