Futbol Talk

[ATWizJr]

Bradley played poorly and Cameron was the goat on both Portugal goals.  Inexplicable and if it didn't sound so harsh, I'd say inexcusable. 

[MUfan12]

Jurgen was quick to swing his bratwurst around when it came to Donovan, will he do the same with Bradley? He was abject against Ghana, better today, but didn't have the discipline to see the game out.

I am fully prepared for a drubbing on Thursday, and a group stage exit.

[GGGG]

The US can play with Germany.  I doubt they lose big.

[MUfan12]

The US can play with Germany.  I doubt they lose big.

Sure, they can play with them. They're also prone to mental lapses that the Germans will punish.

Pray for a Ghana-Portugal draw. That's the only way the US advances.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

This is Dempsey and Jones' team now. Bradley was largely ineffectual and almost looked uninvolved at times.  I agree , Chicos , he gave the ball away which led to the tie. All said a great US effort- 9 shots on goal in the first half, I recall

[damuts222]

MUfan12 the US is still in the drivers seat. Even if US loses they beat Ghana and Portugals goal differential is still -4. The US is at plus 1. US would have to lose by several goals and either Portugal or Ghana would have to win by several goals for the US to not make it through.

[ChicosBailBonds]

MUfan12 the US is still in the drivers seat. Even if US loses they beat Ghana and Portugals goal differential is still -4. The US is at plus 1. US would have to lose by several goals and either Portugal or Ghana would have to win by several goals for the US to not make it through.

I'm worried about tiebreaker #2 right now.

I'm a big Portugal fan on Thursday

[ChicosBailBonds]

God just watched that last sequence.  All Bradley had to do is make the easy pass, but he tried to take it himself.  Brutal.

I think they had too many men forward too.

Yup.  Not intelligent.

The last game, instead of taking it to the corner at the end, he tries to center it and allows Ghana to counter.

Have to know situation.  Maybe it is because I played midfield my whole life so I watch that position the most.  He's a quality player, but needs to be better.

[Lennys Tap]

He's a quality player, but needs to be better.

If I closed my eyes I'd swear I was at a TC presser.

[wildbill sb]

Curses!  The ball-watching ghost of Jeff Agoos channeled by Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson AND the soft hospital passes by Michael (“I give a 100% every time I put on the uniform and go out on the pitch.  I have no regrets.”)  Have spoiled what should have been 3 points for the Red, White, and Blue against a very beatable Portugal.  Rats!

[ATWizJr]

Curses!  The ball-watching ghost of Jeff Agoos channeled by Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson AND the soft hospital passes by Michael (“I give a 100% every time I put on the uniform and go out on the pitch.  I have no regrets.”)  Have spoiled what should have been 3 points for the Red, White, and Blue against a very beatable Portugal.  Rats!

Cameron and Bradley have turned the group of death into the group of suicide.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If I closed my eyes I'd swear I was at a TC presser.

You really should seek help.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I was hoping Wondolowski, the Polish Red Skin, could have salted it away there at the end.  That would have been epic.

[mu03eng]

I think you guys need to go back and watch the wide angle version of the last sequence.  Does Bradley deserve a little blame?  Yes, if he one touches a pass back or just focuses on trapping the ball we aren't talking about anything but how awesome it is to have no pressure.  But his misplay occurred 10 yards from midfield on the Portugal side of the field...hardly an inherently dangerous position.

If you look at the entire field when Portugal gets the ball, there are more US players back than Portugal players forward.  In fact, Cameron, Gonzales and Johnson are all within 5-10 yards of Valera and Beasley is within 2 yards of Ronaldo.  Cameron, especially, loses his mark....but it should have been Gonzales marking Valera(fresh legs vs fresh legs) but I definitely put more on Cameron than Bradley.

But I actually blame Tim Howard by far the most.  I have played goalkeeper at very high levels, and I will tell you flat out that Howard completely choked at the end of the game.  It was an outstanding cross from Ronaldo, but he launched it from at least 25 yards out and Howard had to know the only threat in front of him was Valera.  There is no reason a cross from 25 yards out should get to the only attacker in sight 7 yards in front of the goal without the keeper contesting.  Hell, at my fitness level and age I could have gotten to that ball easily and caught, wasn't even one that would have required a punching clear.  That cross was about as routine as could be for a keeper.  You'd have thought Howard was tethered to goalline....you can even ask my wife as the cross was in the air I was scream about why wasn't Howard coming off his line.  So if you guys want to blame anyone blame Howard.

[jsglow]

I think you guys need to go back and watch the wide angle version of the last sequence.  Does Bradley deserve a little blame?  Yes, if he one touches a pass back or just focuses on trapping the ball we aren't talking about anything but how awesome it is to have no pressure.  But his misplay occurred 10 yards from midfield on the Portugal side of the field...hardly an inherently dangerous position.

If you look at the entire field when Portugal gets the ball, there are more US players back than Portugal players forward.  In fact, Cameron, Gonzales and Johnson are all within 5-10 yards of Valera and Beasley is within 2 yards of Ronaldo.  Cameron, especially, loses his mark....but it should have been Gonzales marking Valera(fresh legs vs fresh legs) but I definitely put more on Cameron than Bradley.

But I actually blame Tim Howard by far the most.  I have played goalkeeper at very high levels, and I will tell you flat out that Howard completely choked at the end of the game.  It was an outstanding cross from Ronaldo, but he launched it from at least 25 yards out and Howard had to know the only threat in front of him was Valera.  There is no reason a cross from 25 yards out should get to the only attacker in sight 7 yards in front of the goal without the keeper contesting.  Hell, at my fitness level and age I could have gotten to that ball easily and caught, wasn't even one that would have required a punching clear.  That cross was about as routine as could be for a keeper.  You'd have thought Howard was tethered to goalline....you can even ask my wife as the cross was in the air I was scream about why wasn't Howard coming off his line.  So if you guys want to blame anyone blame Howard.

Thanks so much for the analysis.  Having watched nothing but youth soccer as a dad or Marquette down in the valley, I was having the same thought.  Unfortunately the whole team thought it was in the bag and was already mentally checked out.  But I have to admit that I don't think I've ever seen a better cross.  Too bad because I really came to dislike that pretty-boy cry-baby Ronaldo during the course of the game.  Now I have to cheer for him on Thursday.   

[jesmu84]

Brutal start, brutal end, great 80 minutes in between. Before the cup started, if you told me we'd have 4 points after the first two games, we all would have taken it. A draw feels like a loss, sure, but did we really earn it against Ghana? Seems everything evened out.

Who do you blame the last goal on? Does it matter? Sure, Bradley turned the ball over - literally anything else he does, we in. But, we had way more men behind the ball. Beasley can't afford to attack Ronaldo, Besler has to back up Beasley. Now you've got Cameron and Omar in the middle. Cameron never saw Valera, he was looking at the trailing Portugese guy the whole time. In fact, if you watch the cross, Cameron was surprised where it was heading. Is it Omar's fault? Maybe. Should Howard have done something? Probably. It was a great cross and a great finish. It happens.

Still hold our own fate. Get a result vs. Germany. Want to prove we belong? Gotta do it at some point, whether it's Thursday against Germany or next round against Belgium/Russia/Algeria.

IMO, Ghana can and probably will beat Portugal, and maybe rather easily.

[MUfan12]

US would have to lose by several goals and either Portugal or Ghana would have to win by several goals for the US to not make it through.

US loses 2-0. Ghana wins by a goal. Ghana goes through.

The margin is razor thin for them. Just have a bad feeling that yesterday was the chance.

[Golden Avalanche]

Just on this small sample it goes to show how varied perspectives can be from the play.

I thought Bradley played fine yesterday. Not sure where in all the criticism of him people ignore that he was a main cog in a midfield that overran Portugal for nearly 70 minutes. 99 of 100 balls from his spot go in the net. Just happened this one hit Costa's knee (who knew nothing about it). And, sure, Eder muscled him off the ball in Portugal's half but as rightly pointed out above the US was covered so well in the back it never seemed a dangerous moment until the ball was in net. Hell, who in their right mind would think Ronaldo would ever turn down the chance to take a defender (an old converted mid at that) on 1v1 in that spot?

Hadn't seen much on the Howard angle which was interesting from mu03eng. But I probably blocked it out because Howard made that game saving double save in the first half to keep it 1-0. For my money if you pin it on one guy, it has to be Cameron. For there to be only one opposition player in the box and a defender not have a clue to find him is nearly inconceivable. Throw in a grade school level clearance in the fifth minute and Cameron should be in hiding.

[mu03eng]

Who do you blame the last goal on? Does it matter?

This is ultimately correct

Now you've got Cameron and Omar in the middle. Cameron never saw Valera, he was looking at the trailing Portugese guy the whole time. In fact, if you watch the cross, Cameron was surprised where it was heading. Is it Omar's fault?

Actually this part is on Howard as well.  As the keeper you are controlling the defense and there were only two threats at all during that sequence, Ronaldo and Valera.  Howard has to be telling Gonzales and Cameron who to mark and where to be.

Oh well, I think a lot of the hang wringing and teeth mashing is a lot of new fans to the game.  The US will go through and will get at least a draw with Germany.  If the two Portugal goals were in the 23rd and 65th minutes instead of 5th and 95th nobody is upset really.  The US played absolutely beautiful soccer against a very class team.  If they play like that against Germany, the only thing that stops them is bad luck

[MUfan12]

Oh well, I think a lot of the hang wringing and teeth mashing is a lot of new fans to the game.

Or those who have followed long enough to have that sense of dread when it comes to the national team. 

[Golden Avalanche]

Or those who have followed long enough to have that sense of dread when it comes to the national team. 

Speaking of dread, how fun is it the US could win the group and play Algeria or Russia in the Round of 16? Or, you know, be eliminated.

[GGGG]

I don't know a great deal about soccer, but this seems to me to be a different US national team than previous World Cup appearances.  They are faster and don't seem to settle for home run lobs than previous versions did.  Put it this way, when I see this team play, they look a lot more like what I see from EPL teams than what previous national teams did.

Even if it doesn't work out for the US, I think Klinnsman has been a breath of fresh air and really knows what he is doing to make the US more competitive on the international stage.

[ATWizJr]

Just on this small sample it goes to show how varied perspectives can be from the play.

I thought Bradley played fine yesterday. Not sure where in all the criticism of him people ignore that he was a main cog in a midfield that overran Portugal for nearly 70 minutes. 99 of 100 balls from his spot go in the net. Just happened this one hit Costa's knee (who knew nothing about it). And, sure, Eder muscled him off the ball in Portugal's half but as rightly pointed out above the US was covered so well in the back it never seemed a dangerous moment until the ball was in net. Hell, who in their right mind would think Ronaldo would ever turn down the chance to take a defender (an old converted mid at that) on 1v1 in that spot?

Hadn't seen much on the Howard angle which was interesting from mu03eng. But I probably blocked it out because Howard made that game saving double save in the first half to keep it 1-0. For my money if you pin it on one guy, it has to be Cameron. For there to be only one opposition player in the box and a defender not have a clue to find him is nearly inconceivable. Throw in a grade school level clearance in the fifth minute and Cameron should be in hiding.

Missed an open net and committed a crucial giveaway.

[ATWizJr]

I think you guys need to go back and watch the wide angle version of the last sequence.  Does Bradley deserve a little blame?  Yes, if he one touches a pass back or just focuses on trapping the ball we aren't talking about anything but how awesome it is to have no pressure.  But his misplay occurred 10 yards from midfield on the Portugal side of the field...hardly an inherently dangerous position.

If you look at the entire field when Portugal gets the ball, there are more US players back than Portugal players forward.  In fact, Cameron, Gonzales and Johnson are all within 5-10 yards of Valera and Beasley is within 2 yards of Ronaldo.  Cameron, especially, loses his mark....but it should have been Gonzales marking Valera(fresh legs vs fresh legs) but I definitely put more on Cameron than Bradley.

But I actually blame Tim Howard by far the most.  I have played goalkeeper at very high levels, and I will tell you flat out that Howard completely choked at the end of the game.  It was an outstanding cross from Ronaldo, but he launched it from at least 25 yards out and Howard had to know the only threat in front of him was Valera.  There is no reason a cross from 25 yards out should get to the only attacker in sight 7 yards in front of the goal without the keeper contesting.  Hell, at my fitness level and age I could have gotten to that ball easily and caught, wasn't even one that would have required a punching clear.  That cross was about as routine as could be for a keeper.  You'd have thought Howard was tethered to goalline....you can even ask my wife as the cross was in the air I was scream about why wasn't Howard coming off his line.  So if you guys want to blame anyone blame Howard.

  Ronaldo was given to much time but, Valera beat Cameron to the cross. 

[mu03eng]

Missed an open net and committed a crucial giveaway.

Didn't miss an open net, was blocked by a defender(by definition not an open net).  Bradley struck a one time shot to the heart of the goal on a bouncing ball 10 yards from the goal that came off a deflection and a diving defend managed to get his knee cap on that ball.  Could he have done better, yes, but it was a good effort.

I'm not going to defend the crap out of Bradley, he's played below his standards but you have to look at the game in total.  Go back and watch his distribution.  He was absolutely feeding Fabian Johnson and Dempsey to stretch the defense and Portugal had to make a defensive substitution (Williams) to try and limit Bradley's and Jones' possession and creativity.  Again if Bradley's give-away happens in the 65th minute this laser focus isn't there.