Futbol Talk

[Spotcheck Billy]

my boss didn't accept this excuse today   

 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

That Suarez suspension though...Thats a ban hammer if ive ever seen one.

[tower912]

Moving on.  Thanks, Portugal, for squeaking by Ghana.   

[GGGG]

Moving on.  Thanks, Portugal, for squeaking by Ghana.   

And to Pepe for the red card.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sometimes the pipes do matter. 

http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/espn-video-streaming-service-crashes-during-usa-germany-world-cup-match-1201251221/

[GGGG]

Hey...I said this back in December.  Blind squirrel gets the acorn and all that.

"US has gotta hope to beat Ghana...draw with Portugal...and have Germany win out scoring a sh*t ton of goals against Portugal in the process."

[jesmu84]

Gonzo, Jones played well today. Davis was... I like Yedlin on the wing. Bradley still hasn't figured out the CAM role. Still more natural building from the back.

[Golden Avalanche]

And to Pepe for the red card.

My first thought as well. But Portugal was already two down when Pepe went nuts so US would still advance on the differential.

More importantly, the Ghana goalkeeper may have been "persuaded" by a certain Indonesian gentleman who picked up on the Black Stars not paying bonuses.

[Golden Avalanche]

Gonzo, Jones played well today. Davis was... I like Yedlin on the wing. Bradley still hasn't figured out the CAM role. Still more natural building from the back.

Agree that Davis was irrelevant. Gonzo did very, very well stepping in. Expect to see him continue there for Belgium.

Amazing to think we debated Jones/Beckerman for two months and Klinsi deploys both. Even more amazing it has seemed to hurt Bradley's positioning whilst at the same time bringing a freedom to Jones.

[tower912]

Australia has a better chance in a group with both Spain and the Netherlands?

US has gotta hope to beat Ghana...draw with Portugal...and have Germany win out scoring a sh*t ton of goals against Portugal in the process.

Found it.   Well done, Sultan.   

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Hey...I said this back in December.  Blind squirrel gets the acorn and all that.

"US has gotta hope to beat Ghana...draw with Portugal...and have Germany win out scoring a sh*t ton of goals against Portugal in the process."

The Sultan of Soccer

[StillAWarrior]

Hey...I said this back in December.  Blind squirrel gets the acorn and all that.

"US has gotta hope to beat Ghana...draw with Portugal...and have Germany win out scoring a sh*t ton of goals against Portugal in the process."

Germany didn't "win out."  Pretty crappy prediction, if you ask me.

[mu03eng]

Agree that Davis was irrelevant. Gonzo did very, very well stepping in. Expect to see him continue there for Belgium.

Amazing to think we debated Jones/Beckerman for two months and Klinsi deploys both. Even more amazing it has seemed to hurt Bradley's positioning whilst at the same time bringing a freedom to Jones.

I think against Belgium we are going to see a lot of Bradley next to Beckerman with Jones being more of the attacker.  Bradley just doesn't seem comfortable getting forward aggressively.  Also, I don't think people realized how much Jozy freed Bradley to do his work.

I have a sneaking suspicion we will see Jozy on Tuesday

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think against Belgium we are going to see a lot of Bradley next to Beckerman with Jones being more of the attacker.  Bradley just doesn't seem comfortable getting forward aggressively.  Also, I don't think people realized how much Jozy freed Bradley to do his work.

I have a sneaking suspicion we will see Jozy on Tuesday

When Bradley shows up I will be thrilled.  Another sloppy game from him.  It's like he has lot the ability to trap a ball or make a pass longer than 15 yards with touch.  Very disappointing.  Perhaps you are right with Jozy opening up space, but more than a fair share of Bradley's mistakes are happening in space with a defender not on top of him.  Had to be another 5 to 7 of them today that just made us all cringe where we were watching.


One thing Klinsmann got right, US isn't winning this tournament and has no chance.  We played quite well against Portugal, but the Portuguese turned out to be less than stellar.  We were chasing all day today and the Germans are far superior.  That doesn't mean we haven't made great strides, because we have.  Doesn't mean we can't beat Belgium, but there is still a long way to go for us as a soccer nation.  Maybe in my lifetime we a Final Four from the US squad, that is my hope.

[MUDPT]

Bradley is not playing his normal position, give him a break.  Also the US started 3 MFs, Bradley, Jones and Beckerman who played 90+ minutes in all 3 games.  No other team had 3 MFs that did that.  Jozy isn't playing again this tournament.  I will be very surprised if he makes the Belgium roster.  42% chance to beat Belgium according to Nate Silver, after that, who knows?

[WarriorInNYC]

Agree that Bradley isn't playing well, but I think most of his passes and longer sends are pretty good.  It seems to me that most of his first touches are getting him in trouble.

One instance today he could have settled an easy pass and had a chance on goal or to cross for another attacker and the ball slipped right past him.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Bradley is not playing his normal position, give him a break.  Also the US started 3 MFs, Bradley, Jones and Beckerman who played 90+ minutes in all 3 games.  No other team had 3 MFs that did that.  Jozy isn't playing again this tournament.  I will be very surprised if he makes the Belgium roster.  42% chance to beat Belgium according to Nate Silver, after that, who knows?

Several guys having to play out of position.  It's not like we're asking Bradley to play a radically different position.  The mistakes he is making are not based on his position, anyway, they are fundamental in nature.  I'm hoping he snaps out of it.

ESPN's Chris Jones says we are lucky, or blessed, or both to be where we are.  I can see his point, Ghanna outplayed us but we got the result.  Portugal took a mental pounding from the Germans in the first game.  On the flip side, USA had to travel like crazy, had to play in the Amazon, should have beaten Portugal just as much as one could argue we should have lost or done no better than a draw against Ghanna. 

"This is a lucky team. You could even say it's something like blessed. Jurgen Klinsmann and whatever benign invisible pixie sits on his shoulder have watched the Americans receive nearly every possible break. It wasn't just their own games -- their last-gasp victory over the otherwise dominant Ghanaians, their draw against a Portuguese side depleted by injury and indiscipline -- that went their way. Every other note the group struck helped: Germany's burying of Portugal into a psychological pit and their frantic draw against Ghana; Ghana's loss to Portugal in distant Brasilia; American heads here have been on a kind of cross-country swivel.

In the end, every tumbler fell into place and the escape hatch unlocked"

[Henry Sugar]

Bradley has covered more distance than any other player in the World Cup.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/players/distance.html

The people beating up on Bradley are the same people that used to beat up on Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman. If they actually watched the US play soccer before, that is.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Bradley has covered more distance than any other player in the World Cup.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/players/distance.html

The people beating up on Bradley are the same people that used to beat up on Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman. If they actually watched the US play soccer before, that is.

Never beat up on Jones and Beckerman, so doesn't apply for me.  Bradley has been disappointing.  I'm not alone, plenty in the soccer world saying the same thing.  He needs to be better for us to have a chance. 

Fatigue will be an issue with his minutes and running, but that's the role of a midfielder to begin with.  It's what we've always had to do (talking as a midfielder).  No one is doubting the effort he is putting in.  The fatigue can be blamed for some things perhaps in the second half, but the mistakes have started from the first whistle.  His first touches have often been dreadful.

The NY Times, my favorite publication, had a decent story yesterday.  Michael Bradely..the US Engine...needs a tuneup.   I don't think he needs to be benched and any call for that is absurd, but he needs to play at his level of ability. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/sports/worldcup/world-cup-2014-against-germany-michael-bradley-will-need-to-improve.html?_r=0

[ChicosBailBonds]

Tweet of the day from SI


https://twitter.com/SI_DougFarrar/status/482209961598910464

[MUDPT]

Sorry but a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder are two radically different things.  Bradley hasn't been his best and he would probably be the first to tell you.  What would you do as coach?  Move him back to holding and bench Beckerman?   Who starts centrally?  Mix hasn't been off the bench the whole World Cup.

Henry, the people beating up on Bradley, are the same ones that watch 4 soccer games and think they are the next Bob Bradley or Bruce Arena.  

[MUfan12]

Henry, the people beating up on Bradley, are the same ones that watch 4 soccer games and think they are the next Bob Bradley or Bruce Arena.  

On the whole, he's been poor. I don't think that's unfair to say. Positionally, he's been fine, but his first touch and passes have been heavy. He's the linchpin in their attack, and when he makes as many errors on the ball as he has, it stands out more.

But I've watched way more than four games, so what do I know.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sorry but a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder are two radically different things.  Bradley hasn't been his best and he would probably be the first to tell you.  What would you do as coach?  Move him back to holding and bench Beckerman?   Who starts centrally?  Mix hasn't been off the bench the whole World Cup.

Henry, the people beating up on Bradley, are the same ones that watch 4 soccer games and think they are the next Bob Bradley or Bruce Arena.  

In reverse order, that's just nonsense.  Some of the more prominent soccer journalists in the world are talking about his disappointing play, too.  The commentators during the broadcast, the commentators after the match, former players.  What you are saying just isn't true.

What would I do....I would play him where Klinsmann has been playing him, and I would hope he can pull it together.  The mistakes I'm seeing him make are on basic traps and touches, and he's been too strong on a number of passes that he normally makes.  I honestly don't think it has anything to do with playing a different midfield position, he's just out of sorts right now.

[MUDPT]

You guys do know that Jones has more turnovers and missed passes than Bradley right?  And Chicos, for your writers criticism, check out Shin Guardian.  They are the USMNT experts.

[jesmu84]

In reverse order, that's just nonsense.  Some of the more prominent soccer journalists in the world are talking about his disappointing play, too.  The commentators during the broadcast, the commentators after the match, former players.  What you are saying just isn't true.

What would I do....I would play him where Klinsmann has been playing him, and I would hope he can pull it together.  The mistakes I'm seeing him make are on basic traps and touches, and he's been too strong on a number of passes that he normally makes.  I honestly don't think it has anything to do with playing a different midfield position, he's just out of sorts right now.

Agreed. But I think the reason he's "out of sorts" is that he's thinking too much based on playing a different role/position. He works best as a deep lying playmaker who can run at a defense. Not necessarily a creative attacking mid. Yes, there is a difference. I think he's also feeling effects of Jozy being out. I loved the 4-3-2-1 they played against Nigeria that morphed into a 4-1-3-2 on offense because it allowed Bradley plenty of space in the middle of the field with 2 outlets forward, 2 outside, 1 behind. They 4-2-3-1 is more compact in the midfield and the only space he has to move is forward, for the most part. Against Portugal and a lot against Germany, Bradley was coming back near the backline to collect the ball while Jones made off-ball runs and Bradley looked much more comfortable.

I really believe his miss on basics is due to thinking and not just playing naturally. Look at the pass he made to Jones from the deep midfield - beautiful.