confederation's cup

by Geezaldinho Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:56 am

It will be on ESPN for the next several days.

Right now, Spain is running a clinic on New Zealand showing how to control a game. Fernando Torres may get a double hat trick by the half if this keeps up.

Ach.. Fabregas got the 4th goal in the 24th minute. Fernando's streak is over.

by mattywizz Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:29 pm

New Zealand actually has a football team? Did they do the Haka before the game?

by Geezaldinho Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:14 pm

mattywizz wrote:New Zealand actually has a football team? Did they do the Haka before the game?

Fifa won't let them do the haka, but they have a team -- the All Whites.

They actually played Italy pretty close , leading a couple of times before falling 4-3 in their last game...

I'm in heaven today - now watching Boca vs Racing -- tied at the half.

by mattywizz Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:15 pm

Purplegeezer wrote:I'm in heaven today - now watching Boca vs Racing -- tied at the half.

Did you neglect to mention "with a six pack on Pliny by my side" or is that just implied when you said you were in heaven?

by Geezaldinho Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:45 pm

Didn't figure I'd have to state the obvious...

Boca got creamed 3-nil

Happy folks in Avellaneda.

by Geezaldinho Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:35 pm

US is up 1-0 against Italy on a Landon Donovan PK after Jose Altidore was fouled in the box.

The US is a man down after a silly red card on Ricardo Clark, probably the softest red card i history (OK , maybe Boxx's in the last world cup).

No red card accompanied the foul to Altidore, even though it was a last man foul The ref seems blind in one eye. Actually, I'm surprised Donovan isn't blind in one eye after the elbow he took, also with no card.

by PurplePrideTrumpet Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:13 pm

The US is down 2-1 in about the 70th after a Di Rossi goal. As in the guy who elbowed an American in the head in '06 and got sent off.

It was a nice long range shot, though.

by Geezaldinho Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:24 pm

final goal from the New Jersey kid Rossi in extra time.(plays for Italy)

MANY breakdowns in the US defense, and two left footed tried at short range from Bradley and Altidore early that Christine once characterized as "Hitting it with her Purse"

I feel like sending those guys Coach bags.

by mattywizz Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:06 pm

I was channel surfing between US-Italy and the College World Series and running errands...but I was around long enough to see the bottom line for the Brazil-Egypt match. I noticed Zidan scored a couple goals for Egypt. I guess that headbutt really dropped his value...wonder what the transfer market is for guys changing countries.

Or is it a free transfer if their sister is a ____?

by Geezaldinho Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:29 pm

mattywizz wrote:I was channel surfing between US-Italy and the College World Series and running errands...but I was around long enough to see the bottom line for the Brazil-Egypt match. I noticed Zidan scored a couple goals for Egypt. I guess that headbutt really dropped his value...wonder what the transfer market is for guys changing countries.

Or is it a free transfer if their sister is a ____?

They took away his "E" , too. Rolling Eyes

by mattywizz Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:41 pm

Purplegeezer wrote:They took away his "E" , too.

That is the way I figured they snuck it by Sepp Blatter (is he still the David Stern of FIFA?)

by Geezaldinho Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:06 am

Well, Alexi Lalas is a blowhard, but he's right about one thing. These last two games has given Bradley some answers about the future, and the first thing is to let some other players on the field.

It's given the players a lesson, too. It is now confirmed that if you come in hard to someone's legs late, it's a red card confederation's cup Banned

This is not good team strategy.

Against teams like Italy and Brasil, you are much better off playing the 4-4-2 that the 4-4-1. In fact, you should try the 5-5-3 if you think you can.

Also, outside defenders need to go meet somebody, midfielders need to work on the first touch, maybe try passing to a team mate.

Jose Altidore should lead the charge in switching to longer cleats (seems like Nike should send a couple cases).

I disagree with Lalas about one thing. he decided the whole thing is Conor Casey's fault for not chasing three very skilled Brasilian defenders on his own when he came on late. I think Conor was better off doing what he did, which is staying high to keep the Brasilians out of the attacking third. The answer wasn't to run around like a headless chicken. There were enough players doing that.

And in the last three games, the average spell the USA has played before allowing the first goal is 4.67 minutes.

by golaso Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:57 pm

I couldn't agree more about the comments made by alexi lalas on conor casey. they're a man down, and he wants the lone forward to chase after defenders who are more technical than most players on the american side. what we needed to do at that point was stay compact and wait for our chances to counter. instead, bob bradley should have seen that we have nothing going for us in the middle of the field. i have not seen anyone but donovan carry the ball out of the midfield and create an attack that was remotely close to dangerous. for the first two games our attack has been far from competant and while it was much better against italy, the one v one defending all over the field, but especially from the outside backs and wingers, has been horrendous. against brazil we simply looked like boys playing against men. the usa, and bob bradley, need to understand what kind of game we will need to play in order to win against quality opponents. until they get the chip on their shoulder that they had during the 2002 world cup and stop acting like they deserve anything, I don't even want to see this team qualify for the big show next summer. i can't take anymore of this embarassment.

by Geezaldinho Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:26 pm

Egypt just beat Italy 1-nil.

Great goal keeping fantastic man marking. Egypt was just the better team.

by **DaTruRochin** Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:44 pm

Purplegeezer wrote:Well, Alexi Lalas is a blowhard

Understatement of the century... I like how driving 2 MLS franchises nearly into the ground earns you a job on ESPN...

As to the US play... flat out embarrassing. The reliance on "names" rather than players actually in form really seems to cripple Bradley. Altidore, Adu and Beasley have either been injured or flat out not deemed worthy of first team action, Sasha Kleijstein has played horribly this year, Pablo Mastroeni is 6 steps slow (Can Jermaine Jones start the next game??), and Landon Donovan consistently underachieves (but he is at least capable of something creative as golaso mentioned). I don't understand how players either not performing on the club level or NOT EVEN PLAYING find international action. There is some serious work to be done. We may be able to do enough to qualify in the oh so rigorous CONCACAF Rolling Eyes

but clearly we aren't cut out for that next level of competition.

Anyone know Bora Multinovic's #??

by Guest Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:32 pm

Purplegeezer wrote:I disagree with Lalas about one thing. he decided the whole thing is Conor Casey's fault for not chasing three very skilled Brasilian defenders on his own when he came on late. I think Conor was better off doing what he did, which is staying high to keep the Brasilians out of the attacking third. The answer wasn't to run around like a headless chicken. There were enough players doing that.

To be fair, the game commentator deriding Casey was John Harkes, not Lalas.

by Geezaldinho Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:37 pm

up7587 wrote:
Purplegeezer wrote:I disagree with Lalas about one thing. he decided the whole thing is Conor Casey's fault for not chasing three very skilled Brasilian defenders on his own when he came on late. I think Conor was better off doing what he did, which is staying high to keep the Brasilians out of the attacking third. The answer wasn't to run around like a headless chicken. There were enough players doing that.

To be fair, the game commentator deriding Casey was John Harkes, not Lalas.

Mebbe so, but I can swear I heard a "we never played this bad in my day" out of both of them.....

Their memories are like mine, except I have the excuse that I have 25 more years of senility on me. confederation's cup 610

by **DaTruRochin** Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:56 pm

Clearly they haven't watched any footage of the 1994 world cup.... If anything, they played dirtier...

by Geezaldinho Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:41 am

I found this clip of the time we beat Brasil in 98, which those guys seem to think is the standard of play the team should aspire to....

(embedding disabled, so here's the link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3VFLdnqSBw

You can watch Keller's performance of the century.
You can watch Romero shake his hand during the game for his performance.
If you understand Brasilian, you can hear the announcers laud him.
Even if you can't understand them, you can hear them screaming KELLLEEER!

You can also see Lalas and Harkes flopping all over the 18 yard box like spawning salmon.

by **DaTruRochin** Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:04 pm

Despite todays shocking turn of events, Bradley doesn't deserve to be any less scrutiny. (But it is nice to see Dempsey got of his schneid!)

Now we get the glorious opportunity of getting trounced by Spain...

by Geezaldinho Sun Jun 21, 2009 4:39 pm

but it didn't grow a rocket pack. I just don't see us getting past Spain when # 2 Holland and # 3 Germany and #5 Italy couldn't do it.

At least it gains us a third place match against South Africa. Maybe they'll be gracious hosts.

And Bob Bradley needs to send a box of chocolates to every player on the Brasil and Italy teams.

by onetouchfutbol Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:01 pm

DaTruRochin wrote:Despite todays shocking turn of events, Bradley doesn't deserve to be any less scrutiny. (But it is nice to see Dempsey got of his schneid!)

Now we get the glorious opportunity of getting trounced by Spain...

In that case, the players don't deserve less scrutiny either. If you put three players of the calibur of Donovan, Casey Conor, and Jose Altidore together, there should be the expectation that they perform well together...and that the other midfielders and defenders should at least be able to hold their own. While Bradley doesn't emphasize one touch technical soccer as much as I would like, we've never had a coach who did...and I don't see anyone from Brazil, Italy, or Argentina volunteering to be the US coach anytime soon.

by PurplePrideTrumpet Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:27 pm

If a Brazilian, Italian, or Argentine offered I still don't know if the USSF would hire him. Seems like they want an American to coach America, though they didn't have a problem with Bora, and a Swede is doing a fine job with the women's team...

by Geezaldinho Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:24 pm

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:If a Brazilian, Italian, or Argentine offered I still don't know if the USSF would hire him. Seems like they want an American to coach America, though they didn't have a problem with Bora, and a Swede is doing a fine job with the women's team...

I bet they could get Maradona cheap.

by pilot79 Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:27 am

Purplegeezer wrote:It will be on ESPN for the next several days.

Right now, Spain is running a clinic on New Zealand showing how to control a game. Fernando Torres may get a double hat trick by the half if this keeps up.

Ach.. Fabregas got the 4th goal in the 24th minute. Fernando's streak is over.

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The pig sprouted wings

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Wednesday headline, Casey goal beats spain!