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| US at Mexico (WCQ) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 23 2013, 07:24 PM (740 Views) | |
| garbaggio | Mar 26 2013, 09:18 PM Post #16 |
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Woo hoo! Not much analysis at the moment as I just got home from a bar watching the awesome scoreless victory over El Tri at an American Outlaws watch party. I normally get off work at 11pm but I snuck out 30 minutes early and got to the bar in about the 27th minute. At that point it was all Mexico. When a US defender did manage to win the ball they tended to launch impressively long high altitude clearances right back to Memo Ochoa where the Mexicans would restart their offense and come back at the US. But late in the half the US did get a nice sequence of quick short passes to move the ball up the field before Bradley had the ball tackled away inside El Tri's penalty area. Not exactly parity but at least the US showed it could move the ball efficiently at times. 2nd half was a lot of the same but the US bus was parked very effectively and even though El Tri had the great majority of possession they weren't really that dangerous. In about the 75' Edu got away with a some hard contact from behind on a Mexican attacker but the ref didn't call a PK. Not a huge amount of creativity or attack from the US but a point at Azteca is golden. The whole team was usually visible in Brad Guzan's end of the field but they defended well and cut off many dangerous passes before Mexico could get a shot off. Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler stood out to me. |
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| Roosevelt | Mar 27 2013, 04:29 AM Post #17 |
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Rarely have I savored a point (or enjoyed the taste of crow) as much as that, despite it being far more tension-filled than fun. Besler and Gonzalez were good, awfully good, even, given how green they are. My doubts about Gonzalez are definitely easing. Edu I thought struggled some, but even the guys who, IMO, weren't having great games (Gomez. Zusi) really worked their socks off. Altidore looked more comfortable with the Nats than he has in a good while, so while didn't have a great night before he was subbed out, that was encouraging to me. As was the general level of cohesion the team displayed. Guzan seems perfectly comfortable in net. DMB has shown he can (barely, at times) survive out there as an emergency LB. So certainly some positives to point to, even beyond the result. (Which, briefly, I guess my feelings are that, sure, Mexico got badly hosed by the ref, but if they'd converted a couple of golden chances, nobody would be talking about the non-penalties. I thought both El Tri and the crowd seemed strangely muted last night, neither brought the energy I was expecting.) |
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Another day in June, we'll pick eleven for football We're playing for our lives, the referee gives us f**k-all | |
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| alabastergremlin | Mar 27 2013, 05:09 AM Post #18 |
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I was really impressed with Besler. More so than others. Beasley played well enough. At times he was brilliant...at times I thought he was a liability. I really thought he was going to be, should have been subbed for but nonetheless... And yes, Mexico should have been awarded a penalty. I guess that is how the soccer gods work considering we were stolen of one again CR and now sit one goal down on differential. The US played really well the first ten minutes and last ten minutes of the first half and I thought did a good job of holding possession at times. And at other times played the typical, as Lalas would say, the typical American style. Four points is really nice after three games, two on the road. Certainly not a bad spot on paper. Perhaps that short term goal is a little more secure than we felt a week ago... Whew.... |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 27 2013, 05:39 AM Post #19 |
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<<...Good luck, hopefully we will discuss tomorrow the game and not the officials and may the best team win [but that team be wearing green jerseys! ] ..>>Pretty ironic stuff, Dr. Z! No green jerseys(WTF??), no win for anyone(except maybe a morale one the US), and unfortunately the ref was a factor on maybe his only really poor call of the entire night. Someone please correct me if need be, but I cannot remmebr the US ever getting the benefit of a really bad call in all of CONCACAF qualifying in my lifetime? Nonetheless, full credit to a strong hearted effort by the US team and manager. As hard as we have been on JK, he comes out of these two games with 4 points in hand. Most or all of us said we would be ecstatic with that before last Friday. And frankly I am a little surprised. The US took the crowd out of it little by little and by half way through the second half it was as if the crowd was sitting on their hands not wanting to jinx their team by doing anything. It was oddly helpful to the US to be playing in that storied stadium but to barely notice the crowd, it seemed to me. On a bit of a side note, I was certainly delighted to see Jorge Ramos have to eat crow after the game. His far too smug, 'El Tri has the vastly superior soccer team' attitude before the game gave me a big pain in the arse. The interesting thing about that kind of mind set is that I think it has worked against El Tri in many of their matches vs. the US. I don't see it on this board from anyone, but its out there and I suspect it permeates the Mexican team a bit from time to time. It doesn't serve anyone well not to fully respect their chief opponent. I was kinda disappointed Lalas didn't head butt Ramos after a comment or two. Well done, US team and manager! A point, a wonderful point in Azteca and we leave our biggest foe a strugglin' in the HEX. Doesn't get much better given our slow start! woooooppppeeeeee!~!!! :lol: |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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| americafutbol10 | Mar 27 2013, 06:46 AM Post #20 |
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Man, if only that golden chance for Altidore, off the set piece, had gone in, we'd be talking about an historic WCQ victory at Azteca...but it's still a great result Our backline was solid IMO and, despite giving up a few chances, the midfield held their own. Thought we weathered the early storm & got more confident as the game wore on...just as I wanted! Shocked that Edu wasn't called for that obvious penalty...but, after getting screwed so many times in the past, it's nice to get the calls our way Well done, USMNT
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US Soccer...Don't Thread On Me! Michigan Football...Harbaugh Effect (GO BLUE!) LA Galaxy...5-time MLS Cup Champions! Colombia...VIVA, Cafeteros! | |
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| raconteur | Mar 27 2013, 08:10 AM Post #21 |
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A week can change a lot in this sport can’t it? A week ago there was talk after the Sporting News article came out about a team in turmoil and lacking direction and unity. One week later, and 4 points this is suddenly a confident, well organized looking team. Klinsmann had the team very well prepared and that is 0 goals permitted in 2 matches this week plus 0 goals given up in the past two games at the Azteca under JK. Gonzalez and Besler may be green internationally but they sure played like an experienced pair of vets in this game. For the 2nd straight game Cameron and Beasley did the job in their unaccustomed roles on the outside. Bradley and Edu did well shutting down the middle and really the US frustrated Mexico. Overall good work from just about everyone but for me it was Gonzalez, Edu and Bradley who stood out the most. Not much offensively and if the US had gone down then they would have had a difficult time getting back into the match so there is still plenty to work on but overall a very good effort in Mexico and the renovation of this team looks like it is taking shape. And yes that should have been a penalty by Edu on Aquino and no John I do think the US has gotten the benefit of bad calls before in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying before, I do not have the time nor the energy right now but I bet one could go back through posts on this message board and find some examples right there. Bad calls are part of the game and I am of the belief they generally even themselves out over time, this was one occasion where the US got one in their favor. |
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| enganche | Mar 27 2013, 08:32 AM Post #22 |
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The kind of game you need to play away against Mexico, very good defending by the US, some hard work in midfield and the occasional threat going forward to keep Mexico honest. Some new names for the US especially defensively but they all looked comfortable to me. The US no longer is afraid going to play at Mexico. |
| Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado | |
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| shelsoccer | Mar 27 2013, 09:53 AM Post #23 |
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I don't know if I should count JK as lucky for the lineup he threw out there last night (mostly due to necessity) or confident. I guess the latter, since he expressed his confidence pre-game. Certainly, you have to be impressed with the performances of Gonzalez, Besler and Guzan. Cameron and Beasley did just enough to hold down the flanks, and the midfielders worked very hard. Obviously, there was little to point to offensively, but the US managed just enough possession to keep Mexico somewhat honest. Mexico has a legit claim for a PK on Edu's tackle from behind. That's a call that usually is made 95% of the time, if not more. Bradley's push in the back earlier might be called 50% of the time. Mexico's deficiencies (i.e., a partner for Chicarito and a creative midfielder) is well documented in the CONCACAF thread. What it all adds up to is an extremely competitve Hex. |
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| James | Mar 27 2013, 10:01 AM Post #24 |
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On the non-penalty call... The ESPN feed really looked as though it was clear. I was feeling guilty for no call being given. Univision has a much better look at it. You can see that Aquino panicked and flubbed his attempted shot before being touched - in fact, he pokes a divot 16 inches in front of the ball which explains why he is rolling about holding his ankle afterwards. Sometimes I see players acting like this and figure they're trying for sympathy. In this case, I'm sure it did hurt; just not for the reason everyone thought! There's no contact until the shot is away and Edu is doing everything possible (after the initial poor decision to charge at Aquino's back) to stay clean. Referee Walter Lopez was in a much better position to see the action than any of the camera angles are able to provide. That said, in the heat of action it could have easily gone the other way. http://futbol.univision.com/seleccion-naci...ados-unidos-otr Great effort from the Nats! |
| ... Ain't no pity in the Rose City ... | |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 27 2013, 10:05 AM Post #25 |
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....whatever you say raconteur. For my part, I can remember many a game in Central America where call after call would go against the US particularly in the '90's, but since then at times as well. And the US rarely got the benefit of the doubt on any call, foul, penalty, yellow card or you name it. And that is not even to mention the projectiles, and all manner of other abuse that was allowed to be thrown at US players on the field from the stands. Poor officiating may even out over time as in decades, but I have seen long stretches of qualifying Hex' where the close call would never go to the US. |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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| Roosevelt | Mar 27 2013, 10:16 AM Post #26 |
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Thanks for the different perspective, James!Interesting. As an aside re: John's discussion, I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but the first Qualie I ever went to (4/25/01 against Costa Rica at Arrowhead) saw the US pull out a crucial 1-0 victory when Mathis, ahem, willed the ball with his arm into the path of Josh Wolff for the winning goal. It does happen. Late edit for Sammy. Try this: http://futbol.univision.com/seleccion-naci...dos-unidos-otro |
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Another day in June, we'll pick eleven for football We're playing for our lives, the referee gives us f**k-all | |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Mar 27 2013, 10:18 AM Post #27 |
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I was really impressed with Omar Gonzalez, he is developing into an excellent defender, kind of like how Onyewu was before his knee injury against Costa Rica in 2009. Maybe their work together in the January camp paid off because Gonzalez and Besler look like a good defensive tandem. Raises an interesting dilemma for Klinsmann in the future as we would expect when one or both of Cherundolo or Chandler are available that Cameron, who has also looked good in the middle, to return to centerback but should the developing partnership of Gonzalez-Besler be broken up now? Something for us and obviously Klinsmann to consider as we approach June's qualifiers. Last night was about defending and holding on and the US did that well. The attack was virtually non existant but the backline with a lot of help from the midfield, including good defensive effort from Gomez and Zusi, two attackers, did their job. I doubt if we see or need to see the US this defensive again in these qualifiers, but the team did what was necessary and enganche I think is right, the fear factor going into the Azteca is no longer there. And Klinsmann now remains unbeaten in 3 games coaching against Mexico, only 1 of which, his inaugural match, a friendly, was played in the US! James, the link did not work and my espanol is not good enough to find another link on the Univision page. |
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| robdog | Mar 27 2013, 11:57 AM Post #28 |
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Two things. IMHO the US got a bit lucky. I just knew Beasley was going see a 2nd Yellow & was close in getting one a couple of times. Personally I would have brought in Morrow. Secondly Was it me our did anyone else feel that Aquino was El Tri's best attacker on the evening? Man he gave Beasley fits all match long & IMHO that was a pk. Unfortunately for El Tri, the ref couldn't see the entire play & gave the corner to El Tri. Lo siento Mexico |
| Supporter for FCK, San Lorenzo, Chelsea, Pachuca, Corinthians & Real Betis | |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 27 2013, 12:08 PM Post #29 |
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<<..As an aside re: John's discussion, I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but the first Qualie I ever went to (4/25/01 against Costa Rica at Arrowhead) saw the US pull out a crucial 1-0 victory when Mathis, ahem, willed the ball with his arm into the path of Josh Wolff for the winning goal. It does happen. ..>> Roosevelt, I remember that game as well. I don't remember the "hand ball" by Mathis, but maybe that is attrributable to my convenient memory. I do believe that the ball struck Mathis head first and he headed it downward. I suppose that is when it may have hit his arm as well. However, as an off set to that no call, the US (Reyna) also crossed a ball into the box where Wolff tapped it past the goal keeper. Many, if not all US fans, thought it crossed the goal line before a CR defender acrobatically bicycle-kicked it out. And so it goes. I asked for an example where the US benefited by a close call in qualies and and you gave a good one. But I remember for many years that the US could not seem to get an even break in qualifiers, home or away. It was only worse when away. |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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| alabastergremlin | Mar 27 2013, 12:41 PM Post #30 |
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Wow on the replay. How does ESPN not show something like that? It is clean in that shot that Edu is NOT why the player missed the shot and really isn't the reason he was flailing. He sold that really well. However, there is contact but it looked more dangerous than it appears in that clip. Interesting. As for calls for and against the US...I am sure a fan of the other teams could easily remind us of several times as it is unlikely we will tuck that away as a memory, ha. But I do think we have been on the losing in of bad/no/missed calls more so than the receiving. |
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<<...Good luck, hopefully we will discuss tomorrow the game and not the officials and may the best team win [but that team be wearing green jerseys! ] ..>>


11:26 AM Jul 11