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| US at Mexico (WCQ) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 23 2013, 07:24 PM (738 Views) | |
| alabastergremlin | Mar 27 2013, 12:55 PM Post #31 |
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I will also add this, about the game: Normally, I like Taylor Twellman as a commentator. I know a few don't care for him but I think he is better than some of the others over the last 15 years or so. However, I did NOT like his partnering with Alejandro (Moreno? As in former MLS player?). Too often it became more of a bickering between somebody for the US and somebody for Mexico. And naturally (probably because of a bias as with the penalty discussion below) I felt like Moreno began discussing the game from an "us" perspective and Twellman followed that. I want to say it started with bickering about if a forward could recognize a real penalty and not diving!?!? Either way, I thought it was a poor display to an otherwise well done job by ESPN for the game. There was a LOT of attention given to this game. |
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| shelsoccer | Mar 27 2013, 04:00 PM Post #32 |
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Yes, Alejandro Moreno, ex-MLS player, who is Venezuelan and went to college in the US. I doubt he has any particular pro-Mexican bias. I just wrote off the "bickering" as the producer's attempt to create some (artificial) banter in the booth. |
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| hobbes | Mar 27 2013, 05:01 PM Post #33 |
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Surely if there's an expert in the field of diving it's Alejandro Moreno. For all the crap Carlos Ruiz gets (and it's deserved), I always thought Moreno was worse in the annals of MLS floppers. I somehow ended up streaming this match in French. Which was odd, but much better than Twellman and Moreno. cheers, hobbes |
| Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires | |
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| vince stravino | Mar 27 2013, 06:24 PM Post #34 |
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It was a grinder, but one I was proud of on many levels. Klinsmann was fortunate this past week. I feel we got the four points in spite of him instead of because of him. As MLS Defender of the Year, Besler should have been given more matches before now. interestingly, no German-Americans played last night. Coincidence? Hmmmm. Wonder if Beasley will get his 100th cap anytime soon as the injuries heal for the starters? He deserves some serious credit plugging the hole in a pinch to help get these points. Reminds m a bit of Dwight Yorke playing on the backline of T&T during their 2006 WC run. This may prolong Beasley's career if he can transition to a steady left back. If Gonzalez can string a few months of performances like this together, he will get paid. In Euros. And in piles. With his size and speed, he is a rare combo. Plus, his teams win. Dang, we have great keepers. We have played better in Azteca and lost, so this one is savored. Bravo. Any match report from Winslow? Were you there? |
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| Yogi | Mar 27 2013, 08:59 PM Post #35 |
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For me it was Gonzalez and Bradley who really stood out last night. Gonzalez dominated the defensive penalty area and Vince is right, he soon will be getting a big pay raise and a likely move to Europe but for now we are seeing with the US what he also means for the Galaxy and now we understand even more why the Galaxy got off to such a lousy start last season while he was injured. Compare that to this year where even without Beckham and up to now, the absent Donovan, Los Angeles are still doing well. At the very least Gonzalez play this past week has solidified his position on the national team. As for Michael Bradley, well he was superb in dictating play for the US, I believe I read somewhere that he connected on over 95% of his passes. Yeah at times he kept it simple but his knowledge, calmness and distribution were vital to the US' success. Klinsmann had a good tactical plan and his team carried it out. But shelsoccer pointed out something I found fascinating, that it may not have completely been by design and some of his lineup choices amongst the roster selected for these two games were forced upon him. And http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jurgen-klinsmann-commends-clarence-goodson-192742610--mls.html]here is an article which verifies that view as the coach would have started Clarence Goodson alongside Gonzalez instead of Besler but Goodson pulled out because of an injury. Maybe Goodson would have done all right but I happen to like how Besler and Gonzalez teamed up and Besler, who has more range than Goodson, covered well for Beasley as Mexico targeted Beasley all game long. Could Goodson have done the same? |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 28 2013, 04:54 AM Post #36 |
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Thanks for mentioning Bradley as one of the keys hobbes. He was my motm. Gonzales and Besler are getting most of the praise which they deserve for doing so well in the cauldron as newbies. But Bradley was the steady calming force who was always smooth on the ball and helped hold possession as much as possible when others could not. Without him, we lose that game imo. Gotta love Beasley's heart and effort but I thought he was always just a fraction away from gettting beat time and again and with some better distribution from the Mexican mids, DMB may have been badly exposed. I too hope he gets his 100th cap, he's earned it, but he isn't the long term answer at wing back. Not a physical enough presence. Heck he wasn't a physical enough presence to hold down a continuously starting job for the nats at midfield. Good longevity though, he had to be around a while to get 99 caps, that's for sure. |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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| raconteur | Mar 28 2013, 09:27 AM Post #37 |
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But Bradley was the steady calming force who was always smooth on the ball and helped hold possession as much as possible when others could not. Without him, we lose that game imo. How true, Bradley kept it simple but was effective. He is really developing into a good midfielder in Serie A and is quickly becoming the leader of this US team. Now for some negative news, the US attack; granted one game was played in the blizzard, the other away to Mexico, the toughest place to play in CONCACAF but in 2 games how many legit scorirng chances did the US create? Not many more than the one on which they scored versus Costa Rica. That must change but I also think points out how Landon Donovan has missed in these first Hexagonal games. |
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| Winslow | Mar 28 2013, 02:25 PM Post #38 |
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No, grumble grumble grumble. Maybe 2017. Good to see Gonzalez and Bradley getting their very justified props here, and Sammy is right to make the Omar/Gooch comparison. Guzan was also fine, except for the late corner that Chicharito flicked wide; I think Brad and Besler said "I've got it-you take it" as the ball bounced in the goal box and freaked us all out. Interesting discussion on the Edu PK that wasn't. I thought Mo was the US weak spot for much of this match. Zusi and Gomez had some good moments out wide--Graham made two terrific defensive plays that I recall--and the attack did find some holes in Mexico's central D. Imagine what the 2009 Davies could've done with that. Mexico was extremely wasteful in front of goal and really should've won, even if it didn't get any breaks from the ref. I predict El Tri will never again wear black against the US. |
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| dafyd | Mar 28 2013, 05:15 PM Post #39 |
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I know I haven't been posting much lately, but having watched this match (though under the weather while doing so) I have to say that even though Mexico is in poor form at the moment this was a gutsy performance by the US team. I'm sure Mexico was looking for it to be the game that turned things around for them. Could we be seeing a World Cup with out Mexico next year? |
| Leper In A Stange Land | |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 29 2013, 05:43 AM Post #40 |
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<<..I predict El Tri will never again wear black against the US. ..>> GOOD ONE! :lol: It was a shocking, if not pointless, break with tradition I thought. << Could we be seeing a World Cup with out Mexico next year? >> Uh, nope. Odds would still be very long on that happening I would guess.... |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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| Martin | Mar 29 2013, 02:02 PM Post #41 |
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I am a little late to the conversation but just wanted to add my agrement with those praising Gonzalez and Bradley above all others for their play on Tuesday. Each were superb. As raconteur observed, much can change quickly in this sport, look at the US' fortunes after only one week. And suddenly the lack of depth in defense no longer seems such a grave problem anymore either. But having said that the lack of offensive punch was also notable in these last games. Having a fit and motivated Donovan back could change that. Qualifying is a long road and there will still be plenty of peaks and valleys along the way. |
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