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| USA vs Belgium (WC knockout); 1 July 14; Salvador, Brazil 1600 ESPN | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 27 2014, 04:44 AM (538 Views) | |
| vince stravino | Jul 1 2014, 11:42 AM Post #16 |
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Wonder where Charlie Davies is watching this one? |
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| shelsoccer | Jul 1 2014, 11:47 AM Post #17 |
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Gunner (welcome back) raises a valid tactic. However, he also notes that Johnson and Beasley can't expose themselves defensively. With Hazard and Mertens on their flanks, that's no easy task. Now, Hazard has been just so-so, but I've been very impressed with Mertens. |
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| Gunners | Jul 1 2014, 11:49 AM Post #18 |
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I think there may be two potential reasons that Beckerman was dropped. First, Klinsmann may simply feel that a rested Cameron is a better option than Beckerman, who has put in a ton of running and hard work over the past two weeks. Second, Klinsmann may want Cameron, Besler, and Gonzalez all in the lineup to help cope with Belgium's aerial presence on set pieces. Kompany and Van Buyten in particular are excellent in the air. Go USA! |
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| Roosevelt | Jul 1 2014, 11:52 AM Post #19 |
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I think those are all good points, Gunner. (Good to see you!) I think also Cameron is solid enough defensively and maybe offers a little more going forward than Beckerman. Assuming Gonzalez can repeat his performance, I like the move. |
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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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| Yogi | Jul 1 2014, 12:59 PM Post #20 |
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Gunners I think has nailed why Cameron is playing instead of Beckerman. Belgium really are trying to go after the US in the air, not many teams are successful doing that but few US opponents have the aerial strength of Belgium. Another hamstring injury-Fabian Johnson this time which I thought could be disastrous for the US a shad to leave the game but young DeAndre Yedlin looks good, he is not afraid to go at Belgium's defense while he ahs done Ok against Hazard and DeBruyne. But this is where the Belgians will be attacking the US in the 2nd half. Remember this Belgium who won their 3 group games has yet to score a first half goal in this World Cup. 0-0 at halftime. |
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| Yogi | Jul 1 2014, 01:00 PM Post #21 |
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Maybe somewhere with Freddy Adu?
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| vince stravino | Jul 1 2014, 01:55 PM Post #22 |
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Most nervous I can ever recall during a match. Feel like I am on death row and watching the clock. How is this still tied? Hang in there boys! OT and we still have life. |
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| Yogi | Jul 1 2014, 01:57 PM Post #23 |
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Howard has been incredible! But oh Wondolowski. Dare I say Donovan would have finished that? On to 30 minutes more. |
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| robdog | Jul 1 2014, 03:13 PM Post #24 |
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We had quite a few chances before the Red Devils goals. When Lukaku came on, I immediately thought....Uhh Oh & Baby Drogba showed me why I had worries |
| Supporter for FCK, San Lorenzo, Chelsea, Pachuca, Corinthians & Real Betis | |
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| Yogi | Jul 1 2014, 03:25 PM Post #25 |
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Yeah Lukaku was the difference, man is he strong, Besler just bounced off him as he broke away and set up DeBruyne for the first goal. Belgium were just too good. Howard kept the US in the game with his saves and Wondolowski had the chance to win it in the first 90 but he blew the chance. In the end Belgium deserved the win after creating so many chances but the US came oh so close to stealing that one in regulation. Then in extra time after Green came off the bench to cut the lead to 2-1 the US so nearly scored a tying goal off a set play on a free kick. It was well drawn up but Courtois cut the angle and saved from Dempsey. I'll have more thoughts later but overall a good World Cup for the US, they battled hard in every game but lacked that little bit extra class in attack. A healthy Altidore and having Donovan on the team could have changed that but it was not to be this year. |
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| shelsoccer | Jul 1 2014, 03:32 PM Post #26 |
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A lot of mixed emotions right now. Again disappointed in our inability to possess the ball except for some early and then again late. Proud of our ability to hang in there, respond to Belgium's two-goal lead and still press the game. I don't think the US has any reason to hang its head after this World Cup. We're still in the middle of a process to develop better technical players. Back to the game: 1. I don't swear often, but Howard? Holy shit. 2. I thought the back four in front of him, even with Yedlin coming on early for Johnson, was solid. I don't even really blame Besler for Belgium's first goal. He got knocked off the ball by a bigger, stronger and fresher player. He almost recovered, but the rest of the backline didn't respond in time. 3. For the life of me, I could not figure out the shape of our midfield. I get starting Cameron. Jones didn't look comfortable. His worst match of the Cup. He wasn't bad by any means, just not at the level he'd been playing at. Bradley was on a back-and-forth yo-yo. Bedoya was average. Zusi was sub-par. 4. It wasn't until JK brought on Wondo that the midfield seemed to take shape. Dempsey was able to drop, and I thought Bradley finally found his game. We created chances, notably Wondo's late in regulation and Dempsey's (I think) in extra time. 5. How many corners did we give up? 13-14? We were lucky not to get burned on at least one of those. 6. The Algerian referee wasn't a problem. He called a fair game in a game that was played fairly. There was no chipiness, a credit to both teams. 7. Julian Green. Who saw that coming? A brilliant chip from Bradley and a sublime finish by Green on his first touch. Was he already cap-tied? At any rate, he is now and hopefully progresses. Similar things can be said about Yedlin |
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| TonyDE | Jul 1 2014, 03:50 PM Post #27 |
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That game covered all the emotions, I went from being angry at the US' lackluster player, especially in the first half, to frustrated at the lack of possession to grateful for Howard's saves to shocked at Wondolowski's miss to accepting of the inevitability of Belgium's goals to hopeful of another US comeback. ![]() No argument really about Belgium's win and while I am happy at the US' effort and the play throughout the tournament of Howard, Jones, Beckerman, Johnson and Dempsey and the rising status of Yedlin, Green and Brooks, but at the end of the day the US simply were not as good as Belgium. Riding effort and a hot goalie can only take you so far. |
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| Winslow | Jul 1 2014, 04:04 PM Post #28 |
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That thought will torture me for the next few years, and I hope it tortures Klinsmann too. This team lost me in the first 90 minutes with its timidity and lack of offense, then won me back in the last 15. But where was that verve and commitment earlier in the match? Howard had the best World Cup of any US keeper yet. Not by a mile (Friedel in '02 was special), but convincingly. Shel is correct that adding Wondo allowed Dempsey to fall back into a more suitable role. JK should absolutely be faulted for not having a better Plan B when Jozy wasn't available. Both these teams will be a lot better in 2018. Belgium may be good enough to win it all. |
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| vince stravino | Jul 1 2014, 04:40 PM Post #29 |
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It was fun, but we really were extraordinarily lucky to have made it to extra time. Until tonight, Julian Green was NOT cap-tied. As shel pointed out, he is now. Both Donovan and EJ (as a sub) would have been valuable. Belgium deserved it, but I would have loved to steal that one. Klinsmann set the formation from the beginning as too conservative. He asked quite a few players to perform in roles that are not their strengths. Yedlin deserves credit for his truly effective effort under tough circumstances. He was still getting caught up the field, but credit Belgium for their patience to exploit that. Beasley deserves recognition for a great WC. He may have been one of our top three players (Jones, Howard). I may catch slack, but Bradley was a true warrior. His motor had alot to do with us being able to get into OT. The guy is one of the best US players ever. Unfortunately, for the casual fan, this may be his legacy. I had hoped he would be fantastic and he was only pretty good for the tournament (with a couple of painful fumbles to boot). More thoughts on the Klinsmann thread... |
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| Rufus T. Firefly | Jul 1 2014, 08:49 PM Post #30 |
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I agree with Vince that the US had its share of luck in this game and just could not convert that into a win. Wondolowski's miss will go down as one of the biggest misses in US soccer history. I agree with those praising the midfield play once Dempsey dropped deeper to help out (once Wondolowski came on) it does make you think what could have been achieved with a healthy Altidore and having Donovan and Eddie Johnson on the roster? But I also am wondering about dropping Beckerman for Cameron. Yeah Cameron was used to try and offset Fellaini but is the bushy haired Fellaini really that much of a threat? I thought Beckerman could have done fine in this game in place of Cameron plus Beckerman's distribution is better than Cameron's. This brings me to Michael Bradley, he set up Green very well for the US goal but apart from that he once again was a peripheral figure and that helps explain why Belgium were able to control midfield. A very disappointing World Cup from one of the US' leaders and expected standouts. |
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