After making your vote, back it up in the discussion below.
Okay, it's over. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
#1 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:13 PM EDTthey played great until we went into overtime then after the break they seemend to change strategy and lost it at that point , it was almost like they kept trying to set up one magic long shot goal over and over again .
when they play hard and move fast they do much better and they should take more goal shots instead of waiting for the rest of the squad to get down there.
but overall they do seem to improve with each world cup
#2 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:16 PM EDTThe team was completely exhausted by the overtime round. I'm guessing that the U.S. coach has never actually played soccer anywhere close to this level, or he would never have substituted players as early as he did.
The U.S. team needs to improve their basic skills if they wish to become world class contenders. Accurate passing, ball control and targeting the goal is noticeably absent from their repertoire. Hate to see them knocked out of the tournament though. Maybe next time...
First thing, replace Bradley as coach. The team played lackadaisically, waited for the game to come to them, and never really showed world class skills. And keeping Altidore in for 90 minutes? They might as well have had a mannquin playing striker. He's a wuss who got pushed off the ball every time, played out of position most of the time, and created no opportunities. Gomez early on might have made a difference. And was Clark's watch running 5 minutes late?
#3 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:18 PM EDTYes, Gomez. At least he played with energy and passion and he went for the goal. His offsides just reflects the inexperience, poor preparation, and poor coaching that afflicted the team the whole way.
Thank God the USA is out, good riddance. They can't blame anyone this time around for cheating them out of a goal LOL. I'm proud of Ghana, brilliant game, they represented the continent well.
#4 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:19 PM EDT...uh the rest of the African countries were defeated. Ghana won't last.
Yes... Ghana will be knocked out in the next round IMHO... And the U.S. WAS robbed of a goal in the Algeria game. Even FIFA conceded to that when they punished the referee from that game for his bogus foul for no apparent reason call.
by the way ghana had great actors , and also lots of cheap penalties that never got called dempsey should have had the other two goals when he was knocked down .
#5 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:19 PM EDTDidn't you just love the melodramatics? I watched the game on Spanish language Univision, and even the broadcasters were upset by all the crap they were pulling.
You're right. I call both Italy and Portugal the Diving Divas. It's often difficult to tell whether their playing in the World Cup Football contest, or the Olympic Diving championships.
Lack of team speed and overall elite athleticism doomed this squad, played scared and not to lose. were beaten to the loose balls and never really attacked the goal
#6 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:19 PM EDTUS need not keep high expectations in soccer at the world level, since football in US is played with the hand and not the foot.
They did meet the lowered expectations though of making it to the elimination rounds
- D
#8 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:21 PM EDTI'm not getting all the announcer tributes to being so proud of this effort. One goal on a penalty kick. They just got beat down by a much lower ranked opponent from a much smaller nation, mostly because we just weren't ready when the game (and previous games) started. It smacks of that general sense of entitlement that things will always work out for us Americans if we wish it hard enough, and someone or something will fix the situation if we screw up. Some times you have to bust your b****s from the instant the whistle blows or take the results and chew on it. Ghana owns us - two WC s in a row.
#9 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:21 PM EDTI agree. We should have beat Ghana. I cannot believe that the US conceded yet ANOTHER goal in the early minutes of the match. Why wasn't this weakness pointed out? All I heard from the US players and staff was how excited and proud they were for squeezing through their group. They should have been worried that their poor defense was going to hurt them sooner or later.
I am glad that they won their group and advanced to the final 16, but I had a feeling that they were going to get scored on at the beginning of the game, sealing their fate.
US doesn't have a legit striker than can create with dribble penetration. They don't have someone who can get off a good shot or flip a good pass after a run or even a few dribbles. They just cross the ball hoping something happens. And michael bradley. He had plenty of room to get off a good shot, but all he did was turn and literally pass it to the goalie. Everytime he trapped the ball it would bounce several feet away from him preventing any kind of flow. Same with Altidore, these guys can't even trap the ball decent. You're not going to get very far with that kind of offense.
#10 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:34 PM EDTThere is a reason that the Spanish T.V. calls our boys everyone's team. For those that really know soccer and are not superficial commentators, we know that the United States played wonderfully and are thoroughly proud of them. While it is true that the United States cannot stand up to the likes of Brazil or Germany, lets not forget that the U.S. team is only a couple years old versus the 40 year plus old European teams that has had refinement over the decades. Everyone can look up to our team as a rising star home raised and born versus the other teams who played in European teams. Soccer is not for the weak or slow of mind, for us, we live it, breathe it, and love it. For a great team, Hurrah!
#11 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:36 PM EDT"The US Team is only a couple of years old..." The USA's first appearance in the World Cup was in 1930 and the team has appeared in 8 World Cups. The USA Soccer Team is not a team in its infancy. They were simply outplayed.
This is fairly new to US fans. I think, by surviving very bad calls in earlier games, they did great! Since the young people today now have soccer teams, there has been a growing interest in the game. In the past the most we had was Little League Baseball and Pal Football. As these kids grow we will be providing more talent and will put out better teams. That's not to say the team in today's World Cup, didn't do the best they could. Good job, guys. We're proud of you all!!!!
We can blame it all we want on not having played as long as other countries, blah, blah, blah. The fact is that we have had fairly well developed programs since the 80's. However, we are not teaching the kids the right things as most of the coaches we have around are inept. They do not know teach kids that soccer is a team sport and that just trying to run down the field as fast as you can all by yourself and hog the ball will get the team nowhere. Observe the teams that play well and you will see great team playing where 3-6 advance on the enemy and when they defend at times you have 8 guys plugging the hole. The day that we stop thinking of soccer as an individual sport, then we may have a chance.
And by the way, I doubt that Ghana, South Korea or other non-soccer classical nations have been developing players for much longer than the US.
As a Brazilian, who have been watching World Cups since 1950, let me give the Americans a little piece of advice: stop to praise Europe, mainly England, as good models for football. Beckman is not a great player, to begin with. Begin to recognize that the best football in the world is in South America. You were already talking about a semi-final against Brazil! You were ignoring Ghana and Uruguay. Apparently you know nothing about Uruguay. Go to Wikipedia to learn something about football in Uruguay, please. Uruguay would destroy this Team USA.
#12 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:43 PM EDTCesar,
You are right we need to stop admiring British teams. Any time that their teams step outside UK soil they get trounced. Partly is that they play a very individualistic game (like Beckham), over the team playing and when they come across a team that moves well on the field and as a team, they get nowhere. This is a team sport, look for your team mates on the field.
The sad fact is that we teach our soccer playing kids that it is Ok to hog the ball.
US played a great game! Lets not forget that Ghana players play in European leagues. For those visiting the World Cup games, I can understand your criticism against the US. Soccer is not just about winning. Its about giving it your all and taking the good (our team), the bad (the refs), the ugly (nasty players). "On-looker" fans, your negative uneducated comments means nothing to us.
#13 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:45 PM EDTPlease your comments are almost as bad as "well Johnny, nice try you flunked the class, however don't worry it is OK" Please, does not matter who played for what league, look at baseball, hockey... players from all over the world. Uneducated.. you bet... team USA took the whole education process back for potential USA soccer... sorry this is the truth... I am at a pub in St. Pete. .. you don't want to even hear the TRUE soccer fans comments.. can't post... A major missed chance...
"Let's not forget that Ghana players play in European leagues..." Yes and so do most of the players on the US Team.
#15 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:48 PM EDTWhat a let down, we are here with several hundred "once" fans.. I mean we get beat by this small country, Clinton and Mick, vs. Mambombaoo and Latoabla. Well , guess what they kicked our ass. What a joke, our team fell to the ground and ironed their skirts at every tiny bump . Give me HOCKEY,,, real FOOTBALL... I hang my head ...thought this might be the chance.. Even our English boys are in shock.. "you lost to G.... mate.. sad " ANy chance of Soccer taking hold... put on Hold again... Is it Hockey or Football season yet.. Ouchh, bumped a chair..
#16 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:51 PM EDTCould have done better. We had the ability to score. Maybe better warm ups next time that we don't get scored on early in the game.
#17 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:54 PM EDTObviously there are a lot of things that could have been done better. But, overall, the US had a great showing and gained the attention and support of a lot of people that normally don't care about soccer.
Great run, guys! Look forward to 2014 in Brazil!!! USA! USA! USA!
#18 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:59 PM EDT2014 Give me a break... Wait another 3 years for this ... want to be positive, however this match was a joke on the world stage.. Vegas had USA big odds to win, as did the rest of the world considering we were playing a poor ranked team who kicked our ASS... What a lost chance for USA soccer... Can't wait for real sport of USA football and Hockey.. Bring on any nation...... try to cry and act like you were knocked down by Mike Tyson on the ice or Turf... give #23 from G. credit for saying ... get up up wimp... first true sign of a game... sick of watching all the crying from a slide tackle..>> 2014 ...... please.. you lost the nation at 2011
#19 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:09 PM EDTLast Comment from "St Pete" Team USA... we raise a glass to your efforts , but drink in sorrow...
#20 - Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:10 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
Saving...
Ghana was clearly the better team - we will never be a soccer power... You cannot have a TV commercial every 2.5 minutes in soccer