World Cup 2014

[LittleBoyBlue]

USA will advance. Portugal goal. Ronaldo

So is Portugal out? Ghana?

USA in good shape?

Short scenario please on all 3. I defer to you

 

[LatinMind]

So is Portugal out? Ghana?

USA in good shape?

Short scenario please on all 3. I defer to you

Yes USA made it. When Germany scored Ghana needed to win by 1 goal to advance by scoring more goals than USA in world cup play.

 

[UKCowboysFan]

Good job by the US to progress from that group.

Ronaldo obviously wasn't fully fit, and Portugal rely too much on him.

Good that a more complete team made it through. Will be interesting to see how the US does against (probably) Belgium as they haven't looked that great in most of their games. The irony is that they look better when the young lad comes on up front in place of Lukaku.

If they can get to the Quarter finals that would be a good achievement, although I can't see them getting passed Argentina

 

[joseephuss]

Him getting suspended from epl games is bs. Period.

No, it's not. FIFA had to do something. Banning him just from international play was not going to be sufficient. A message had to be sent to him and to anyone else in the future. It sucks for Liverpool fans, but it was the right thing to do. If anything, the punishment is still lacking a little. I was hoping for a 6 to 12 month ban. Perhaps even keeping him out of next years Copa America.

 

[CATCH17]

Until we get better at "skill on the ball" we remain behind.

There are some basic basic things that the players - at this level should be able to do. Very frustrating to watch

We have players that have skill on the ball. The problem is they don't defend well.

Right now our strategy is to flood the midfield with defenders and get down the wings with our fullbacks and outside midfielders.

I would like to see more creativity but the USA just looks gassed right now.

Luckily they will get some time off and prepare for this huge match against Belgium.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

Wooo how about that team full of MLS players !!!!? Boom ! Group of death !?

USA USA USA USA !!!
Wooooooooo

Beslar !!'n way above average !!! Yeaaaaah !!!!!

 

[Leadbelly]

Awesome to move on. Bless Tim Howard. We were pretty overmatched everywhere else. USA had only 1 shot on goal I think...not good.

Hopefully Altidore can play and Julian Green/Mix Diskerud gets some time. Need some fresh legs and better vision. It'd be pretty crazy to get past Belgium. They destroyed us back in May.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

We have players that have skill on the ball. The problem is they don't defend well.

Right now our strategy is to flood the midfield with defenders and get down the wings with our fullbacks and outside midfielders.

I would like to see more creativity but the USA just looks gassed right now.

Luckily they will get some time off and prepare for this huge match against Belgium.

Sorry but I don't agree - there are some very basic skills that they still lack - the transition game...they don't do that fast enough and seem to can't make some basic passes.

Trapping the ball....other players from other countries can stop a ball on a dime where it seems like our players need 2 or 3 touches to get control of the ball ect.

We have no creativity in the midfield and we don't have another player that see the game like a Landon D. did.

 

[daschoo]

Since it's a rest day here's a team of the tournament so far. 4-3-3 and I've not bothered with finding a balance in the middle of the park or anything just a right back, left back, 2 centre halfs, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers and I've shamelessly stolen the idea from the BBC website

GK Keylor Navas Costa Rica
RB Fabian Johnson USA
CB Gary Medel Chile
CB Rafa Marquez Mexico
LB Daley Blind Holland (didn't want to put him in as I hate Ajax but he's been excellent)
M Ivan Perisic Croatia
M James Rodriguez Colombia
M Tam Muller Germany
F Neymar Brazil
F Islam Slimani Algeria
F Lionel Messi Argentina

Kind of cheated a bit putting Rodriguez and Muller in midfield as they've been playing further forward but they can play there and it was the only way to fit everyone I wanted into my team.
Hard to leave out guys like Ochoa, Kroos, Vidal
Found it interesting/surprising that I only picked 3 Europeans and even then it was a toss up between Perisic and Vidal

 

[CATCH17]

Sorry but I don't agree - there are some very basic skills that they still lack - the transition game...they don't do that fast enough and seem to can't make some basic passes.

Trapping the ball....other players from other countries can stop a ball on a dime where it seems like our players need 2 or 3 touches to get control of the ball ect.

We have no creativity in the midfield and we don't have another player that see the game like a Landon D. did.

Part of the problem is we struggle against high pressure.

Our most creative players on the pitch are our fullbacks.

The midfielders, including Bradley, are not going to technically blow you away with their offensive skill set.

They are there to flood the midfield.

Dempsey is also not a Center Forward but he is playing that position for us.


If the USA fielded a lineup with Green Yedlin Davis Dempsey and Wondo then our attack would look a lot better but we may also concede 5 goals.

The best thing for the USA to do is flood the midfield, like they are doing, and beat teams with getting crosses in from the flanks.

 

[Phoenix]

No, it's not. FIFA had to do something. Banning him just from international play was not going to be sufficient. A message had to be sent to him and to anyone else in the future. It sucks for Liverpool fans, but it was the right thing to do. If anything, the punishment is still lacking a little. I was hoping for a 6 to 12 month ban. Perhaps even keeping him out of next years Copa America.

Sorry, I don't have a link handy but this is verbatim quote I am looking at right now in the Washington Express newspaper this morning:

"The four-month ban will sideline Suarez for the first two months of Liverpool's season. He was also suspended for Uruguay's next nine matches, which extends beyond the four months and rules him out of next year's Copa America, where his team is the defending champion. The Uruguayan football federation said it would appeal."

...so if the information is correct, and if the appeal fails (can't see how it wouldn't), it appears your wish has been granted.

 

[burmafrd]

No, it's not. FIFA had to do something. Banning him just from international play was not going to be sufficient. A message had to be sent to him and to anyone else in the future. It sucks for Liverpool fans, but it was the right thing to do. If anything, the punishment is still lacking a little. I was hoping for a 6 to 12 month ban. Perhaps even keeping him out of next years Copa America.

Should have gotten the maximum.

 

[Future]

Part of the problem is we struggle against high pressure.

Our most creative players on the pitch are our fullbacks.

The midfielders, including Bradley, are not going to technically blow you away with their offensive skill set.

They are there to flood the midfield.

Dempsey is also not a Center Forward but he is playing that position for us.

If the USA fielded a lineup with Green Yedlin Davis Dempsey and Wondo then our attack would look a lot better but we may also concede 5 goals.

The best thing for the USA to do is flood the midfield, like they are doing, and beat teams with getting crosses in from the flanks.

Even without putting all of those guys in...

Just adding Altidore and allowing Dempsey to play more of a midfield role would have a major impact. If nothing else, it would be another guy that teams have to account for and the US could take some of the pressure off of their defense.

 

[JBS]

Chiellini even came out and said the ban was harsh.

 

[CATCH17]

Chiellini even came out and said the ban was harsh.

Well it was his 3rd time doing it with the entire world watching so they had to punish him hard.

He may appeal the suspension and it could be reduced after the world cup and there would not be near the amount of criticism.

As a fan I wish they would just fine him and let him keep playing. I wanted to see how far he could get them in the World Cup. I want to be entertained and I could care less about all of the other stuff.

 

[JBS]

I'm OK w punishing him, even throwing the book at him but I'm not Ok w punishing his club team.. Not to this extent

 

[joseephuss]

I'm OK w punishing him, even throwing the book at him but I'm not Ok w punishing his club team.. Not to this extent

Will you feel the same way if he signs with Real Madrid or Barcelona soon? Throwing fines at him doesn't work. You have to make him miss games and even that may not be enough for him. They aren't punishing Liverpool. That is the side effect of punishing the player and you have to punish the player.

 

[joseephuss]

Should have gotten the maximum.

I'm not certain what the maximum is supposed to be. There isn't a set rule of what punishments should be assessed for something like this. I do think it should have been a little harsher and if it is true that he will miss next years Copa America, that is a good start.

 

[jterrell]

various:
Suarez ban was just about perfect.
It was a 3rd offense, not 1st and happened on the worlds biggest stage.
As to the club nonsense, just stop. They knew he was a serial biter and he started last year on suspension for biting Branislav.
He was very fortunate not to miss the entire club season.
The first month would have been vacation anyway.
The International ban is useless beyond whatever game Uruguay loses now.
Nothing meaningful for 18 months.
Besides he may be at Barca anyways.

US is through and that's what matters for the team.
Stop trying to judge a team based on one game.
The US played a close to the vest defensive game because best odds were simply in avoiding a blow out and they had zero legs to chase anything.
No team that played in Manuas won its next game, until Portugal.
The US looked plenty technically proficient against Portugal.
In a deluge on tired legs they looked terribly unskilled yesterday.

US has all the pieces it needs to compete with anyone, it doesn't have the pieces to consistently be elite.
That takes a much better youth system.
We are building but no where near german/spanish level.

Belgium is a huge favorite and for good reason. Just won a game where they were down 10 men much of the game and actually scored the winner short-handed and with their best player parked on the bench resting.
Hopefully they do play Origi and sit Lukaku. Lukaku would be a nightmare match up for the US. Same as when Klose come on as a #9 because the US have terrible issues defending true 9s.

Nod of respect to Gonzales who looked far, far better and more healthy yesterday. I thought his international career was all but done but their was no limp at all yesterday. He is still limited in speed but he's a physical presence in there at least.

Will be interesting to see what Klinnsman does now that he is playing with house money and it is win or go home.
I really hope Altidore can play.
This is a match up of my favorite two GK and I don't see the US offering Courtois much challenge without Altidore up top holding and drawing defenders.

 

[jterrell]

I'm not certain what the maximum is supposed to be. There isn't a set rule of what punishments should be assessed for something like this. I do think it should have been a little harsher and if it is true that he will miss next years Copa America, that is a good start.

Guessing the international ban is all but meaningless because teams will plays games that aren't even scheduled yet.
But missing one Copa American only makes him more appealing for Barca. He'll be fresher when the UCL and key league games played then you keep him during international periods since he's banned.
It is a win for the club side if those 9 games stretch a full year or more.