OT: Boneyard "Other Football" World Cup Thread

[whaler11]

Yeah we'll agree to disagree on this. I won't go Spackler on you guys. You're the soccer fans so maybe you have a better grasp.

To me, it dimishes winning the games. It's like running up the score for BCS style points. Hate it. Win games. 1-0 or 5-0. Shouldn't matter.

I certainly would like to suspend the rule for this group this week. You still get rewarded for winning games, they just take the sum of the three over a single game.

I like when things are a bit different. I like the timing rules in college being different than the NFL. I don't mind the NL playing without a Dan Hurley.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Yeah we'll agree to disagree on this. I won't go Spackler on you guys. You're the soccer fans so maybe you have a better grasp.

To me, it dimishes winning the games. It's like running up the score for BCS style points. Hate it. Win games. 1-0 or 5-0. Shouldn't matter.

Because there is much less scoring in soccer and the teams are generally closer in competitive levels, it helps. You aren't playing cupcakes in the World Cup. Even in Premiere League, bad teams get relegated down to lower levels, so even the "worst" teams are one of the best 20 teams in England.

It's just much harder to run up the score, generally speaking.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I actually disagree. If head to head were the first tiebreaker it would really diminish the group stage.

Why do you think this? We beat them at a neutral site...ergo, we deserve to go. It encourages teams to go for wins.

I don't want to predict the Potugual Ghana match, I can see Ghana coming out blazing, and running, pushing and fouling their way to a win. I can also see their intensely aggressive style opening up opportunities for Ronaldo and Nani to burn them on counters over and over. Ghana plays a very high risk game. I would not be at all surprised to see Portugal get at least one PK.

 

[ZooCougar]

What's crazy is that we have scored 2 goals in each game and we're worried about goal differential.

If we play Germany as tough as we played Portugal, and limit the errors, then we will be fine.

That's a big if, however. Every team playing coming out of Manaus has lost there next game. It's just tough to recover from. Germany played under better conditions and got an extra day of rest. JK, has a case of the as$ about that.

Thursday is an Epic challenge.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

A win or draw or Portugal win or draw gets us ahead. I don't think Portugal is as bad as they looked against Germany. They played a man down almost all game and they have Pepe back. We'll see.

One question for Portugal, as it is very likely that they will not advance, will Ronaldo risk further injury by playing or will he not play to preserve his club season and associated money?

 

[ZooCougar]

Listening to Taylor Twellman this morning, he made a good point. Most of the German team idolizes JK. If they go up 1-0 then I think Germany parks the bus. They may not want to send their hero home.

Germany's coach is JK's protege and many of our Bundesliga players know the German players well. In 2002 this was also the case and it looked like a pretty even match up.

 

[ZooCougar]

One question for Portugal, as it is very likely that they will not advance, will Ronaldo risk further injury by playing or will he not play to preserve his club season and associated money?

I think he will play. Either way, Real Madrid is going to give him a rest.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Listening to Taylor Twellman this morning, he made a good point. Most of the German team idolizes JK. If they go up 1-0 then I think Germany parks the bus. They may not want to send their hero home.

Germany's coach is JK's protege and many of our Bundesliga players know the German players well. In 2002 this was also the case and it looked like a pretty even match up.

My gut is that Germany will try to jump on the US early and work to get a goal or two in before the 30 minute mark and then will let park it and let the US fight back if the team can and simply hold on for a 1 goal win or a tie, either scenario gets them into the Sweet 16 as the top G seed.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Italy and Uruguay are at 0 to 0 in an elimination game at half. Italy is really working the refs and diving on command.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Listening to Taylor Twellman this morning, he made a good point. Most of the German team idolizes JK. If they go up 1-0 then I think Germany parks the bus. They may not want to send their hero home.

Germany's coach is JK's protege and many of our Bundesliga players know the German players well. In 2002 this was also the case and it looked like a pretty even match up.

I know other sports do this as well but an American should be coaching the American team. A German should be coaching the German team and so on.

If the Germans put the brakes on in deference to JK, it will be like Strahan getting the sack record after Farve's dive.

 

[StevieDude]

This might help

Veronica Commey @VeronicaCommey
Ghana players to boycott training if they don't receive their appearance fee before travelling to Brazilia at 11 am today. #Asem b3ba dabi

Veronica Commey @VeronicaCommey
Apparently, players want pure cash though there was a supposed agreement to pay the money electronically before the tournament.

Nana Owusu Ansah @N_Pazl
So Muntari and KP Boateng had a bust-up in camp. KPB hurls insults on Muntari but coach Appiah mistakenly felt he's the target & weeps

Veronica Commey @VeronicaCommey
Don't be surprised if KP Boateng is kicked out of Ghana camp for insulting coach Appiah at training yesterday.Kevin was sent off after that.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I know other sports do this as well but an American should be coaching the American team. A German should be coaching the German team and so on.

If the Germans put the brakes on in deference to JK, it will be like Strahan getting the sack record after Farve's dive.

Klinsmann moved to the US in 1998 (16 years) and lived in California even when coaching the Germany national team (2005-6) and Bayren Munich (2008-9). A big reason that the US Soccer Federation was so interested in him is because his familiarity of US soccer. He’s not a homegrown coach like Bob Bradley nor a Bruce Arena; but, is is also not a global coach for hire like Bora Milutinović.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I know other sports do this as well but an American should be coaching the American team. A German should be coaching the German team and so on.

Why not just get the best coach you can? If you're some small country without a great history of soccer and you want to make it into the World Cup, why wouldn't you hire the best guy for the job regardless of his background? Klinsmann considers himself an American and lives here and wants US soccer to succeed and knows more about soccer than any American soccer player, most likely. Works for me.

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah we'll agree to disagree on this. I won't go Spackler on you guys. You're the soccer fans so maybe you have a better grasp.

To me, it dimishes winning the games. It's like running up the score for BCS style points. Hate it. Win games. 1-0 or 5-0. Shouldn't matter.

Like we've seen here on the 'Yard, newcomers to soccer want to reinvent the wheel. They want to make the game better fit into their existing sporting sensibilities. I did the same thing during my learning curve. But as one comes to understand the game better, one better appreciates the game as it is. And many of the suggestions that are offered have been explored, like sudden-death. And I never thought Americans would be able to deal with the final whistle in the sole control of the ref. But the when you understand that if you are in the middle of a final attack, he's going to give you that chance and that seems right given the nature of the game. So now there isn't a hard stop in American pro soccer anymore.

Newcomers don't like the offsides rule, but without that there is no game. But there have been tweaks over time as no game is perfect. Not so long ago, a win was only worth 2 points. And the keeper could handle ball when receiving a kick from a teammate. Now that's a red card.

And goal differential doesn't diminish winning games, it encourages scoring. That's a good thing.

 

[Waquoit]

I know other sports do this as well but an American should be coaching the American team. A German should be coaching the German team and so on.

Why?

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Holy cow, Suarez, you had ONE JOB: DON'T BITE PEOPLE.

 

[Dooley]

Safe to say Suarez's World Cup is over.

 

[StevieDude]

 

[SubbaBub]

Like I said, he's a wanker.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Safe to say Suarez's World Cup is over.

It's FIFA, nothing can be assumed. After all, this is the same organization that failed to see the problems with hosting a World Cup in August in a desert.

 

[ZooCougar]

I know other sports do this as well but an American should be coaching the American team. A German should be coaching the German team and so on.

If the Germans put the brakes on in deference to JK, it will be like Strahan getting the sack record after Farve's dive.

? Why should an American be coaching the American team? There are loads of examples of internationals coaching throughout the world, and not just in Soccer.

 

[ZooCougar]

Klinsmann moved to the US in 1998 (16 years), even when coaching the Germany national team (2005-6) and Bayren Munich (2008-9). A big reason that the US Soccer Federation was so interested in him is because his familiarity of US soccer. He’s not a homegrown coach like Bob Bradley not a Bruce Arena nor is he a global coach for hire like Bora Milutinović.

When he managed Germany and BM, he was criticized for being too American.

 

[ZooCougar]

Not that I am condoning Suarez, but I can't stand Italy and I am glad they are going home.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Klinsmann moved to the US in 1998 (16 years), even when coaching the Germany national team (2005-6) and Bayren Munich (2008-9). A big reason that the US Soccer Federation was so interested in him is because his familiarity of US soccer. He’s not a homegrown coach like Bob Bradley not a Bruce Arena nor is he a global coach for hire like Bora Milutinović.

On top of that, have you guys read the articles and interviews with him about his approach? Read this and this and tell me he isn't the right coach for an American team.

"Klinsmann thinks that the U.S. team can help to shake the country out of its apathy. But he says that winning won’t be enough; the team will have to win in a recognizably American style. “It has to be our goal to develop a style in which Americans will recognize themselves,” he says. “They have to be in front of the television and say, ‘Yes, that’s my team.’” Klinsmann admits that this is a bit of a challenge in such a diverse country where “no one is completely American.” But Klinsmann believes that the team’s playing style will eventually resemble something like the country’s assertive entrepreneurial culture. “Americans are proactive,” he tells me. “You want to be world leaders in everything you do. So, on the field, you shouldn’t just sit back and wait.” Although American teams have traditionally depended on counter-attacking—a type of strategy that involves exploiting an opponent’s aggression—Klinsmann hopes that his players will soon be more assertive and creative on offense."

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

? Why should an American be coaching the American team? There are loads of examples of internationals coaching throughout the world, and not just in Soccer.

Yes I'm aware. Hence the, "I know other sports do this" comment. I just prefer that players AND coaches be of national decent of the team they're playing and coaching for. I also realize that not everyone will share that sentiment. I'll get over it.