OT: Boneyard "Other Football" World Cup Thread

[Jimdish255]

Missing Altidore. Really the story. Probably the only guy that could not be replaced. Even at that we owned the 2nd OT and left it on the field.

I have to say I've seen a lot of Altidore who can be a very effective player when at his best. That said he has been very inconsistent throughout his career with both health and fitness issues making it strange that he was built up to be the force that would make up for our other deficiencies.

 

[upstater]

I agreed with Klingsmann during his interview when he didn't want to give Howard all the credit. He said, "Howard was also doing his job." He had a point in the sense that Belgium was in position to score so many times, point blank often, and sent the ball right at a diving Howard. Howard was positioned right every time and had great fundamentals, and that's much to his credit. But the USA played a team a lot more talented possessing and passing the ball, but no one here can actually say that Belgium have great finishers. They don't.

 

[Waquoit]

You win: you get to stay erect stroking yourself because JK showed that pu**y Donovan. Who cares if the coach's personal feelings take prescidence over the team. They play these World Cups constantly right?

If Donovan was there they don't go through.

 

[BlueMAB]

If Donovan was there they don't go through.

This is exactly right, because if LD sat on the bench and didn't play a single minute for the entire Group stage like Mix Diskerud, then there's no possible way the USA would have advanced.

/sarcasmoff

 

[whaler11]

If Donovan was there they don't go through.

LOL, honestly that's a ridiculous premise. It would be as dumb as me saying they go to the semis if they bring him.

JK didn't bring his best team. He chose his personal feelings about a player over what was best. But whatever, because some people don't like Donovan they don't care and seem to want to defend sheer lunacy. Knock yourself out: It's as dumb as pages of Spackler telling us how Klinsman was going to ATTACK, because that is what the coach said he was going to do.

 

[whaler11]

I agreed with Klingsmann during his interview when he didn't want to give Howard all the credit. He said, "Howard was also doing his job." He had a point in the sense that Belgium was in position to score so many times, point blank often, and sent the ball right at a diving Howard. Howard was positioned right every time and had great fundamentals, and that's much to his credit. But the USA played a team a lot more talented possessing and passing the ball, but no one here can actually say that Belgium have great finishers. They don't.

Of course he didn't want to because to give Howard the credit he deserved he'd have to admit the game should have been 4-0. And if they lost 4-0 someone might ask where the lunacy of his lineup came from today.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

JK has been tops with his subs. Have to question the poacher with so little offensive possession. Rather have the runner playmaker, Mix.

I thought that, too. Wondo cannot generate his own chances, he just cleans-up the leftovers. Of course, he missed the one opportunity he had to end it before OT. Darn it!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Missing Altidore. Really the story. Probably the only guy that could not be replaced. Even at that we owned the 2nd OT and left it on the field.

And losing Johnson early hurt. Yeldin did a great job; but, Johnson has that touch and a bit more experience.

 

[Gurleyman]

Odds are Donovan would have been in Wondo's role as a late game offensive sub. It is easy to say Donovan would have finished the play Wondo flubbed, but we did get that chance because Wondo scrapped for a couple 50-50 balls to get us possession, so I don't want to kill a guy who probably will have nightmares for a while.

Where Donovan clearly helps, though, even if you don't like him or think he's not good enough any more, is set pieces and crosses. We wasted a few corners and direct kicks late in regulation and in overtime. Bedoya had a soft corner, Bradley put one out of bounds and then hit another one too low (and you'd like him on the receiving end anyway with his size). Not sure it would have mattered with Belgium being pretty solid in the air. And he's taken pressure PKs before if it came to that.

But 32yo LD clearly doesn't dent the talent gap between us and Belgium and Germany, so his absence won't be one of my takeaways from this WC, even though I thought he needed to be there. Mostly I'll remember Howard, the Portugal finish, overachieving to get out of the group of death, and possibly Green's moment of magic as the moment our next great player showed us a flash of what was to come. Hope so on that last one.

 

[Mots010]

Have to wonder if that late goal against Portugal doesnt happen. We probably rest some of our starters against Germany and maybe come in a bit fresher for Belgium. But that just doesnt bridge the gap of talent. Belgium brings Lukaku off the bench, and we bring Wondo.

You have to feel for Wondo. An MLS lifer who's entire career lead to that moment. It wasnt a simple sitter. It needed some touch with the keeper there, but the game was their for the taking at that moment, and he whiffed.

I really wish Altidore stays healthy. We built our entire offense around him over the last year or two, and when he went down, it was really just using duct tape to fix it for the rest of the tourney. All the talk about LD, but we really didnt have a backup for Altidore. EJ's and Boyd are probably the only options there.

Look on the bright side, for once, we didnt get absolutely hosed by the refs!

 

[spsct]

Just a friendly suggestion, limit your trash talking to soccer fans. Try that with Rugby fans and no one may ever find your body.

Not a problem; there is no rugby in Germany, and I don't follow it all all. I wouldn't make a comment that I couldn't actually back up or about something which I had no idea about.

Thanks for the heads up...

 

[rich1122]

LOL, honestly that's a ridiculous premise. It would be as dumb as me saying they go to the semis if they bring him.

JK didn't bring his best team. He chose his personal feelings about a player over what was best. But whatever, because some people don't like Donovan they don't care and seem to want to defend sheer lunacy. Knock yourself out: It's as dumb as pages of Spackler telling us how Klinsman was going to ATTACK, because that is what the coach said he was going to do.

Donovan for Davis would have been my only change. Keeping Yedlin and Green explained that he knew what he was doing overall. Hopefully we can build off of that.

Playing in Europe or being German American counts with this guy. Look for more of it.

 

[J187Money]

I'm not smart enough on the topic to know the right answer, but it was obvious to me that our team lacked the offensive firepower and skills that most of our opponents had.

Whether that is talent only or style of play I can't say, but it was very apparent to even the uneducated that offensively we didn't stack up.

 

[J187Money]

I would also add that with Yedlin we looked much more dangerous. I look forward to watching him develop.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am so sick of hearing about Ms. Donovan. Some people just need to let it go. Ms. Donovan has missed some empty nets in his career too.... And he was a total bust in 2006 so let it go.

That game was an instant classic.. Even still I am so bummed out I am avoiding this thread.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Donovan himself admitted he wasn't in the best shape and couldn't go full-on during practices. No idea why people think playing nonstop in Brazil was somehow going to make him fit again.

Klinsmann also buys into the "all in" concept -- you're all in on the team. Going on TV and basically saying you can't try your hardest cause you're old? After you basically took a hiatus from soccer because you weren't sure if your heart was in it anymore?

Yeah. Donovan did it to himself.

 

[meyers7]

But not Johansson, Davis or Wondo? Jeebus they didn't even use Diskerud.

Remember the nonsensical reasoning at one point was fitness. Of course half the team had hamstring issues so either they can't judge fitness or maybe training at 100% constantly isn't good for you in the long run.

Well it was Donovan himself who said he wasn't fit.

But with the hamstring problems, I hope we do take a look at the conditioning run up.

 

[meyers7]

Yedlin was more effective in his stint today than Fabian Johnson has been his entire World Cup career.

Well that's completely wrong. Yedlin had a good game, but he's not at Johnson's level yet. He could be in the future though. Maybe we can move Johnson over to LB. He's played there for us before.

 

[UCFBfan]

I'm not smart enough on the topic to know the right answer, but it was obvious to me that our team lacked the offensive firepower and skills that most of our opponents had.

Whether that is talent only or style of play I can't say, but it was very apparent to even the uneducated that offensively we didn't stack up.

This is the biggest complaint about this team. They brought one offensive weapon, Jozy. He went down, and we had nothing. I like Dempsey, really do, but he's not a striker and he knows it. He was completely out of place in that role but had to play it since JK didn't bring another attacker like Eddie Johnson, etc...This is the biggest area of concern for the US moving forward. Too often we play defensive because we can't sustain offensive pressure.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It's over. Soccer will disappear now for the next 4 years. Can the BY get their act together now with the real football season less than 2 months away?

 

[whaler11]

Donovan himself admitted he wasn't in the best shape and couldn't go full-on during practices. No idea why people think playing nonstop in Brazil was somehow going to make him fit again.

Klinsmann also buys into the "all in" concept -- you're all in on the team. Going on TV and basically saying you can't try your hardest cause you're old? After you basically took a hiatus from soccer because you weren't sure if your heart was in it anymore?

Yeah. Donovan did it to himself.

JK buys into the 'all in' concept?

Odd that after his time off JK didn't have a problem using him in the Gold Cup (where he tied for the scoring lead).

The anti-Donovan argument would make a lot more sense if the US didn't bring multiple guys who are and were totally and utterly completely useless.

But whatever - like JK too stubborn to see past his own biases for the good of the team, you guys aren't going to come to your senses. Well except when Zoo actually did during the friendlies one day.

 

[meyers7]

Look on the bright side, for once, we didnt get absolutely hosed by the refs!

Very good point. Maybe we are earning some respect.

 

[meyers7]

I'm not smart enough on the topic to know the right answer, but it was obvious to me that our team lacked the offensive firepower and skills that most of our opponents had.

Whether that is talent only or style of play I can't say, but it was very apparent to even the uneducated that offensively we didn't stack up.

We don't have the same talent of players. We have some good players but not guys who are going to be starting for Germany or Belgium.

I think our "style" of play is about as good as we can do with our talent level. Offensively we are ok tactically. I think it's our technique that let's us down there. Defensively, I think we are still naive tactically.

 

[meyers7]

Donovan himself admitted he wasn't in the best shape and couldn't go full-on during practices. No idea why people think playing nonstop in Brazil was somehow going to make him fit again.

Klinsmann also buys into the "all in" concept -- you're all in on the team. Going on TV and basically saying you can't try your hardest cause you're old? After you basically took a hiatus from soccer because you weren't sure if your heart was in it anymore?

Yeah. Donovan did it to himself.

Agreed.

 

[meyers7]

It's over. Soccer will disappear now for the next 4 years. Can the BY get their act together now with the real football season less than 2 months away?

Sorry for you old dinosaurs, but soccer never goes away. Preseason games start in a few weeks. Champions League qualifying games have already started. EPL starts Aug 16th. La Liga Aug 23rd. MLS is midseason right now.

That's one of the great things about soccer, you don't have to wait for it. It's always there.