ajzepp Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Herr Klinsmann says... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VCcvdrhn3M Edited July 25, 2013 by ajzepp
ajzepp Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Mexico and Panama both playing some very sloppy ball...if they don't get it together, we're going to run right over them. Panama fired a warning shot over the bow, but then Mexico hit a nice header for the equalizer. But overall it's been a very unimpressive match an neither side looks up to the task for Sunday. Actually, Panama looks a lot like WE used to look "BK"..."Before Klinsi". An attack that is an uncoordinated, seemingly desperate mess, even when there was no call for it. Check out this goal from tonight...we NEVER saw this sort of score BK.... A coordinated, patient goal where all three of these guys showed fantastic anticipation. This, to me, is a shining example of the Klinsmann era. You know who WOULD score goals like this? That big bald bastard from the Czech Republic or Croatia or whoever he played for...that guy was a damn animal and he completely dominated us. I dont' know why that dude is popping into my brain, cause that was from like 2006, but that was one scary dude... Edited July 25, 2013 by ajzepp
ajzepp Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Wow, Mexico is almost unwatchable without their snipers...this is embarrassing. And here comes the diving...great.
Cugalabanza Posted July 25, 2013 Author Posted July 25, 2013 USA looked great. A pleasure to watch. Pretty much everyone had a good game. They moved the ball so well, Honduras was never able to bring the pressure they wanted. Awesome team performance. The first goal (Donovan to E. Johnson) was really beautiful. Timed so well to beat the trap. I don't mind Klinsmann losing his **** like that at all. He's trying to protect his players and it had to be done. The ref was a dipschitt. Hopefully, the stupid CONCACAF disciplinary committee will do the right thing and let him coach the final, but who knows with these clowns. Mexico deserved to lose. This is the worst Mexico team I've seen in a very long time. I think Panama will make it tough in the final, but the U.S. will take it if they keep playing like they have been.
Magox Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 These past 10 games, starting with the win vs. Germany is the best I've ever seen the US play. They are playing with excellent possession, quick striking attacks, the defense has finally found it's footing and more importantly, We're finishing! I believe that Klinsmann is beginning to change the culture, specially on the offensive side. So many good players to choose from, this is by far the deepest team we've ever had, and it's going to make it very difficult for Klins to select who the starters will be this World cup. Pretty stoked right now. The Donavon haters must be having a hard time of it eh? He's the best player on this team by a mile and that was before yesterday's match. I don't know man. I think Donavon is excellent, and when he's on his game he's the most dynamic offensive player we have. However, Dempsey is more consistent. Also, I'd put Bradley right up there with them.
PTS Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 I'm really disappointed in Mexico losing. The coaches, players and fans for El Tri have this cocky arrogance about them and how they believe they are far superior to the USMNT. Even with the US beating them often over the past 15 years, they still believe it was only through luck or bunker play. This US side would have smoked Mexico in the finals playing a style Mexico hasn't seen. That said, Panama has the better squad and deserve to be in the finals. They will make it tough but I still fully expect a multiple goal victory. As for Landon Donovan, soccer players (non-goaltenders) almost always regress when they hit 30. He's one of the very few that I can think of that actual get better with time. I'm all for him taking a sabbatical to Cambodia every year if the results stay the same.
John Adams Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 I don't know man. I think Donavon is excellent, and when he's on his game he's the most dynamic offensive player we have. However, Dempsey is more consistent. Also, I'd put Bradley right up there with them. Bradley and Dempsey are better. I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of Donovan haters and he's putting on a clinic, albiet against some lesser competition but 3 goals and 5 assists in the last two games. WTF? They are not yet good enough as a possession team--as I said above, they need 2-3 Michael Bradleys. Their attack often comes on the counter. I am a huge fan of what's happened, of course, and the US team is in that nice tier of teams after the top group. If the US can hold that spot around 18-22 for a few years and not fall off when the current stars leave, that will be big. The MLS's popularity growth is helping a ton. The top MLS players now get more looks from the EU leagues and kids are getting to see more quality soccer. Soccer also now has TV traction here.
Cugalabanza Posted July 27, 2013 Author Posted July 27, 2013 CONCACAF has banned Klinsmann from the final. Probably won't affect the game much, but it's pretty ridiculous in my opinion.
ajzepp Posted July 27, 2013 Posted July 27, 2013 CONCACAF has banned Klinsmann from the final. Probably won't affect the game much, but it's pretty ridiculous in my opinion. That's lame as hell...I agree it probably won't any difference...but if it does, the difference is likely going to be that we play even harder to support him. USA 4 Panama 1
Cugalabanza Posted July 29, 2013 Author Posted July 29, 2013 USA Gold Cup Champs. I thought it was a great game even though it was scoreless for about 70 minutes. This was the kind of game that just requires very hard work and the players came through. Panama got zero shots on goal. Huge credit goes to Besler and Goodson who both had great games. But it was everyone contributing, just working their asses off. Loved the total team effort. Panama made it extremely difficult to create chances at goal. USA did everthing right to grind this one out. 75%+ possession. There were some close chances from Shea, E. Johnson and Donovan, so it could have been 2-0 or 3-0. But the 1-0 final score paints the picture of the kind of game it was. Panama did everything they could, including constant fouling and the referee once again seemed to want to screw the USA. Excellent win. This tournament is a success not just for the trophy and the Confederations Cup 2017 implications, but because the total player pool is so much richer now because guys have stepped up. I hope to hear later today that Stu Holden just has a mild knee sprain. If he's back in another surgery situation, I don't think the poor guy can take the disappointment. Considering how hard he's worked for the last two years, he deserves the good news and team USA is better with him playing.
PTS Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 I'll echo your thoughts Cugalabanza. Spot on. Holden news could be devastating. His injury saga is starting to remain me of John O'Brien from the early 2000s. Absolutely top class midfielder for the US who could never stay healthy and reach his peak. In good news, 22-year-old forward Aron Johannsson announced today he is filing a one-time switch to join the USMNT program. He is a dual-national: US-Icelandic, born in Alabama of all places. Once the paperwork is accepted by FIFA, he is officially cap-tied to the US. VERY good player that will excel in Klinsmann's system. He can play striker, CF and both wings. Additionally, 20-year-old stud John Anthony Brooks looks very likely to also join the US over Germany. He has been called up for next month's game in Bosnia. It's not a cap-tying game. If he does commit, he'll very likely become the best CB in our pool. This tournament proved that the depth of the program is getting VERY strong. Now it seems like anyone with American ties wants in. This will be a team to reckon with come 2018 ... maybe even next year. There will be a lot of good players cut from the World Cup team, something we could never say before.
John Adams Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 (edited) USA Gold Cup Champs. I thought it was a great game even though it was scoreless for about 70 minutes. This was the kind of game that just requires very hard work and the players came through. Panama got zero shots on goal. Huge credit goes to Besler and Goodson who both had great games. But it was everyone contributing, just working their asses off. Loved the total team effort. Panama made it extremely difficult to create chances at goal. USA did everthing right to grind this one out. 75%+ possession. There were some close chances from Shea, E. Johnson and Donovan, so it could have been 2-0 or 3-0. But the 1-0 final score paints the picture of the kind of game it was. Panama did everything they could, including constant fouling and the referee once again seemed to want to screw the USA. Disagree completely. Panama played fine except for the little bit of chippiness with Eddie Johnson towards the end. Panama played the perfect game. They packed in their defense and hoped for counter. Until the US started making those extra overlapping runs and working the ball wide, it looked like it was headed for a 0-0 tie. The US had 80% possession in the first half and didn't generate one chance. How Eddie Johnson missed that shot off the Shea pass is beyond me. Shea played himself right off the national team and will likely be back in MLS before long, which is the right place for him. His footwork is horrible and he just happens to be a big athlete. Donovan (obviously), Beckerman (not a huge fan but played well), Diskerud all made their case for the WC team. Edited July 29, 2013 by John Adams
Cugalabanza Posted July 29, 2013 Author Posted July 29, 2013 Disagree completely. Panama played fine except for the little bit of chippiness with Eddie Johnson towards the end. Well, the ref was not horrible. I thought the handball in the box in the first half should have been a penalty. I thought a few too many foul calls went in favor of Panama. There was one foul called on Donovan in the second half where Donovan won the ball cleanly that was a very bad decision. I agree that Panama only did what they needed to, play very physical and dig in. Beckerman will probably make the WC squad as a back-up central MF. Diskerud may very well find himself starting next to Bradley next summer.
John Adams Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 Well, the ref was not horrible. I thought the handball in the box in the first half should have been a penalty. I thought a few too many foul calls went in favor of Panama. There was one foul called on Donovan in the second half where Donovan won the ball cleanly that was a very bad decision. I agree that Panama only did what they needed to, play very physical and dig in. Beckerman will probably make the WC squad as a back-up central MF. Diskerud may very well find himself starting next to Bradley next summer. I did not think that was a foul where Donovan was flying through the air. Landon made an awkward outstretched leap at a ball and there was contact between him and the defender. No foul and I was relieved he wasn't hurt because he fell really awkwardly. The handball had no intent. It was a ball behind the defenders back that nicked his wrist. They could have called it but it was not that bad. The best thing to say about the ref: Nothing he did was outcome determinitive. He let them play for the most part. Beckerman as backup sounds right. Diskerud looked better than Holden to me all tournament but still sad for Holden--tough break. Hopefully it's not as bad as all prelim reports indicate.
Cugalabanza Posted July 29, 2013 Author Posted July 29, 2013 I did not think that was a foul where Donovan was flying through the air. Landon made an awkward outstretched leap at a ball and there was contact between him and the defender. No foul and I was relieved he wasn't hurt because he fell really awkwardly. The handball had no intent. It was a ball behind the defenders back that nicked his wrist. They could have called it but it was not that bad. The best thing to say about the ref: Nothing he did was outcome determinitive. He let them play for the most part. Beckerman as backup sounds right. Diskerud looked better than Holden to me all tournament but still sad for Holden--tough break. Hopefully it's not as bad as all prelim reports indicate. That's not the Donovan play I was talking about. I agree about the one you mention--no foul. To me, the handball should have been called because the defender used his arm to extend his body to block the ball. That was not the player simply in natural stride.
PTS Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 http://m.si.com/3216007/u-s-holden-suffered-torn-acl-in-gold-cup-final/ Poor kid. Can't shake the injury bug.
Cugalabanza Posted July 30, 2013 Author Posted July 30, 2013 http://m.si.com/3216007/u-s-holden-suffered-torn-acl-in-gold-cup-final/ Poor kid. Can't shake the injury bug. I really feel for him. He must be devastated. Still a chance to be there for Brazil I suppose.
Magox Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 I did not think that was a foul where Donovan was flying through the air. Landon made an awkward outstretched leap at a ball and there was contact between him and the defender. No foul and I was relieved he wasn't hurt because he fell really awkwardly. The handball had no intent. It was a ball behind the defenders back that nicked his wrist. They could have called it but it was not that bad. The best thing to say about the ref: Nothing he did was outcome determinitive. He let them play for the most part. Beckerman as backup sounds right. Diskerud looked better than Holden to me all tournament but still sad for Holden--tough break. Hopefully it's not as bad as all prelim reports indicate. A few points: One, on that play where Donovan fell awkwardly, if you watch the replay closely, the reason why he fell the way he did is because the Panamanian defender kicked one of Donovan's leg when it was up in the air, which most likely was the reason why he fell. I'm not saying that there should have been a foul called, but it could have easily gone the other way, and justifiably so. In regards to Diskerud, I have high hopes for him, unfortunately he plays the same role as Bradley, more of the distributor from the defensive side of the midfield. And I don't believe that he will replace Jones as the Defensive midfield pitbull role as the starter. And yes, Beckerman my guess will make the team, and he certainly played well in this tournament, but there are too many good players in front of him that play his position. And yes, truly unfortunate of what happened to Holden.
John Adams Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 A few points: One, on that play where Donovan fell awkwardly, if you watch the replay closely, the reason why he fell the way he did is because the Panamanian defender kicked one of Donovan's leg when it was up in the air, which most likely was the reason why he fell. I'm not saying that there should have been a foul called, but it could have easily gone the other way, and justifiably so. In regards to Diskerud, I have high hopes for him, unfortunately he plays the same role as Bradley, more of the distributor from the defensive side of the midfield. And I don't believe that he will replace Jones as the Defensive midfield pitbull role as the starter. And yes, Beckerman my guess will make the team, and he certainly played well in this tournament, but there are too many good players in front of him that play his position. And yes, truly unfortunate of what happened to Holden. I've never been a huge Beckerman fan (on this team) but he earned his way onto a bench spot. Diskerud might also be on the bench for the reason you say--Bradley is the most important player on the USMNT IMO--but Diskerud's earned a spot on the team. Regarding that Donavon play, there was contact on that play and it could have been called. But he (the poster) wasn't even talking about that play. He was talking about some other that I don't remember.
Recommended Posts