The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

[Reno_eNVy]

Not a bad strategy of lots of passing to tire out the other team. I just hope our possession game is strong enough under pressure.

 

[Hopinista]

Aller Belgique!!!

 

[Johnsondog65]

My son and I were having a similar discussion as we were watching Mexico play Ecuador in Arlington. He thinks playing the friendlies in hot weather will be an advantage for the USA. True, if the WC was in the states. It's winter in Brazil and the temps are ~75 as the high......

No doubt about it, JK has his boys in great shape. I'm hoping that we can possess the ball to where our fitness comes into play.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

With England aided and abetted by no other than super-athlete Steven Hawking............Well, it's all over! Just hand England (Well, Brazil) the World Cup now and skip all those pesky matches!! You can't argue with science!

http://blog.paddypower.com/2014/05/...at-show-us-how-england-can-win-the-world-cup/

"As we say in science, England couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo"

 

[FlyDoctor]

It's winter in Brazil and the temps are ~75 as the high......

No doubt about it, JK has his boys in great shape. I'm hoping that we can possess the ball to where our fitness comes into play.

Not so sure about your weather forecast...perhaps in the south, but in some places its plenty tropical in "winter"

http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.82331

 

[bford]

My son and I were having a similar discussion as we were watching Mexico play Ecuador in Arlington. He thinks playing the friendlies in hot weather will be an advantage for the USA. True, if the WC was in the states. It's winter in Brazil and the temps are ~75 as the high......

No doubt about it, JK has his boys in great shape. I'm hoping that we can possess the ball to where our fitness comes into play.

I've read that the places that the US are going to play will have temps in the 90's....and be very humid.... but I haven't researched it myself.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

My son and I were having a similar discussion as we were watching Mexico play Ecuador in Arlington. He thinks playing the friendlies in hot weather will be an advantage for the USA. True, if the WC was in the states. It's winter in Brazil and the temps are ~75 as the high......

No doubt about it, JK has his boys in great shape. I'm hoping that we can possess the ball to where our fitness comes into play.

Actually the high for Manaus on our match day there is 89 with 99% humidity. Sunset is 6pm. Match starts 6pm. It will be brutally hot during warmups and not much better by kickoff.

Also, thanks for jumping in this thread. It's always good to see more activity here.

 

[FlyDoctor]

Actually the high for Manaus on our match day there is 89 with 99% humidity. Sunset is 6pm. Match starts 6pm. It will be brutally hot during warmups and not much better by kickoff.

Also, thanks for jumping in this thread. It's always good to see more activity here.

Isn't this what I said? Ha


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Not a fan of the US lineup today

GK - Howard
RB- Johnson
CB - Besler
CB - Cameron
LB - Beasley
CDM - Jones
CDM - Beckerman
RM - Dempsey
CM - Bradley
LM - Bedoya
ST Jozy

Beckerman and Jones on the field at the same time is largely a waste. If you're gonna do that throw Cameron up there with Gonzalez and bench Jones. I also don't like taking Dempsey out of his best position for us. He will be out of his poaching position.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Jozy :fro:

 

[bford]

Not a fan of the US lineup today

GK - Howard
RB- Johnson
CB - Besler
CB - Cameron
LB - Beasley
CDM - Jones
CDM - Beckerman
RM - Dempsey
CM - Bradley
LM - Bedoya
ST Jozy

Beckerman and Jones on the field at the same time is largely a waste. If you're gonna do that throw Cameron up there with Gonzalez and bench Jones. I also don't like taking Dempsey out of his best position for us. He will be out of his poaching position.

I wasn't sure about the lineup either.. but I think it is the right type of lineup for the first two games... plenty of cover for the defense... to help against the speed of Ghana and then against Christiano.... (who I hope still has a nagging injury....)


Jones and Beckerman were both really good today.. and of course Bradley was great after the first fifteen minutes...

Beckerman is a nice, comfy, solid, safety blanket there just in front of the defenders....he isn't great at anything, but is above average across the board... and has a huge engine.

Jones made a nice pass to start the first goal... and his run to the top of the box kept the attention of one defender allowing the pass from the line to get across to Jozy for the easy tap in. It was a beautiful team goal!

The second goal...two great plays from Bradley and Jozy... great pass by Bradley... great first touch and switch to his right foot... then crushed a right footed shot past the keeper.... so nice!


Nigeria is no slouch..... they may not have played their best today... but a lot of that was because of how well the USA played.... Nigeria did nothing the second half until the subs were made late in the game.

Gonzales... I don't expect to see him play in Brazil at this point, unless there is an injury to one of the other three center backs.

F. Johnson at right fullback has been amazing... his attacking skills from that position give the US something they've never really had there...

Also.. did you see the burst of Chandler towards the end of the game.. he was screaming down the left side with the ball... Nigeria isn't slow... but he just left them in his dust... that is why he was brought back into this team.

Anyway, this was a great way to head into the Cup... take down Ghana and then see what happens!

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Yeah this line-up along with the (yet again) different formation seems to have been the best one to use.... seemed effective against speed.

Jozy finally broke his goalless streak. Makes me far less worries about our attack.

Beckerman was an excellent addition tonight. And yes, he may not be the best player out there, but I'd be willing to bet he has the most endurance and has the most soccer intelligence.

And as much I hate to say it, Gonzo isn't ready for the WC. He was WC quality during qualifiers, all up to about the end of the hex and he hasn't looked as sharp since. Very strange. But Beasley, Besler, Cameron, and Johnson is likely our starting back four.

Three wins is a great way to go into the tournament. AAAH it starts only a few days from now!

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

I wasn't sure about the lineup either.. but I think it is the right type of lineup for the first two games... plenty of cover for the defense... to help against the speed of Ghana and then against Christiano.... (who I hope still has a nagging injury....)


Jones and Beckerman were both really good today.. and of course Bradley was great after the first fifteen minutes...

Beckerman is a nice, comfy, solid, safety blanket there just in front of the defenders....he isn't great at anything, but is above average across the board... and has a huge engine.

Jones made a nice pass to start the first goal... and his run to the top of the box kept the attention of one defender allowing the pass from the line to get across to Jozy for the easy tap in. It was a beautiful team goal!

The second goal...two great plays from Bradley and Jozy... great pass by Bradley... great first touch and switch to his right foot... then crushed a right footed shot past the keeper.... so nice!


Nigeria is no slouch..... they may not have played their best today... but a lot of that was because of how well the USA played.... Nigeria did nothing the second half until the subs were made late in the game.

Gonzales... I don't expect to see him play in Brazil at this point, unless there is an injury to one of the other three center backs.

F. Johnson at right fullback has been amazing... his attacking skills from that position give the US something they've never really had there...

Also.. did you see the burst of Chandler towards the end of the game.. he was screaming down the left side with the ball... Nigeria isn't slow... but he just left them in his dust... that is why he was brought back into this team.

Anyway, this was a great way to head into the Cup... take down Ghana and then see what happens!

Chandler is super fast. He may be faster than Beasley who I thought was the fastest player on the team. Same thing with Yedlin. I think if we have the lead bringing one of them off the bench then sliding Fabian up to double up say Ronaldo would be killer.

The formation worked. Mainly because of Jones. He had a great game. If this Jermaine Jones shows up for the World Cup and we have this we're gonna be competitive.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Yeah this line-up along with the (yet again) different formation seems to have been the best one to use.... seemed effective against speed.

Jozy finally broke his goalless streak. Makes me far less worries about our attack.

Beckerman was an excellent addition tonight. And yes, he may not be the best player out there, but I'd be willing to bet he has the most endurance and has the most soccer intelligence.

And as much I hate to say it, Gonzo isn't ready for the WC. He was WC quality during qualifiers, all up to about the end of the hex and he hasn't looked as sharp since. Very strange. But Beasley, Besler, Cameron, and Johnson is likely our starting back four.

Three wins is a great way to go into the tournament. AAAH it starts only a few days from now!

I think Gonzalez has a minor Knee issue. Not bad enough to not play. But Bad enough that he is worried and has lost a step. That's why Cameron is playing. Speed.

US has plenty of concerns in the World Cup. But we have a heck of a shot of making it through.

If Jozy is just getting hot, and carries that into the WC I think we have a shot to advance out of group, especially if Ronaldo isn't 100%.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Yup. Jozy may have hit his stride at the right time.

 

[Grannyknot]

HBT World cup bracket challenge?

 

[bford]

If you get a chance to watch the HBO show Last Week Tonight (from June 8th), they did a fantastically funny report on the FIFA organization....

ah...

 

[Johnsondog65]

HBT World cup bracket challenge?

See if this works..... Password - Beer

http://y.ahoo.it/XUEIe9Co

 

[Grannyknot]

See if this works..... Password - Beer

http://y.ahoo.it/XUEIe9Co

sweet...

anyone else?

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

If you get a chance to watch the HBO show Last Week Tonight (from June 8th), they did a fantastically funny report on the FIFA organization....

That was simply hilarious with a large dollop of brilliance.

 

[BrewKnurd]

If you get a chance to watch the HBO show Last Week Tonight (from June 8th), they did a fantastically funny report on the FIFA organization....

ah... here it is on Youtube....

Ha, I was logging in this morning to post this. But I see its been handled.

Brilliant and hilarious and terrible sad and all of that wrapped up into one. The part I really appreciated is his touching on the painful dichotomy of being a soccer fan around now - when you just want to be excited about the WC but can't help but think of the corrupt s#!^-show that is FIFA.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

the painful dichotomy of being a soccer fan around now - when you just want to be excited about the WC but can't help but think of the corrupt s#!^-show that is FIFA.

And next, for your enjoyment, we bring you the Wonderful World of Disney. Sponsored by Adolf Hitler.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

John Oliver is funnier than Jon Stewart. Someone start a thread in an appropriate forum please, as I'm going OT here!

 

[Reno_eNVy]

sweet...

anyone else?

I would but I haven't had a yahoo account in 15 years, and I really can't think of anybody I know who does

 

[jgarretson]

Kyle Beckerman is the 2014 version of Mastreoni from 2002. No flash just all business and that is exactly what this team requires in that position. Jones could learn a thing or two by playing more like Beckerman.

Anyone else nervous as all get our for the US game Monday?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Grannyknot]

See if this works..... Password - Beer

http://y.ahoo.it/XUEIe9Co

ok, the yahoo pickem thing kind of sucks.
wants you to pick every single game + the score.
But then won't let you start on the knockout games until they are set.
weird.

I did an ESPN one were you just pick the 2 teams from each group and then do the brackets like a college basketball bracket.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Kyle Beckerman is the 2014 version of Mastreoni from 2002. No flash just all business and that is exactly what this team requires in that position. Jones could learn a thing or two by playing more like Beckerman.

Anyone else nervous as all get our for the US game Monday?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I am super nervous, I think we'll win, but I'm nervous because we have to win. A draw or even worse a loss ruins our shot of advancing short of making 2 miracle upsets. A win and a German win sets us up to lock up an advance with a victory over Portugal.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap

IT'S HERE! IT'S FINALLY HERE!

 

[Punity]

Yay! screw you Ghana this is our time haha

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Brazil announce their new goalkeeper.......Yes. Jesus saves!

[/IMG]