I prefer to take the positive from the disappointing loss. We were in every game, even the last, against some of the world's top soccer powers. We emerged from the "Group of Death" to reach the knockout stage, farther than the so-called experts had predicted. Of course, we're not equal to the world powers, all of whom who claim soccer as THE national sport. We won't be until our talent pool reaches the same level as the power countries. There are many great athletes in the U.S. playing other sports, which is not the case in the power countries. In the meantime, we can be proud of how the team represented our country (and how alum Matt Besler represented Notre Dame). That's what I take away from the World Cup.
I gotta shoot down this Landon Donovan stuff once and for all. First of all, he's not that good. We have several players on this roster who are good enough to play in the Premier League, or the Bundasliga. Donovan is not one of them, nor was he ever one of them. He's a selfish player who often takes shots he has no business taking and throws wild passes that sometimes pan out into great plays. He's not a bad American player. He's got skill. He's got offensive skill. He is not a good defensive midfielder and that is precisely what he would have been called on to do. I keep seeing his name thrown out, but exactly who would he have replaced?! He's not a striker. He can't play up top. He's prone to horrific bouts of laziness, which plays back into his lack of defensive prowess. Americans cling to this guy because he's had some great moments for the US. Let's not lose sight of the fact that we're not that good yet, and he's not anywhere near our best player. However, he has built up a following as if he's some key component that we couldn't do without. I disagree. With Donovan, I don't see how we get out of the group of Death. Each player on this team had a role and Landon isn't a role kind of guy. JOCO is spot on correct that we never recovered from the loss of Altidore. With the athletic talent in this country, we should have a dozen Altidore's, but we don't. Dempsey gave us everything he had, but he played out of position for all but the last 15 minutes of the Belgium game. I thought our defense played well. It's easy to point the finger at the defensemen, but the reality is that our midfield was simply not that good. (and all of them defensively better than Donovan, mind you). The only possible argument that could be made for Donovan is that he could have carried a few plays and held some possession longer. That's not why we lost. While he may have been able to hold 4 or 5 possessions per game longer, he would have been beaten 4 or 5 times a game defensively. With the quality of opponent we were facing, that would have been deadly. If there's one critique of Klinsmann, and I don't believe it to be fair, but why not try the kid Julian Green sooner? The answer is, he'd looked overmatched in his previous stints and he was always going to be an 'experience' pick with this roster. HOWEVER, the one thing Green gave us was the ability (finally) to slide Dempsey back behind him and let him play with his face to the goal (his natural position) and it allowed Bradley to drop back playing a defensive midfield role in which he creates and makes plays. Do note, the US goal was scored by Bradley finally being able to do what he does best and sneak up from the back to make a great ball to Green on a run. I see positives. We've come so far in a very short amount of time, comparatively speaking, but we're still found wanting in just too many areas. I do find the critique of the German-American players comical. They allegedly 'aren't good enough for their national team in Germany (not true btw)' but no one paid any mind that they were all good enough to play in the Bundasliga. It should be noted, Landon Donovan was not good enough to play in the Bundasliga.. and Lord did they try to make that work. Anyone here gonna be shocked if Colombia beats Brazil? I won't.
In the post-game on ESPN radio (I was hurrying Carson off to his game) the little Irish dude who doesn't do much TV anymore (because he isn't pretty and tells a lot of ugly truths) had a much different opinion than the others and I agree with him. Belgium was the better side, no doubt. We knew that coming in. They were a team without a true weakness. Klinsmann's plan was to stack 8 deep, 2 rows of 4 across defensively and wait for the counter. This is a staple of Italian football... Holland has shown a lot of this in the WC as well. Anyway, the lack of Altidore means we can't flip the field for a counter in a single strike. We were hoping for a sloppy goal on a set piece or on a rare extended possession. We got exactly that. At the end of regulation, Wondahowdahellhismisski (I can't remember how to spell his name, but that's his name now) literally missed a wide open goal. That's why he was on this team. That's his job. He's a garbage man goal scorer in the MLS and has done that dozens of times. All he needs to do is put a knee, head, crotch or a toe punch on that ball. Instead, he tried to go pretty and bury it top shelf. He put it over the goal. If that goes in, we're all having a very different conversation right now getting ready for an Argentine side that is nowhere near as deep or talented (Messi aside) as the Belgians..
:roll: We only took 4-5 shots in the entire game. Donovan would have taken more than that by himself...
Germany I agree with Corey that they're the best league by far. re: Landon Donovan http://sports.yahoo.com/news/donovan-comes-off-bitter-klinsmann-062000341--sow.html
Better than the English Premier League? I'm just trying to learn here, and you and Corey are the best teachers I know.
:idea: In my opinion...yes. Top to bottom the Bundesliga has been the best for a long time. The Premier League in Britain always has some good teams, so does the Spanish League and the Italian League; even the French league. But top to bottom the German league is the best.
Corey's favorite team is Borussia Dortmund. They're the Oakland Raiders of the Bundesliga and their fans are as out-of-control crazy as any in the world. Here is a brief history of the club... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KB0J8rkCGSA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
This game was for the championship of Europe. Long before other fans have taken their seats, the Dortmund fans are already in their section... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wjjPl0hQCnA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
8) Ah...here we have trouble before a game. The Dortmund fans are on a road trip to Manchester, England... home of England's Irish community who have a wee, small reputation for rowdiness themselves... We see the Dortmunders entering the stadium surrounded by British riot police... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jhVKpsi5hPY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
The main fan support group calls itself "The BvB Defense Club." This short video of their activities speaks for itself... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R4Lqs1y4vXw?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
I never really gave much thought to the Irish in Great Britain/UK before JO"Co's comments. So I looked that topic up, I learned something!! Didn't know how prominent the Irish were in England/Scotland and Wales. Although given the proximity it's not surprising. Sports teams[edit] Sports teams with links to the Irish community exist in England, although this is not as marked as in Scotland. In football, Arsenal, Leeds United, Everton, Manchester United have a tradition of representing the Irish communities in their area although unlike many clubs in Scotland they were not formed on the basis of representing the Irish community. For example, Arsenal has featured ethnically Irish players such as Liam Brady, Terry Neill, Pat Rice, Niall Quinn, David O'Leary and Graham Barrett. Aston Villa has featured many Irish players such as Steve Staunton, Paul McGrath, Richard Dunne and former managers David O'Leary and Martin O'Neill. Aston Villa has a large Irish following in the West Midlands which has the highest proportion of Irish people in the UK. Both Everton and Liverpool have roots in a Methodist church but Everton F.C. was often described as Liverpool's Irish Catholic team, probably because Everton had a number of Eire internationals in the 1950s. Liverpool F.C. was formed by a prominent Orangeman but this fact did not deter Liverpool people from a Catholic background supporting the team. Everton has notably produced Wayne Rooney who is of Irish descent and have recently featured promising Irish internattional Séamus Coleman; as were prominent Liverpool players who were Everton fans in their youth such as Jamie Carragher and Steve McManaman. Recently Jonjo Shelvey has become the latest in a line of Liverpool players with Irish heritage, going back to the days of Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton. Neither Liverpool nor Everton have a sectarian affiliation and many families are split in support of the clubs. With the managership of Sir Matt Busby, Manchester United also emerged as a club with a considerable Irish following both in Great Britain and in Ireland itself as well as having notable Irish stars like George Best, Norman Whiteside, Mal Donaghy, Denis Irwin, Roy Keane, and recently John O'Shea. In Rugby league, Dewsbury Celtic represented the large Irish community in Dewsbury, and St Helens represent communities in Merseyside. The rugby union club London Irish represents the community in London. There is also a GAA Londain (London in Irish) team representing the GAA clubs in London, that plays in the Connacht province (in Gaelic football) and Ulster (in hurling); see London GAA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_migration_to_Great_Britain
:shock: :shock: :shock: An incredible, unforgettable day in what is turning into one of the greatest World Cups... Germany 1 France 0 This was a very "German" game: a clever and methodical execution of the slow-witted French, who played a stonewall defense even after the Germans scored just 13 minutes into the game. Did they understand that this was an elimination match? The Huns were more than happy to play along. They understand that nobody defeats the French like the French. It's like Punch and Judy: all you have to do is watch. The French didn't open it up until the final minutes. They didn't even make their counter substitutions until the final minutes, but it was all too late. Their efforts produced just one good shot on goal in stoppage time that was tipped away...then the whistles blew and the Germans exited the field laughing. We've seen this one before...
Donovan: I agree with JOCO. He would have found a way to take more shots. My issue continues to be how many shots/goals he would have given up. As for his interview, if nothing else, it shows precisely why this guy was left off the team. It's not the United States of Donovan. This dude can go back to be the hero of the MLS where the fans don't know enough (yet) to know what a fraud he is. DORTMUND Here's what you need to know and why I love them so.. It's the franchise that wouldn't die. The team is made up, almost entirely, of their own products. Dortmund is a modest town and by all accounts, one of the more pleasant places in Europe. While other big time German clubs like Shalke04, Bayern Leverkusen, Stuttgart and the reigning kings of European football Bayern Munich, have gone to using their own home grown talent PLUS whatever they can buy on the international market it's Dortmund who continues to operate within their own resources and utilize their player development system. Recently, Mario Gotze (he's already scored in the World Cup) left Dortmund to join Bayern Munich. It was/is largely seen as a betrayal. Players don't leave Dortmund. These guys aren't just German, they are Bavarian. There are many teams in the region, but only one Borussia. The players are Bavarian. They aren't the typical rock star celebrities. They are beloved like brothers or family members, because to a certain extent, they are. When Gotze left, it was a huge betrayal, but the people of Dortmund still love the guy. Gotze was part of Dortmund's famed 1-2 punch in 2012. The other part was Marco Reus, who is arguably Germany's best player and is missing the World Cup due to an injury that happened in a tune up game just prior to the tournament. Even with Reus out injured, and Gotze now playing for Bayern Munich, Dortmund has 3 players on Die Mannschaft in the World Cup. They've had as many as 8 players earn caps in the run up to the Cup. Irish in England: One of the things that turned me onto ManU as a child was the number of Irish players, or English players of Irish descent, that played for them. One of the things that has pissed me off with their recent clubs is the grab for international talent. What made ManU the big, bad wolf of English football wasn't just winning. They won with players from their own developmental program who were often local kids from the region... and large number of them English-Irish players.
As a long time follower of German football, I had no worries about France. I'm not sure the Germans have played their best game in this tournament yet. I thought they toyed with France as JOCO pointed out. How about Brazil and Colombia? WOW! For those who bitch about soccer being too slow, this was the game for you. Both teams came right out trying to knock each other out with one blow and didn't stop until the final whistle.
:shock: :shock: :shock: Brazil 2 Colombia 1 The real Brazil showed up and the Colombians tossed the kitchen sink at them in one of the most unforgettable World Cup games ever played. The Colombians mocked their opponents before the game, suggesting that they were overrated, and attempted to run right past their hosts with a wide open offense. History has demonstrated that this is ALWAYS the wrong approach when playing the mighty Brasileros, who are the fastest team in every World Cup, including this one. It took them exactly 6 and a half minutes to score as they began raining down shots on the bewildered Colombian goalie. The faster the Colombians went, the faster the Brasileros stole the ball from them and went on offense again. The visitors were lucky that the score wasn't 4-0 at halftime... In the second half, the Brazilians scored again thanks to David Luiz, who had one of the greatest games any defenseman ever had. In fact, BOTH Brazilian goals were scored by their defenders who had gone coast-to-coast, playing both ends of the field... Down 2-0, the Colombians changed their tactics and made their substitutions, turning the entire game into a street fight. They began diving and flopping on every play...until they realized the ref wasn't carding players for ANY reason. They then began hacking and clubbing Brazil's players to an extent that I haven't seen since the infamous Knobby Styles played for England. It almost worked. The Brazilians lost their captain, Thiago Silva, for the next game when he lost his temper and retaliated. Even worse, they lost their greatest player, Neymar, for the rest of the tournament when he suffered a fractured vertebra in his back when Colombian defenseman Juan Zuniga deliberately kicked him in the spine after a running start. No penalty cards were given on that play either, despite TWO Brazilian players being down and one knocked out of the tournament with a serious injury... Colombia finally got on the board with a penalty kick...of all things. It seemed to me that this referee was on the take and it should be investigated. The Colombians physically attacked the Brazilian players again and again, with no cards and sometimes no recognition from the ref at all...and he awards a penalty kick to Colombia? Wow. The whistle finally blew to get these Colombian thugs out of the WC, but they left Brazil damaged. Neymar is gone. The captain, Thiago Silva is ineligible for the semifinal against Germany and the rest of the team is distracted to say the least. This is where we're going to find out just how deep that Brazilian roster really is...