Posted on 06/26/2014 7:23:27 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
Can two defensively suspect teams settle on a needed draw? If Team USA and Germany simply equal each other’s goal tallies, both sides will go through to the knockout rounds. In most cases, it would be expected that the two sides should line up in highly defensive formations and show little adventure, committing only the minimum number of men to any attack. If both sides play defensively, the draw will come regardless of any conspiracy.
The problem is, neither side is built to play the sort of boring, unadventurous soccer such a fixture requires. American fans are well aware of the struggles of Team USA to secure a back line, and Jurgen Klinsmann has settled on a system which uses two deep-lying and mostly defensive midfielders in Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman to protect that back four.
Similarly, Germany is not the Germany of soccer legend, solid and hard-working and just good enough on set pieces to score one more goal than its opponent. Instead, under Jogi Loew Germany has been transformed into one of the most innovative and exciting attacking teams in the world. Playing a 4-3-3 without any true forward, the German system arguably includes either two or three false nines. As Mario Götze, Mesut Özil or Thomas Mueller drops out of the forward position and drags a defender out of position with him, one of the others or a midfielder like Sami Khedira will see the space that opens up and make a run toward the danger zone. These runs have produced many big chances already in the tournament, and the Germans have averaged three goals per match.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It’s a tough call, but we need more US players to play in the top European leagues.
I like the idea of MLS teams essentially becoming farm teams of the big Euro clubs, essentially they would serve as the developmental squads of the clubs.
So say for example half the team would consist of Manchester United developmental players, and the other half, domestic players.
A lot of other European domestic leagues face the same issues, like for example the best Polish players will generally play in the Bundesliga, rather than the domestic Polish league.
Landon Donovan would have made a great sub for those last efforts, I'm still surprised he got the boot. As a sub in that situation we had today he could have been lethal.
The best analogy I heard on this was from “Mike and Mike” on ESPN. They said it is like a golf tournament. You are up 5 strokes going into Sunday, you do not need to defeat the whole field on the last day, just shoot par and win the tournament.
Do you think right now Mexico fans care about how they got into the WC in the first place?
The good news is that Germany’s “Kryptonite”, Italy, is out of the tournament.
Yup. When the sport took hold in England and then spread around the world.
The poor Brits didn’t even make it to the semifinals this year and 2010 World Cup champion Spain is gone, too.
I always wondered, if there was a combined Great Britain team, with all of the great Scottish players, and Northern Irish players, like Georgie Best, combined with the great England players, how many World Cups they could have won.
Well the US can’t even win the World Baseball Classic.
Algeria won't beat Germany this World Cup if Algeria makes it thru.
They’re up against history.
Since the World Cup began in 1930, no European team has won when it was held in South America.
Brazil is the prohibitive undefeated favorite and will be tough to beat playing on the home turf.
If they come up short, Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico look good.
Yep, it all about tactics. There was a reason why the US bench was in constant contact with what was happening between Ghana and Portugal.
Also the US has now made it out of their Group every time the tournament has been held outside of Europe.
I don’t think they’ve ever made it out while it has been held in Europe.
Their team is good but not like the legendary German teams of the past.
If they manage to beat the historical black mark against Europe in Brazil, I will be shocked.
I’m not arguing with the result. No one can, Germany was much the better side and deserved its win. What I am not seeing is improvement in the areas I feel the USA must have to win, especially without a true target man in Altidore’s absence. Specifically, that is control of the midfield and pace of the game (which should be a given in 4-5-1 but is not for this team), and more possession so you don’t wear yourself to a frazzle playing reactive defense.
I get that some of it is the opposition and I get that some of it is Dempsey being played out of his favored position. I get too that some of it has been the horrific play of Bradley. But I bet if you ask Klinsmann if he’s happy, you and I both know what he would say.
They have to improve.
The World Cup didn’t start until 1930. The US finished third.
Brazil and Argentina are the favorites. Germany, France, and Holland will figure in the mix. Germany should meet France in the quarterfinal. Germany must then meet Brazil in the semifinal. Holland will probably play Argentina in the other semifinal.
“I always wondered, if there was a combined Great Britain team——————”
I think you mean United Kingdom
.
The US has always relied on “Bend but don’t Break”
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