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World Cup preview: USA vs. Germany [ESPN 12:00 EDT]
WP ^ | June 26, 2014 | Michael Caley

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 ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Sports
KEYWORDS: fifa; germany; soccer; teamusa; us; usa; worldcup
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To: kabar

Get Bradley off the field. Has he made one good play in this entire tournament


81 posted on 06/26/2014 10:22:17 AM PDT by sharkhawk (Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall.)
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To: Krosan

Correct. We need Portugal to score a goal now.


82 posted on 06/26/2014 10:24:31 AM PDT by kabar
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To: kabar

Come on CR7!


83 posted on 06/26/2014 10:28:31 AM PDT by Obadiah (None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.)
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Brian McBride is one of my favorite all-time American players, he’d do well in situations like this, a good person probably as well. Okay, 16 minutes and added time left.


84 posted on 06/26/2014 10:31:17 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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Poor JJ, God-Speed.


85 posted on 06/26/2014 10:33:04 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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To: BeadCounter

Portugal just scored


86 posted on 06/26/2014 10:37:18 AM PDT by kabar
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To: Obadiah

I think he heard you. CR7 just scored. USA is much safer now.


87 posted on 06/26/2014 10:38:33 AM PDT by Krosan
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To: Krosan

Thank you, Jesus.


88 posted on 06/26/2014 10:39:19 AM PDT by Obadiah (None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.)
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To: Krosan

Portugal almost scored again. They need two goals to oust the US or if the US concedes another.


89 posted on 06/26/2014 10:40:11 AM PDT by kabar
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To: Vaquero; 1rudeboy

You know Christian Ronaldo (Ronaldo is actually his middle name) was named after Ronald Reagan, right? Fact.


90 posted on 06/26/2014 10:41:25 AM PDT by Obadiah (None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.)
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To: Vaquero

This soccer thing is Euro-socialists shoving foreign sports down our throats- we are a third world kleptocracy if this keeps up.


91 posted on 06/26/2014 10:41:50 AM PDT by CountryClassSF
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To: goldstategop


The U.S. defender pulled an "Obama cringe" attempting to block the German score ... a bit more of a sell-out would've been nice.


92 posted on 06/26/2014 10:43:17 AM PDT by mikrofon (Go USA! Bump)
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To: CountryClassSF

No one is forcing you to watch it or post on this thread.


93 posted on 06/26/2014 10:43:41 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: 1rudeboy
Live stream: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/1824045/size/condensed/
94 posted on 06/26/2014 10:45:59 AM PDT by conservative98
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To: Mr Fuji
I was gone at a lunch appointment. I will watch the highlights at home tonight.

Looking good for the USA due to point differential tiebreaker over Portugal. (Thanks to Germany for that first game v. Portugal!)

95 posted on 06/26/2014 10:50:54 AM PDT by Stat-boy
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To: Stat-boy

so we’re in????....even after losing?


96 posted on 06/26/2014 10:52:18 AM PDT by cherry
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To: goldstategop

We lost.

But with Portugal’s win, Team USA advances to the Round Of 16.


97 posted on 06/26/2014 10:52:32 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: cherry

Yes, we’re in!

Germany won the Group G title.

We’re getting better and its a respectable loss.


98 posted on 06/26/2014 10:53:38 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

Completely underwhelming but we are through. Wish I felt better about how the team played today.


99 posted on 06/26/2014 10:53:47 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
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To: kabar

Ronaldo scored the goal that protected the USA.


100 posted on 06/26/2014 10:53:59 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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