World Cup

[zephyr]

Amazing: a week and a half ago, everybody was screaming that this was the group of death, and we had very little chance of advancing.

Now, we have a very good chance of advancing, and everyone says how mediocre we've played.

I thought we had to play lights out to advance?

Amazing how many new experts come around every 4 years to care about soccer for 3 weeks.

Reminds me of ESPN softball coverage.

Certainly, anyone's welcome to hop on or off any bandwagon they choose at any time. And that's what these boards are for - sharing your opinion.

But it's one way or the other. This team is better than everyone expected - or they're worse. Not both.

And this team has played lights out for LARGE stretches of this world cup, or we wouldn't be talking about the possibility of advancing.

Its not as simple as you indicate. First, I saw this team play better in several of their qualifier games earlier this year and late last year but they also had different personnel at times. The real head scratcher is the exclusion of either Eddie Johnson or even Terrance Boyd as players that can either replace Altidore or play alongside him and let Dempsey play underneath them more.

According to FIFA rankings, the Americans are also ranked 13th. I'm not sure where many expected them to be but this is a nice place to be ranked, especially since earlier last year we were in the low 20's. What scares me about this team is that they decided to go young and inexperienced in hopes of gaining some experience for the next world cup rather than going proven players who may be 5-6 years older. This team has talent but we are lacking depth up front and we have some young guys we are having to lean on a bit so its a bit shaky. However, I think this team is likely better than what people thought they would be going in to this because most likely hadn't seen them do very well in qualifying.

[raginsaints]

Omar Gonzalez has the rep of being one of our best center backs. He was expected to be starting but injuries in the last month delayed that and then Besler and Cameron have been playing really well. If the pass by Ronaldo was a "perfect" pass, why would it matter where our defenders were anyhow? The fact is, they had good positioning and you are right, it was a perfect pass made by the best player on the planet. The problem I had was that we got way too conservative on the other end and didn't attack their goal when we had numbers.

No, he doesn't. Omar Gonzalez was one of the better up and coming center backs but he's recently hit a wall. He's more known as a guy who's constantly caught out of position and ball watching. He really shouldn't play unless our 2 starting center backs and John Brooks are injured.


It was a perfect pass but if you have 3 center backs, someone should be able to at least challenge the lone forward in the box.

[CharlieK]

The announcers don't even know exactly when it is going to end. So I think it's fair to say I'm not the only one.

Trying to understand. Do you have to watch the entire game so that you can keep a running tally in your head of how much stoppage time there will be? In other words, if you watch the game casually coming and going is there any way to know how much will be added.

I'm not blasting, I'm asking.

[jllanclos]

Trying to understand. Do you have to watch the entire game so that you can keep a running tally in your head of how much stoppage time there will be? In other words, if you watch the game casually coming and going is there any way to know how much will be added.

I'm not blasting, I'm asking.

If you haven't watched the game, they tell you at the 90 minute mark.

If you've decided you'll hate soccer no matter how exciting it becomes, you'll find some dumb excuse.

This one's one of the dumber ones.

[CajunRage]

The part I don't like is that they let the play finish. It is B.S. that the whistle was blown right after the ball was put in play after Portugal's goal. The game would not have been called until Portugal's attack was finished. It could have been a save by Howard on the cross or they could have pressured for another minute or two. Too subjective. I'll continue to watch though. It is an exciting game.

[CharlieK]

If you haven't watched the game, they tell you at the 90 minute mark.

If you've decided you'll hate soccer no matter how exciting it becomes, you'll find some dumb excuse.

This one's one of the dumber ones.

I this directed at me? Where did I say I hate soccer? I asked a question. You guys are touchy.

[jllanclos]

I this directed at me? Where did I say I hate soccer? I asked a question. You guys are touchy.

Not "you" directly.

If "one" hasn't watched the game....

[raginsaints]

Jose Mourinho thinks Michael Bradley belongs at a top European club. https://sports.yahoo.com/video/mouri...020639470.html

[ManAboutTown]

You guys are killing me.
This is why people hate Americans when it comes to sports.
"If it's not done our way, it's wrong, damn it!"
This is the worlds game. Bigger and older than any other sport, and theres a reason.

To Rage's point, yes they did allow the attack to finish. Wouldn't it be more fishy if they cut you off in the middle of a legit scoring chance when the time-add is already inconspicuous? If that had been Dempsey scoring, the narrative would be how great and gutty the Americans are to pull that result out.

Let's have some perspective.

[cajunhawk]

Jose Mourinho thinks Michael Bradley belongs at a top European club.https://sports.yahoo.com/video/mouri...020639470.html

So he is signing with Chelsea?

[RCAJUN90]

Trying to understand. Do you have to watch the entire game so that you can keep a running tally in your head of how much stoppage time there will be? In other words, if you watch the game casually coming and going is there any way to know how much will be added.

I'm not blasting, I'm asking.

I don't know. I would hope the refs would have a stop watch or something to record the time. Why can't they show this on a big scoreboard? I don't understand why they just don't stop the clock like every other sport in the world?

[CharlieK]

I love football and baseball. I question the rules all the time. Lighten up.