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substitute posted:But guys guys guys, what if Landon Donovan was one the center instead of Bradley... but unironically
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Jun 23, 2014 02:35
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I'm a few pages behind in the thread since I decided to make dinner right after US/Portugal ended so maybe this got addressed since then but anyways: I saw a few posts from desperate US supporters saying that if Germany colluded with the US and tied that match, that both would then advance into the knockout stage. My question is: why would Germany want to do such a thing? Their advancement is already pretty much 100% secured, so what does it matter at this point who else passes on too? I suppose Germany may want to tie so that they only have to face an easy US team instead of that Ghana team that managed to tie them (and thus stands a chance at beating them in knockouts). But seriously, is there any reason to think that Germany won't just do whatever the hell it wants while Team USA looks on in impotent horror?
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Jun 23, 2014 02:36
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Wait are we seriously letting retards argue in favor of getting more points for having the highest DZ SiBoT at the end of a draw? Can the world cup mods start dropping some banhammers?
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Jun 23, 2014 02:36
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Mr. Mambold posted:You're wrong. He and Dempsey both wanted significant minutes in their year leading up to this, the most awesome world cup in the annals of time....believe it or not, regular playing time in MLS > bench time in Serie A or PL. Fat lot of good that playing time did Bradley. He spent last two games strolling around the pitch slower than an elderly couple taking a walk through the park on a Sunday afternoon, bemused as they watch a family play cricket. Starting for a team like West Brom would have been far better preparation, even if it were a lot less comfy than life in Toronto.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:37
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Earthy Ape Unit posted:Wait are we seriously letting retards argue in favor of getting more points for having the highest DZ SiBoT at the end of a draw? Can the world cup mods start dropping some banhammers? its called democracy we invented it :greecegoldendawncrying:
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Jun 23, 2014 02:37
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thehandtruck posted:Goalieless-goal, Bradley has the volley and can't put it anywhere except right at the defender? Six turnovers solely from him? He got caught ball-watching half the game and others had to pick up his slack. If you think he played well or even acceptable you are a loving idiot. He also has the ball more than any other American and is around the ball more often too. It's possible for people to watch a game and have differing opinions. Bradley seems to understand the game better than his teammates. He has great vision, played a lot of really good through balls (especially first half) and was involved in every attack.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:38
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Rodatose posted:
This only happens when the game has already been decided. Just saying.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:38
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Lowtechs posted:Man 4 points after 2 games if anyone said this before I would think you be smoking the crack.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:38
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thehandtruck posted:Goalieless-goal, Bradley has the volley and can't put it anywhere except right at the defender? Six turnovers solely from him? He got caught ball-watching half the game and others had to pick up his slack. If you think he played well or even acceptable you are a loving idiot. Bradley lost possession more than any other player because the ball constantly goes through him. It makes sense, the player who sees more of the ball is going to be tackled, miss passes, more often than someone who almost never has the ball at their feet. Suqit posted:Bradley seems to understand the game better than his teammates. He has great vision, played a lot of really good through balls (especially first half) and was involved in every attack. I think his role of the center of most US play works against him. He's easily the most visible player in US matches and so when things don't go well its easy to think "loving BRADLEY" because you just saw him on the ball so frequently and the times a pass or move didn't work just sticks out in the mind. Ciprian Maricon fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Jun 23, 2014 |
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Jun 23, 2014 02:40
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Eifert Posting posted:This only happens when the game has already been decided. Just saying.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:41
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TyrantWD posted:Fat lot of good that playing time did Bradley. He spent last two games strolling around the pitch slower than an elderly couple taking a walk through the park on a Sunday afternoon, bemused as they watch a family play cricket. Starting for a team like West Brom would have been far better preparation, even if it were a lot less comfy than life in Toronto. Good point. Look at what all that time competing in the premier league has done for the English. lol
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Jun 23, 2014 02:41
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Suqit posted:He also has the ball more than any other American and is around the ball more often too. Yeah he just needs better services and to play with teammates who aren't racist against bald men with low t. Bradley has been dire both games Suqit. It looks like he's wither trying too hard or he's let all the acclaim go to his head, as he's trying to do unnecessary things and the team is paying for it. He's not a bad guy or anything but he's hurting the team right now. Jones is by far the better player right now. I do blame MLS.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:43
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Why DID Landon Donovan not get called up? I was confused about this at the beginning of the cup but I forgot about it because we've been doing well enough that I didn't care.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:44
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Suqit posted:Good point. Look at what all that time competing in the premier league has done for the English. English players aren't really competing the the PL.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:45
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The guy on ESPN rated Bradley a 6 then moved it to a 5 because people on Facebook yelled at him lmafo
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Jun 23, 2014 02:46
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NEED TOILET PAPER posted:I'm a few pages behind in the thread since I decided to make dinner right after US/Portugal ended so maybe this got addressed since then but anyways: I saw a few posts from desperate US supporters saying that if Germany colluded with the US and tied that match, that both would then advance into the knockout stage. My question is: why would Germany want to do such a thing? Their advancement is already pretty much 100% secured, so what does it matter at this point who else passes on too? I suppose Germany may want to tie so that they only have to face an easy US team instead of that Ghana team that managed to tie them (and thus stands a chance at beating them in knockouts). But seriously, is there any reason to think that Germany won't just do whatever the hell it wants while Team USA looks on in impotent horror? Well, the US would probably hope that Germany would rest some of their starters with their advancement secured, but then again, they haven't clinched the group win, so it's not as if they have nothing to play for. At the end of the day, it's far better to just worry about getting yourself through than wonder who Germany will play, or what they will or won't do.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:46
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Suqit posted:Good point. Look at what all that time competing in the premier league has done for the English. 
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Jun 23, 2014 02:46
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Darth Windu posted:Why DID Landon Donovan not get called up? I was confused about this at the beginning of the cup but I forgot about it because we've been doing well enough that I didn't care. He's fat and he's old and he's not really committed. Beating up on garbage teams during the gold cup isn't really evidence of world cup readiness, and then he got even more out of shape. Also he's balding as hell.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:46
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Darth Windu posted:Why DID Landon Donovan not get called up? I was confused about this at the beginning of the cup but I forgot about it because we've been doing well enough that I didn't care. 
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Jun 23, 2014 02:47
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Suqit posted:I appreciate both yours and Stickys opinions because you're both knowledgable. I thought Bradley was solid to good in the first half but in the second half he gave away possession way too often plus his workrate was awful at times just watching the ball roll near him as he stood there or lightly jogged. And he didn't finish that one great opportunity he had. Zusi didn't impress me either and Bedoya seemed mostly anonymous. Jermaine Jones was incredible though and Fabian Johnson was making a ton of great runs
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Jun 23, 2014 02:47
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Earthy Ape Unit posted:Yeah he just needs better services and to play with teammates who aren't racist against bald men with low t. It's ok to have your own differing opinion PitUAE. I've no problem with our best players staying in or moving to MLS. It eventually makes the league better. I'm happy with how Bradley played this game and think he'll play even better against Germany. As long as we keep as many players out of that trash English league as possible I'm happy.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:47
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Earthy Ape Unit posted:He's fat and he's old and he's not really committed. Beating up on garbage teams during the gold cup isn't really evidence of world cup readiness, and then he got even more out of shape. The part about being old is what I figured. I hope you are kidding about the balding.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:48
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Suqit posted:Good point. Look at what all that time competing in the premier league has done for the English. The English squads failure has nothing to do with this. At age 26, Bradley should be challenging himself as much as possible, not strolling around like he is Riquelme with the resume of Pele. A cold night in a Stoke is exactly what he needed.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:48
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Even from the last row of the upper deck, Michael Bradley was easy to spot. At six feet two, Bradley has long legs, short arms, and a truculent, upright running style not unlike that of a large rooster. His commanding demeanor has earned him various martial nicknames here such as Il Generale and Il Marine. The Italian press dubbed him Captain America during a standout season for Chievo Verona last season. Other monikers, such as Lex Luthor, Alien, and Megamind, have to do with his bulbous bald head, easily his most recognizable feature. Italy had polished Bradley's game. He was savvier in space and less prone to the reckless challenges and positional drift of his earlier career. He'd assimilated so readily it was easy to forget he was a pioneer—the first American to appear in this historic derby, the first to catch on at a major club here. (Apologies to Alexi Lalas and Padova.) "The first from the New World who comes to play in the old one," wrote Emanuela Audisio in La Repubblica. "To break through, to confront, not to mess around." There are many words in Rome for Michael Bradley. The first I heard came from a rough-featured man working the desk in an AS Roma store near the Colosseum. Outside, scruffy Curva Sud types were lining up to collect match tickets. Inside, the jerseys of Totti and other legendary Roma players festooned the walls. "What do you think of Michael Bradley?" I asked the man. "Che pensa di Michael Bradley?" "He's good," the man said. "Better than a lot of guys on the team." Then he paused. It was often this way with Italians: a moment of deliberation followed by a burst of conjecture presented as unassailable fact. "Puntiglioso," he stated with authority. "Bradley è puntiglioso." Puntiglioso: punctilious, precise, persnickety. It's a fair description of a midfielder with pinpoint passing skills. In Serie A this season, Bradley completed 1,205 of 1,348 passes for an 89.4 percent accuracy rating, according to WhoScored.com. Among starting midfielders, only Javier Zanetti and Valon Behrami had higher connect rates, and only slightly. Not bad company. But Bradley completed more long balls, through balls, and passes that led to scoring opportunities. Yes, puntiglioso felt apt. "No," Roma team manager Salvatore Scaglia told me a few days later. "No puntigloso. No, no, no." He looked at me with a certainty that left no room for debate. "Molto disponibile." Disponibile: available, willing, helpful. Molto: very. Descriptions of Bradley tend toward the abstract, as if it is hard to clearly apprehend his abilities. In the American press, he's routinely defined in a welter of character notes: "stoic," "fiery," "cerebral," "emotional," "heady," "gritty." A versatile midfielder should resist tidy categorization; Bradley can defend, pass, and, occasionally, score. But his success also owes to more recondite talents than, say, Landon Donovan's ability to serrate a back line with a single run. Bradley is consistent and inexhaustible. He plays simply and makes sound decisions. He specializes in dirty work. His contributions, while prized by teammates, rarely induce rapture among American observers. In Italy, however, fans fixate on tactics and extol the selfless play in which Bradley takes pride. What he's achieved in unassuming fashion is nothing short of remarkable, and not just overseas. At a relatively tender age, he's become the heart of the U.S. national team, its irreplaceable engine and likely future captain. This transformation was apparent during the 2010 World Cup, after which David Beckham singled him out as one of the tournament's top players. Bradley isn't the best American soccer player alive. He's simply the most important. And he's earned that distinction by dint of sheer will, which is why the only label for him that doesn't in some way diminish his achievements is the one he gives me after practice one day at the Roma training center: "determined." When allowed to play like this for the U.S., Bradley has impressed. In the Brazil friendly last year, he completed elegant long balls and through balls to his attackers. Against Scotland a few days earlier, playing more as a defensive mediano, he hit a wicked, bending half volley into the upper 90. It was a world-class goal that made teammate Terrence Boyd shake his head in amazement. Bradley has also scored when making intermedio-style trailing runs into the box, no goal more important than the one that tied the game against Slovenia in the 2010 World Cup. I had watched—what else could I do?—and I had seen un giocatore: a player.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:48
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Oh lord.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:49
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Suqit posted:It's ok to have your own differing opinion PitUAE. I've no problem with our best players staying in or moving to MLS. It eventually makes the league better. For the record, I disagree with this, I feel like it makes our national team worse much more than the marginal improvement in the MLS that will get cancelled out once Garber adds Partizan Las Vegas and Red Star Charlotte.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:50
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 A Vegetable analysis  Final matches (same time): Germany v USA Ghana v Portugal 1) Germany goes through if a. Germany beats USA b. Germany ties USA c. Germany loses to USA, but Ghana v Portugal ties d. Goal-difference scenario: Germany loses to USA but has better goal difference than winner of Ghana v Portugal e. Goals-scored scenario: Germany loses to USA, has same goal difference as winner of Ghana v Portugal, but has more goals scored f. Head-to-head scenario: Germany loses to USA, has same goal difference and goals scored as winner of Ghana v Portugal, but has beaten said winner (Would tie Ghana but beat Portugal this way) g. FIFA draw lots: Germany loses to USA, has same goal difference and goals scored as Ghana, and the magic ball machine picks Germany instead of Ghana If Germany loses by two goals and Ghana wins by four, they're out. If Ghana wins by three, magic FIFA ball could condemn them. But both are very unlikely. 2) USA goes through if a. USA beats Germany b. USA ties Germany c. USA loses to Germany, but Ghana v Portugal ties d. Goal-difference scenario: USA loses to Germany but has better goal difference than winner of Ghana v Portugal (Cannot beat Ghana this way since Ghana would at least match USA's goal difference) e. Goals-scored scenario: USA loses to Germany, has same goal difference as winner of Ghana v Portugal, but USA has more goals scored f. Head-to-head scenario: USA loses to Germany, has same goal difference and goals scored as winner of Ghana v Portugal, but has beaten said winner (Would tie Portugal but beat Ghana this way) g. FIFA draw lots: USA loses to Germany, has same goal difference and goals scored as Portugal, and the magic ball machine picks USA instead of Portugal USA is tricky because if Germany beats them by two and Ghana beats Portugal by just one, they are out. Germany could very well thrash them, but Ghana and Portugal should be more evenly matched. A very tenuous four points they have, mostly because their final match is so hard. 3) Ghana goes through if a. Goal-difference scenario: Ghana beats Portugal, Germany v USA does not tie, and Ghana has better goal difference than said loser b. Goals-scored scenario: Ghana beats Portugal, Germany v USA does not tie, and Ghana has same goal difference as loser of Germany v USA but has more goals scored c. Head-to-head scenario: Ghana beats Portugal, Germany v USA does not tie, and Ghana has same goal difference and goals scored as loser of Germany v USA but has beaten said loser (Would tie Germany and lose to USA this way) d. FIFA draw lots: Ghana beats Portugal, Germany loses to USA, Ghana has same goal difference and goals scored as Germany, and the magic ball machine picks Ghana instead of Germany Ghana's fate is at least partly out of their hands. If USA and Germany settled for a tie, they have no chance of progressing. But they actually have a good chance. Germany winning 2-0 and Ghana winning 1-0 would secure their progression by goal difference. Germany winning 1-0 and Ghana winning 2-1 would tie Ghana with USA on goal difference, but allow them to progress on goals scored. Their main concern should be winning the game because that's by no means a given. 4) Portugal goes through if a. Goal-difference scenario: Portugal beats Ghana, Germany v USA does not tie, and Portugal has better goal difference than said loser b. Goals-scored scenario: Portugal beats Ghana, Germany v USA does not tie, and Portugal has same goal difference as loser of Germany v USA but has more goals scored c. Head-to-head scenario: Portugal beats Ghana, Germany v USA does not tie, and Portugal has same goal difference and goals scored as loser of Germany v USA but has beaten said loser (Would tie USA and lose to Germany this way) d. FIFA draw lots: Portugal beats Ghana, USA loses to Germany, Portugal has same goal difference and goals scored as USA, and the magic ball machine picks Portugal instead of USA It is not outside the realm of possibility for Portugal to progress. If Ronaldo wreaks havoc against Ghana and Germany predictably has a comfortable victory over USA, they're through. But no matter what, Portugal has to win by at least three goals. That last moment of magic from Ronaldo might have given them hope, but they'll need more where that came from.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:52
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TyrantWD posted:The English squads failure has nothing to do with this. You keep telling yourself this. The English league has been coasting on reputation, foreign money and reliance on foreign talent for the past 10 years. It's poo poo.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:52
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Stinky Pit posted:Zusi and Beasley both were very poor and I'm surprised US fans don't have any frustrations with their performances. I agree about Zusi he was awful and wasted so many balls and corners to absolutely no one. Also Bedoya seemed pretty anonymous while he was out there.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:53
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Zusi had some bad corners but didn't make glaring mistakes and Beasely was quite good. Are you sure you're not confusing him with 'the other black guy' or 'the black guy with the hair?'
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Jun 23, 2014 02:56
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Tighter than a ducks arse
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Jun 23, 2014 02:57
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Jota posted:I agree about Zusi he was awful and wasted so many balls and corners to absolutely no one. Also Bedoya seemed pretty anonymous while he was out there. Also, like someone posted earlier, Zusi's loafing during the substitution arguably gave Portugal the time needed to get that last attack off.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:57
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Suqit posted:You keep telling yourself this. The English league has been coasting on reputation, foreign money and reliance on foreign talent for the past 10 years. It's poo poo. I'm not an English fan. I was simply making a point that facing higher quality opposition, whether it's in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France etc. will make you a better player.
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Jun 23, 2014 02:58
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Suqit posted:It's ok to have your own differing opinion PitUAE. I've no problem with our best players staying in or moving to MLS. It eventually makes the league better. The poster who mentioned "strolling around like riquelme" has it exactly right. Its not just that he's losing possession, that will happen when you're on the ball a lot. Its that he's UNNECESSARILY losing possession, in situations where he shouldn't or can't. Bradley looks like he's confused why his tricks aren't working. It might have something to do with playing against slow failures in MLS instead of good players in Serie A or England (note-not necessarily English).
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Jun 23, 2014 02:58
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Ya but the problem is who comes on for those players? If Bradley isn't cutting it, does Mix loving Diskerud play in the triangle? I think it would be interesting to play Wondolowski (who I watch play for San Jose and who is a solid poacher with a good football brain) as the sole forward and let Deuce sit where Bradley was tonight to dictate play.
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Jun 23, 2014 03:01
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Ponce de Le0n posted:Please stop. Just stop, no. I'll certainly defer to people who know more about this sport. And I admit I'm probably scarred because (a) the first professional soccer match I saw was the 1990 final, which was like watching paint dry and (b) I lived through the Jacques Lemaire era of the National Hockey League, which was also like watching paint dry. But, to me, soccer and hockey are beautiful games when both teams are actually trying to score. And not so much when they aren't. So I think they'd be better if "turtle up, clutch and grab, don't even try to score" wasn't quite so viable of a way to play the game. Note that I don't think this was an issue tonight; tonight's result seemed pretty fair to my admittedly untrained eye.
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Jun 23, 2014 03:01
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Thanks for the analysis, Vegetable - much clearer than the usual press drivel.
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Jun 23, 2014 03:03
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The gaps in talent between the leagues is shrinking. Sure playing at Bayern or Real or City means you'll play against great players daily but even the minnows in places like Costa Rica field players from North American leagues and a few playing overseas and are proving they can play with the top teams in the world. Americans are beginning to do the same.
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Jun 23, 2014 03:04
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Bradley is so far beyond most everyone on the USMNT side beyond Dempsey and Howard that even a struggling Bradley is better than no Bradley. He was a beast in WC qualifying and a beast in friendlies recently, and he's picking it up. You don't remove Muller because he sucked against Ghana. You don't remove Bradley because he sucked against Portugal.
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Jun 23, 2014 03:04
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I like soccer the way it is, and enjoy the way it's played so that's why I don't complain about the way it's actually played in the World Cup, but I think that maybe some league (MLS??) may make a shot at actually stopping the clock when the ball is out of play, and implementing another referee for more fair performances. Not that there is anything wrong with the way it is now, but man wouldn't those last few seconds be exciting if that was the case? Anyway, I root for Chelsea in the clubs, and like USA, go Argentina and France as well (like teams that don't flop)!
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Jun 23, 2014 03:05
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