2006 World Cup

[Kel Varnsen]

Is the US game (sorry, is it "match"?) going to be broadcast online anywhere?

 

[Ollie]

http://www.viidoo.com/en/index.php

Download the TVU player (click on the upper right corner of the page) and install it.

Launch it, the game should be on ESPN2 I guess.

 

[Zeno]

US goes with a 4-5-1. I'm a little surprised that Mastroeni started over O'Brien--that must be due to fitness but local boy (Thunderbird High) Mastroeni is capable.

 

[Stout]

US goes with a 4-5-1. I'm a little surprised that Mastroeni started over O'Brien--that must be due to fitness but local boy (Thunderbird High) Mastroeni is capable.

I am VERY disappointed in this approach, from a tactical standpoint. It's going to hurt us, there is no doubt in my mind. The key will be whether or not we push forward and use Donovan and Beasley in a pressure attack, or whether they simply try to sit back, possess, and counter every once in a while. If we do the latter, then mark my words: we are doomed to a loss. If we do the former, we might pull this one out. IMO, we have disadvantaged ourselves from the get-go. It's not a very attack minded formation, and is going to be too tentative.

To me, a key player is Johnson. He has the potential to bust the game wide open. True, he lacks experience and maturity, and he would have been a risk, but I think it's a risk we badly needed to take. We NEED another striker up front who can truly threaten in the box. Sorry, but that is true. I'm now VERY worried, whereas before I was very confident.

Hopefully, we're keeping Mastroeni in there and then bringing in O'Brien to use him for a limited time...basically saving his gas for the 2nd half. We'll need him, and Mastroeni is not enough of a forward threat, IMO, to help us enough. Hopefully he can help feed Beasley, Donovan, and McBride well enough.

Ugh. I'm scared. Very, very scared. I HATE the 4-5-1. It's a frickin' timid formation and, contrary to popular belief, it does NOT, especially in this case, put our best 11 out on the field. Oh boy. Here we go. LET'S GO USA!!!

 

[SirStefan32]

Holy crap, I was looking to see if there is a thread about World Cup, and whoa- 16 pages! I didn't realize we had this many soccer fans.

Woo- Hoo

 

[Chaplin]

Holy crap, I was looking to see if there is a thread about World Cup, and whoa- 16 pages! I didn't realize we had this many soccer fans.

Woo- Hoo

16 pages of about 4 people posting... LOL

 

[Djaughe]

...Ugh. I'm scared. Very, very scared. I HATE the 4-5-1. It's a frickin' timid formation and, contrary to popular belief, it does NOT, especially in this case, put our best 11 out on the field. Oh boy. Here we go. LET'S GO USA!!!

I'm a newbie to strategy...are you saying that the 4-5-1 implys that the defensive players suck? I don't understand.

 

[SirStefan32]

Oh geez, 0-1 :-(

 

[slinslin]

USA is clearly the worst team in this group I am not surprised by the quick goal. Some americans have delusional expectations because they held their own against Germany in 2004 fairly well.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

 

[Renz]

USA is clearly the worst team in this group I am not surprised by the quick goal. Some americans have delusional expectations because they held their own against Germany in 2004 fairly well.

Yeah, the US is worse than Ghana.

 

[slinslin]

Yeah, the US is worse than Ghana.

Yes they are, Ghana is likely the strongest african team this year.

 

[arthurracoon]

argh

 

[SirStefan32]

I'm a newbie to strategy...are you saying that the 4-5-1 implys that the defensive players suck? I don't understand.

D, it's a trategy to control the midfield. The idea is to take control of the middle, keep the ball away from your half, and kick it to the lone striker. It can work very well if you have a couple of talanted players in the middle, and a very talented striker.

It's not uncommon for 4-5-1 to turn into 4-3-3 often, with two wing players in the midfield joining the striker.

I haven't followed soccer for a while, but few years ago, Chelsea had this formation down to perfection. I just don't think that US has enough talent to play this formation extensivelly.

 

[Djaughe]

D, it's a trategy to control the midfield. The idea is to take control of the middle, keep the ball away from your half, and kick it to the lone striker. It can work very well if you have a couple of talanted players in the middle, and a very talented striker.

It's not uncommon for 4-5-1 to turn into 4-3-3 often, with two wing players in the midfield joining the striker.

I haven't followed soccer for a while, but few years ago, Chelsea had this formation down to perfection. I just don't think that US has enough talent to play this formation extensivelly.

Thanks!

 

[Ollie]

Yes they are, Ghana is likely the strongest african team this year.

Don't want to nitpick, but how Ghana is the strongest african team ? It's not like they outperformed anyone during the African Cup of Nations and their ability to perform at an international level is totally unknown.

 

[slinslin]

The USA are not a team that can make the pace, they are decent if it is 0-0 and the other team is better and pressing for a goal so they can hope for a counterattack but they are pretty bad if they are down and the other team lets them make the pace.

 

[SirStefan32]

DAMN, so close

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

off the post!

 

[SirStefan32]

boooooooooooo

 

[arthurracoon]

*sigh*

 

[TucsonDevil]

Crapola!

 

[arthurracoon]

for those watching the game, do we still have a shot?

 

[TucsonDevil]

100 to 1

 

[Chaplin]

Our passes ahead to our goal shooters are weak. We're not even close to having any kind of crispness in the offensive half of the field.