The Official US Soccer thread

[coyoteshockeyfan]

From my seat on my couch, that's a terrible call

 

[Dr. Jones]

I thought it was justified.

Also.... Brazil is full of ballers. Lol

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[Dr. Jones]

I might need a Johnson Jersey ...... this guy rocks!

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[Zeno]

Nice goal. Gomez is just such a good poacher. Nice build up from Bradley and Johnson.

On another note Onyewu has been awful and I am a ***** fan.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Well done Bradley/Johnson/Gomez

 

[Dr. Jones]

I think ***** is going to be off the team by 2013 at this rate. Hopefully we can make up that other goal.

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[Dr. Jones]

Who the hell schedules kareoke on a sports night this freaking good. ********* making me listen to horrible country music during the 2nd half!!

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[Zeno]

I think ***** is going to be off the team by 2013 at this rate.

I think you may be right, all the injuries have just killed his game.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Neymar seals it. They are damn good. Tougher than I remember them being. Hate seeing Marcelo get it. Down with RM!

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[Dr. Jones]

Games getting chippy!!!! This is where you'll see jonses value.

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[Dr. Jones]

ESPN Grades.....

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/7990447/us-brazil-player-grades-us-brazil-jeff-carlisle

D Oguchi Onyewu, 2 -- Struggled in all phases, be it positioning, touch, or passing. The handball he committed on the penalty was a harsh call, but there's no excusing the communication breakdown with Jones that led to Brazil's second goal. Nearly made amends with a late header that hit the bar.

F Herculez Gomez, 7 -- Worked hard, drew fouls and generally made a pest of himself, all which paid off in a finely taken goal. Was even seen tracking back deep into his own half to help out defensively. Denied a second goal thanks to a superb save from Rafael Cabral.

What I would Like to see on Sunday....

Steve C. --- ??? ---- Boca ---- Johnson

---Jones----Bradley-----Edu/Torres

Donovan----Gomez/Jozy-----Dempsey

 

[Stout]

Games getting chippy!!!! This is where you'll see jonses value.

Maybe Jones showed his value on that goal he conceded where he was woefully out of position. Or on that stupid tackle that could have been a red. After one good game, Jones reverted to his usual poor form. Edu? Solid, as usual. Hey, a player can do well at a big club yet stink for his national team. Seems like what Jones has done thus far. Maybe the stage is too big for him?

I agree about *****. He used to be a stalwart for us in the center of the defense. He's done now.

Hard to feel good about a 4-nil loss, but we showed some real attacking flair in the 2nd half. Kept Brazil on their back foot a lot. I'm loving what this team is showing lately.

 

[cardfaninfl]

I'm done with Bocanegra, Churundolo and ***** in the starting line-up. I don't care if its a friendly, I don't care about the level of competition; allowing that many goals (with a world-class net minder) in front of your fans is unacceptable. Its time for Mr. Positive, JK, to let everyone know this is his team, and to sink or swim with youth. National teams are all about tournaments. Those three will be too advanced in age to withstand multiple games and minutes.

***** is a shell of a player. If he wants to be a spectator, let him buy a ticket.

Churundolo has shown very little of late. He is still a good player, but his level of play and involvement has declined. Even in a best case scenario, he is not going to improve talent-wise. A search for his replacement is needed. Give the young players minutes.

Bocanegra was never good at passing, is no longer scoring from set-pieces, is too slow to mark speed forwards and should be held accountable for that embarrassment as Captain. He may still have value in training with the young guys and could be a option off the bench. However, Jurgen was brought in to help change American soccer. Sitting Carlos might send a message that the change starts at the top, that Klinsmann is done smiling all the time, and there is a new Sheriff in town.

I don't mind watching the USMNT lose, but watching them play lazy, stupid and giving too much respect was painful. My favorite moment was Jones taking Neymar to the ground, hard (but with studs DOWN), with a late tackle. Again, I don't care if its a friendly. Someone does a cocky Samba dance after a questionable penalty, in your house, you knock him on his ass. Maybe that is the biggest reason to remove the old guard from the back line, its time to change the tentative attitude of this squad.

 

[Zeno]

Gomez, Johnson and Bradley were the best US players IMO. Bradley might be the most consistent player the team has, he puts in good work every match.

 

[Zeno]

Maybe Jones showed his value on that goal he conceded where he was woefully out of position. Or on that stupid tackle that could have been a red. After one good game, Jones reverted to his usual poor form. Edu? Solid, as usual. Hey, a player can do well at a big club yet stink for his national team. Seems like what Jones has done thus far. Maybe the stage is too big for him?
.

How you can criticize Jones and say Edu looked solid on the same night is beyond me. Neither player was anything special or even anything more than below average. Most post game player ratings I have seen have Jones rated higher than Edu except for a couple that have them rated evenly I didn't see a single one that had Edu rated higher. I think you may have trouble watching them objectively.

Fox Soccer, ESPN, MLS, Goal.com, NY Times even the Bleacher Report...all did player ratings of the match. I don't believe either player got anything higher than a 5.5 on any scale.

Edit: Si.com had Edu rated higher than Jones 5.0 to 4.5

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Gomez, Johnson and Bradley were the best US players IMO. Bradley might be the most consistent player the team has, he puts in good work every match.

Agreed...Johnson was a revelation, hopefully Lichaj or Chandler will be ready to man the other side, because it seems unlikely that either will supplant Johnson at this point.

The good news RE: Edu and Jones is that it seems highly unlikely that they'll be playing together in important matches. Their skills seem rather redundant. I'm just not a fan of Jones, he's too out of control and doesn't really excel either defensively or offensively.

I really hope that Holden can get healthy, he seems like a guy that would thrive in a JK system.

Jozy will have work to take Gomez's spot, surprised at how effective and aggressive he was.

Although the final scoreline was ugly, I thought there were some positives in our performance. Brazil did play most of their best players, and I was impressed with our aggressiveness. If our back line wasn't so putrid, it would have been a more interesting game.

 

[Stout]

How you can criticize Jones and say Edu looked solid on the same night is beyond me. Neither player was anything special or even anything more than below average. Most post game player ratings I have seen have Jones rated higher than Edu except for a couple that have them rated evenly I didn't see a single one that had Edu rated higher. I think you may have trouble watching them objectively.

Fox Soccer, ESPN, MLS, Goal.com, NY Times even the Bleacher Report...all did player ratings of the match. I don't believe either player got anything higher than a 5.5 on any scale.

Edit: Si.com had Edu rated higher than Jones 5.0 to 4.5

How? Because Jones made a few really glaring mistakes and Edu didn't. He may not have been spectacular or made any stand-out plays, but he's a defensive midfielder--he doesn't have to. Yes, he can be castigated with the rest of our defense because we gave up 4 goals, but he certainly wasn't even close to being the one most to blame for that. On the flip side, Jones was horrible--gave up a clear goal and made an unnecessarily risky and dangerous tackle. And I don't want to hear the hogwash about it being a retaliatory thing--he was trying to go for the ball and used poor form from a bad angle. I can't remember who tried to pass it off as a positive, but that Jones tackle was stupid, plain and simple.

All the talk of ratings is just that--talk. Edu played better than Jones, if for no other reason than he didn't make any really stupid mistakes like Jones. Anyone watching the match should be able to see that.

Look, I want Jones to excel, because it would be good for our national team. I understand why Klinsmann expects big things of him--because he's doing well in a big league. That doesn't mean it will translate to the national stage. He's had one good game and a whole lot of crappy ones. Compare Jones to Johnson, who is just plain awesome, and maybe my point will sink home. We don't bicker about Johnson, because he's been a solid player. Jones has not in any way been a solid player for the national team, yet. Will he turn that around? Maybe so, maybe not.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Gomez, Johnson and Bradley were the best US players IMO. Bradley might be the most consistent player the team has, he puts in good work every match.

Agreed. There were some here that wanted him run out of town, but he has been our most consistent player for the past 2 years. Very glad to see Johnson playing well. He is exactly the LB that we need. One that can move forward and cross the ball well with his left or right foot.

 

[Zeno]

I don't think Edu is a bad player, he is a lock to the 23 man roster and should be included on every 18 player game day roster but he shouldnt be a lock to start. If I have to take out one MF among Torres, Bradley, Edu & Jones...Edu is it. Edu is a good player off the bench and always has been for the NT, he just rarely puts together a complete game as a starter.

JK obviously rates Jones higher as well, as evidenced by him being Captain against Venezuela and the fact that JK applauded his hard tackle on Neymar and saying the US needs to play more "nasty".

PS I think when all is said and done Torres will be the first MF out among Bradley, Jones, Edu & him...he doesn't have the defensive physical bite that JK seems to indicate he wants.

 

[cardfaninfl]

And I don't want to hear the hogwash about it being a retaliatory thing--he was trying to go for the ball and used poor form from a bad angle. I can't remember who tried to pass it off as a positive, but that Jones tackle was stupid, plain and simple.

You can choose to ignore Jones' past reputation as an enforcer on the pitch, forget that Macelo had just kicked a ball into the face Steve C., and don't take into consideration the location on the field or the time of the match - forget all that.

Simply rewatch the tackle and look at the photographs of the incident. The force and speed of Jermaine's trailing leg and high knee to sweep Neymar's legs from under him, should be enough to change your opinion.

That tackle had nothing to do with ball posession. If you view the tackle from that perspective, you can see how well executed his message was.

 

[Stout]

I don't think Edu is a bad player, he is a lock to the 23 man roster and should be included on every 18 player game day roster but he shouldnt be a lock to start. If I have to take out one MF among Torres, Bradley, Edu & Jones...Edu is it. Edu is a good player off the bench and always has been for the NT, he just rarely puts together a complete game as a starter.

JK obviously rates Jones higher as well, as evidenced by him being Captain against Venezuela and the fact that JK applauded his hard tackle on Neymar and saying the US needs to play more "nasty".

PS I think when all is said and done Torres will be the first MF out among Bradley, Jones, Edu & him...he doesn't have the defensive physical bite that JK seems to indicate he wants.

Oh, I don't think Edu should be a lock as a starter either. If I have to take anyone off the pitch out of that group right now, much as I'm not a fan of Jones, I'm taking Torres off. He and Gomez came in with huge question marks and a lot to prove to earn playing time in the upcoming qualifiers. Gomez answered those questions; Torres did not.

And if JK is wanting someone that will purposefully give silly yet hard fouls, then yeah, I can see him favoring Jones. Problem there is, you take the good with the bad. For the tackles that supposedly sent messages like the one against Neymar, and that only cost him yellows, you'll have stupid fouls made after losing possession, or simple lashing-out fouls. I know he's better, but sometimes Jones reminds me of how poorly Ricardo Clarke handed out fouls. I realize this paragraph read as more negative, but it's not...if that's what Klinsmann wants, Jones would be that guy. I'm just cautioning what we'll get along with that physicality.

You can choose to ignore Jones' past reputation as an enforcer on the pitch, forget that Macelo had just kicked a ball into the face Steve C., and don't take into consideration the location on the field or the time of the match - forget all that.

Simply rewatch the tackle and look at the photographs of the incident. The force and speed of Jermaine's trailing leg and high knee to sweep Neymar's legs from under him, should be enough to change your opinion.

That tackle had nothing to do with ball posession. If you view the tackle from that perspective, you can see how well executed his message was.

I had forgotten the play was just after the Marcelo ball kick. Given that, I will forgive the tackle. He still gave up a stupid goal, but what you reminded me of gives him extenuating circumstances on the tackle.

Oh, now I absolutely hate Brazil, and I hope Marcelo breaks a leg. That punk is going to hurt somebody with his cheap shot tactics. And Brazil were simply celebrating waaaay too much for a friendly. I know, I know, they're the 'beautiful game' team and all, but I don't care--it was classless. Act like you've been there before.

 

[Stout]

As of right now, this is how I would project the midfield and forwards in our starting lineup, given our recent formations:

Dempsey, Altidore, Gomez up front, with Donovan, Jones and Bradley in the midfield. You can probably switch around Donovan and Gomez, and you could push Dempsey back into the midfield if you want as well. Still, the announcers seemed to be making it clear that Dempsey will be up front. At any rate, I think that those are the players Klinsmann will put out there.

Defensively, we have more question marks. Howard is clearly in goal, and Johnson is a lock at LB. Cherundalo (sp?) will probably play at RB, though I would love to see JK call Lichaj in eventually to get him into the lineup there. Central defense is the real big question mark.

Much as some might not like it, I think Bocanegra keeps his spot through the World Cup, and then retires. As long as the next few years don't destroy him, I don't see how we can avoid that. we don't have a ton of good options there, and he isn't playing badly. That play against Brazil wasn't his fault--he was put in a terrible position. I can't remember who it was, but they played a horrific back ball to him from all the way up the left flank. That pass took all but 2 or 3 of the U.S. team out of the play.

Besides Bocanegra, I think we're looking at Goodson. Onyewu just doesn't have it any more, and it isn't his fault in the least. Time and injuries have caught him up.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I think Onyewu is getting a bad rap. His game wasn't that horrible. I thought that Edu also mistimed the jump on the set peace as well. ***** definitely should have marked his man better, but both things led to the goal.

I'd much rather have Onyewu on the pitch than Goodson any day of the week.

Loved the tackle by Jones on Neymar and what it stood for.

 

[Zeno]

I think Onyewu is getting a bad rap. His game wasn't that horrible. I thought that Edu also mistimed the jump on the set peace as well. ***** definitely should have marked his man better, but both things led to the goal.

I'd much rather have Onyewu on the pitch than Goodson any day of the week.

Loved the tackle by Jones on Neymar and what it stood for.

Healthy in form Onyewu I would absolutely take over Goodson, but we haven't seen a healthy and in from Onyewu since before the World Cup. Onyewu is slow of foot and thought and his distribution is awful (it never has been good). He is still a force in the air and opponents have a hard time outmuscling him but at this point he is behind Cameron and Goodson at CB...I'd rather bring back Demerit to be honest (who is playing well in MLS).

I am a huge fan of ***** too, he just doesn't have it anymore and it is unfortunate because when he was 100% he was our best CB by a wide margin.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Healthy in form Onyewu I would absolutely take over Goodson, but we haven't seen a healthy and in from Onyewu since before the World Cup. Onyewu is slow of foot and thought and his distribution is awful (it never has been good). He is still a force in the air and opponents have a hard time outmuscling him but at this point he is behind Cameron and Goodson at CB...I'd rather bring back Demerit to be honest (who is playing well in MLS).

I am a huge fan of ***** too, he just doesn't have it anymore and it is unfortunate because when he was 100% he was our best CB by a wide margin.

I'll have to think of the game, one of the gold cup games maybe??? He was the best player on the pitch that game. I will give you that his distribution is awful. It is the worst part of his game by far.

I still want him starting over DeMerit or Goodson.