Looking back at Team USA (WC-related)

[ISiddiqui]

Btw, Klinsmann resigned from Germany, so that should make things interesting if he took the US job as rumored, eh?

[Desnudo]

Lord I hope so. Not so much because I think we must have a foreign coach, but I can't think of too many coaches off the top of my head in his class that are also looking for jobs.

[TazFTW]

Sven.

[Crapshoot]

Roffle. I actually think Sven would be great for the US, but that's not going to happen. Klinsmann said he's not interested in the US job, but that may just be posturing thing.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

Theo Walcott is also said to be very fast

Except there's an actual chance of Theo being the age he and his parents claims he is.

That and, by most accounts, Theo has a good head on his shoulder and will likely continue to work hard instead of reading his press clippings. And, were his transfer structured decently, would have probably gotten some game time against high level competition in the form of the Premiership and/or the Champion's League already.

But I obviously have an Arsenal bias.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by daedalus

Except there's an actual chance of Theo being the age he and his parents claims he is.

Adu has been in the US Soccer Academy thing since he was 11 years old, so I'd guess he can't be more than about a year older than he claims. Somebody would have noticed if he was 16 and pretending to be 11, surely

[daedalus]

My guess would be in the 1-3 year(s) range (IF it at all exists). There was an article about a year or two ago that talked about how they didn't have a birth certificate for him until either around when they migrated or just after.

That isn't to say I don't think he's talented or can never be successful. I think he has the talent necessary, I just think he's already read too much of his press clippings and don't have the type of competition/environment a kid in an academy oversea may have. Basically, I'm fearing a David Bentley situation occurring.

[daedalus]

To get back onto the original topic . . .

• I agree with those who felt that it was as bad as initially perceived. To be honest, I really don't care if they won a game. They were stuck into a horrible and an unfair group. On the other hand, the thing you CAN control is your effort and your fight. I didn't feel much fight other than from maybe Dempsey and McBride.
• While I think a 4-4-2 would have suited the personnel of the US team better, I think people are way too fixated on blaming the 4-5-1 for the lack of success. A 4-5-1 can easily flip into a 4-3-3 and, given that one of the 3 "midfielders" was an attacker like Donovan, that could certainly provide offense. I think the team picked up on and adopted Arena's nervousness and conservativeness (no, that's probably not a word but it does convey what I'm trying to say!).
• Although Beasley did, indeed, suck in this tournament, I think that people need to remember that this left-footed (in FM-term, Left Only) winger started one game on the right wing* and one in the middle (HUH?!). Oh, and in between, he had his coach cowardly attempted to shift the blame onto him. While I would agree that playing out of position is not an excuse to disappear from the game, I do put at least SOME of the blame on the coach who did not put his players in the position to succeed.
• I don't think SGE would be good at all. I don't think SGE would add anything that isn't already there with Arena (other than newness and perceived reputation). Well, at least as long as you remember to keep secretaries away from him.

*As an aside, while I am a big fan of some left-footed players playing on the right (ie, Robin van Persie), I don't think it works as well for others (ie, Beasley). At heart, RvP is a striker (whether withdrawn or out-and-out) and that's his focus. Being on the right side simply gives him a better angle to take a shot (a la SuperBob on the opposite side). Beasley seems to be a more traditional winger who hugs the sideline and tries to run by people. Being left-footed on the right-side doesn't seem to work as well for these guys. But that's just my opinion.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by daedalus

To get back onto the original topic . . .

• I agree with those who felt that it was as bad as initially perceived. To be honest, I really don't care if they won a game. They were stuck into a horrible and an unfair group. On the other hand, the thing you CAN control is your effort and your fight. I didn't feel much fight other than from maybe Dempsey and McBride.

Don't forget Reyna. He gave it his all.

• Although Beasley did, indeed, suck in this tournament, I think that people need to remember that this left-footed (in FM-term, Left Only) winger started one game on the right wing* and one in the middle (HUH?!). Oh, and in between, he had his coach cowardly attempted to shift the blame onto him. While I would agree that playing out of position is not an excuse to disappear from the game, I do put at least SOME of the blame on the coach who did not put his players in the position to succeed.

To be fair to Arena (and I think many have been very unfair to him... this is the man who dragged the US team from laughing stock to a decent team internationally) last season in PSV, Beasley played more on the right wing.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Don't forget Reyna. He gave it his all.

Good point on Reyna.

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

To be fair to Arena (and I think many have been very unfair to him... this is the man who dragged the US team from laughing stock to a decent team internationally) last season in PSV, Beasley played more on the right wing.

I never saw PSV this season but many said he did not have the best of seasons. Perhaps it's not coincidental?

[ISiddiqui]

He was somewhat injured for a good portion of the year. Perhaps his down year is a combination of playing hurt or on the 'wrong' side, but Arena probably attributed it to playing hurt most of the time, and Beasley probably steered him to that conclusion.

[law90026]

I'm not sure Sven would be good for USA, considering the "not outstanding" job he did for England.

[Oilers9911]

Originally Posted by Ryche

Shootouts - I still don't understand how the most important game in soccer every four years can be decided by a shootout. For other games, sure, no problem. But for a championship game?

After 120 minutes of play, the players are just KNACKERED. They could conceivably play ANOTHER 120 minutes without scoring. A game could potentially go on for hours and hours. One solution might be at the end of 90 minutes each team then is allowed an extra substitution or two to get fresh legs on the pitch.

Penalty shootouts are part of soccer. Here in North America we wouldn't decide a Stanley Cup by shootout or the World Series with a home run derby but in soccer it is known and accepted as part of the game.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by daedalus

Good point on Reyna.I never saw PSV this season but many said he did not have the best of seasons. Perhaps it's not coincidental?

Except for the part where he lost the game against Ghana by unforgivingly giving away the ball. Somehow he got a free pass in all the post-WC analysis. I think the US will show a great Ewing theory rebound with Reyna gone. What was their WC record in games he played in?

Not a reflection on his overall talent level or personality, but count me in the camp of those who believe the US is better off without him.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Not a reflection on his overall talent level or personality, but count me in the camp of those who believe the US is better off without him.

Count me in the camp that that view is nuts. We'll miss him greatly.

[condors]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Count me in the camp that that view is nuts. We'll miss him greatly.

I agree we will miss him.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Count me in the camp that that view is nuts. We'll miss him greatly.

Count me in the camp that the view that that view is nuts is nuts. Only time will tell.