Soccer Thread 2012-13

[Big Fo]

Dempsey scores after 38 seconds. Not bad.

[bulletsponge]

goal! 37 sec into the game usa1-0 jam

[PilotMan]

Bout fuckin time we started like that!

[PilotMan]

I once scored 7 goals in two games by playing like that. They called me "The Garbage Man." I didn't mind. I wasn't a prodigious goal scorer.

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I once scored 7 goals in two games by playing like that. They called me "The Garbage Man." I didn't mind. I wasn't a prodigious goal scorer.

Why bother with 30 yard curlers if you can just scuff home a loose ball or rebound anyway?

[Big Fo]

A deflected free kick that went under the wall ties it up.

From open play Jamaica keeps taking a lot of long range shots, it reminds me of when Man Utd played Spurs last year and van der Vaart must have tried a dozen of them after de Gea made a somewhat shaky start to the season. That was probably the last time I'd seen so many attempts from distance.

[Easy Mac]

How is it the US develops so many national team players with feet of stone? Rey have no first touch.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

How is it the US develops so many national team players with feet of stone? Rey have no first touch.

Along with that we have nobody who can just rip it on goal on a one touch from anywhere. We do not get quality shots on goal.

[Big Fo]

We're missing Bradley more than Donovan tonight. Beckerman, Edu, and Jones don't all need to be in midfield at once. Get Torres on in the second half.

[PilotMan]

*&*&!#$!

[Big Fo]

2-1 Jamaica after Austin scores off a free kick again. USA has looked bad ever since the early Dempsey goal.

edit: now apparently it was Shelton who scored, it's hard to tell anyone apart on either team watching this blurry stream

[bulletsponge]

that was fucking pathetic. in FM terms our midfield and fowards didnt connect at all, and all our long balls were too long

[Big Fo]

It's one thing when the USA goes down against the top national teams who have significantly better players at most positions. But looking so bad against Jamaica is much worse. They were just dismal whenever they had the ball, two shots on target the whole match, rarely even maintaining possession in the final third, mindless passing, awful touches, ugh.

The loss makes Tuesday's rematch in Columbus a game the USA probably needs to win or else the unthinkable will be quite possible.

[bigdawg2003]

USA played like absolute dogshit. A win on Tuesday is now essential.

Klinsmann needs to change something up, though I lack the soccer acumen to suggest tactical changes. But even to my novice's eye our first touches, passing and ability to hold possession was awful.

[RainMaker]

I think I said it before, but they aren't going to qualify for the WC this cycle. They'll make it out of this round of course, but they aren't getting out of the hex.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Along with that we have nobody who can just rip it on goal on a one touch from anywhere. We do not get quality shots on goal.

Dempsey and Altidore are more than capable of this. The problem is that the midfield was completely unable to play the ball to them within 35 yards of goal. We had no attacking presence, mainly because Jamaica pressed every stone footed touch of the ball.

Klinsy needs to end his love affair with Beckermann, he was the worst player of the field and cost us our first goal with a stupid foul in a dangerous position. He then did it about two more times.

jamaica's first goal was a disgrace. Absolutely pathetic. The second was solid, but better wall/Howard positioning should have stopped it.

This is what happens when you have absolutely no attacking down the wings. Jamaica just crowded the center and we couldn't do anything. I literally have no idea who our left back was. Was it Johnson? Parkurst has no business playing right/left back in this system.

[Big Fo]

Yeah, when you play three defensive midfielders and no wingers, you need fullbacks that can do something with the ball. Parkhurst is not that type of player, he's more of a centerback anyway. Johnson though has supported the attack pretty well in his brief national team career, just not so much last night.

[RainMaker]

So the home game against Jamaica is a must-win, right? Any word on if Landon or Bradley will be playing?

[Easy Mac]

they didn't get called in at all

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

So the home game against Jamaica is a must-win, right? Any word on if Landon or Bradley will be playing?

There are scenarios where the USA could qualify without winning on Tuesday. Even with a loss on Tuesday, wins in the last two games could be enough depending on goal difference and goals scored for tiebreakers.

But winning the next game would certainly ease a lot of tension.

[RainMaker]

I guess the concern would be that Jamaica would have locked up a spot in the Hex and wouldn't really be motivated to put up a fight against Guatemala.

[BishopMVP]

Graham Zusi? Danny Williams as the holding midfielder? Interesting.

[kingfc22]

Zusi off the crossbar.

[DaddyTorgo]

c'mon usa

[Big Fo]

Three times off the woodwork so far, it's like a frustrating match on FM.

[DaddyTorgo]

Did they import Jamaican posts?

[Big Fo]

Gomez was clearly onside there. I'd be raging if he'd put that in the net.

[RainMaker]

45 minutes away from Klinsmann losing his job?

[BishopMVP]

I guess there is the fitness issue, but I'd rather have Dempsey slid down into Torres or Zusi's (who has played very well) place, and have Altidore out there up top next to Gomez. Williams has looked better as a holding midfielder than he does out wide imo (not surprising, as its his regular position) - wonder if Klinsmann will try to pair him with Bradley when Bradley is healthy, instead of pairing Bradley/Jones.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

45 minutes away from Klinsmann losing his job?

No - team's looked good, (80% possession, 3 posts+1 more amazing save) just haven't scored, and they're doing it without Donovan/Bradley. Even if we do lose 1-0 here, we have a pretty straightforward path (beat Guatemala, then score more vs. Antigua than they do vs. Jamaica) out of the group, and I couldn't see them firing Klinsmann mid-hex when we still had a good chance to make it out.

Plus, it's the USSF and Sunil Gulati in a media vacuum, not England's FA getting hounded by the press and making knee-jerk decisions.

[bulletsponge]

oh thank fucking god

gomez scored

[DaddyTorgo]

HERCULES!!!

yeah - GK really should have made that save. well struck, but nothing amazing.

[Big Fo]

First half - USA looks great, hits the woodwork three times, and forces some fine saves but can't score

Second half - USA is just ok, doesn't create much, and scores the game winner off a shot the Jamaican GK should have saved

A bit strange but the result works.

[cthomer5000]

cross-post from bigsoccer

1. Great first half.
2. Weak second half.
3. Awful final 10 minutes.
4. Zusi and Cherundolo looked great on the right
5. Williams looked very creative
6. Dempsey look half a step slow, killed 4-5 attacks with awful touches or not picking his head up, and was the worst player on the field for us tonight.
7. I'll take it. On to the next one.

[cthomer5000]

dola. feel bad for the Jamaica GK who played great aside from what should have been his easiest save of the night. All things considered his teammates shouldn't be too angry with him.

[MrBug708]

All we need is a Guatemala-Jamaica draw and we are pretty much in the clear.

[RainMaker]

I thought they played great. Shaky in the 2nd half but they really didn't give up many opportunities. The back held to form even if there was a lot of sloppy play up front.

In all honesty, they probably should have won by 2 or 3 goals considering all the near misses and the utter domination of the first half. And considering they did it without Landon, Bradley and an out of shape Dempsey it looks good.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

All we need is a Guatemala-Jamaica draw and we are pretty much in the clear.

Wouldn't a flat out winner be better? If they draw, it would mean a loss to Guatemala in the final game would likely knock them out. If one team wins, they are at worst finishing tied and having it go down to goal differential.

[Easy Mac]

The plan has to be to score as many goals as possible against Antigua and hope there's a winner in the GUA-JAM match, preferably Jamaica.

Putting ourselves up 3 points on Guatemala with a sizable goal difference is the best course of action. We have to assume Jamaica will beat Antigua by no less than 1 goal. Its not like we're playing for seeding in the next round.

Any US win and Guatemala loss in the next game means we'd be at least +2 in goal difference over Guatemala in the last game at home. The last 2 goal loss to a non-Mexico CONCACAF nation at home was a friendly against Honduras in 2010 that was a lineup made entirely of MLS players. The last time before that was 1990.

[Grover]

http://whatahowler.tumblr.com/post/3...merican-soccer

Must read.

[miked]

One thing I noticed about the game, other than how we completely sat back after getting the lead, was the dirtiness of the Jamaican players. I saw elbows thrown, one guy got stripped of the ball and then tried to trip an American running by away from the play. We really got manhandled around. If it were more than a 1-0 lead, I would not have minded Shea popping that dude instead of shoving him. Losing Shea for a game would not be a big deal

[sovereignstar v2]

Those pesky Arab hit-n-run artists...

Manchester City’s new training complex ‘best in world’ - Telegraph

The £100 million-plus development will open in time for the 2014-15 season as an 80-acre site opposite the Etihad Stadium is transformed from industrial wasteland into an academy with 16 football pitches, a 7,000-capacity stadium for youth and reserve-team matches and a first-team training building.

City have also given 5.5 acres on the corner of the site to the local council, where a sixth form college will be built, and have donated £3 million for local leisure facilities, which is earmarked for a swimming pool. They studied more than 30 clubs and national training centres across five continents and a variety of sports before settling on plans for City Football Academy, as it has been branded.

Vieira, the former Arsenal, Juventus, Inter and France midfielder, who retired in 2011 to become the club’s Football Development Executive, said: “What I find really exciting is that before designing the facilities they have been to the football world, the basketball world and the NFL world, so a lot of hard work has been done. That is why I believe it is the best project around in all sports.”

It is part of a long-term plan for the club to become self-sufficient and predates Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules. However, City hope it will help them comply with the new regulations, which take effect from 2014.

Infrastructure, training facilities and youth development costs are not factored into the equation for Financial Fair Play so City’s investment in buying the plot from 15 companies and individuals, cleaning polluted land and constructing the academy will not count against them. The new facilities will include an indoor pitch, classrooms for 200 youth-team players, accommodation and staff offices. It will replace the Carrington training centre currently used by the first team and the Platt Lane complex.

[Ksyrup]

I don't see a FIFA 13 thread, so this is probably the best place to post this. I might start watching soccer after seeing this:

http://

[MIJB#19]

How appropriate that they put Pepe's image on that video.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another great match in the ongoing KC-Houston rivalry. KC scored a goal in the 93rd minute to salvage a 1-1 tie. Stadium was shaking when they scored. Fantastic stuff. Looks like these two teams will be headed for another Western Conference Finals matchup.

[kingfc22]

Didn't get to see the match, but I'll take 6 goals anytime!

[PilotMan]

Tim Howard did not look good for Everton today. Why does he seem so much worse lately, international and club?

[DaddyTorgo]

Juventus = STILL UNDEFEATED!

Atop the league on goal differential.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Tim Howard did not look good for Everton today. Why does he seem so much worse lately, international and club?

Have you seen the defense playing in front of him? I think he feels that he has to do way too much and then gets caught being too aggressive. Think it's carrying over to his club now.

[Easy Mac]

Really? He had an ungodly game against Mexico like a month ago