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The lads and Klinsman

Started by YankeeJim, September 12, 2012, 07:12:45 PM

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YankeeJim

As a thought/question, if you combine their group points at the upcoming WC, will the USA, England & Australia combine for more than 5 points? England will beat Costa Rico (despite a hat trick by Ruiz) and perhaps the US & our friends down under might pick up a point. What should the over & under be, 8?
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

Forever Fulham

I don't believe in pixies or fairy dust, but I'll tell you this, YJ: We are a  better TEAM than Sweden.  We can beat Portugal.  We might beat or tie or Germany.  And it's time we beat Ghana.  I like our chances.  I don't think England handles Central/South American free flowing creative soccer very well.  They are geared to playing European style soccer.  Costa Rica can beat them.  It's about time we didn't get easier early opponents. 

Forever Fulham

Folks are agonizing over the humidity of our Amazonian venue, but we have plenty of players more accustomed to that kind of weather than ANY of the Germans or Portgugese.  Ghana can handle the humidity with ease.  But do they travel well?  Do they have the funds and resources to make their players comfortable there.  The food will be different; everything will be different for them.


YankeeJim

Well, if you can play a game in Columbus or Washington DC in August, you can play in the rain forest. One thing to consider is that the best players from Ghana  play in Europe. So maybe the humidity will effect them as well. If we don't handle Ghana, no way will we handle the other two. The thought of that pretty boy running at Cameron at right back or Gonzales at CB scares me to death. Do you think Dolo can make it back? If we play our best and get some luck, we could be playing the Germans for the group lead. I don't think I'll hold my breath.
England will beat Costa Rico but lose to the other two. The Aussies, well the term lambs to the slaughter comes to mind. I think the surprise from CONCACAF could be Honduras. But honestly, I don't think any regional team will make it out of group. It'll be the same last eight as always what with the brown envelopes to Mr. Septic Bladder have provided for. I guess I'm a glass half empty guy.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

Forever Fulham

As to Ronaldo making runs at U.S. defenders, no sure how to best defend him--zonally or with an assigned speed merchant?  We don't have blazing speed in the mid or back.  Do we assign a defender to just harrass the hell out of him, denying him, or what? 

YankeeJim

Maybe put Zushi at right wing and let him grab & bump and harass anyway he can to take some pressure off Cameron. Trouble with that is it takes him out of the attack and pretty boy can still cut inside and we don't have a CB with any quickness. IF we can keep him under control, we can beat Portugal, but that's a big if.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


Forever Fulham

We are missing real speed at CB, that's true.  And you can only deny a player of that quality the  ball for so long.  He will eventually latch onto to something and penetrate with pace.  We need more speed in the back.  Somebody.  Maybe Klinsman needs to reassess his lineup in light of the Group the team has been thrown into. 

CanadianCottager

I think a lot of people are writing off Costa Rica and the United States unfairly. Both sides have a decent chance of making it out of their respective groups. For the United States, yes, Ghana is a bogey side, but you have to think Klinsmann knows the German side well enough to put up a real fight against them, and Portugal frankly does not really impress me, the United States is a better side than Sweden and 3 points against them are not inconceivable (they sure weren't in 2002). As for Costa Rica, their opening match against Uruguay will be a huge decider. Its not impossible for them to beat Uruguay, against an Uruguay side that was just as good in 2009 they only lost out 2-1 over two legs, including a 1-1 tie in Montevideo, and Costa Rica has gotten significantly better since then, and if this England is anything like 2010's England, they may well be able to steal something, their coach reminds a lot of Bob Bradley in terms of his style.
Quote from: Forever Fulham on December 12, 2013, 07:33:28 AM
We are missing real speed at CB, that's true.  And you can only deny a player of that quality the  ball for so long.  He will eventually latch onto to something and penetrate with pace.  We need more speed in the back.  Somebody.  Maybe Klinsman needs to reassess his lineup in light of the Group the team has been thrown into. 

Matt Besler?

Forever Fulham

Well, when it comes to defending, a lot depends on the refereeing at the Cup games.  Every four years, the refs are given a set of directives, but it seems like ten minutes into any game, those new rules get thrown out the window and the refs call it like they always have.  And players and fans get confused.  Who remembers Holland's disgusting rough house tactics at the last WC?  Remember Nigel de Long?  It will be interesting to see how refereeing biases play a part in U.S. games against Portugal and Germany.  Also, the Powers the Be want Christiano Ronaldo playing deep into the tournament.  Those Powers care about the U.S. sticking around a while only because of U.S. money dedicated to FIFA activities.  Money talks in odd ways.  Those same Powers want an African team to go deep into the tournament as well.  Nobody, I think, cares one way or the other about Sweden, except for Sweden.


YankeeJim

It is true that money talks and a fat brown envelope will get you the WC awarded but I don't think it extends to the refs. Too many people involved to be a conspiracy . Besides, if it were true someone would have spoken up by now. FIFA is powerful but is hardly the NSA. Individual refs might have a bias but we should be ok as long as we don't get a CONCACAF ref. The US will have to play hard and bang a few people (notably the Pretty Boy) to succeed. If we get a ref from card happy Spain or falling down Italy, we could be in deep doo-doo. Also, the TV revenue is vastly important. I would think that any American company that is shelling out has a clause to lower the cost if the US goes out early. Thing is, as the country song says, "rich man busy dancing, poor man pays the band".
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

Forever Fulham

I agree with all that, YJ.  I wasn't suggesting the refs would in any way conspire.  Rather, the knock against them in WCs has been that they and the teams are made aware of particular rules and officiating direction expected of them--intended to be neutrally applied of course--at each WC, but then the whistle blows and play begins and the refs drift back to how they always ref a game.  And I think you are dead right about cultural identity  baggage that refs from certain countries bring to officiating.  Refs used to seeing endless Swan Lake diving will tend to disfavor the team with the more rugged 'stay on your feet' mentality, disfavor the hard but fair shouldering, checking, jockeying, 50/50 mentality of northern European and North American squads.   

YankeeJim

I only watched the first half, well most of it. This bunch isn't going to get out of group. Three months to the cup and we're giving Gooch a run out? We have to look that far a field for some defense? Reminds me of a certain team down by the Thames. I'm now convinced that something has gone radically wrong with Dempsey. He just doesn't seem to care much. I hate to say it but all the anti-yanks on the other side were right.

When the pole was taken on the posh side of these threads I voted as if it was US glory or FFC staying up. Knowing what I know about the current side (youngsters not ready, the "cream" over the hill and the rest not up to the task), the decision was easy. Fulham will qualify for Europe before this lot gets out of group.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


btings

Comedy back four and nowhere near our starting lineup.  This was one of Klinsmann's tests, and most were found wanting.

The Dempsey situation is a concern.