World Cup 2014

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by duovamp

Ghana might not be the "better" team but for a majority of that game they were playing better, keeping pressure on the US and controlling possession. What's surprising is after that barrage the US only gave up a single goal. Those boys did a great job against the Ghana attack.

I agree except for the last sentence. Ghana didn't score because scoring is hard and Howard made a couple good saves. You don't give up a barrage like that if you're doing a great job.

Again, I'm not claiming to have any authority here. Just how I saw it when I was watching.

[juliana]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

it's absolutely true, they just aren't ranked very highly at the moment AND you just acknowledged that rankings don't mean much

Portugal is ranked #4 and they were a disaster and spain was ranked #1

[Eulogy]

Yeah yeah. Let's see what they do from here on out though? Whooo knows.

It's a waste of time though really.

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

I don't think "number of players playing in Europe" is better.

do you just not bother to read sentences

[Eulogy]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

do you just not bother to read sentences

I'm on my phone. Not trying to mischaracterize your point.

[Eulogy]

Which is well taken. But my response was with keeping that in mind.

[hnibos]

Ghana has several players that have played in top European competition and the United States has... well... Howard played in one champions league match or something. Also, Switzerland is like 6th in those rankings talk about fucking bogus.

[hnibos]

And by watching that game it was pretty clear the class Ghana players have, especially offensively

[hnibos]

Doesn't matter, GO AMERICA

[hnibos]

Originally Posted by Trotskilicious

adrian peterson would also be midfield, in fact in this alternate reality america i'd think he'd be an anchor or a DM rather than an offensive player

i'm thinking some of our regular sized 5-10 to 6-2 wideouts would be attacking forwards.

taller dudes probably GK or central defense. Megatron, GK

At 4:50



I'm thinking AP would be doing that.

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by hnibos

Ghana has several players that have played in top European competition and the United States has... well... Howard played in one champions league match or something.

he's been good enough to be the starting keeper with a - generally speaking - top half club in the best league in the world now for quite a while

that does count for something

and he was very good yesterday

[sppunk]

If you're wanting America to go far you have to root against Belgium. Group H's top team awaits the second team from Group G.

[Trotskilicious]

look out for feghouli that dude is dope

[Trotskilicious]

and then bentaleb gets a yellow for fouling his club team mate???

man fuck this guy what the shit

[Trotskilicious]

oh it was verts foul in the box that led to the goal.

lots of SPURS players in this match. go spurs.

[Trotskilicious]

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2014/06/...mond-midfield/

preview

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2014/06/...p-stage-day-5/

review of yesterday's game (you have to scroll)

great blog btw

[Cool As Ice Cream]

what a disaster. belgium was way too careful, too slow and going too much through the centre. it wasn't working at all. it also didn't help that hazard was asleep for the first 40 minutes. i hope they all wake up in the second half. jebus!
not too worried about belgium being one goal behind. if they get started, they can catch up. if they don't, well, then they don't deserve any points.

[The Omega Concern]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

I agree except for the last sentence. Ghana didn't score because scoring is hard and Howard made a couple good saves. You don't give up a barrage like that if you're doing a great job.

Again, I'm not claiming to have any authority here. Just how I saw it when I was watching.

Americans parked the bus after the early goal. Most of Ghana's chances were not quality, especially in the first half. Howard was typically solid but didn't have be spectacular. For the US to answer after giving up the lead speaks volumes. They have the ability to force the issue if need be, they didn't in this game until they had to.

[Cool As Ice Cream]

phew. terrible game.
funny how the two substitutes who should have been on the pitch from the start, scored in the end.

[Trotskilicious]

most of ghana's chances were not quality whatsoever, that's why i'm still so perplexed as to why that was the narrative for most of the game that this brutally efficient attack was dominating us. i saw a team hold possession and waste it, time and time again. i saw an athletically gifted team kind of fuck about and not capitalize on their quality of possession, mostly because of disorganization which would explain why they are ranked what they are despite having more talent on paper

if you read the zonalmarking capsule for the game, it seems that what actually went on was somewhere between my relentless jingoism and sppunk/eulogy's unfair cynicism

scoring is hard but it's not that hard. you manufacture chances inside the box and put pressure on goal and you end up scoring. You saw that with Ghana, but they ultimately wasted a lot of possessions, not unlike dwayne wade, by hacking away at shots that had no chance of even hitting the goal itself. and ultimately, when you see something like that, it's because the back line has made the offense skittish about trying to work it into the box like they're supposed to. managers may even tell their attacking players to kick on goal when they feel getting it into the box is a waste of time.

ghana took 21 shots. 8 of them were "on goal" which means they were played by the keeper or bounced off a bar. america had 8 shots and 7 of them were on goal.

granted, ghana had 60% possession and bradley had a poor showing and our "best" attacker (who i'd like to point out cannot score in the premier league) pulled up gimpy on a counter attack

[Cool As Ice Cream]

Originally Posted by Cool As Ice Cream

watch out for this guy; he makes the game. belgium wouldn't be half as good without kevin debruyne.

elected man of the match.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches...x.html#2374961

[juliana]

In mother russia, soccer ball kicks you!

[MyOneAndOnly]

Deuce!

[toase]

Oh Brazil... where are all my hopes now??

Go Korea!!!

[MyOneAndOnly]

Imagine Brazil out and all those billions spent for nothing.

[toase]

Russians are so handsome...
I think I'll root for them too

[duovamp]

Oh I'm sure FIFA will make sure they get through.

[duovamp]

Originally Posted by toase

Russians are so handsome...
I think I'll root for them too

http://russianselfies.tumblr.com

[pavementtune]

Originally Posted by toase

Russians are so handsome...
I think I'll root for them too

there wasn't much else going on, boring game
90 minutes (70 to be fair) catwalk

[toase]

Is there any chance they'll start wearing googleglasses as much as they use car cameras?