African “Champs” – Egypt’s Performance/Quality

[KennyWoo]

Mods: I don’t know if this goes here or not, feel free to move if it doesn’t.

I don’t want to take anything away from our win today – it was a great effort and we deserved this. We know that Egypt had put together some good games in this tournament and we had to respect that. This was a very good day, even if Spain kills us in the semis.

But did anyone get any the feeling that this Egypt team was very, very poor? I thought they reflected poorly on African soccer as a confederation. Their win over Italy probably had more to do with what is wrong with Italy than what was right with Egypt. Is this a team who just needs Zidan and is bad w/o him?

Some lowlights: Gomaa. (He was the defender who looked like a henchman from a Bond movie.) This guy was terrible. If he’s old enough, he’s likely the LA Galaxy’s next signing; we love washed up defenders. Can you imagine if the USA had a player who had a performance this bad in a must-result match? He’d be maligned forever. Hell, people still take shots at Agoos and he struggled in matches in a group stage from which we advanced. His poor defensive performance was punctuated w/ a missed free header at the end that could have sent his team through. 1/10.

Abdelghany. A fat striker with no understanding of the offside rule and a stone touch.

El Hadary: Had some nice saves, but a huge howler that gifted us a goal. Good distributor, but doesn’t control his area very well. He showed his class by getting in a shouting match w/ a teammate after the game.

Shawky: He must have been suspended for this match, because he was completely invisible. Surely ESPN just showed the wrong lineup in the pre-game. This guy was nowhere to be found.

Egyptian domestic league: For a week I’ve been hearing about how great this league was, big salaries keeping home all this top talent. This because Al-Ahly wins the African Champions League a lot. This is probably due more to the fact that Egypt is one of the few African countries that has enough wealth and stability to put a good club situation together. Surely there are some great players in African club soccer, but so many of the stars are picked over by Europe (who is sending scouts to get kids at the earliest of ages) that there isn’t much left.

I’m thrilled with today’s win. But, as Dick Vernon (The Breakfast Club) may have said: “I expected more from an African ‘champion.’”

[um_chili]

It's all about sample size. Egypt did not play well today, but that's just one game of many. Let's not forget that these supposed mediocrities barely lost to an excellent Brazil side, 4-3, and then defeated World Champs Italy. Can't read anything general into just the one game.

[ty webb]

I think the posts I saw all week about a gap between Egypt's pool and ours was complete gibberish. Our pool is very good particularly when Bob doesn't f*** things up. Bob put players in spots where they could be successful this game.

Our mids dominated them and our forwards were quicker than their back line. Landy was the best player on the pitch, and they had zero answers for him.

[JohnR]

I don’t want to take anything away from our win today – it was a great effort and we deserved this. But did anyone get any the feeling that this Egypt team was very, very poor?

Exactly. I couldn't believe horseshit that team was. And CONCACAF is supposed to be a bad confereration?

But you are also correct, that should not take away from the U.S., which played with heart and skill and smarts and courage. Nor should it detract from Bob's performance today, which was outstanding.

[cleansheetbsc]

Gomaa was horrible.

[Ahly]

They're a Jekyll and Hyde squad who are currently struggling in World Cup qualifiers. Remember they recently lost to Algeria 3 - 1. They're probably the biggest enigma in World Soccer. Great in Africa competitions for club and country, but hardly any of the players make it to Europe, and they can't get to the World Cup.

[CrewDust]

They're a Jekyll and Hyde squad who are currently struggling in World Cup qualifiers. Remember they recently lost to Algeria 3 - 1. They're probably the biggest enigma in World Soccer. Great in Africa competitions for club and country, but hardly any of the players make it to Europe, and they can't get to the World Cup.

Second this, remember while they have won a couple of African titles they haven't qualified for a World Cup since 1990.

[jcsd]

They were very, very poor. I know whatever happened it was an amazing result for the US, but this Egypt team played nothing like the one that beat Italy 1-0 and stretched Brazil or indeed the teams that won the ACN in 2006 and 2008. Even when they were down and they just needed a goal none of the players looked like they wanted the ball.

Obviously US fanbs are excited, but you can laready see there's way too much extrapoltion going on from this one result, it was not a great game to draw too many conclusions about.

[JohnR]

it was not a great game to draw too many conclusions about.

True, but it was a great game period. Yes Egypt crapped its collective pants, but the U.S. played with composure and intelligence, and did exactly what quality squads do to teams like Egypt. On the day, on yes it was just one day, the U.S. played like a champ.

[Albirrojo]

It's all about sample size. Egypt did not play well today, but that's just one game of many. Let's not forget that these supposed mediocrities barely lost to an excellent Brazil side, 4-3, and then defeated World Champs Italy. Can't read anything general into just the one game.

This guy says it excellently, who doesn't have a bad game once in awhile?? Today, 2 very good teams had bad days!

We had 2 in a row in case nobody noticed!

Brazil has even had recent ties at home 0-0 (against Colombia, Sept. of last year), they have hit a form definitely. How about when Argentina lost to Bolivia a few months ago, I think 6-1.

Not long ago, people were talking about the two South American giants having problems in qualifying. That has subsided largely, even with Argentina's recent stumblings.

Let's not judge these other countries. Find one that does not go into the valleys. As if we should be talking.

Maybe a team that has been rather consistent for a long time is Holland/Netherlands, but they seem to have problems in the tournaments but winning on a match to match basis, they seem to do very well.

[KennyWoo]

True, but it was a great game period. Yes Egypt crapped its collective pants, but the U.S. played with composure and intelligence, and did exactly what quality squads do to teams like Egypt. On the day, on yes it was just one day, the U.S. played like a champ.

It was a really encouraging performance. Teams are expected to play huge on their home continent in WCs. Africa will be targeting the 2010 World Cup as a chance to have one of their top sides (CIV for instance) make the semis or better. And Egypt is the two-time defending continental champions. They had to have their tails up after the last game but they threw in a total clunker. This is a really good win for us, even if Egypt did no show.

[Matrim55]

Newsflash: Egypt struggles with athletic team.

Film at 11.

[JG]

Second this, remember while they have won a couple of African titles they haven't qualified for a World Cup since 1990.

They're sort of the anti-Costa Rica...strong in neutral site tournaments but disappointing in home/away tournaments. They were gifted a really easy WCQ group this time and are already in deep trouble.

[Albirrojo]

They're sort of the anti-Costa Rica...strong in neutral site tournaments but disappointing in home/away tournaments. They were gifted a really easy WCQ group this time and are already in deep trouble.

They not only defended their African Nations Title, they have won it 6 times.

They were probably high in the clouds too, after defeating Italy. Who wouldn't be especially in a big tournament. You could do like Hungary did and defeat them and that is a big plus but this is different.

Also, where ever it was said, that Egypt's qualifying group is weak.

Per African ratings at Elo, Algeria and Zambia are both around 15th in Africa. Not exactly that poor. Heck, Zidane could't make the Algerian team.

[JG]

Also, where ever it was said, that Egypt's qualifying group is weak.

Per African ratings at Elo, Algeria and Zambia are both around 15th in Africa. Not exactly that poor.

If all they have to do to get one of Africa's five spots is beat teams that are about 15th best in Africa (11th for Algeria and 18th for Zambia according to ELO)...that's the definition of an easy qualifying group.

[Geneva]

They were very, very poor. I know whatever happened it was an amazing result for the US, but this Egypt team played nothing like the one that beat Italy 1-0 and stretched Brazil or indeed the teams that won the ACN in 2006 and 2008. Even when they were down and they just needed a goal none of the players looked like they wanted the ball.
Yes, Egypt in the previous two games played good passes, collected well, and opened up into space. They played bravely and composedly. I think that after going down a goal, and without Zidan, they froze up. I couldn't believe all the bad passes, out of bounds plays, they were terrible. Still they had several chances, but not too many after the 60th minute or so when they seemed to run out of gas. Kudoes to the US for playing without fear, patiently & collectively much better than the previous two games, opponent notwithstanding.

[TrueCrew]

I don't think in any way they reflected poorly on their Confederation.

They showed great heart to come back from 3-1 down vs. Brazil and beat Italy. They played 2 great games.

I think their problem was they thought all the hard work was done, and they got a little full of themselves prior to the match vs. the USA. When they got into the match and struggled, they couldn't flip a switch and turn it on.

The South African hookers probably didn't help much. Now THAT didn't reflect well on them.

[Albirrojo]

If all they have to do to get one of Africa's five spots is beat teams that are about 15th best in Africa (11th for Algeria and 18th for Zambia according to ELO)...that's the definition of an easy qualifying group.

I don't know if that is weak when you have 56 teams competing. Weak could be construed as being lower, teams like Swaziland, Madagascar and Somalia.

[clemtig87]

I don't know if that is weak when you have 56 teams competing. Weak could be construed as being lower, teams like Swaziland, Madagascar and Somalia.

But there are only 20 teams left. Most of those lower teams were eliminated in the earlier round.

[IndividualEleven]

Egypt are a mixed bag. They've been successful in the African Cup of Nations but have been piss poor World Cup qualifying. They've qualified for what two World Cups? The European club affiliations are less impressive than the US's. Italy has been struggling for a year now. Brasil will let you have a go; even we scored a couple against them with Josh Wolff in the team in that Chicago game.

They weren't and aren't 'better in every position' as some claimed. They had a hot hand and played with emotion and fire in the first two games. I'm guessing they may have thought things were 'in the bag' coming into the third game and lacked the class to 'turn it back on'.

They're a solid African side but Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana would've given us a lot more trouble.