Is David James really that ignorant? [R]

[FabFiveFigo]

"The Football Association have defended the video designed to help David James cope with the threat of France's attack - but did not feature any Zinedine Zidane free-kicks.
James revealed at yesterday's media conference that he had watched tapes of France in action but he was unprepared for Zidane's moment of dead-ball genius which brought his team level at 1-1 a minute into stoppage time.


An FA spokesman explained: 'We've video-taped all of France's recent games, around seven in all, and highlighted all the significant set-pieces.

'The fact is there were no free-kicks by Zidane during that period that were at all threatening.'

Les Bleus went on to win 2-1 as Zidane coolly dispatched a penalty when James sent Thierry Henry flying in the box.

Zidane did, in fact, score with a free-kick in the last European Championships in Holland and Belgium four years ago, opening the scoring with a curled effort in the quarter-finals against Spain. "

This article was posted on ESPN. I'm not a supporter of either team, but this seems incredible to me. How does a world class keeper be unprepared for anything Zidane does. He is one of the most celebrated and decorated players of our generation, and scores on free kicks with some regularity. How do you not know this going into the game, and especially when you see Zidane sitting over the free kick. Did he expect him to launch one 10 yards over the bar? Zidane makes great plays and sometimes no matter how prepared you are, you can't stop them, but to act like you didn't see this coming is like the pitcher who just gave up a home run to Barry Bonds saying "I didn't know that guy could hit the ball that far."

[wjarrettc]

"The Football Association have defended the video designed to help David James cope with the threat of France's attack - but did not feature any Zinedine Zidane free-kicks.
James revealed at yesterday's media conference that he had watched tapes of France in action but he was unprepared for Zidane's moment of dead-ball genius which brought his team level at 1-1 a minute into stoppage time.


An FA spokesman explained: 'We've video-taped all of France's recent games, around seven in all, and highlighted all the significant set-pieces.

'The fact is there were no free-kicks by Zidane during that period that were at all threatening.'

Les Bleus went on to win 2-1 as Zidane coolly dispatched a penalty when James sent Thierry Henry flying in the box.

Zidane did, in fact, score with a free-kick in the last European Championships in Holland and Belgium four years ago, opening the scoring with a curled effort in the quarter-finals against Spain. "

This article was posted on ESPN. I'm not a supporter of either team, but this seems incredible to me. How does a world class keeper be unprepared for anything Zidane does. He is one of the most celebrated and decorated players of our generation, and scores on free kicks with some regularity. How do you not know this going into the game, and especially when you see Zidane sitting over the free kick. Did he expect him to launch one 10 yards over the bar? Zidane makes great plays and sometimes no matter how prepared you are, you can't stop them, but to act like you didn't see this coming is like the pitcher who just gave up a home run to Barry Bonds saying "I didn't know that guy could hit the ball that far."


Even more embarrassing is that if you go back and watch the replays on the free kick, you will very clearly see David Beckham waving Ashley Cole back towards the goal. He appears to be frantically trying to tell Cole to get on the post to help cover the goal line. Simultaneously, David James is frantically waving Cole back into the wall. Cole ends up stuck in the no man's land and is no help in either spot. Had Cole been guarding a post, perhaps James could have cheated over a step or two and had a chance. I guess I'd have to think that Beckham has a little more intimate knowledge of Zidane's style of free kicks.

[vico]

Had Cole been guarding a post, perhaps James could have cheated over a step or two and had a chance. I guess I'd have to think that Beckham has a little more intimate knowledge of Zidane's style of free kicks.
the problem with the english keeper is just that he did cheat a step or two. just when zidane was a bout to strike the ball he took some steps to the left which was the side that the wall was covering, zidane placed the ball to the right of james closer to the centre of the goal than to the post. that is a place that the goalie should have covered. zidane might have seen james sidestepping and simply decided to blast the ball into that area.

[PizzicatoJive]

the problem with the english keeper is just that he did cheat a step or two. just when zidane was a bout to strike the ball he took some steps to the left which was the side that the wall was covering, zidane placed the ball to the right of james closer to the centre of the goal than to the post. that is a place that the goalie should have covered.


This is true. James put himself off balance, and really had no chance at saving anything to his right side. It's not really possible to know James's tactics, but I'm guessing he treated Zidane's direct kick as he would treat a penalty, and kind of "guessed" he would aim over the wall into the upper left corner. Not a bad thought, really, considering Zidane's angle on the ball. But still, cheating on Zizou isn't a good idea, especially to the extent of leaning before the shot.
Although, the save would have had "highlight reel" written all over it. Maybe James is just a media hound? ;)

Good catch, wjarrettc, on what Beckham was doing, I missed that. You're right, it's a good laugh, you'd think James would do all he could to find out what Beckham knows.

[KanKeano's DefPosts]

This is true. James put himself off balance, and really had no chance at saving anything to his right side. It's not really possible to know James's tactics, but I'm guessing he treated Zidane's direct kick as he would treat a penalty, and kind of "guessed" he would aim over the wall into the upper left corner. Not a bad thought, really, considering Zidane's angle on the ball. But still, cheating on Zizou isn't a good idea, especially to the extent of leaning before the shot.
Although, the save would have had "highlight reel" written all over it. Maybe James is just a media hound? ;)

Good catch, wjarrettc, on what Beckham was doing, I missed that. You're right, it's a good laugh, you'd think James would do all he could to find out what Beckham knows.

Only reason Beckham knows is coz he's been doing that exact free kick for ten years now. They are both quality free kick takers and if James didn't know what was going to happen more fool him. I can tell you that most english fans don't want james and that most would be glad to see the back of him. :eek:

[PizzicatoJive]

Only reason Beckham knows is coz he's been doing that exact free kick for ten years now. They are both quality free kick takers and if James didn't know what was going to happen more fool him. I can tell you that most english fans don't want james and that most would be glad to see the back of him. :eek:


good point. i'd heard that too about "calamity" james. who's england's backup? i'm beginning to see a vested interest in your reply. i'd like to see robinson given a chance myself.

[wjarrettc]

Good catch, wjarrettc, on what Beckham was doing, I missed that. You're right, it's a good laugh, you'd think James would do all he could to find out what Beckham knows.


Wish I could take credit but the ITV crew highlighted it before the Bulgaria v. Sweden match in the pre-game.

[KanKeano's DefPosts]

good point. i'd heard that too about "calamity" james. who's england's backup? i'm beginning to see a vested interest in your reply. i'd like to see robinson given a chance myself.

I'd like Robinson to be given a chance but then I would as he now plays for Tottenham!!! :)

But seriously we will never will anything with 'calamity' between the posts.

[Snuffles]

Looking back in hindsight, it was a shame James wasn't sent off at the end for giving the penalty away, it would have been fun to see which player was picked for keeper duties and Robinson being forced to play vs. Switzerland could have been a great make or break situation.

[wjarrettc]

Looking back in hindsight, it was a shame James wasn't sent off at the end for giving the penalty away, it would have been fun to see which player was picked for keeper duties and Robinson being forced to play vs. Switzerland could have been a great make or break situation.

In my book, James was guilty of a red card offense. But then again, so was Silvestre (he was the last defender). If the ref had rightly shown red to Silvestre, it would be interesting to see if France could have sustained their attack and pulled out the win. I think James stayed on the pitch simply because Silvestre did earlier. At least the ref was consistent (if not correct, in my opinion).

[its called football]

In my book, James was guilty of a red card offense. But then again, so was Silvestre (he was the last defender). If the ref had rightly shown red to Silvestre, it would be interesting to see if France could have sustained their attack and pulled out the win. I think James stayed on the pitch simply because Silvestre did earlier. At least the ref was consistent (if not correct, in my opinion).
Wonder how England would have tried to deal with Zidanes penalty with no goal keepr, as a sub would have been impossible. Ledley King couldn't put a foot wrong, so maybe he would have saved it!

[triplesevn]

I think the same about James. I would rather have seen Robinson in net.

But in some small, small, degree in defense of James, a reply from the complete back of the net showed James did not see the ball until it was over the wall. Zidane kicked it right down the middle of the wall.

I don't think anyone would have gotten to the FK even if they were cheating to their right more then the left. It had allot of pace and spin on it.
MO

[PizzicatoJive]

But in some small, small, degree in defense of James, a reply from the complete back of the net showed James did not see the ball until it was over the wall. Zidane kicked it right down the middle of the wall.

I don't think anyone would have gotten to the FK even if they were cheating to their right more then the left. It had allot of pace and spin on it.
MO

That's fair enough. No one can be expected to react to a fairly well-struck free kick when you only spot the ball when it's 10 or so yards out. But that brings up another problem. A goalkeeper should never do anything that hampers his ability to stop a shot. First, do no harm... Placing a wall that blocks his view of the ball is a huge handicap, before France even decides that Zidane will step over it.

And of course, a free kick from that spot is tough on anybody, but I'm going to have to say that Zidane's placement wasn't really that great, and neither was the pace, and even with the swerve (which, you're right, it had a good spin to it) it could have been saved.

[prk166]

Does this answer the question? ;)

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/gallery/2002/03/28/four.jpg

[footie-fool]

Wish I could take credit but the ITV crew highlighted it before the Bulgaria v. Sweden match in the pre-game.

Yes, that's right. And the ITV crew also commented that they didn't believe it was necessary for James to take out Henry on the slow-paced backpass by Gerrard. The replay shows that Henry had trouble reaching the ball and could only toe it forward, further out of reach, away from the goal. It seems James could have played the ball instead of the man.

[Matt Clark]

Just a point of order before one of you actually ejaculates, but you do all realise that James himself is not sitting in front of the video-recorder editing the highlights package he will then use to inform himself about opposition dead-ball skills, right?

Right??

As to the rest of it, he made a mistake on the free-kick by moving over to the area covered by the wall during Zidane's run-up, but he can hardly "prepare" for what followed. Even if he had seen that intention in a thousand Zidane free-kicks, there is nothing to suggest he would have seen that execution before. Zidane hits "fizzing" free-kicks which have a very steep up-and-down trajectory, but that James knows (his move behind the wall clearly indicates he was anticipating Zidane's ability to get up and over it). Fact is, rarely - if ever, has Zidane (has anyone!) achieved that perfect a combination of speed and control in a free-kick. Even if James had seen similar free-kicks on the FA video, he would not have been prepared for the utter perfection of the actual kick itself.

Beyond which, it's not like James has never heard of Zidane before, he's seen him take free-kicks more often than the rest of us, I'm sure. To accuse him of ignorance over something that is not even his doing is just daft.

Mountain, molehill. Let's all just give praise to Zidane for a spectacular piece of skill and stop acting like a prissy aunt. It's like a ********ing knitting circle at the Women's Institute in here.

[bloonhead]

Fact is, rarely - if ever, has Zidane (has anyone!) achieved that perfect a combination of speed and control in a free-kick. Even if James had seen similar free-kicks on the FA video, he would not have been prepared for the utter perfection of the actual kick itself.


That's total rubbish, all Zidane did was try to get the ball on target with some pace in the left side of the goal. If James didn't take two steps to the left he might just about saved it (looking at that Freekick James was totally unprepared), and if he had seen videos he could have had a better general idea of how Zidane takes his free kicks. Your talking like Zidane did the best free kick in the world. I dunno, maybe you cannot play football and cannot understand that the freekick wasn't so amazing.

Barthez saved Beckhams penalty, after the game Barthez said he guessed the right way because the videos he was given by the French FA of Beckhams penalties were all in the same direction. Hence, if Barthez wasn't given videos of Beckham taking penalties, England could have won 2-0. Also, if James had been given videos of Zidane taking free kicks maybe France wouldn't have scored in the first place.

[grodada]

That's total rubbish, all Zidane did was try to get the ball on target with some pace in the left side of the goal. If James didn't take two steps to the left he might just about saved it (looking at that Freekick James was totally unprepared), and if he had seen videos he could have had a better general idea of how Zidane takes his free kicks. Your talking like Zidane did the best free kick in the world. I dunno, maybe you cannot play football and cannot understand that the freekick wasn't so amazing.

Barthez saved Beckhams penalty, after the game Barthez said he guessed the right way because the videos he was given by the French FA of Beckhams penalties were all in the same direction. Hence, if Barthez wasn't given videos of Beckham taking penalties, England could have won 2-0. Also, if James had been given videos of Zidane taking free kicks maybe France wouldn't have scored in the first place.


:eek: how can you know you're gonna play france thus zidane for months and not watch videos from his free kicks? that's a lame excuse when you play as a professionnal goalkeeper

[shoenz24]

Just because one "plays football" does not mean they are more qualifed to judge the quality of the free kick. It wasn't a perfect free kick no, but it was awesome one.
At the end of the day, as sad as it is France one, Certain individuals made mistakes, but do you suppose we drop beckham james and gerrard?
of course not, would you rather have paul robinson or Ian walker in goal?
i wouldn't

[RichardL]

:eek: how can you know you're gonna play france thus zidane for months and not watch videos from his free kicks? that's a lame excuse when you play as a professionnal goalkeeperHe's a footballer. Footballers are rarely known for their mental prowess. Beckham, for example, is probably more famous for his free kicks than any other aspect of his game, yet keeper after keeper has still ended up looking totally surprised by him curling one into the top corner as if they've never seen him do it before.
The fact is, anyone 'blaming' James for that goal is just looking for a scapegoat. Unless Zindane always puts his free kicks to the same side, then with the pace he can hit them there's still going to be an element of guesswork about it. Guess wrong, as James appeared to do, and it's too late to do anything about it.