7/11: US vs. Poland International Friendly Post Game Thread [R]

[dark knight]

US pull out a late equalizer to tie Poland 1-1.

Serious discussion please. (If you are here to just point out that X player "sucked" - please do it in the non-N&A forum. -- thanks)

[SJEarthquakes]

Can just ask where do they get these refs from? If this isn't appropriate here then you can delete it. I just want to know b/c this sport isn't too difficult to ref and yet the ref crew did a horrible job.

[paulo]

US pull out a late equalizer to tie Poland 1-1.

Serious discussion please. (If you are here to just point out that X player "sucked" - please do it in the non-N&A forum. -- thanks)

I'll skip the overall analysis and head straight to - Mathis takes the best free kicks on the national team. They looked dangerous when he crossed them in the box and Poland felt the pressure and panicked on several.

[appoo]

screw the lucky Polish goal. If you have a tape of it, keep it because you won't EVER see Carlos Bocanegra AND Tim Howard make those kind of mistakes back to back.

In the end? BEAUTIFUL game from USA. Complete and utter domination from our boys tonight and a pathetic showing from Poland. They didn't want to play and they couldn't hang with our boys so they bunkered for the entire match. didn't see to many negatives out there. Convey made on mistake but that was it. Donovan had a few mistouches. Wolff held the ball up when he should have shot once. But almost all of our guys played well. Great warm-up for the qaulifer. If we play like this then nobody should touch us in the semis

[NattyBo]

Anyone know (seriously) where we can write to about the horrid near side linesman?


As for N&A, the Polish goal was completly against the flow of play. Frankly, the US could've and should've won, and Poland was lucky to come out with a draw.

[rkeane15]

[QUOTE=SJEarthquakes]Can just ask where do they get these refs from? If this isn't appropriate here then you can delete it. I just want to know b/c this sport isn't too difficult to ref and yet the ref crew did a horrible job.[/

the center was from canada.
i thought this was a dissapointing performance today. i didnt see the same "teamwork" that im used to seeing with the nats. but, key players were missing and we had some new guys in also. we have to learn to finish, ie. beasley. hes not the only one though.

[United20]

The US woke up in the second half. Mathis is just cool, in-control, and always goes at the opponent instead of passing backwards all the time. Once he came into the game, the middle of the field opened up.

Beasley dangerous and was above average. Donovan was average but was always a part of the game defensively and didn't disappear. McBride has been a disappointment. I have yet to see him put a solid game together in a long time.

Bocanegra made up for that poor defense on the goal with scoring one. Albright actually looked good using his size, but he still needs more experience. Convey just scares me now. His passing was poor. Defense was average at best, and just can not shoot. He is working his way off the starting line-up.

Just the fact that Eddie was involved is a good sign. Want to see more of him in a NATS jersey, and playing.

[JohnnyRev]

Would someone please tell ESPN2 that Marcelo Balboa is a horrible commentator. I turn the sound off when I watch the game, so I don't have to listen to his inane comments and inarticulate gibberish. "Bang!" That's as colorful as he gets.

Do he and stone ever criticize an American player? Beasley had a pretty bad game, and McBride was virtually invisible. A real snorer.

[diablodelsol]

US pull out a late equalizer to tie Poland 1-1.

Serious discussion please. (If you are here to just point out that X player "sucked" - please do it in the non-N&A forum. -- thanks)


Yeah...but X really really sucked. That's newsworthy.

[mbar]

I know he's not ready yet for prime time but I thought Gaven's impact was immediate, if only in subtle ways, keeping plays alive and winning free kicks, And I don't care what Rob and Marcelo say, he was kept on-side by the far side polish defender when he got behind the defense.

On a more serious note, I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were about us playing two holding midfielders in Pablo and Kerry. I thought today might have been a better opportunity for us to play a diamond with Landon at A-mid instead of a box with two defensive midfielders. Opinions on our tactics?

Mike

[peledre]

I thought Albright had a much better half than Dolo did at RB.

Kerry Zavagnin again failed to impress.

I wish Gaven would've had more time to play.

McBride did not impress, Ching was much better than he on the day.

Beasley looked dangerous, but he's still taking too many touches in the box, as per usual.

[geordienation]

Not a bad performance. There was a stretch there in the second half where we were absolutely dead. A LOT of standing around.

Sorry to see such a soft goal come out of a really, really good performance by the defense.

[willykirk]

In the end? BEAUTIFUL game from USA. Complete and utter domination from our boys tonight and a pathetic showing from Poland. They didn't want to play and they couldn't hang with our boys so they bunkered for the entire match. didn't see to many negatives out there. Convey made on mistake but that was it. Donovan had a few mistouches. Wolff held the ball up when he should have shot once. But almost all of our guys played well. Great warm-up for the qaulifer. If we play like this then nobody should touch us in the semis


well, we did hold possesion for nearly 65% of the game i imagine, but we also gave up some decent chances on the counter. tim & carlos did make a mistake on the goal (maybe convey should've been back to the line as well?) but boca dominated in the air and deservedly got one in the end.

beasley however didn't help himself in negotiations did he? blew two great chances--damn why didn't he shoot first chance he got on that first one!?!?

[Shaydee]

on the in-game thread people were ragging on Zavagnin and while I agree he shouldn't be playing for the national team he didn't play bad today. He broke up quite a few of their counterattacks though his passing was lacking.

[appoo]

relize that Poland was playing 10 defensivly. Considering that, USa played VERY well offensivly.

[Bluecat82]

On Bocanegra's goal...did anyone else have a Blooter Burns flashback?

I thought we outplayed Poland for the most part, but that soft goal was very disappointing...

..as were, to be honest, most of Landon's corners.

But, a result in front of what appeared to be a pretty vocal crowd.

[Shaydee]

beasley however didn't help himself in negotiations did he? blew two great chances--damn why didn't he shoot first chance he got on that first one!?!?

it looked on the replay that the ball popped up underneath his leg as he was about to shoot

[futbolrey]

i didn't see the first half but during parts of the game the U.S. couldn't connect passes very well. Also some of the shooting was way of target. Especially Convey's shooting.


P.S.
Anyone think Bruce should lay of the pizza and donuts.

[Shaydee]

i didn't see the first half but during parts of the game the U.S. couldn't connect passes very well. Also some of the shooting was way of target. Especially Convey's shooting.


P.S.
Anyone think Bruce should lay of the pizza and donuts.

I haven't seen Convey hit a shot on goal in about 3 years for DC or the Nats

[russ]

A mixed bag tonight.

A horrible penalty miss,a bad error by Howard on the goal.As against this good games by Donovan,Boca,Ching ,(impressive I thought).I would have liked to have seen Gaven earlier.

I continue to be unsold on the Convey to left back experiment.

I am concerned about Pope's current form.