Koller returns. how does this change things?

[lmorin]

Uh, no.

Koller is a brute. Ask Jaap Stam how it felt trying to get around Koller at the Euros'04 ... because he never did.

BTW, by comparison, Jared Borgetti is 6'0", 172. He and Koller don't play the same game.
Perhaps I didn't express myself properly. Koller is huge and strong, to be sure, but I think your comment comparing him with Borgetti is more to the point. Borgetti has a streak of nastiness that, I think, Koller lacks. I think the US is better off going against a slower, stronger Koller than the quicker, nastier Borgetti.

[Stogey23]

Good thing for us in the recent NFL combine Gooch bench pressed 227 thirty times.He also aced the Wonderlic. The boy is wicked smart.

[shadrach]

as to defense, watching the dutch trot out their munckins against ecuador it seems the focus is upon skill in defense...

Just curious...how is that relevant to the US defense & Koller? I think I'm missing your point.

[Adam Zebrowski]

the dutch had a very small defense and with fifa cracking down on physical play, SKILL in defense is more highly valued

[sidefootsitter]

... Borgetti has a streak of nastiness that, I think, Koller lacks. I think the US is better off going against a slower, stronger Koller than the quicker, nastier Borgetti. Borgetti, on his good days, is very good getting around his markers for the lateral crosses. At Columbus, Lavolpe couldn't get any good wide play off Ramos Morales on the left and Gerardo Torrado on the right, so all that was left were high lobs where Onyewu dominated Jared.

Now, Czechs will try to get flanks exploited with Jankulovsky and Nedved on the left and with Ujfalusi and either Poborski or Jarolim on the right. And if either side does well, they'll keep going to it.

Now, once he gets his feet planted, Koller is virtually impossible to move and Gooch will have to watch own hand action very carefully, so not to get carded.

Physically, Gooch can match up but Koller's been around the block and hasn't scored his 38 international goals by luck alone.

[striker]

the dutch had a very small defense and with fifa cracking down on physical play, SKILL in defense is more highly valued

I thought FIFA is cracking down on shirt-pulling and elbowing, but not necessarily legal, physical play. Am I missing something here?

[Winds350]

Borgetti, on his good days, is very good getting around his markers for the lateral crosses. At Columbus, Lavolpe couldn't get any good wide play off Ramos Morales on the left and Gerardo Torrado on the right, so all that was left were high lobs where Onyewu dominated Jared.

Now, Czechs will try to get flanks exploited with Jankulovsky and Nedved on the left and with Ujfalusi and either Poborski or Jarolim on the right. And if either side does well, they'll keep going to it.

Now, once he gets his feet planted, Koller is virtually impossible to move and Gooch will have to watch own hand action very carefully, so not to get carded.

Physically, Gooch can match up but Koller's been around the block and hasn't scored his 38 international goals by luck alone.

Sounds like with Koller in, the US will want to play a wider midfield than it has been recently. To put both offensive and defensive pressure on the Czech wide players. In the afore mentioned Mexico game, the US went with two wide mids in Beasley and Ralston, perhaps not so coincindentally the goal scorers for the day. Doesn't sound like a good time to run a box midfield out there.

[Adam Zebrowski]

the difference between shirt-pulling and elbowing and legal physical play can be blurry....

last world cup they cracked down and wanted the talented players to show their skills...

I think it'll be even MORE pronounced this time.....

finesse skilled sides will get the benefit over more physical sides....

just look at hockey's crack down on physical play and I think we have a mirror for the finals...

good for brazil and holland and spain...

bad for england and germany....

physical play will yield more cards, and unless you have quality depth, the longer the tourney goes, the more problematic...

just think of 2002 if usa had beat germany, the card situation would have tested arena's ability to be creative....

[HSEUPASSION]

After his injury will he be the same? That wasen't a pretty injury.

[BED-STYPUNDIT]

Koller on Gooch, Gibbs on Baros

If Gibbs shout down Van Nistelrroy, who is a better version of Baros, then he can easily shut down Baros, who has had the quiestest 10 goals I have ever seen in the EPL this season for Aston Villa.

[shadrach]

the dutch had a very small defense and with fifa cracking down on physical play, SKILL in defense is more highly valued

I see what you're trying to get at. It was just a little confusing because it seemed like you were relating size with skill and also size with physical play. I don't think size plays a major role in either skill or physical play (meaning, size doesn't make one more physical. Makelele/Essien/Gatusso/Mastro can be just as physical as Gooch, just in a different way). Plus, Holland may have used those defenders to combat the speed of Ecuador. Also, Holland doesn't have to face Koller. I can't imagine they would use the same strategy against the Czechs.

Anyway, I get the crux of your point. Defenders who rely more on physical play than skill may be at a disadvantage.

[HSEUPASSION]

Koller on Gooch, Gibbs on Baros

If Gibbs shout down Van Nistelrroy, who is a better version of Baros, then he can easily shut down Baros, who has had the quiestest 10 goals I have ever seen in the EPL this season for Aston Villa.

Isn't van Nistelrooy like 6'4"? He's not a little guy like Baros.

[Beckham7]

Isn't van Nistelrooy like 6'4"? He's not a little guy like Baros.
Ruud's only like 6'1" or 6'2".

[sidefootsitter]

Sounds like with Koller in, the US will want to play a wider midfield than it has been recently. To put both offensive and defensive pressure on the Czech wide players. In the afore mentioned Mexico game, the US went with two wide mids in Beasley and Ralston, perhaps not so coincindentally the goal scorers for the day. Doesn't sound like a good time to run a box midfield out there. Arena played Box at Columbus with Donovan on top with McBride.

Lavolpe's hopes were on his left in Morales vs. Hejduk match-up and he got nothing out of that.

The right flank was a default option because Torrado is a destroyer, not an offensive mid and Eddie Lewis had no problems there.

Ralston didn't do anything but he battled and DMB was flying.

The problem with using the same tactics vs. the Czechs is that their wingbacks Ujfalusi and Jankulovsky are very good and they won't be afraid to play a 120-yd match whereas Lavolpe was being very conservative since he could qualify in the next game as a worst case scenario.

And, if you overload the wings, Rosicky can be a handful in the middle of the park feeding Baros with through passes or playing off Koller.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

Gooch will have Koller in his pocket. Gooch, while apparently 17 lbs lighter and 4 inches shorter than Koller, is clearly far stronger upperbody-wise.

Gooch is ridiculous...he is truly built like an NFL linebacker. Koller is built like an oversized Eastern European...lots of height and weight, but not much muscle for his size. Gooch is enormous, completely covered in muscle, Koller is not. I think in a shoving match, Gooch takes it. And isn't a shoving match pretty much what it will be?

I think the US matches up quite well vs. Czech Republic, primarily because Gooch can fully neutralize Koller and my guess is Gibbs can neutralize Baros.

[ECRedSoxFan]

Seriously, can someone get Lampley to do player introductions for this game, and have Howard Lederman do a updated scorecard every 5 minutes of match play? Doesn't this have to happen?

Lamps: "Howard, how do you see it 25 minutes in?"
Lederman: "Guys, I got it at twenty minutes to five for Gooch. While Koller has the height advantage and may outweigh the American, he hasn't been able to shake this kid. Koller was able to win minutes 10-15 when he was able to get a good head on the ball, but before and after that, Gooch has been all over him. Dave O'Brien, how do you see it?
O'Brien: "It's snowing!"
Lamps: "Umm, no it isn't Dave."
O'Brien: "Well, this is one hell of a consolation match anyway!'

[striker]

........ I think in a shoving match, Gooch takes it. And isn't a shoving match pretty much what it will be?.......

If it comes down to a shoving match, we are in trouble. When Koller gets called for a foul, we will get a free kick 80 yards from the Czech goal. A foul call the other way may mean a PK.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

If it comes down to a shoving match, we are in trouble. When Koller gets called for a foul, we will get a free kick 80 yards from the Czech goal. A foul call the other way may mean a PK.


I guess I mean "legal" shoving. Like the kind vs. Borgetti.

[sidefootsitter]

I guess I mean "legal" shoving. Like the kind vs. Borgetti. Borgetti's 60 lbs lighter than Koller.

Gooch will have Koller in his pocket. Gooch, while apparently 17 lbs lighter and 4 inches shorter than Koller, is clearly far stronger upperbody-wise. You mean no one scored on Standard this year?

[Winds350]

Arena played Box at Columbus with Donovan on top with McBride.

More like a trapezoid. I guess I tend to think of a box as having the forward mids tucked in more centrally.

Ralston didn't do anything but he battled and DMB was flying.

Sometimes, all it takes from a wide player is to be a credible threat. Without ever delivering on it. Just to keep the defense/midfield honest, keep them from attacking all out or providng help centrally.

The problem with using the same tactics vs. the Czechs is that their wingbacks Ujfalusi and Jankulovsky are very good and they won't be afraid to play a 120-yd match whereas Lavolpe was being very conservative since he could qualify in the next game as a worst case scenario.

And, if you overload the wings, Rosicky can be a handful in the middle of the park feeding Baros with through passes or playing off Koller.

From the way you are describing the Czechs, and with the presence of Koller, I don't see it as 'overloading' the wings. A wide mid and an outside back matched up against a wide mid and outside back. Pretty even. Without Koller, maybe you get away with overloaing the middle, with a Donovan in a square box. Try to clog the middle, get some numbers there to maybe open up some chances and let them try to beat you from out wide.

With Koller, they have credible threats inside and outside, so probably try to match up a bit. 1-3 in the midfield for a more defensive look, Mastro deep against Nedved I would think. No idea what to do on the right, no real wide right mids likely to start. Czech's stronger outside right or left do you think? Diamond midfield if you want to try for the win.

Edit: Went back to your earlier post. I guess I tended to think Nedved played more centrally, you have him attacking wide left. Care to lay out a likely Czech formation, with projected starters, and how it would play? Maybe as a seperate thread?