USA-Italy Second Viewing thoughts [R]

[Father Ted]

Italy goal was offside, there was a player at the far post who was in an offside position when the ball was struck. Surely on a free kick like this he would be interfering with play?

[MLSNHTOWN]

I actually had another homer-esque thought....Gooch is the player that keeps the Italians onside. How does he do it...did he miss the offsides trap call by Pope....perhaps. but if you watch it again, Gooch is attempting to trap. However, the Italian that he is marking bear hugs him and prevents him from springing the trap.

Ultimately, I still think Gooch is too slow to trap and probably keeps the player onside....but when the play goes off I honestly think he is trying to trap and just gets bear hugged by the Italian trying to go the other way...(or perhaps the Italian is intentionally trying to keep the offsides line closer to goal by grabbing gooch.) Hard to tell...IMHO...a player on a set piece wants to go towards goal. so if a defender wants to run the other way....you let him...unless you realize it is an offsides trap in which case you either grab him to keep you or your teammates on or you pull back and try to stay on side....

Clearly the Italian didn't pull back and try to stay onside.

[appoo]

not to mention the FK attempt was caused by a freakin dive

[MLSNHTOWN]

not to mention the FK attempt was caused by a freakin dive

details details

[USvsIRELAND]

We should/could have won this game.

[Dirty_South_Futbol]

not to mention the FK attempt was caused by a freakin dive

exactly. I think that all we can really complain about is that fact.

No wonder the Nike Joga Bonito ads have no Italians. bunch of diving, acting punks.

[MLSNHTOWN]

exactly. I think that all we can really complain about is that fact.

No wonder the Nike Joga Bonito ads have no Italians. bunch of diving, acting punks.

Someone ought to do a spoof ad with the diving and the hacking...it would be hysterical...but I am not talented enough to do it.

[KMJvet]

Italy goal was offside, there was a player at the far post who was in an offside position when the ball was struck. Surely on a free kick like this he would be interfering with play?

I don't think so by the way refs are instructed to call it. But it is why the passive offside thing is just a stupid horrible rule. It's too subjective and complex and it's ridiculous to expect the ARs to see the enough of the field to judge when they need to focus on where the last defender is and endline is. it's not even vaguely logical for it to be a soccer rule at all. Anytime I get to thinking pointy ball has too many byzantine or strange rules, I remember passive offside and just laugh.

[Dirty_South_Futbol]

Someone ought to do a spoof ad with the diving and the hacking...it would be hysterical...but I am not talented enough to do it.

That would be hilarious. Have Eric Cantona say "Play Beautiful. Play like this..."

Then Cut to scenes of the Italians flopping, pulling shirts, faking injuries, scoring goals that are offsides but not called, and maybe a clip of someone handing a ref money. That would be funny.

Too bad I don't have that kind of editing ability, either.

[BWMcTell]

After watching the game for the third time, I have to say this:

Donovan played an absolute blinder. He was all over the place. We could name three or four players who deserved Man of the Match (Gooch, Boca) but Donovan looked like he was on another level. I read one review that says he was the class of the field and I have to agree 100%. He made dangerous runs and possessed the ball with beautiful skill, he held off Italian tackles time and time again, he absolutely owned Cannavaro and Gattuso, he made passes that consistently put his teammates in dangerous position, and he even made a few nice defensive plays; he more than redeemed himself today. I think Donovan needs to play with a fire under his ass to bring out his true quality. Maybe at the next game we can hire some people to yell mean things at him or talk about his girl or something. :D

Beasley on the other hand...I'm surprised that so many people have nice words for him. In all honesty, I think he played just as poorly as he did against the Czechs. Right before his goal that was called offsides, he laid off a terrible hospital ball to Bocanegra who was lucky to not get injured (even though it was Perotta who ended up with a knock). He ruined a counterattack chance by standing around and not anticipating a pass from Reyna. When he made a run at the Italian defense and was dispossessed with his sadly inadequate ability, he jogged back into defense while the Italian were quickly pushing the ball back into the attack, despite the fact that he had only come into the game about 15 minutes earlier. He absolutely muffed an unchallenged clearance in our own penalty box almost made my heart jump out of my throat. The only improvement over last week is that he wasn't in the game long enough to show clearly just how terribly he is playing right now. More like Damarcus Measly.

[Henry Porter]

Someone ought to do a spoof ad with the diving and the hacking...it would be hysterical...but I am not talented enough to do it.

Italian's practicing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccDyp2aRRCg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esoccer%2Dweblog%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fpage%3D2

[KMJvet]

Beasley on the other hand...I'm surprised that so many people have nice words for him. In all honesty, I think he played just as poorly as he did against the Czechs.

Me too. He's the biggest no-show disappointment of the tournament.

[dogbyte]

Landon is so dissapointing. I thought he played a brilliant game. What is wrong with him that he doesn't put in the effort to do this every game. He is being payed to play a game, the beautiful game, but it's a game.

He should thank his lucky stars he doesn't have to work in an office, and give it all, all the time. Clint Mathis has pissed away more talent to be fair, but Landon needs to do this all the time. I am so glad he showed up, gave all against Italy, we needed it against Czech, we need it against Ghana. Yes Landon, you can be World Class and stay in MLS. But you have to give it. You did give it this game. I have watched the game 3 times now. Donovan, Gooch, Dempsey played some serious footie.

[Joel Kennedy]

Italian's practicing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccDyp2aRRCg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esoccer%2Dweblog%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fpage%3D2

ha! that was great!

[Dirty_South_Futbol]

After watching the game for the third time, I have to say this:

Donovan played an absolute blinder. He was all over the place. We could name three or four players who deserved Man of the Match (Gooch, Boca) but Donovan looked like he was on another level. I read one review that says he was the class of the field and I have to agree 100%. He made dangerous runs and possessed the ball with beautiful skill, he held off Italian tackles time and time again, he absolutely owned Cannavaro and Gattuso, he made passes that consistently put his teammates in dangerous position, and he even made a few nice defensive plays; he more than redeemed himself today. I think Donovan needs to play with a fire under his ass to bring out his true quality. Maybe at the next game we can hire some people to yell mean things at him or talk about his girl or something. :D

Beasley on the other hand...I'm surprised that so many people have nice words for him. In all honesty, I think he played just as poorly as he did against the Czechs. Right before his goal that was called offsides, he laid off a terrible hospital ball to Bocanegra who was lucky to not get injured (even though it was Perotta who ended up with a knock). He ruined a counterattack chance by standing around and not anticipating a pass from Reyna. When he made a run at the Italian defense and was dispossed with his sadly inadequate ability, he jogged back into defense while the Italian were quickly pushing the ball back into the attack, despite the fact that he had only come into the game about 15 minutes earlier. He absolutely muffed an unchallenged clearance in our own penalty box almost made my heart jump out of my throat. The only improvement over last week is that he wasn't in the game long enough to show clearly just how terribly he is playing right now. More like Damarcus Measly.

Well, after my second viewing last night, I agree that DMB did not play as well as I had though initially, for all the reasons you stated. I noticed those too. I wouldn't say he played as poorly as he did against the Czechs though. I think this had alot to do with him being on his natural left.

and you are 100% correct about Donovan. I was so nervous, I didn't notice all that he did in the first watch. My second viewing, I saw THE BEST US SOCCER PLAYER. In fact, I focuesd on him the enire second half, and trust me, he was playing on another level, another planet. The intensity, the runs, the suttle touches and passes. The Italians tried to trip him up 3 times. Did he flop like they would have? No. Dude tripped a bit, but stayed on his feet, hopped over the defense and ran towards goal like a bat out of hell. I loved watching him outrun the Italians.

After last night, if you focus on his play, you see that he is a World class player when he is playing to his ability. And I know he is happy to be in LA, and maybe MLS doesn't hurt him as much as some would say, but the guy belongs in a European league. I really think he would shine in the Prem.

Who knows, maybe he will soon.

[Dirty_South_Futbol]

Italian's practicing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccDyp2aRRCg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esoccer%2Dweblog%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Fpage%3D2

I have seen that 100 times, but it never gets hold. :D

[Sanguine]

I think Donovan needs to play with a fire under his ass to bring out his true quality. Maybe at the next game we can hire some people to yell mean things at him or talk about his girl or something. :D

I hear Daniele De Rossi is going to be free for a while...

[macheath]

I actually had another homer-esque thought....Gooch is the player that keeps the Italians onside. How does he do it...did he miss the offsides trap call by Pope....perhaps. but if you watch it again, Gooch is attempting to trap. However, the Italian that he is marking bear hugs him and prevents him from springing the trap.

Ultimately, I still think Gooch is too slow to trap and probably keeps the player onside....but when the play goes off I honestly think he is trying to trap and just gets bear hugged by the Italian trying to go the other way...(or perhaps the Italian is intentionally trying to keep the offsides line closer to goal by grabbing gooch.) Hard to tell...IMHO...a player on a set piece wants to go towards goal. so if a defender wants to run the other way....you let him...unless you realize it is an offsides trap in which case you either grab him to keep you or your teammates on or you pull back and try to stay on side....

Clearly the Italian didn't pull back and try to stay onside.

On the Italian goal, Gooch is being held around the waist by Toni with both arms. Gooch starts to try and cover Gilardino, can't move with Toni's death grip on him. Pope still shouldn't being trying a trap in that situation.

[jd6885]

We should/could have won this game.


In order to win a game, you must score goals. It didn't look like we could in that game, thanks largely to our inability to be creative in the final third STILL!

[LittleMaradona]

He's the biggest no-show disappointment of the tournament.
He's an alcoholic.