Your Teams starting 11

[Paganitzu]

In terms of what has been said about the dutch, I agree. Sibon had a great year and will be a man playing amongst boys. I think we will see him play the first 60 minutes and a youthful amrabat for the final 30.

The 4-3-3 mentioned looks great to me with Sibon in place of Amrabat. Very dangerous.and there is a ton of young but great talent at the back to boot
And Sibon is just hilarious, will never forget that interview with Afellay. A interview with a very shy Ibrahim Afellay and a drunken Gerald Sibon :D

But a shame Amrabat isn't selected, same story for Aissati.

Think it will look like this:


Goalkeeper:
Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem)

Defenders:
Zuiverloon (Wigan)
Marcellis (PSV Eindhoven)
Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar)
Pieters (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders:
Maduro (Valencia)
Bakkal (PSV Eindhoven)
Guzman (Feyenoord)

Attack:
Babel (Liverpool)
Makaay (Feyenoord)
Drenthe (Real Madrid)

Only Jalies, why Jaliens! But we don't have any better unfortunately

[man_in_the_middle]

The US just announced its roster. So based on that I think we'll see...

--------------------- Guzan ---------------------

--- Wynne --- Parkhurst -- Orosco ---- Sturgis ---

---------- Bradley --------------- Edu ------------

------- Kljestan ------- Adu ------- Rogers --------

--------------------- McBride --------------------

or

--------------------- Guzan -----------------------

-------- Orosco --- Parkhurst --- Sturgis -----------

------------- Bradley -------- Edu ------------------

------ Kljestan ------------------------ Holden ------

---------------------- Adu --------------------------

------------ McBride -------- Altidore ---------------


Roster.....

2008 U.S. MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (5): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

[FW__]

Sturgis has been replaced by FC Dallas' Dax McCarty for the US

[rslgoonermassacre]

I say the US and Nigeria will come out but it will be close. I predict a lot of draws in this group so it may come down to goal differential.

Too bad about Sturgis, but Dax is quality so it shouldn't be too big of a loss.

[FW__]

Dax has looked very good at times for Dallas but also has disappeared. I'll chalk it up to youth and inexperience. He did have a decent U-20 WC so I'm sure he'll be fine in China.

[johan neeskens]

Only Jalies, why Jaliens! But we don't have any better unfortunately

We do but they're tied up in CL qualifying (Wielaert & Braafheid).

The Dutch have been rubbish in the pre-tournament friendlies so far but still keep on winning, thus underscoring my earlier point that they're a generation of real winners. They'll likely piss a lot of foreigners off though as they don't play 'the Dutch way'.

[orangegrey77]

I'll take the USA and Holland to make it outta this stage
I will second that notion

[aveslacker]

I will second that notion

That's certainly what I hope to see.

[VCFan]

I would pick Holland and Japan (very good form in their friendly matches) to advance out of this group.

[scotch17]

I would pick Holland and Japan (very good form in their friendly matches) to advance out of this group.

Nah, surely it's the Americans. Everyone here agrees they're a cinch to go through.
Honestly, the 3 teams I think are in it are Holland, Nigeria, Japan in that order. Only way the US gets through is by playing for draws by bunkering at the back and getting lucky with a 1-0 win against somebody. Other than them, the group should also be very entertaining -- everyone else has played fairly open in their friendlies.

[johan neeskens]

And Sibon is just hilarious, will never forget that interview with Afellay. A interview with a very shy Ibrahim Afellay and a drunken Gerald Sibon :D

But a shame Amrabat isn't selected, same story for Aissati.

Think it will look like this:


Goalkeeper:
Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem)

Defenders:
Zuiverloon (Wigan)
Marcellis (PSV Eindhoven)
Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar)
Pieters (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders:
Maduro (Valencia)
Bakkal (PSV Eindhoven)
Guzman (Feyenoord)

Attack:
Babel (Liverpool)
Makaay (Feyenoord)
Drenthe (Real Madrid)

Dutch starting XI is starting to take shape in a slightly different way: Sno and Emmanuelson both made a good impression in the friendlies and might be included at the expense of Maduro and De Guzman I reckon. It'll almost certainly be a 4-4-2 system with Makaay up front and Babel as a support striker. Something like this:

-------------------------Velthuizen----------------

Zuiverloon---------Marcellis------Jaliens----Pieters

Bakkal------------Sno-----Emmanuelsson------Drenthe

-----------------Makaay--------Babel------

I hope to God Foppe won't move Emmanuelson to the left back position. He's a good midfielder but a rubbish defender.

[VCFan]

Nah, surely it's the Americans. Everyone here agrees they're a cinch to go through.
Honestly, the 3 teams I think are in it are Holland, Nigeria, Japan in that order. Only way the US gets through is by playing for draws by bunkering at the back and getting lucky with a 1-0 win against somebody. Other than them, the group should also be very entertaining -- everyone else has played fairly open in their friendlies.

Well, most of the people who post on these Olympic threads are Americans anyways, so they're obviously going to pick the US to advance. I think you're being a little too dismissive of the US because they are capable of playing some creative attacking football at times.

However, Japan has been on sensational form and Holland, like Johan Neeskens said before, are a bunch of real winners (back to back U21 European champions) with no small amount of talent. So, for now, Holland and Japan are my picks to advance.

[scotch17]

Well, most of the people who post on these Olympic threads are Americans anyways, so they're obviously going to pick the US to advance. I think you're being a little too dismissive of the US because they are capable of playing some creative attacking football at times.

However, Japan has been on sensational form and Holland, like Johan Neeskens said before, are a bunch of real winners (back to back U21 European champions) with no small amount of talent. So, for now, Holland and Japan are my picks to advance.

I know, I'm one of the Americans -- it's also how I know they don't have 2 good passes between them or a player really capable of taking defenders on. Adu is about all they've got. I was hoping to see some fire against Ivory Coast, but they were man-handled and out-classed for the 90 minutes. They played like a team that knows they don't belong, and bunkered in their own half for the draw.
Japan is in good form, but as always they'll struggle to finish. The youth squad is much better at holding onto a lead than their senior counterparts and they looked unintimidated facing a star-studded Argentina -- so they do have that going for them.
But I can't really look past Holland and Nigeria. They both have plenty of skill, plenty of depth, and that "it" factor that I think will allow them to break the Americans down.

[VCFan]

I know, I'm one of the Americans -- it's also how I know they don't have 2 good passes between them or a player really capable of taking defenders on. Adu is about all they've got. I was hoping to see some fire against Ivory Coast, but they were man-handled and out-classed for the 90 minutes. They played like a team that knows they don't belong, and bunkered in their own half for the draw.
Japan is in good form, but as always they'll struggle to finish. The youth squad is much better at holding onto a lead than their senior counterparts and they looked unintimidated facing a star-studded Argentina -- so they do have that going for them.
But I can't really look past Holland and Nigeria. They both have plenty of skill, plenty of depth, and that "it" factor that I think will allow them to break the Americans down.

Well, I haven't seen Nigeria play much, so I'll refrain from commenting on them. I remember being impressed by Japan way back in the Toulon tournament when they held off Italy for so long (was this the full strength Japanese squad?) and might have triumphed had it not been for a moment of brilliance from the Italian GK. They had such an aura of mental strength and frustrated a superior Italian team time and time again. They've got what it takes to advance from the group, I'm sure of that. Will need a fair bit of luck, though.

[scotch17]

Well, I haven't seen Nigeria play much, so I'll refrain from commenting on them. I remember being impressed by Japan way back in the Toulon tournament when they held off Italy for so long (was this the full strength Japanese squad?) and might have triumphed had it not been for a moment of brilliance from the Italian GK. They had such an aura of mental strength and frustrated a superior Italian team time and time again. They've got what it takes to advance from the group, I'm sure of that. Will need a fair bit of luck, though.

I'm not really sure you could define a "full strength" team for Japan. Most of the squad is all about the same level, and theres at least 5 more players that could be added to that list (Aoyama, Mizuno, Umesaki, Koroki come to mind), a few of which were at Toulon. But I'd say what you saw there was an accurate assessment of how they'll play in the Olympics.
I think Japan is in it, but I think they've got their work cut out for them.
http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/images/smilies/50.gif

[VCFan]

I'm not really sure you could define a "full strength" team for Japan. Most of the squad is all about the same level, and theres at least 5 more players that could be added to that list (Aoyama, Mizuno, Umesaki, Koroki come to mind), a few of which were at Toulon. But I'd say what you saw there was an accurate assessment of how they'll play in the Olympics.
I think Japan is in it, but I think they've got their work cut out for them.
http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/images/smilies/50.gif

How many players named to the Olympic roster were on the Toulon roster?

Re: The US team --- how many of their games have you watched? I'd say that the US has plenty of players capable of stringing together two passes. You probably feel that they're highly overrated (with good reason IMO), but I think you've consequently gone too far in the opposite direction.

[tomwilhelm]

Nah, surely it's the Americans. Everyone here agrees they're a cinch to go through.
Honestly, the 3 teams I think are in it are Holland, Nigeria, Japan in that order. Only way the US gets through is by playing for draws by bunkering at the back and getting lucky with a 1-0 win against somebody. Other than them, the group should also be very entertaining -- everyone else has played fairly open in their friendlies.
Who's everyone? Did you even look back at the thread? I'm American and I didn't even pick them to advance.

Oh, and your analysis of the US team is a bit heavy on the hyperbole. They definitely have some issues, but they're hardly going to bunker and pray for points like a minnow.

Try to find a slightly smaller paintbrush...

[scotch17]

How many players named to the Olympic roster were on the Toulon roster?

Re: The US team --- how many of their games have you watched? I'd say that the US has plenty of players capable of stringing together two passes. You probably feel that they're highly overrated (with good reason IMO), but I think you've consequently gone too far in the opposite direction.

I honestly don't know, except the squads are very similar and they look the same style to me. I don't actually follow many of the U23 players outside of Mizuno, Uchida, Honda, Morimoto. Uchida (RB) is probably the best player.
As for America, I just don't see anything from them. They're athletic, and they work hard... but they just don't seem to have any ball skills or great vision. Altidore is not that impressive to me, and McBride looks no different from WC06 -- and neither of these guys have a lot of movement off the ball. Scoring just 3 goals against Honduras, Panama, and Cuba hasn't impressed me either. They have big strong defenders that get stuck in, but after that the only player I'm impressed with is Adu.

[scotch17]

Who's everyone? Did you even look back at the thread? I'm American and I didn't even pick them to advance.

Oh, and your analysis of the US team is a bit heavy on the hyperbole. They definitely have some issues, but they're hardly going to bunker and pray for points like a minnow.

Try to find a slightly smaller paintbrush...

Translation: As Moderator I gotta cover and attempt to tone this down before the rabid Americans wake up in the morning and start a firestorm.

Honestly, I've watched the games. They play bunkerball. I'll paint them with a wide brush because I'm American and I can. I find the midfield lacking any creativity or vision and the front line lackluster. They may as well be playing with 2 CFs, Adu, and a bunch of defenders. That could work if they find somebody to start pumping crosses in... but their games thus far are clear: bunkerball, pray for a nippy goal and hold on.

[tomwilhelm]

Translation: As Moderator I gotta cover and attempt to tone this down before the rabid Americans wake up in the morning and start a firestorm.

Honestly, I've watched the games. They play bunkerball. I'll paint them with a wide brush because I'm American and I can. I find the midfield lacking any creativity or vision and the front line lackluster. They may as well be playing with 2 CFs, Adu, and a bunch of defenders. That could work if they find somebody to start pumping crosses in... but their games thus far are clear: bunkerball, pray for a nippy goal and hold on.

There was nothing moderative about my post. I just think you're completely wrong.

Except for the fact that they won't advance.

Carry on...