Belgium was exposed as chumps. Argentina is mediocre and has had the easiest path to advance in this WC I think the current U.S squad would have beaten argentina 1-0
Given that Howard had to set a world record in saves to keep it close, this says more about Klinsmann and the US than it does about Belgium.
You can see the difference in quality from their front attackers. Argentina's front 3 were able to hold the ball, play off each other in the final third, while we struggled against Belgium. Higuain was able to get a chance in one iota of space, and finished. He nearly had a second. Until we developed attackers like Di Maria, Higuain, and Levezzi quality... never mind Messi. We can't go as far in the competition. That edge in ball retention in the final third is what kept Belgium's defenders pinned in their half and unable to join in the attack.
how am i troll. Has argentina not won its games by one goal? or a miraculous shot by messi? nevermind the fact that they have basically played the easiest teams in the WC
Considering how average a "poor" Argentina made Belgium look, it goes to show how far we have yet to go.
Yes. They could have beaten Argentina. They "could have" beaten anyone. Someone could post this about the U.S. vs any World Cup team. The chances of the Yanks beating Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands, etc., however, would have been astronomical and not very likely. That's why this post is silly.
Our players just aren't world class. ARG and BEL players all play for the top clubs in the world. Our players play for meh.
Evidently, Argentina has not preformed well. They have barley managed to win games against lower tier sqauds s WHERE?!
Shots (on goal) 10(2) vs 10(1) tackles 14 vs 26 Fouls 11 vs 14 possession 46% vs 54% Yes Argentina bossed the game.
Match Stats Argentina Belgium 10(2) Shots (on goal) 10(1) 11 Fouls 14 3 Corner kicks 4 1 Offsides 6 46% Time of Possession 54% 1 Yellow Cards 2 0 Red Cards 0 1 Saves 1 They really bossed the game, Argentina...
Which is why it is ridiculous that people are happy that our best players are playing in the MLS and think that our players can come from the MLS rather than Europe. It is pure ********ing hogwosh. Without our best players playing in Europe at the best teams possible, we're going anywhere.
I like this forum...I was watching game and Belgium's long ball after long ball attack and said to myself is this the same team that dominated the US? I agree USA would have challenged Argies much more then the devils.
If we had Argentina's world class players then sure. As currently constituted, the bookmakers do not agree and neither do I.
Watching Belgium limp out of the tournament in such lackluster fashion invariably makes you wonder what might have been. They only managed one good performance in five games in this tournament and they were hardly playing world beaters in the group stages - Korea, Russia and Algeria. Their play was disjointed, individualistic and incoherent throughout this campaign, in fact only one player stands out as having enhanced his reputation: Courtois. Otherwise, the likes of Hazard, Mehrtens were mostly peripheral and ineffectual. When the USSF conduct their post mortem on this World Cup I believe it would be prudent to enquire as to why an unimpressive and inexperienced Belgium team was able to dominate the US to the extent that they had an attempt on goal (on average) every three minutes. What it suggests to me is that the tactical approach was completely wrong, as per Landon Donovan's contention last week.
Yes, Klinsmann should somehow clone Marscherano, Demichelis, Garay, Biglia, de Maria, Lavezzi, Messi, et al. The top two posts in this thread are just screaming -