The dribble statistic is more of a "successful take on defender" type statistic. How many times a player dribbles past a defender.
re: replacing Bedoya over Donovan because of his defensive workrate; no smart coach would settle for a far less productive wing forward because he plays better defense. A dangerous wing forward occupies two opposing defensive players. That is defense.
Agreed. Bradley definitely comes out looking like more of an AM/playmaker type role. I was also surprised at how good Davis' numbers are. I wonder if he gets the start on the left opposite Zusi? As for the through balls, I got those stats from WhoScored.com. They list through balls as "An attempted/accurate pass between opposition players in their defensive line to find an onrushing teammate (running through on goal)". Numbers definitely seem low, but I guess with the specificity and requirement of being successful, it makes some sense.
That must be the reason why Rodgers always played Coutinho ahead of Henderson, or why Pellegrini always played Navas ahead of Milner.
i can only speak about Porugal and we cut Quaresma who was playing great ball but when reporters talked to him and on his twitter he left words of encouraement
Here we go again....Bedoya can play flawless defense as RM and just ONCE he plays mediocre as a RB no less and the whole track record goes out the window. If you think LD's defense is better than an in form Bedoya as a RM, then I don't know what to tell you. Bedoya will force the opponent to get rid of the ball, LD will contain the attack, I have never (a little exaggeration) seen LD mix it up when defending.
I have to say that my one objection to excluding LD from the squad is the doubt that has been introduced. He has put a lot of pressure on the side, and himself with this move. I just hope JK is not about creating another David Odonkor, American style re: Julian Green. Do or Die, USA, all the way.
You mean this David Odonkor? Because if all Green does is get subbed in and provide the assist for a game-winning goal, then I'm happy he's there.
That's all Odonkor did. And that's why everybody considers him a flop. Even if the goal he assisted was important, that does not detract from the fact that he was a disappointment. Were Green to do that, and nothing more after, he'd also be a flop.
He was good not great I thought. Great set piece for the goal and dangerous corner kicking. He was as good in the possession game as usual. Donavan is no Claudio Reyna as far as feet go but he comes from the same school of diffusing pressure with the quick pass soccer brain. His start stop speed game with the ball doesn't really work anymore sad but true. He still takes great angles pressing the defenders. His first goal was a nice piece of running in the box to get past a flat footed defender. Of course, the elder statesman Robbie Keane was keen to set him up by running at the Philly back line all game. He will be missed
Hearing this morning that Mix Diskerud will wear the No. 10 US jersey.— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) May 27, 2014 If true, decent choice by JK
Always believed Greene was not Donovan's competion. It was Wondolowski and Mix. Also believe it was Gonzalez, not Brooks over Goodson. Beasley over Parkhurst.
Maybe Green = Odonkor. But I'd argue that really it is Yedlin = Odonkor. Short, but powerful and fast pure flank player, coming off one promising year as a 1st team professional. Green is a wispy skill player, and he has essentially zero 1st team professional experience. Green is a different kind of gamble than Odonkor or Yedlin.
That's a good point, and you're right, he's a better fit style-wise. But I meant more in the super-sub sense. Odonkor was a pure "joker" in the German sense; that translates to "wildcard" in English, and it's the German phrase for supersub which I think is very fitting for Green, given his rawness combined with supposed high potential.
Yes, JK surely is hoping Green can play the Joker role, although maybe more like the skilled, clever, mobile, tiny Oliver Neuville did for that German team in 2006. Neuville and Odonkor were the two attacking Jokers, one as a powerful flank runner and one as a skilled, clever, mobile attacker. Of course, the soon-to-be 19 year old youth player cannot be expected to perform like the highly experienced Neuville. And that's a natural lead in to ... Donovan, who would be a natural Joker if that was what was desired. Green is so raw, so new to the pro game and international soccer, that he's in some entirely different category from the classy skilled veteran Joker like Neuville, or the powerful workhorse flank running Joker like then 3d-year pro Odonkor.
I am always hopeful. I will root for the US 100%. World Cups are a thrill every 4 years. But beyond hope, I also would prefer to play the odds. JK has taken a mostly logical roster, but in several key positions I think he has chosen the lesser odds. On the margin, I think he's taken too many defenders, 2 of whom will probably see zero minutes, he's taken a pair of redundant left-sided mids who won't contribute much, he's left the engine room in central midfield too thin for my taste in a group with tremendous midfield opponents, and he's left the best play-maker in US history at home, which created a cloud of controversy that will dog this team for the next month. And he's still playing musical chairs all along the back line, the one place where stability and cohesion is paramount. Hope only goes so far...
I doubt that there was much of a choice. Deuce and Mike are enamored of their current numbers and will not change. That left pretty much Mix. http://soccer.si.com/2014/05/27/wor...n-10-jersey-dempsey-klinsmann/?eref=si_soccer
To be fair, Quaresma didn't start and go 90 minutes in 70% of WCQs like Evans did. I bet if he had he'd be a little miffed.