I'm 48 pages late, but 1st post in this thread. This game until the finish was going to eclipse Germany /USA 2002 as the pinnacle of US soccer for me. We played sooooo well. Gutted at the finish, but still one of the highlights of all-time for us. PROUD.
On slo-mo replay after Dempsey's goal, you can see that Yedlin's first reaction is to turn his head over his shoulder and look at the AR. Only then does he celebrate Dempsey was clearly onside. He peripherally-saw #2 Alves still sitting down with his calves on 6-top and his butt at about 5m, so Dempsey "knew" all he had to do was lurk at about 6.0m -- and you can see him mincing his footwork to get no closer than that. Alves knew it, too. Come to think of it, Alves may have done what Besler did. He slid to poke Yedlin's cross toward box top (to Mikey), and maybe it (re?)-injured his hamstrings, or otherwise locked up his legs. He doesn't get back up until just as Dempsey is lunging. That's a long time to be down in your own box while the game is afoot. Croatia did the same thing on Mexico's 2nd gol today. Chicharito passed wide right and danced into box mid-right for a return pass, and four defenders and FIFA's camera guy collapsed on him. Guardado was more wide-open through arc left than Varela was against us -- the camera had to pan left to even see Guardado shooting ... In 10 years or so, Clint Dempsey will film his installment for ESPN's latest feature called I Scored A World Cup Goal With My
As someone who has lost my fair share of money to them, that is not how bookmakers operate. As the saying goes, there is a reason Vegas has tall buildings. The money in Vegas is on the rake. The money is sports bookmaking is in the booking fee. You don't win the house's money, you win the money of the other gamblers. The game for the house is to set the odds at the right level so the money evens out and they make money on the transactions. That doesn't mean Vegas/houses are always right. But they are pretty good at what they do. To say that Ghana has a 30% chance of winning *definitionally* isn't to say that Ghana won't win. It's just to say that they are less likely to win than to draw or lose. Probabilities are not predictions -- something Nate Silver has harped on for years. When he said Obama had a 70/30 chance to win in 2012 and people though he was nuts, he was very clear to say that it was not an absolute, it was an educated guess based on available data and a proven model, but even if you trusted his figures there was a 30 percent chance Romney would win. Same thing here. Take it for what it's worth, but I think people's bias towards believing that karma has us destined to pay for our 95th minute error has them ignoring the statistical *probability* that we are 4/5 (80%) likely to go through. It's interesting watching ESPN, where the US commentators seem to have a sense of dread about Thursday and the neutral, European commentators are incredulously asking what the problem is -- "you're still in great shape."
In the post game after Lexi had his rant , Macca msied and calmly said something to the effect about what is all the fuss about if the USA plays like they did against Ghana and Portugal they would be fine and qualify no problem. That being said I am still wrecked. I would have liked to give my nerves and the whiskey a rest for a few days and basked in the glory of being through.
I'm not sure what you are trying to say but if the US really packs it in with 9 guys right in front of Howard going into a defensive shell and playing for the draw or a single goal they will get picked apart and eventually lose to Germany. The US needs to be defensive but have a legitimate counter attack looking to score as many goals as possible because that will keep the heat on Germany and keep them on their heels. Basically that is the strategy that Ghana used against Germany. You could see how Neuer (with his bobbled kick) and the German defense started to break down and feel the pressure from all the counter attacks.
I had a flight that lifted off when the game too off (yeah, I know). I thought I could watch on GoGoInflight... not on until 10,000 feet, no streaming... I resolved to watch on delay at my final destination. I landed at my connection after the first half. Walked through an airport full of TVs and people gathered around. I averted my eyes. I sat at my gate, refusing to look at anyone who might be looking at the people watching the game. I sat on a plane for 5 hours, tortured by what might have been happening and what had happened. My phone blew up with 7 text messages even before the second plane took off. I refused to look. I landed and drove my rental car to my hotel room, arriving at 2 AM my time. I stayed up and watched every. ********ing. minute. I was so pissed after 5 minutes and so so happy 4 minutes into stoppage time. I still haven't processed what happened because I was in meetings all day, but I consider this post my first step towards therapy.
Dude that was 10 months ago and you're going to hold it against me? I have said as recent as 3 months ago that Dempsey has turned his game around during the game vs. Toronto. Why don't you put that quote too. You have to admit the during Oct. 14 he did stunk up the place. The Sept9 i'm going to have to check because I also criticize LD and I would put Johannsson in the SS spot before LD.
+180 at my casino. If you dropped $100, and Ghana won, you'd get back $280 from the cashier. Parlay it with Germany to win, and you get back $500 bucks (give or take a little). Kind of insane to me, as that strikes me as the most likely pair of results, not taking into account score. Usually you're not getting 4-1 on the most likely scenario in a parlay. They are giving Portugal way too much love, i suppose the Euro's just love to bet on Ronaldo and that's keeping the line on Portugal's side? I hope I'm wrong, and it's a draw, or a Portugal 1 goal win.
This is what I didn't understand, but as others have pointed out they are just happy collecting the rake. Yeah, looking at it without fan blinders on I think Ghana is in the more likely position to get a win. This game is going to be extremely open, hopefully both sides can keep the other in check. We need Ronaldo and Moutinho to show up big and keep Portugal dangerous. It's about time Ronaldo hits a free kick.
In that case, maybe we should make him captain so he can preside over the coin flip at the beginning of the match.
For some reason, this result reminds me of the New York Post headline after WC 2010: "USA Beats England 1-1" Except this edition is: "USA Loses to Portugal 2-2" Ugh. This game could've easily been 3-0 to us. The WC is where mistakes get punished with prejudice.
It could have also been 2-0 Portugal. That said, we were up 2-1 the last time a US player touched the ball. That hurts.
Oh man. I love this account. So personal and yet so indicative around how we're growing as a soccer "social" culture... All those unprocessed feelings? We're all going through it with you. Satisfaction is a fleeting emotion.
Congrats on watching every game of the WC, I have sent a trophy in the mail to you. Midfielders get dispossessed all the time, especially when the receive the ball in an advanced position with no passing outlets. First, there was 30 seconds left. The entire team should have been back on D. Instead JK was telling them all to get forward. Second, there is a good case for the ref to call a foul on Bradley. Bradley, Pirlo, Zidane, whoever, they all lose possession at some point. The team had a total systemic melt down... get over it. Lets beat Germany.
It was a stupid sub, probably there more to try to waste time than add any actual tactical advantage. JK wanted the team to continue to push forward. That is his call, but certainly a debateable tactic.
Two days hasn't taken away the sick feeling I have from allowing that goal in the dying seconds. Hopefully the team is recovering better than me.
This, a thousand times this. We've been arguing the same 30 seconds for a 40 pages and totally missing how good we played. We're a good team. Germany doesn't need to win and that one crucial factor makes the next game something this team should be able to do. We will be able to get a result. We've shown enough to get a result. If we can't get a win then we don't deserve the next round. Quite simple really.
I'm totally over the "disappointment" of the draw. Literally the only way it sucks for us as fans is in HOW it happened, and how that makes us feel. In every other conceivable way, it improved our chances at advancement tremendously. Look, it's called the Group of Death because of guys like Ronaldo. I'm sure that if we're playing Cameroon or South Korea or Mexico or even Ghana, they don't have the quality to connect on a cross like that. We would have been really blessed to be sitting on six points right now, but even dreaded Germany couldn't manage that feat. It's just a brutal group. And we're in a great position to get out of it. I believe in our guys. They keep improving. If they have anything left in their legs, they will do what it takes to advance on Thursday. They've shown world class quality during this tournament.
You make some good points but I can guarantee you that no level of soccer coaches players to hoof the ball away in the MIDFIELD. None. Ever. Regardless of the situation. Clear the ball in the defense or defensive midfield area? Yes. Absolutely. Where Bradley was at that point in time? Not a chance. Anyone would say with reasonable certainty (again, I'm asking for people to be reasonable on Big Soccer, a big ask but and ask nonetheless) that you expect a midfielder of his caliber to get control of the ball and hold it/move it forward. Hoofing it does nothing but give you an almost iron clad guarantee of giving the ball back to Portugal with another chance. I don't think he was trying to be cute there. I think he was trying to get control of the ball and failed.
Did you hear Ronaldo after the USA game? Basically raising the white flag already. Can't count on Portugal at all.
I didn't notice this at the time, but apparently Bruno Alves was brought up as an additional aerial threat (http://www.zonalmarking.net/2014/06/23/world-cup-2014-group-stage-day-11/) and Gonzo was put on to counter this threat.