I was cleaning out my TIVO recordings a few wknds ago, and forgot I had saved the US - Italy game. For obvious reasons, I didn't save any of the others. After the Italy game, I remember people speaking highly of Landon's second half game, Keller, and Conrad, but I don't remember 'Dolo being singled out. Watching it again, I was really impressed; he's just so good on the ball, he didn't make bad passes (like we too often do), he pseudo-nutmeged an Italian defender late in the game, and made a really nice cross to McB.
When I watched it, I was at the beer garden in Astoria along with a whole hell of lot of other fans. I was wasted and extremely emotional. I don't remember much. Maybe I'll watch it again.
I also thought Cherundolo had not only a good game, but was the best player we had in the Cup. He is the only one who really seemed to do everything that was expected of him - defend well, spring forward and send in decent crosses. When I mentioned this in a post shortly after the WC, no one seemed to agree.
Consistency, experience, skill....hmmm. What does this sound like? Oh yeah the qualities of a good team captain.
Dolo kept his workrate high for the full 90+...felt like Boca would keel over at any time during the final 20 despite our constant exhultations...it felt strangely rewarding to lose my voice during that match...like Boca and a few others really needed us in the stands.
Boca had a real nice header that just went over the bar... well, our own goal's bar... Not to mention his nice cross that lead to Ghana's penalty. I can't forget these plays. Unfortunately, he's probably still one of the best defenders we have (right now) Nedved danced around Dolo like a slut. I think he's fantastic at getting forward, but he makes lots of mistakes in the back (ex. vs Morocco)
'Dolo had a horrible game vs. Czechia but recovered and played well the next two games. Bruce made an idiotic move to take him out vs. Ghana.
Off topic, but remember in the 2nd half when Kasey Keller punted the ball at one of the Azzurri who was faking an injury on the sidelines and the crowd started chanting "Kasey Keller Clap Clap ClapClapClap!" That was a definite highlight. I would love for someone to put that moment on youtube. Lowlight was the Italy goal. It seemed like any one of 3 or 4 guys could have scored that.
I think you mean undersized. Dolo is good for one major mess up per game: Morroco, Ghana, could not get a cross off the ground against Czechs. Italy was a great match. Beasley goal counts, the entire tournament looks far different... I think he is a good influence from the bench and a good change of pace player, but a liability in crucial situations.
I don't think Dolo is the only player Nedved has done that to. Though, admittedly, Dolo had a poor match against Czechs just like everyone else. I thought it was really a mistake to take him out against Ghana in the second half. Edit: My god I am agreeing with SFS -- perhaps I am wrong on this.
He is very nice on the ball. That said, he was deer in the headlights against the Czechs like the rest of the guys, and that matters. A lot. Of the 16 teams that advanced to Round 2 in the Cup, only Ukraine lost its first match. I'd be a lot more enthusiastic if he had been the exception that day to the rest of the guys. Then, I'd really hail him as something special.
I think he's a solid if unspectacular defensive player, but his skill on the ball and ability to go forward make him very vaulable to this team, espacially considering we have no other real wide players on the right. And, if we play with the deep center mids and the attacking mids pinching in, we will need someone to run that wing. Until another option emerges, not at all a certainty and probably pretty unlikely by 2010, I see him as a fixture.
I'm pretty sure it was an accident. Keller's distribution isn't that good. Of course once the crowd reacted to it, he milked the moment.
I haven't seen the game a second time. For those who have, were you (still) screaming for BA to use that third sub? Perhaps a better question, looking closely at the (morale of the) Italian players, did you (still) feel the game was ours for the taking? I was and did, so maybe I should go back and take another look myself.
I remember in 2001 thinking that he was our best player. Too bad he missed 2002. It is amazing how many people write him off.
Both teams - Ghana (2-0 v. Italy) and Ukraine (4-0 v. Spain) lost badly, then won their Games 2 and 3. One lesson is that your team must be built to win games, not just draw. Three draws - three decent results - and you're still (probably) going home.
Italy-USA game was my favorite game of USA team!... I liked this game !....it was a bit "brutal"..but you played very good... if you played as good against Czechs as you played against Italy, you would have been advanced..and who knows what would have happended.... you had hard group...
I won't bother to mention anything about Donovan playing well in that game because there was a lot of space due to red cards and a lot of time due to exhaustion because this thread seems to be about Dolo. I really like Dolo's character and his coolness on the ball and his decision making on tackles. I worry a bit about Boca and Gooch in these aspects though Gooch seems to do well when he has the ball because he doesn't try anything too dramatic or complicated.
You may be right, but I'm not so sure. I was sitting behind the goal and KK took a good long look before he sent that kick out of bounds. Looked to me like it was on purpose...but that may have been wishful thinking! No, I definitely meant underrated, and posts like yours are the reason. What was Cherundolo's major mess up vs Ghana, exactly? For every meaningless game like Morocco he's been rock solid for three others. He's not world class, but news flash--we don't have world class field players. But he is among our best.
The undersized thing is crap. Lahm from Germany was absolutely one of the outside backs of the tournament and he is no bigger than Dolo. If he was gonna play in the middle and be expected to mark up big target players and battle in the air, it would matter. But, he plays on the outside and has to be more concerned with stopping quick wing players. He's fine. Hell, put a guy like Gooch on the wing and he'd get smoked by some quick little winger even though he is absolutely built better to play defense in the middle than a little fella like Dolo.
In my memory, KK was complaining about the flopping when we got the ball. He seemed to very purposefully aim at the sidelines where the Italian had just gone off. I think he meant it. And 'dolo had a good match, just to stay on topic.