France won the last World cup with their set pieces taken by Griezmann. Scoring from open play or not is not really relevant when you can do it for several matchs in a row, it's a serious weapon not some Luck. Bale and Ramsey are fantastic free kick takers. Well their World cup group is not the toughest either. Their Luck isn't over.
Yes and no....because getting free kicks in dangerous positions is not a given...it's dependent on your opponent committing stupid fouls near their own goal. An attack that is dependent on set piece opportunities often gets stuck in the mud if those opportunities don't materialize.
And you think that Iran and the US are better defensively than all the teams that didn't prevent them to score from these set pieces?
I'll let Iranian Monitor speak to the defensive skills of the Iranian team, since I don't know much about them. But with regards to the US team, under Berhalter this is the strongest defensive squad the US has ever produced. The US plays very good team defense (as opposed to having strong individual defenders), and does not allow very many scoring opportunities against them. Whereas we used to bunker and try to beat other teams on the counter, now we're the aggressor daring other teams to beat us on the counter. At the 2021 Gold Cup, we allowed zero goals from open play in 7 matches (just one PK against Martinique in a 6-1 win). And that was with our 2nd/3rd string, and included shutouts over three World Cup participants (Canada, Qatar, Mexico). During World Cup qualifying, we only allowed 6 meaningful goals in 13 meaningful matches, one of which was a golazo that Steffen should have saved (the tying goal in Jamaica). During the recent four match friendly window, we only allowed one goal (last night's howler by Horvath, who won't even be on the WC roster because of it). Bottom line, this is easily the best defensive overall team the US has ever sent to a World Cup. We have never made it through a World Cup without allowing more than a goal a game...this team will likely be the first to do it.
I think some of the surprising UEFA Nations League results are at least partially due to the timing after a long season and an (unprecedented?) four-match FIFA window. I mean, not even the Euros or World Cup guarantee you four competitive matches. The September window should provide a much better indication of where the European teams stand.
Yes exactly, couldn't agree more. It was rather obvious for me watching Portugal play, the already tired players basically had no legs left by matchday 4. That ofcourse extends to all the teams in which the majority of players had a long season and were stuck having to play these games. I couldn't watch all the games, but the rotation of lineups and the score lines which were all over the place made it rather obvious that these guys are just to tired to perform at a high level. I still believe there are things we can take away from each team.
I really enjoy the UNL, but in the usual two-match window. This was just a bit too much at the end of the season and forced most coaches to rotate at least some players.
It was way too much to ask of the players. I suspect when September rolls around, Hungary will lose top spot, France and Switzerland to get out of relegation. With fresher legs and it being closer to the actual WC, I believe some semblance of actual order will take place.
Probably, but there is only so much they can repair with 2 matches remaining. Especially England since their last two matches are v Italy and Germany. They are likely headed to league B and pot 2 in future seedings for tournaments. Agree that France should [] be able to grab third spot but they are also looking at pot 2 for seeding purposes.
Iran's defense cannot be properly evaluated right now. Not until our regular center-backs face a full squad a match against an above average opponent. Right now, 5 out of 6 of our best and most experienced CBs are out of action, including both of our starting CBs in WCQ. Among them, our best CB and a player who I rate very highly, Hossein Kanaani, is critical to Iran and will be available after one other friendly match as part of a 2 game internal suspension by the IFF following circulation of a tape where he was proposing a quickie to a young women at the back of the national team bus. (Since Kanaani blamed the release of the tape on his then back up on the national team, Siavash Yazdani, even if Yazdani succeeds in getting a military exemption, the latter has effectively lost any chance of being invited due to his worse than terrible relationship with our best defender). Starting alongside Kanaani is Shoja Khalilzadeh who was injured and had surgery but should be back in action soon. Another CB, Pouraliganji, who used to arguably be our best CB and started alongside Kanaani in AC19 (and was a fixed starter in WC18) missed nearly a year of football due to a very bad injury but has recovered recently. How long if at all it will take for him to regain his pre-injury form isn't known since he hasn't played any football since. Besides our CB troubles, the workhorse on Iran's team is left midfielder Vahid Amiri whose absence hurts us across the board, including defensively. In a thread I started to introduce Iran's NT after we clinched in February, I called Amiri our 2nd most indispensable player behind Taremi. He is injured too, recovering from surgery, but hoping to return to action by September.
You'll probably always see a fair amount of rotation in NL since there are no friendlies anymore (or at least not many). I would be surprised if there are less than 4 changes to England's and France's starting XI in their final two matches despite relegation looming.
But with regards to the US team, under Berhalter this is the strongest defensive squad the US has ever produced. The US plays very good team defense (as opposed to having strong individual defenders), and does not allow very many scoring opportunities against them. Whereas we used to bunker and try to beat other teams on the counter, now we're the aggressor daring other teams to beat us on the counter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The numbers may point that way, but this is not what I saw in the friendlies against Morocco and Uruguay. The US was very lucky to walk away with two shutouts. Morocco had several goal-scoring opportunities and Uruguay had some unbelievable misses, including one that was cleared off the line by the US defender and another from Cavani, wide open, that he would have put in the back of the net 99 out of 100 times. I would like to see this team continue to get tested against quality opponents, to see if the Defense is as good as the stats seem to indicate. Overall, good results for the US, though.
Agree. Easy to be the aggressor against teams like El Salvador or the Uruguay B team. Even against the current version of Mexico, which isn't great. Against England in November l expect them to be parking the bus again.
All true. But against good opposition you're always going to give up some good scoring opportunities. The difference is that nowadays we allow a lot fewer good scoring opportunities than we ever used to, because we keep possession of the ball for longer periods, give the ball away in our own half less frequently, and maintain our overall shape much better.
Well, at the World Cup teams will be playing a similar schedule....three matches in nine days in the group stage, and another match every 4th day if you advance. And while some of the superstars on teams that advanced a long ways in the UCL and/or domestic cups may have been really tired, in reality that's only 3-5% of all the players involved in the Nations League. And since every team was using equally tired players, that's no excuse for bad performances.
Many don't realize even a fraction of the issues Iran is facing. Even I was shocked listening to pre-taped, exhaustive, separate interviews with our coach, Skocic, with Azmoun, and several other players conducted in Qatar a day or two before the Algeria match for a popular football television program (football bartar) aired last night. Shame on me, our fans and pundits who have contributed to this mess, but above all the folks at the federation running things in our football. I always cut the IFF some slack because I know Iran faces unique issues and pressures that even superman can't solve. But some of the own goals I listened to are unforgivable. I am a stickler for financial transparency and the last IFF president was sacked by the IFF board in February after Iran clinched its qualification for failing to comply with financial transparency regulations. But this caretaker administration (in the middle of a power struggle) has been much worse, either because they are too inexperienced to handle the low ball their rivals are serving or because they are just sh*t.
The problem is magnified in Iran because over $20 million owed to our federation going back to Iran's qualification to WC-18 and everything since is blocked and not being paid due to sanctions. That has left the federation in dire need of funds, virtually bankrupt and needing domestic sponsors and government help. But with an intense power struggle within the federation, those who can help aren't willing to lest they are seen as supporting the group behind ousting the last IFF president and behind the caretaker. Until a permanent president emerges from IFF elections in a couple months, this limbo status will persist in this critical juncture in time. And that is hurting us in many ways beyond the obvious where the entire national team staff (from mundane personnel, to trainers and doctors to the coaching staff) haven't been paid in ages.
The postponed Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier will be played in Sao Paulo on 22 September... 60 days before the World Cup kicks off. This is the shortest time between the final qualifying match and the start of the final phase since 1938 (34 days). OFICIAL: el último partido de las Eliminatorias para #Qatar2022 (BRA-ARG) se va a jugar en São Paulo el 22-sep, es decir, 60 días antes de q empiece la Copa del Mundo.No había tan poco tiempo entre el cierre de las Eliminatorias y el inicio de la fase final desde 1938 (34 días)— MisterChip (Alexis) (@2010MisterChip) June 21, 2022
This makes no sense and is useless, I hope we send our C team or a sub 20 group. No relevant players and god forbid we send starters.
For anyone who was wondering what's Qatar NT up to these days... 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟-𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 ⚽️Chris McKees strike is enough to get a victory in our first pre season outing 🔵💪#COYB #AFJ pic.twitter.com/mGNRD8zlB1— Linfield FC (@OfficialBlues) June 21, 2022
I think Brazil and Argentina should just use it as a training session for fringe or domestically based players. Agree to a 0-0 before starting and just have a 90 minute game of keep away.
Right now there's no doubt in my mind they are the worst team going to this tournament. Not Saudi Arabia, not Costa Rica.
I think I am the only member in this Forum who believes Qatar can get out of its group. I see South Korea 2002 World Cup Version 2.0 here. You can call it a conspiracy theory, but I just don't see how a country can spend USD$ 220 billion in infrastructure just to see its national team embarrass themselves in front of a global audience. Quite frankly, I think the VAR will be Qatar's best friend in this World Cup.