We've been passing it back to the keeper an awful lot lately, haven't we? Maybe after this we'll put a little more effort into working it up the field.
We did not really see what Conway did leading up to it on TV, is it possible that Conway came out to the side of the goal and Mendes, without looking up, passed it to where he thought Conway was? I mean that shot was not just on goal, it was across the goal, slotted far post... I think they share responsibility, either way it was a heartbreaker. On another note, how much will getting Dema back on the field help Red Bull defensively?
what was Conway doing? was he daydreaming? it defies logic to think how a guy could be watching the action in front of him and not get to that pass. OR at the very very very very very least make a diving kick at it (which you'll see GKs have to do from time to time). Conway for some reason dove with his head first which left him in a real awkward position b/c he couldn't use his hands. that was one of the oddest plays i've ever seen. and it was 100% metro.
We'll never know since Conway left the locker room before being interviewed since replays don't explain what occurred. If I had to take a guess, I'd say he simply got caught snoozing and didn't think Mendes would be passing the ball back to him.
Carlos Mendes has every reason to believe that ball will be handled by Conway. There wasn't another player within 40 yards of Conway. He didn't need to one time it or anything. A simple trap would have stopped the ball, and then he could do whatever he wanted. This was a pure Conway brain fart that stunk up the entire stadium. That all being true, it takes a team to lose the game. The team plays well for 15 minutes a game, then all of a sudden forgets how to pass without giving the ball away. Very frustrating.
this was in no way Mendes' fault. He was about 40 yards out, makes a perfect pass back to Conway who's got his dick in his hands and just basically falls asleep. All Conway! i've seen it time and time again where defenders often play the ball back to the keeper (not to the side) right at the net and there is no hesitation. Your a professional footballer, there should be no reason to miss that ball. As far as any of you people saying that Mendes isn't one of "Bruce's guys" thats retarded, he's started all of our games cept for the injury and those two games after. He's porbably our only solid defender and i think he's the key to the defense. I almost never see him get beat and he has great speed and good skill. I think he has a good eye for the game and i almost never see him make a blank pass. I think without Mendes this defense looks lost. I think next season Freeman should go, he's to slow and falls asleep to often. Quote: Originally Posted by MetroFever Although the own goal was not his fault, I think Mendes just gave Arena a great excuse to keep him on the bench. For whatever reason he is not one of "his" guys just as Dunivant wasn't. Bruce is an idiot, he's a horrible coach and i place full blame on him for the U.S. doing so poorly in the World Cup, he's washed up and makes poor decisions... if he sits Mendes i think thats a huge mistake. This team has alot of Talent on it... i truley believe that it's Bruce who is the downfall... he's not a go getter and his team is loligaging around the pitch.
Yeah, I agree. US should have won the last 3 world cups because our guys are the best in the world at every sport we can think about.
While I agree with you that Conway probably fell asleep, I have to disagree with you when you say that 'this was in no way Mendes' fault'. A defender is not supposed to make a backpass to his goalkeeper on goal. I'm going to give you a example and I'm giving this one because it just comes to mind at this moment: Towards the end of the last EPL season there was a great game that I saw between Portsmouth and Manchester United. In that game, Man U defender Rio Ferdinand passed the ball back to his goalkeeper (Van der Saar) as the goalkeeper was coming out to meet the ball at the edge of the box. As Ferdinand passed back, Van der Saar found himself very close to the defender and had no time/chance to react to the backpass. It was an own goal. If Ferdinand had not put the backpass on goal, it would have been a corner kick. The point is that crap happens. It doesn't matter if you've done it 1000 times before with no problems, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. That's why it would have served Mendes well to have used a fundamental rule that is taught at the U8 level: If you have to pass the ball back to the keeper, never pass it back on goal.
As long as it does not happen again in the near future I have no problem with Mendes or Conway. Their good play has far outweighed their bad in my book.
cause that's what i said..... what i'm saying (sorry for goign off topic here) i think the USMNT has alot of athleticisim...they do have some skill... i think w/ the right coach... they could have been alot more competitive then they were last WC...that's all i'm saying... i'm in no way saying we're good enough to win.. but what i do know... is that it's only a matter of time before the USMNT wins a world cup... might not be for 20 years... but it will happen... law of averages... back on topic maybe ur right... he should have put it to the side... but hey... i think we can all agree that 90% of the blame is on the keeper...
Mendes was fully recovered for the LA Galaxy game, came back to play a full 90 minutes vs DC United and then was benched again vs New England. This was a coaches decision not to start him and nothing related to injury.
First off...the goal was not Mendes' fault. Its so obvious it really shouldnt be disputed. The real issue here is Bruce and Mendes is a primary example of what this coach has done to this teams chemistry and players. If we all recall the Redbulls started the season off strong..their strongest aspect at the time...defense. Bruce slaowly started breaking down that solid four and trading Dunivent was a huge mistake and im sure Arena is kicking himself in the ass for that one. Mendes, a third season starter who proved himself a solid smart player, gets "hurt" and now hes on the bench. Mendes wasnt hurt bad, he said so himself, he needed one games rest and then healthy. Bruce is now playing Stammler, who is also a solid player, at sweeper when we need him in the middle!! He starting Joe Vide for shits sake! Stammler should be in the middle and Mendes in the bcak. Bruce is making one stupid decision after another. Breaking down his players confidence and totally destroyed this teams chemsitry.
Um, what are they, U14 girls? If they can't handle a change in the lineup, they aren't professionals. Players get injured, so you can't expect to have a magic lineup that is the exact same every game. You need to be able to adjust to the best available. The chemistry needs to be beyond 11 players. It needs to include all freaking 29 players on the roster. Better now to find the ones that can't handle a change in the back line and cut the cancer out for next year.