Post-match: Post Mortem USA- EL Salvador

If there's one thing on this board that really pisses me off, it's people who assume that you represent the opposition, and then re-characterize and oversimplify what you'd said so they can mow it down. And in so doing they almost always oversimplify their own point into nonsense.

Yes, the most important thing a forward can do is contribute goals. However, if you're going to go to ridiculous extremes and say that the ONLY thing that matters is finishing, such that the better finisher is ALWAYS the better forward, period, then I'm going to say that you are plainly wrong.

A player who does nothing but score (neither creating any of their own chances or participating in the build up or--gasp!--providing any defensive pressure on the backs when needed) is often a luxury. Unless the rest of your team is really awesome or you really score an awful lot and have a team that can get him a lot of service in dangerous places.

But I didn't say that Boyd's ONLY a guy who can score. And Agudelo's not a guy who sucks at finishing and is awesome in every other area. This is just too binary a starting point for any sort of discussion.

And nowadays, you realize that there are other factors besides shot-stopping that 'Keepers are rated on, right? I mean Valdes is not considered one of the world's most elite shot-stoppers, and yet he's a rock at Barcelona largely because he might be the world's best distributor from the GK position. Such is true of forwards as well...

A few weeks ago there was an article about how Dempsey puts a lot of shots off target and isn't therefore all that clinical a finisher. What that article failed to mention however is how many chances he tends to find for club and country, and how he often creates his own chance (and how he often aggressively pursues the half-chance or even quarter-chance...even when he sometimes might be better advised not to). Pure finishing isn't everything. It's only one important thing.

Mind you, I didn't even say I think Boyd isn't as good as Agudelo. I said in limited looks I'd say Boyd's looks a better finisher, and Agudelo looks better in every other facet. Period, nothing more or less.

 

Relax I wasn't trying to be a smart ass at all.

 

Ok, fair enough.

 

Our best forward in "this group" is Altidore, no? Developed here, as well.

 

I think so. I've been wondering what our best line-up for this group would look like if absolutely everyone were 100% healthy and available. My suspicion is that it wouldn't include too many players who were on the field against El Salvador.

 

All things considered, I only see Chandler and Jozy making some difference there. Perhaps not even enough to change the end result.

 

Boyd might have something to say about that if he makes the first team at Borussia Dortmund, but as of right now yes Jozy is our best
forward.

 

Ives actually praised Porter and Wahl played off the lossas rather meaningless. They have no balls most of the time and they continued to show that.

There isn't exactly a lot of pressure on the USSF because the US soccer team isn't very popular so it's up to those reporters to ask some tough questions and they continue to feed crap and fluff.

 

Well said sir.

 

I wish the U.S. soccer media was like the NY media too bad that will never happen.

 

According to Ives' twitter, Alexander Larin has been suspended for the next 3 games.

Good. Glad this was reviewed.

 

Its too little too late, but its something. I assume he's also out for any full national team games? or is this just olympics if ES makes it?

 

I think it's the next three games for his country regardless (can't find the release):

Avi Creditor ‏ @AviCreditor Per CONCACAF release, El Salvador U-23 left back Alexander Larin suspended 3 games, presumably for having a bit too much bite against the US

 

Or was it for the punch to the face? Or all of the above. Should clearly have been suspended after the Canada biting...
Such is CONCACAF.

 

Why exactly Danny Cruz wasn't even in a consideration for this team? With Jeffrey and Bunburry against Canada that was the softest bunch of players imaginable.