Another in a long line of friendlies against mediocre Euro competition where we didn't do anything to make a statement about our team. This Dane side is the equivolent of our MLS side. They are out of season, just as we are. They still play faster and get the ball out of trouble faster. They outplayed us in the first half when our boys were sleepwalking thru midfield. We have to play with a little more urgency. Speedier passing would open things up and create. Just my opinion.
actually I thought our play was the quicker. How the heck did we get all those shots on goal? It sure wasn't our superior size!
Why does everyone keep ragging on the US squad in this game? We THOROUGHLY outplayed them in both halves. I have the game taped and have watched it quite closely. The US carried the run of play, and got more of AND the better shots off in that game. Chances on goal in the first and second half were nearly 3 to 1. Did the US play "better" in the 2nd half? Sure. But were they outplayed in the first half? no way. This was a friendly. first friendly of the year. Much less than top squads playing. teams out of season. BA was just giving people some work. We're taking this game way out out proportion here. We dominated against an equally out of form players. Sometimes it ain't about the score, and a friendly is one of those times.
Denmark played bunker ball and slowed the game down each time they had posession. I don't think we had the game taken to us. If anything, we hammered the Danes in the second half. Criticize the finishing, but not the speed of play.
Part of playing a good bunker defense is being able to have a quick and dangerous counter attack off the bunker defense. Denmark had no counter. Look at Iran they bunker, and can really counter off it. Actually I like this time of bunker. A good way for us to play after we get a goal lead. The opponent becomes unpatient, and we are patient then counter. Then we go up by two goals instead of one goal.
If you think we looked mediocre in this game just wait and see how the Dutch make us look. I watched Argentina vs. Holland last year in the Netherlands and the Dutch players perfectly triangulate almost everything. Each player knows when to move forward, show and their all around tactical knowledge was absolutely textbook...
We outplayed them the whole game but just couldn't finish. We still haven't found a finisher and Raxov isn't the answer though he did pass more then usual. Wolf is a Donovan clone and brings nothing different. I hate to say it but McBride or someone else might be our best hope.
Re: Re: Speed of Play I wonder if it's an innate Dutch thing, explains me. I've always believed that the only thing in sports I'm actually good at is positioning, drawing defenders, finding space, creating space, knowing where to pass. If only I could run fast or for long distances or control my passes then Pele better watch out.
Oh, also to insinuate that the MLS semi-stars were not better than the Danish league allstars is stupid.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Speed of Play Donovan, Beasley, and Convey play exactly like this. They have perfect spacing with each other, they know exactly where each other will go, and they know the runs they'll make before they even make them. Perfect example beinh the multiple give and go's between the 3 of them vs Denmark. You add guys like John O'Brien and Claudio Reyna that only gets better. So we have the skill to compete with the dutch in the midfield when we're at full strength. I mean we can have a midfield of Reyna, JOB, DMB, and Convey. It'd be difficult to get much more skill and technical ability into a midfield period. Holland will be a good match because we won't have Armas, Ralston, Mulrooney, etc., who while can be good soccer players in their own right, don't combine with their teamates as well as you would like.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Speed of Play You can not count on these players. They are very brittle now. Meaning they get hurt easy. We have to get other guys younger guys that can step on the field and do the job if they can't. As good as we finished in the last WC cup. If Mathis and his college friend forget his name were both 100 percent. It probably would have been enough to get us at least past Germany, and then who knows. Mathis and ? never got hurt they are part of the future. Now probably not so can't think that any of the older guard will rise to the occassion in 2006. Richie
Re: Re: Re: Re: Speed of Play This is a little exercise for kids I picked up in Germany in the 1980's. The reason why I remembered it because the question came up recently on a coaching site I post on. Some might find it interesting. ------------------- For young players things like showing for the ball and giving up their position on the field for another player is asking a lot from a player. They can get it but not in one or two or even more practices that's for sure. Some don't ever want to get it, on purpose. If the player wants to play serious soccer he will force himself to get it There is a little game that we played for that. Shortest route up field to your attacking goal is straight a head. Divide the team in half and play. Might even try it playing against another team in a friendly when they get the idea which won't be right away. In the game support players on the attacking team are like magnets to their opponent explain it that way. If the attacking support player does not have the ball and is close to any opponent, and then that team mate moves the opponent has to move with him. (Later on in real games the opponent does not have to, but will probably move with them at least to some degree. That might be enough to create the space the dribbler needs to attack or some other player to fill that space.) Only way you don't have to move as a support player is if the support player is open for a forward pass. The dribbler can move anywhere he can dribble or pass or shoot off that movement, and he can be pressured light pressure in the beginning. If a support player does not have a defender to pull and he is in a forward direction open. The dribbler must pass to that player. If the dribbler doesn't pass to the free player ahead of him. Then freeze play then say to the dribbler didn't you see this open player? Show him the passing option that he didn't see. So if you have to stop play and see them doing anything different. Then the ball can go either to the defenders team if it is not the defenders fault like not seeing an open team mate or it can be a free kick restart for your team if the opponents player did not move with the attacking support player. Whoevers team scores the most goals wins in a certain time. So what is happening is the support players are helping the dribbler direct there attack by their own off ball movement. The whole team gets credit when a goal is scored not just the dribbler for scoring or for making a pass to another attacker who then scores. It was a team effort to open space for which ever team mate had the ball at a given time and space. Your trying to give them a good habit when they play in a match. It is not easy to get, but they can get the idea.