USA players like Essien

I seem to vaguely remember Eddie Lewis scoring on a long range effort against T&T in WCQs, so correct me if I'm wrong.

But my questions are these:
1) How often is often enough for you?
2) How often does it happen in the EPL?
3) Is the rate up from previous seasons?
4) Down?
5) Just about the same?
6) Is it an essential skill in soccer?
7) Does it matter where goals come from?

 

There's only one answer: we must call up Carey Talley. <== click

 

If you can shoot from distance, it punishes a packed-in defense. If the opponent is tempted to bunker in but knows you can shoot well from distance, they might want to come out to challenge the shot, which opens up some space where there used to be a bunker defense.

If the keeper knows you can shoot well from distance, he stays farther back. That might mean that he does not get to a through ball quite as quickly, which could be decisive. This is one reason that it is good to shoot from distance early in a game, to put the idea in a keeper's mind for the rest of the game that he might want to stay back a little farther.

If opposing midfielders know that you can shoot from farther out than their defenders tend to line up when they are retreating on defense, then they know that they must get back more quickly on defense to challenge long shots, etc., which can hold back their offensive push somewhat.

Other advantages could be listed if anyone is really interested.

 

Furthermore, why is it that MLS goalkeepers are out of position when they get scored on from far out but when the same happens to EPL goalkeepers we call it a "spectacular blast"?

 

He did. Ben Olsen scored a great long-range goal in the preparations for World Cup 2006. Reyna hit the post from distance vs. the Czechs and Mastroeni nearly got one from 35 yards out vs. Italy.

 

I hear that Essien's a good guy but so what if the Nats like him?

 

i think it's a valid question, and one that can be expanded to the relative lack of skill in the general american field player. not to drag the coaching situation into this thread too, but how often are american coaches (on all levels) encouraging or expecting players to continually refine long distance shooting? who's teaching it if so few have the skill?

 

Agreed. Also I remember Eddie Johnson hitting a good strike from distance as well & if it wasn't for Cech he would have scored.

 

Didn't we just give a few examples for everyone?

 

Didn't see the Essien shot, but accurate, high-speed, curving/bending, long range bombs are a very very high level skill. I agree, you don't see it as much in the MLS. Although I seem to recall DeRo blasting a couple of those last year (a Canuck though...).

 

I did a quick survey in 2004, and found that, as a percentage of total goals scored, MLS had about half as many goals scored from outside the box as a whole variety of foreign leagues of varying levels. This, to me, confirmed something I'd noticed watching both MLS and the USMNT - they always seemed to be playing for the perfect scoring chance. Very often I've seen players pass up what looks like a great opportunity, in order to try one more pass... it's almost as if the players think a goal doesn't count unless you pretty much dribble the ball into the net.

 

Commentary during the game was that it was a goal of the year candidate. The ball was extremely well struck -- no spin -- and was headed outside the post. It knuckled just in, but could as easily have gone the other way and missed by three feet.

 

Brian Plotkin can shoot from distance. He scored from well outside the box in one of his first games playing for the Fire. Obviously, he is not as good of a player as Essien, but he's got a great shot from distance.

 

Essien hit a great shot today. Struck first time w/ the right outstep, initial flight looked wide left, but swerved inside the post. Announcers described it as a goal of the year candidate.

 

i see- so now suddenly we're world-beaters on long free kicks and instinctively blast flat cannonshots from 35+ yards out under pressure? we're not there. we've never had a truly world class goalscorer, midfielder or defender either. we'll get there, but why is this so hard to admit?

 

We're not world beaters, but I didn't see Italy shoot from distance that much in Germany either.

I know it's cool to be down on the US, but is it alright to count our blessings for a few freakin' minutes? Does that impose too much on you? Would that be hurting your feelings? I regret finding out you're that sensitive.

 

RS,
Nobody is talking about Italy and the World Cup, and this isn't a bash session on the US Team, so take it easy.
We are just talking about an awesome shot by Essien and why perhaps we don't see as much of this from our US players.
Quality finishing and scoring are skills everyone acknowledges has been a deficiency of our players for decades.
Essien's shot today, the shot Nakamura hit against ManU for Celtic a month ago, the Beckham World Cup free kicks - those are super high level skills our guys should be trying to emulate.

 

Reason #27 Rico Clark should play for the Nats: he can make the occassional long range shot, like Essien did today.

Reason #28 Rico Clark should play for the Nats: if he were on the field Essien would not have been able to tee off wide open completely unmarked for that particular spectactular shot.

Anyone remember the one Earnie Stewarts in 2001 in Honduras? That was a 35 yard rocket. Then a guy from Honduras did the same thing to us. Mathis won it on a free kick at the 89th minute, another great shot. That was a great game.

Kirovski nailed a doosy vs. Germany in a friendly in like 1999 too.

 

essien's bomb vs. arsenal today: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/335626/essien_equalizer_against_arsenal/

anyone who thinks that the usa/mls has anyone that will consistently hit blasts like that is deluding themselves (i am talking about just trying them, not even necessarily scoring them). i don't know what it is (over-coaching in youth system???), but i maintain that americans rarely attempt long shots. i watch a lot of mls and premier league and the premier league has a lot more people shooting from outside the box on a regular basis (e.g., gerrard).

 

I do seem to remember a certain US Nat player that happened to outshine both Essien and Rosicky at one point in time. Wasn't Landon Donovan the top player at a youth world cup where both Rosicky and Essien were playing as well? If this isn't a proponent for why US players need to go abroad to develop, then I don't know what is. Both Rosicky and Essien, after that tournament, go to mid-level Euro sides to improve their development and end up, by their early 20's, being integral parts of two of the top teams in the world. Landon Donovan, after his golden ball winning performance...well, we all know the rest.

 

We're missing the big picture, people. Right now, we get too mixed up with who is a holding midfielder, an attacking midfielder, a defensive midfilelder. Essien is a box-to-box midfielder who can score, set up others and stop attacks. While there's not many of them in the world, that's what we should be using as an example.

I've been told by people who know more about the game than me that there is one U.S.-born player who can become a box-to-box midfielder.

Michael Bradley.

Is there another?

 

Uh, no.

What bothers me are the assumptions that are made despite all the evidence contrary to the implications behind them. I was wrong by saying these kinds of goals are not more important than other goals. Fine. And I agree that finishing is somewhat lacking. No problem. I was there and saw it just like everyone else. But what I hear is that Americans have, strangely enough, never tried these magical goals before, or that they haven't tried them enough. And when something is presented otherwise, all of a sudden dissent is being crushed like a bug. No, that's not it. It never was, and I am weary of assumptions that turn into hyperbole unchecked.

So, I say let's not get bogged down in exaggerations and half-truths that turn out to be nothing but negative. That cool with you guys?

Let me know if it's not.

 

That's cool. No worries

 

Essien was moved to right back today after Robben came in... but that was a great goal...