Espn3's tactical angle is amazing. Watching first half I see Dempsey is a beast. Way more impact than I thought on first viewing. Beltran did pretty well. Wondolowski pretty invisible besides the goal. Bradley is smarter than anyone else out there. Herrera looks like a henchman from an 80's movie about Colombian drug lords.
I loled because all of this is true, especially about Herrera. Beltran does get a lot of crap, but he's not that bad of a player. But the biggest take was that yes, Dempsey is coming back into form. He isn't 90 minutes, though, he fell off a little in the second half. But he keeps building on this result (In my mind, it's still a 3-2 win) he'll be fine. My second viewing take was that Julian Green really was not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. Yes, he's a 2018 prospect, but Mexico were absolutely relentless in tracking and shutting him down. And to me, yeah, his play did cost us a goal, but should have won us a PK. Had the ref not been completely angry about the USA kicking his canal country out of the WC, and pointed at the spot, I think BS would be clamoring how he was "The Real Deal".
Today I had my second viewing. Beltran can't guard a forward by himself, he needs help. He is not fast enough to push forward. Green looked a lot better than first viewing, I think he would get higher marks if he didn't gave away those two passes at the end of the game. His issue is that he wanted to do a "timing" pass but our guys are more used to a "direct" pass. Edu is a beast, he may get caught out of position but he is fast and strong as an ox, is going to boil down what JK wants in his "6" Beckerman has some competition.
Yeah, watching it last night, the first thing I noticed when Julian Green touched the ball was that the Mexicans took a keen interest in playing him as hard as they could. As soon as he touched the ball, he'd get double teamed or the defender on him would move up and get very physical with him. They saw all the chatter about how this kid was the second coming. Julian obviously isn't overpowering so the Mexicans knew they could play him close and physical. I think this is the problem with hyping young kids. It puts a target on their backs and other teams play them particularly hard and, if they struggle, it shakes their confidence which could damage them long term. Hopefully this isn't the case with Julian.
Beltran had 6-10 poor moments: turnovers, ill advised step ups, overhit outlets, and getting beaten to the endline. I have no earthly idea how someone can decide that he should start over Yedlin. Parkhurst was pretty good on both sides of the ball. Omar's biggest mistake was the early turnover where he played a ball between Bradley and Beckerman, the Mexicans had Layun open but forced it central. Next biggest was not going under the pick/making sure Kyle knew to switch, which he had done seconds before on Mexico's preceding corner. Kyle saw enough to know that he should have switched but it's still a team effort guys. Third biggest mistake was some poor outside to inside tracking near the end of game that forced Goodson into blocking a shot. Besler had one really good pass, a driven outlet to Parkhurst that he needs to go back to using more often. Landon was fine. So was Zusi. Davis was more hit and miss, don't think he has it at the WC level. Green was ok but didn't show that he was better than Gil or Feilhaber (who are admittedly more natural fits for the role we had him playing). It was a better debut than Shea's but he could have done better hitting Dempsey's throughball first-time, those two square passes he blew at the end of the game, and obviously that very immature headed turnover. As soon as that happened I started yelling because I knew we were in trouble. We also didn't get to see him get out of third gear so we don't know if he's a counter threat at the WC level.
Zusi is a lock for the plane to Brazil, only question is if he starts down there. A very smart hardworking player. Parkhurst is a lock now because of his versatility and ability to fit anywhere on the backline. Maybe starts, maybe doesn't. Yedlin should be in Brazil and probably starting. Besler is now in pen on any US lineup in Brazil. Omar Gonzalez isn't even in pen on the plane's manifest, but still in pencil. Is Dempsey rounding into form? Or should he just never play the #10 role ever again? Bradley is our best player. Can he and Jones find a way to play together? Klinsmann will have a tough decision between Wondolowski's movement and intelligence and Eddie Johnson's strength and aerial prowess. Julian Green looked like an 18 year old kid with 4 minutes of first team experience playing in his first real game in a hostile environment. Glad he got the signed ball and first cap but otherwise moving on. I swear something in that Rocky Mountain air. RSL players are just smart. Maybe limited physically sometimes but guys like Beckerman and Beltran just make easy smart plays. Wish more of our guys could/would do that. I hope Brad Davis has other plans for June.
green got the allstar treatment (at one point, triple teamed if i recall correctly). he wasn't perfect, but he's 18 and this was the biggest game he's played in. we need to give him a break. but yes, 2018 contender.
I kept thinking he's the Mexican Pete Rose. Can't find quite the right picture because he usually has a baseball cap on. This is the hair: This is the face:
Being from South America, I find it highly unlikely that Hugo Chavez won the UEFA European Championship -- so I'm wondering where he stole that Euro trophy and winner's medal from. Did he pull a Putin when Spain's president visited Venezuela? Unless that's simply the ashes of his grandma -- in which case, belated condolences.
After watching the following 2 incidents several times: 1. It was something that another ref might have given a penalty. For one thing, initial contact implies continuing contact, and if the illegal contact continues into the box, it's a pen. Definite case for continuing contact in this case. 2. Not a reply to this post, but so much has been made of Green's giveaway header. It was a mistake, but it was 40 yards from goal, with many defenders back, and resulted in a cross w/ 5-6 defenders in the box. We are going to face that scenario so many times it's not funny, in Brazil. It's not some special opportunity that was given.
Depends when the refs sees it and calls it, if I commit a foul outside the box but momentum carries us into the box then a good ref should call the foul where it started and not where it ended. Now in this case the ref did not see (or want to see) anything, so there is that.
If a PK was awarded against the US on a play like that -- I would lose my mind with conspiratorial rage.
Initial contact is not the be all end all. There is such a thing as continuing contact. "In general, the referee should determine the location of the foul based on what gives the greater benefit to the player who was fouled. FIFA has specifically endorsed this principle in one of its “Questions and Answers on the Laws of the Game “ (12.31) which states that a penalty kick is the correct restart if a player begins holding an opponent outside the player’s penalty area and continues this action inside his penalty area." http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/?p=306 Same principle applies to a leg left out.
Well calls like that are made all the time, see the PK awarded to Real Madrid in the latest Clasico, CR9 was tripped outside the box but the PK was given. But that is harsh since momentum will carry players into the box after the contact. I understand the shirt pull as it is an advantage play and forwards go down as soon as they enter the box.
It's funny, the little things that can make a difference between good teams and great ones. I like Zusi a lot, but he did play a role in the first Mexican goal. There was a fairly harmless cross in the box, no one was around him, and he headed it over the endline for a corner (from which Mexico scored). There was nobody up field from him (tactical angle showed this clearly); he could have headed up and toward the sideline. I guess he just wasn't sure if there were any attackers in that area. Conceding the corner was the 'safe' play that ended up costing us a goal. I won't call it a mistake - at least we was tracking back and helping out on defense. But it was not the kind of play the better teams make. No surprise - clearly we don't have the same level of players as the top-notch countries. Just one of the things I noticed, watching the game again.
Bradley was good overall, very energetic, but had a few dangerous turnovers which started MX attacks Dempsey finally showed up for NT, with about 1/2 tank of gas though Beltran played surprisingly well Omar laid an egg Landon was ok, but his fitness level worries me, he was grasping for air after that last minute FK and asked Dempsey to take shot (which the latter shot nowhere in his customary fashion) Wondo scored and disappeared Beckerman, Parkhurst were the most consistent players Davis - well, failed to make his case Rimando - did his job, not at fault on both goals Mexico - they showed the character (last time they did it was Gold Cup 2011 final)
Brought myself to rewatch the last half hour to look at Green without expectation. For the purpose of attacking substitute in the World Cup Finals, I absolutely rate him above Davis and Shea. He could offer a different skill set than EJ as a late wing sub, or even what Bedoya does offensively. He is not a possession killer, and he was on the same creative wavelength with particularly Dempsey, which not many players other than Bradley and Donovan are. He was liable defensively but also contributed there with some quick thinking once or twice. And he was immediately and aggressively double teamed by Mexico every time he touched the ball, and nearly skillfully won a penalty. I am very much looking forward to the future with him in our attack, but also think he can contribute in his role right now.