I understand the anology, I just disagree with it. I think he does a great job of making others better around him. With his passing and his runs without the ball. Look what happened to LA inthe playoffs.
that 1982 brasil has zico returning from injury and no where near 100%... socrates was my favorite on that squad... as to donovan my being special, not required man marking attention, this will be a test for landon against a good squad i'm seeing 1-1 in my crystal ball here
Sorry, Adam. But Zico was healthy in 1982. He was returning from injury in 1986. The injured Brazilian in 1982 was Roberto Dinamite.
oops, thought it was 1982 for zico's injury... still, zico is right up there as one of the best brazilians ever... his comments about the usa do have a great deal of validity... usa doesn't have a true elite level player who you really need to pay special attention towards.... still, I think zico will have some positive things to say about the usa squad once the match is over.... I'm interested to see if some of the usa size can trouble japan... and whether the japnese nimbleness poses any difficulties for the usa
Adam, Zico was an unreal player. And now that I think of it, Roberto Dinamite was meant to replace the young Careca who was injured. Serginho was also on that team. He was terrible.
This field has enough room to accomodate proper dimensions. And as a fan of the USMNT I am not at all insulted that USSF chose to play this game at this venue. In fact I am grateful that I get to see a game at a place I don't have to drive to and yet get to sleep in my own bed after the match is over. World Cup qualifiers in SBC Park? No. Meaningless friendlies in front of 41,000 against a decent opponent? Bring it on!! Lee
No rain to speak of this past month, and none in the forecast. It's been dry as a bone. This time last year we were trying not to get washed away by the 40 day flood.
a) Might want to check your sarcasm detector b) The USSF doesn't really need the money. They're already working at a giant surplus.
No organization can ever have too much money. The USSF rightly prioritizes this game to (1) play a decent opponent and (2) make some cash. Makes sense to me, just wish the USSF would spend the money a little more effectively -- pro development over Brandenton.
I'm betting that they didn't know that when they scheduled the rugby tournament there, though. Isn't rain a lot more normal for you this time of year (Ninos and Ninas not withstanding)? Rugby tears up a field surface much worse than American football. The scrums dig deep pits, etc. Rugby is a fun game to watch, just should never be played on a field you want well maintained.
The Soviets came into the cup ranked #2 by Elo. It was a very good squad. But they went ahead on Valdir's blunder and then tried to sit tight for the rest of the game. Brazil did have trouble converting their chances throughout the tournament but they did end up crushing Argentina before being eliminated. Their midfield was fantastic and Zico was a 3 time South American Footballer of the Year.
Dinamite - amazing reference! He was a player that is often forgotten and overlooked even though he had over 20 National team goals and scored around 700 goals for Vasco in the 70's & early 80's. Easily one of the most underrated Brazilian players of all time - I believe one of the knocks on him was that he was of all things, one-dimensional. The 82 team was a tremendously talented team that had a glutton of offensive and creative talent. I think that the 82 team isn't necessarily loved more than the 2002 team but I think it is highly respected because they were a joy to watch play. Odd but to me, and this probably won't be agreed by many, the 2006 team has a few characteristics similar to that team. Tremendous attacking talent with what could be a few costly holes in the back. What's head-beating as a Brasil fan is that you feel like some of those holes have good upgrades available that aren't being used (why is Roque Jr. still used and not Alex or... well take your pick!) But enough about Brasil... even though I think a bit of the arrogance does come from that. In a way, when I read the article I had to make sure that I was reading Zico speaking as manager of Japan and not manager of Brasil. But then again, not to be an apologist but I don't think he meant it as disrespectful of the US, but something may have been lost in the translation - as if to say "there is no one out of the ordinary" that we expect to see. I doubt he was putting down or meant to put down Landon Donovan, but wanted to stress that he will not be treated any differently than any of the other USA players. I wish I could have heard it in Portuguese. What it looks like is that of course he wants a good result but he knows this is a friendly and it isn't as though he predicted Japan to win - he may not ultimately care so much about it as much as definining his team with a different attacking formation. Japan is missing some key players too, so it's a good test for them. Regardless, it should be an interesting game because both teams have players with something to lose/gain. In that way it's really about the players proving themselves on both sides. I am a little surprised by one thing... why the stress on Alex Santos?
yeah, he can make others better around him. I'm not saying he doesn't. but sometimes teams play to the level of their competion, and sometimes Landon plays to the level of his teammates. just my opinion. i still hope he knocks in three tonight. we're leaving for the game in under an hour. I'm juiced. and geeked. I'm juiced AND geeked.
Yeah, guys. Listen to jankballs!!! I'm also part of the TV crowd, but I will be rocking my Don't Tread shirt, the red one...
Wish I could be there too. But I won't be watching it live. 11pm on a Friday night?? I'm gonna be shitfaced.
I agree...he's not that good and gets very little love from many Japan supporters. On the other hand, he may tear it up against our slower outside backs ala DeRosario.
What did you base on to make that claim? It's been more than 20 years since I saw it on TV but after 2:2 Brazil definitely did not play for a draw, which would have been good enough for them. In fact, I think with their style it would be hard to play for a draw.