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Teams like Italy can get a 1 goal lead and go into a defensive shell and be quite successful because they put the opposing team on lockdown in that opposing team is not allowed to have target practice on goal and Italy is quite formidable and deadly on the counterattack. Similar to a shutdown cornerback on a wide receiver in the NFL. The US against the weakest opponent they will face in this group in Ghana the US was exposed in showing two weaknesses in that they couldn't lockdown the opposing team in their own 3rd of the field and had no credible threat of a counterattack. Against increasingly highly elite teams they will have to face in the World Cup this will spell doom for the US. That is why if they do get an early lead against Portugal I don't have confidence that they can hold it when Portugal ups the pressure even though the defensive shell is the logical strategy. The US just doesn't have the same ability as an Italy. The US is at its best when the score is tied or even down a goal when they have to put pressure on the opposing team as we seen last night.
I turned on the game at the 23rd minute and boy did the US looked shaky. Sloppy turnovers , inability to maintain possession of ball, Ghana's defenders easily outrunning past US offensive players when US tried to play the long ball in an attempt to run the counter attack. Clearly the guy who replaced Altidore was basically invisible most of the game. I was thinking while watching Jozy's replacement and how ineffectual he seemed that leaving Landon Donovan off the team was gonna bite Klinsmann in the rear. Klinsmann was extremely lucky in pulling off a win. They need to be extremely lucky to get out of this group if their play resembles what was played today. Ghana was having target practice at goal at will most of the game I was thinking eventually they gonna score if this keeps up which Ghana eventually did. The one positive is the US made the most of its chances when they were given them as opposed to Ghana. Lets not start having orgasmic celebrations yet until we see how they do against Portugal which will pretty much predict who has the best chance of getting out of this group. If Portugal shows up as the Portugal everybody expects and the US just allows the opposing team just to relentlessly take shot after shot on goal all game as Ghana did combined with the United States basically non existent counter attack they will be looking at least a 2 goal loss to Portugal and will need Germany to collapse to have a chance to advance out of Group stage. I won't be disappointed if they lose the next 2 games because they was never expected of having a good chance of getting out of this group of death but just don't look sloppy like a bunch of guys just assembled off the street. If the US looks like they belong and capable of challenging these teams I will be proud of them.
I agree with you 100%. The majority of the time US team looked like they were a bunch of kids playing in the field. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that we won, but I'm also VERY nervous with the next game, especially if the team doesn't tighten up their game significantly. GO USA!
It seems many here would have liked to have Donovan come in for Jozy when he got hurt, but I don't think that would have helped. Donovan's game is not suited for what Klinsmann was trying to acheive with the Johansson sub. I agree that Aron didn't do much, but if Donovan was there and got subbed, there would be zero players up top. A better player that didn't make the team would have been Boyd, he is more in the Jozy mold.
I thought Bradley played poorly, as well as Beasley in the 1st half. Fabian completely forgot to mark his man for the Ghana goal. The best players to me were Jones, Clint until he got kicked in the face, Bedoya/Zusi, and Cameron.
The Altidore injury will definitely hurt going forward, Klinsmann will have to change his approach a bit to deal with that.
Well my hangover is gone . No drinks for the next game. Cottonmouth is gross. Today I'm having good news in my so-called career. I've also met a handsome man. Yes that really is ALL it takes to make Kinky happy. I've made a couple of memes for y'all.
To all of the people who say we did not play our best. I agree. Ghana ran circles around us at some points. IMO that is because a lot of the USA players seemed to be cramping up. One of my friends told me that it was dehydration. Apparently the same thing happened recently to Lebron James. LeBron James muscle cramps: Was the heat or salt or dehydration to blame?
To me the staff should have made sure they were properly hydrated. Nobody drank anything that I could see during the game. Are they not allowed to do that? Maybe the food or the new environment was not doing their tummies any favors, either. In spite of everything they still pulled through. But yes it was WAY too close.
John B said he had a dream that was almost exactly like the way his goal played out. He told the team about the dream a few days before. Spirits of our ancestors? 2014 World Cup: John Brooks
Actually I'm sure he was too high on adrenaline to feel anything...maybe. I bet it hurts like hell now.
The team should be on the way back to Sao Paulo and they may be at the hotel already. According to the Washington Post, Jozy is getting an MRI today to see what happened to his leg and if he can still play. Clint's nose is DEFINITELY broken according to the same article. He can wear a mask to protect his nose in upcoming matches. He will be playing against Portugal. His wife must be worried.
But you know what.. I cramp up IN THE GYM. I'm a lightweight. I'll just drink some water, and I'm fine. Even though I played soccer (very very badly), I'm not an athlete and I have no idea how tough it is to run around for 90 minutes.
Since we have time before Sunday, I'm buying gifts for the team. Thank you Tivoli concierge. My mini project until Sunday is USAMT Music! I'll do songs for the entire team, and then try to pick songs for each player.
I'm going to apologize in advance for these songs being kind of sexy. But you know...our team is kind of sexy.
That is why if they do get an early lead against Portugal I don't have
confidence that they can hold it when Portugal ups the pressure even though the
defensive shell is the logical strategy. The US just doesn't have the same
ability as an Italy
Interesting. I thought the team has to feel real good beating the Ghanians after tough losses. Part of the wiining I'd suggest came from mental toughness. I too thought the US could have done better keeping the ball under pressure. Not sure if it's a sign of things to come though and what Klinsmann's thinking on that but he has to have a tactical solution. If he doesn't well the team will be easily dictated to and we all know that's not a good scenario. I really wouldn't want the team running around like chickens without a head in chaos.
I hope someone on the USA staff is taking care of this hydration thing. I played many a match in 80+ humid weather, and it takes an unbelievable toll on your body if you haven't prepared properly. Even though I was a 210 lb. keeper at 6'3", it was not unusual for me to drop 5 lbs. in a humid match. The field players could drop much more, and it's all water weight. I can only imagine that the team was told to stay hydrated, and they drank a bit more than usual, but didn't realize until the match was well underway that it wasn't enough. I remember always feeling the need to 'relieve myself' just before the match started, and the thought of loading up on water beforehand was always something to make you think of that, even though there is no need to 'go' when sweating your brains out. The reality of not being hydrated enough, half way through is the real eye opener! When they play in Manaus, I'm sure they will be pouring the water down beforehand! Also the food could be a problem. Hopefully the same staff people will make sure that each player knows what can happen if he ventures off somewhere and takes the chance to eat some local food. I think that if I were the coach, I'd try to make sure that I had enough food of the kind that the team is used to, available during the tourney. Many of us know what can happen for a few days of a trip to a foreign culture and its food regimen.
Against Portugal, mindset will be important. I still think that Portugal is struggling to find their identity, and it can be surprising what a team that has an attitude to give their all and play together in unison can do to a favored opponent. As I mentioned before, Ronaldo can be as much of a liability as he is an asset. Having a superstar, (even though he's nearing his end), can change the thought patterns of many of the other players, sometimes making them perform better, sometimes making them feel inferior or jealous, and ruining their performance. We'll see how it all works out on Sunday!
Can someone please explain to me how the US won by playing like amateurs? I was all euphoric during the game and didn't care how they played as long as they won. There were obvious signs like Michael bradley playing like crap and that new kid that took over for Altidore playing like a high schooler! This team can't just rely on Dempsey and lucky goals. I re-watched the match after my US goggles were off and I see that the team was like a FIFA charity out there giving away too many balls. Ghana was massively unlucky that their goals never made it through.
I'm too nervous about Portugal. If the Portuguese regain their calm they will massacre the US team I saw play. With Altidore out of the picture, I don't know who Dempsey will set up? Certainly not the new kid.
Sorry to be do harsh on the US but with all the hype and all the years gone by, there's no excuse. Australia LOST their game to Chile, but played a WAY better game. They're even younger than us and I actually don't fear for them as much against Holland as I do do us against Portugal, if that tells you anything.
Kinkytoes, what are your thoughts? I mean I would say England who lost to Italy played a much better game than the US who won.
I hope someone on the USA staff is taking care of this hydration thing. I played many a match in 80+ humid weather, and it takes an unbelievable toll on your body if you haven't prepared properly. Even though I was a 210 lb. keeper at 6'3", it was not unusual for me to drop 5 lbs. in a humid match. The field players could drop much more, and it's all water weight. I can only imagine that the team was told to stay hydrated, and they drank a bit more than usual, but didn't realize until the match was well underway that it wasn't enough. I remember always feeling the need to 'relieve myself' just before the match started, and the thought of loading up on water beforehand was always something to make you think of that, even though there is no need to 'go' when sweating your brains out. The reality of not being hydrated enough, half way through is the real eye opener! When they play in Manaus, I'm sure they will be pouring the water down beforehand! Also the food could be a problem. Hopefully the same staff people will make sure that each player knows what can happen if he ventures off somewhere and takes the chance to eat some local food. I think that if I were the coach, I'd try to make sure that I had enough food of the kind that the team is used to, available during the tourney. Many of us know what can happen for a few days of a trip to a foreign culture and its food regimen.
Against Portugal, mindset will be important. I still think that Portugal is struggling to find their identity, and it can be surprising what a team that has an attitude to give their all and play together in unison can do to a favored opponent. As I mentioned before, Ronaldo can be as much of a liability as he is an asset. Having a superstar, (even though he's nearing his end), can change the thought patterns of many of the other players, sometimes making them perform better, sometimes making them feel inferior or jealous, and ruining their performance. We'll see how it all works out on Sunday!
That happens to ALL the teams though.
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. No drinks for the next game. Cottonmouth is gross. Today I'm having good news in my so-called career. I've also met a handsome man. 
I've made a couple of memes for y'all.
