World Cup TeamUSA 2014 (club, football, FIFA, group)

[luvnyc]

Was Bradley the one who let the ball roll through his legs and at one point avoided the ball altogether in fear of being hit?

I saw that, yeah he should have been pulled he missed several opportunities to take the ball. Portugal was petering out too but they had a little more in the tank left than the US.

Would someone answer my question! How much more time after the 90 minute mark? How much longer did the US need to hold on to win before Portugal's last score?

Oh and I didn't like the way Portugal was able play "keep away" with the ball and the US was fruitlessly running toward the player who had possession only to see it swiftly kicked away once he got there. They wasted a lot of energy doing this, whereas Portugal played more strategic with the ball going where they wanted. I saw too many times when the US had possession they lost it because the ball didn't go to a teammate, they need better ball control and learn from Portugal.

Also Portugal wanted to play at a fast pace but the US played at a slower speed but they get an A for keeping up that's for sure.

[Coseau]

Around the 77th minute I said to myself Bradley legs are gone maybe it would be a good ideal to take him out. If he stays in the game he may turn to be a huge liability against a desperate team trying to stave off elimination. I guess Klinsmann rolled the dice maybe thinking everybody had tired legs hoping Bradley could last the last few minutes. That last cross into the box I was hoping Tim Howard to be aggressive and go after the ball. When you take the bull by its horns and is decisive in doing it good things usually happen. I think Howard decided to be safe and cautious thinking those were the better odds knowing if he didn't get to the ball there could be be an open net. Scary position to be in. Kudos to Portugal for bringing it all at the end. The threat of getting knocked out the tournament gave them extra zest, energy and fight that the US on a team level could not match.

[trumpethim]

Originally Posted by luvnyc

Was Bradley the one who let the ball roll through his legs and at one point avoided the ball altogether in fear of being hit?

I saw that, yeah he should have been pulled he missed several opportunities to take the ball. Portugal was petering out too but they had a little more in the tank left than the US.

Would someone answer my question! How much more time after the 90 minute mark? How much longer did the US need to hold on to win before Portugal's last score?

Oh and I didn't like the way Portugal was able play "keep away" with the ball and the US was fruitlessly running toward the player who had possession only to see it swiftly kicked away once he got there. They wasted a lot of energy doing this, whereas Portugal played more strategic with the ball going where they wanted. I saw too many times when the US had possession they lost it because the ball didn't go to a teammate, they need better ball control and learn from Portugal.

Also Portugal wanted to play at a fast pace but the US played at a slower speed but they get an A for keeping up that's for sure.

I'm pretty sure that the Portugal goal came with 25 seconds left. I was watching the clock with one eye, and when the ball was crossed by CR7, the clock was at 94:33. Two seconds later, it was in the net.

I also thought that the USA did a much better job of controlling the ball for most of the game, but with just a few minutes left, they seemed to go flat. Oh, well!

The calculator also shows that the USA can advance even if they lose to Germany by only 1 goal unless Portugal can score more than 3 goals above Ghana's total, or Ghana can score more than 1 goal more than Portugal. There are many scenarios that are possible, but Portugal beating Ghana seems the best bet for the USA. That calculator a few posts back is great! Thanks Ghengis!

[radiolibre99]

Portugal beating Ghana after Ghana just drew and went head to head with Germany? That kinda scenario makes me nervous for team USA.

If it wasn't for the two errors in defense we would've clinched this game easily but Portugal took advantage of two major screw ups by our defenders. That's the thing. The US cannot let up for even a second. These top bracket teams take advantage of mistakes like that and know how to utilize them.

Imagine making mistakes like in front of Germany?

[kinkytoes]

IMO the game just got too fast when being slow would have been better for us. Portugal got momentum. They got near the goal. I'm sure our team will work hard as heck to make sure that does not happen again.

But HEY what a SURPRISE! Only one forward?! For a while I was looking around on the field to see who was out there besides Clint! Wups my bad. I got SO excited when Wondo was subbed in but it was too late in the game for him to be a star. It was just nice to see him run and play. Seeing Omar and Yedlinny also made me happy...but hmmm. Too bad they could not seem to put the game in slow mo..

Highlights a'la Kinkytoes -

1. Jermaine and Clint - They are real leaders. Jermaine leading by example with his hydration regimen and good daddy-ness off the field, and his masterful playing on the field. Clint leading with his bravery and fearlessness on the field. Can't head the ball because of a broken nose?...well use your chest. He's a beast.

2. Seeing the Petite Dynamos - Ha haha I'm sure men love to be called that. But Beas and Yedlinny are some of the shorter guys on the team. It looks like Yedlinny is fast and mean on the field, and Beas is just a great player with smarts and stamina. They made me proud.

3. The Gods of Olympus - Zeus Zusi and Geoff impressed me again with their playing. Geoff's body is also really nice. I was so worried about him when he seemed to be unwell. Thank god he could still play. Praying he's ok. Besler is also good but still not standing out to me...until he got his knee hurt. Poor baby cakes. Praying for him too.

4. The US is Better - Def than Portugal. Our players did not flop like beauty queens with the vapors like Portugal. Clint's look of disgust when they did this one too many times was PRICELESS. Even CR7 looked embarrassed. Well Kyle did do a big flop that I saw...but I was like "Atta boy, Kyle!"

Portugal had a LOT of fancy footwork...but that did not seem to help. It may be good to pace the game at times, but there are other ways to control the flow of the game. Fancy footwork used to impress me, but it just annoyed me on Sunday. The US plays with less finesse but we did a good job getting chances on goal.

Portugal hurt some of my favorite players...on purpose it seems. When the guy stomped Clint with his cleats, it upset me. If that is how they play, then Portugal stinks in more ways than one. Also I really dislike Nani.

Here is my Mean and Judgemental meme about Portugal. Forgive me. I'm a fan.



Unlike a lot of people, I'm not afraid of Germany. But it seems that they may be a force to be reckoned with. I'm sure our team knows what their strengths are and will do the best to beat them. They are beatable. Personally the game against Ghana did not impress me. To me Germany have the same style of play as Ghana... but what do I know?

Too bad that we did not beat Portugal, but what is done is done. Let us move on and Destroy Germany.

Another hot and humid location. More flying and needing time to acclimatize after the flight. Plus now the pressure of having to do even better against Germany, the team many people think is good... Hard on their bodies...

Match quotes from FIFA:
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil?: USA-Portugal - Quotes - FIFA.com

Some Match Pix:

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil?: USA-Portugal - Photos - FIFA.com



Oh yeah. Good game, guys.

[travric]

So far with two games in hand and we've been in them both grinding it out relentlessly I just think we can't afford to beat ourselves and we have to hold onto the ball when it counts.
And if one particular player in midfield (whom a few have commented on) can raise his game a bit the US motoring can get into full gear.

[Ghengis]

last I saw was that Altidore wouldn't be ready until the knockout phase at the earliest, but it would seem a big boost to get him back for Germany. US doctors need to step up and deliver and do more than simply hanging around for their free lunches.

[radiolibre99]

Exactly. We need Altidore for the Germany game. We need a skilled striker and can't rely on Clint to do all the work. Altidore is a beast of a striker and having him in would improve their chance against Germany.

[biggunsmallbrains]

What's the tie breaking scenario with Ghana? For example, if we lose to Germany 2-1 and Ghana wins against Portugal
2-1 then what?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by biggunsmallbrains

What's the tie breaking scenario with Ghana? For example, if we lose to Germany 2-1 and Ghana wins against Portugal
2-1 then what?

^US moves on to the knockout phase

US advances if their loss score is identical to a Ghana win score, providing they are one goal differentials

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