Always the horses, seldom the jockey...
Daily Commentary on the Dallas Sports Scene - By Bob Sturm - Sportsradio 1310, The Ticket - The Athletic Dallas - The Athletic - Bob Sturm
Here is the Quarterfinal match with Ecuador vs USMNT in Seattle.
The USA is without Yedlin who took a red card.
Very bizarre choice without Yedlin of moving Johnson from left back to right back and putting in Besler when most expected Orozco to play as he did against Paraguay.
Ecuador has a couple of their big guns down with Bolanos and Jamie Ayovi both on the bench.
Here we go.
US gets first attempt on goal and Zardes deflects on wide for a corner for US. 3'
Jefferson Montero gets down and earns a corner on the left.
Montero with a drive that goes high. 5' dangerous winger from Swansea.
This is the portion of the blog where we observe that ECU have a midfield with a player from Manchester United next to a player from FC Dallas.
Enner Valencia with a chance inside the area and a counter from the US is spoiled on a horrible ball from Jermaine Jones. 9'
Fabian Johnson whipped a ball in and it was dangerous looking for a brief moment.
ECU doesn't look overly confident defending, either, to be honest.
Gruezo from distance with a worm burner. 12'
Bradley on a corner finds Cameron who was looking to flick on to Wood and it misses at the back post. Nice idea, though.
A harmless chance almost turns into something as Wood gets to a slow roller and almost pokes it past the keeper. Beautiful chance. 17'
Very shaky defending and a deflection off Cameron goes right to Arroyo and the chance goes high. Some unforced errors now. 19'
GOAL - The United States carve open the defense with a beautiful run from Wood who then pulls back for Jermaine Jones and he puts it right on the head of Clint Dempsey who makes no mistake picking out the top right hand corner! A real impressive finish. 1-0, 22'
Now with the lead, the US can certainly decide to sit back in their 4-4-2 and counter.
That is Dempsey's 52nd US goal, trailing only Landon Donovan with 57 - All-time.
Zardes goes down on a foul in 26'
Dempsey with another chance. A hard strike that Dominguez stops on the ground. 27'
Big shot for Ecuador - Arroyo from the spot and John Brooks deflects and sends it back.
Then Mina gets a boot up against Wood.
ECU starting to pick up play a bit. They continue to look dangerous. Meanwhile, John Brooks doesn't look right health-wise.
Valencia fouls Besler on a turnover. 34'
Johnson sends in Wood with an early ball and Mina saves his skin with a toe poke for a corner. Brooks still looks hurt.
Surge for ECU and Jermaine Jones gets back to snuff it out some. 37'
A great counter and Dempsey found Bedoya who hit it right into the goalie. Big chance lost. 41'
We will have 2 minutes of extra time in the first half.
ECU with another huge chance. Brooks falls and Cameron tries to hassle Arroyo but the powerful man blows through and gets off a shot that is saved by Guzan. Well done! 46'
He then goes and gets a corner for another stop. Guzan stayed sharp and was ready.
2nd half -
Jermaine Jones fouls Montero over in the corner. Not really necessary.
Set piece from that spot. Headed on twice and E Valencia had a real chance. 48'
Antonio Valencia and Jermaine Jones are both given red cards!
Valencia kicked out the legs of Bedoya for no good reason, it seems. I have no idea what Jones did. I guess he pushed on Arroyo's face. Weird for sure, but very penal.
Then, Wood takes a yellow and that will be a game for him, too. 53'
Chance! Bradley picks out Zardes who sends it back for Dempsey from straight on at 22 yards. 59'
Offside flag catches ECU on high line.
Montero with some impressive moves on a run, but a shot on a lay-off goes high.
Gaibor in for Noboa. 62'
Parades given a yellow going in high on Wood. 64'
GOAL!!!! A beautiful ball from Brooks finding Wood into the left corner. Pulled back Besler curls it in to Zardes who plays it back to Dempsey. Deuce sends it right down the line and a finish by Zardes!!! 2-0. Beautiful
Chance for EDU as service to E Valencia heads it over the bar. He got behind Cameron a bit. 68'
US concedes a corner after some opportunities for ECU that are less than stellar.
Ramirez on and Gruezo off. 72'
Foul on Bedoya as he takes down Paredes. Bedoya given yellow and he will miss the semifinal.
GOAL for Ecuador. Off a set piece and a beautiful play is converted Arroyo scores from distance and we have a game. 2-1. 74'
Beckerman in for Dempsey. 75'
Ecuador is really coming now. Another chance is looped in and a header goes just wide. 13 Valencia with a poor conversion. But, things are getting rough now. 77'
Now, Valencia is finding some space again. Another chance is headed wide. Yikes. 78'
Ecuador has the US on the run. Another chance just goes over the bar.
Here comes another sub. J Avoyi in for Paredes. Their final sub.
Now, the US is defending hard in their own end. Fabian Johnson that time.
Zusi is on with some fresher legs.
Guzan comes out to sweep that ball and secures it to put out a fire himself. 86'
The Ecuadorian coach has been expelled for cussing out the ref.
The ECU comes right don and has a chance to put another one away and it was luckily deflected wide by Brooks. Fortunate. Wow. 90'
Now, 4 minutes of stoppage time.
Brooks stops a big Arroyo run!
Corner for ECU with 1 minute to go. The chance pings around and the US survives again.
Birnbaum on now for Zardes. Blow the whistle. There it is!
USA wins again!
USA 2, Ecuador 1
It was a wonderful win. Not dominant, but the USA always looked fine. They had to hold on late, but really survived well again.
A three win tournament!!! The Klinsmann era will continue indefinitely because this Copa is clearly in the win column. Anything else is clear gravy.
Ok, here is the final game of Group A. After a loss to Colombia and a big win against Costa Rica, the USMNT only require a draw to go through, but could conceivably with the group with some help from Costa Rica which seems unlikely since they are eliminated.
Get a result and go through to likely play Brazil on Friday. Or, lose and go home.
Match is in Philadelphia in a moderately populated Linc.
USA still in a 4-4-2, despite the sheet listed.
Big counter attack by the USA and Fabian Johnson led the attack and was fouled 30 yards out. 2'
John Brooks starting strong early.
Dempsey posts up and is fouled in the 5' within 27 yards. Fabian Johnson stands over it and his curler around the wall demands a save. Villar has been the PAR keeper since 1999.
3 on 1 for PAR is broken up wonderfully by Brooks! Wow. Everyone caught up and Brooks saves the day with a beautiful blocked shot. 11'
Current clubs of the starting 11 for this Copa America:
Clint Dempsey - Seattle
Zardes - LA Galaxy
Bobby Wood - Hamburger (GER)
Michael Bradley - Toronto
Jermaine Jones - Colorado
Alejandro Bedoya - Nantes (ITA)
DeAndre Yedlin - Sunderland (ENG)
John Brooks - Hertha (GER)
Geoff Cameron - Stoke (ENG)
Fabian Johnson - Borussia Mönchengladbach (GER)
Brad Guzan - Aston Villa (ENG)
A bit chippy here tonight as these two teams are going at each other with studs up. 15'
Zardes down the left flank provides good speed and counters.
Great ball possession in deep for the USA, but nothing of it. But, back the other way, a shout for a penalty as Jones brings his man down in the box on a tackle, and then Gonzalez finds Lezcano on the far post for a header, but Guzan makes the save. 19'
More US opportunities but the final ball is missing. Bedoya looking for Yedlin that time.
Dempsey tried to slide the ball to Wood and there was a handball by Balbuena at the top of the circle. Dempsey on top of it. 24'
He goes top right and misses it high. Enough to make everyone nervous, but just missed.
GOAL: Zardes with that run down the left flank and then beautifully turns the corner to cut it back to Dempsey who slams it home! GOAL! 1-0, USMNT. Jermaine Jones won possession and freed Zardes down the left. Dempsey's left foot is true and it is his 51st goal for the nats. 27'
Ayala is fouled by Wood 25 out for PAR. Ayala's kick is high.
Lezcano gets another window of light only to have Brooks there. 33'
Samudio and Yedlin get into it and a blind elbow gets Samudio who stays down. 41'
The US now noticeably more compact and sitting in their shape to get to halftime, we assume.
3 on 2 counter for the US draws a corner as Wood slips a bit on his cutback. 44'
In the 45th, Lezcano is sprung all alone behind the high line! Guzan makes the save! Huge save 5-hole. Big.
Halftime - US 1, PAR 0
2nd half - Iturbe on for Balbuena at the half.
Yedlin goes in hard and gets a yellow card for his tackle on 16. 47'
Then, he does it again???? This time on Samudio and he gets a 2nd yellow in about 60 seconds. What are you doing???? Sent off and properly sent off.
SUB: Now playing with 10 men - Dempsey must come off for Michael Orozco (Tijuana - MEX).
This is going to be difficult to bring home now.
Rojas on for Ortiz.
This is where Jermaine Jones is going to be a key. Brooks so composed under fire. Orozco now playing right back with Wood alone up high.
Wood turns a ball at midfield to get a 3 on 2 on the run, but his pass to Zardes is scuffed at the goal as Villar makes a fine play. 62'
A long shot goes wide from Ayala. 62'
Benitez on for Sanabria. 3rd and final sub for PAR.
Orozco blocks a shot for a corner. PAR has 4 corners now. 65' Everyone back for the US.
Wood sure looked fouled down in the PAR end. But, no call.
I think the Ref is hurt. The magic spray is being applied.
Now things are really getting heated. Rojas on Wood and Wood pushes him back. Yellow cards for both, I do believe. 71'
SUB: At the 74', Zusi on for Bedoya to bring on fresh legs and heavy energy.
Ayala fouls Zardes and is booked accordingly. 78'
Zusi tracks back and breaks up a play in his area.
A Lezcano header from Iturbe goes high. 80'
Guzman with a huge sequence. First Benitez, then Lezcano. Guzan is there for both!
SUB: Beckerman and he is on and fires it high. '87
Jermaine Jones foul is cautioned and the ensuing set piece is broken up by Brooks.
Then return play is sent in and a goal is scored by Gomez, but clearly offside! '89
There will be 6 minutes of stoppage time!
The closing down of swarms of US players are seeing this out. Jermaine Jones, Bradley, Brooks, Cameron. So good.
They survive! They beat Paraguay.
This is just the 3rd major tournament ever where they have 2 wins. 2002 World Cup and the 1995 Copa America (2009 Confederations Cup as well).
Must-win game already for the USMNT. And Jurgen Klinsmann is reportedly under fire in a do-or-die situation. Imagine being the first team eliminated in a 16-team tournament that you are hosting. Yikes.
So many seats available at Solider Field in Chicago. Yikes, again.
Lineups - Same 11 for the USMNT. Bizarre.
Here we go from a moderately populated Soldier Field.
Costa Rica jumps on the ball early.
High press! That can't hurt.
Zardes with a ridiculous clearance attempt just about ends up a disaster as Joel Campbell strikes one wide of Guzan. 5'
Penalty on a beautiful chance in the CR area! This is a no brainer as there is a push in the back on Bobby Wood by #16 Gamboa! Yedlin with the cross from Bedoya!
Who will take the penalty? Clint Dempsey, of course. Costa Rica has been quite combative with our official over this call. Can Dempsey cash in on career US goal #50?
YES! 1-0! US! 9'
Bedoya with a nice feed to Wood on the edge. Diagonal pass that is often missing.
Yedlin looks the part with strong play. 14'
Saborit on because 21 Urena is hurt some sort of shoulder issue. 17'
Bobby Wood with impressive possession, but no real destination on his run. 20'
Fabian Johnson looks better than Friday. Confident and going forward.
On a few occasions, the US is getting the ball in transition in the center circle and just turns and charges forward. Dempsey does this well. Just keep it and play-make. Zardes with a half-chance in 27'
Dempsey feeds Zardes yet again and he fires it over the ball. Must finish that! '33
Jermaine Jones off a feed from Dempsey on a counter attack opens up a chance, but the shot goes high to the far corner on a curler.
Huge goal as Jones has pushed up and caused a turnover, Dempsey then play making in the other direction and sends it back to Jones for the finish to the far lower corner. 2-0! 37'
What a play!
CR with a chance in the US area on the counter. But, US bodies get in front of it. Dangerous.
Bobby Wood turns and fires for a wonder goal off another pass from Dempsey! 3-0! Everything is going in!
What a first half and now with that goal differential situation, you might consider that.
United States 3, Costa Rica 0 - Halftime
Jones - age 34, Yedlin, Dempsey have all been great. Very strong performance.
2nd Half -
15 Salvatierra and 14 Azofeifa on. 16 Gamboa and 12 Campbell off.
US in a 4-4-2 now.
54' - US is caught with a late run to 5 Borges who shoots high from the spot. Costa Rica demonstrating a little scoring punch.
Brooks and Yedlin have both had moments of massive composure with ball handling in their own box. Crazy calm and they got away with it, so no worries, but man. 61'
Off the corner, Bryan Ruiz headed one of the woodwork, but the ball is called offside. 67'
Jermaine Jones contributions have been absurdly underrated for these last many years.
Graham Zusi is on, Bobby Wood is off. What a goal in the 1st half.
Jones finds Bedoya who might have just shot it, but he looks to feed Zardes instead. Miss chance there, but great idea.
Wondolowski on for Dempsey. 78'
How did Costa Rica not score on that set piece at '83? Amazing let off.
Finally, high press beauty with the turnover and the finish from Graham Zusi. Love it.
This is as easy a win in a big competition that we have seen in forever.
Geoff Cameron with a fantastic bit of skill in the 4th minute with a spin but then lost his man on a corner in the 8th minute as Cristian Zapata pounds one home with a right footed finish from the spot.
1-0
The amazing Juan Cuadrado of Juventus is problems down the right flank with quickness and ball skills and goes at Fabian Johnson.
It sure seems evident that the USA could use a true #10 playmaker. This is when it occurs to us that most of the best #10's in MLS are imports.
Gyasi Zardes provides real electricity up top if you can just get him some service.
Finally had a half chance in the 27th minute, but some good movement did not result in a shot of any substance. Bobby Wood on the ball and Yedlin getting forward.
36th minute, Zardes finds Dempsey who shoots to the left post from 20 yards and just misses. Very close chance there to lock it up.
Bradley with a very poor giveaway results in a counter. Bradley then fouls and attempts to stop play but the advantage is properly played. Ball gets sent in and Yedlin turns but the ball hits his hand and a penalty is given. 40th minute. Rough break, but likely the right call.
James takes the penalty and makes no mistake. 2-0.
Weird half in that it seemed the US played pretty well, but a corner and a weird and flukey penalty is the difference and it is a substantial one.
2nd Half-
Seems like Jermaine Jones is almost just shadowing Cuadrado. Bradley has really struggled.
I really don't understand no high press.
John Brooks with a mix-up with Cuadrado in the 53rd minute and offered a strong physical moment. He is decent enough at his age to feel good about.
Not sure Bedoya is better than Zusi. This is not a great spot for the US.
Colombia is a low possession team but they sit on the ball in the 2nd half because we are not pressing at all and I really don't get it.
59th minute corner from Bradley showed Dempsey with a huge chance that is kicked off the line by a defender.
63' - Dempsey with another set piece chance that required a great save by Ospina. Dempsey curled it near post and it was very impressive.
In the 65th minute - 17 year old Christian Pulisic on for Bobby Wood and Jermaine Jones goes off for Darlington Nagbe.
Big counter chance for Colombia as Carlos Bacca gets a chance from Cuadrado at the spot gets deflected wide by Yedlin.
James is hurt - appears to be a shoulder issue. Winner of the World Cup Golden Boot in 2014.
Celis is on for James Rodriguez who cannot continue in the 72nd minute.
Bedoya has started to create more in the last 10 minutes as he looks for a pass to unlock things.
Bacca off the bar in all alone on another Bradley turnover. And then another Bradley turnover.
Dempsey with a chance in the 78th minute before he gets tied up with Pulisic. It would be foolish to put Dempsey and Bradley in the same bin.
US had some possession in final minutes, but Bradley's volley wasn't close.
Zusi on for Bedoya in 87th.
Colombia 2, US 0
Costa Rica next on Tuesday, Paraguay next Saturday
In the end, 31 teams go home from the World Cup with a sense of disappointment and sadness.
Tuesday was our turn.
After an excruciatingly tense evening in Brazil that saw the United States once again on the defending side of a contest with a world power, the levee finally broke in extra time as Romelu Lukaku came on and with a combination of great speed and power was able to drive past tired US defenders and help create 2 goals.
The Americans pulled one back on the first World Cup touch of the ball for young Julian Green, but with 14 minutes to find an equalizer, the run finally ended as the 2014 World Cup collapsed under the relentless siege of the Belgians.
The hero for the USA on Tuesday is consistent with a career where he has generally been considered one of the best in the world, goalkeeper Tim Howard. Howard, whether it is for his club teams in England over the years or his national team in the stars and stripes, is always ready for that big moment and once again demonstrated his quality on the world's largest stage.
Save after heroic save was made by Howard as he urged on his team with encouragement and chastisement as the afternoon went along after he would deflect another speeding missile away from the net. He was magnificent, and in making an absurd 16 saves (the most since the 1962 World Cup), kept the USA in a match that they really had little business being in.
But, there they were. 92 minutes into the match, remaining level at 0-0. It was still there to be won if a miracle goal could be scored to support the insane effort of Howard. The ball was lobbed into the area and there, Jermaine Jones fought to flick the ball on with his head into the path of a charging Chris Wondolowski. Wondo is the people's champ, and someone it seemed most soccer people were rooting to get a chance to contribute to the World Cup roster back when choices were being made on who gets the tickets to Brazil.
So, the moment happened. Wondo had the ball fall to his feet with nobody between him and the goal, but the Belgium keeper, Thibaut Courtois. Courtois knows he is at the mercy of Wondo, so he lunges at the ball to hopefully break the concentration of the striker who has him dead. If Wondo can just simply side foot the ball on the ground, the USA is in the Quarterfinals.
Instead, things happened fast and the ball hits Wondolowski's foot and goes over the goal. The broadcast seemed to indicate as it happened that it was called offside. But, it wasn't. Ian Darke clarified that the call was simply the flag for a goal-kick, and if Wondo had finished the play, the goal was a good one. But, the moment happened and the USA missed it. In a match they had no business winning, they actually could have pulled the ultimate robbery at the final whistle.
The moment passed.
Meanwhile, in the space between regulation and extra time, Belguim smartly substituted one young world class striker, Origi, for another in Lukaku, who was their first choice when the tournament started. Both troubled the US all day long, and to have fresh legs available and a striker who had something to prove in the extra 30 minutes was a luxury that the Americans could simply not deal with.
Kevin De Bruyne scored the first goal of the match 3 minutes into the extra 30 on a play that Lukaku generated down the right flank, and the De Bruyne - who had been excellent all day - came back against the grain before beating Howard at the far post in a very precise finish. Then, Lukaku barreled in for a 2nd with a fantastic finish that Howard could only wave at in vain as it threatened to puncture the back of the net.
As mentioned before, Julian Green was then brought on by Jurgen Klinsmann at the break in the 30, but personally, the belief here is that this substitute needed to happen after the first goal. It seemed clear that in the late stages of another exhausting match, energy at the top of the attack was called for, and once it was clear that Jozy Altidore had no ability to assist, then Green was the only option. The team needed a boost of energy and to wait until it was 2-0 seemed to lose the plot.
Nevertheless, when Green came on, he was able to cut the lead in half with one touch and perfect finish.
But, even as the goal was scored, most wondered if there would be even a sniff for an equalizer.
And then, amazingly, they earned a free kick from a considerable distance. What happened next is shown below (Courtesy of Gooooal on Vine) and has to be a candidate for one of the best executed set pieces in this World Cup. It was orchestrated beautifully and no doubt practiced endlessly for such an occasion.
Michael Bradley would take the kick from 30 yards away, but would side foot it to a cutting Wondolowski who had come around the fence and back towards Bradley. Then, from the opposite side, Clint Dempsey would time his run from the wall of Belgians towards the goal and Wondolowski would have a chance to angle a one-timer pass right into his path.
It happened just as they hoped and as you can see above, if Dempsey can settle the pass just a bit better, they again have a chance to at least force penalty kicks to advance. Instead, the ball gets away from Dempsey, Courtois again comes off his line to trouble the shooter, and the chance gets away from the United States.
Those two moments above are the moments that will be talked about for years for those of us who enjoy the USMNT this much. The World Cup is a passionate event for the simple reasons that you only get a shot history once every 4 years. When it sails by with close-calls and regrets, you have a story to tell.
But, in fairness to reality, it seems important to note that the United States had a chance to win that match, but were clearly not a team that deserved to win. Of course, we have been reminded that "deserve" has nothing to do with the outcome of these matches, nevertheless, the US has to be concerned with some realities about their 4 match stay at the World Cup.
Most notably, according to research done by Steve Fenn, the USA was a -53 in shot differential in the 4 matches in the tournament. That is a stunning average of over 13 per match. We can debate the relative difficulty level of shots and whether it is a tell-all stat or simply one that should be acknowledged, but conceding 13 more shots than you attempt every match is simply not a recipe for long-term success.
And that comes back to some of the more over-reaching story lines about the state of affairs for the United States National Team in general. The resolve is awesome. The battle is fantastic. The talent pool is expanding. The youth is improving (although, compare teenagers or players on the roster under 20 or 22 or 24 with Belgium and see how we measure up (hint: It isn't good)).
But, overall, for the USA to continue its upward trajectory toward the real world powers in this sport, the improvement will have to continue to come through the technical skills that are required to possess the ball more. And not simple possession numbers that might mislead, but the ability to boss a match in the opposing half with skill and precision that puts the opponent on its heels.
If we were to be fair, we would say that the USA never owned the ball in the 4 matches, aside from small slivers of attacks. Overall, Ghana had the ball for most of the match, Portugal was the closest to even, and then Germany and Belgium were both able to make the US chase. This depletes energy for late stages of the match when you need reserves available.
The USA doesn't choose to play this way. In fact, when Klinsmann was hired, the talk was about more attacks and possession based game plans. However, you can plan all you want. Until you have the players in the midfield who can carry out this plan, you are always going to be stuck playing the only style you can survive with - which appears to be to play with 10 behind the ball and a lone striker who will attempt to set up counter attacks (a tactic hurt badly without Jozy available for the entire WC run).
This, of course, in the international game is not something that you fix in free agency. This requires patience as a new generation attempt to replace the old between now and 2018 or 2022. Right now, hopefully, there are American 14 year olds who will be able to play 50/50 ball with the 14 year olds in Belgium or Germany. As most people know, that is a lot to expect, but the USA has made tremendous strides. Now, it is up to the next generation to hopefully carry on for what Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and Michael Bradley have done. Bradley should still be available in 2018, but the rest are likely done being the best players in the USMNT mix.
Now, it is time to take this major progress of qualifying for the World Cup and routinely advancing out of Group Play to the next level. But, that is for Green and DeAndre Yedlin and others to accomplish.
It was a great run and proof that Klinsmann is the man for the job. This team was noticed around the world for its brave defending and resolve. But, to keep this from being its identity, they are going to need more special players who can take over a match with their skill.
It will be interesting to see what this all looks like for 2018.
Until then, it is great to know that what has been accomplished. The team did so much and the scenes from around the country might be the most enduring images. The pictures of thousands living and dying with the fortunes on the field are images that most of our sports ventures do not offer. We all have our own teams and segments of society that get us to stand up for a moment.
But, the national team? That brings everyone to the same agenda and cause. And in 2014, that is something that seems a bit rare in society. Who knew it was a soccer team that would get us to find out the joys of all being on the same page?
Anyway, for our boys, the trip to Brazil was both successful and disappointing. Great moments and gutting, as well.
But, they can return with their heads up high. They squeezed everything they could out of what they had.
But, to understand why, you must broaden your horizons and grasp that this is not about 90 minutes against one of the favorites to leave with the World Cup trophy in 16 days time, but rather this is about nearly 300 minutes against favored opponents and surviving enough of the gauntlet to proudly advance to the knockout phase.
That, granted, is certainly outside of the normal structure of one game, one result, but this group play is a bit of an odd duck across the sporting universe. 4 teams are randomly drawn into a group, and then you spend 2 weeks at the World Cup playing each other to decide who the Top 2 teams will be to advance.
Therefore your first match against Ghana - with the victory taken from John Brooks' cameo that started this fire - was enough to basically do all of the heavy lifting that put the USA through and Ghana behind the 8-ball. Meanwhile, in that same first match, Portugal lost its mind and then the match in a very one-sided demolition from Germany which also basically advanced the Germans and set the Portuguese on a very rough journey that has since ended in tears.
If Portugal had been able to beat the USA in Match-day 2, they would have overcome that issue and then beaten Ghana and advanced. But, they didn't. They played most of the match against the USA as the 2nd best, with the American controlling big parts of the contest and basically had the victory before an amazing smash and grab job by Ronaldo late to snatch a draw and the slightest ray of hope for Thursday. They would need the Americans to fold up against the Germans as badly as they did to have any chance, and the USA did not let that happen.
So, despite the news anchor snark and the twitter jokes that are out there, yes, the USA advanced on a day they lost. But, it was the degrees of the loss that were essentially the tie-breaker between the US and Portugal from their contests against the Germans. And, when the USA loses, 1-0, but Portugal loses to the same team, 4-0, the answer is clear. The USA had a massive 3 goal difference on the first tie-breaker of goal differential.
Therefore, as I said yesterday on Twitter, "USA will not be issuing apologies for advancing out of possibly the toughest group in the toughest competition. So don’t wait up for one."
The match itself was not one that was worth remembering, except for the idea that it was a magical 2-screen experience where people wanting the USA to advance knew that only 1 screen needed to produce the preferred result for the happy ending in Group G. Either the United States gets a result against Germany or Portugal-Ghana would have to cooperate in the form of anything but a Ghana win, basically.
That put people like me in the odd position of hoping Cristiano Ronaldo could do magical things, and to his credit, he was on point all day long in a game he and his team-mates were playing for pride. They knew they had almost no chance of everything falling right, but did want to leave the tournament that Messi and Neymar are dominating with his head held high and I would have to say from watching him buzzing the Ghana goal all day that he did just that. And when he scored his goal late in the match to put the Portuguese out front in the 80th minute, the USA may not have found out instantly, but they basically were then playing a match that lacked importance.
And that was lucky for them (luck that they created by beating Ghana and nearly beating Portugal in the days before, mind you) because most of the match against the mighty Germans was not the Americans finest work. They defended almost all day and even their counters lacked a whole lot of promise. On their best day, I would love to see the US mount a better surge against a mighty side like Germany, but that would require Jozy Altidore, an on-form Michael Bradley, and not being on short rest after playing in Manaus with just 3 days in between.
It was overall disappointing to see the boys on their heels so much, but that is where Tim Howard is very handy. He is nails under siege and while he is not perfect, he is about as perfect a player at that position as we could have. His composure and ability to traffic cop a situation is mighty handy. Also, Dallas' Omar Gonzalez entered the fray and while moments were tense, I think everyone would have to be pretty pleased with his debut on this stage. In fact, yesterday was a lineup that featured 7 players from Major League Soccer in the 11, and another in DeAndre Yedlin coming on as a substitute who adds great dynamic speed to the right flank and suddenly we see that the top shelf of MLS is a bit more capable than some are willing to admit.
There were close calls and weathering storms, for sure. There were big saves and too few counter attacks with bite. In stoppage time late, the US sniffed around an equalizer, but never quite found that moment. But, since Ronaldo found his, you are not certain the USA was throwing everything at the Germans that they could.
It didn't matter. They did their work earlier. They did not lose their way to the next group. They had already accomplished more than Ghana or Portugal could make up. Good for them. Don't penalize their hard work accomplished early because you cannot grasp the concept of group play (I apologize for acknowledging the snark, but come on!).
So that means that for the 3rd time in 4 World Cups, the USA is advancing out of Group Play. It is becoming routine for our little guys. We used to never make World Cups, but now we make them every time. Then, the next hurdle was to advance regularly. We might be there. According to Peter Welpton, here is the entire list of 8 countries who have advanced in 3 of last 4 World Cups to the Round 16: Brazil, Germany, Argentina, The Netherlands, England, Mexico, Spain, and the United States of America.
We now belong on that list with those world powers - and our 2 natural rivals (England and Mexico) even though I am sure they still won't admit we are in their class. Delicious. Nobody from Asia, Africa, or Central America. Just the powers of Europe and South America.
They are still miles ahead, but I am telling you, the progress is remarkable.
Now, valuable rest which might even bring Jozy back into the mix. Belgium is next. They will be favored, but it seems like a match where the USA can make noise.
But, make no mistake, this is now the gravy phase. If they can work their way past Belgium, no doubt Argentina and Messi will be waiting. The stars on the other side of the field will eventually bring this run to a close, but with great pride they should line up on Tuesday and go for it. This is a great time to have a National team this easy to love.
"In this sport, "Deserve" has nothing to do with it." - Sir Ian Darke, ESPN
Odds are that if you are reading this, you don't need to be sold on the emotional roller coaster that soccer can provide and how that is amplified to its maximum on the World Cup's stage. Odds are that you already know that this is a game that is fought for nearly 2 hours and that the ball is touched thousands of times, but only one touch here and one touch there of the thousands will decide the outcome. So, I will spare you the long list of history teaching this again and again.
But, on Sunday, with Ghana-Germany playing to its preferred result on Saturday, the United States actually had a chance to be the first team to clinch admission into the knockout stages from Group G, and also a chance to win the whole doggone group (and still can) with a total of 4 points in the final 2 matches.
They were facing a Portugal side that was a wounded animal and one that lacked self-confidence after just being dismantled by that same German side that would have to be counted amongst the favorites to hold up the trophy in 20 days time. Portugal had 2 key players (Fabio Coentrao and Hugo Almedia) missing with injuries, their center back Pepe out with a red card, and possibly the world's best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, not at his full strength. This was the time to show them to the door.
Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. Not for a bunch in the USMNT that never takes the easy route. And the fires started early as a harmless ball into the area in the 5th minute ended up as one of the truly disastrous touches that this national team has endured in years. Geoff Cameron, he who played so perfectly against Ghana, almost whiffed on a clearance, but it would have been better if he did. In his partial connection with the ball, he lofted the ball over his mates and right to the shocked, but waiting Nani near the right post. Nani, who has just a part of what he once did, can still finish from that close as Howard anticipated a low shot and Nani roofed it without remorse, 1-0, Portugal.
And that quickly, the balances switched from Portugal being emotional damaged to the confident side in just 5 minutes. They then bossed the next 10 minutes as well as again, like against Ghana, you were concerned about the ability of the USA to possess and create.
But, eventually, composure was gained and the US did just that with a flurry of opportunities for the balance of the 1st half, in which they put many shots at goal, albeit many from long distance. Still, they were pushing back and easing into the match in a way that indicated they were not outclassed over overmatched against the heavily favored Portuguese.
Then, right before the half, Nani almost put Portugal into open waters with a shot from distance that caught the post after squeezing through Howard's mitts. The ball could have easily found the back of the net, but instead caught the post flush and bounced right back into the path of Eder who had his own shot saved by an amazing job of recovery and balance from Howard who was able to get his left hand on the ball and direct it over the post. That would keep the US close at the half and with plenty of belief moving forward.
In the 2nd half, there were moments of nerves early, again, but for the most part, the US was alive in attack. Michael Bradley was on the ball and again not at his top form, wasting a few surges with poor decisions or execution. Fabian Johnson with his diving runs from that right back spot were useful, and after he was sprung loose by Graham Zusi in the 55th minute, he was able to pull the ball back inside before the Portugal keeper, Beto, could reach him. He centered it back to a sprinting Bradley who touched the ball at the top of the 6 yard box, and Beto was down and out. This left Bradley with a massive net to shoot for and only one Portugal defender - Ricardo Costa - in the center of the goal mouth. Bradley tries to get velocity on the shot, but has no accuracy as he basically shoots the ball in the one place you could not - right at Costa. It should have been a goal, but instead a wasted opportunity that might haunt them.
The attacks kept coming from the US, many off counters as Portugal was trying to feed Ronaldo with varying results. But, the goal that leveled the match in the 64th was off what appeared to be a rather harmless corner from Zusi that caught two Portugal heads on the way out of the area, but right to the feet of Jermaine Jones, a player who has absolutely impressed in these first 2 matches, and he moved around Nani back to the center of the field and let go a screamer that bent back inside the far post and settled in the back corner before Beto could even move. Amazing goal from distance and an equalizer to remember, 1-1.
Now, would the USA play for the draw? After all, that was a very reasonable mission for the day and would honestly be an outcome that would put fate very much in their hands.
Jurgen Klinsmann used one of his substitutes, in the back as he brought on another of his curious additions to the team, Seattle's 20-year old DeAndre Yedlin for Alejandro Bedoya and then pushed him into more of a midfield spot in front of Fabian Johnson to run up and down the flank and cause issues. What a spot to put the kid into, but it was yet another move that Klinsmann got perfect as in the 81st minute - 9 minutes after Yedlin joined the match - he crossed a pass he received from Jones back into the middle for Dempsey. The pass was deflected back to Bradley, who had his untidy shot deflected to Zusi again. Zusi, sent a left foot back into the 6 and into the path of Dempsey who scored off his stomach in the 81st minute and somehow the Americans were in front, 2-1.
The ambition really was something notable about the growth of this USMNT, and the idea that they were not going to park the bus at 1-1, but rather go try to find the winner. And it appeared that they did.
What happened next was a series of small events that ended up possibly conspiring to disappoint the day. As the 80th minute became the 90th, the effects of the day in the Amazon were seen to all. The very unconventional idea of a water break in the 1st half, perhaps should have been considered again in the 2nd. Players on both sides looked positively exhausted, as the temperatures and the energy expended required a vicious toll. DeMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey, and Matt Besler all had time on the ground with either cramps or exhaustion, or both.
Portugal kept pushing players forward and had a series of offside calls go against Ronaldo and his level of energy seemed to be near its bottom, as well.
The USA had been 0-16-4 all time in the World Cup when conceding the first goal, but now were moments from that first win. 4 minutes of stoppage time became 5, because of another American substitution (Omar Gonzalez for Zusi), but the defense was sound throughout. You could tell that most of the 22 on the field had slowed considerably, but desperation on both sides were allowing for small surges through the extra minutes.
Yedlin and Chris Wondolowski had both come on to help run out the clock, and in the 95th minute, it all appeared done and dusted. Portugal sent a ball up in the air to midfield, which was headed back into the center of the Portuguese half where Michael Bradley tried to settle it. As he did, he was converged upon by 4 in dark jerseys and Eder took the ball away. From there, the ball went to Nani at midfield and out wide right to Ronaldo. He had space and a bit of time, and curled a cross perfectly into the path of the oncoming Valera who had lost his marks and pounded the ball off his head and past Howard.
On the final touch of the game, the draw was achieved for Portugal, and the win was ripped from the clutches of the Americans.
Bradley has been blamed for not retaining possession, but with most of his mates withdrawn in their own half, he was outnumbered. But, the good news about withdrawn troops is that they are in the right spot for such an occasion. And, they were.
So, then what could have been done? Should Beasley have simply taken Ronaldo down on a foul? Well, that is easy to say now, but if you would have given Portugal a set piece from the corner of the area with Ronaldo on the ball, he would have been roasted. I imagine he made the right decision.
What about Tim Howard? Should he have come off his line and challenged the cross? Well, from where I sat, it looked like the perfect curling cross that was right out of Howard's reach even if he did go for it. I think staying home was his right decision, too.
Then who? Well, for me, two exhausted players in Fabian Johnson and Geoff Cameron looked like they did not have the wheels to chase Valera who had only been on for 25 minutes, and it is possible Cameron didn't even know he was there until it was too late. Johnson will likely see this play in his sleep for years to come if Thursday doesn't go right. I imagine he either has to run with Valera or make sure Cameron does. He lets him go and it had the worst possible result.
But, if you look at that play 100 times, you will see that the USA was set up tactically in almost perfect form. They had 5 guys back against 1 Portuguese sortie running to the far post and Ronaldo found him with a magical ball that you almost have to just accept as brilliant. In a situation where the margins are non-existent, they gave just an inch and were made to pay.
And yet, they got the point against Portugal that they needed when they woke up. They had to avoid a loss and they did. It was a gutting way to go and the effects of playing in those conditions and then turning around to play Germany on Thursday at lunch is asking a lot.
However, they have set themselves up where most scenarios play in their favor. Depending on what you look at, the computers give them between a 65 and 85% chance of advancement on Thursday with all of the possible outcomes of the two matches that will be played concurrently.
They accomplished a lot, and yet, they all feel that they deserved so much more. Well, as Ian Darke said during the match, "Deserve has nothing to do with it."
If they want to play past Thursday, it appears their work is not done. But, once again on Sunday, they showed that they have a quality, resolve, and spirit that is very likely the best we have ever seen on the World Cup stage.
You know, it is a weird thing following the World Cup. We spend so much time in sports telling ourselves and each other to simmer down and calm yourself because there is a lot left to accomplish and plenty of work to be done.
That is true in the World Cup and it is true in the American League West.
However, as we continue to progress as a soccer nation, we should not lose sight of where we have been on the way to where we might be going in the next 20 years. So let's quickly review before ever mentioning the name John Brooks.
Here are eight dates I would like you to consider:
July 13, 1930
July 17, 1930
June 29, 1950
June 22, 1994
June 5, 2002
June 17, 2002
June 23, 2010
June 16, 2014
The last date on that list was yesterday, made historic by a late and dramatic finish in Natal, Brazil, where the Americans conceded in the final stretch, only to recover and to throw a dagger into their nemesis from Africa before the clock expired. But, those dates above are the 8 times in the history of our sport and our nation where the United States had won a single match in the World Cup.
To you new to the team (and I certainly am new enough that I only know about and witnessed the last 5 on that list), understand that yes, the World Cup is just starting and that the United States have accomplished almost nothing relative to the tournament itself. But, that list above should be enough to demonstrate to you and anyone you speak to today that yesterday was a very significant accomplishment. To win a match in the World Cup is a big deal for about 200 of the 208 countries that play this sport on an international level. I realize we aspire to be one of the world powers soon that can act unimpressed with the accomplishment, but for now, we must savor and celebrate when it is entirely appropriate. And to put a match into the win column in Brazil this summer in such stunning fashion, well, let's just say I won't have any problem with you wearing your USA gear again today.
In other words, you can save your discussions of style points for someone else. When a win is secured in World Cup play in a tournament where only the best are present, you take your win and you embrace it with your whole body. I received your emails and your concerns about the Ghana match and we will discuss them at length below, but my overall feeling will be that on a day that they win the coveted 3 points and survive a very difficult matchup, I won't be involved in losing sight of what exactly that means both in the short term (advancing from the group that some consider to be the most difficult in the World Cup) and the long term (we are averaging about 1 win a decade in this tournament).
The match was odd, but in the way you dream of. When Clint Dempsey crashed in from the left with 3 magical touches that resulted in the fastest goal in US history in the World Cup, it set the game on its ear before it even started. Jermaine Jones had a perfect touch on the pass that sprung Dempsey, and then the cut back against the grain was the skill we are told our nation doesn't have for this stage, followed by Dempsey doing what he has done everywhere he has ever gone in this sport - find the back of the net. Or in this case, the inside of the far post, and in doing so put the United States in the most uncomfortable of positions in this tournament, and frankly one that most of us don't really know how to deal with; ahead.
The United States almost never is ahead in the World Cup, and honestly when you install tactics to attack for 6 months, you almost don't bother figuring out how to deal with your attack being successful - because it is the World Cup, silly. If you have watched this sport for any length of time, you know that in a matchup of rather equal abilities, sometimes a first minute goal can cause the team with the lead to change on the fly and attempt to improvise into protecting for the next 90 minutes. It is easy for us to encourage them to go find their 2nd and 3rd goals, too, but when the margins are so small, teams are not going to risk their good fortunes lightly.
So, the U.S. clearly backed off the gas and allowed the amazing talents and speed of Ghana to control the ball for most of the next 80 minutes. At times, it was rather harmless possession, but after the intermission, Ghana's intentions were far more focused on affecting the scoreboard with their attacks.
Meanwhile, the health concerns for the Americans were stacking up, with the very key blow being in the 21st minute when Jozy Altidore had a step on a long ball, only to pull up in agony as his hamstring gave out. If his reactions are the slightest indication, he is surely lost for the tournament, leaving a fantastic void up front for Jurgen Klinsmann of a striker who can hold up the ball and allow team-mates to join him in pressure-relieveing possession.
Without him, the U.S. even packed it in more behind the ball and Ghana was allowed to dictate terms for more than an hour straight, without repercussions. Jozy has had his issues and faults, but he remains vital to this roster because there is nobody else who does what he does. Aron Johannsson came on, but they are players with very different skill sets and the Icelandic goal-scorer really did not assist too much in his debut.
Hurting the cause more, though, was uncharacteristically bad play by the key member of the USMNT, Michael Bradley. He is the engine that drives the entire vehicle, and on a day where he looked all out of sorts, the result is even more important. His passing, normally one of his best traits, was wildly off mark and he just wasn't near his normal quality. In fact, Dempsey had a tough game making his mark after the goal - the broken nose certainly seemed to cause issues - and DeMarcus Beasley did not have a day to write home about. And that is why so many players making their World Cup debuts had to play well.
And you know, for all of the gnashing of teeth about the inclusions of Kyle Beckerman in the 11, or putting John Brooks in the 23, or any and all Landon Donovan-related roster issues that have been put on Klinsmann, we should acknowledge that he has decided to do things his way and not to reward past performances with spots. He has started from scratch in many regards. And while he does so in a rather abrasive way, we should look at all of the rookies on this stage last night in Natal and notice that most of those who played the best had nothing to do with the 2010 World Cup side.
Jermaine Jones was great, Beckerman was strong in defending, and even Alejandro Bedoya had his moments. The back was anchored by Geoff Cameron who looked natural playing center back, and Matt Besler who now has the States holding its breath about his fitness level moving forward, as his hamstring put John Brooks onto center stage in the final few moments.
In the 2nd half, aided by the attacks featuring the dangerous Asamoah Gyan, Atsu, Sulley Muntari, and Kevin-Prince Boetang, Ghana tightened the screws. They tested the defense and Tim Howard again and again. Howard's superb rebound control held off the Black Stars until the 81st minute, when finally some beautiful touch passing including a precise back heel from Gyan freed up Andre Ayew for near post, outside-of-the-foot finish that Howard never had a chance at. The idea to try to defend for 89 minutes proved to be the wrong choice as they conceded in the late stages. Heads hung and shoulders slumped. Now, could they just hold on for the draw?
After the game was tied, it was clear that the Americans were able to hold the ball more. As if their attitude changed, suddenly they were no longer pinned in their own half of the field, and Fabian Johnson won a very rare corner kick by battling for the ball over the end line. This led to the moment to scream at.
John Brooks is without a doubt the player on the USMNT that I know least about. We have hardly ever seen him play and certainly he did not impress when we did. So, when he was brought on for Besler, each unsteady touch was noticed. So, for him to get on the end of that Graham Zusi corner kick just demonstrated again what we don't know. We don't know how someone will react at that moment of truth, and whether they will take that chance and make it there own historical landmark. Brooks had to get around Ghana's center back John Boye to get there, and he did, heading the ball to the ground and into the net. It was magical. For proof, check out this camera phone version of the moment.
2-1.
From there, the Americans had to dig in and kill off nearly another 10 minutes, but this time their composure was on point and aside from another bruise to Dempsey, all was decided. For the 8th time in history, the United States had won a match at the World Cup.
Then, thanks to Portugal doing things they often do on this stage, the door is now open for the USA to advance out of group play - something that most thought they were unlikely to do.
Klinsmann has made his mark and John Brooks is now famous. It was not easy and it certainly would not gain style points for the 80 minutes of rope-a-dope bus parking in between the ambitious attacks, but 3 points is secured.
And for that, while we await injury reports, rest happily on doing what had to be done to a foe that was owed a thing or two from the United States.
Plenty of work to be done, but the work accomplished can be savored this week.
By that, I mean, I hope you have been following the entire generation of US Soccer. The moment, was merely a moment. But, the story is really over a decade in the making.
You see, France 1998 was a very humiliating time for US Soccer. We were beaten badly and dismissed as the 32nd best team in a 32 team field. It was clear that while we were now clearly better than our neighbors in Canada and Guatemala, we were not close to being a consistent threat to play with the big boys in the World Cup.
I hope you saw Landon Donovan back in 2000 play in the Summer Olympics and debut with the senior national team as such a young teenager.
I hope you woke up at 3:30 in the morning in 2002 to watch our boys upset Portugal and then ultimately knock our rivals, Mexico, out in the knockout stage. It was wonderful.
I also hope you were excited and then devastated by the 2006 World Cup. We obviously did not finish the Bruce Arena era properly. 1 goal scored? No wins? Surely we were way better than 2006 showed. What happened to the promise of Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley? And who was this new star from Texas, Clint Dempsey?
I hope you have followed the legacy of the US goalkeepers. From Meola to Keller to Friedel to Howard. Somehow, we grow goalies like few other countries. If only we could find defenders of the same quality.
I hope you have followed the qualifiers. All of those amazingly rewarding and gutting nights in El Salvador, Honduras, Chicago, and Salt Lake City. And then another trip to Azteca Stadium where we took the lead last summer, only to concede to the Mexicans in the final moments.
I hope you know about the Davies and Gooch injuries that we thought might derail our train. I hope you know about 5-0 in the Gold Cup Final. I hope you know about the Confederations Cup dream run last summer that started with that miracle against Egypt. I hope you know about the coach’s son who might be the real heart beat of the team.
If you know about all of this, then you fully comprehend why those 11 seconds on Wednesday morning brought tears to our eyes. You understand, and maybe you were right there with us.
This was not about beating Algeria. This was about Bob Bradley’s job. And Landon Donovan’s legacy. And US Soccer’s reputation. For the first time since 1930, the United States put out a soccer team that could win it’s group in the World Cup. For the first time, the US gained a result in the final game of group play.
So, if you are not sure why people are going on and on about the 11 seconds that it took the ball to go from Tim Howard to Landon to Jozy to Clint and back to Landon and into the net, please know this: It was about the decade-long journey. And it cannot be fully explained in an easy sound bite.
The dream may come to a screeching halt very soon, but we will always have the pride of these last 3 matches. The fact is we are not ready to win a World Cup as a nation. But, we have come so far. And you should not miss the rest of the journey.
It starts tomorrow. I am so very excited about the fact that the 2010 World Cup is here.
Yes, I am going to write about the biggest sporting event on the planet. And, I am going to challenge you to get up to speed with this American squad before Saturday’s blastoff with England.
This could be a historic tournament for the USA squad, and it is based on a few things; the timing of the tournament hits in the prime of the single greatest soccer player in this country’s history, Landon Donovan. Donovan is now 28 years old, and is coming off a successful loan at Everton in the spring where he gained all sorts of confidence. Many people always thought he didn’t have the quality for Europe because his trips to Germany were so underwhelming. But, he certainly proved those ideas wrong and seems to have set the table for a permanent move to Everton in August if he so desires.
Donovan is in his prime as is Texas product, Clint Dempsey. Dempsey, a product of Fulham himself, is coming off a season where he made another big mark in the Premiership, and is a guy who certainly knows what he can do at the top level. He scored the only goal for the USA in the 2006 World Cup, and now with 4 more years of European experience under his belt will not be intimidated by seeing John Terry (Chelsea) trying to mark him.
With those two players in the midfield and being counted on to push forward and handle much of the offense, the team looks threatening when they have the ball. Trouble is, that won’t always be the case against some of the quality they are slated to run up against. The biggest concern for the USA as they prepare to play England, Algeria, and Slovenia is the back line. Just like in hockey, if the back line of defenders is weak, the goalie will have almost no chance. And here, the quality of the back 4 defenders for the Americans has been under a great spotlight. There have been too many times in the friendlies where the opposition ran free in the penalty area with no USA defenders in sight. This will be the death of a team in the World Cup. The strikers are too precise, and all they need is an inch. Wayne Rooney scores at every level of world football, so he will not be impressed with the rather so-so group of defenders he will face on Saturday.
So, what is the level of success for the USA? I am asked all of the time where the bar is. Can we win the World Cup? Well, no. The idea of the USA winning the World Cup seems about as far-fetched as Butler winning the NCAA Tournament (oh, wait).
Only 7 nations have ever won the World Cup (Italy, Brazil, France, Germany, England, Argentina, and Uruguay) and of those, only Italy, Brazil, Germany, and Argentina have won more than once since World War 2. These are the usual suspects, and if you are trying to sound smart around the office, the safe bets. Personally, I am taking the extremely risky bet of believing that Maradona won’t screw up Argentina.
But, for the United States, success lies in advancing out of their group. You must show well in the first 3 matches to force a 4th. In 2006, our boys scored exactly 1 goal and did not get out of its group. A similar showing would be very disheartening. Finish 1st or 2nd in Group C and advance to the knockout stage of 16. There, assuming you finish 2nd in Group C, you most likely play Germany (winner of Group D) in the round of 16, where you would be expected to lose. However, in 1 match, who knows?
I believe in Bob Bradley and his squad. Injuries haven’t helped and as a nation, we still seem a few players short of being a real threat, but I think we are ready to make a little more noise than we did in ’06. Matching ‘02’s run to the Quarterfinals would be so wonderful.
So that covers my thoughts on the United States. Now, let's work in some email as we go here:
Bob,
Will you be make picks on the show for the World Cup?
Will you be playing any of the online brackets?
Got any favorites?
Thanks, Blake
Blake,
I am sure I will do picks on the show today. But, let's get them on record right here and right now for all to see:
Group A: 1) Uruguay and 2) France - Nobody knows what to think about this group. I have seen people make a case for all 4 sides to go through.
Group B: 1) Argentina and 2) Nigeria - For some reason, I have plenty of faith in Messi, Tevez, and the boys this year. Of course, nobody expects Maradona to keep from NOT screwing things up as their manager, but I love their options - despite a fairly odd team selection story.
Group C: 1) England and 2) USA - Please, please, please tell me the US can get out of group C. I really don't want my buzz killed that quickly!
Group D: 1) Germany and 2) Serbia - Germany is always the safe bet here, and I am likely foolish to not expect more from Ghana given that this is being played in Africa. Home continent always counts in the World Cup.
Group E: 1) Netherlands and 2) Cameroon - Denmark will probably make me pay for this pick, but now I have 2 African Nations in to the Final 16.
Group F: 1) Italy and 2) Paraguay - Who wouldn't like to see New Zealand get through, right? Italy is Italy and defending it crown. Paraguay shows the depth of South America in general.
Group G: 1) Brazil and 2) Portugal - Ah yes, the group of death. Ivory Coast is very dangerous, but I just can't see them pulling one of these 2 heavyweights out of the tournament. Drogba's cast will be the big story here.
Group H: 1) Spain and 2) Honduras - Yes. I am going off the board with one pick, and it is to be a homer for the region and put Honduras through. Blind faith, but their homer call that got them in the World Cup was too awesome not to enjoy.
Hi Bob,
Let's talk some soccer. I was wondering if there was any chance that The Ticket would be doing anything for the World Cup either before, during, or after. I understand that there really isn't an audience for it, but I believe that the interest is definitely growing. I mean more and more people are familiar with the sport and even some on the stars in the US Men's National Team, I mean, the Confederations Cup was a great display and platform for those players. I actually believe that your average spare knows Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Charlie Davis (even if it's only because of his accident) or the international stars, Messi, Rooney, Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Drogba, etc, and I think that a soccer show would attract an audience that is seeking an outlet to talk soccer. Like even if it's an hour a week during the weekend, The Ticket could be the first station to broadcast to that demographic, be a pioneer for the sport in the Dallas Market.
I know it will probably be terribly difficult to break a soccer exclusive show or even bring up the idea at the station but it could actually work. The MLS is ever-expanding and the appeal of the European leagues and the Champions League Final broadcast on FOX are drawing more and more Americans into the game. Even the FIFA video game has helped introduce people into the how to watch the game. at least it's a start.
I am very into the sport, grew up with it and follow it religiously. I am terribly excited about the World Cup and have watched every World Cup since USA94 (I'm 26 years old and was 11 at the time) I have listened to you from time to time mention soccer for a couple of seconds and everytime I wish there was a soccer specific show on the air, I don't think that is such a hard sell but then again, this is a Football country and mostly reserve to the 4 big sports.
Anyways I would like to end this letter just picking your brain about the World Cup and get some of your opinions on the tournament,
Who do you think aside from the four favorites (Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil) could have strong showing?
I believe I heard you say that Argentina could be a dark horse and yes, I think that Argentina has some potential but the way that Maradona is handling the team is quite subpar, he has already called up over 100 players and surely cannot depend on Messi alone, sure Higuain and Tevez will make their mark in South Africa but everyone knows that Messi does not play the same way with the national team, simply and mostly because he doesn't have the same players around him as in Barcelona. My other picks could be England, France (although they will be playing with a young team for the most part) or even the Netherlands.
Do you see the USMNT getting past the fourth game?
In my bracket I have them playing Germany
What are your favorite players or are you looking forward to seeing?
This has to be one of the World Cups with the most stars playing, I mean, look at Spain they don't even have a spot for Fabregas! Almost every single team has a superstar.
How do you see that USMNT's group? I don't think they should have a problem getting past the group stage, Slovakia and Algeria should not be hard to get past. England will be a very hard game but England should be able to come out on top
Anyway, I'm not sure what good this email will do but I just thought that I didn't lose anything by trying. Thank you for reading my email
Aldo Guerrero
Wow, Aldo. That is quite an email.
First, let me say that many of you have requested a soccer specific show. I am sure there is a market for it, but I am not sure I could add that to all of the specialty shows I already do with the Stars and Cowboys seasons. I do like weekends, too, you know!
But, I should tell you that every single day during the World Cup, we are giving the 2:30 segment to World Cup Hoy! A look at the tournament from the BaD Radio point of view. I will keep it light to keep listeners interested despite their love of the beautiful game, but it is there EVERY DAY of the World Cup.
Here is my Round of 16 Matches:
Game 49: 1A Uruguay vs 2B Nigeria - Let's go with the 2 time WC Champion, Uruguay to push through on African soil. URUGUAY
Game 50: 1C England vs 2D Serbia - I have England going through to the Round of 8, but this is not an easy match. Serbia could win their group. Maybe it goes to penalties! ENGLAND
Game 51: 1D Germany vs 2C USA - I think the USA can beat Germany. But, I would have to be a fool to actually pick it. Playing Germany in the World Cup is playing the chalk, and I better play the Chalk - GERMANY
Game 52: 1B Argentina vs 2A France - THis will be awesome. What a 1st Round Match up! Give me ARGENTINA
Game 53: 1E Netherlands vs 2F Paraguay - The Dutch are usually a popular pick because who doesn't love their style and their uniforms. I am a huge fan of Van Persie, and he appears back in form. NETHERLANDS
Game 54: 1G Brazil vs 2H Honduras - I doubt Honduras will actually be Brazil's 1st opponent in the knockout stage, but let's assume if that is the case that Dunga will be very pleased. BRAZIL
Game 55: 1F Italy vs 2E Cameroon - I am tempted. I really am, but I better move Italy through here. ITALY
Game 56: 1H Spain vs 2G Portugal - WOW. Neither team wants this. I have Spain going through here, but holy cow, this one will be very tight. Ronaldo can win a match all by himself (although he is my mortal enemy). Awesome. SPAIN
More Email:
Hey Bob-
Not sure if you are a Uni-dork like me, but Paul Lukas is breaking down WC Uni's (Part 1 and 2 listed at the top of the page):
Game 58: WInners of Games 49 and 50: Uruguay vs England: Really? England plays Serbia and Uruguay? What a lovely road to the final 4! I guess ENGLAND, but now I feel like I am over-rating them!
Game 57: Winners of Games 53 and 54: Netherlands vs Brazil: I am really, really tempted here to roll with the Dutch. You know what? I feel compelled to roll with BRAZIL.
Game 59: Winners of Games 51 and 52: Germany and Argentina: Another outrageously delicious match. I am assuming by now that Messi has thrown it into the next gear. ARGENTINA
Game 60: Winners of Games 55 and 56: Italy and Spain: Can we really depend on Spain to play this consistently well for this long? They are very deep. But, there is a high choke factor here. SPAIN
More Email:
Why isn’t their flag the Union Jack instead of the White with red cross?
Jody
I believe the Union Jack is for Great Britain and the White with Red is for England. I would bet that over 50% of America can't tell the difference between those two (Isn't Great Britain another name for England?). But, thanks for your email.
Now the SemiFinals!
GAME 61: Winners of Games 57 and 58: England vs Brazil - And here, the England run of glory ends. But, a trip to the SemiFinals is thought of as a wonderful accomplishment. This is where I will depend on Kaka and Robinho to get it going. BRAZIL
Game 62: Winners of Games 59 and 60: Argentina vs Spain - I am going to keep rolling with Argentina here against all logic. I think most of the soccer world will go with Spain here. DeMichelis and Smuel in central defense for Argentina will be the key. And by this point of the tournament you have to assume that Mascherano will be sitting on a card-related suspension. But, caution to the wind! ARGENTINA
More Email!
Hi Bob,
It was nice meeting you yesterday in Lowe's in Mansfield. I talked to you about soccer...I was born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia and my favorite team was from Budapest.
Anyway, I was just wondering if you had a favorite goal. Some of my all time favorites are:
Ronnie Whelan
Marco Van Basten
Diego Maradona
Maxi Rodriguez
Of course there are more but these are the ones that stick out. Perhaps a short segment about big time goals before the world cup?
Anyway good meeting you and keep up the great work. Thanks for entertaining me(us...P1s) throughout the day.
Cheers,
Kornel Romada
The Maradona is an all-timer, and Maxi Rodriguez brought the world off its couch in 2006. Amazing. I also loved Michael Owen's goal in '98 against Argentina.
And now, the WORLD CUP FINAL:
ARGENTINA vs BRAZIL - And you know what? I am rolling with the disappointing Argentina side. It is crazy! But, so am I.
ARGENTINA IS WORLD CHAMPIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA 2010!
