Red Mosquito

numbers wrote:The US was in the equivalent of a prevent defense, with 5 on the back line(6 if you count Yeldin.) You can't just have the entire team sit on the goal line, if you did that the other team could never be offside.

Can you explain that? Why would I want the other team offside if I can just stop them from scoring?

It's much easier for a team to make runs at goal and set up their offense if there's tons of space in the midfield and no fear of being offsides.

Chris_H_2 wrote:So in futbol do they not do the equivalent of a prevent defense as in American football? How in the world do players get behind the defense like that? I'm obviously oversimplifying and completely ignorant, but that seemed way too easy. What am I missing?

Are you suggesting that players should just line up on the goal line trying to prevent goals? Because it would just take a few shots to score in such a situation.

Heathen wrote:

Chris_H_2 wrote:So in futbol do they not do the equivalent of a prevent defense as in American football? How in the world do players get behind the defense like that? I'm obviously oversimplifying and completely ignorant, but that seemed way too easy. What am I missing?

Are you suggesting that players should just line up on the goal line trying to prevent goals? Because it would just take a few shots to score in such a situation.

Of course not. I was just surprised at how relevatively easily (or at least it looked that way -- again, I don't profess to be an expert) they got behind the American defense for the last goal, especially considering that that's really the only way they could have scored.

The US basically did nothing wrong on that play, they just got done in by the best player in the world. It happens.

I actually think that might have been the best game the United States has ever played. Even though Portugal stole a point at the end, for the US to thoroughly dominate a team as talented and accomplished as Portugal in a game where Portugal basically had to win and was going for it balls to the wall is about as promising a step as this team has ever taken.

numbers wrote:The US basically did nothing wrong on that play, they just got done in by the best player in the world. It happens.

You kinda have to do something wrong to concede that goal at that moment of the game. It was 2 am over so I wasn't 100% focused (and like the American players I was rejoicing too early) and my memory can fail me but from what I remember they gave away the ball too easily, instead of keeping it. You just can't afford to lose the ball at this moment.

If I remember right, the giveaway you're probably thinking was a little before that play and didnt set up that goal. Obviously you dont want to concede a goal at the stroke of the final whistle, but it wasnt like it was some debacle with the backline or something like that. People are acting like the US completely gagged that game away, but I dont think there was much that could be done about that play. It was a perfect cross with an even better finish.

numbers wrote:If I remember right, the giveaway you're probably thinking was a little before that play and didnt set up that goal. Obviously you dont want to concede a goal at the stroke of the final whistle, but it wasnt like it was some debacle with the backline or something like that. People are acting like the US completely gagged that game away, but I dont think there was much that could be done about that play. It was a perfect cross with an even better finish.

Yeah the cross is perfect and so is the header, no doubt. Not much could have been done on the play itself. Maybe it was just a little before then, but I remember thinking that the USA kept losing the ball too quickly in the last minutes, instead of passing the ball around they acted like they wanted to score another one. Which is noble and all that, mind you, but against players like Ronaldo who excel at fast counter attacks you definitely don't want to do that, and it cost them the victory.

Yeah Jones had a bad giveaway a little bit before that. I cant remember exactly how Portugal got the ball for that final run, but the US always has trouble in those situations. They just seem to have no idea how to kill the clock off in stoppage time.

numbers wrote:Yeah Jones had a bad giveaway a little bit before that. I cant remember exactly how Portugal got the ball for that final run, but the US always has trouble in those situations. They just seem to have no idea how to kill the clock off in stoppage time.

Bradley coughed it up...

I'm tired of being against Brazil every fucking world cup in the round of sixteen

Well done, Mexico.

Now to get chewed by the Netherlands =/

So the Mexico game was here in my city and I live in the beach area, where tourists stay. So, the influx of mexicans caused a shortage of bread in the Subways here.

If this doesn't sum up soccer perfectly, then I don't know what does:

In the Iran-Argentina game, Iran basically put out an all-defense squad for all intents and purposes. As the game was winding down - can't remember if it was right before or right after Messi's extra time goal - the announcer said something to the effect of if Iran (had) held on for the tie it would have been the single greatest accomplishment in that country's sporting history.



Single greatest accomplishment... With a tie??? Not even a win?? WTF?? They admittedly fielded a squad that really wasn't trying to score, only to keep the opponent from scoring.

The fact that soccer celebrates a tie as some noteworthy accomplishment is such fucking bullshit.

"You play. To win. The game. Unless you're playing soccer in which case a tie is cool, bro. Nice work."

Think of it as, you're in a ring against whoever is the best MMA fighter right now, not dying might be your greatest accomplishment.

If a Junior college basketball team got a game to overtime against the Miami Heat, wouldn't it be the greatest sporting accomplishment in the history of that junior college?

Heathen wrote:Think of it as, you're in a ring against whoever is the best MMA fighter right now, not dying might be your greatest accomplishment.

Not if your performance is the equivalent of running circles around the ring and never letting the other guy hit you. Let alone trying to land a punch of your own.


Weak sauce.

numbers wrote:If a Junior college basketball team got a game to overtime against the Miami Heat, wouldn't it be the greatest sporting accomplishment in the history of that junior college?

JC Players would be much younger and also not professionals.

Also not a very practical analogy due to the shot clock. The JC team can't just sit on the ball the whole time and it's much easier to score in basketball than in soccer.

So no, this analogy doesn't work for me either.

Bammer wrote:

Heathen wrote:Think of it as, you're in a ring against whoever is the best MMA fighter right now, not dying might be your greatest accomplishment.

Not if your performance is the equivalent of running circles around the ring and never letting the other guy hit you. Let alone trying to land a punch of your own.


Weak sauce.

Well if you had watched the game you'd knew that they didn't do that and that eventually they played to win the game, and that they could have even won if the argentinian keeper hadn't made great saves (and if Messi wasn't so awesome).

In other news, fuck Suarez and fuck Uruguay. I don't know how the Italian players refrained from breaking his leg in the last minutes.