wco81 wrote:
How did a small country like Belgium get all that talent? Looks like some of the players are immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants.
Some nice background about the emergence of this generation of Belgian talent, the systemic development of Belgian football and the social changes that it has both developed from and helped bring about.
Ay, ay, ay can't underestimate the Swiss. The alpine Messi (Shaqiri) is a pleasure to watch, a couple of good chances for the red team, thank you Drmic for pissing your pants off when you were left all alone with Romero. The D continues to worry me.
Gotta play more the ground game boys, leave the air play for the Europeans.
Thanks for the link. It is crazy that there is basically no such thing as a legal 50-50 challenge anymore. Someone ALWAYS goes down and the play is stopped.
Because feigning injury is now so rampant, football’s laws against it are surely the most regularly broken and yet under-enforced in all of sport.
As I see it, the only solutions are the use of video to retrospectively punish players who feign injury and the acceptance of the unfashionable ideas that not only can conflict and contestation be healthy, but that sometimes in life people are hurt and it is nobody’s fault.
I completely agree, but FIFA is corrupt and making money hand over fist. Little reason to expect change now, no matter how embarrassing the conduct.
I've always kind of hoped MLS could set an example on this BS as it is a much more tightly run ship than FIFA and European leagues, and American tolerance for this nonsense is very low.
One thing for sure, there hasn't been an easy way for the favorites to go thru the next round in the round of 16. Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands and France pretty much had to go the distance before dispatching their so called weaker opponents. The game has bridged the wider gap of yesteryear, lesser quality teams are defending so well that all the favorites are having a hard time to break their stay at home system.
The Belgians are favorites, but their D is not 100% healthy. Good luck team USA!
I feel like I'm awaiting surgery. This is the worst.
Interesting lineup. Beckerman has been so good. Maybe Cameron plays RB instead of MF and he plays Johnson as an out and out winger ahead of Bedoya to beat up Vermaelen? Wherever he plays, Johnson should enjoy some of his day against that PoS.
XBL Gamertag: RobVarak
"Ok I'm an elitist, but I have a healthy respect for people who don't measure up." --Aaron Sorkin
10spro wrote:One thing for sure, there hasn't been an easy way for the favorites to go thru the next round in the round of 16. Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands and France pretty much had to go the distance before dispatching their so called weaker opponents. The game has bridged the wider gap of yesteryear, lesser quality teams are defending so well that all the favorites are having a hard time to break their stay at home system.
The Belgians are favorites, but their D is not 100% healthy. Good luck team USA!
It's been difficult for the favorites, but they've all prevailed. Group winners 7-0. Ends now!!
It's interesting as it allows for some tactical flexibility - Cameron at RB, then have Johnson attack Belgium's outside backs (who are really center backs). Or just drop Cameron in Beckerman's slot - he's a little stronger and faster, and should neutralize Belgium better. Or you can even drop him in the middle with three CBs, and then play Beasley and Johnson as wing backs.
Flashbacks to 2002 - Arena played Reyna at right back which completely flummoxed the Mexicans; they had to burn a sub and completely change their plans. Hoping for something similar....
Like Twellman, I think moving Cameron to RB to add Beckerman's bite to the midfield was a no-brainer, but Yedlin has impressed. Still, if we're not going to press then we have to figure out some way to screen that back line better. Game way too open for Belgium.
Something needs to improve up front as well, but I'll be damned if I know what card to play there. lol
XBL Gamertag: RobVarak
"Ok I'm an elitist, but I have a healthy respect for people who don't measure up." --Aaron Sorkin
RobVarak wrote:Like Twellman, I think moving Cameron to RB to add Beckerman's bite to the midfield was a no-brainer, but Yedlin has impressed. Still, if we're not going to press then we have to figure out some way to screen that back line better. Game way too open for Belgium.
Something needs to improve up front as well, but I'll be damned if I know what card to play there. lol
Belgium ran through the defense unimpeded a few times early, but later mostly settled for ineffective crosses. This could feel a little bit like Germany game, with quality chances early, a lull before halftime, then a German goal early in the 2nd half...
Losing Johnson hurts, but Yedlin showed very well so far.
For me, USA not getting quality from the wide midfielders. Right now occasionally Bradley and Dempsey try to go it on an isolated attack. It's not enough.