So the Gold Cup final was this past weekend, I had wanted to lay down some key strokes and give some thoughts on the finals earlier, but work sometimes gets in the way of my musing. Better late than never! For those of you that did not watch or do not know what the Gold Cup is, a quick recap.
This is the CONCACAF football championships, it is held every 2 years (which minimizes the title in my opinion) and the winner gets to go to the Confederation Cup the following year (assuming the Gold Cup version is held prior to the World Cup). Recently the finals have been another opportunity to see a US v Mexico match and to once again watch the game played on US soil in front of a predominately Mexican crowd! That was the case again this finals edition in Pasadena.
The game itself was actually exciting, the US going up early 2-0 only to concede 4 straight goals. Granted Dempsey smashed a shot off the cross bar when the US was trailing 3-2, had that goal gone in things might have turned out very differently. Both teams also sent most of their A side players - Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Howard et al for the US, Chicharito, Dos Santos, Marquez et al for El Tri. Mexico did expose that the US does a poor job with in game management, remember last Confederation Cup final when the US had a 2-0 lead on the Brazilians? The US continued to play a more wide open game after being up 2-0 and ended up paying for it, as Mexico's speed and offensive talent exploited the space. Eventually finding their way to a 4-2 victory...including a wonder goal from former Barcelona player Dos Santos:
But this post is not about the game itself, but about the value of the Gold Cup. What struck me was the reaction from many of the US players and pundits post game, it was not about the fact they lost a title or lost to hated rival Mexico...but that they cannot go to Brazil next summer for the Confederation Cup. Hmmmm interesting. I do not think I hear the losing team in the Euros say "shucks, we lost the title and now we cannot go to the Confederations Cup." To me this is indicative of what could be holding back the development of US Soccer - regular competitive games.
The reality for the US is that they have graduated, 20 years ago, playing in CONCACAF was good for the US. They had a chance to get to the World Cup, played smaller nations that were more passionate for football but clearly were trailing in regards to resources. When the US qualified for the 1990 edition of the World Cup in Italy, it was the first time in 40 years, they attended the global sporting event...promptly getting trounced losing all 3 games. However since then, the US has qualified for every edition since, and reaching two knock out stages and the 1/4 finals in 2002 (some would argue they outplayed eventual runner-ups Germany in that game and were it not for a missed hand ball might have played a semi final). That is a good run. But if the United States is serious about being a legitimate threat to go deeper and gasp...maybe even win the trophy...they cannot rely on Gold Cup and Confederation Cup as their "competitive" matches. I discount World Cup qualifiers, why? With 3 direct spots to the World Cup and a fourth that goes to play off, are the US and Mexico ever really in jeopardy of not qualifying? As I have posted in the past, the US needs to get out of their comfort zone if they expect to grow, footballing wise.
Unlike the US, Mexico will head to the Copa America in Argentina, and face some serious competition. El Tri will face, Chile, Peru and Uruguay in their group....much more serious than Panama and Jamaica. European nations are never taking a break, with the World Cup and European Cups every other year there is a constant stream of high charged qualifying matches to reach these tournaments. The US must, if it will not rework its World Cup qualification and why would they, find a way to participate in the Copa America on a regular basis. Since 1993 they have only participate in 3 editions...why has Japan participated??? The US must get into this tournament. The US must add another real tournament to their dance card if they want to grow.
Otherwise the US will be stuck lamenting another lose in the Gold Cup finals and not being able to go to the Confederation Cup...but looking forward to World Cup qualifiers versus Turks & Caicos, Bermuda and El Salvador.
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 28, 2010
World Cup round of 16 - first half is set
A great weekend of football - good goals, heartbreaking games and controversy - what else would one want? So we are set for the first half of the 1/4 finals
Uruguay v Ghana
Argentina v Germany
How did these teams get there:
Uruguay: In the first game of the round of 16, the South Americans played the surprise Asian side South Korea. What was one of the least hyped game turned out to be a good match between two well disciplined and well organized sides. The combo between Suarez and Forlan looks like it is starting to click, which is dangerous for the other nations. Both sides had chances, an early South Korean free kick, from Chu Young Park, smashed into the post having successfully found its way around the wall. But poor defense and inexplicable goalkeeping from South Korea allowed a cross from Forlan bypass at least 3 defenders and the keeper (who mush have thought the ball was destined to go wide) only to see Suarez come in and smash home the shot.
The South Koreans fought back to level but were done in by a wonder strike from Suarez. The Uruguay defense (only 1 goal conceded all tournament) and combination of Suarez - Forlan - Cavani is proving lethal.
Ghana: For the second time in 4 years the Black Stars knock out the Stars and Stripes...yes I stole that from some TV talking head. After the World Cup is over and when the US players get a chance to reflect I think they will rue this missed opportunity. While I think the talk of a semi final run were a but premature, there is no doubt that the way the opponents were being set up, there was a legitimate chance for the Americans. Let us face it, had they finished second in the group does anyone really believe they could have taken out the German team we saw today? Or an Argentina team in the 1/4 finals? However Ghana took their chances and deserve to go through. The first 20 -30 minutes it appeared that Ghana could score another goal or 2 after opening up the score through Boateng after a terrible turn over in the midfield by Clark. However at the half the US brought in Feilhaber and changed the complexion of the match. The US controlled the midfield and put some real pressure on the Ghana back 4 earning a deserved PK that Landycakes banked in.
But the problem that haunted the United States bit again in extra time when a harmless and blind clearance from their own half feel to Gyan who cut between Demerit and Bocanegra and lashed on to a pile driver of a left foot sending Ghana to a 2-1 victory. This encapsulated the problems with the United States team - shoddy central defense. Demerit, Onyewu and Bocanegra all struggled at different stages of this World Cup, the wide players did not cover themselves in glory either. This lack of strong defending forced the United States to chase 3 out 4 games this World Cup, not a formula for success. A second big issue were the strikers. Altidore's touch let him down all tournament. He had some good situations when he was holding up the ball or knocking it on as he did on the second goal against Slovenia. However he had a chance in the second half against Ghana but his heavy touch allowed the keeper to cut him down. He did almost score a spectacular goal with 10 minutes to go, but too often lost possession trying to do his best Messi impersonation. Add to this Findley's first half attempt from 18 yards out when he could have taken another touch or tried to dribble the keeper - not a shot an international level striker needs to settle on. If the US had a striker like Gyan they might still be playing...
Germany: In a much anticipated match up against hated rival England the game turned into a rout exposing England for what it has become - old, slow and without creativity. Of course we had another controversial refereeing decision when a Lampard shot clearly rebounded behind the goal line, at the time it would have made the game 2-2. Instead the Germans headed into the half time with a 2-1 lead. As England pushed in the second half to equalize they were badly caught out gifting Mueller a brace. In the end the better team did win, Germany demonstrated as usual, a great organization and discipline. With World Cup veterans like Klose, Podolozki and Schweinsteiger supported by the youth of Ozil and Mueller it became academic after Germany maintained their 2-1 lead to start the second half.
What was disappointing were the Three Lions. Entering the competition, as it happens every World Cup, the calls for winning the ultimate crown for the first time since 1966 was thought withing reach. With an "EASY" group, many in the notoriously overzealous British press had the English making a serious run, granted I think Sports Illustrated had the English in a semi final as well. Even thought the English had a very positive qualifying campaign and apparently the right man in Capello, they never convinced during their 4 games. They clearly had problems in central defense - Terry looked like a beaten man and they could never figure out who to replace Ferdinand. The Klose goal resembled the Gyan goal a big boot down the park, striker splits the central defenders and slots home... Rooney was completely lost. Even the French scored more goals than Rooney - 1 vs 0! Not sure if the Manchester United striker was still battling the effects of his ankle injury, but he clearly had a tournament to forget. Of course the necessity to have Lampard and Gerrard on the pitch together still does not work...sad part is the world has known this for years yet manager after manager feels the need to shoe horn both into the starting XI. It seems that this side could have used a Theo Walcott at some point during their 4 games. Otherwise there was no apparent width or pace, Joe Cole having been used sparingly...Finally still not sure how a football nation such as England cannot develop any quality holding midfielders. It is shocking. Germany had their way through the midfield, no on wearing a red shirt could even feign being able to check the German attack. England will have to rebuild, the nice thing for the Three Lions is this should mark the end of Terry, Lampard and Gerrard as internationals. All strong players individually, but especially in the case of the two midfielders - cannot coexist on the same pitch.
Argentina: The Albiceleste looked very strong once again. Granted the first goal should have been ruled off side, but it was not...however the Tevez - Messi - Higuain front line is deadly. The fact that Di Maria has not really done much and Messi has not scored a goal should give Germany and any other team that might face Argentina food for thought. Mexico fought hard all match but were over-matched.The goal from Hernandez was a piece of beauty...what I thought was comic was the comment on ABC from John Harkes who criticized Romero, the Argentine keeper, for not "protecting his near post." Um hey John, the shot from Hernandez was unstoppable, even had the keeper anticipated that spot he could never have reached it....just because you could not hit that shot in your best days, give the striker credit for a fantastic first touch and finish. Speaking of goals, the 3rd Argentine goal was also a thing of beauty an absolute pile driver from distance.
The one area of concern for Argentina is the back 4...Maradona keeps playing central defenders as all back 4. And the goalkeeping is very wobbly right now. The key for Argentina moving forward will be how Mascherano holds up the defensive responsibilities in the midfield. However their is no doubting the offensive fire power and creative flair from this team, do not forget that Aguero and Milito are available off the bench. Frightening. Finally, it is clear this team wants to play for the sky blue and white kit as well as for their manager (unlike Les Bleus). This is a very good combination heading into the 1/4 finals.
Finally this weekend was also mired by some terrible refereeing decisions or lack thereof. The least egregious was the Tevez non offside call on the first goal. However the one that will really created debate for years...at least until FIFA wakes up and does something to improve officiating.
I am sure Blatter is breathing somewhat after Germany won 4-1...but had the goal be allowed, which it should have, it could have and most likely would have changed the game. Why? Not sure England is pushing up the pitch so get the equalizer.They probably do not get caught on a break if the game is 2-2. Of course FIFA released some nonsensical statement about video not being usable to determine goals because it would open up the call to use video for other aspects of the game and that there would need to be training for how to use video which is really complicated and television is still to new....blah blah blah. Here is an idea Sepp, you ignorant moron, you already have all the referees wired with headsets. The 4th official is already sitting by a monitor - how else did the Zizou head butt get caught! For plays dealing with a goal, allow the 4th official to give the referee on the field a hand. In this situation it would have taken all of 3 seconds for the 4th official to get on his little telemarketer headset and say "ball crossed line, goal." But instead we have the bureaucratic, useless, profiteer, Sepp Blatter, making some idiotic statement about technology and the beauty if human error and why "technology" cannot be used to call goal or no goal. Grow a brain Sepp wake up to the 21st century!
Of course Sepp has a Twitter account...so I would encourage EVERYONE to tweet @SeppBlatter for as long as it takes to get him to wake up to this need.
Anyways, 4 more games to come. Brazil v Chile will be very interesting, I think Chile can give the Samba Boyz a scare and of course we have the Iberian derby - Portugal v Spain. Hopefully we do not also have more refereeing issues.
Uruguay v Ghana
Argentina v Germany
How did these teams get there:
Uruguay: In the first game of the round of 16, the South Americans played the surprise Asian side South Korea. What was one of the least hyped game turned out to be a good match between two well disciplined and well organized sides. The combo between Suarez and Forlan looks like it is starting to click, which is dangerous for the other nations. Both sides had chances, an early South Korean free kick, from Chu Young Park, smashed into the post having successfully found its way around the wall. But poor defense and inexplicable goalkeeping from South Korea allowed a cross from Forlan bypass at least 3 defenders and the keeper (who mush have thought the ball was destined to go wide) only to see Suarez come in and smash home the shot.
The South Koreans fought back to level but were done in by a wonder strike from Suarez. The Uruguay defense (only 1 goal conceded all tournament) and combination of Suarez - Forlan - Cavani is proving lethal.
Ghana: For the second time in 4 years the Black Stars knock out the Stars and Stripes...yes I stole that from some TV talking head. After the World Cup is over and when the US players get a chance to reflect I think they will rue this missed opportunity. While I think the talk of a semi final run were a but premature, there is no doubt that the way the opponents were being set up, there was a legitimate chance for the Americans. Let us face it, had they finished second in the group does anyone really believe they could have taken out the German team we saw today? Or an Argentina team in the 1/4 finals? However Ghana took their chances and deserve to go through. The first 20 -30 minutes it appeared that Ghana could score another goal or 2 after opening up the score through Boateng after a terrible turn over in the midfield by Clark. However at the half the US brought in Feilhaber and changed the complexion of the match. The US controlled the midfield and put some real pressure on the Ghana back 4 earning a deserved PK that Landycakes banked in.
But the problem that haunted the United States bit again in extra time when a harmless and blind clearance from their own half feel to Gyan who cut between Demerit and Bocanegra and lashed on to a pile driver of a left foot sending Ghana to a 2-1 victory. This encapsulated the problems with the United States team - shoddy central defense. Demerit, Onyewu and Bocanegra all struggled at different stages of this World Cup, the wide players did not cover themselves in glory either. This lack of strong defending forced the United States to chase 3 out 4 games this World Cup, not a formula for success. A second big issue were the strikers. Altidore's touch let him down all tournament. He had some good situations when he was holding up the ball or knocking it on as he did on the second goal against Slovenia. However he had a chance in the second half against Ghana but his heavy touch allowed the keeper to cut him down. He did almost score a spectacular goal with 10 minutes to go, but too often lost possession trying to do his best Messi impersonation. Add to this Findley's first half attempt from 18 yards out when he could have taken another touch or tried to dribble the keeper - not a shot an international level striker needs to settle on. If the US had a striker like Gyan they might still be playing...
Germany: In a much anticipated match up against hated rival England the game turned into a rout exposing England for what it has become - old, slow and without creativity. Of course we had another controversial refereeing decision when a Lampard shot clearly rebounded behind the goal line, at the time it would have made the game 2-2. Instead the Germans headed into the half time with a 2-1 lead. As England pushed in the second half to equalize they were badly caught out gifting Mueller a brace. In the end the better team did win, Germany demonstrated as usual, a great organization and discipline. With World Cup veterans like Klose, Podolozki and Schweinsteiger supported by the youth of Ozil and Mueller it became academic after Germany maintained their 2-1 lead to start the second half.
Argentina: The Albiceleste looked very strong once again. Granted the first goal should have been ruled off side, but it was not...however the Tevez - Messi - Higuain front line is deadly. The fact that Di Maria has not really done much and Messi has not scored a goal should give Germany and any other team that might face Argentina food for thought. Mexico fought hard all match but were over-matched.The goal from Hernandez was a piece of beauty...what I thought was comic was the comment on ABC from John Harkes who criticized Romero, the Argentine keeper, for not "protecting his near post." Um hey John, the shot from Hernandez was unstoppable, even had the keeper anticipated that spot he could never have reached it....just because you could not hit that shot in your best days, give the striker credit for a fantastic first touch and finish. Speaking of goals, the 3rd Argentine goal was also a thing of beauty an absolute pile driver from distance.
The one area of concern for Argentina is the back 4...Maradona keeps playing central defenders as all back 4. And the goalkeeping is very wobbly right now. The key for Argentina moving forward will be how Mascherano holds up the defensive responsibilities in the midfield. However their is no doubting the offensive fire power and creative flair from this team, do not forget that Aguero and Milito are available off the bench. Frightening. Finally, it is clear this team wants to play for the sky blue and white kit as well as for their manager (unlike Les Bleus). This is a very good combination heading into the 1/4 finals.
Finally this weekend was also mired by some terrible refereeing decisions or lack thereof. The least egregious was the Tevez non offside call on the first goal. However the one that will really created debate for years...at least until FIFA wakes up and does something to improve officiating.
I am sure Blatter is breathing somewhat after Germany won 4-1...but had the goal be allowed, which it should have, it could have and most likely would have changed the game. Why? Not sure England is pushing up the pitch so get the equalizer.They probably do not get caught on a break if the game is 2-2. Of course FIFA released some nonsensical statement about video not being usable to determine goals because it would open up the call to use video for other aspects of the game and that there would need to be training for how to use video which is really complicated and television is still to new....blah blah blah. Here is an idea Sepp, you ignorant moron, you already have all the referees wired with headsets. The 4th official is already sitting by a monitor - how else did the Zizou head butt get caught! For plays dealing with a goal, allow the 4th official to give the referee on the field a hand. In this situation it would have taken all of 3 seconds for the 4th official to get on his little telemarketer headset and say "ball crossed line, goal." But instead we have the bureaucratic, useless, profiteer, Sepp Blatter, making some idiotic statement about technology and the beauty if human error and why "technology" cannot be used to call goal or no goal. Grow a brain Sepp wake up to the 21st century!
Of course Sepp has a Twitter account...so I would encourage EVERYONE to tweet @SeppBlatter for as long as it takes to get him to wake up to this need.
Anyways, 4 more games to come. Brazil v Chile will be very interesting, I think Chile can give the Samba Boyz a scare and of course we have the Iberian derby - Portugal v Spain. Hopefully we do not also have more refereeing issues.
Friday, June 18, 2010
US bitter sweet draw versus Slovenia
As my friend and fellow pod-caster Sam told me, "the US always has a good game, a mediocre game and terrible game during the group stages of the World Cup." Clearly this latest match was a little bit of everything! One paper this seemed like a mismatch, in the favor of the United States not something you always see in the world of real football (aka soccer). Especially when it is the US paired with an European opponent. After a much anticipated match against their former mother country - England - the United States had a point in the pocket and had equaled the nation that was clearly their biggest rival in this group, so facing Slovenia a nation with the population about equal to the greater Boston area, you would think the US would fancy their chances for the full 3 points. Oh and Alexi Lalas confidently predicted a 2-0 United States victory, we should have all known that was the kiss of death!
The United States seemed to come out partially believing this, and seemed a little lackadaisical and somewhat surprised when Slovenia took it to the United States. Many might have expected the Europeans to sit back and try to defend for a draw and hope for a counter to get a goal. Instead they came out and looked to play for the win from the first minute. Slovenia found themselves up 2-0 at the half on two goals that clearly seemed to come out Onyewu and the American defense being too passive. The first the American central defender did not close down Birsa allowing him to strike a beautiful left footed shot into Howard's upper 90 (the ball certainly did not take off on that shot). The second goal saw Onyewu stuck like a statue allowing Ljubijankic to stroll in for a clinical finish. On both scores the American defenders looked flat footed and hesitated, both of which are cardinal sins at this level. So that was the "ugly" half. Which lead to the "good" half.
The Americans came out after the break with a renewed lease on life due to...gulp...Landycakes who took his chance and put in a Ronaldoesc goal -
I have to admit it was a big goal for the US....and it came from yes Landycakes...I cannot imagine that I am singing his praises again. But I am...ugh. He also went on to play very well the remainder of the half it was his well weighed pass into the box that Altidore was able to head down for Bradley to complete the come back. Finally Landycakes put in a fantastic set piece to get what should have been the winner, watching the replay it is difficult to see where a foul was committed unless you give a PK to the United States since at least 2 of their players suffered assault and battery...ok I need to take a breath because this much praise from me for Landycakes means I am not well!
The Slovenias did continue to push up the pitch themselves and had a good chance late only to see the header from Novakovic that was well placed but lacked the pace to really trouble Howard. The US must feel bitter sweet about this game, they dug themselves a huge hole but were able to rally and get the draw (and almost win). However they cannot be satisfied with the first half, they let in 2 goals where their lack of action allowed Slovenia to take their chances and made the US pay. If the United States think they will just stroll out onto the pitch and defeat Algeria all they need to do is watch today's first half to learn that they cannot afford to take any team for granted, unless they were playing France next in which case it would be a guaranteed 3 points.
So if I take an audit of the United States based on Sam's statement I would say they had a mediocre game versus England and had 1 terrible half against Slovenia and 1 great half. Meaning our balance sheet still has 1 of each...I will hope for my US friends that the better half against Algeria out weighs the poor one! The US gets the point, although they really fancied the full 3.
The Americans came out after the break with a renewed lease on life due to...gulp...Landycakes who took his chance and put in a Ronaldoesc goal -
I have to admit it was a big goal for the US....and it came from yes Landycakes...I cannot imagine that I am singing his praises again. But I am...ugh. He also went on to play very well the remainder of the half it was his well weighed pass into the box that Altidore was able to head down for Bradley to complete the come back. Finally Landycakes put in a fantastic set piece to get what should have been the winner, watching the replay it is difficult to see where a foul was committed unless you give a PK to the United States since at least 2 of their players suffered assault and battery...ok I need to take a breath because this much praise from me for Landycakes means I am not well!
The Slovenias did continue to push up the pitch themselves and had a good chance late only to see the header from Novakovic that was well placed but lacked the pace to really trouble Howard. The US must feel bitter sweet about this game, they dug themselves a huge hole but were able to rally and get the draw (and almost win). However they cannot be satisfied with the first half, they let in 2 goals where their lack of action allowed Slovenia to take their chances and made the US pay. If the United States think they will just stroll out onto the pitch and defeat Algeria all they need to do is watch today's first half to learn that they cannot afford to take any team for granted, unless they were playing France next in which case it would be a guaranteed 3 points.
So if I take an audit of the United States based on Sam's statement I would say they had a mediocre game versus England and had 1 terrible half against Slovenia and 1 great half. Meaning our balance sheet still has 1 of each...I will hope for my US friends that the better half against Algeria out weighs the poor one! The US gets the point, although they really fancied the full 3.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Final pre-World Cup thoughts
I realize that I made my World Cup predictions in an earlier post, but I wanted to put out some thoughts on the most overrated teams, teams most likely to disappoint and the teams most likely to surprise. Some of this I have already discussed in prior blogs:
Most Overrated Teams:
- Ivory Coast: Um the Elephants have been picked by many a pundits, some that know football some that do not, to surprise the world and head to the semi finals or even the finals. Um okay. Can you name their starting keeper? How about their manager...that one is easier...Sven Goran Eriksson. Does anyone realize they are in the group of Death? Having to face Brazil and Portugal?? Oh one more thing what is the Ivory Coast historical World Cup record...anyone....1 win and 2 losses. That is correct this World Cup will be their SECOND ever. Oh and finally did anyone watch the Elephants during the African Cup of Nations? Defense was terrible, criminal really. I think Nigeria and even Ghana have a better chance to go further than the Elephants.
- England. Ok this happens every time the Three Lions qualify for a major tournament. Let us face it, the English press gets over heated and over hyped with the English team. Can you tell me how many times England have made it to the semi finals of a World Cup? We all know they only major title they have is the 1966 World Cup crown at home...no European titles to their credit. They have been to 2 semi finals! 1966 and 1990 (I will argue that the 1990 semi finals was highway robbery when they defeated Cameroon on 2 dubious PKs) Some perspective - France have a World Cup title 1998, 2 European Cups 1984 and 2000, 2 Confederation Cups 2001 and 2003, an Olympic Gold medal 1984 and add to this another 4 World Cup semi finals. England head into this tournament as many's favorites. Why? Capello is the main reason, fine. But there remains the issues of who is the holding midfielder? How will Gerrard and Lampard coexist? Who will partner with Rooney? Oh and Ferdinand is out...finally Calamity James remains the #1 choice in goal. They were better 4 years ago, even with Sven at the head. But I guess when you "invented" the game you are always the favorite.
- Serbia. This one was a surprise for me. Some have them winning their group over Germany! Hmmm. Did anyone watch their qualifying campaign? They were outplayed at home against a 10 man France team. Their goalie is shaky AT BEST. They might have a decent defense with some interesting players up front like the giant Zigic. Maybe pundits have mistaken Serbia for Croatia circa 2008.
- Italy: The defending champions have a very good chance of crashing out early. I would actually pick them for potentially pulling a France 2002 and not even getting out of their group, were their group not so weak. I think that Lippi's team will find a way to squeak through but might very well fall against a Dane team in the first knock out round. The real reason is that Lippi seems to have decided his team from 4 years ago was good enough to have another go....um ok.
- France. Hey any team with Domenech has a great chance to lay an egg. I have always said that Les Bleus could finish anywhere from 1st to last in the group. I will try to keep my optimist hat on, but deep down inside I can see Dumbenech train wreck this team once again, similar to Euro 2008.
- Spain. By no means do I think Espana could crash out at the group stages, but there is no other nation that is facing so much pressure. After winning the Euros and with the absolute absurd level of depth this nation has they deserve to be planted as one of the heavy favorites. However, short of a final appearance, I think that Spain and all their fans will be heavily disappointed. Can Espana get this last monkey off their backs?
- Nigeria. As much as many tout the Ivory Coast as carrying the flag for the African continent, I think the Super Eagles might be the nation that goes the furthest. They have had much success at the youth level and have a decent World Cup pedigree. This is also the first World Cup they are not entering with all the eyes of Africa on them to do well.
- United States. Granted living in the US I am starting to buy into the hype, but I think that the group set up is favorable to the Yanks. I think they could spring the surprise against the Three Lions this Saturday and could even hope to find themselves as top of their group. Unlike 2002, I do not think they will catch anyone by complete surprise. While I am not ready to say that the US will win a World Cup soon, they are no longer the door mat of world football. But they could surprise and gasp could make another 1/4 final run if all falls into place.
Allez les Bleus!
Monday, December 07, 2009
World Cup 2010 - groups and predictions - Groups B and C.
So I have given my thoughts on Group A...obviously that is where France finds themselves. But there are 7 other groups!!! Okay Okay, here are my thoughts and predictions for the rest of the groups.
First here are all the groups:
Group AGroup BGroup CGroup DGroup EGroup FGroup GGroup HI have already discussed Group A in a prior post. So let us look at the other groups. We will tackle Group B & C in this post:
Group B - Clearly the favorites are Argentina to emerge from this group. Even with the Ablicelestes struggling to qualify out of South America they have too much talent, depth and Messi not to get out of the groups. Maradona has 6 months to figure out how he wants to
approach the tournament, while he is under tremendous pressure from his home nation, much like Domenech, unlike his French counterpart I think he has the support of his players. He is also stubborn like Domenech in who he calls up...Higuain? Zanetti? If Maradona finds his senses I think he will look to put Heinze and Zanetti as his defensive cornerstones in the back with Gago and Mascherano as the midfield holders and figure out how to get the most out of Messi, maybe go with a three pronged attack of Messi, Aguero and Higuain. That would be frightening. Again too much raw talent and depth for this squad not get through.
The battle will be for second place in the group. Greece had to play the Ukraine to get through. They will once again look to their manager "King Otto" to manage this club through to the knock out stages. While they are still seen as a strong defensive side, well organized and also boring...they did have the top scorer in the European qualifiers - Theofanis Gekas - with 10 goals to his count. They will be pushed by Nigeria who is getting the least amount of press of the African nations in the tournament. The Super Eagles are usually the team seen as Africa's best chance to see a team reach the semi finals or further, this title has passed to the likes of Ivory Coast and Ghana...but no one should overlook this talented side. With the likes of Martins and Mikel they have some talented players that grace the pitches in Europe on weekends. While many would argue they have underachieved during qualifiers, I would see them as a sleeper in this tournament. Finally South Korea finds themselves in this challenging group. Not playing the Cup on home soil has brought this nation back to where the
y belong, a nice team that has some good players but 3rd tier power at best. Without the genius of Hiddink, which coupled with home cooking carried the South Korean's to an improbable 4 place in the 2002 World Cup, I am not sure that they have enough to cause too many problems to the other 3 nations in this group. Park Ji-Sung will be asked to shoulder the load, unfortunately he does not have the Rooneys, Giggs, Vidics, Van de Saars he can rely on with his club!
Prediction - Argentina, Nigeria, Greece, South Korea finish
Player to watch - Higuain the Argentine striker is overshadowed by Messi, but the Real Madrid man scores goals and I think he will demonstrate this goal scoring in South Africa.
Group C - This group will get a lot of hype between now and the tournament...especially due to the first match between the US and England. The book makers have already placed England as the second favorite behind Spain...wow...talk about irrational exuberance! Speaking of England they should go through to the knock out stage. However I think the hype that will surround the Three Lions will grow exponetially before the tournament...yet I am not sure that they have solved the problems that plagued them in the last World Cup - a shaky defense. Do you really have faith in Calamity James in goal? Cashley Cole is a good left back, but not as good as he is hyped up to be. Terry and Ferdinand, a strong pairing but have been injury prone as of late. The real issue - who is the holding midfielder? Barry? Gerrard? We all know Lampard will not track back unless it is to celebrate his own goal. Much will be expected of Rooney, especially considering how he exited the last tournament...
and what about the wingers? Will Walcott be healthy? Will the "greatest footballer ever" Beckham showcase on the wing? I think this team remains too similar to the one that failed to get to the Euros, while the presence of Capello is encouraging, the weight of irrational expectations will be too much for the 3 Lions, they will go far but not far enough. Much the same will saddle their former colony, The United States. I am already seeing the press and the statements of an easy draw and "we are through to the next round." When the talking heads like Alexi Lalas start saying this is an easy group and the US will go through, you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. I think the US will go as far as Altidore can shoulder offensively and without Charlie Davies this will become more difficult the young American striker. Much will also be asked of Deuce - Clint Dempsey. I think his time spent at Fulham has helped h
im grow as a player and leader. And of course we have Landycakes, the question will be - will he finally show up in a major tournament? Or will he revert back to Landycakes and disappear. What the US do have is a strong and experienced keeper in Howard and have some confidence from the last Confederation Cup, but that tournament is very different from the World Cup! I think the neither nation should overlook Slovenia. They came out of a tough group with Slovakia, Czech Rep and Poland - then they had to defeat the Russians to get through. Least we forget this team from a land of 2million residences is not afraid to punch well above its weight class. Surprising many at the Euro 2000 and qualifying for 2 World Cups. They play a counterattacking style which may frustrate the favorites in the group. Finally everyone is writing off the Algerians something I am not sure is wise. The North Africans are making only their third appearance in the biggest sporting event on the planet, they did more than hold their own the first time! With players such as Ziani and having gone through a difficult qualifying campaign Les Fennecs will be looking to play spoiler in this group. I do not think they have enough to go through, but cannot nor should not be overlooked.
Prediction: England, USA, Slovenia, Algeria
Player to Watch: Rooney will have a lot of expectations on his shoulders, he will need to have his goal scoring boots on and he must keep his cool on the global stage. The other player to watch is Altidore for the US, he too will be expected to be the offensive threat for the US.
Stay tuned for Groups D&E...
First here are all the groups:
Group AGroup BGroup CGroup DGroup EGroup FGroup GGroup HI have already discussed Group A in a prior post. So let us look at the other groups. We will tackle Group B & C in this post:
Group B - Clearly the favorites are Argentina to emerge from this group. Even with the Ablicelestes struggling to qualify out of South America they have too much talent, depth and Messi not to get out of the groups. Maradona has 6 months to figure out how he wants to
approach the tournament, while he is under tremendous pressure from his home nation, much like Domenech, unlike his French counterpart I think he has the support of his players. He is also stubborn like Domenech in who he calls up...Higuain? Zanetti? If Maradona finds his senses I think he will look to put Heinze and Zanetti as his defensive cornerstones in the back with Gago and Mascherano as the midfield holders and figure out how to get the most out of Messi, maybe go with a three pronged attack of Messi, Aguero and Higuain. That would be frightening. Again too much raw talent and depth for this squad not get through.The battle will be for second place in the group. Greece had to play the Ukraine to get through. They will once again look to their manager "King Otto" to manage this club through to the knock out stages. While they are still seen as a strong defensive side, well organized and also boring...they did have the top scorer in the European qualifiers - Theofanis Gekas - with 10 goals to his count. They will be pushed by Nigeria who is getting the least amount of press of the African nations in the tournament. The Super Eagles are usually the team seen as Africa's best chance to see a team reach the semi finals or further, this title has passed to the likes of Ivory Coast and Ghana...but no one should overlook this talented side. With the likes of Martins and Mikel they have some talented players that grace the pitches in Europe on weekends. While many would argue they have underachieved during qualifiers, I would see them as a sleeper in this tournament. Finally South Korea finds themselves in this challenging group. Not playing the Cup on home soil has brought this nation back to where the
y belong, a nice team that has some good players but 3rd tier power at best. Without the genius of Hiddink, which coupled with home cooking carried the South Korean's to an improbable 4 place in the 2002 World Cup, I am not sure that they have enough to cause too many problems to the other 3 nations in this group. Park Ji-Sung will be asked to shoulder the load, unfortunately he does not have the Rooneys, Giggs, Vidics, Van de Saars he can rely on with his club!Prediction - Argentina, Nigeria, Greece, South Korea finish
Player to watch - Higuain the Argentine striker is overshadowed by Messi, but the Real Madrid man scores goals and I think he will demonstrate this goal scoring in South Africa.
Group C - This group will get a lot of hype between now and the tournament...especially due to the first match between the US and England. The book makers have already placed England as the second favorite behind Spain...wow...talk about irrational exuberance! Speaking of England they should go through to the knock out stage. However I think the hype that will surround the Three Lions will grow exponetially before the tournament...yet I am not sure that they have solved the problems that plagued them in the last World Cup - a shaky defense. Do you really have faith in Calamity James in goal? Cashley Cole is a good left back, but not as good as he is hyped up to be. Terry and Ferdinand, a strong pairing but have been injury prone as of late. The real issue - who is the holding midfielder? Barry? Gerrard? We all know Lampard will not track back unless it is to celebrate his own goal. Much will be expected of Rooney, especially considering how he exited the last tournament...
and what about the wingers? Will Walcott be healthy? Will the "greatest footballer ever" Beckham showcase on the wing? I think this team remains too similar to the one that failed to get to the Euros, while the presence of Capello is encouraging, the weight of irrational expectations will be too much for the 3 Lions, they will go far but not far enough. Much the same will saddle their former colony, The United States. I am already seeing the press and the statements of an easy draw and "we are through to the next round." When the talking heads like Alexi Lalas start saying this is an easy group and the US will go through, you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. I think the US will go as far as Altidore can shoulder offensively and without Charlie Davies this will become more difficult the young American striker. Much will also be asked of Deuce - Clint Dempsey. I think his time spent at Fulham has helped h
im grow as a player and leader. And of course we have Landycakes, the question will be - will he finally show up in a major tournament? Or will he revert back to Landycakes and disappear. What the US do have is a strong and experienced keeper in Howard and have some confidence from the last Confederation Cup, but that tournament is very different from the World Cup! I think the neither nation should overlook Slovenia. They came out of a tough group with Slovakia, Czech Rep and Poland - then they had to defeat the Russians to get through. Least we forget this team from a land of 2million residences is not afraid to punch well above its weight class. Surprising many at the Euro 2000 and qualifying for 2 World Cups. They play a counterattacking style which may frustrate the favorites in the group. Finally everyone is writing off the Algerians something I am not sure is wise. The North Africans are making only their third appearance in the biggest sporting event on the planet, they did more than hold their own the first time! With players such as Ziani and having gone through a difficult qualifying campaign Les Fennecs will be looking to play spoiler in this group. I do not think they have enough to go through, but cannot nor should not be overlooked.Prediction: England, USA, Slovenia, Algeria
Player to Watch: Rooney will have a lot of expectations on his shoulders, he will need to have his goal scoring boots on and he must keep his cool on the global stage. The other player to watch is Altidore for the US, he too will be expected to be the offensive threat for the US.
Stay tuned for Groups D&E...
Monday, June 22, 2009
Confed Cup - Brazil roll, Italy disappoints, and the US gets a life line
So another international tournament and once again Brazil shows why you can never count out the magicians from South America out of any football competition. Brazil waltzed into the semi finals with a surprising demolition of Italy. Brazil seemed to have some rustiness the first game, finding themselves in a surprising close match versus Egypt but they proceeded to defeat the US and Italy easily 3-0 both games. Heading into the semi finals against South Africa, I do not foresee the sambaboys having much difficult with the hosts, which should set up a mouth watering - Spain v Brazil finals.
Of course Italy should be the ones facing the Spaniards on Wednesday, however after a devastating loss against the Egyptians: 1-0. The Azzurri found themselves mathematically threatened by a team they had
handled in the first round, the US. Of course the impossible happened, the US won by 3 goals and Italy lost by the same margin! The Azzurri cannot see this dry run in South Africa as anything short of disappointing. Aside from Rossi, the Italians showed me very little, they seemed flat and uninterested. Granted this tourney is nothing more than a glorified set of friendlies, however being soundly defeated by Brazil twice this calendar year does not bode well for the Italians. Italy is in a good position for qualification, so this set back should not be a prelude to a greater malaise with the Italians, but it will raise the heat on Lippi as he heads into the World Cup as defending champion. It is already rumored that he will be pressured into rethinking some of his selections, he did go to South Africa with the oldest team of the tournament, relying heavily on players that allowed him to be victorious in Berlin 2006. Have the Italians, and more importantly they manager, fallen victim as so many former champions have to holding on to the old guard one tournament too far?? See France in 2002 World Cup, rather than purging some veterans, Les Bleus went into that tournament with a world of talent, but also some aged legs that were never able to recover, crashing out without scoring a single goal! Lippi will have to decide if he wants to head back to South Africa with the likes of Pirlo, Cannavaro, and Gattuso as the spine of his side. There is still time, however Italy will have to make sure they can discover the proper combination of players otherwise they will struggle to defend their title this time next year.
Finally, the US...they were one team I called out as needing to show something in this tournament. For once I will agree with Alexi Lalas' comments over the weekend, this is really the best showcase for the US, the Gold Cup they will not face this level of competition nor will they see this remainder of qualification. Now it can be argued the US backed into the semis...but I would also say that scoring 3 goals when that is exactly what they needed to do, against a solid Egyptian team (who also were looking for the victory since they had a better chance to go through as the game started) is a good glimmer of hope. Also, the US did play the Italians very close and were unlucky to have a player thrown out. Of course now the US play the Spanish, which will be a stern test. Could the US surprise the Spanish? Maybe. Spain might be looking ahead to their potential match up against Brazil, and get ambushed by the US. However I doubt it, Spain has been methodical and clinical in their matches recently. In addition, the Spanish are boasting the strongest midfield in the world currently as well as one of the world's deadliest snipers - Torres.
If the US can weather the first 15 - 20 minutes, defend as a block - keep the Spanish in front of you allow them to pass the ball around but do not get drawn high up the pitch allowing the Spanish midfield to dissect you with diagonal passes, overlaps and mazy dribbles. Also a lot will be asked of Tim Howard, he will need to have his A+ game for the US to have a fighting chance. Of course, the US have nothing to lose, they need to focus on the fact they have 2 more games to play and see what they can do against the defending European Champs. I think the game will be much closer than otherwise thought.
Spain 2 - US 1: Torres 1, Villa 1 for Spain. Bradly 1 for US.
Brazil 4 - South Africa 1
Of course Italy should be the ones facing the Spaniards on Wednesday, however after a devastating loss against the Egyptians: 1-0. The Azzurri found themselves mathematically threatened by a team they had
handled in the first round, the US. Of course the impossible happened, the US won by 3 goals and Italy lost by the same margin! The Azzurri cannot see this dry run in South Africa as anything short of disappointing. Aside from Rossi, the Italians showed me very little, they seemed flat and uninterested. Granted this tourney is nothing more than a glorified set of friendlies, however being soundly defeated by Brazil twice this calendar year does not bode well for the Italians. Italy is in a good position for qualification, so this set back should not be a prelude to a greater malaise with the Italians, but it will raise the heat on Lippi as he heads into the World Cup as defending champion. It is already rumored that he will be pressured into rethinking some of his selections, he did go to South Africa with the oldest team of the tournament, relying heavily on players that allowed him to be victorious in Berlin 2006. Have the Italians, and more importantly they manager, fallen victim as so many former champions have to holding on to the old guard one tournament too far?? See France in 2002 World Cup, rather than purging some veterans, Les Bleus went into that tournament with a world of talent, but also some aged legs that were never able to recover, crashing out without scoring a single goal! Lippi will have to decide if he wants to head back to South Africa with the likes of Pirlo, Cannavaro, and Gattuso as the spine of his side. There is still time, however Italy will have to make sure they can discover the proper combination of players otherwise they will struggle to defend their title this time next year.Finally, the US...they were one team I called out as needing to show something in this tournament. For once I will agree with Alexi Lalas' comments over the weekend, this is really the best showcase for the US, the Gold Cup they will not face this level of competition nor will they see this remainder of qualification. Now it can be argued the US backed into the semis...but I would also say that scoring 3 goals when that is exactly what they needed to do, against a solid Egyptian team (who also were looking for the victory since they had a better chance to go through as the game started) is a good glimmer of hope. Also, the US did play the Italians very close and were unlucky to have a player thrown out. Of course now the US play the Spanish, which will be a stern test. Could the US surprise the Spanish? Maybe. Spain might be looking ahead to their potential match up against Brazil, and get ambushed by the US. However I doubt it, Spain has been methodical and clinical in their matches recently. In addition, the Spanish are boasting the strongest midfield in the world currently as well as one of the world's deadliest snipers - Torres.
If the US can weather the first 15 - 20 minutes, defend as a block - keep the Spanish in front of you allow them to pass the ball around but do not get drawn high up the pitch allowing the Spanish midfield to dissect you with diagonal passes, overlaps and mazy dribbles. Also a lot will be asked of Tim Howard, he will need to have his A+ game for the US to have a fighting chance. Of course, the US have nothing to lose, they need to focus on the fact they have 2 more games to play and see what they can do against the defending European Champs. I think the game will be much closer than otherwise thought.
Spain 2 - US 1: Torres 1, Villa 1 for Spain. Bradly 1 for US.
Brazil 4 - South Africa 1
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