World Cup 2014

the US would definitely win all the soccer stuff if our best athletes played it. i'd be pretty surprised if they weren't an elite world power in 20 years

ppl been saying that for at least 20 years iirc

i'd be pretty surprised if they weren't an elite world power in 20 years

i'll take that bet

I've said it elsewhere but a Copa America in my lifetime would be enough

And that is pretty unrealistic tbh*

*except for the 2016 tournament being held in the US so that's our best shot

man, if an athlete like David Wells played soccer the world would sing a different tune

Kevin Durant tearin up the pitch

a match after the US loss? what kinda anticlimax...?

I like that football doesn't reward athleticism per se & that there's no one dominant type of physique cf. messi deciding to embrace being short as it gives him a low centre of gravity

i'd call running several km for 90/120 minutes athleticism

Morbs isn't there Ron Swoboda autograph signing that you're late for

Right, the biggest thing anyone says that the US lacks as a group is "technique". A few have it to be sure, but the collective level isn't where it needs to be to be truly competitive.

They do have athleticism, goalkeeping, & esprit de corps. Team organization and style have come a long way. Players need to all start young to really get there though. Besler wasn't starting in MLS until he was like 26, so even though he's one of the best in the league he's still behind in the big picture. Virtually the same thing goes for Zusi. That's two starters from today. Bedoya, Dempsey, and Cameron all played in college instead of going pro at 20 or earlier. Only the germarican players, the other Europeans, plus like Bradley, Beasley, and Beckerman have been playing since youth and they still haven't been better than squad players on Champions League squads.

It's moving forward to be sure tho.

Formative experience as a wide-eyed youth watching a v heavy & out of shape Paul Gascoigne dominate & outfox lots of much more mobile & athletic players might be informing my thinking here

Oh no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Di8QT98Zk&feature=youtu.be

Klinsi

― dan m, Tuesday, July 1, 2014 4:41 PM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

great game

USA fans are really into "defense"

just wait...soon there'll be these signs at euro games

http://dynastyfootballwarehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Defense-sign.jpg

.. promoting hashtags

Wish Rio Ferdinand would stop saying "it's like watching a premier league game". Like fuck is it, about a million times better.

It was hugely entertaining but basically two mediocre teams with suspect defences, dodgy team selections, a couple of talented players and minimal control over the midfield going at it hammer and tongs and still being largely inept upfront. Like a lot of the time the most fun football isn't necessarily the best football and last night was a bit like a Premiership game in that it was the areas of ineptitude that made it entertaining.

90% of Prem games are turgid shite imo

control over the midfield is about as exciting as a really accurate stats report, like reeeaaaallly accurate, five decimal places accurate hey why are you all going for drinks without me my report is soooooo accurate heyyyyyyy

In terms of intensity and occasion its not at all like EPL.

That goes for Swi-Arg too, yes it might be a worse game than much EPL but its a completely diff ball game in terms of what the teams are trying to achieve and the way that players are weighed down by the occasion and in the way they are put together (you could argue Arg would be more cohesive as a team w/out Messi).

cramp, the secret ingredient we never knew we needed

BEL-USA was only exciting for that 10 minutes in extra time when USA scored a goal back

i mean, some great saves obvs but am pretty bored of watching great saves now knowing that ultimately there will be one shot they can't save at extra time.

it's like being in goal in my old powerleague team again you only look good in goal because your team let the opponent have 50 shots on goal

Klinsi

― dan m, Tuesday, July 1, 2014 4:41 PM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

― caek, Tuesday, July 1, 2014 10:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you need me to explain that one too?

i like also that "suzy" was in the team. none of the commentators called him 'big suze' which was disappointment

Clyde Tyldesley is a crashing wanker

Clive

cli-vee

So how's Van Persie really pronounced?

http://nl.forvo.com/word/robin_van_persie/

How do you pronounce Tyldesley

he is correct that the British football-watching public are (a) inconsistent as fuck and (b) often fronting on these matters but incorrect in the implication that pronouncing 'James' the proper way would be tryhard or pretentious

Howard, who plays for Everton in the Premier League, made save after incredible save, with his hands, his feet, his legs, his face.
He made more saves (15) in a World Cup match than anyone since records began in 1966 but it was not enough. "None of that really matters to me," he added. "I signed up to do that, to put my face in front of balls."

His problem is that his colleagues seem to be going with the "Ham-ez" pronunciation already, so by sticking it out as if it were pronounced the Anglophone way he's adding to confusion rather than minimising it.

To be fair to him, his position doesn't seem that unreaosnable to me, there's inconsistency all ove the shop and intelligibility is the main thing. I think he's drawn the line in the wrong place with this one.

(I suspect you pronounce the "des" in Tyldesley, making it a three-syllable word something like Till-dzz-lee; most people pronounce it Tild-slee. I might be totally wrong about that though.)

"I signed up to do that, to put my face in front of balls."

poor balls :(

Ottmar Hitzfeld was asked before the match what does he like most about managing Switzerland.

He said "Well, the flag is a big plus".

Don't think Howard signed up to being largely failed by his defence though.

i like also that "suzy" was in the team. none of the commentators called him 'big suze' which was disappointment

― ^ 諷刺 (ken c), Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:12 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

aka the pitchdriver

Howard should be more careful. This is the World Cup not the iTunes terms of service.

"I signed up to do that, to put my face in front of balls."

Quote of the Cup

Wolrd. Cup. Balls. Cup Balls. Cupping Balls. There's a joek dying to get out in here somewhere.

surely he's referring to ilxor balls

Like Howard when he's in no bullshit mode

When asked if he felt like the saves meant this would be the Americans' night, he said, "No, I felt like if this continues we'll be in trouble."

https://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/usa_belgium_rating_1152.jpg