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[OT] Team USA Soccer


Guest Sloth

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Guest Sloth

I don't know how many of you in here like soccer, but what team USA did today was beyond disappointing, and embarrasing. At half time, USA was doing the unthinkable; they were beating Brazil 2-0 in the Confederation Cup final. Team USA was not supposed to make it to the final. There certainly were not expected to be up 2-0 in the final. Team USA gave up 3 goals in the 2nd half, and failed to score one of their own. I went from extreme excitement to complete disappointment.

Lando Donovan, one of the best players in the U.S., said they blew it, and it would be unlikely for them to make to a Fifa final again. That may sound crazy, but is true. It is beyond difficult to make it to a Fifa final. Damn, the U.S. almost didn't make it into the elimination rounds. In their last pool game, they had to beat their opponent by 3 goals or more. They also needed Brazil to do the same. Today's game was the chance for the U.S. to tell the world to shut the f*** up, and realize our country can play the sport w/ the elite. I'm not saying they should be considered as good as Brazil, Italy, Spain, etc..., but I am saying the U.S. should be considered a threat to each and everyone of those teams. The U.S. team blew something to be proud of. I am as pissed off right now as I am whenever the Sabres get knocked out of a playoff run or a playoff series.

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Considering where the USA program was and what they did accomplish this week I have to wonder if the cliche "learning to win" applies.

 

When the better team wins the game I don't know if it's a "choke".

 

Team USA went from the nothing to the something in 2002, when they beat Mexico in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Team USA is no longer a weak team in the grand scheme of things. They are ranked in the top 14 out of an uncountable number of countries. Team USA knows how to win...they've done it before. I did not expect them to win today's game, but when they were up 2-0 at half-time, I did expect them to win. In the sport of soccer, goals can be hard to come by. The difficulty to score increases as the level of play inceases. There is no excuse for team USA giving up 3 goals in the 2nd half. It'd be much like the Sabres blowing a 4 goal lead in the 3rd period in the playoffs. Team USA choked in the 2nd half today. The players and coaches new what they were on the brink of, and they blew it. Many sports analysts were saying if team USA beat Brazil today, they'd be considered Miracle II. What team USA could have pulled off today would have been unprecedented. There is always the World Cup of 2010...

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Team USA went from the nothing to the something in 2002, when they beat Mexico in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Team USA is no longer a weak team in the grand scheme of things. They are ranked in the top 14 out of an uncountable number of countries. Team USA knows how to win...they've done it before. I did not expect them to win today's game, but when they were up 2-0 at half-time, I did expect them to win. In the sport of soccer, goals can be hard to come by. The difficulty to score increases as the level of play inceases. There is no excuse for team USA giving up 3 goals in the 2nd half. It'd be much like the Sabres blowing a 4 goal lead in the 3rd period in the playoffs. Team USA choked in the 2nd half today. The players and coaches new what they were on the brink of, and they blew it. Many sports analysts were saying if team USA beat Brazil today, they'd be considered Miracle II. What team USA could have pulled off today would have been unprecedented. There is always the World Cup of 2010...

 

Dempsey scored a brilliant tip-in goal 9 minutes in, the US put on some pressure for a few more minutes, and then we did NOTHING for the last 75 minutes of the game. Donovan's goal at 29' was a fluke, and Brazil owned that game from the 14th or 15th minute to the end. Sprinting and scrambling around a pitch with no apparent plan is not any way to win an international, much less an international against freaking Brazil.

 

Don't get me wrong; I'm happy with the way our team came together against Egypt and Spain. I'm happy we reached the final. But this was silly today; we looked as bad today as we did against Italy. Disorganized. Constant penetration to our back line. Passing, way off. In some cases, so far off that the passes were directly onto the boots of Brazilians.

 

There's a long, long way to go before the US will make any more impact at a World Cup.

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Dempsey scored a brilliant tip-in goal 9 minutes in, the US put on some pressure for a few more minutes, and then we did NOTHING for the last 75 minutes of the game. Donovan's goal at 29' was a fluke, and Brazil owned that game from the 14th or 15th minute to the end. Sprinting and scrambling around a pitch with no apparent plan is not any way to win an international, much less an international against freaking Brazil.

 

Don't get me wrong; I'm happy with the way our team came together against Egypt and Spain. I'm happy we reached the final. But this was silly today; we looked as bad today as we did against Italy. Disorganized. Constant penetration to our back line. Passing, way off. In some cases, so far off that the passes were directly onto the boots of Brazilians.

 

There's a long, long way to go before the US will make any more impact at a World Cup.

 

I am enjoying editing this in my mind, replacing the references with Sabres references. Give it a whirl!

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I am enjoying editing this in my mind, replacing the references with Sabres references. Give it a whirl!

 

I swear, I was thinking the same damned thing as I was writing it; specifically, I was thinking about 1999 and 2007.

 

Sux.

 

EDIT: Oh, and 2001, too. That one was pretty bad.

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USA didn't choked. They were just out coached. Making those subs that late was stupid, and taking off a striker and their best controlling midfielder for a guy who's struggled and defender was just dumb. They were getting bombarded by shots and they needed to attack slightly more. They needed to get stronger in midfield and get fresh legs on defense. Jozy should have remained in. One great coach once said, the best defense is a good attack. If you're attacking.... it means they are not.

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