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***Soccer Post: US vs Egypt...ESPN2 at 1:00 PM***

P

PosterFormerlyKnownAsRFAA

Redshirt
Nov 16, 2005
812
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(Brazil and Italy are playing on ESPN at the same time)

Starting lineup for US:

Sunday, June 21, 2009
U.S. Starters vs. Egypt

2-Jonathan Bornstein
5-Oguchi Onyewu
8-Clint Dempsey
9-Charlie Davies
10-Landon Donovan (capt.)
12-Michael Bradley
13-Ricardo Clark
15-Jay DeMerit
17-Jozy Altidore
18-Brad Guzan
21-Jonathan Spector

Three changes to the lineup that started against Brazil, with Charlie Davies and Brad Guzan getting their first starts of the tournament while Ricardo Clark returns to the lineup. Donovan makes his 113th appearance and passes Reyna for fourth on the all-time list behind Balboa (128), Agoos (134) and Jones (164).

More of the same it looks like. The only major change came in goal. I'm not sure I understand that. If Adu AND Torres are left out of this game, they should both be pissed!
 
P

PosterFormerlyKnownAsRFAA

Redshirt
Nov 16, 2005
812
0
0
(Brazil and Italy are playing on ESPN at the same time)

Starting lineup for US:

Sunday, June 21, 2009
U.S. Starters vs. Egypt

2-Jonathan Bornstein
5-Oguchi Onyewu
8-Clint Dempsey
9-Charlie Davies
10-Landon Donovan (capt.)
12-Michael Bradley
13-Ricardo Clark
15-Jay DeMerit
17-Jozy Altidore
18-Brad Guzan
21-Jonathan Spector

Three changes to the lineup that started against Brazil, with Charlie Davies and Brad Guzan getting their first starts of the tournament while Ricardo Clark returns to the lineup. Donovan makes his 113th appearance and passes Reyna for fourth on the all-time list behind Balboa (128), Agoos (134) and Jones (164).

More of the same it looks like. The only major change came in goal. I'm not sure I understand that. If Adu AND Torres are left out of this game, they should both be pissed!
 
P

PosterFormerlyKnownAsRFAA

Redshirt
Nov 16, 2005
812
0
0
The US needed to make up a difference of 7 goals.

We are up 1-0 and Brazil is up 3-0. That is already closer than I thought possible. One more goal for Brazil and just two more from the US.

The annoying part of this is that the US had multiple chances today to put in another goal. A few were denied because of good defense but several were stopped by the fact that our players balls haven't dropped yet and they don't seem to want to shoot!

Hopefully, we come out guns blazing the second half...because they are going to know what is going on with Italy/Brazil.
 
J

JohnDawg

Redshirt
Sep 1, 2006
2,510
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36
Bradley is good. 1 more goal for us and Brazil holds off Italy 3-0, and we advance. Never would've thought.
 
J

JimHalpert.nafoom

Guest
to sell those horns at every game. It's made the games unwatchable.
 
Seinfeld

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
10,984
6,696
113
I'm asking because I'm an extremely casual and admittedly fairweather soccer fan. I don't watch soccer unless it's the Olympics or World Cup. Anyway, ever since Team USA made it into the Top 10 of the world rankings around five years ago for I think the first time, it seems like they're always getting our hopes up and then they typically end up falling flat on their faces. So, for those of you that know a lot more about soccer than I do, are they just consistent chokers when it counts or have they really not ever been as good as their ranking to begin with?
 
P

PosterFormerlyKnownAsRFAA

Redshirt
Nov 16, 2005
812
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overranked when it comes to those standings. If that means "overrated" as well, then so be it. The US doesn't control that ranking.

I think the US is a step below the best (Brazil, Italy, Spain, and so on). I think they are near the top of whatever the next level would be. That means they SHOULD challenge the tops team more times than not. It means they should win games against teams on their level. It also means they should nearly always win against the lower teams (which everybody in CONCACAF other than Mexico and most of the time Costa Rica).

All that being said, homefield advantage means more in international soccer than it does in probably any other sport.

That all of that how you want.

I don't think they are underachievers or overrated. I just don't think we a powerhouse and the difference between where we are and where they are is a great one.
 
J

jsireland

Redshirt
Sep 1, 2003
271
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you don't see that kind of thing happen very often in group play. amazing. everything went right for us today, and we somehow managed to capitalize.

of course, our reward is playing the team just crowned with the most matches in a row without a loss. then again, we could get through on kicks following a draw...
 
G

GoState662

Redshirt
Jan 14, 2009
130
0
0
We won this game is because they took out the blind crack head at goalie and put in the new kid.
We wouldn't have had to win by 3 and Italy lose by 3 if Tim Howard would have never gotten on the field in the first two games.
I hope he never plays for USA again but will probably start against Spain because he is our starter so why wouldn't he?
I have seen high school goalies better than him.
 
R

rem101

Sophomore
Jan 22, 2008
3,180
131
63
why would he take out altidore for a midfielder knowing we need to score one more? i know it worked out and doesn't matter now, but that was just dumb.
 
M

MSUCostanza

Redshirt
Jan 10, 2007
5,706
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I can't believe we advanced. Spain will probably beat us like a rented mule, but still, props to the team for coming out with some fire. It would be a huge upset for us to even finish 3rd. And you never know what will happen.
 
P

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
55,896
24,858
113
Anybody who knew anything at all about soccer knew that the top 10 ranking a few years ago was a farce based on a flawed ranking system. ELOratings.com had a much more reasonable ranking system and ranked us in the #20s in the world at that time. FIFA has now changed their system and both FIFA and ELO rank us #14 which is probably about right. We've never been even close to being in the same league as teams like Brazil and Spain.
 
M

MSUCostanza

Redshirt
Jan 10, 2007
5,706
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Yeah, Tim Howard really sucks. He was the #1 keeper for Everton, who finished 6th in the toughest league on the planet and got to the FA Cup Final. Idiot.
 
P

PosterFormerlyKnownAsRFAA

Redshirt
Nov 16, 2005
812
0
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he sent Dempsey up into the attack. I'm wondering if Altidore got hurt or wasn't feeling right.

Regardless, the move worked to perfection!

Credit goes to Bob Bradley today.
 
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