Now 3-1 in the 60th minute. I don't have the channel, what's going on. Is Columbia conceding?
USMNT/Soccer Thread
- Thread starter BigBlueSean_rivals178247
- Start date
Obviously Brasil is Brasil, but from a match-up standpoint who do we match better against.....Brasil or Peru?
Holy ****.....we just won group stage....
Knowing our luck Peru will beat Brazil and Brazil will be runner up in their group....
Knowing our luck Peru will beat Brazil and Brazil will be runner up in their group....
Brazil is the worst matchup....
Peru is 2nd worst...
Ecuador IMO is best case scenario
Nah Brazil needs a draw at worst or they'll be knocked out of the group. Ecuador is playing Haiti who's a free 3 points.
So Brazil is totally going to throw the game tomorrow right?
Rankings wise :
Brazil--- 7
Ecuador --- 13
Peru---48
Probably the best thing is we are in Seattle....arguably the best place to have a home field advantage for us....that place will be nuts!
Brazil--- 7
Ecuador --- 13
Peru---48
Probably the best thing is we are in Seattle....arguably the best place to have a home field advantage for us....that place will be nuts!
^ wouldnt Columbus have something to say about?
I hope that Seattle brings it Thursday. Would love to see a crowd of 70,000 plus for the USA.
I hope that Seattle brings it Thursday. Would love to see a crowd of 70,000 plus for the USA.
Like I said they can't. Besides looking at the standings and GD, either they win/draw against Peru and win the group so we avoid them, or they lose and get eliminated when Ecuador beats Haiti.
In any case we've done our part. Hopefully we'll get lucky today.
Hopefully the US gets Peru and then they'll likely get Argentina in Houston, which is a pretty tough matchup but would be an awesome opportunity. We're very fortunate to be playing in Seattle - that city deserves a matchup likes this, but stinks that Yedlin will not be playing.
Watched all 5 matches yesterday, by the way and will watch a bunch today too.
Watched all 5 matches yesterday, by the way and will watch a bunch today too.
Ok everybody, how would you adjust for Yedlin? Would you do a simple player swap or would you do something more dramatic?
Player swap....the 4-4-2 flat with Dempsey behind Wood is really working for us right now....I simply put Michael Orozco in his spot and move Zardes to the right side to help out with anyone pacey.
Technically speaking they should be on the outside looking in....they lost to Ecuador but refs made a horrible call erasing a goal.
Well he just signed a 4 year deal with H Berlin, so likely someone would want to buy him for that to happen.
Do they have anyone else besides Orazco? I've not been overly impressed with him.
Ok, so now how is the match-up with Ecuador? I remember just watching US/Ec play just recently, but I didn't get the impression that either was playing ultra hard. And, out of Peru, Brasil, and Ecuador, is this the best draw?
While Brazil didn't play the majority of their best players (Neymar, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Hulk, Luis Gustavo, Danilo) there is enough top quality on that team to win that group. That was not the beautiful game I have grown accustomed to seeing. Yes it was a handball, but come on not scoring against Ecuador and Peru? Sitting outside of top 5 of world cup qualifying... Dunga has to be fired.
If we play how we played against Paraguay we can beat Ecuador....but Ecuador is hot and their counter attack is brutal. We can beat them though. They are the 2nd best draw we could have gotten.
But I agree with Alexi Lalas... that last night was kind of the soccer gods paying Brazil back for the goal that was wrongly disallowed for Ecuador in their game...
Italy very surprising..... They looked REALLY good. A lot of young talent. Shouldve won 3 or 4-0
Just listened to a podcast, seems like Jurgen is going to move Fabian Johnson from LB to RB and put Castillo at LB so we have more pace out there. Kinda agree that's the right move to make.
With the 4-4-2 (which is really a 4-1-3-2) they have been playing that seems like the smart play to me; Montero gave Yedlin enough trouble three weeks ago to believe that Orozco's presence there would cave the entire right side of the U.S. attack into the box which would damage possession. Putting Johnson there at least forces Montero to honor Johnson's ability to be a quality overlapping option on counters, and while he's not a defender of renown he's an attacker of renown who could put Ecuador in a world of hurt if they don't account for him.
I'd also submit it leaves open the possibility of the 4-3-3 and pretty much assures that you have Bedoya on the right flank in front of Johnson instead of Zardes. With Zardes' high work rate and willingness to tack back almost like a right back I'd think he'd be more likely to be the right wing in a 4-3-3; you don't have that flexibility with Bedoya and Zardes if Orozco is a right back. They'd have to go 4-4-2 with Zardes in front of him if it were Orozco.
Agree with everything. Thats going to put us in the best position IMO. Just sad that we are playing in Seattle and Yedlin is suspended. We gotta win this game though. JK set the goal at the SEMIS.... thats our success in this tournament....it would put us against Argentina in the semi-final. A team like Ecuador is who you are going to have to be able to beat in the first game of the Knockout round on a consistent basis.... We have to beat them. One interesting thing I didnt realize is that there is no Extra Time/Over Time. If a game is tied at the end of 90 it goes straight to PK's.
Sounds like a good move. Ecuador tends to sit back and allow you to have possession then strike fast with counters and many shots on goal. Saw a stat that Ecuador has averaged about 40' of possession which is ranked pretty far down in their group yet ranked really high on attempted shots.
We need our boys to get back in a flash.
We need our boys to get back in a flash.
I am a total newbie to the sport and it scratches that tactical, chess match itch that I like when I'm arm chairing a football game; since I never played soccer I assume that the best way to handle a team that relies on production out of counterattacking is to dominate midfield possession, because that's where your space necessary to kickstart a dangerous counterattack has to come from. You almost have to factor in your attack like floor balance in basketball; overpenetration becomes dangerous.
...if that's the best course to take against an Ecuador I'd think Jermaine Jones being disciplined in his positioning is critical and we'd be very well served to have Nagbe as a CAM in front of Bradley with Bedoya--or Graham Zusi though I don't think that's as likely unless they're in a 4-3-3.
You are right.... we need to play like we did against Paraguay in the midfield to have a chance. They will let us have possession....Bradley CANNOT have a game like he did against Colombia and give the ball up in the middle third... We are mirror images of each other. There will be space to be had on the wings and on the attack in the center. This could be a game Pulisic and Nagbe could be massive jolts off the bench because they are so dynamic on the ball. Best case scenario is to get a goal EARLY. We also are going to need that crowd to be amped and ready to go.
We have been playing a high back line all tournament and we have done well to remain attached in the back...but against someone like Ecuador all it takes is 1 person to fall alseep for half a second and play one of Ecuadors attackers onside as they make a run to get in behind.... Its playing with fire, but luckily Brooks and Cameron have been rock solid.
We have been playing a high back line all tournament and we have done well to remain attached in the back...but against someone like Ecuador all it takes is 1 person to fall alseep for half a second and play one of Ecuadors attackers onside as they make a run to get in behind.... Its playing with fire, but luckily Brooks and Cameron have been rock solid.
The best way to counter a counter-attacking style of play is to press with your front 2-3 guys and then shorten the field with your back line and bait the long pass over the top: Think of it like this:
O
O O O O
O O---------------- These are the guys for Ecuador that are gonna want to initiate the counter.
O ---- (This is who they want to get it to in the middle Immediately so he can turn and hit the ST or Wingers)
O O - These wingers and the ST on top play right on the back line
So what you do to them is IF and when they win the ball, you make their CDM's pass either go backwards or make them try and kick 40+ yard pin point accurate passes into tiny areas of the field over the top. Luckily, Ecuadors CDM's are not Sergio Busquesttes and Ivan Rakitic who can do that consistently.... I would also play Dempsey in that "false 9" role dropping deep to help out in possession and pick out Wood, Zardes and anyone making a forward run....Dempsey then can find the soft spot in the middle like he did on his goal against Paraguay. The last thing the US wants is a WIDE Open "shootout" with Ecuador.