*** Official USA vs Belgium World Cup Game Thread ***

[|Zach|]

USA vs Belgium | 3PM CT | ESPN | Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil

Knock out stage. Trying to make the jump from the 16 teams to 8 teams where the winner of this game will play the winner of Argentina vs Switzerland.

No ties...someone has to advance. Detailed preview here via Shinguardian.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

No baseball team has ever lost a 7 game series and advanced to the next round, dummy.

But did lose a game. That was my point.

Whoever is reading your posts for you is doing an awful job.

You seem to be confused in multiple levels. Is everything going ok in your world?

[Kansas City Kid]

I'm not confused. You are a gay man who likes a sport where you lose and advance. Crystal clear.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

I'm not confused. You are a gay man who likes a sport where you lose and advance. Crystal clear.

Nailed it.

[Kansas City Kid]

You've taken more balls to the chin than that US goalie.

[Dartgod]

Who's mult is this 'tard anyway?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

You've taken more balls to the chin than that US goalie.

Some of these dipshits in here have given me shit even though I've not even trashed their sport. But, still........Come on man this shit is over the line. Just let it go.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Friendo

Didn't want to start a new thread since some get sand in their V over anything soccer, but just wanted to put this out there for conversation: moving forward, what do you think should be the standard for JK regarding his management of this team. For me its fairly simple: improve possession rate. Counter-attacking and physical toughness have been there all along, but I saw little improvement (at least in the WC). We were one Wondo shank from advancing, so obviously luck plays a big part in wins/losses. I guess what I am saying is I would have been just as satisfied had we not gotten out of Group play, but showed a marked improvement in an area that has forever haunted us (and is pretty easy to discern). What say you...

I mostly agree. HOWEVER, when we went down 1-0 to Portugal we looked like the team that destroyed CONCACAF in qualifying. We possessed the ball and created chances for ourselves. Even after we tied the score we kept the ball and pressed until we got what should have been the winner.

I think Jurgen has our team play wide open and possess the ball when we are up against a team that we are (at least) as talented as. But, when we play a team that has superior talent (like Belgium or Germany) we tend to be more defensive and attempt to take our chances on the counter-attack.

What's cool is that the number of teams out there that are clearly more talented than we are is shrinking every year.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

Tough to argue that finding a bunch of midfielders that can control the ball and set up the strikers has to be priority #1.

It is funny...obviously this was a problem now that we are out of the Cup but...I wouldn't have guessed it was something we would have huge problems with going into Brazil, no?

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Don't see why they don't superimpose an ad on the pitch away from the ball.

American broadcasts used to do just that. They outlined the screen with whatever product and said its pitch line.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by unlurking

The expectation of people to walk into a place and expect others to change for them makes me question their stupidity and arrogance emphatically.

You really are upset. It's ok. Continue crying to me. I'll listen.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

It is funny...obviously this was a problem now that we are out of the Cup but...I wouldn't have guessed it was something we would have huge problems with going into Brazil, no?

Altidore going down hurt.

I'm curious if Bradley was as bad at attacking as so many have said, or if JK was right and being timid is just a trait that the US has to get over.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by sedated

Altidore going down hurt.

I'm curious if Bradley was as bad at attacking as so many have said, or if JK was right and being timid is just a trait that the US has to get over.

Bradley was a disappointment. No two ways about it...

However it felt like he was playing both tips of the diamond at times. Doing all the work on the back end to try and disrupt defend and stop attacks before they happen but he was also expected to go forward and create havoc...Jermaine Jones took over the roll that we usually see Bradley play. And we can't have both of them going forward and causing problems too much and Bradley was better suited to do the ditch work than Jones was.

It was...all such a weird deal and a change up from qualifying.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Soccer, in general, is played by poor people. That's just a fact.

Actually, not so much in the United States. Its long had a youth soccer culture of elite youth academies & traveling teams that put the cost on parents (unlike, say, AAU programs in basketball).

For anyone on here around age 30 like me, think about all the kids you knew who were playing soccer in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th grades. Every single one I knew had well-off parents.

That said, that approach has begun to change. The more that youth soccer academies are going through MLS organizations and U.S. Soccer (both the vision of Klinsmann AND the MLS teams), the more democratized its going to get.

[Friendo]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Actually, not so much in the United States. Its long had a youth soccer culture of elite youth academies & traveling teams that put the cost on parents (unlike, say, AAU programs in basketball).

For anyone on here around age 30 like me, think about all the kids you knew who were playing soccer in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th grades. Every single one I knew had well-off parents.

That said, that approach has begun to change. The more that youth soccer academies are going through MLS organizations and U.S. Soccer (both the vision of Klinsmann AND the MLS teams), the more democratized its going to get.

it's a fine balance--I used to correspond with a youth Coach in England who told me their problem has been that they were too top-heavy with the structure/Academy system, esp early on. Parental meddling, over the top coaching, etc--just like you see here. The really creative players learn it on the playground (just like hoops here). I used to tell the kids that I coached that the best development takes place on your own after practice. Look no further than the NBA Championship this year for the balance however---structure & discipline definitely have a place (Spurs & their foreign players), but the game HAS to be fun in order for the little ones to catch fire. That is the danger to me....that in chasing success on the world stage we'll get too caught up like England did on results. The results will come with the right balance.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Friendo

it's a fine balance--I used to correspond with a youth Coach in England who told me their problem has been that they were too top-heavy with the structure/Academy system, esp early on. Parental meddling, over the top coaching, etc--just like you see here. The really creative players learn it on the playground (just like hoops here). I used to tell the kids that I coached that the best development takes place on your own after practice. Look no further than the NBA Championship this year for the balance however---structure & discipline definitely have a place (Spurs & their foreign players), but the game HAS to be fun in order for the little ones to catch fire. That is the danger to me....that in chasing success on the world stage we'll get too caught up like England did on results. The results will come with the right balance.

Another interesting part of AAU, according to basketball coaches around here at least, is that it actually HURTS a lot of kids' games to constantly be playing AAU and touring all the time, especially at a young age.

They don't work on fundamental aspects of their game. Thus you get freak athletes who can make beautiful plays, but they can't shoot free throws for shit, run set plays, or have horrible footwork underneath.