78 replies to this topic

[EP Sox Fan]

7 goals in 7 World Cup games for Villa.

Guy is a machine.

Guy just scores goals and knows how to finish.

Note to US Soccer Federation: For example of type of player needed to fill striker role on USMNT see Villa, David.

[ifmanis5]

Spain playing keep away. And playing it well.

[URI]

Spain playing keep away. And playing it well.

He represents Catalonia, she was raised down in Aragon.

[EP Sox Fan]

Spain playing keep away. And playing it well.

They really have the perfect recipe for World Cup success: solid D, can hold possession, possess at least one player who can finish and competent goalkeeping.

Once they get a lead like this, they can touch the ball around the field like they're playing keep away. Also, Portugal's required to change their tactics in the middle of the match. Often not a great recipe for success. Pack the back and counterattack works great until you have to score.

[cjdmadcow]

Guy just scores goals and knows how to finish.

Note to US Soccer Federation: For example of type of player needed to fill striker role on USMNT see Villa, David.

Good intentions, but to be fair there aren't many of the quality of David Villa playing in world football, let alone the US. It's one thing to identify the type of player you want, it's another to actually find someone with that natural-born talent.

[Ahriman]

Say what you want about Ronaldo, but he's been hosed by the refs this game.

[EP Sox Fan]

Good intentions, but to be fair there aren't many of the quality of David Villa playing in world football, let alone the US. It's one thing to identify the type of player you want, it's another to actually find someone with that natural-born talent.

That's why I said example. US lacks a pure finisher. Villa certainly looks the part. The talent has to be there somewhere, it's just a matter of finding someone (not necessarily to equal Villa but someone who has the killer instinct that Altidore / Findley lack (will cut Gomez, Buddle a break since we didn't get to see enough of them in the WC) lack.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Eh?

[Bosoxen]

He threw the elbow, but did he make contact?

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Ridiculous call, not that it matters much at this point.

[URI]

That's why I said example. US lacks a pure finisher. Villa certainly looks the part. The talent has to be there somewhere, it's just a matter of finding someone (not necessarily to equal Villa but someone who has the killer instinct that Altidore / Findley lack (will cut Gomez, Buddle a break since we didn't get to see enough of them in the WC) lack.

Findley also lacks talent.

Altidore is still young and has scored 9 goals in under 30 games for the US. I'd be careful in saying that he lacks a "killer instinct"...it's not like he's Emile Heskey yet or anything.

[ifmanis5]

...it's not like he's Emile Heskey yet or anything.

Another dumb red card. Stern must run FIFA as well.

[SoxFanInCali]

Portugal scored 7 times against North Korea, and none against the Ivory Coast, Brazil, and Spain combined.

[Bosoxen]

Bye bye Ronaldo, you cunt-faced asshole.

[Mike Greenwall]

Bye bye Ronaldo, you cunt-faced asshole.

This.
He just spat at the camera. Stay classy, you prick!

[Seven Costanza]

Paraguay is going to get SMOKED.

[EP Sox Fan]

Findley also lacks talent.

Altidore is still young and has scored 9 goals in under 30 games for the US. I'd be careful in saying that he lacks a "killer instinct"...it's not like he's Emile Heskey yet or anything.

Fair point, I was basing my post on his WC performance more than anything else. He's 20 and has a lot of upside and may well develop into the type of striker we desperately need.

Edit: Also, Findley blows.

Edited by EP Sox Fan, 29 June 2010 - 03:27 PM.

[Chemistry Schmemistry]

He threw the elbow, but did he make contact?

Love the way the "victim" rolled around for a few seconds, then looked up at the referee, saw the referee looking back, then commenced more rolling around in agony.

[MentalDisabldLst]

I think I've had enough of the 'South Africa 2010' segway. I have no idea what the (Afrikaans?) shout means.

[ifmanis5]

Bye bye Ronaldo, you cunt-faced asshole.

So fucking true. Hate knowing that somewhere Gasol is happy, tho.

[Zososoxfan]

What a boring fucking game, my god. Spain have only one way to score and that's tight area passing near the box. Theor talented forward players rarely take on defenders and against a better team, I doubt they do much. To be fair, Ramos had an excellent game running the right side of the attack. Villa looks in top form, he was most certainly a bright spot on this miserable day. The defense had a couple of very close calls (the Puyol deflection, I think there were others). Torres was an amateurish clothes hanger abortion (shades of Kaka with an injury as a possible excuse), Iniesta was ineffective, and there was no need to have both Busquets and Alonso in there.

Not to be outdone, Portugal, who may be the most overrated team in the world, did nothing during 90 minutes. They have decent defense, Cronaldo, and nothing else. Coentrao (sp?, the LFB) was the only player who showed a pulse and he disappeared during the 2nd half.

I fully expect Spain to play a similar, if not a more effective, version of the same gameplan against Paraguay, but a grittier, more physical Paraguay could show expose some weaknesses in this Spanish squad. In all likelihood though, Spain will pass the ball around, eventually score a decent goal, then play keep-away.

Where I think it gets interesting is the semis, if Spain qualifies, against Germany/Argentina. Argentina can probably play the possession game as well as Spain, and throws many more players who are in better form forward. whereas Germany could probably break up Spanish possession through physical play or render it ineffective through their organization.

[Mystic Merlin]

Wow, did I really write that? Fuck me.

[AusTexSoxFan]

My God... Spain are on the cusp of reaching a WC semi for the first time ever.

A por ellos! O-E!

[EP Sox Fan]

Not to be outdone, Portugal, who may be the most overrated team in the world, did nothing during 90 minutes. They have decent defense, Cronaldo, and nothing else. Coentrao (sp?, the LFB) was the only player who showed a pulse and he disappeared during the 2nd half.

England says cheerio.

[Nick Kaufman]

I think Spain can count herself as equal in talent to Brazil and Argentina BUT.... It lacks a clear plan I think. Del Bosque is trying to find a way to fit the puzzle from game to game and at some point it might catch up with him.

[Philip Jeff Frye]

He hit the clinching penalty kick for Portugal vs. England in 06, and again to win Manchester United the 08 Champions League. His teams have won 3 league championships, and 3 domestic cups.

I wish more players would "come up small when it matters" like him. Ronaldo is very easily hatable, but come on now.

And him being "a pretty boy with some talent" refuses to acknowledge just how much talent he has. If anything, he's more like Kobe Bryant, who is immensely talented that is singularly obsessed with winning because it injects him more into the spotlight. He might be a vain egotist that does things like take 30 shots from 40 yards out depsite open teammates, but he's also one of the best 4-5 players in the world.

Yeah, and Arod had done a few things too. But Ronaldo did nothing for Portugal in this tournament other than score a meaningless goal late in a rout of North Korea. He did almost nothing in Euro 2008, and nothing in the qualifying for this Cup. He scored a goal in the 2006 World Cup and got Wayne Rooney expelled. And is beating England on penalties considered an achievement any more?

We talk a lot of about Small Sample Size on this board and 4-5 games once every four years is about as small as it gets. Other great players have managed to disappear from these tournaments too (Hello, Wayne Rooney!). But if Ronaldo wants to be considered an all-time great, instead of just the transfer payment record setter, he's got to do something someday on this stage and, so far, he's come up small. Today certainly did nothing to change that.

[Vinho Tinto]

But if Ronaldo wants to be considered an all-time great, instead of just the transfer payment record setter, he's got to do something someday on this stage and, so far, he's come up small. .

Ronaldo's problem is that he is focused on playing like an all-time great rather than a winger who is a member of a team. He did this during his best tournaments for Portugal (Euro '04 and WC '06). I wonder how much of this is due to Figo's retirement. It'd probably help if he had a coach he was forced to respect.

[nickandemmasuncle]

Paraguay is going to lose 1-0 in the most boring and predictable match in World Cup history.

[Zomp]

Yeah, and Arod had done a few things too. But Ronaldo did nothing for Portugal in this tournament other than score a meaningless goal late in a rout of North Korea. He did almost nothing in Euro 2008, and nothing in the qualifying for this Cup. He scored a goal in the 2006 World Cup and got Wayne Rooney expelled. And is beating England on penalties considered an achievement any more?

We talk a lot of about Small Sample Size on this board and 4-5 games once every four years is about as small as it gets. Other great players have managed to disappear from these tournaments too (Hello, Wayne Rooney!). But if Ronaldo wants to be considered an all-time great, instead of just the transfer payment record setter, he's got to do something someday on this stage and, so far, he's come up small. Today certainly did nothing to change that.

How do you feel about Leo Messi? Does he have to do something on this stage to become an all-time great?