New Media Assistant and former Panther standout Chris Lins checks in with his latest World Cup thoughts
It has certainly been a World Cup of ups and downs. Twenty minutes in to the Brazil vs. Netherlands game, Brazil looked poised and on form taking the lead. To much of my surprise (and I'm sure many others) they looked confused and didn't know how to react after the own goal by Felipe Melo, the second Dutch goal and finally the sending off of Felipe Melo. It was the first time Brazil was tested and they failed.
Uruguay vs. Ghana was another match that was worth watching the full 120 plus minutes of play. Both teams played exciting soccer throughout the match and it all climaxed at the 121st minute when Suarez handled the ball on the goal line to give Ghana the chance to send the first African nation to the semifinals, EVER! I guess the pressure was too intense and Asamoah Gyan missed penalty to send the game into a shoot out. With that miss, Uruaguay certainly had the momentum going into the shoot out and ended up winning.
With only one more semifinal game to be played (Germany vs. Spain) regardless of who wins, the final is sure to be much anticipated. It's tough to pick who will win this match up but I think that the winner of Spain & Germany will take the Cup. Netherlands is a good team but they have been pretty lucky throughout the tournament and for them to win, they will need all the luck they can get. Germany is looking very good after dominating Argentina in the quarter-finals. Spain on the other hand is probably one of the best passing teams in the world but, have struggled to find their best form. Maybe they'll find it against Germany?
It's all about peaking and finding your best form at the right time. It will be interesting to see if Spain can find that form that made them European Champions in 2008. Can Germany continue to play at the level they have been or did they peak too soon?
We'll find out soon enough!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
World Cup - Potential Realized
Associate AD-Communications Kevin O'Connor adds some World Cup thoughts after today's 3-2 win by the Netherlands over Uruguay
Congratulations to Holland for a strong performance in today's semifinals and a well-deserved berth in Sunday's final.
Kevin Conway made fun of himself when he mentioned the Netherlands in his pre-tournament picks, and a few of the rest of us also talked about how much we liked them. But, were we all just hoping they could be as good as they should be?
As it turns out, the Dutch are that good. They have stars, they have structure and, best of all, they can score goals. Wonderful, beautiful goals - two of the three today were as good off the foot and head as we've seen in the tournament. And the orange ... you'd expect a Dutch version of Rocky Top to break out in South Africa Sunday.
I find the World Cup to be so much better when Italy and France are home while Holland and Spain are still playing, but too often in recent years it has been the opposite. Now, we have the possibility of a delicious final, no matter who wins the Spain/Germany contest Wednesday.
So, Sunday we are assured that plenty of stars will be on display. If all goes well, both sides will look to attack, and hopefully it will be settled prior to PKs. This tournament has gotten better in every round of games, and at this point the final should put the proper exclamation point on the event. I can't wait.
Congratulations to Holland for a strong performance in today's semifinals and a well-deserved berth in Sunday's final.
Kevin Conway made fun of himself when he mentioned the Netherlands in his pre-tournament picks, and a few of the rest of us also talked about how much we liked them. But, were we all just hoping they could be as good as they should be?
As it turns out, the Dutch are that good. They have stars, they have structure and, best of all, they can score goals. Wonderful, beautiful goals - two of the three today were as good off the foot and head as we've seen in the tournament. And the orange ... you'd expect a Dutch version of Rocky Top to break out in South Africa Sunday.
I find the World Cup to be so much better when Italy and France are home while Holland and Spain are still playing, but too often in recent years it has been the opposite. Now, we have the possibility of a delicious final, no matter who wins the Spain/Germany contest Wednesday.
So, Sunday we are assured that plenty of stars will be on display. If all goes well, both sides will look to attack, and hopefully it will be settled prior to PKs. This tournament has gotten better in every round of games, and at this point the final should put the proper exclamation point on the event. I can't wait.
More World Cup Thoughts From Chris Whalley
UWM men's soccer coach Chris Whalley checks in with his latest thoughts on the World Cup as we move through the semifinal round
First of all, as you might expect, I was disappointed in England going out. They played very poorly and didn’t think they played that great the day they lost to Germany.
In the quarterfinals, what a crazy, crazy game the way Ghana had the game – had the PK to win – when Saurez had the handball called on the goal line. He sacrificed himself to help his team go through, and then they missed the PK and their goalie went on to win the penalty kick shootout. So that was pretty crazy.
I don’t consider the Netherlands beating Brazil to be a shock. I thought they were one of the best teams in the tournament, so to see them win was exciting and to have them do so well. Hopefully they can continue on and advance to the next level because I think they play great soccer with players like Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben - all very good players. Then they are complimented by the likes of Mark Van Bommel - some defensive-minded players that come through if you give them a platform to play on.
I can see Netherlands beating Uruguay. Then Germany – who I thought was fantastic against England and even more so against Argentina - they play Spain. I think they are similar in a lot of ways. That game could go either way – they play conflicting styles and they score goals.
Obviously, I would like to see Germany v. Netherlands final. There is a lot of history between the two countries and I think it would be great for soccer. With so many European teams left it is exciting for someone from that side of the pond like myself. But, I think when you get to the semifinals, any of the four teams can win it. There are no poor teams left in the competition at that stage.
First of all, as you might expect, I was disappointed in England going out. They played very poorly and didn’t think they played that great the day they lost to Germany.
In the quarterfinals, what a crazy, crazy game the way Ghana had the game – had the PK to win – when Saurez had the handball called on the goal line. He sacrificed himself to help his team go through, and then they missed the PK and their goalie went on to win the penalty kick shootout. So that was pretty crazy.
I don’t consider the Netherlands beating Brazil to be a shock. I thought they were one of the best teams in the tournament, so to see them win was exciting and to have them do so well. Hopefully they can continue on and advance to the next level because I think they play great soccer with players like Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben - all very good players. Then they are complimented by the likes of Mark Van Bommel - some defensive-minded players that come through if you give them a platform to play on.
I can see Netherlands beating Uruguay. Then Germany – who I thought was fantastic against England and even more so against Argentina - they play Spain. I think they are similar in a lot of ways. That game could go either way – they play conflicting styles and they score goals.
Obviously, I would like to see Germany v. Netherlands final. There is a lot of history between the two countries and I think it would be great for soccer. With so many European teams left it is exciting for someone from that side of the pond like myself. But, I think when you get to the semifinals, any of the four teams can win it. There are no poor teams left in the competition at that stage.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Five Thoughts Heading Toward The Quarterfinals
Associate AD-Communications Kevin O'Connor checks in with another blog entry as the World Cup heads toward the quarterfinal round.
We’re on to the quarterfinals, with two superstar matchups and two under-the-radar contests. As many have noted, the showdowns between Brazil/Holland (Friday) and Germany/Argentina (Saturday) could qualify as semifinals or even finals matchups. Yet, the Ghana/Uruguay contest has the intrigue of Africa against yet another South American team advancing deep in the tournament. And, the Spain/Paraguay match could be where the eventual champion sits, with Spain still a strong favorite to win the whole deal. Predictions and insights below, with another edition of five thoughts …
Done With Portugal … The list of disappointments at a World Cup is always long, but Portugal has sapped the life out of anyone expecting a talented side to play attractive soccer. In the group stages, they did exactly what an aggravating side does, which is to throttle the minnow of the group while playing for the scoreless draw in its other two contests. Then, while looking dangerous on occasion against the Spanish, did it ever really feel like they were going to equalize? This is the third-ranked team in the world – alright the FIFA rankings are shaky - but they play much more like a side hoping to hang on. If Paraguay plays the defend-and-counter style against Spain in the quarters, you can understand it – in fact it would be suggested and the best chance of winning. But Portugal is better than that, yet spent much of the World Cup looking like they didn’t know it. So maybe they are not better than that.
TV Time … ESPN made some waves by hiring almost all foreign announcers for their coverage of the World Cup. These were good waves, mind you, and it seems the coverage has now become critically acclaimed. In fact, you have to chuckle that the two remaining American soccer experts on the broadcasts – John Harkes and Alexi Lalas – seem to draw the most ire. I can’t disagree with that stance, or with the idea that the rest of the coverage has been spot on. For U.S. fans who watch the Premiere League and Champions League during the regular season, it comes as no surprise that using those matches as a coverage blueprint has developed a successful operation.
You Like Free Agency? … There is much buzz and excitement over the start of NBA free agency, and rightly so if you are a fan of one of the five or six teams with a chance to greatly improve themselves in the next two weeks. But, this window may have nothing on the upcoming transfer parade on the European soccer scene. The offseason always sees plenty of movement within and among leagues, but the month following the World Cup usually takes it to another level. New faces and players have emerged, often claiming big (and sometimes undeserved) contracts with new teams after being seen on the big stage. U.S. fans will be watching closely to see where Landon Donovan lands (I vote no on Manchester City), while also keeping an eye for a move by Michael Bradley to the Premiere League or to another bigger-money European club. There is also come early speculation that Clint Dempsey could follow his now-former coach Roy Hodgson from Fulham to Liverpool.
Speaking Of Bradley (Specifically Bob) … I really don’t think I have a formulated opinion on the comings and goings of Bob Bradley as the U.S. coach. My take is very simple – I just don’t know how much it matters for the next two years. I don’t necessarily assume if he is retained for now that it rules out the possibility of him being let go before the next World Cup. Likewise, if a new coach is named in January and the U.S. struggles in the Gold Cup and early 2014 qualifying, there could be yet another new coach in the pipeline. It does matter who coaches the team by 2013. Until then, I will be much more interested in the development of individual players – something the national team coach has little, if nothing, to do with - than who is drawing up the tactics for a Gold Cup group stage match with Trinidad and Tobago.
Finally, The Picks … For what it is worth, Brazil and Uruguay win Friday, Argentina and Spain win Saturday.
We’re on to the quarterfinals, with two superstar matchups and two under-the-radar contests. As many have noted, the showdowns between Brazil/Holland (Friday) and Germany/Argentina (Saturday) could qualify as semifinals or even finals matchups. Yet, the Ghana/Uruguay contest has the intrigue of Africa against yet another South American team advancing deep in the tournament. And, the Spain/Paraguay match could be where the eventual champion sits, with Spain still a strong favorite to win the whole deal. Predictions and insights below, with another edition of five thoughts …
Done With Portugal … The list of disappointments at a World Cup is always long, but Portugal has sapped the life out of anyone expecting a talented side to play attractive soccer. In the group stages, they did exactly what an aggravating side does, which is to throttle the minnow of the group while playing for the scoreless draw in its other two contests. Then, while looking dangerous on occasion against the Spanish, did it ever really feel like they were going to equalize? This is the third-ranked team in the world – alright the FIFA rankings are shaky - but they play much more like a side hoping to hang on. If Paraguay plays the defend-and-counter style against Spain in the quarters, you can understand it – in fact it would be suggested and the best chance of winning. But Portugal is better than that, yet spent much of the World Cup looking like they didn’t know it. So maybe they are not better than that.
TV Time … ESPN made some waves by hiring almost all foreign announcers for their coverage of the World Cup. These were good waves, mind you, and it seems the coverage has now become critically acclaimed. In fact, you have to chuckle that the two remaining American soccer experts on the broadcasts – John Harkes and Alexi Lalas – seem to draw the most ire. I can’t disagree with that stance, or with the idea that the rest of the coverage has been spot on. For U.S. fans who watch the Premiere League and Champions League during the regular season, it comes as no surprise that using those matches as a coverage blueprint has developed a successful operation.
You Like Free Agency? … There is much buzz and excitement over the start of NBA free agency, and rightly so if you are a fan of one of the five or six teams with a chance to greatly improve themselves in the next two weeks. But, this window may have nothing on the upcoming transfer parade on the European soccer scene. The offseason always sees plenty of movement within and among leagues, but the month following the World Cup usually takes it to another level. New faces and players have emerged, often claiming big (and sometimes undeserved) contracts with new teams after being seen on the big stage. U.S. fans will be watching closely to see where Landon Donovan lands (I vote no on Manchester City), while also keeping an eye for a move by Michael Bradley to the Premiere League or to another bigger-money European club. There is also come early speculation that Clint Dempsey could follow his now-former coach Roy Hodgson from Fulham to Liverpool.
Speaking Of Bradley (Specifically Bob) … I really don’t think I have a formulated opinion on the comings and goings of Bob Bradley as the U.S. coach. My take is very simple – I just don’t know how much it matters for the next two years. I don’t necessarily assume if he is retained for now that it rules out the possibility of him being let go before the next World Cup. Likewise, if a new coach is named in January and the U.S. struggles in the Gold Cup and early 2014 qualifying, there could be yet another new coach in the pipeline. It does matter who coaches the team by 2013. Until then, I will be much more interested in the development of individual players – something the national team coach has little, if nothing, to do with - than who is drawing up the tactics for a Gold Cup group stage match with Trinidad and Tobago.
Finally, The Picks … For what it is worth, Brazil and Uruguay win Friday, Argentina and Spain win Saturday.
Look Back at U.S./Ghana - Michael Moynihan
Women's Soccer Head Coach Michael Moynihan gives his thoughts on the U.S./Ghana match-up.
Going into the World Cup we knew the defense was going to be suspect, and this proved to be our downfall. It just amazes me that teams were not able to exploit it even more. The early game blunders and the soft nature of many of the goals conceded was quite alarming. I don't understand how we can look so good at times and struggle so mightily at other times. Both goals conceded to Ghana were far too easy for them. Good strikes, but they came out of nothing and could have been dealt with.
You have to give the players and coaches a lot of credit for developing a battling, never say die mentality. We showed some fantastic flashes and the team provided a lot of excitement for all of us in the United States. When you look at the Ghana game, we created a lot of chances. Probably more than anyone else they faced. That says a lot about the potential we have. Unfortunately, we lacked the maturity to take advantage of the opportunities. I thought Dempsey and Bradley were the two players that really stood out for us. Howard and Donovan shone in spurts as well. Other than that though, we were very inconsistent. Altidore created problem for the opposition but there was not much as far as an end product. His technique and tactical awareness often let him down. I liked Edu, but I don't think we saw enough of him.
We have a lot to look forward though I think. Many of the players will be back for the next World Cup and we have some very interesting young talent that will be added to the mix as well. If we can solve our defensive problem, I think we could be a very exciting side. While this year's team provided a lot of excitement and cause for optimism in American soccer, it still leaves me wanting more, even expecting more. I guess that is a good thing. I know when I've coached a good side and our season comes to an end, I just can't wait to get started again. I'm eager to get back at it and take the next steps in our development. That's how I feel about the US team now. I'm excited to see them again. I'm excited to see them take the next steps in developing maturity on an international level. I just wish there were more opportunities for them to do this.
Going into the World Cup we knew the defense was going to be suspect, and this proved to be our downfall. It just amazes me that teams were not able to exploit it even more. The early game blunders and the soft nature of many of the goals conceded was quite alarming. I don't understand how we can look so good at times and struggle so mightily at other times. Both goals conceded to Ghana were far too easy for them. Good strikes, but they came out of nothing and could have been dealt with.
You have to give the players and coaches a lot of credit for developing a battling, never say die mentality. We showed some fantastic flashes and the team provided a lot of excitement for all of us in the United States. When you look at the Ghana game, we created a lot of chances. Probably more than anyone else they faced. That says a lot about the potential we have. Unfortunately, we lacked the maturity to take advantage of the opportunities. I thought Dempsey and Bradley were the two players that really stood out for us. Howard and Donovan shone in spurts as well. Other than that though, we were very inconsistent. Altidore created problem for the opposition but there was not much as far as an end product. His technique and tactical awareness often let him down. I liked Edu, but I don't think we saw enough of him.
We have a lot to look forward though I think. Many of the players will be back for the next World Cup and we have some very interesting young talent that will be added to the mix as well. If we can solve our defensive problem, I think we could be a very exciting side. While this year's team provided a lot of excitement and cause for optimism in American soccer, it still leaves me wanting more, even expecting more. I guess that is a good thing. I know when I've coached a good side and our season comes to an end, I just can't wait to get started again. I'm eager to get back at it and take the next steps in our development. That's how I feel about the US team now. I'm excited to see them again. I'm excited to see them take the next steps in developing maturity on an international level. I just wish there were more opportunities for them to do this.
Monday, June 28, 2010
More World Cup Thoughts from Peter Sanger
And so the knockout rounds have begun ... crashing out so far are the United States, England, South Korea and Mexico, with Uruguay, Ghana, Germany and Argentina moving one step closer to eternal glory. So here’s a recap of those round-of-16 games already played and a preview of the other half left.
Uruguay vs. South Korea: Not a big name match-up, but a thrilling match to start the knockout rounds with. Two vastly different styles came together: the South Americans, with their heavy dose of possession and attacking flair against good combination play and fantastic work rate of South Korea. Two goals, the latter an absolute wondergoal, from Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was enough to propel them into the quarterfinals. South Korea made a tremendous push, but it just fell short. Suarez had been largely disappointing thus far, failing to emerge from the shadow of fellow striker Diego Forlan, but has showed up at the right time. A big-time scorer in the Dutch League, Suarez will most likely have earned himself a big transfer to European football from Ajax. Uruguay switched to three in the attack since their opening game and the introduction of another forward, Edinson Cavani, has opened up more space for Suarez and allowed Forlan to drop a bit deeper and take on the responsibility of playmaker for Uruguay. They look a force to be reckoned with come the quarterfinals.
USA vs. Ghana: The inability to start strong at the beginning of a period, once again, was the Yanks Achilles heel as they fell to Ghana, 2-1, via overtime. They came out flat at the beginning of the game, being completely played off the pitch before Kevin Prince-Boateng’s first half goal, before coming back with a resilient second-half performance. Yet they failed to capitalize on the momentum that came with Landon Donovan’s PK goal after Clint Dempsey was taken down in the box and were forced to pay the consequences. Asamoah Gyan exposed the United States lack of athleticism in the back and scored a fine individual goal to condemn the U.S. to an early flight back home to the states. This time it was too late to stage a final comeback and the lack of available substitutions left sealed the deal. Once again, Bob Bradley’s tactical decisions have to be called into question ... Why is Ricardo Clark on the field, let alone on the 23-man roster? Time after time he has been given opportunities and failed to justify them. A turnover waiting to happen, his giveaway in the first half was eerily similar to Claudio Reyna’s in 2006 against ... you guessed it, Ghana, and once again the United States have been sent home by the Black Stars. In the end, the United States didn’t deserve to go any further, they lack a consistent goal scorer, like Gyan, a creative force in the middle of the park, as well as lacking center backs with the ability to handle top level forwards. You can only ride luck so far, and you can’t be missing that many pieces of the puzzle and expect to advance to the quarters of the World Cup. Credit to Ghana though, the only African team to advance came out of the gates blazing. They might miss the calming influence of superstar Michael Essien, but seeing Inter Milan star Sulley Muntari ride the bench shows you how deep they really are. U-20 World Cup Champs in 2009, they’re much stronger than the team in 2006 and will be a handful for Uruguay in their quarterfinal clash to come.
England vs. Germany: Fierce European rivals with lots of World Cup history against each other, this was the first true clash of heavyweights in the knockout rounds. This was, just as it’s always hyped up as, ‘England’s World Cup’. The influence of manager Fabio Capello, the final piece to the puzzle, England was supposedly ready to justify their claims as a World Cup favorite. Germany however, is a tournament team and they always have been. Having made it to the semifinals in their home country in 2006, Germany looks ready to take the next step following their drubbing of England earlier today. Two early goals from two written-off strikers got the ball rolling for the Germans and they never really looked back. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, only having scored a handful of goals all season between the two of them, both rewarded the faith of manager Joachim Loew and provided great goals to shock England. England pulled one back through Matthew Upson and were cruelly denied an equalizer when Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line before heading in 2-1 down at halftime. Germany put the game away mid-second half via two goals from youngster Thomas Muller and the better team won. There will continue to be a lot of whining from the Brits following the game, but if any of them watched the whole match, it will be clear to them that Germany was a level above them and were scoring at will. Going into the quarterfinals, Germany looks stronger than ever. Largely synonymous with physical, defensive minded play, this younger version of Germany looks a bit like a hybrid. They still have the size and grit in back in the form of Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich, but on the offensive side of the ball they look as exciting and dangerous as ever. The accomplished passing and tackling provided by central midfielders Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger allows Germany to basically attack with a front four. Mueller and Podolski provide width and support for Klose up top, while Mesut Ozil pulls the strings while roaming all around the field. They’re going to be tough to stop.
Argentina vs. Mexico: South American soccer against North America’s best imitation of South American soccer is what this game offered. Mexico was bright in the first 15 minutes or so and looked the most likely to score, but I always had confidence that Argentina was destined to win this game. They had an easy time qualifying from the group stages and just needed a bit of time to settle in and find their footing against a higher level of opponent. And for a second time in the same day, a controversial goal was provided. This time Carlos Tevez opened the scoring, heading in Lionel Messi’s chip. Replays showed Tevez had clearly started from an offside position and Mexico began to self-destruct on the spot. Surrounding the assistant referee who was at fault, imploring (to put it nicely) with him to change his mind, you just had a feeling that it was only going to go downhill from there for the Mexicans. Before you knew it, Gonzalo Higuain had pounced on a moment of indecision from Ricardo Osario and was composed enough to round Oscar Perez and pass in from about six yards to give Argentina a two-goal cushion. By the time Carlos Tevez pile-drived home a third, Mexico looked ready to concede. A late consolation from Manchester United’s new signing, Javier Hernandez, was a day late, dollar short. Argentina, a team so many had questioned leading into the World Cup has now won every game they’ve played this tournament and look ready to avenge their ’06 penalty kick loss to the German’s. Diego Maradona might not be a tactical genius (although his three-pronged forward attack has worked wonders thus far); one thing he clearly has done is brought an immense feeling of team unity to Argentina. The players are rarely not hugging, smiling, or offering a customary, congratulatory kiss on the cheek to fellow teammates. Their match-up against Germany is a match you cannot afford to miss.
This weekend has already spoiled us with great matches, but Monday and Tuesday offers plenty of great games to come as well. The attacking flair of the Dutch prepare to face off against the staunch defense of Slovakia, while FIFA’s number one ranked Brazil prepare to do battle against dynamic South American neighbors Chile to round up Monday’s action. Tuesday brings a match of two surprise knockout round teams: Paraguay and Japan and the much-anticipated match-up of European powerhouses Spain and Portugal. The Netherlands, buoyed by a newfound width in attack due to the return of talisman Arjen Robben look likely victors over Slovakia, but will have to be careful to shut down tournament joint-top scorer Robert Vittek and find a way through a defense anchored by Liverpool center back Martin Skrtel. Brazil will most certainly be favorites against Chile and will certainly be happy to welcome back Elano, Kaka and Robinho to the starting 11. They will need striker Luis Fabiano to be clinical with his finishing to avoid an upset, because Chile will offer a lot of danger in attack. A big match-up will be winger Alexis Sanchez for Chile against both outside backs for Brazil, Maicon and Michel Bastos. Paraguay will most likely move through as well to continue South America’s domination of the tournament so far. Japan will put up a good fight, but in the end I think Paraguay’s front line will be a bit too much to handle for them. Last but not least, Spain will most likely come through victorious against Portugal in the final round of 16 game on Tuesday. Portugal have a water-tight defense and haven’t lost in 19 matches, but Spain’s embarrassment of riches in attack provide them with more than one key to unlock any defense. David Villa’s red-hot form will most likely continue and if Fernando Torres finds any semblance of his form from Euro 2008, Portugal will bow out. Portugal’s only hope rests in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo. Having finally scored in the 7-0 thrashing of North Korea, he’ll have to build on that momentum for Portugal to sneak into the quarterfinals.
The win-or-go-home stage of the tournament has begun and now all of these nations are really ready to lay it on the line. It’s can’t miss stuff; so start calling in sick, set your DVR’s, or tune in on ESPN3.com in your cubicle...
Uruguay vs. South Korea: Not a big name match-up, but a thrilling match to start the knockout rounds with. Two vastly different styles came together: the South Americans, with their heavy dose of possession and attacking flair against good combination play and fantastic work rate of South Korea. Two goals, the latter an absolute wondergoal, from Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was enough to propel them into the quarterfinals. South Korea made a tremendous push, but it just fell short. Suarez had been largely disappointing thus far, failing to emerge from the shadow of fellow striker Diego Forlan, but has showed up at the right time. A big-time scorer in the Dutch League, Suarez will most likely have earned himself a big transfer to European football from Ajax. Uruguay switched to three in the attack since their opening game and the introduction of another forward, Edinson Cavani, has opened up more space for Suarez and allowed Forlan to drop a bit deeper and take on the responsibility of playmaker for Uruguay. They look a force to be reckoned with come the quarterfinals.
USA vs. Ghana: The inability to start strong at the beginning of a period, once again, was the Yanks Achilles heel as they fell to Ghana, 2-1, via overtime. They came out flat at the beginning of the game, being completely played off the pitch before Kevin Prince-Boateng’s first half goal, before coming back with a resilient second-half performance. Yet they failed to capitalize on the momentum that came with Landon Donovan’s PK goal after Clint Dempsey was taken down in the box and were forced to pay the consequences. Asamoah Gyan exposed the United States lack of athleticism in the back and scored a fine individual goal to condemn the U.S. to an early flight back home to the states. This time it was too late to stage a final comeback and the lack of available substitutions left sealed the deal. Once again, Bob Bradley’s tactical decisions have to be called into question ... Why is Ricardo Clark on the field, let alone on the 23-man roster? Time after time he has been given opportunities and failed to justify them. A turnover waiting to happen, his giveaway in the first half was eerily similar to Claudio Reyna’s in 2006 against ... you guessed it, Ghana, and once again the United States have been sent home by the Black Stars. In the end, the United States didn’t deserve to go any further, they lack a consistent goal scorer, like Gyan, a creative force in the middle of the park, as well as lacking center backs with the ability to handle top level forwards. You can only ride luck so far, and you can’t be missing that many pieces of the puzzle and expect to advance to the quarters of the World Cup. Credit to Ghana though, the only African team to advance came out of the gates blazing. They might miss the calming influence of superstar Michael Essien, but seeing Inter Milan star Sulley Muntari ride the bench shows you how deep they really are. U-20 World Cup Champs in 2009, they’re much stronger than the team in 2006 and will be a handful for Uruguay in their quarterfinal clash to come.
England vs. Germany: Fierce European rivals with lots of World Cup history against each other, this was the first true clash of heavyweights in the knockout rounds. This was, just as it’s always hyped up as, ‘England’s World Cup’. The influence of manager Fabio Capello, the final piece to the puzzle, England was supposedly ready to justify their claims as a World Cup favorite. Germany however, is a tournament team and they always have been. Having made it to the semifinals in their home country in 2006, Germany looks ready to take the next step following their drubbing of England earlier today. Two early goals from two written-off strikers got the ball rolling for the Germans and they never really looked back. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, only having scored a handful of goals all season between the two of them, both rewarded the faith of manager Joachim Loew and provided great goals to shock England. England pulled one back through Matthew Upson and were cruelly denied an equalizer when Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line before heading in 2-1 down at halftime. Germany put the game away mid-second half via two goals from youngster Thomas Muller and the better team won. There will continue to be a lot of whining from the Brits following the game, but if any of them watched the whole match, it will be clear to them that Germany was a level above them and were scoring at will. Going into the quarterfinals, Germany looks stronger than ever. Largely synonymous with physical, defensive minded play, this younger version of Germany looks a bit like a hybrid. They still have the size and grit in back in the form of Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich, but on the offensive side of the ball they look as exciting and dangerous as ever. The accomplished passing and tackling provided by central midfielders Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger allows Germany to basically attack with a front four. Mueller and Podolski provide width and support for Klose up top, while Mesut Ozil pulls the strings while roaming all around the field. They’re going to be tough to stop.
Argentina vs. Mexico: South American soccer against North America’s best imitation of South American soccer is what this game offered. Mexico was bright in the first 15 minutes or so and looked the most likely to score, but I always had confidence that Argentina was destined to win this game. They had an easy time qualifying from the group stages and just needed a bit of time to settle in and find their footing against a higher level of opponent. And for a second time in the same day, a controversial goal was provided. This time Carlos Tevez opened the scoring, heading in Lionel Messi’s chip. Replays showed Tevez had clearly started from an offside position and Mexico began to self-destruct on the spot. Surrounding the assistant referee who was at fault, imploring (to put it nicely) with him to change his mind, you just had a feeling that it was only going to go downhill from there for the Mexicans. Before you knew it, Gonzalo Higuain had pounced on a moment of indecision from Ricardo Osario and was composed enough to round Oscar Perez and pass in from about six yards to give Argentina a two-goal cushion. By the time Carlos Tevez pile-drived home a third, Mexico looked ready to concede. A late consolation from Manchester United’s new signing, Javier Hernandez, was a day late, dollar short. Argentina, a team so many had questioned leading into the World Cup has now won every game they’ve played this tournament and look ready to avenge their ’06 penalty kick loss to the German’s. Diego Maradona might not be a tactical genius (although his three-pronged forward attack has worked wonders thus far); one thing he clearly has done is brought an immense feeling of team unity to Argentina. The players are rarely not hugging, smiling, or offering a customary, congratulatory kiss on the cheek to fellow teammates. Their match-up against Germany is a match you cannot afford to miss.
This weekend has already spoiled us with great matches, but Monday and Tuesday offers plenty of great games to come as well. The attacking flair of the Dutch prepare to face off against the staunch defense of Slovakia, while FIFA’s number one ranked Brazil prepare to do battle against dynamic South American neighbors Chile to round up Monday’s action. Tuesday brings a match of two surprise knockout round teams: Paraguay and Japan and the much-anticipated match-up of European powerhouses Spain and Portugal. The Netherlands, buoyed by a newfound width in attack due to the return of talisman Arjen Robben look likely victors over Slovakia, but will have to be careful to shut down tournament joint-top scorer Robert Vittek and find a way through a defense anchored by Liverpool center back Martin Skrtel. Brazil will most certainly be favorites against Chile and will certainly be happy to welcome back Elano, Kaka and Robinho to the starting 11. They will need striker Luis Fabiano to be clinical with his finishing to avoid an upset, because Chile will offer a lot of danger in attack. A big match-up will be winger Alexis Sanchez for Chile against both outside backs for Brazil, Maicon and Michel Bastos. Paraguay will most likely move through as well to continue South America’s domination of the tournament so far. Japan will put up a good fight, but in the end I think Paraguay’s front line will be a bit too much to handle for them. Last but not least, Spain will most likely come through victorious against Portugal in the final round of 16 game on Tuesday. Portugal have a water-tight defense and haven’t lost in 19 matches, but Spain’s embarrassment of riches in attack provide them with more than one key to unlock any defense. David Villa’s red-hot form will most likely continue and if Fernando Torres finds any semblance of his form from Euro 2008, Portugal will bow out. Portugal’s only hope rests in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo. Having finally scored in the 7-0 thrashing of North Korea, he’ll have to build on that momentum for Portugal to sneak into the quarterfinals.
The win-or-go-home stage of the tournament has begun and now all of these nations are really ready to lay it on the line. It’s can’t miss stuff; so start calling in sick, set your DVR’s, or tune in on ESPN3.com in your cubicle...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
World Cup Update: Coach Chris Whalley
UWM men's soccer coach Chris Whalley checks in with some more thoughts on the World Cup:
On the USA: "I am really excited for the USA. Great way for the game to end and that they definitely deserved the victory. By far and away the better team - Algeria’s goalkeeper played fantastic and kept them in it. In the end, they came through and got a goal and that was just great. The USA can go on from there. They have a good shot at the bracket if they can beat Ghana, they just need to take it one game at a time."
On England: "As an Englishman, pleased with their result. Played very well on the day and missed some chances, really similar to the U.S. Didn’t get a goal in such dramatic fashion, but definitely deserved to win. After seeing Germany play, I am confident England can go through as well."
On the overall way the World Cup has gone: "A lot of the big, so-called powers in soccer are struggling – obviously Italy has gone out, France has gone out. Exciting to see smaller nations – the non-soccer nations – coming through. It’s good for world soccer in general. I think the coverage has been great. I am really pleased with all of the games and being live. It’s great for soccer in the states. Great to see the USA go through and hopefully they can both wrestle away some wins. Maybe beat Ghana, take it one step further and go from there. It’s been a great World Cup so far."
On the USA: "I am really excited for the USA. Great way for the game to end and that they definitely deserved the victory. By far and away the better team - Algeria’s goalkeeper played fantastic and kept them in it. In the end, they came through and got a goal and that was just great. The USA can go on from there. They have a good shot at the bracket if they can beat Ghana, they just need to take it one game at a time."
On England: "As an Englishman, pleased with their result. Played very well on the day and missed some chances, really similar to the U.S. Didn’t get a goal in such dramatic fashion, but definitely deserved to win. After seeing Germany play, I am confident England can go through as well."
On the overall way the World Cup has gone: "A lot of the big, so-called powers in soccer are struggling – obviously Italy has gone out, France has gone out. Exciting to see smaller nations – the non-soccer nations – coming through. It’s good for world soccer in general. I think the coverage has been great. I am really pleased with all of the games and being live. It’s great for soccer in the states. Great to see the USA go through and hopefully they can both wrestle away some wins. Maybe beat Ghana, take it one step further and go from there. It’s been a great World Cup so far."
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