Robert Koren, you just scored a goal in the World Cup.
What are you going to do now?
1-2-3 ... JAZZ HANDS!
Okay, I realize that 1) that photo off my television is crude, pixelated crap and 2) probably an inside joke or something significant to Slovenian culture. Mind you, this team is somehow billing itself (or maybe it's supporters) as the "Green Dragons*" all of a sudden.
* A rejected team name from the Nick classic, "Legends of the Hidden Temple," no doubt.
Slovenia, however woefully lacking in self-awareness during its goal celebration Sunday against Algeria, scares the living daylights out of me as a fan of the USMNT.
It's more than simply the track record the U.S. has against Central and Eastern European teams in the modern era at the World Cup. Take a gander, if you must.
1990 -- Czechslovakia 5, U.S. 1
1990 -- Austria 2, U.S. 1
1998 -- Yugoslavia 1, U.S. 0
2002 -- Poland 4, U.S. 1 (Forgotten game in the amazing 2002 run. Thank you Ji-Sung Park.)
2006 -- Czech Republic 3, U.S. 0
History, though, doesn't mean anything when the opening whistle blows Friday in Johannesburg.
What's got me truly terrified by the Slovenia match is that we've seen the U.S. under Bob Bradley become the ultimate chameleon team.
They can play up to their competition. (Think Spain, England or Brazil.)
They can play down to their competition. (Think El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras.)
They can blow teams out.
They can get blown out.
You just never know, even if Bradley rolls out back-to-back starting XIs.
The U.S. is good enough to figure out a way to roll up its sleeves and get results against nearly any team in the world. At the same time, in a game like Friday where they're supposed to force the issue and take the game to the Slovenians, I worry. Athleticism and good ol' fashioned huff-and-puff only take you so far.
As weird as it sounds, from what we've seen of the U.S. in recent years, you're almost more confident in a game vs. a team like England where everyone blanketly writes them off as opposed to playing a team like Slovenia where they're expected to win.
The U.S. ... they don't seem to cope well when the pressure or onus is on them.
Suppose Slovenia sits back and lets the game come to them. How is the U.S. unlocking that? Deep crosses that Clint Dempsey can run under? A set piece special from Landon Donovan? Goalmouth scrum? ... Another Dempsey golazo?
This could be the game where the U.S.'s lack of creativity in the center of the park comes back to haunt them.
In a way, England was the perfect first game matchup for the U.S., at least compared to the other eight seeded teams. The English had the pressure of a nation (and its media) weighing them down. More than that, with a decent chunk of the USMNT plying their trade in the Premier League, there was plenty of familiarity on the field. Even the guys who don't play in England probably have easy access to watch those matches, so they had a knowledge of who they were playing against. They have a memory bank of tendencies and perhaps ways to frustrate and knock them off their game.
Slovenia? With its top players spread across Europe, the unknown quality is in play. You can watch from grainy footage of Valter Birsa or Andraž Kirm, but it's not like watching (or more importantly playing) Steven Gerrard, et al week-in, week-out
Bradley & Co. can hit the video room, try to carve up tactics and devise tenancies.
But all that game-planning and external psychological edges the U.S. had last Saturday in Rustenburg go out the window Friday.
Slovenia is the epitome of an average, hard-working international team that's sitting in the Group C catbird seat with three points already in the bank.
Can the U.S. prove it can handle such a squad?
The U.S. has the follow the script written by the Oakland Raiders legendary owner -- Al Davis.
Just win, baby.
And knowing what the USMNT capable of -- both good and bad -- my stomach figures to be floating nearer and nearer my throat as soon as the opening whistle sounds from frigid Jo-Burg.
Other stuff:
* The Great Ricardo Clark debate. Do I think Clark is bringing a lot to the table these days? No. Do I think he's a bit over his head in a World Cup setting. You bet.
Having said that, he's one of "Bob's Guys." Rightly or wrongly, The Elder has stuck with guys he can trust. Don't think it's there yet with either Maurice Edu or Jose Torres. I don't necessarily agree with it, but that's the logic behind it.
If it's up to me, I'd prefer a straight attack-minded guy in there like Stuart Holden or Benny Feilhaber. You only have 90 minutes, can't wait to bring on an attack-first midfielder until it's too late. The biggest hiccup to this strategy, is that although we think of him as a defensive midfielder, Michael Bradley's game is going box-to-box, not shielding the defense and staying at home.
* The U.S. defense was hard-working and solidly spectacular vs. England. What worries me vs. Slovenia is that they won't be under siege like they were against the Three Lions. Against England, too, Jay DeMerit could man-mark Wayne Rooney, but with a balanced team like Slovenia that might not be an option.
The issue that troubles me the most is the U.S. defenders will certainly drift further up the field, leaving them exposed on counter attack, which has een troublesome regardless of the fitness level of Oguchi Oneywu. The need for two-way cover makes me think Bradley plays it conservative and sticks with Clark out there. This is one prediction I hope I'm wrong about.
* Not so much worried about Tim Howard and his possible broken rib scenario. Howard is smart enough that if he thinks there's even the slightest chance he can't finish the full 90, he wouldn't start. He's not going to risk costing Bradley a sub. ... Pray the Slovenians are cynical, targeting Howard's midsection. I wouldn't put it past certain teams to go after him on the first set piece delivery in front of goal. Nothing tells me Slovenia is that kind of team, however.
* Slovenia center backs Marko Šuler and Boštjan Cesar are 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3 respectively. How does the U.S. take advantage here? Speed? Power? These guys don't have the pedigree of, say, a John Terry. They're not bad, but not an unmovable pillars in front of goal. If the U.S. makes any sort of run in this tournament Jozy Altidore et al have to show up and convert some chances.
* Not sure if 4-4-2 is the way to go for the U.S. considering Slovenia probably does the same thing. From a tactics standpoint the teams aren't that far apart, with maybe the biggest difference is Koren being a more of a straight playmaker than whoever the U.S. put in the center of midfield.
* Milivoje Novakovič is the only Slovenian with double-digit international goals. Still, at 31, he shouldn't be the guy that troubles the U.S. unless it's in the air or on a set piece. A healthy Onyewu should be able to handle him.
* The Elder is a fan of American coaching techniques. I'd borrow a John Wooden axiom, "Be quick, but don't hurry" for this match. The U.S. needs to be urgent, but can't played too quick, which could produce a sloppy mistake for the Slovenians to pounce on. A mistake this late in the stage would be fatal to recover from.
* Koman Coulibaly of Mali is your match official. He did the 2010 African Cup of Nations Final. Let's hope a certain streak for the U.S. (guess, don't want to jinx it, has something to do with the color crimson) continues through another 90 minutes.
* By most metrics, keeper Samir Handanovič is considered Slovenia's best player. He plays for Udinese. So do a decent amount of other Cup players -- Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), Alexis Sánchez (Chile), Gökhan Inler (Switzerland), Aleksandar Luković (Serbia) and Antonio di Natale (Italy), who led Serie A in scoring. How did Udinese finish 15th in the league?
* My brother doesn't like sports, but he gets interested in the World Cup. His breakdown the other night about the U.S. team and why he likes Clint Dempsey -- "He's the only guy out there who looks like he gives a (you know what)" -- isn't too far off base. Dempsey certainly has more of a personality or "q-rating" than anyone else on the U.S. team. Wonder if his agents/management/etc. can capitalize on this post-World Cup.
* It's too bad this game starts at 10 a.m. on a Friday. Hope a lot of Americans call in sick for a nice, long three-day weekend.
* No matter what happens, the U.S. will lose out to Slovenia in caron marks over the letter č. Damn it all to hell!
* Had to do some digging, but I found a famous Slovene, TV drama mainstay -- Zeljko Ivanek!!! Dude has been in everything: "Homicide," "Oz," "24," even one episode of "Lost." Without question a classic, "That guy."
Lineup guess:
GK -- Howard
DEF -- Cherundolo -- Onyewu -- DeMerit -- Bocanegra
MID -- Dempsey -- Clark -- Bradley -- Donovan
FOR -- Altidore -- Buddle
Something tells me we're going to see a lot of crosses, that's why Buddle gets the start over Robbie Findley.
Final thought:
No excuses. Get a win here. This isn't unrealistic pie-in-the-sky thinking, either.
The American public wants it.
The U.S. knows it.
Not to get overly dramatic, but failing to get a result here, frankly, renders everything that's happened since the final whistle in Nuremberg four years ago as tantamount to running in circles.
Backed up against the walls tends to bring out the best of this team. Doubt it'll be pretty, but the U.S. gets it done. ... U.S. 2, Slovenia 0
* * *
Production note: Heading up to Montreal for a couple days to kill some time on my World Cup vacation. Not sure if I'll have time to post immediately after the match. I'll try a quickee, pending the result. Apologies up front.
What are you going to do now?
1-2-3 ... JAZZ HANDS!
Okay, I realize that 1) that photo off my television is crude, pixelated crap and 2) probably an inside joke or something significant to Slovenian culture. Mind you, this team is somehow billing itself (or maybe it's supporters) as the "Green Dragons*" all of a sudden.
* A rejected team name from the Nick classic, "Legends of the Hidden Temple," no doubt.
Slovenia, however woefully lacking in self-awareness during its goal celebration Sunday against Algeria, scares the living daylights out of me as a fan of the USMNT.
It's more than simply the track record the U.S. has against Central and Eastern European teams in the modern era at the World Cup. Take a gander, if you must.
1990 -- Czechslovakia 5, U.S. 1
1990 -- Austria 2, U.S. 1
1998 -- Yugoslavia 1, U.S. 0
2002 -- Poland 4, U.S. 1 (Forgotten game in the amazing 2002 run. Thank you Ji-Sung Park.)
2006 -- Czech Republic 3, U.S. 0
History, though, doesn't mean anything when the opening whistle blows Friday in Johannesburg.
What's got me truly terrified by the Slovenia match is that we've seen the U.S. under Bob Bradley become the ultimate chameleon team.
They can play up to their competition. (Think Spain, England or Brazil.)
They can play down to their competition. (Think El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras.)
They can blow teams out.
They can get blown out.
You just never know, even if Bradley rolls out back-to-back starting XIs.
The U.S. is good enough to figure out a way to roll up its sleeves and get results against nearly any team in the world. At the same time, in a game like Friday where they're supposed to force the issue and take the game to the Slovenians, I worry. Athleticism and good ol' fashioned huff-and-puff only take you so far.
As weird as it sounds, from what we've seen of the U.S. in recent years, you're almost more confident in a game vs. a team like England where everyone blanketly writes them off as opposed to playing a team like Slovenia where they're expected to win.
The U.S. ... they don't seem to cope well when the pressure or onus is on them.
Suppose Slovenia sits back and lets the game come to them. How is the U.S. unlocking that? Deep crosses that Clint Dempsey can run under? A set piece special from Landon Donovan? Goalmouth scrum? ... Another Dempsey golazo?
This could be the game where the U.S.'s lack of creativity in the center of the park comes back to haunt them.
In a way, England was the perfect first game matchup for the U.S., at least compared to the other eight seeded teams. The English had the pressure of a nation (and its media) weighing them down. More than that, with a decent chunk of the USMNT plying their trade in the Premier League, there was plenty of familiarity on the field. Even the guys who don't play in England probably have easy access to watch those matches, so they had a knowledge of who they were playing against. They have a memory bank of tendencies and perhaps ways to frustrate and knock them off their game.
Slovenia? With its top players spread across Europe, the unknown quality is in play. You can watch from grainy footage of Valter Birsa or Andraž Kirm, but it's not like watching (or more importantly playing) Steven Gerrard, et al week-in, week-out
Bradley & Co. can hit the video room, try to carve up tactics and devise tenancies.
But all that game-planning and external psychological edges the U.S. had last Saturday in Rustenburg go out the window Friday.
Slovenia is the epitome of an average, hard-working international team that's sitting in the Group C catbird seat with three points already in the bank.
Can the U.S. prove it can handle such a squad?
The U.S. has the follow the script written by the Oakland Raiders legendary owner -- Al Davis.
Just win, baby.
And knowing what the USMNT capable of -- both good and bad -- my stomach figures to be floating nearer and nearer my throat as soon as the opening whistle sounds from frigid Jo-Burg.
Other stuff:
* The Great Ricardo Clark debate. Do I think Clark is bringing a lot to the table these days? No. Do I think he's a bit over his head in a World Cup setting. You bet.
Having said that, he's one of "Bob's Guys." Rightly or wrongly, The Elder has stuck with guys he can trust. Don't think it's there yet with either Maurice Edu or Jose Torres. I don't necessarily agree with it, but that's the logic behind it.
If it's up to me, I'd prefer a straight attack-minded guy in there like Stuart Holden or Benny Feilhaber. You only have 90 minutes, can't wait to bring on an attack-first midfielder until it's too late. The biggest hiccup to this strategy, is that although we think of him as a defensive midfielder, Michael Bradley's game is going box-to-box, not shielding the defense and staying at home.
* The U.S. defense was hard-working and solidly spectacular vs. England. What worries me vs. Slovenia is that they won't be under siege like they were against the Three Lions. Against England, too, Jay DeMerit could man-mark Wayne Rooney, but with a balanced team like Slovenia that might not be an option.
The issue that troubles me the most is the U.S. defenders will certainly drift further up the field, leaving them exposed on counter attack, which has een troublesome regardless of the fitness level of Oguchi Oneywu. The need for two-way cover makes me think Bradley plays it conservative and sticks with Clark out there. This is one prediction I hope I'm wrong about.
* Not so much worried about Tim Howard and his possible broken rib scenario. Howard is smart enough that if he thinks there's even the slightest chance he can't finish the full 90, he wouldn't start. He's not going to risk costing Bradley a sub. ... Pray the Slovenians are cynical, targeting Howard's midsection. I wouldn't put it past certain teams to go after him on the first set piece delivery in front of goal. Nothing tells me Slovenia is that kind of team, however.
* Slovenia center backs Marko Šuler and Boštjan Cesar are 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3 respectively. How does the U.S. take advantage here? Speed? Power? These guys don't have the pedigree of, say, a John Terry. They're not bad, but not an unmovable pillars in front of goal. If the U.S. makes any sort of run in this tournament Jozy Altidore et al have to show up and convert some chances.
* Not sure if 4-4-2 is the way to go for the U.S. considering Slovenia probably does the same thing. From a tactics standpoint the teams aren't that far apart, with maybe the biggest difference is Koren being a more of a straight playmaker than whoever the U.S. put in the center of midfield.
* Milivoje Novakovič is the only Slovenian with double-digit international goals. Still, at 31, he shouldn't be the guy that troubles the U.S. unless it's in the air or on a set piece. A healthy Onyewu should be able to handle him.
* The Elder is a fan of American coaching techniques. I'd borrow a John Wooden axiom, "Be quick, but don't hurry" for this match. The U.S. needs to be urgent, but can't played too quick, which could produce a sloppy mistake for the Slovenians to pounce on. A mistake this late in the stage would be fatal to recover from.
* Koman Coulibaly of Mali is your match official. He did the 2010 African Cup of Nations Final. Let's hope a certain streak for the U.S. (guess, don't want to jinx it, has something to do with the color crimson) continues through another 90 minutes.
* By most metrics, keeper Samir Handanovič is considered Slovenia's best player. He plays for Udinese. So do a decent amount of other Cup players -- Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), Alexis Sánchez (Chile), Gökhan Inler (Switzerland), Aleksandar Luković (Serbia) and Antonio di Natale (Italy), who led Serie A in scoring. How did Udinese finish 15th in the league?
* My brother doesn't like sports, but he gets interested in the World Cup. His breakdown the other night about the U.S. team and why he likes Clint Dempsey -- "He's the only guy out there who looks like he gives a (you know what)" -- isn't too far off base. Dempsey certainly has more of a personality or "q-rating" than anyone else on the U.S. team. Wonder if his agents/management/etc. can capitalize on this post-World Cup.
* It's too bad this game starts at 10 a.m. on a Friday. Hope a lot of Americans call in sick for a nice, long three-day weekend.
* No matter what happens, the U.S. will lose out to Slovenia in caron marks over the letter č. Damn it all to hell!
* Had to do some digging, but I found a famous Slovene, TV drama mainstay -- Zeljko Ivanek!!! Dude has been in everything: "Homicide," "Oz," "24," even one episode of "Lost." Without question a classic, "That guy."
Lineup guess:
GK -- Howard
DEF -- Cherundolo -- Onyewu -- DeMerit -- Bocanegra
MID -- Dempsey -- Clark -- Bradley -- Donovan
FOR -- Altidore -- Buddle
Something tells me we're going to see a lot of crosses, that's why Buddle gets the start over Robbie Findley.
Final thought:
No excuses. Get a win here. This isn't unrealistic pie-in-the-sky thinking, either.
The American public wants it.
The U.S. knows it.
Not to get overly dramatic, but failing to get a result here, frankly, renders everything that's happened since the final whistle in Nuremberg four years ago as tantamount to running in circles.
Backed up against the walls tends to bring out the best of this team. Doubt it'll be pretty, but the U.S. gets it done. ... U.S. 2, Slovenia 0
Production note: Heading up to Montreal for a couple days to kill some time on my World Cup vacation. Not sure if I'll have time to post immediately after the match. I'll try a quickee, pending the result. Apologies up front.
Labels: 2010 world cup, bob bradley, Soccer, USMNT, world cup 2010
While I'm not crazy about Clark, I've read enough positive reviews about his game on Saturday (along with Young Bradley) in slowing down/shutting down FatFrank'n'StevieG that I can't complain too much. Sure much of the blame can fall on Clark's shoulders, but I think Gooch should get some of the blame.
That said, in a game where the US will need creativity from the middle, I don't think Clark starts. I'll take Holden as my guess in his place... IF Bob plays a 4-4-2... I wouldn't be shocked to see a 4-2-3-1 with Clark-Bradley; Clint-Holden-Landon; Jozy.
I'm a Torres guy in all weather against all opponents, so I don't need to say anything more about that.
I'm terrified of this game . . . but would I be so worried if we had played ALG first, and gotten a nice 2-0 or 3-0 win? Probably not.
Regarding the "history" with Eastern/Central Europe: In how many of those games against Eastern European teams were we favored?
As for taking a day off, it's the opposite for me. Instead of leaving for work at 7am, I'm leaving at 6am so I can watch the whole game at my desk.
And if we lose, at least I get to shave my "World Cup beard". Itchy as hell.
Halftime: This is the biggest choke job I've seen in sports in a long time (and Boston blew a 13 point lead in the 3rd qtr last night). A total disgrace and completely unacceptable.