Quote:
|
Originally Posted by demonrail666
Colombia weren't great but it was a difficult game for them to look good in. for all the criticisms of the USA, we know they pack the defence. On another day Colombia might've taken their chances but we regularly see superior sides struggle in games like that.
I completely agree with you about the Klinsmann debacle but he can't treat the national team like it's a separate entity from the league. A national coach's role is a political one as much as it is a purely footballing one. If he sees it as anything else he should've managed a league team. And for me, he hasn't shown much signs of actually improving the national side anyway, even with his weird re-nationalised Germans. They're still the same fairly hard to beat but ultimately quite pedestrian team they've always been.
|
yes. klinsmann is not magic. he can't conjure up great players out of nothingness.
the complaint about him was that as coach he can say whatever he wants but as (also) technical director of us soccer he's in a different position-- and yes, maybe he's not diplomatic as he could be, but the mls is a joke regardless, this is where old players come to die not where great players flourish.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by demonrail666
True but some friendlies feel like friendlies while some feel like competitive matches. This one definitely felt more like the latter.
|
friendly (this is for suchfriends) just means a training game, and the point here is-- training for what? there was no attempt at keeping possession, there were a lot of old players who won't be here for the next world cup, it was a lot like the belgium game. one espn commentator said-- if you're going to practice possession then do it and take the beating that comes with it until you do it right. he had a point i thought.
about what you said above re: pedestrian. well, yes, most american players are a bunch of nobodies by world standards. and this is where i side with klinsmann-- american players have to go to europe in order to become good because the mls is a joke. our best players of late-- dempsey, howard, bradley when he played in his correct position, jozy when he's fit & in the mood-- all earn/ed their bread in major european leagues (not norway, iceland, 3rd bundesliga, etc). fingers crossed for yedlin.
--
on other news: chile on fire beat venezuela 5-0. my favorites for next year's copa américa ahead of brazil & argentina.