moytoy12 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Bornstein has officially played himself out of the national team. I believe all four (at least three) of the goals were either scored from or started from his side. The Mexicans had a plan to attack our left flank even when Dolo was still in the game and it only got easier once Bornstein came in. But even if DOlo stayed in, I don't think anyone really believed the Mexicans were not going to get a goal after the first 20 minutes of the game. We looked unprepared for the task of keeping them out. Although I have no love for the Mexican team, man did they play a pretty game. Quick on the ball, quick off the ball, nice combinations, constant movement of their players, composure to start over and maintain possession.....really high quality soccer. Things we learned during the Gold Cup: - Freddy Adu is back in the picture for the Nats. He did a valuable job of holding up play and being creative on the ball, something we sorely lack. Hopefully he'll continue to gain playing time in Turkey and continue to mature into something close to what we expected of him at 14. - The midfield options are numerous: Bedoya, Adu, Bradley, Edu, Jones, Donovan, Dempsey, Holden. Certainly no lack of depth here. - On the opposite side is our depth in the back. People have to be scared sh-tless thinking about how we are going to replace Dolo and Boca. We have options in Chandler (hopefully he's plays with the US), Lijach (sp), and Ream but experience is lacking across the board. IF Lijach can get serious minutes over at Aston Villa and Ream can make the move over to Europe, we may be able to develop these guys properly to feel comfortable with their manning of the back line. - Bradely saved his job and showed an ability to be move away from comfortable decisions. His two great subs in the Panama semi-final and his choice to start Adu last night were spot on. Even the in-game movement of Dempsey and Donovan helped confuse the Mexicans and worked on the second goal. People may be calling him a genius in a loose way today if Dolo had been able to stay on and keep our backline intact. - Lastly......The US federation needs to man up and put rules in place so that games on OUR soil are not away games for us. They need to go over to Europe and see how they handle this. When I went over and saw Chelsea play Bolton at Stamford Bridge, we were told that if we wore any colors of Bolton, we would be kicked out. If they can do that for a regular season game, certainly I think we have the right to at least provide for 50% US supporters in the stands at the Gold Cup Final. I hated hearing "Ole" with every Mexican pass or them booing during our national anthem. Complete crap. Grant it, we the US supporters to be more aggressive with going to the games and buying tickets, but the US Federation needs to also do their part to provide actual Home support for our boys. Agree with most of your points. Although, we looked shaky with 'dolo in there and I had no confidence that we would keep them goalless even with him in there. Chicharito missed 2-4 good opportunities in the first 10 minutes. Other thoughts: - I thought Coach Bradley did ok. I'd rather lose a 4-2 entertaining game than a 2-0 yawner where we never threaten. We had our chances too. However, Bornstein should have never seen the field. Put Spector in at RB. Simple as that. He isn't a perfect option, but then again he isn't Bornstein either. Also, Dempsey should have stayed up top and LD out wide. Dempsey wasn't helping nearly enough on the left side defensively. - Mike Bradley and Jermaine Jones killed us last night. They were horrible. Our defense was bad, but these two didn't give them any support. I hope there is a day when we see Holden, Adu and Jones or Bradley in the centermid triangle. Adu was brilliant last night. He even hustled on defense. - Mexico was the better team. I think our defense will be fine for 2014, but there are going to be some bumpy games along the way as we transition to the younger guys. - As for the crowd, this was a CONCACAF choice and not the USSF. However, I hope there comes a day in my lifetime that when we play at a big venue against Mexico anywhere in the US there will be a pro-US crowd. I don't hold out much hope and we'll probably have to keep playing Mexico in Columbus or Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.B. Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Just read the Tim Ream article and did not know he was engaged to Kristen Sapienza. That girl is one crazy *****. Probably more impressive than playing on the national team is that he can put up with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 It's really quite simple, we'll continue to be a hard working team who can compete with most teams. However, until we begin developing players with world class skill on the ball we will continue to be a notch below the top tier. Less strategy, less games, and more skill/fundamental work for our kids, and not at 15, 16, 17 ... but at ages 8 through 12 or 13. . Skip. Interesting comment. Do you see a comparison with basketball? IMO, youth basketball has too many games/travel/AAU ball and not enough time spent locally in the gyms working on fundamentals. Rich Grawer would have kids dribbling the ball around chairs, cones, figure 8's between legs.... and hundreds of shots/free throws per day. Every coach today would say fundamentals are important, that they stress fundamentals with their kids... but then it appears that our American kids actually focus on dunking, travel, select teams, games while our counterparts aound the world work on fundamentals and then put teams together that actually play together for years resulting in good team chemistry, good passing, less selfish play and team defense rather than individual defense. I am not as familiar with soccer but I do know that American soccer kids are sure traveling alot for tournament games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Skip. Interesting comment. Do you see a comparison with basketball? IMO, youth basketball has too many games/travel/AAU ball and not enough time spent locally in the gyms working on fundamentals. Rich Grawer would have kids dribbling the ball around chairs, cones, figure 8's between legs.... and hundreds of shots/free throws per day. Every coach today would say fundamentals are important, that they stress fundamentals with their kids... but then it appears that our American kids actually focus on dunking, travel, select teams, games while our counterparts aound the world work on fundamentals and then put teams together that actually play together for years resulting in good team chemistry, good passing, less selfish play and team defense rather than individual defense. I am not as familiar with soccer but I do know that American soccer kids are sure traveling alot for tournament games. Score does not need to be kept, no full sided games, etc...until kids are teenagers. Many coaches out there get this. Many more don't. In America, too many coaches and parents are obsessed with winning and losing and keeping score at younger ages...instead of focusing on the fundamentals of the sport, as well as other positive things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Score does not need to be kept, no full sided games, etc...until kids are teenagers. Many coaches out there get this. Many more don't. In America, too many coaches and parents are obsessed with winning and losing and keeping score at younger ages...instead of focusing on the fundamentals of the sport, as well as other positive things. Believe CYC plays 8 on 8 until 4th grade and clubs like Gallagher and Lou Fusz play with reduced numbers even longer. Presume that is what you mean, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Believe CYC plays 8 on 8 until 4th grade and clubs like Gallagher and Lou Fusz play with reduced numbers even longer. Presume that is what you mean, right? ...That needs to be extended until high school ages. And two things, there's a big soccer world out there locally outside of your few examples...and even within your examples, coaches are not 100 percent unified in their approach. There are several coaches, including some affiliated with your examples, that do not take this approach. This is not St. Louis specific. It's a National thing. ...and small sided games is a general term to mean a wide variety of things. i.e. 3v3 in a circle where kids get more touches, in small spaces, read and react, etc...more reps, one, two touch, pace, .. Too often parents and coaches ask kids the wrong questions too. Did you win? What was the score? Did you score? Etc...when a different and imo better approach is ...Did you have fun? Did you try your best? What did you learn? Were you a good teammate etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 It's the same mentality in basketball. Our teams generally get beat at the young ages because too many of the teams focus on things like full court presses and traps even in 5th grade. They get good at stealing the ball and making lay-ups, but by 7th and 8th grade we are beating those same teams by 20. We spend 75% of a practice on skills. It hurts us in the games, but we go over that with the parents. I could spend more time teaching them a full court trap and we could win more games .... so what? Soccer badly needs that mentality accross the board. I hear people talk about playing more of a possession game, but until we have the skill to actually bring the ball instantly under control and see the field while doing so, make quick decisions while playing with 1 and 2 touches, and develop the control with the ball to beat people 1v1, it's just not going to work. If we want to play a strong ball control, quick passing game, the skill to do so must be developed and developed at the very early stages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ...and much of the origin of the non-preferred way comes from parents, coaches, influencers, etc...who are trying to live vicariously through that youngster for self absorbed, selfish reasons. ...and there has been unfortunately an increased notion in some people in modern times, that self-esteem only comes from winning and losing on a scoreboard... The non-preferred way has unfortunately become a widely accepted approach over a long period of time by many. As has been mentioned, often the winning and losing emphasis at younger ages, has ben detrimental to long term development as a player and person. And, there are still many coaches in high level programs who say one thing and still do the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Metzinger Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 A buddy of mine who started for the Soccer Billikens from 05-08 had this to say about the current coaching situation: Bottom line Bradley and most likely, Sorber need to go. It is bureaucratic. The US needs to bring an international coach that cuts through all of the political bs in the country. Sadly, the US has to rely on hard work rather than skill/strategy. In my world, smart work beats hard work. It is disappointing to see what US soccer could be. I feel the coaches here take the sport too seriously - trying to mimic EPL leagues, coaching, and style. It is fake. Best of luck to the US. They will win some and lose some but there are TONS are players who gave up/got weeded out b/c of politics who we will never see. These players could compete with the best in the world if given the chance. Pretty interesting observation. US Soccer is definitely at a crossroads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUBALLS Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 In other soccer news this week, SLUBALLS Jr was born today. Hopefully he'll get into watching soccer as much as his dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
For-DaLove Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 In other soccer news this week, SLUBALLS Jr was born today. Hopefully he'll get into watching soccer as much as his dad.Congrats to you, sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 In other soccer news this week, SLUBALLS Jr was born today. Hopefully he'll get into watching soccer as much as his dad. Congrats! I expect nothing less than a forward who can finish as a target or in space, create in a central attacking mode or out wide on the flanks, with an elite aerial game, blazing speed on and off the ball, with strength, on and off ball skill, endurance, and tenacity....or...that he sleeps through the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Band Legend Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 In other soccer news this week, SLUBALLS Jr was born today. Hopefully he'll get into watching soccer as much as his dad. Congratulations! Hopefully Mom won out and his given name is not actually SLUBALLS Jr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majerus mojo Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Bill Simmons' new website Grantland.com had a USMT article (by Bill Barnwell, formerly of Football Outsiders) today which had some great things to say about Ream, and some not so great things to say about Bradley. I think it's dead on the money - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6707994/hard-lessons "Twenty-four-year-old center back Tim Ream is the next great American export to Europe, capable of turning defense into attack in a moment with his potentially brilliant distribution from the back. After Ream gave away a penalty in the Panama match, Bradley benched him for the rest of the tournament, even turning to Bornstein ahead of Ream in the final." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Bill Simmons' new website Grantland.com had a USMT article (by Bill Barnwell, formerly of Football Outsiders) today which had some great things to say about Ream, and some not so great things to say about Bradley. I think it's dead on the money - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6707994/hard-lessons "Twenty-four-year-old center back Tim Ream is the next great American export to Europe, capable of turning defense into attack in a moment with his potentially brilliant distribution from the back. After Ream gave away a penalty in the Panama match, Bradley benched him for the rest of the tournament, even turning to Bornstein ahead of Ream in the final." thanks for that link. Good article. The problem is when a coach clearly knows his job seems to always be on the line or subject to the whim of the fan base, he has to coach to win. Seriously, had he went young and lost, he'd be taking heat from another group of journalists claiming he didn't set the roster to win. Personally, I don't think Bradley's the answer, but until we revamp the system, I don't think it matters all that much. I don't care who you bring in, the players we have don't have a realistic chance to win a WC. It's not about strategy, of course it's important, however, it's more about talented players. Develop talented players and we will compete on a consistent basis and win. I'm waiting for the day when an American is considered in the top 10 players in the world or when we have 3 or 4 in the top 50. Is there an American player anyone would consider top 25 in the world? top 50? top 100? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 In other soccer news this week, SLUBALLS Jr was born today. Hopefully he'll get into watching soccer as much as his dad.Congrats. Are you going to continue coaching? still have 2 teams? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUBALLS Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congrats. Are you going to continue coaching? still have 2 teams? Yea still coaching. Boys are now U13. Had 15 of 16 come back this year; only lost one due to him moving states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Yea still coaching. Boys are now U13. Had 15 of 16 come back this year; only lost one due to him moving states.that's good. Sometimes I wish I stayed with my teams as they got older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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