World Cup 2006

[aveslacker]

I think this US squad is simply poor. Arena has done a great job over the last decade, but it's time for a new face and fresh player pool.

You're right that Arena is a good coach who has done a lot with a fairly non-descript team, but where will this "fresh player pool" come from? Many of the "veterans" on the team are only in their mid-20s.

There are a number of good young guys (Convey, Dempsey, Onyewu, Eddie Johnson, Jonathon Spector) that can develop into very good players in the upcoming years. Dumping those guys and looking for a "fresh player pool" seems to be the worst thing they could do.

Developing talent and building soccer infrastructure takes time. Professional soccer in the US is only ten years old. The league is still lacking in many areas, but the progress is nothing short of amazing.

What the team truly lacks is goal scorers. The defense and midfield are solid. Brian McBride is a good, but not great, forward. What they need is a Huntelaar or RvN. Then again, who doesn't?

Having said all that, it is entirely possible that the US play the best they've ever played and still fail to make it out of their group. :nooo:

Also, I agree that Arena should move on after the world cup. I'd absolutely love to see Hiddink take the team over, but that's not going to happen.

Maybe Ronald Koeman? :D

[Feest]

Of course I didnt mean those. I meant players like Pope, Lewis, Reyna, Olsen, Wolff and Ching.

Time for players like Marshall, Mapp and Barrett to step up and get roster slots.

Maybe Eskandarian can make the jump.

Then there's the enigma Gaven, who just doesn't seem to understand he'll need to beef up to become an impact player and not constantly injured.

Then there's Adu, of course. Wynne could develop into a US-player. So could Bradley at Heerenveen. Feilhaber should make it. Nguyen in a few yaers. Haven't given up on Timmy Ward yet, if he shakes the injuries. Maybe Parkhurst and/or Sturgis. Not sold on Boswell, but he should make the squad.

[manila]

I think the greatest mistake you can do in football is giving too much weight to the list of players - it's all about the teamwork and the teamspirit. If it was for the players, Brazil would win every world cup, hands down.

England under Sven have grossly underachieved in terms of results and more so in terms of style of play. In the last couple of tournaments they were a pity, defending, defending and defending against every team.

I repeat that they are a bunch of good players without a real team. At least that's what I realised when I saw them playing in a couple of qualifying matches (against Wales & Nortern Ireland ! come on !)

[Feest]

Yup, it's all about teamspirit. That's why Malta keeps racking up trophies...

[AsgAarD_xxx]

The first game is over. Germany have won against Costa Rica 4-2. It was the best opening game that I've ever watched. A lot of emotions, good (but not great) actions and - unfortunately - referees' mistakes. In my opinion all the Costa Rica's goals was scored from the offside positions.

Now I have to go. I must prepare to our first game. Keep your fingers crossed for us ;) .

[Dubbel]

The first game is over. Germany have won against Costa Rica 4-2. It was the best opening game that I've ever watched. A lot of emotions, good (but not great) actions and - unfortunately - referees' mistakes. In my opinion all the Costa Rica's goals was scored from the offside positions.

Neither was off-side. The right back and the goalie were behind the attacker in both cases.

[dws]

Shite opening game ....... shite defending, shite goals, shite ball ... Shite! Shite! Shite! :D

[dws]

Now I have to go. I must prepare to our first game. Keep your fingers crossed for us ;) .

Up the Poles! :headbang:

Hope you win tonight ... hope you go on to give Germany a good spanking next week. :xyxthumbs:

[manila]

Yup, it's all about teamspirit. That's why Malta keeps racking up trophies...

You know what I mean ...

Teamspirit will make the difference between the big teams.

[FlaFlu]

Poland will win it 2-1, I think. Good luck, :xyxthumbs:

[AjaxPDX]

The most overrated team, in my opinion, is France. They're good, but not great, and not one of the top teams. Playing on home field in 1998, combined with someone poisoning Ronaldo, has unfortunately created a massive chasm between expectation and reality for the last eight years.

[FlaFlu]

They also won Euro 2000. In my opinion, that team was definitely great. But this isn't the same side anymore. France are one of the favorites to dissapoint at the WC, I think.

[aveslacker]

Of course I didnt mean those. I meant players like Pope, Lewis, Reyna, Olsen, Wolff and Ching.

These guys are in their last world cup (or only, in the case of ching). Lewis and Reyna are still invaluable (particularly Reyna).

Time for players like Marshall, Mapp and Barrett to step up and get roster slots.

Maybe Eskandarian can make the jump.

I don't think any of these guys will do anything other than fill in for Euro-based players who can't make friendlies or qualifiers.

Then there's the enigma Gaven, who just doesn't seem to understand he'll need to beef up to become an impact player and not constantly injured.

Then there's Adu, of course. Wynne could develop into a US-player. So could Bradley at Heerenveen. Feilhaber should make it. Nguyen in a few yaers. Haven't given up on Timmy Ward yet, if he shakes the injuries. Maybe Parkhurst and/or Sturgis. Not sold on Boswell, but he should make the squad.

These guys are the future. Bradley really impressed in the pre-WC training camp and earned two caps out of the deal. Feilhaber, Wynne, and Nguyen all have tremendous potential, as does Adu.

The other guy I have high hopes for is Eddie Johnson. He has such amazing skills, but he needs to work on his technical ability. If he plays with full confidence, he can be the difference maker for the US. We'll see. If he doesn't the US is going to struggle to score goals.

[aveslacker]

Poland will win it 2-1, I think. Good luck, :xyxthumbs:

Good luck to Poland! I met some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen there. That's enough reason to root for a team! :hypocrite:

[aveslacker]

According to the matchtracker, Poland have been poor. :nooo: Anyone who is watching this agree?

[FlaFlu]

Definitely true. Everything is going too slow. Especially in midfield with Radomski. No one up front is able to hold up the ball either.

[aveslacker]

Definitely true. Everything is going too slow. Especially in midfield with Radomski. No one up front is able to hold up the ball either.

Poland - Ecuador 0-2.

X'C

[AsgAarD_xxx]

According to the matchtracker, Poland have been poor. :nooo: Anyone who is watching this agree?

That's what I hate most in football... We couldn't loose this game. We had psychological advantage (after winning 3-0 a few months ago). There were over 30000 polish fans at the stadium (and only 7000 from Ecuador)... Besides most of Poles play in good European teams - and only de la Cruz, Kaviedes, Hurtado & Delgado from Ecuador play or used to play in Europe...

Just before the World Cup finals Poland had two friendly games - a total crap against Colombia and good game against Croatia. Paweł Janas used the tactic from the second game (4-5-1), but players played as bad as against Colombia. I don't really know what did they think... Maybe that Ecuador will be affraid of us? First a few minutes of a game were good for Poland. They had an idea how to play, but the whole plan crashed after first goal for Ecuador. Starting from that action, Ecuador made a wall on their half and destroyed every attack of Poles. And I have to say that they were - surprisingly - great in that. The second goal for them was after perfect counter attack and mistake of our defender, who was too late during the offside trap making.

I know that it was very bad game. I won't write about a few mistakes of the referee. I have to confirm that Ecuador was a better team during the whole match. Besides, no-one forbade us to make any action and score a goal. That's the second thing that I don't understand. Tell me how it is possible, that the first shoot on goal we had in... 85th minute? Only Euzebiusz Smolarek and two of our reserver players (Jeleń and Brożek) wanted to fight. It's plaintive...

And the last thing - Ecuador have a really great bank of information... Almost all their actions was made right side. The've noticed that Żewłakow is the weakest point of our - bad in fact - defence. Chapeaux bar for Ecuador...

Tomorrow I'll go on my hometown club game. They know what honour, ambition and will to fight are. Come on KS Piaseczno!

PS: Anastabooty - it's all your fault X'C .

[acab]

poland will play in the 1/8 finals, i'm shoure. what about todays game? the english steaks against paraguay? normaly, i support the european teams, but the english steaks are very funny team( in the bad meaning of funny). anyway, we will drink 4-5 bears for rooney's health. cheers, prost and nazdrave. :bier:

[Tom_]

I've heard the steaks in England are pretty good, if you want mad cow's disease :D :D :D

Sorry, in bad joke mode...

In all seriousness, I think it could be a (score) draw, but I'm hoping for England to win.

[acab]

I've heard the steaks in England are pretty good, if you want mad cow's disease :D :D :D

Sorry, in bad joke mode...

In all seriousness, I think it could be a (score) draw, but I'm hoping for England to win.

me too, but i dont care so much. the important game is tommorow in 4 o'clock bulgarian time ;)

[jakobg]

If anyone want to get in the mood for Sweden's game later on tonight, here's an excellent tribute to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The song is made by a group called Elias and the singer is 7 year old Frans.

It's called 'Who's da man' and is just too adorable.

Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 78228DD397

[Manneken Pis]

Van Basten gets Orange army running like clockwork

Holland coach confident internal strife is history and injuries clear up as Dutch squad shine in training

Sean Ingle in Freiburg
Friday June 9, 2006
The Guardian


Public training sessions are usually about as revealing as watching a concert pianist play Chopsticks. Coaches, wary of spies and informers, stick to the basics: jogging, stretching, piggy-in-the-middle, some shooting practice and a half-paced match to finish. Yesterday, however, Holland preferred to make a statement of intent.
As a crowd of 10,000 in the Badenova stadium looked on, the Dutch squad went through a series of routines that fizzed with energy and ambition, before leaving the pitch to a standing ovation. "We're ready now," said Edwin van der Sar. "We've been together for the past two weeks and had a really good preparation."

The captain's ebullience is not yet matched by the Holland coach Marco van Basten, who continues to play down his side's World Cup chances. For months he has repeated the phrase "We are in the second tier of nations" like a mantra.
No one believes him. Everywhere there are encouraging signs - especially the players' easy, rather than egotistical, body language, and the form of Arjen Robben, whose dazzling dribbles yesterday suggest a return to the form of winter 2004 is not far away. "I'm very happy with Arjen," said a smiling Van Basten."Two days before the World Cup, it's a good time to be back to your best."

Van Basten, at 41 the youngest coach in the finals, surely has something to do with that. Some coaches - Sven-Goran Eriksson for one - prefer to stand aloof from training, delegating and observing like a general. Van Basten is more of a field sergeant, always encouraging and mucking in. These days, sadly, he uses only his left foot to kick a ball; the right, mangled by the ankle problems that forced his retirement, is merely for support.

"This is the most relaxed Dutch team I have ever seen," insists Michael Blijboum, who has covered Holland for nearly two decades. "Van Basten's caution is a smokescreen: the Dutch always believe they can win the big tournaments. The big test will be if the team go 1-0 down in a match. We have a tendency to struggle when we go behind. Our mentality switches like night and day."

But there was little sign of emotional fragility in qualifying; the Dutch finished top of their group, conceding three goals in 12 games. Serbia & Montenegro, their opponents on Sunday, were even more parsimonious: they allowed only one goal in their 10 games.

"They are a tough team," said Van Basten. "It will be difficult to beat them because they play so defensively and are well organised."

Yesterday the Dutch side worked repeatedly on drills to sneak through the Serbian gates. There were rapid pass-and-move sessions in small groups, but with a twist: every player was also making dummy runs, sudden sprints and frequent changes of direction. It looked beautifully chaotic but two things remained constant: the ball kept moving and there was always someone supporting the passer.

Van Basten spent 45 minutes working on another ploy, which involved playing the ball out wide from the centre circle, where a full-back or winger was allowed one touch to bring it down before crossing for two players to sprint in the penalty area to score.

Yesterday Dirk Kuyt, the top scorer in Holland last season, hit the net more than anyone. But he looks set to play as a right-winger in Holland's usual 4-3-3 formation this Sunday, with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the centre and Robben on the left.

"We have decided on our provisional line-up," confirmed Van Basten. "Now we have to see who is fit." On that score there was encouraging news for the Dutch squad, with Wesley Sneijder, who was on crutches following the friendly against Australia last weekend, close to full fitness, along with the two other injury worries, Phillip Cocu and Rafael van der Vaart.

"I've told our players that we have to concentrate on ourselves," explained Van Basten. "Not the so-called group of death, not our opponents. If we stay together as a team, nothing else is that important."

Nothing, that is, except the glory of winning in Germany. In the past it has been a happy hunting ground for the Dutch: they finished runners-up in the 1974 World Cup and romped away with Euro 88. "I'm not surprised we do well here," added Van Basten. "It's close for the fans to travel. The food and climate is similar too. In a way it's almost better than playing at home: you get the advantages without the pressure." So can they go to the final again? "I hope so," joked Van Basten. "Ask me after the World Cup."

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

1-0 England Own goal by Paraguay, game is in halftime.Bad luck for Paraguay after only two minutes of play receiving an own goal by their captain Carlos Gamarra, England has been the better team so far but have not been able to finish them off, Paraguay still have a chance, come on Paraguay !!!! If Ecuador could so can you !!!!!

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

1-0 is the final score in what was a very poor game, let's hope Sweden can score a bunch against trinidad ;) .