2014 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP IN BRAZIL

[Seahawks08]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIo6pUkAcI8[/youtube]

[JoltinJoe]

Here's a question for discussion. Could the US have gone further in this tournament with Altidore back in the lineup?

Jozy's presence in the lineup was critical to the US. We don't have another player with his specific skill set (perhaps it can be said we've NEVER had a player with his skill set). With Altidore paired with Dempsey up front, the US would have presented a more difficult offensive scheme to defend.

Is it too much to think we could have scored in regulation against Belgium and moved on to the Round of 8 with Altidore on the field?

[bandl]

Here's a question for discussion. Could the US have gone further in this tournament with Altidore back in the lineup?

Jozy's presence in the lineup was critical to the US. We don't have another player with his specific skill set (perhaps it can be said we've NEVER had a player with his skill set). With Altidore paired with Dempsey up front, the US would have presented a more difficult offensive scheme to defend.

Is it too much to think we could have scored in regulation against Belgium and moved on to the Round of 8 with Altidore on the field?

Absolutely. He had the ability to bully his way through a defensive line with his size and strength (btw, if I ever hear one more announcer say "pace" I'm going to lose it), when finesse and dazzling or a set piece wouldn't do.
However, he doesn't play defense. You aren't going to win many (or any) games when your goaltender has to save 16 shots.
Of course, if they had Jozy against Portugal or Germany, then maybe they may have won one of those games and wouldn't have been put up against Belgium in the round of 16 in the first place and might have played a weaker Algeria team with a different result. Who knows.

[93henfan]

Here's a question for discussion. Could the US have gone further in this tournament with Altidore back in the lineup?

Jozy's presence in the lineup was critical to the US. We don't have another player with his specific skill set (perhaps it can be said we've NEVER had a player with his skill set). With Altidore paired with Dempsey up front, the US would have presented a more difficult offensive scheme to defend.

Is it too much to think we could have scored in regulation against Belgium and moved on to the Round of 8 with Altidore on the field?

Dude. There's no soccer talk allowed for at least three and a half years now.

Go Orioles!

[Grizalltheway]

Here's a question for discussion. Could the US have gone further in this tournament with Altidore back in the lineup?

Jozy's presence in the lineup was critical to the US. We don't have another player with his specific skill set (perhaps it can be said we've NEVER had a player with his skill set). With Altidore paired with Dempsey up front, the US would have presented a more difficult offensive scheme to defend.

Is it too much to think we could have scored in regulation against Belgium and moved on to the Round of 8 with Altidore on the field?

Absolutely. He had the ability to bully his way through a defensive line with his size and strength (btw, if I ever hear one more announcer say "pace" I'm going to lose it), when finesse and dazzling or a set piece wouldn't do.
However, he doesn't play defense. You aren't going to win many (or any) games when your goaltender has to save 16 shots.
Of course, if they had Jozy against Portugal or Germany, then maybe they may have won one of those games and wouldn't have been put up against Belgium in the round of 16 in the first place and might have played a weaker Algeria team with a different result. Who knows.

Algeria wouldn't have been a cakewalk. They took the world champs to the wire.

[bandl]

Absolutely. He had the ability to bully his way through a defensive line with his size and strength (btw, if I ever hear one more announcer say "pace" I'm going to lose it), when finesse and dazzling or a set piece wouldn't do.
However, he doesn't play defense. You aren't going to win many (or any) games when your goaltender has to save 16 shots.
Of course, if they had Jozy against Portugal or Germany, then maybe they may have won one of those games and wouldn't have been put up against Belgium in the round of 16 in the first place and might have played a weaker Algeria team with a different result. Who knows.

Algeria wouldn't have been a cakewalk. They took the world champs to the wire.

Weaker does not equal cakewalk. But thanks for ASSuming that's what I meant.

[93henfan]

Compromise:

I'm giving you all until noon eastern time TODAY to continue to discuss soccer. It's only fair, the day after the biggest event in such a silly sport, to allow you to talk about it a little bit.

But, after that (and I'm looking squarely at you Bandil, as well as the white supremacist/Nazi Germany fans), there will be no more soccer talk until at least after Christmas of 2017.

We have real sports to discuss, that men play, which are much more important.

I think it's fair.

[bandl]

Compromise:

I'm giving you all until noon eastern time TODAY to continue to discuss soccer. It's only fair, the day after the biggest event in such a silly sport, to allow you to talk about it a little bit.

But, after that (and I'm looking squarely at you Bandil, as well as the white supremacist/Nazi Germany fans), there will be no more soccer talk until at least after Christmas of 2017.

We have real sports to discuss, that men play, which are much more important.

I think it's fair.

No.

[93henfan]

Compromise:

I'm giving you all until noon eastern time TODAY to continue to discuss soccer. It's only fair, the day after the biggest event in such a silly sport, to allow you to talk about it a little bit.

But, after that (and I'm looking squarely at you Bandil, as well as the white supremacist/Nazi Germany fans), there will be no more soccer talk until at least after Christmas of 2017.

We have real sports to discuss, that men play, which are much more important.

I think it's fair.

No.

I give up.

You've never been willing to work with me. I'm going to have to sever our on-again, off-again tenuous "friendship".

Jerk!

Hey, did your wife drop the new kid?

[bandl]

No.

I give up.

You've never been willing to work with me. I'm going to have to sever our on-again, off-again tenuous "friendship".

Jerk!

Hey, did your wife drop the new kid?

No.
No.

[Grizalltheway]

Algeria wouldn't have been a cakewalk. They took the world champs to the wire.

Weaker does not equal cakewalk. But thanks for ASSuming that's what I meant.

You're welcome.

[93henfan]

Hey, I bet nobody has ever told you this Bandal:

If you can get your wife to just walk around, that might help with the baby.

Either that or come up behind her, lift her up under her arms, and start jumping up and down.

[Grizalltheway]

Compromise:

I'm giving you all until noon eastern time TODAY to continue to discuss soccer. It's only fair, the day after the biggest event in such a silly sport, to allow you to talk about it a little bit.

But, after that (and I'm looking squarely at you Bandil, as well as the white supremacist/Nazi Germany fans), there will be no more soccer talk until at least after Christmas of 2017.

We have real sports to discuss, that men play, which are much more important.

I think it's fair.

[89Hen]

Dude. There's no soccer talk allowed for at least three and a half years now.

Not true 93. Soccer is exploding in the US and I expect we will see front page coverage of the MLS on a daily basis.

[89Hen]

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2 ... er-popular

[93henfan]

Dude. There's no soccer talk allowed for at least three and a half years now.

Not true 93. Soccer is exploding in the US and I expect we will see front page coverage of the MLS on a daily basis.

I can't hear you with all this sand around where my head is buried. Tap me on the shoulder when football season starts.

Also, 53 more minutes of soccer talk. Keep talking, euro-trash wannabees!

[Grizalltheway]

And you keep obssessing over people having different tastes in sports than you. It's very productive.

[Ibanez]

93 has done a superb job at trolling you guys. Congrats, 93. EC(b) FTW!

[bandl]

Dude. There's no soccer talk allowed for at least three and a half years now.

Not true 93. Soccer is exploding in the US and I expect we will see front page coverage of the MLS on a daily basis.

EPL starts in 26 days!

[93henfan]

Not true 93. Soccer is exploding in the US and I expect we will see front page coverage of the MLS on a daily basis.

EPL starts in 26 days!

Moderators,

LOCK THE THREAD. BADNL IS NOT LISTENING WELL!

Soccer season is OVER for four years.

[CAA Flagship]

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2 ... er-popular

The Japanese baseball league averages 25,000 fans per game despite the best players defecting to the MLB (30k per game). So popularity can be achieved in leagues where the superior players are in a different league. It comes down to the sport. But as I mentioned many times, soccer's refusal to change it's rules to provide more offense and transparency (clock) will hold them back in the US.

[bandl]

EPL starts in 26 days!

Moderators,

LOCK THE THREAD. BADNL IS NOT LISTENING WELL!

Soccer season is OVER for four years.

2018 World Cup qualification is just around the corner as well!
The preliminary draw is just over a year away!

[89Hen]

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2 ... er-popular

The Japanese baseball league...

[Grizalltheway]

Moderators,

LOCK THE THREAD. BADNL IS NOT LISTENING WELL!

Soccer season is OVER for four years.

2018 World Cup qualification is just around the corner as well!
The preliminary draw is just over a year away!

Don't forget about Euro 2016. Germany's tournament to lose.

[bandl]

2018 World Cup qualification is just around the corner as well!
The preliminary draw is just over a year away!

Don't forget about Euro 2016. Germany's tournament to lose.

They're done.
Holland's turn!