United States v Costa Rica Friendly - Gamethread

Howard; Chandler, Orozco Fiscal, Bocanegra ©, Castillo; Donovan, Edu, Torres; Rogers, Altidore, Shea

Klinsman already said that he’d have Donovan in the #10.

Edu as CDM

Donovan and Torres as the central two, with Torres more CMish.

I think the backup keeper is from herediano though

The Caymans and bookmakers across Europe have this game at a huge 2.3/1 on the money line for an outright win for the USMNT and they are even 1/1.6 favored by more than one goal on the spread.

Look for a 3-1 victory where Juergen can’t wait to release the hounds at any defense he faces.

If you read German Captain Phil Lahm’s book recently that has been causing an uproar in the German Soccer World, his quotes on Klinsmann at Bayern Munich and as coach of the German National Team was that the practices were haphazard and unorganized. Fitness drills, he said, made up the entirety of the routine, without tactical discussion or strategy of any sort. Players were in a panic, meeting privately before games to devise some sort of strategy.

I think Klinsmann truly is this sort of balls to the wall, purist that says tactics be damned. He truly feels Soccer is almost more a mental game than a physical game, and he thinks if the boys just literally have at it, throwing caution to the wind and any strategy, they have there best chance to play at the top level.

We shall see if this let them loose and tell them to shoot strategy will be remotely successful in a league where the talent set is different than a random group of German or International Stars.

so hopefully Roddick doesn’t allow kid Sock back in the tennis match

Jurgen apparently isnt a fan of game film, adapting the shape or content of his lineup to opponents, tailoring practices to the task at hand, or really in any way treating soccer as some sort of geometry, ordered system, spatial concern at all. The way he view the game sort of disregards any tactics, as his vision of proper play sees above such physicaly, spatial characteristics and has almost a supernatural quality to it. He wills it without much concrete to show in the way how this will might be applied in a given instance. It’s quite sucesfull. If you’ve ever seen him talk, even in English, like on ESPN last summer during world cup, you can tell the guy is almost like a preacher of sorts. He’s got a sort of confident charisma that suggests he’s seeing the soccer pitch through different eyes.

This is nearly over

In these first few minutes he’s been nearly all of the good play.

Donovan muffed that ball. It should have been a goal.

Ignoring that they are NOT a playoff team yet.

ball in the keepers hands and they call it over the endline. God call, but rare.

Harkes says someone needs to be at the back

Lots of handball

Beverage: Kokanee Gold
Scarf: wet towel
Kit: 1985 Hilfiger Tee
Where I’m Watching: my room

loose play, ball at feet, quick 20 yard passes

not letting me log in. Anyone else having issues???

you don’t want Robbie Rogers

The best player for Costa Rica, also in MLS

But damn, why can’t we score?

their passing is so much crisper now, and they actually defend rather than foul

Shocking.

Style has to shift a bit

Having played on Tuesday probably catching up w/ him.

of course

and then using long ball rather than the quick passing of the first half

Where’s johnny bornstien now?

to spark the flagging midfield.

It isn’t as much fun to watch.

i mean i hate that because dempsey holden and some defenders are out, and we choose to play robbie rogers that we cant win a game

just showed his youth.

Where the US can earn yellows for being childish

His passing and footwork have added some flair

0-1-1

That game succeeded in making me hate Costa Rica for years to come.

Castillo had a pretty horrid night tonight.

WHY COULD WE NOT GET INTO THE ATTACKING THIRD!?!

One of the ESPN guys said it, possession without punch. Story of the game for USA.

The second half may have been the worst half of soccer I’ve watched all year.