Looking forward from English Despair and American Regret

Before I get to the crushing losses of this weekend I will address the Dutch team, my adopted team for the remainder of this World Cup. As Ryan alludes to below, Arjen Robben must be deployed on the right where he is allowed to cut in on his left foot to create or shoot. This happened to great effect in Holland's game earlier today, a 2-1 victory over Slovakia, where Robben clinically finished his first real chance at goal and was only denied a stunning second by a diving save from the opposing keeper. The Dutch Gaffer, part of my All Name Squad, wisely removed the injury prone Robben with 20 minutes to go, preserving him for the mouthwatering matchup with Brazil. Related to Robben's age, apparently he joined the first team in Groningen, his first professional side, at age 16. He later made his debut for PSV in 2002, moving to Chelsea in 2004, Real Madrid in 2007, and finally to Bayern in 2008. For such a young lad, he really has been around the block (of European powerhouse club teams).

As a fan of none of the sides remaining in the Cup considering my English heritage and my American citizenship support avenues haven't turned out as planned, I vow to switch allegiance to the Dutch for this tournament. They have the attacking players in Robben, Kuyt, Sneidjer, Van Persie, Huntelaar, Babal, Elias, et al to score with the best in this tournament and a passing style that is pleasant to witness. Additionally, they tend to play 6 defensive minded players, with Van Bommel and De Jong sitting centrally in front of the back four making odd man rushes and counterattacking goals very unlikely. What was worrying against Slovakia today was the inability to score a second goal until the mid 80s when really the game should have been put to rest. Perhaps the players relaxed looking ahead to the Quarters but they escaped when Vitek scuffed his wide open shot directly at Stekelenberg midway through the second half. Mistakes like these will be costly against Brazil.

The make up of the Dutch starting XI bears resemblance to this Cup's Brazil side. Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano, and Dani Alves (replacing the injured Elano against Slovakia) make up the attacking quartet while Ramires (replacing the suspended Felipe Melo against Slovakia) and Gilberto Silva (who never seems to get yellow carded despite the staggering number of fouls he commits) make up the defensive midfield in front of the back four. While the Brazilians likely have the attacking edge (not to mention history), Kaka has been underwhelming recently and Fabiano can be wasteful, it is always unwise to bet against the Samba Boys and their ability to score. The Dutch defense seems better organized, more physical, and less prone to space cadet moments (like when Brazil allowed North Korea to score in the last minutes of their match) than the Brazilian back line but again, it is true the Brazilians generally play up to their competition and will not likely have a defensive mistake in the quarterfinals- anyone who does would risk Dunga's fearsome wrath.

All in all this game seems to have classic written all over it. Both teams play the same formation essentially, both will try to possess the ball, pass around the opponent, and wait for the perfect time to pounce. Both teams are extremely organized defensively and rarely get caught out of position. Brazil likely has the edge at Keeper but it seems that Julio Cesar has been suffering from some back injuries recently so maybe the healthy Stekelenberg has the edge currently. Both benches have players that can come on and immediately change the game. It is too soon for predictions but if the Dutch lose, well, there is always Euro 2012, right? As I've blabbered considerably here I will leave the lack of English commitment, the question of To Capello or Not to Capello, and the disappointing US loss to Ghana for another column.

And as John Harkes, the one and only, would say, "He picked a really opportune time to score."

Thanks John.

- Matt

"It's crazy how good Robben is at 51 years old."

I'm quoting Scottie in the title of this post, but I think he's absolutely right. Arjen Robben is a monster on the right wing. The Dutch international/Bayern Munich winger absolutely terrorizes the flank, as evinced by his goal scored for the Oranje in this morning's match against Slovakia. His pace and touch are truly menacing, and although Bert van Marwijk had originally hinted towards using the naturally left footed Robben on the left wing to feed balls into the box, (rather than on the right, where he usually plays for Bayern) stating at some point something along the lines of "Well, Bayern are not the Oranje...". Looks like ol' Bert has changed his thinking since Robben's return from injury, as he has played him on the right not only against the Slovaks, but against Cameroon as well in their final group stage match. In the match against Cameroon, Robben helped facilitate a goal by taking much the same course he did today (where he scored), in which he swooped in from the right wing fooling the defenders, struck the ball with his left foot putting the ball off the post which was eventually put in by 'el cazador' (Klaas Jan Huntelaar).

Having watched each of the 4 matches 'Clockwork Oranje' have played in the 2010WC, it seems to me that if they're going to make a serious run at winning it all, Robben is going to have to keep up playing the way he's playing, while at the same time keeping that calf healthy. Also, the Dutch have put Liverpool striker/winger Dirk Kuyt (whose work ethic comes as a result of him being the son of a fisherman, as put by Martin Tyler) on Robben's opposing wing. Kuyt has a fantastic work ethic, and certainly gives his all when playing, but he just doesn't have the pace that a player like Elia adds towards the potent Dutch attack. I would hope to see Elia (or even Ryan Babel/ 'Babar' the elephant) on Robben's opposing flank when they match up against tournament favorites Brazil this Friday. This one's certainly shaping up to be a doozy, though.

Anyway, above I've provided a picture of Robben above for those of you reading this (Kristi) that don't know what he looks like. Let's just say looks can be deceiving... Per my wikipedia search, Robben was born January 23, 1984... which makes him 26?!? You have to be kidding me... He looks to be about 51, as Scottie put it. Absolutely ridiculous, seriously. What do you think he looked like as a 12 year old? Think they were serving him adult beverages back then? I bet they were... Anyway, I wonder what he's going to look like when he's actually 51? I'm going to put my money on him looking exactly the same...

Here's to hoping for an KNVB win on Friday,

Ryan

Uruguay are just like the Celtics

My favorite part of the knockout phase of the World Cup is that the commentators continually feel the need to explain how the knockout phase works. Believe it or not, Americans understand that in single-elimination competition, the winner is eliminated and the loser advances.

Also, did anyone else catch the announcer trying to make a basketball analogy in the Uruguay v South Korea match? He prefaced it with "Now I don't really know much about basketball or how it works, but..." He explaining how strong the Uruguayan defense is, saying, "Compare the Uruguayans to the Boston Celtics of basketball. I've been told they have strong defense, and that it was this defense that helped them win the 2010 NBA Championship." I hope Kevin "Anything is possible" Garnett was watching.

A primer for USA v. Ghana tomorrow for someone who has (hypothetically) not watched any of the matches...

By request (you're welcome Kritter), I'm writing on tomorrow's knockout round match between the USA and Ghana.

Where to begin?

Well, for starters (and the assumed reason from which I was asked to write on this stems), Wednesday morning's match between the US and the Desert Foxes of Algeria was watched by some 8.6 million Americans, numbers high enough to put it in the prime-time Nielsen Top 10. Not bad given that it was the middle of the week, morning, and people, allegedly, work in this country. The viewership of the first three US matches was up 68 percent from the three group matches of the 2006 World Cup, which means.... People are watching! Hooray!

Some thoughts on the match, and the Stars and Stripes chances, etc?

Well, this one's shaping up to be an emotional grudge match with a history of sorts. The US was knocked out of the 2006 World Cup by the Black Stars of Ghana with a crushing 2-1 defeat in the final match of the group stage. This leads me to believe the US will be seeking to return the favor to Ghana, dating back to the last World Cup. Ghana on the other hand, (given that Cote D'Ivoire doesn't somehow make it through the the Round of 16) is the only African side left of the 32 nations that started the tournament two weeks ago. Assumably this means that almost all of the African fans will embrace Ghana as their own side, and actively cheer for them, putting the US in a tough position with lots of vuvuzelas, noise, shouting, etc. It's a good thing the US has a fair amount of momentum going into the match with Wednesday's late minute heroics by Landycakes to put the US through to the next round at the top of the group, something which the US had not done dating back to 1930. Winning the group was important in the sense that, as previously mentioned, the US plays Ghana instead of playing an arguably better German side.

Some may say that the US got lucky by winning the group. I would argue against this. The US had plenty of opportunities to score in its matches against Slovenia and Algeria, and looked better in both matches (I would say) than did the Three Lions of England. The US should have won its second match against Slovenia, but was only awarded a draw when Maurice Edu's 86th minute goal was discounted on the meritless foul called by the (recently fired) referee, which would have easily put the US atop Group C. The US also had a goal waved off on the claim Clint Dempsey was in an offside position in its match against Algeria, and missed a few open net scoring chances that should have been put in, which made the 1-0 match that could have ended 3 or 4 - nil, appear closer than it actually was, in the realm of scoring chances that is.

The takeaway?

The US is a formidable opponent despite what some might want you to think, and certainly have a fightin' chance at advancing to the quarterfinals. (As if they need anything else as a motivating force) If the US were to make it through the the quarterfinals, they would face the winner of the South Korea v. Uruguay match, meaning that they wouldn't be matched up against a tournament juggernaut, yet, and would have a fairly good chance at making it to the semifinals (knock on wood).

The US is certainly capable of beating a Ghanese side with a ton of pace. Hopefully Bob Bradley doesn't play Onyewu again, as he seemed to be the player holding up the US defensive line in its first two matches (especially by way of his lack of pace that led to the playing of a poor offside trap that lacked obvious communication, as well as coordination essential to its proper working). Instead, (given than Jonathan Bornstein is a worthless goon) Bradley should start a defensive line of some combination of Bocanegra, Demerit, Spector, and Cherundolo, all of whom have better pace and agility than Onyewu. I would hope Bradley would start Edson Buddle at striker with Jozy Altidore. I say this because he started Findley with Jozy in the first two matches, and although Findley can turn on the jets and has some serious pace, it seemed to me that he lacked the confidence necessary to put one away, as he was constantly dishing the ball to other players to shoot when he made it to the 18 yard box, rather than taking shots on his own. I also hope Bradley goes with a more offensive minded midfield player to couple with his son, Michael Bradley (nepotism, I know), in the US midfield. This can be found in a player such as Torres, Edu, or Benny Feilhaber, all of whom have more creativity that Ricardo Clark.

If the US pushes effectively, plays solid, mistake-free soccer, is able to keep up with the legs and pace of Ghana, and keeps giving itself scoring chances as it has over the past 2 1/2 matches, it has a fantastic shot (knock on wood, again) at advancing over a certainly-capable Ghanese side.

I'm going to hold off on making any predictions on the match (I'm superstitious, sorry), but I hope this was in some way helpful. Hope your eyes will be glued to the ABC tomorrow morning at 11:30 Pacific Time/2:30 Eastern Time, mine certainly will be.

Please post, questions, comments, concerns, etc. if you have them.

Hoping for a (knock on wood for a third time) USA chant tomorrow,

Ryan

More on Eyebrows

I agree with Matt. World Cup pundits have not been paying enough attention to the critical eyebrow issue. Can you identify the world's biggest football stars, plus Benny Feilhaber, by their eyebrows?

Kaká wishes you good luck!

1. Cannavaro A.

2. Gerrard B.
3. Feilhaber C.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo D.

5. Robinho E.

6. Messi F.

7. Drogba G.

8. Ribery H.

Comment with your guesses. Also, how about these South American teams? Can Chile win Group H to make every South American team a group winner (assuming the obvious, that Brazil smoke Portugal)? Hey Cristiano Ronaldo: I love watching you flop your pretty face onto the grass every five minutes. You are extremely talented, and when you take yourself out of the game by trying to whine your way to victory, you actually hurt your team. Here's to Ivory Coast overcoming the nine goal...goal differential...differential between themselves and Portugal!

What is the deal with the Swiss Goalie's Eyebrows?

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed but the Swiss 'keeper has some serious eyebrows. Not like they are wise and bushy and white colored, like Merlin or my father, more like he gets them freshly waxed before every game. Maybe he thinks that if he needs to make a diving stop such finely coiffed eyebrows will lower air resistance, thus allowing him to make miraculous save after miraculous save. This is, by the way, how the Swiss managed to keep the score against Spain. As it turns it Benaglio is quite a stud between the posts, but something about his tan and eyebrows makes me think Jersey Shore rather than Swiss Alps, comprende? What are your thoughts on the Swiss Brows?














Sorry for going on a Perez like rant here, but I can't be helped. What the hell is wrong with this dude's hair? Is he going for the lobsided alien buttchin vampire look? If he is, damn I've got to respect that. Maybe Slovenian hair styles convey other qualities than I am accustomed to, so to any Slovenes out there- I'm sorry if I have offended you, despite this offensive hairstyle.

Does anyone need a change of pants? I do.

Can it get any more exciting than the games the last few days? Nigeria v. South Korea, France v. South Africa, USA v. Algeria, England v. Slovenia, and did I mention USA v. Algeria? All these games in the last two days had you on the edge of the seat. It looked like the Mighty Yanks might not pull this game out, especially considering the bevy of chances in both the first half and the second- Gomez's blast, Dempsey off the post, Buddle header straight at the 'keeper, Jozy blasting the ball over the bar, Clint snuffing a shot straight at the keeper, Bradley's fierce free kick, Clint's fantom offside goal in the first hald and others I'm forgetting. It must be said that Algeria played a very negative game (they committed 21 fouls) and didn't deserve to get anything from this match. The USA thoroughly deserved the win, outplaying Algeria in every facet of the game. Perhaps this is some soccer karma for the shall we say interesting refereeing decisions that plagued the USA's earlier matches. As a soccer fan in the USA I am glad the referees did not affect the outcome in the group as I fear that may have set soccer back in the USA for quite some time, in addition to inciting country-wide outrage. It has to be said- Coach Bradley played this game well- early substitutions for offense over defense in the second half and not waiting until too late to put on players that can change the game (Buddle, Feilhaber, Beasley). Well done, Bradley!

As an England supporter I happy for both the USA and England, who progressed with a 1-0 win over Slovenia (Defoe latching on to a nice cross midway through the first half). I am nervous about England for several reasons. Wayne Rooney had several chances he most certainly would have taken whilst playing for Manchester United yet he hesitated on several show attempts, allowing the defense to poke the ball away from behind. In addition he had a fantastic chance on a volley that they goalie did well to parry off the post. Additionally with three central midfielders playing in the 4-4-2 there is no natural width. The more I think about it the more a 4-5-1 makes sense (thank you Ryan for your suggestion). A midfield of Cole and Lennon on the wings, Gerrard playing the withdrawn striker position that he's famous for at L'Pool, with Barry and Lampard providing cover and passing in the middle. Ryan wisely pointed out the Rooney excels in a 4-5-1 with United where the wingers are heavily involved in link up play. We all know Rooney's unselfishness and the addition of Cole and Lennon on the wings with Gerrard able to link up with him seems to allow a more balanced scoring attack than relying on Heskey to knock the ball down to Rooney, Lamps, or Gerrard for a chance on goal. Then again, I am not the manager of England.

Here are my BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR ROUND 2:

Uruguay v. South Korea: 0-1

United States v. Ghana: 2-1

Argentina v. Mexico: 3-1

England v. Germany: 2-2 during regular time. England win 4-3 on penalties, revenging years of heartbreak to the Germans.

Please post comments!!