OT: US soccer vs Costa Rica open thread

Submitted by samber2009 on

The U.S. lineup vs. Costa Rica tonight: Howard; Chandler, Orozco Fiscal, Bocanegra (capt.), Castillo; Donovan, Edu, Torres; Rogers, Altidore, Shea.

Subs: Hamid, Goodson, Spector, Larentowicz, Kljestan, Ream, Agudelo

Game on espn2 and espn3, 11pm ET, from Home Depot Center in Cali.  Discuss.

Can we still have soccer threads during the OT limitations? Delete if necessary.

JClay

September 3rd, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^

This is football season. All threads where we pretend to care about nancy boys playing kick the can should be banned until January.

OP: DIAF.

blue95

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:19 AM ^

Forget Mexico, apparently our new greatest rival is Costa Rica. 

Jurgen certainly has his work cut out for him, perhaps it just can't be done in this country without a decades' long plan that starts at the very lowest levels of footy.

Trader Jack

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:26 AM ^

It's always fustrating to lose, but you have to keep in mind that the starting lineup we saw tonight is nothing like the one we would see if this match was more than just a friendly. Also, although they lost, the U.S. dominated for most of the game and seemed like the better team overall. They have a lot of work to do, sure, but so does every team at this point. To say that "perhaps it just can't be done in this country" after one exhibition match is beyond premature.

blue95

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:39 AM ^

I was going to throw out all the caveats, but they were absolutely lacksidaisical and without technique.  That's been the case with virtually all US teams.  That's why I say you may need to start very young to get the proper technique and mindset developed.

Regardless of the lineup, a country with the resources and population of the US should be able to dominate a team like Costa Rica and be able to at least "compete" with the best teams in all of the Americas, not just North and Central America.  We have never been able to play near the level of a Brazil or Argentina, or probably Uraguay and Paraguay.

T-town Wolv

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:46 AM ^

your regardless of the lineup statement. If you didn't watch the halftime show, please do so in the future. The U.S. public is more focused on pushing their kids in football and baseball than a "sissy" sport like soccer. That's not to say that soccer is making a big push in America because it is. 

T-town Wolv

September 6th, 2011 at 1:17 AM ^

playing the sport for over 12 years, plus taking referee courses, plus since my family has watched futbol since before I was born, plus my family has analyzed every game I've ever played in, plus my family discusses soccer like everyone else on here discusses college football means absolutely nothing. Also I got into U of M - Dearborn, not that I'm proud of not going to Ann Arbor, that's just how the cards fell, unluckily my twin has the advantage of going to Ann Arbor to brag about. Thank you come again.

T-town Wolv

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:41 AM ^

weren't awful. Fiscal is decent and should improve with more high level competitions like this. Castillo is more of a wing back and that should be taken into account. Fiscal and Castillo would get a 5.5's  from me.

Trader Jack

September 3rd, 2011 at 2:28 AM ^

You and I must've been watching different games. Fiscal had trouble clearing the ball or making passes that even approached accurate, often lost the man he was marking, and was responsible for the Costa Rica goal. On top of that, he contributed absolutely nothing offensively. Castillo was better than Fiscal and is obviously a more talented offensive player, but many of his passes (and especially his crosses) were off, the one shot he took gave a new meaning to the word shank, and his defense left a lot to be desired. If they were "decent" to you then your standards must be much lower than mine. If either of those two were playing in a game that actually mattered I would be terrified.

T-town Wolv

September 3rd, 2011 at 2:50 AM ^

that they are developing players into a new system and not just any players, new players with no chemistry with the existing team. Castillo is a managable wing back but a poor left back. Fiscal will develop just give people time. It's all about faith in a system just ask the young German side who is currently thriving under Loew. That system was founded by Klinsmann. Look at they way they play at starting at 0:30 of this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cb5b9dwcko

Yeoman

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^

Klinsmann may have been the German coach at the time but he did not create the system and there's never been any indication he really understands it at the level of detail required to implement it. That was Loew's baby throughout (although he would never have been given the chance to run it at the national level if Klinsmann and Bierhoff hadn't gone to bat for him).

Yeoman

September 6th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^

What Klinsmann managed were the political aspects--he's the one that was able to convince Beckenbauer that changes should be made.

If managing the system means saying "we should play faster, put more pressure on the opposition, I want to look like a Champions League team" then Klinsmann gets the credit. I think there's more to creating and implementing a system than sliding toggle switches in Football Manager, and pretty much everything beyond that point was Loew and not Klinsmann.

ken725

September 3rd, 2011 at 4:50 AM ^

You were not watching the same game that we were.  I watched the entire game from the front row by the midfield so I had a pretty good view of everything.  Fiscal is a CB there are only few CB in the world who are able to turn defense into offense on the dribble.  Fiscal was pretty solid for the most part and the goal was not all completly his fault.  It was more bad defensive positioning as a whole.    

Castillo played much better this game, while he started to struggle in the second half like the rest of the team.  The reason why Castillo is a better ofensive player is because he is a LB.  He is supposed to get wide and deliver crosses.  They are both defenders, but you are stating the obvious when you say a full back has more offensive skill than a center back.  Castillo this time around was much better at defending and picking his runs.

 

Our team got really tired in the 2nd half.  I was surprised that Klinsman left Rodgers in as long as he did.  He was basically walking on the sideline and lacked energy to make runs and cover back.  There is a reason why Shea is getting interest from European.  Rodgers' first touch fails him at times and lacks the burst and speed.  

You could also tell that Chandler was very tired as well.  His touch and decision suffered in the second half.  I'm guessing the travel from Germany had something to do with his stamina.

We should see more of our 1st team when we play Belguim next Tuesday.   It really hurts not to have someone like Dempsey out there.  When Stu Holden gets back from injury he will be an upgrade from Rodgers.  

Trader Jack

September 3rd, 2011 at 9:33 AM ^

I agree with a lot of what you said, but I'm still not on the 'Fiscal played fine' boat. I'm not asking for him to create offense off the dribble, but it would be nice if he could pass to not the other team sometimes.

But you know what? You have your opinion and I have mine. The important thing is that IT'S GAMEDAY!

Trader Jack

September 3rd, 2011 at 9:33 AM ^

I agree with a lot of what you said, but I'm still not on the 'Fiscal played fine' boat. I'm not asking for him to create offense off the dribble, but it would be nice if he could pass to not the other team sometimes.

But you know what? You have your opinion and I have mine. The important thing is that IT'S GAMEDAY!

T-town Wolv

September 3rd, 2011 at 1:37 AM ^

needs to get more consistent. Play well for 90 minutes not just when you want to, i.e. beginning and end of games. 2 big parts to that will be finding the right formation to get shots on net. Even when our side dominated possession the lack of shots on net caused Costa Rica to get a head of steam. In all honesty, Agudelo should start with Altidore up top. Altidore needs a set up man and Agudelo would fit that role perfectly with his work ethic and ability to find open space. Shea, Rogers, Castillo, and (only at times) Chandler failed to cross the ball properly into the box. Too many times they cut back or blasted it at a defender. The bigger issue to see is broken defensive play. Communcation failed on the goal and both Fiscal and Boca broke onto the ball instead  of playing off each other and have one shade the middle. Another thing to note is the lack of playing to strengths by Shea and Donavon who should work the edges. The passing was superb for most of the game and then laziness struck with bad passes and no one working towards the ball. All in all its an exhibition so take the good news more than the bad news in this one esp. since we didn't play with our competition side, i.e. missing Dolo, Dempsey, Bradley, etc.