Norway 0 x 0 Brazil half time
A tight game, Norway playing like Trolls, Brazil... they are not converting their superiority... they must score soon, you do not want a surprise, risking a counter-attack by the Trolls.
Scotland 0 x 1 Morocco
The poor Scots...... what can I say. Morocco seems hungrier.
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Why the USA is terrible:
No consistant striker.
You need a winning attitude and the imagination to create goal opportunities when sometimes there is none.
You need to learn how to "play without the ball" moving into free space in conjunction with your team mates who also should know this, so they can follow you in your play searching for the free space.
While technique is important, you need more than that, without the power [and ability] to score, statistics are meaningless in soccer, creativity, skill to dribble and the vision to be able to find free space will give you goals.
"Formations" are also near meaningless, because a good team will interchange positions as if they did not exists, at the same time you must have the versatility and flexibility to cover all the positions that "on paper" exist, as each different game demands it.
For example your defense must know when to "cross over" positions and let the guy that is following the play flow into a completely different area, while the others will cover the whole left by that particular player.
Going forward (as well as integrating with the defense in the reverse case), with the attack, must be done fluently, smoothly and without holes that would allow the opponent to create the opportunity against you.
I believe the USA team has the elements (in the players) to perform.
But if you have a bureaucrat as your leader, (the Head Trainer), the individual talent (individuality is necessary), is hopeless if you are bent in playing rigidly in a "dreamed up" system, and further you play like mice, afraid of opening aggressively going forward seeking the goal.
You must try, try, and try again, from whatever position.
You can not wait to have the "perfect" position to shoot or aim towards the net.
You need to create the opportunity and the danger. And you must be hungry for victory. Iran was a good example of a team that wanted to win.
Owen (that is England's # 20) is a good example of a good striker, he tries, and tries, and you can see in him the desire to score.
The defense must never give up, and know where to be anticipating the opponent's moves, and never, never, never give the forward the necessary space, you must be on them at all times, you give freedom and space to a good striker, and you are "cooked rice".
The USA needs a good trainer and yes, they need one of those rare stars that only show up seldom..... It will come, they have been bitten by the soccer bug, they just need to bake the right talent, and most definitively they need another chef.
Z. |
