Iran 1 x 0 USA Half time.
In complete agreement, the play by the US goalie should have been a penalty.
The US is dominating and Iran is playing a far smarter game (albeit with risk). Iran is waiting for the counterattack, their two strikers (# 10 and Azzizi), are extremely fast and capable, the Yugos were indeed lucky.
The US defense is far too erratic for these guys, the US needs to capitalize in their dominance of the midfield. Unlucky for Ramos that his shot hit the post, however in soccer you win by putting in the net, not hitting posts.
Coby Jones is without doubt the best US player, they need someone with great skill, AND imagination to create the opportunity and realize Jones can not do everything on his own.
Re: Burrito Ortega.... The US needs someone like him. Seriously.
He reminds me of a Mexican striker, "Borja" used to play for the University team in the pro league...
He would appear to be totally useless, but all of a sudden he seemed to be ALWAYS in the right spot to score, and he would do so in a fashion that would look totally strange, and "out of place", yet he would score. He was a true nightmare to the defensive team.
I have not seen a lot from Ortega, but what I have seen, is that he is dangerous. He is actually better than Borja since Ortega can actually dribble the ball, Borja was a liability "dribbling" the ball, but if you left him with a little space, it was a "sure" thing he would score.
Ortega seems to have the skill to dribble and to place the ball for others, both invaluable assets, this is what the US needs, they play as if this game was football (the one that is played with the hands), except that when you reach the "Area" in front of the goal, you never know what the defense or the goalie is going to do, this is where your "clipboards", instructions from the manual, and a whole bunch of statistical gibberish become a mound of rubbish, and the imagination, creativity, and certainly skill MUST take over and CREATE the opportunity to score.
Soccer is a mentality, not a set of instructions, sometimes the so-called "formations" are a load of rubbish, because you must be able to play ALL positions (with the exception of goalie).
If you belong to a good team, you must have versatility, that will allow you, (if you are a defense), to integrate into the attack, and become a forward if the situation warrants it, to play as a midfielder if it is needed, and likewise, to go and defend the team if you happened to be in that situation....
You must understand the function of each position, and at the same time e able to "switch" modes in an instant, AND if you have the opportunity, (or are given the same by your team mate), you must know and have what it takes to SCORE.
That is what soccer is about, score goals.... you can play PERFECT but if you do not score, you will never win.
Notice that when a South American team puts it all "together" and has a star striker or two, there is no European game that can beat them, even the Germans (sorry Klaus).
The best IMO are the Brazilians, the Argentineans, and the Uruguayans, in that order. The problem with the Uruguayans is a problem of attitude, something that in the past plagued the Argentineans, however, that problem has been resolved, to a great extent.
By "attitude" I mean a winning attitude.
As to Soccer being a mass sport in the USA, we are in the brink of witnessing that, there is an entire generation of soccer players being in the oven "almost ready", make no mistake, the USA will become a soccer power soon, give it one or two more cups.
more later. |
