*** Official FIFA World Cup 2014 Thread ***

[bawbie]

For someone who just started watching soccer when USA played Ghana in this World Cup, can anyone break down how the USA matches up vs. Belgium?

In addition to the previous answers:

Belgium hasn't given up a goal during the run of play yet this tourney, partly because they have arguably the best keeper in the world in Courtois. I don't know much about their defenders, but they have a bevy of attacking players who they have mixed and matched so far. Hazard, Witsel and Mertens are a good attacking midfield and Fellaini, Lukaku and Origi are big target strikers.

Belgium is in a weak group, and each game their subs seemed to invigorate their attack and they pulled out 2 wins. They are a VERY young team with almost no major tourney experience.

Also, they have two guys with great hair (Fellaini and Witsel)

 

[enisthemenace]

I guess I was talking more about their forwards. Mirallas is 5'10 and Mertens is 5'5. They do have some big defenders in Van Buyten (6'6") and Kompany(6'4"), but we do as well, Gonzales is 6'5", Cameron 6'3". I think we are bigger just about everywhere.

Small forwards, yes, but we have pretty small defenders (Beasely, Johnson, Yeldin).

Also, don't forget about Fellaini (6'4" mid-fielder).

 

[Bigman38]

For someone who just started watching soccer when USA played Ghana in this World Cup, can anyone break down how the USA matches up vs. Belgium?

Talent wise they are quite a bit better but they aren't on Germany's level. But on the field they haven't been overly impressive. About as good of a draw as you can hope for when you don't win your group.

 

[3TrueFans]

I feel like Belgium is sometimes a team that looks a lot better on paper than they do on the field. If I had to choose a group winner to play in the next round Belgium would certainly be 1 of the top choices.

 

[cycloneworld]

I don't follow soccer much, but this is a pretty decent sized accomplishment to advance out of this group, right?

Yes. Our group had the #2 (Germany), #4 (Portugal), and #13 (USA), and Ghana (our nemesis) ranked teams.

 

[Chitowncy]

Talent wise they are quite a bit better but they aren't on Germany's level. But on the field they haven't been overly impressive. About as good of a draw as you can hope for when you don't win your group.

Exactly. As far as group winners go, I would rather the U.S. face Belgium than Brazil, Argentina, Germany (obviously not allowed) or France. Not too bad of a draw, even if Les Belges beat the U.S. pretty handily last year in a friendly.

 

[enisthemenace]

Exactly. As far as group winners go, I would rather the U.S. face Belgium than Brazil, Argentina, Germany (obviously not allowed) or France. Not too bad of a draw, even if Les Belges beat the U.S. pretty handily last year in a friendly.

They beat our *** in that friendly. I agree about the draw though. About as good as we could have hoped for coming out of group play without winning the group.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Exactly. As far as group winners go, I would rather the U.S. face Belgium than Brazil, Argentina, Germany (obviously not allowed) or France. Not too bad of a draw, even if Les Belges beat the U.S. pretty handily last year in a friendly.

Argentina is another team I haven't been impressed with this World Cup. Fine, they went 3-0 in their group. It was arguably the weakest group in the World Cup and they won each game 1-0. Not impressive at all.

 

[Cy$]

now i can like the German Arsenal players again.

Last year, Belgium kicked the US *** in a friendly, 4-2

[video=youtube;ehhqWe6gOPc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehhqWe6gOPc[/video]

 

[3TrueFans]

Argentina is another team I haven't been impressed with this World Cup. Fine, they went 3-0 in their group. It was arguably the weakest group in the World Cup and they won each game 1-0. Not impressive at all.

Argentina haven't looked great at times and Aguero is out but Messi is still Messi and that's enough for me to not want to play them.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Argentina haven't looked great at times and Aguero is out but Messi is still Messi and that's enough for me to not want to play them.

That is true. I meant to put that in my post, but failed.

Then again, for 94:30 on Sunday Ronaldo was Ronaldo and that didn't mean jack squat - and I blame that more on Bradley's turnover and the defensive effort in the final 30 seconds.

 

[bigdaddykane]

Can a goalie get a red card? And if so what happens.

 

[3TrueFans]

Can a goalie get a red card? And if so what happens.

Assuming the team has a sub left another player would come off for the 2nd choice goalie to come on. Otherwise whichever player on the field draws the short straw gets to be goalie for the rest of the game.

 

[bawbie]

Argentina haven't looked great at times and Aguero is out but Messi is still Messi and that's enough for me to not want to play them.

They've played a lot like they did 4 years ago when they bombed out pretty early. They just don't seem like a cohesive unit. Except Messi didn't play well in that cup and is playing very well now.

 

[pulse]

Bradleys ability to give up the ball at anytime cost us the Portugal match. Has anyone ever seen him sprint against the counter? He loses posssesion and then just jogs it back and watches the other team set up an opportunity. If he's the best we have we need to be looking hard for MF. Its ridiculous.

Yes that is the problem. There is nobody better. He's a great U.S. player, but compared to world-class midfielders and forwards, he's not. Its indicative of how much better other international rosters are than ours. He does jog and isn't that fast without the ball. The thing that makes us different than the top teams in the world (well Germany at least, which is a top team) can be expressed in one key play. Remember when we were countering at the end of the game? Klose and Lahm hauled *** back and both were in position to block the shot. That is why Germany is the only other team I'll go out of my way to watch other than the U.S. That effort and speed is what we lack.

 

[Tre4ISU]

I haven't seen this brought up and maybe you guys don't want to talk about it but is Donovan not being on the team hurting us or was he so far gone it doesn't matter.

 

[bigdaddykane]

Will jozy altidore play in the next game?

 

[CyFan61]

Filled out my bracket... Feels like March Madness. Sorry for ruining these results for you; this is guaranteed correct.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I haven't seen this brought up and maybe you guys don't want to talk about it but is Donovan not being on the team hurting us or was he so far gone it doesn't matter.

Donovan not being on the team hasn't hurt us. Perhaps he could have helped this team as a late game substitution, but we'll never know. But the reason why USA is competitive in this World Cup is because the team is better conditioned than most of the teams, and Donovan just wasn't cutting it condition-wise. He would have been a weak link. Maybe that could have been hidden as a late game sub, but still.

 

[pulse]

I haven't seen this brought up and maybe you guys don't want to talk about it but is Donovan not being on the team hurting us or was he so far gone it doesn't matter.

I think it hurts a little since he probably would have the best vision on the team, would probably be the best passer, and is good on corners. Having said that, we wouldn't have beaten Germany with him, and probably not Portugal either. What worries me now is if we end up in a shoot-out. LD was one of our best at it. In the past I've seen too many guys shoot wide or over which I find maddening. Hopefully this incarnation of the roster is better at it. I would hope so.