Anyone watching the World Cup?
- Thread starter ThrowBones92
- Start date
The flop that led to the first goal was a disgrace. Every time Americans see stuff like that it sets soccer back in this country. Very sad!
Would have been a different game if Croats hadn't given those two freebies in the first half. But they did.
I disagree. The final scoreline looked the way it did because Croatia exposed themselves in the back while chasing the game after they were unlucky to go behind (first from a dive, second from an unfortunate handball). Not saying France wouldn’t have scored more anyway, but they were lethal on the counter.
As an aside, I think the US should model their approach on what France is doing. We’ll never outpass the top UEFA and CONMEBOL teams. What we can do is play solid team defense, counter attack with speed, and make set pieces count. It can be frustrating to play that style against regional minnows who refuse to come out of their own half, but we really ought to be able to qualify for every World Cup without much trouble regardless.
Not quite. I’m not denigrating the minnows - parking the bus is pretty much their only option. I’m saying that for a team that wants to be direct it can be frustrating to attack that style.
I’m also not advocating that the US “park the bus” for the most part. I’m advocating that they invite the opponent forward and then upon winning the ball attack directly and with speed rather than trying to hold possession for possession’s sake. This is how we’ve managed to beat possession-oriented teams like Spain and Mexico in the past.
The reason they were chasing the game was because of the blatant cheating dive and unfortunate hand ball (that also would have never been called without instant replay). That is why I said it is a non-story at this point.
My 2 cents on the the other convo, I don't consider parking the bus and playing on the counter the same things. Parking the bus in my mind is generally playing for a draw, low scoreline and maybe a lucky chance or two. Almost always in your third with at least 10 behind the ball in 2 banks of 5.
Playing on the counter is a quite exciting and advanced tactic that absorbs pressure, lets the other team maintain possession but limits most of it to back and side passes. It is often used against teams playing a high line and if you have the speed up top, you can devastate a team with it. France did it often in this world cup.
My 2 cents on the the other convo, I don't consider parking the bus and playing on the counter the same things. Parking the bus in my mind is generally playing for a draw, low scoreline and maybe a lucky chance or two. Almost always in your third with at least 10 behind the ball in 2 banks of 5.
Playing on the counter is a quite exciting and advanced tactic that absorbs pressure, lets the other team maintain possession but limits most of it to back and side passes. It is often used against teams playing a high line and if you have the speed up top, you can devastate a team with it. France did it often in this world cup.
This is what fascinates me about the World Cup, and soccer in general outside the US, is how serious they take the game.
Some of you may remember the 1994 World Cup, when Columbian player Andres Escobar lost the game for his team by kicking a goal for the US on accident, and then days later was murdered by fans back in Columbia. The final that year was Brazil vs Italy, going to Pt Kick, and I still remember watching it as an 9 year old with my friends. Was an amazing final game and we were all playing club soccer at the time.
I have a Swedish friend who was describing the atmosphere before two rival Swedish clubs played locally, one of them his hometown: Fans each had their own bar they would go before the game to drink, and then they would march into the stadium chanting for their team, one fan base marching "opposed" to the next. There would often times be fights, and the fans would chant and sing songs for the entire 90 minutes, with no breaks. Like a month later, it was reported a violent death during the opening game between two Swedish teams, one his hometown: LINK
I don't watch soccer regularly at all, but feel like saying you don't watch the World Cup because you don't like soccer, is like saying you don't watch the Olympics because you don't typically watch gymnastics, track, bob-sled, skiing, etc. on television. If you have English friends it's hard not to appreciate soccer through osmosis, or are in an international US city for World Cup, with a lot of people who are going to bars at 5 am to watch the games and get drunk, it's quite the event. If you are outside the US to watch a game, it's quite the atmosphere.
Obviously missed this before my last post. I'll need to check out this movie, looks great.