USA Vs. Portugal In the World Cup: Live-Slogged!

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I can't believe Dempsey has not scored yet.

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 3:03 PM

That's not a good sign.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 3:05 PM

Cameron fluffed that miserably. You can't do that here at this level.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 3:07 PM

Oh well, I hear Brazil is a nice place to take a beach vacation. Enjoy your suntans, USMNT.

Doctor Memory on June 22, 2014 at 3:11 PM

Men in Blazers will tell you, THEY SCORED TOO EARLY!

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 3:12 PM

Dempsey Dempsey Dempsey!

USA! USA! USA!

Will in Seattle on June 22, 2014 at 3:17 PM

USA looks terrible so far, so many unforced errors.

This could get ugly.

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 3:22 PM

I disagree. We're playing very well. The goal will come. Wait until they get tired.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 3:39 PM

Will you guys keep live slogging the games, if/when after you're out?

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 3:39 PM

Nine shots, but only two shots on goal. Different stats, Ansel.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 3:41 PM

Wow, that is some solid goalkeeping.

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 3:44 PM

Ansel: Cooling breaks happen at 30 and 75 minutes if it's over 32C. A new law decided in the Brazilian courts just before the Cup opened.

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 3:46 PM

The cooling break is because we are in Manaus and it was 100 degrees earlier, with massive humidity. There will be one in the second half too.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 3:47 PM

@10: Ah. This is why I am not a sports reporter.

Ansel Herz on June 22, 2014 at 3:52 PM

Did anyone else watch the Belgium-Russia game? I actually, honestly fell asleep. Group H is the worst.

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 3:56 PM

@15, that was the worst game of the tournament so far, I think. Belgium are crapping me negative. I thought with their star lineup (third-most-expensive according to transfer fees) they'd be better than this.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:11 PM

@16: A bunch of great players who can't pull it together as a team. It's painful to watch.

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 4:13 PM

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:13 PM

Nice defense.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:13 PM

Ronaldo is a pee hole.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:20 PM

Wow, Rinaldo was way wide. I don't think he's 100%.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:20 PM

Yes!!

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:21 PM

That shot was amaaaaaazing

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 4:22 PM

GOOOOALLL!!!!!!!!

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 4:22 PM

Potugal's goalie must have thought that was goong wide. He hardly moved at all.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:23 PM

There was a guy celebrating our goal in a Teddy Roosevelt costume.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:24 PM

Nice saves.

@26, I saw that.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:24 PM

Yedlin!!!!

An indelicate gesture on June 22, 2014 at 4:30 PM

Saw someone in the crowd with a Colorado flag shirt.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:30 PM

DeAndre Yedlin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make us proud, son.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:31 PM

Yes!!!!

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:39 PM

Dempsey!

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 4:40 PM

THE SOUNDERS WIN THE WORLD CUP!

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 4:40 PM

Why did their goalie protest? I'm watching this in Spanish.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:40 PM

Well shut my mouth. Holy shit. Can this actually happen?

Doctor Memory on June 22, 2014 at 4:45 PM

@34: He was asking for an offsides, and may have had a point.

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 4:47 PM

Was Dempsey not off sides?

Upchuck on June 22, 2014 at 4:48 PM

@34: I'm sure he thinks Dempsey was off-side...

Ansel Herz on June 22, 2014 at 4:49 PM

Oh! Damn, one point instead of three.

Matt from Denver on June 22, 2014 at 4:53 PM

What?!?

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 4:53 PM

15 fucking seconds.

Theodore Gorath on June 22, 2014 at 4:54 PM

Just so you know, I can't cheer for you guys against either Germany or Algeria. Sorry, American friends.

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 4:55 PM

Fnarf: Was it worse than Iran/Nigeria? I almost turned that one off, and was palpably relieved to remember there isn't overtime in the group round.

Hanoumatoi on June 22, 2014 at 5:01 PM

@43: I'm not Fnarf, but I thought it was worse. Iran/Nigeria had some moments of interesting footwork and decent passes by Iran, although the game was largely dull. I honestly don't know how you'd even make a clips reel of Belgium/Russia.

Canadian Nurse on June 22, 2014 at 5:03 PM

Correct my math if I'm wrong, but assuming the US loses to Germany, the worst case would be Ghana beating Portugal (a 2 point goal differential between the US). The more likely case of Portugal beating Ghana would have a 5 point goal differential. So what the US needs to do is to advance is simply to not lose too bad to Germany (a tie or win would guarantee advancement).

delirian on June 22, 2014 at 5:04 PM

Also: Wow that was depressing. I hope we can at least get a point vs Germany, because otherwise we might end up out to the winner of Ghana-Portugal.

Hanoumatoi on June 22, 2014 at 5:04 PM

I blame Bradley. Not only does he muff his shot earlier, he turns it over in the closing minutes...

Upchuck on June 22, 2014 at 5:17 PM

Yeah, we need a point against Germany. Piece of cake!

@43, different kind of boring. Belgium-Russia was competent but snoozy, like a practice session or something. Iran-Nigeria was just two terrible teams being terrible.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 5:27 PM

@48: Nah, we just don't have to lose to bad to Germany (see my above post). While it sucks to tie in the last minute, this was overall a good result. The US team is more likely to advance now than it was thought yesterday. 538 has just run the odds and they have improved from 63% to 76%.

delirian on June 22, 2014 at 5:45 PM

@48

I watched Bosnia-Nigeria yesterday. And they both looked good. But I don't know shit about soccer. What are the rules again? Kick a ball?

dnt trust me on June 22, 2014 at 5:47 PM

As a sports fan and an American sports fan, I could hardly feel prouder or more patriotic. The national anthem had a little extra meaning before this match. And to think we came 15 seconds short of being the first team to qualify out of the vaunted "Group of Death."

But what makes me especially proud as an American sports fan is how all these MLS players more than held their own against these Portuguese players on Champions League rosters. As someone who cut his teeth as a soccer fan on MLS, not on European football, I look forward to the day when, OK, maybe MLS isn't necessarily the equal of the English Premier League or the Bundesliga or La Liga, but rather when MLS is on the next tier, just a step behind.

P.S. Special props to young DeAndre Yedlin for showing the Portuguese a thing or two about American "work rate."

cressona on June 22, 2014 at 5:58 PM

An addendum to my point @51 about MLS. I'm not necessarily advocating that the best American soccer players stay home and play out their careers in MLS. I can only hope that more and more are in a position to consider that a viable option or to know that they can go to Europe to prove themselves and then come home for a big payday. It's still nice to have guys like Tim Howard or Brad Friedel who are able to play out their careers in the Premier League.

Contrast our mix of MLS and Mexican league and European league talent with the Russian national team, every one of whose players plays their club football in Russia's super league. While I appreciate any league's desire to keep their best players home, that sort of homogeneity is a recipe of mediocrity, and it plays into this neo-Soviet Putinesque desire to shut Russia off from the rest of the world. It makes me appreciate all the more the great Russian hockey players like Alex Ovechkin and Yevgeny Malkin who have elected to play in the NHL and not take their talents to Russia's KHL.

cressona on June 22, 2014 at 6:11 PM

@51
Your American pride makes me sick. This shit stems outward.
USA! Bomb Afghanistan.
USA! Open as many WalMarts as possible around the globe.
USA! Win one for the Gipper.

Disgust
Disgust
You don't agree??!'

dnt trust me on June 22, 2014 at 6:11 PM

dnt trust me @53, sure, American has a lot to be ashamed of, but the principles and ideals of our nation--the kinds of things writers from de Toqueville to Whitman to Obama have written paeans to--are still worth aspiring to, and on the occasions when our deeds do live up to our principles and our ideals, I don't mind feeling a little pride.

Yeah, maybe rooting for the USMNT has a lot to do with jingoism, but I still see a bit of those best qualities of Americans in that team that's representing us out there.

cressona on June 22, 2014 at 6:24 PM

Cressona, diplomatic. I accept. I stand by comment @53

dnt trust me on June 22, 2014 at 6:50 PM

Dum question.

But what decides when they have to go to that little space in the corner and kick sideways to their "scrum"?

Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on June 22, 2014 at 8:31 PM

@56, you mean a corner kick? When the ball is last touched by a defender before crossing the end line. If it's last touched by an attacker instead, it's a goal kick (taken by the keeper).

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 8:36 PM

@57: Fnarf, I was at work, but mostly watching, but one thing I noticed was that it seemed like Portugal did a lot of passing rather than corner and goal kicks. Free kicks they took some of, but even some of those they just passed the ball instead, I think including the one where 5 of their team were offsides =P

Did I just miss all the times they did a normal kick, or is there some reason for the strategem?

Hanoumatoi on June 22, 2014 at 9:11 PM

@59: Europeans tend to pass it around a much more--and a lot more accurately--than Americans.

Ansel Herz on June 22, 2014 at 9:19 PM

@58: Portugal played more of a possession game, where they hold the ball, force the other team to do a lot of running on defense, and patiently wait for an opportunity to strike. The Spanish (and Barcelona) are famous for this style of play, called "ticka-tacka".

The Germans and English (and US under Klinsmann) tend to incorporate more long passes, quick forward movement, and counter attacks (equivalent to a fast break in basketball).

Portugal completed 488 passes with 52% possession compared with the US's 453 passes with 48% possession. That's actually not as lopsided as your typical match involving Barcelona.

Spain's unbelievable early exit from the World Cup this year, combined with Barcelona's lackluster season, suggest that the reign of ticka-tacka may be coming to an end.

seandr on June 22, 2014 at 9:55 PM

@58, some people like the short corner, because honestly corner kicks are a very low-percentage thing -- you're chucking it into the mixer, where it's never better than 50-50. One in 20 for a goal. A short corner might give you a chance at a better angle and better chance at getting the ball to your player. Goal kicks, even more so -- you boot it 60 yards, great, but it's 50-50 that the guy who picks it up is on the other team. Free kicks, well, if it's too far to score directly, like that 40-yarder from Cristiano, it can make more sense to play it off and let someone else bring it forward.

Fnarf on June 22, 2014 at 10:04 PM

@fnarf: Ronaldo is a pee hole.

You can't be a real football fan and not show Ronaldo at least begrudging respect. The man's career highlight reel is as entertaining and amazing as anyone's.

I watched every Real Madrid game that I could this season, and it was obvious towards the end that Ronaldo was injured and dropped to about 85% his normal performance. It's a bummer the World Cup won't get to see him at top form. And yet still, that cross was fucking brilliant.

seandr on June 22, 2014 at 10:32 PM

Conceding a late goal is common when sitting back to protect the score. Wrong tactical choice IMO. Still, it was a glorious draw and a fantastic game by the US.

Let's hope Chile-Holland delivers today.

anon1256 on June 23, 2014 at 7:32 AM

@62: Anybody who builds a museum in his own honor with a separate gift shop doesn't even deserve grudging respect.

delirian on June 23, 2014 at 8:49 AM

@64: He's only trying to make his mom proud.

seandr on June 23, 2014 at 10:15 AM

@62, both statements are true. Cristiano is good at football. Cristiano is a pee hole.

Fnarf on June 23, 2014 at 10:25 AM

@60,61: Thanks. I have noticed that some keepers are definitely better at getting the ball to a specific spot than others, but even with that you still never have better than a 2/3 shot of having the ball stay in your possession, and the other team has time to react. I had also heard about ticka-tacka just recently, and also heard about the contrast with the counter-attack style. I remember watching a match a couple Cups ago where there was almost no 1 on 1 challenging, and lots of passing. It was certainly beautiful to watch, but at the same time, boring.

Are there any other teams that play ticka-tacka that are in the Cup?

Hanoumatoi on June 23, 2014 at 1:12 PM

Tiki-taka: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_Taka

anon1256 on June 23, 2014 at 5:11 PM

USA Vs. Portugal In the World Cup: Live-Slogged!

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