Agreed. At least have two people sit behind the net like in hockey.

I do pay attention.

The English media is more paritsan and delusional than the US media. I'm not saying the EPL isn't a good league, but if you read their media, you'd think it is the only league in the world playing at a top level.

First you tell me I don't pay attention, then you agree with my assessment of Howard. Possibly late top 10, for sure top 15.

:wf

You didn't see those theatrics in the US-Ghana first half either. Give it time, if Germany has a one goal lead late, let the flopping and fake injuries begin...

You made it sound like he was lucky to be in the top 20, thats what got me up. I don't think the US Media overplayed Howard's ability. In fact if you look at US players overall, the goalkeeper position is about the only place where we have had players that matter. Perhaps I overreacted, maybe...

Or do a review during the flow of play like hockey does, if they deem it a goal, stop play and head to the center spot to resume the game.

This may be the one to push FIFA into finally doing something.

England are being schooled here. Oezil is a fantastic player..

Kind of makes the non-goal call moot.

You can't be slow AND out of position. One of only two England players trying to get back on the third goal by Germany was Lampard. Where were the rest of them? That's right, out of position and too slow to do anything about it.

Nice confidence builder for Germany.

my non soccer fan opinion on Saturdays game

1) That guy Bradley (the player - not the coach) sucks and totally lost it for the US. They should have won 2-1 in regular time. Bradley missed two shots where all he had was the goaltender to beat, and both times he kicked it right at the goalie. He's a choker and shouldnt be on the US team if they want to win games.

2) Ghana goalie > America Goalie

3) USA defense played like a bunch of sissies. I started watching at about minute 20 and Ghana maybe had 3 shots on goal the entire time, yet anytime they were on the US side of the field, you thought they were going to score. It was kinda like watching the Eagles and knowing that they were one the verge of fucl<ing up.

4) Ghana is much faster than the USA. They also hustled more for loose balls.

5) Landon Donovan was by far the best player on the field and seems to be a very elite player. I doubt he'll be in MLS long. He's freaking incredible. If Bradley was half the man Donovan is, they would have won. & its very weird for me to see a man named Donovan come through in the clutch.

6) The US seemed to dominate when I was watching (again, missed the first 20 mins). Its too bad they only have one guy who can score.

7) Soccer is fucl<ing boring. It was pretty interesting the first 93 minutes, but the overtime was boring as hell. I wish it would have gone to PK's just to see a little action.

Michael Bradley was the problem? Please, he was probably one of the two or three best players in the pitch throughout the US's run through the tournament. That's just poppycock.

Howard stunk the other day. The biggest problem was finishing. The even bigger problem was the dirty whore who was wearing a Ghana shirt and activiely cheering against the USA at the bar where I watched the game. If she were a dude (which she might have been, that is debatable), I might have done more than heckle her.

I was just commenting on Saturdays game, as I really didnt watch or care much about the others (though I do want my country to do well)

Michael Bradley missed some easy chances that a guy with the gonads like Donovan would not have missed. I mean he had TWO shots where it was just him, the goalie, and the ball on his foot. I know the Ghana goalie is great and all, but its not that hard to stop when you shoot right at the damn goalie!

he could have been very good the other games for all I know.. but he seemed like a choker to me. Donovan, Edu, and Altidore (at times) seemed to be the only ones who were doing well.

And how did the US NOT defend that last goal by Ghana? That was pure laziness.

It was sad because it seemed like USA was more talented. And it seemed like they were dominating the ball.

I think you're thinking of someone other than Bradley, because Bradley never had the chances on Saturday that you're referring to in your posts. Feilhaber did though - maybe you mean him?

could be.. It was a bald white guy and I swear they said Bradley, but you could definately be right.

Bradley definitely did not have any point blank chances the other day. If anybody should have had a better finishing touch, it would be Findlay (who does suck) and Feilhaber (who is usually better), both of whom only had the keeper to beat on relatively easy chances and missed.

To see how a real team finishes, watch highlights of that Germany-England game yesterday. Germany was downright lethal with every chance they had.

No it was Bradley. I personally thought that he didn't have a strong game against Ghana either.

As far as the last goal Saturday, I wonder if it was a situation that if either of the defenders picked up a yellow card, they would miss the next game in the round of 8. If so, they went a bit lax thinking Howard would bail them out if a shot should make it on goal.
Reguardless a better play should have been made on the forward, even if a foul was taken you would think the result would have probably been better then the outcome that was from making a very lax play.

Bocanegra was so weak in that spot, it's not even funny. DeMerit didn't help either. As poorly as Onyewu played through the first two games, you can bet your ass that the Ghanan player wouldn't have gotten a shot off in that situation.

I'm going to have to disagree with you guys on Bradley. I didn't see a situation in that game where he lost it for us. Did he play like he did versus Slovenia? Probably not, but he was (and is) still one of our best assets on the field. There's a reason why he'll be playing in the premiership at some point next season.

I'm not saying he's responsible for them losing. I just felt like there were time in the game where he coughed it up in the midfield and looked lost. I even wondered if they were going to sub for him. I just thought it wasn't his strongest game. The point would have been moot if someone was able to finish just one of their many opportunites.

Or if Howard had remotely been in position for the first goal. I'll give him a pass on the second, but he needs to take some credit for that first one. Why Ricardo Clark was even out there in the first place is so beyond me it's not even funny. At least Bradley had the cojones to sub him out in the first freaking half.

Go back and read my reaction to Bradley's lineup. He is horrible at the strategy of the game. Having to waste a sub in the 30th minute is just bad coaching. That falls on him.

I didn't see anything that Michael Bradley did in the Ghana game to get blamed for a loss. Was he outstanding, no, was he the reason we lost, no. I thought he played well, not great, but well. DeMerit seemed lost at times, Bocanegra was bad as well. Gooch certainly wasn't healthy, but I agree Slots, that if he was out there, that last shot wouldn't have gotten off.

I won't repeat all of my post on Bradley's poor coaching decisions, but why he constantly starts Findley is mind boggling. Same for playing Clark, any other midfielder out there would have been better than him. I feel he was the worst of the bunch we brought over to South Africa. Maybe I am just bitter that Holden didn't get a crack...

AR - Findlay and Clark killed me on Saturday. Somebody - ANYBODY - would have been ok considering how those two played against Slovenia and England. Another thing though, and that is you'd have to think the 2009 version of Charlie Davies would have helped this team on Saturday. A lot.

if anyone wants to watch a great game - this will be it. Chile v Brazil, there should be plenty of goals.. come on Chile :)