Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports

Category Archives: Soccer


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Yawn

Iran-Nigeria. Good thing I didn’t build my hopes up for this one. Overhit crosses. Underhit crosses. Generally uninspired play. At least my man Vedad Ibišević and his Bosnia team are now in a much better position to qualify. And we got our 0-0 game out of the way. But I got my prediction right. Moving on.

I. I Believe. I Believe That. I Believe That We. I Believe That We Will.  I Believe That We Will Win! I Believe That We Will Win! I Believe That We Will Win! Let’s get this thing.

Make sure you watch this to prepare.


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Ein Perfekter Anfang (A Perfect Start)

Hopefully that title is correct. Please let me know if it isn’t. I’ve been learning German for only a year, so cut me some slack for not writing this entire article in German. Despite my German last name and German nickname (my friends call me Klaus), I’m not all that Deutsch. But I was rooting for Germany in this game for a number of reasons. And they didn’t disappoint.

Germany ran rampant against Portugal, dominating from the opening minutes. The 4-0 undressing of Portugal should provide a little more hope for the U.S., who will now face a Portugal team without its usual mojo and likely without two of their star defenders. Portugal looked lost against Die Mannschaft most of the game. Everyone tried to defer to to Cristiano Ronaldo, with experienced players making unnecessary passes to their star when they had the better position. Given that Germany hardly needed to mark anyone else due to this deference, they bottled up Ronaldo well, limiting his chances, as once they sensed that every single pass was heading to Ronaldo, defending counter attacks became simpler.

This German team might have possessed 8 of the best 11 players on the field (the three Real Madrid Portuguese players being the exceptions), but not many of the Germans played in positions they normally man for their clubs. This game goes to show that talent wins out in the end, regardless of where of the field the players are operating. Germany’s two converted fullbacks might be exposed against more dynamic offensive teams, but Portugal’s singular threat did not trouble them. Going forward, the Germans looked incredible at times. The continuos movement of Özil, Götze, Müller and Kroos kept the Portuguese defense guessing during the first half, as they could pop up anywhere in the final third. Müller’s hat-trick was well-deserved, and once again displayed his knack for being in the right position.

It’s easy to watch Germany today and marvel at their offensive talent, but a few times in the early going they lost the ball too easily in their own half, leaving themselves susceptible to counter-attacks. While Portugal didn’t convert those chances, Jogi Löw needs to address that going forward, because with so many players forward, Philipp Lahm can’t be losing the ball cheaply. The other worry for Germany will be the injury to Mats Hummels, as his absence could force Lahm into defense so that Boateng can shift next to Mertesacker.

Having seen Germany tear Portugal apart, the U.S. should go into their game with Ghana tonight confident that they can survive this group. They shouldn’t play for a draw by any means, but a tie with the Black Stars won’t completely derail the American campaign as it seemed it would have before this result. With big injury worries for Fabio Coentrao and Hugo Almeida as well as the Pepe suspension, the U.S. certainly has a chance against Portugal later this week.

From an Arsenal standpoint, Mesut Özil looks to be getting back to his best. Given the freedom to operate both on the flanks and through the middle, he was making a lot of intelligent runs and picked out a number of good passes. I would have liked to have seen him convert the chance that fell to him early in the second half, but I’ll take his overall performance any day. Hopefully, his hour-long performance will see him keep his place going forward, allowing him to earn back his confidence. Per Metesacker was hardly involved, but he defended appropriately when called upon. His leadership at the back of this makeshift defense cannot be underestimated. In his short time on the field, Lukas Podolski looked alright too.

Lastly, I want to say a word about all the penalties that are being called at this World Cup. Such a high percentage of them have been more American football like than European. It has got me wondering why referees are so much more likely to award a penalty for a shove or a tug than for a kick to the shin. There is always a certain amount of shirt-tugging and upper body jostling that goes on, so why are so many more of those penalties being called now than in years past? There have been a number of potential penalties from sliding tackles that haven’t being called, but referees have had no hesitation blowing the whistle for a tug.

What were your thoughts on Germany’s performance? Should the U.S. feel more confident of advancing? Please leave your thoughts below.


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How the USA Beats Ghana and the Inspiring Ibišević

While I was watching the entertaining Argentina and Bosnia & Herzegovina game, I couldn’t help but root for Vedad Ibišević as he came onto the pitch. His story of escaping the war and finding refuge in St. Louis is nothing short of incredible. But what I also find appealing about his story is his time in high school and collegiate soccer in the US. If the rule is that college soccer in the United States hurts our prospects of developing soccer stars, Ibišević is the exception. Although he isn’t playing for the red, white and blue, his story should inspire young Americans everywhere, both on a personal level and on the soccer field. Even though Bosnia ended up losing, his goal, Bosnia’s first ever at a World Cup, surely sent both sides of fans home relatively happy.

Speaking of USA, there is a big game today against old nemesis Ghana. I haven’t written much on this blog yet about this U.S. team, but I am one of their biggest fans. One day, I plan on joining the American Outlaws. But for now, I’ll have to settle for nervously watching the opening match with some of my high school friends. I can’t wait any longer. This particular mixture of hope, dread, and excitement I am feeling is one I haven’t felt often. Now let’s get to my assessment of how we can win and my predictions for today’s games.

Robbie Findley. Ricardo Clark. Jonathan Bornstein. Jay DeMerit. Those are the names of four players who started the match against Ghana four years ago. Since then, our national team has dramatically improved, and now has dangerous players everywhere on the pitch. The depth of the squad now versus then might be the biggest indicator about how much the program has developed. Regardless of whether or or not Klinsmann can lead this team out of the group stage, there has been tremendous improvements over these four years.

Against Ghana, Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman should start in front of the defense. Their play will be vital, as an early Ghana goal would suck all the life out of everyone involved with the United States. If they don’t venture forward as often as they normally do, more of the attacking burden will fall on the fullbacks, Fabian Johnson and DeMarcus Beasley. I believe Johnson could be the key to this match, as he has looked particularly impressive recently. If he is able to link up with Bradley and Dempsey going forward on the right, that might open up space for late runs into the box. If Jozy Altidore can occupy a defender or two then, the U.S.’s best chances will fall to runners from the midfield. Whoever earns the last starting spot, be it Alejandro Bedoya or Graham Zusi, needs to take their chances if the U.S. hopes to win.

Defensively, the U.S. needs to careful not to get out of position, always communicating each others’ whereabouts to one another. There will be mistakes made, and it will be up to Tim Howard to save them at times. This first game will be an eye opener for Matt Besler, and one can only hope he doesn’t let the pressure get to him.

I see Michael Bradley scoring an opener late in the first half from a Fabian Johnson-led attack down the right. The defense will be solid, if not spectacular, in the first half, with Ghana not converting their only major chance of the half. The second half will see the United States put more men behind the ball with the lead, but a momentary lapse in concentration by Besler will see Ghana earn a penalty. Howard will go the wrong way, and the game will be tied. Withdrawing Beckerman knowing a win is a near-must, Klinsmann will put on Aron Johannsson for the last quarter of an hour, and he will see an effort saved off the line. Chances will come in bunches for both teams as the game opens up in the final minutes, but Howard heroics will deny Ghana a winner.

My prediction for the final score is United States 1 Ghana 1

Germany 2 Portugal 1

This game will be one of the opening round’s best. The Germans have an abundance of world-class talent, but the Portuguese have Cristiano Ronaldo. Take your pick. I see 2010 World Cup hero Thomas Müller opening the scoring for Germany, converting a rebound from a Lukas Podolski left-footed bullet. Mesut Özil will grow in confidence as the match goes on, and he will send a perfectly weighted pass in to Mario Götze for Germany to double their lead. Struggling to find his usual match-winning form, Ronaldo will be quiet until a late free kick. His swerving effort will beat Neuer and Portugal will only be one goal behind despite being thoroughly outplayed. But Germany will hold firm in the final minutes of the game, not giving Ronaldo another chance.

Nigeria 0 – Iran 0

The World Cup has been so exciting thus far that we are bound to have a boring 0-0 game sooner or later. This game will be just that, as Iran’s defense will hold strong against the Nigerian attack. The man of the match will be Vincent Enyeama in goal for Nigeria, who will have one or two noteworthy saves to deny Iran on the counter. The singular point for both sides will severely damage their chances of advancing out of the group, having their toughest matches against the impressive Argentina and Bosnia & Herzegovina ahead.

Have a great day, everyone. Go USA!


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What Would Your French Football Hairstyle Be?

I didn’t catch any of the Switzerland game this morning as I was out with my dad for Father’s Day. Looked to be a pretty decent game though. Terrific decision to let play go on by the referee at the end. I did manage to see the France game though, so I have a few observations.

There couldn’t have been a worse omen for France than having the national anthem fail to play. For a group of players that have been known to play for themselves rather than their country, the lack of a national anthem – a chance to feel some French pride – could have signaled the start of another failed campaign. However, this team proved stronger than the 2010 squad, quickly putting their egos aside to dominate play from the start. They looked rather impressive, albeit against ten men most of the time. They now look like a cohesive unit from Benzema up top to Lloris in goal. On a side note, it’s really quite pathetic that the anthems didn’t work. This is one of the first confirmations that Brazil didn’t have their act together on time that has directly impacted the event. Let’s hope there aren’t too many more moments like that.

It was great to see the goal-line technology come into play for the second goal in a situation that didn’t matter all that much. To the naked eye, it didn’t look like the ball had crossed the line, but that is why the technology has been installed in the first place, because it is more reliable than the naked eye. People now have to trust that this system will get the decisions correct, which will only happen through their seeing it in action. I’m not a fan of having it for offside decisions, but goal-line plays are definitive enough that a little technology makes sense for the game. As proven in tennis with the Hawk-Eye system, trustworthy technology that works instantly can enhance a sport, rather than diminish it.

Lastly, there are a lot of ridiculous hairstyles in professional soccer. Having watched Olivier Giroud for two seasons at Arsenal, I have seen that some players put an absurd amount of thought into how their mane looks. But this French team has a lot of hairstyles that are way out there. Antoine Griezmann and Mathieu Debuchy in particular have looks that would never be considered acceptable anywhere other than on a soccer field. Americans would never dare try something as bold as those two have, and while I admire them for it, I question their choice in style.

On that note, I have an idea. Thinking about how the “What would your Brazilian football name be?” website has taken off (For the record, I would be Ethildo – I should start going by that), I have decided the next big hit should be “What would your French football hairstyle be?” It would be a huge success. Who wouldn’t love to see what they looked like with those ridiculous cuts? You’ve heard this idea here first.


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A Smile From Gervinho and Today’s Predictions

Happy Father’s Day, everyone. What a day of soccer that was yesterday. Four games full of goals and many story lines. The night cap between Ivory Coast and Japan ended up being a little disappointing for me. I’ve always admired this Japanese side and tipped them to do well in Brazil. But yesterday, they fell flat in the second half. There was no energy, no drive. Once Didier Drogba went in, it was like they gave up – even though they were 1-0 up at the time. That isn’t to take credit away though from the Ivorians, who really stepped up to earn the three points that put them in a great position alongside Colombia at the  top of Group C.

I was mildly impressed with Arsenal target Serge Aurier, a player I had yet to see in action. He looks like he might prove to be a viable replacement for Sagna. It was also nice to see Gervinho crack a smile after his goal. For all the downs he had at Arsenal, he deserved more respect from the fans. As an Arsenal supporter, I feel partially responsible for his loss of confidence, something I’ve felt bad about since he left. I’m glad to see he landed on his feet and has rediscovered some semblance of self-belief.

Now, I myself face the daunting task of rediscovering belief in my ability to pick games correctly. After a dismal showing yesterday in my predictions, I will try my best for the next set. But hey, going 0-4 is impressive in its own way, no?

Switzerland 1 Ecuador 0

Ecuador will be the first South American side not to win a match in Brazil in this Group E opener. Switzerland will prove a tough side to crack, as Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side have excelled with Gökhan Inler and Valon Behrami sitting in front of the back four. Xherdan Shaqiri will provide the goal in the second half and the Swiss will take all three points. It will be an emotional day for Ecuador, who are still mourning the tragic death of striker Christian Benitez last July. But with few offensive weapons beside Antonio Valencia, Ecuador will fail to convert their few chances.

France 3 Honduras 0

Despite the surprising stat that France have only won one of their last nine World Cup group stage matches, the French will coast in their opener. Even without Franck Ribery, this French side has more than enough quality to get by Honduras. Blaise Matuidi and Paul Pogba will stand out in the midfield for their excellent play. Karim Benzema will score two on either side of the break, and Mathieu Valbuena will provide another one for Pogba. Honduras won’t make much of an impact in this game, overmatched by the French.

Argentina 4 Bosnia & Herzegovina 2

Argentina will make a stunning debut in Brazil, showcasing the offensive weaponry at their disposal. Bosnia will start the match cautiously, but an Angel Di Maria goal followed quickly by one from Sergio Agüero will force the Bosnians to open up the match. Edin Džeko will pull one back before Lionel Messi will join in the scoring. Messi will improve as the match goes on, finding his comfort zone the more Bosnia are forced to press upfield. He will set up Argentina’s fourth for Gonzalo Higuain, showing the world his relative struggles at Barcelona were merely a fluke. Vedad Ibišević will give Bosnia some consolation with a late goal off the bench, but it won’t be nearly enough to compete with Argentina’s vaunted front line.

Even with all the soccer, the best of today’s sporting events might be Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Here’s hoping San Antonio will close it out and we can all watch the end of the Big 3 era dissolve before our eyes. Please check back later for analysis on all the games. Have a great day. Make sure you spend as much of it as possible with your dad if you can.