longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 06/14/2014 07:10 AM |
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Just watched the Holland-Spain game on DVR. Wow, an historic win for Holland. First 40 minutes was Spain on cruise control, and for the remainder Spain looked old and their goalie was awful.
But remember that the eventual WC winner usually does not breeze through the group stage. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/14/2014 01:15 PM |
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LSD - winning is overrated; its about showing the world how the beautiful game is played. Besides, we already won a world cup today, in another beautiful game.
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 06/28/2014 08:10 AM |
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OK soccer fans, reset:
Who ya got?
Holland vs. Brazil final. 1950 all over again (Brazil loses the final at home)? I don't think so!
OC: an article for you about field hockey teaching soccer coaches in Holland:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-dutch-secret-to-soccer-success-field-hockey-1403045877 |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/28/2014 03:35 PM |
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Interesting LSD, but Total Soccer's roots are older than our quest in field hockey, goes back to 1920s although it really grew in the Cruijff years. The article also fails to mention is that the current team plays the anti-thesis of Total Soccer, heck we're playing like Greece; the Belgians are heckling us for this.
Aside from one of the worlds best forwards and winger, both of which happen to be on hot form and keen to revenge 2010, this is a decidedly average team with some key guys missing (injured). But van Gaal knows how to get the most our of any team; that coaching talent is really what sets the Orange apart and can be traced to a small building in Zeist where many of the worlds best have been educated.
We'll see where it ends with this team, could be tomorrow or in final. That women's hockey team though is the best looking and most lethal team in the world; they will win many more. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 06/29/2014 02:38 PM |
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| Nice dive. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/29/2014 03:45 PM |
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Robben knew the ref needed a liitle convincing, especially after he denied him a clear penalty on first occasion (the Moreno tackle and injury). Its the psychology of the game.
Good fight by the Mexicans and they've got an awesome goalie but they lack a clean finisher up front. It was so bloody hot in that stadium the public sitting on sunny side couldn't bear it and emtied out. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 06/29/2014 05:09 PM |
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This is one of the areas where soccer as played has trouble gaining traction in the US. We have a well developed sense of fair play. Klinsmann has publicly chided his players for playing too nice, not using every weapon available. What's called "Clever Ball" (fooling the ref) in Europe looks a bit too much like cheating here.
Another issue for us 'mericans is the poor refereeing in soccer that's accepted by Euros with a shrug as part of the game. How can one guy with two linesmen cover a field that big? Mexico got screwed out of two goals in the first round by incorrect offsides calls, and were hurt in the first half of today's game. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/29/2014 05:22 PM |
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Look the Mexican D played Robben's foot, not the ball. Clear foull, clear penalty. But sometimes the ref needs a little nudge to see it. There are no lengthy replays and stoppages to allow the ref to reassess the situation based on taped images. That's the beauty of the game, continuous play, not endless interruptions, and that is why its popolar worldwide. And this is where a bit of acting to convince the ref in that split second comes in.
Where's fair play in say hockey? Its a "sport" where any creativity is stamped out by brute force. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 06/29/2014 05:42 PM |
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Fair enough. Good analogy with ice hockey - the North American professional version is more about banging bodies and I do prefer college and Olympic hockey more - a more beautiful game.
Back to my rant, every time Robben tripped over his own feet in the second half he was working the ref. Smart? Absolutely. Just rubs me the wrong way. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/29/2014 06:04 PM |
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You might understand it more if you realize the cumulative amount of injury time guys like Robben have suffered over their careers from attacks on ankles, knees. Its been many years since he's played painfree. Like it or not this is the way for them to level the playing field agaist defenders stepping out of bounds. Its how the game is played and you guys better get with the program.
But the bigger problem with US (and Canuck) soccer is you play it hockey style with long ball forward, hope it sticks, there are big problems with aggression in junior hockey BTW, at least here north of 49th. |
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Keith Richards
Posts:781
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| 06/29/2014 08:09 PM |
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OC you can say whatever you want about us not understanding the game.
These are grown assed men playing ball. Grown assed men don't exaggerate contact to draw a foul. It's weak. |
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It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
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Ride On
Posts:537
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| 06/29/2014 08:21 PM |
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If you haven't seen this one you need to. Right in our wheel house
https://www.facebook.com/livetocycle/photos/a.662808067070151.1073741828.662802347070723/815409678476655/?type=1
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/29/2014 08:52 PM |
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Keith - you clearly don't understand the balance between defenders stepping out of bounds to put fear in forwards and forwards doing their part to protect themselves. Its up to the ref to see through this and correct as needed. Its beautiful when done right and annoying when done poorly. Reffing a soccer game properly is as tough as it gets.
Grown men shouldn't need a ton of padding and a helmet to play a ballgame either. And interruping a game for a timeout, come on that's just low.
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 06/29/2014 09:03 PM |
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OC, hockey? Grown men shouldn't need a ton of padding and a helmet to play a ballgame either. And interrupting a game for a timeout, come on that's just low.
Oh, the puck is a disk, not a ball.
Ben
PS Weird glitch. I copies and pasted OC's quote. "interrupting" was highlighted as misspelled in my paste. The "t" was missing. Looked at OC's original. The "t" was there. Huh? |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/29/2014 09:09 PM |
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Nope Ben, football, it might not be considered a ball either cause clearly its an egg :-)
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