TheBearsHaveWon;842327550 said:

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Phantom:
A recent ESPN poll shows that MLS is already as popular as MLB in the 12 - 17 y.o. demographic. 18% of respondents defined themselves as "AVID" fans of MLS, equaling the total for MLB.
http://www.espnfc.com/story/1740529

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MLS has improved dramatically year over year over year since the last World Cup. Would you agree?

Additionally, several networks now show top leagues around the world... (so my point about them not showing the games is what once was, not what now is)

What I am talking about is why it is not popular, and where it is heading (being popular, causing MLS growth, causing more popularity, etc).

grandmastapoop;842327383 said:

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I'll defend Bradley here - not for the play at the end, which was bad.

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Michael Ballack went over some video of the play on ESPN the other day - obviously Bradley coughed it up, but he showed that the USA just inexplicably forgot how to play D. The USA had enough numbers back on defense, but he counted 4-6 players ball watching in the vicinity of the Varela... Beasley was decent in his coverage of ronaldo - he's not a threat to score from out wide unless Beasley challenges and lets him blow past, but the USA clearly has 2 defenders closer to the goal than Varela that do not even attempt to pick him up, and 3 more very close... none of them close enough to ronaldo to do anything, so why are they watching him and not marking the real threats on goal? Complete breakdown. So bradley makes a poor first touch 70 yards from the goal... team still had to play like they should.

Well, at least Ivory Coast just proved there are worse ways to blow a game.

EDIT: But yeah, its inexplicable how anyone can get behind the defense like that at at time when you KNOW a Hail Mary type pass is the only thing that can beat you. Everyone should just be camped in front of the goal and not letting anyone through.

grandmastapoop;842327618 said:

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Your second interpretation seems more reasonable, and I actually think if Bradley had taken a dive there, he probably gets the call - which is why I find it hard to criticize players who exaggerate contact (in football and basketball) - if refs only blow the whistle when a player goes down, then you should go down. Bradley is pretty severely knocked off the ball there. He should have gone down.

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Ironic that flopping right there might have saved the day but all the flopping and time wasting we did in the 10 minutes prior got us into the +5' mess in the first place.

ColoradoBear1;842327745 said:

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Michael Ballack went over some video of the play on ESPN the other day - obviously Bradley coughed it up, but he showed that the USA just inexplicably forgot how to play D. The USA had enough numbers back on defense, but he counted 4-6 players ball watching in the vicinity of the Varela... Beasley was decent in his coverage of ronaldo - he's not a threat to score from out wide unless Beasley challenges and lets him blow past, but the USA clearly has 2 defenders closer to the goal than Varela that do not even attempt to pick him up, and 3 more very close... none of them close enough to ronaldo to do anything, so why are they watching him and not marking the real threats on goal? Complete breakdown. So bradley makes a poor first touch 70 yards from the goal... team still had to play like they should.

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THIS.

The team lost the game. It was obvious in real time. How many guys do you have to have back to prevent a goal? 11? Everyone screwed up, Bradley is the obvious goat because he is the last US player to touch it.

Screw it all. Germany bears, it's all about Germans now...

ColoradoBear1;842327745 said:

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Michael Ballack went over some video of the play on ESPN the other day - obviously Bradley coughed it up, but he showed that the USA just inexplicably forgot how to play D. The USA had enough numbers back on defense, but he counted 4-6 players ball watching in the vicinity of the Varela... Beasley was decent in his coverage of ronaldo - he's not a threat to score from out wide unless Beasley challenges and lets him blow past, but the USA clearly has 2 defenders closer to the goal than Varela that do not even attempt to pick him up, and 3 more very close... none of them close enough to ronaldo to do anything, so why are they watching him and not marking the real threats on goal? Complete breakdown. So bradley makes a poor first touch 70 yards from the goal... team still had to play like they should.

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Yep, Jones was way out of position and not available to receive a pass to bail Bradley out. Bradley would then have had to kick it all the way to the center backs which is too dangerous. Also, Gonzalez is not a D-Mid and should have been in his natural position. The nail in the coffin was Fabian Johnson not alerting Cameron to watch his weak side (how's his English?). Serious breakdowns by 3 players after Bradley turned it over, not to mention Howard looking like a rookie.

liverflukes;842327808 said:

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Screw it all. Germany bears, it's all about Germans now...

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Oh... Hell... No! Go Nederlands!

SoCalBear323;842327809 said:

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Yep, Jones was way out of position and not available to receive a pass to bail Bradley out. Bradley would then have had to kick it all the way to the center backs which is too dangerous. Also, Gonzalez is not a D-Mid and should have been in his natural position. The nail in the coffin was Fabian Johnson not alerting Cameron to watch his weak side (how's his English?). Serious breakdowns by 3 players after Bradley turned it over, not to mention Howard looking like a rookie.

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Not a lot any keeper can do there... he probably shifted his weight to go one way, and when the ball went the other, he looked like he was standing around. Pretty common to look stupid when youre effectively in a one on one with a decent player.

NYCGOBEARS;842327812 said:

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Oh... Hell... No! Go Nederlands!

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Hup Holland hup!

I'm down for Holland. I just like pictures of bears drinking. Is that really so bad?

Phantomfan;842327813 said:

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Not a lot any keeper can do there... he probably shifted his weight to go one way, and when the ball went the other, he looked like he was standing around. Pretty common to look stupid when youre effectively in a one on one with a decent player.

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Costa Rica's keeper woulda stopped it.

liverflukes;842327822 said:

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I'm down for Holland. I just like pictures of bears drinking. Is that really so bad?

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Thank god. Mrs NYCGOBEARS would've been really upset with you.

SoCalBear323;842327823 said:

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Costa Rica's keeper woulda stopped it.

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And Mexico

Phantomfan;842328069 said:

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And Mexico

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They remember what happened to Colombian goalie Andres Escobar.