Football 19: A Clash of Kicks

[Mr. X]

Ugh. Apparently I picked the wrong moment to turn the match on.

[Ser Hippie]

Brilliant goal for Giovanni dos Santos, gutted as a US fan though.

[Horus Ex Machina]

At least Adu played well.

Just an impossibly brilliant shot by Gio. With Gio and Chicho Mexico may begin to dominate this series unless we can develop our own dynamic players like Adu and Agudelo. Those type of players make differences.

[Teng Ai Hui]

I hope other FAs start following MLS's example.

Charlie Davies fined $1,000 by MLS

NEW YORK -- D.C. United's Charlie Davies has been fined $1,000 by MLS for taking a blatant dive to draw a penalty kick that led to a goal late in Saturday's game against Real Salt Lake.

Davies flopped to the ground in front of Chris Wingert in the 83rd minute. The referee awarded a penalty kick despite Wingert's protest, and Davies converted to salvage a 1-1 draw.

MLS has been trying to crack down on diving this season. League vice president Nelson Rodriguez said Friday that "this type of behavior tarnishes the image of the league."

He says future diving infractions that impact a game could lead to suspensions.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

[Horus Ex Machina]

I hope other FAs start following MLS's example.

Hopefully Lenhart gets a fine too, bc he deliberately flopped against LA to get their backup goalkeeper sent off after deliberately headbutting the ball out of his hands and getting a deserved yellow.

[Renasko]

Mexico have a pretty damn good team. I would've watched if I'd been home. How did Efrain Jaurez play? I've heard he's had a good tournament. Coming off the back of an 'odd' season, he's needed it.

[Fenryng]

I watched the Gold Cup to the extent that I was able to, considering that the one channel I get locally that shows the game still sucks. As usual, I have some questions. :-)

Even during the World Cup, I heard about the ...discontent, shall we say, about Bradley's coaching abilities. It does not appear to have gone away. It seems a little hard to believe that everything is the fault of one person; on the other hand, could it be argued that as coach, he IS the final person in charge? Or the manager? In either case, how much blame can really be put on him with justification?

I have also come to the conclusion that either, one, Clint Dempsey sucks, or two, my ability to watch ONLY the games where he is not a factor is astounding with how consistent it is.

Another question - Would the more knowledgeable people be able to tell me how much of the final game was determined by the defense and/or mid-field not doing their job? I heard from announcers on multiple occasions state how little scoring there was against the US in this tournament. So, I am curious. Did the defense (and midfield) have a really off day? Were the other teams that much less of a threat than Mexico? Or is it possible that the loss of Cherundolo make THAT much of a difference? I hope it is not that last, because if that is true, then the team is in a lot more trouble than I realize....

Oh, and I just read today that apparently the CONCACAF federation is one of the ones with the most scandals, or problems, or controversies. That is always a positive thing to discover about one's federation. Not.

One blog writer who does actual articles is sincere in believing that Mexico's current FIFA ranking of 28 is ten less than where it should be. I haven't a clue whether that is valid or not.

Depending upon position, what is the average age that a professional soccer player can go to before having to retire? I ask because I obviously recognized several players on the team last night as having been on the World Cup team, but they didn't strike me as having a young average age. With four years between World Cups, if the US even gets in, how likely is it really that I will still be seeing the same faces?

Last but not least, does anyone know of a decent printed publication that an American could get their hands on that deals with soccer on a world-wide level? Kind of Sports Illustrated, but more specific?

Thanks!

[kuroishi]

Couldn't watch the Gold Cup nor the final so I'll jump to your other questions :

One blog writer who does actual articles is sincere in believing that Mexico's current FIFA ranking of 28 is ten less than where it should be. I haven't a clue whether that is valid or not.

FIFA ranking means nothing, really. Journalists keep trying to give it some importance, but it doesn't matter in the least.

Depending upon position, what is the average age that a professional soccer player can go to before having to retire? I ask because I obviously recognized several players on the team last night as having been on the World Cup team, but they didn't strike me as having a young average age. With four years between World Cups, if the US even gets in, how likely is it really that I will still be seeing the same faces?

It depends on the position indeed, but also on the type of play.

For GKs, some would start to lose their edge after 33/34, some are able to stay on top until 38/40, but for most I guess 35/36 is a good time to stop.

Defenders (and defensive midfielders) can stay fit until their very late 30s, but that's uncommon. Most won't last after 34/35, and they have to substitute experience to fitness by then.

As for the rest of the players, it really depends on how they play. Players relying a lot on their pace and agility won't be very useful in their 30s. Other players can last as long as defenders. And some players are intelligent enough to change their game when some of their assets disappear (see Ryan Giggs for instance). But most forwards and wingers are considered old after 31/32.

The chances of seeing the same players from one WC to the other are high enough, especially for goalkeepers and defenders.

[polishgenius]

I've not read it yet, but I've just been reccomended this publication, which looks interesting, although it's quarterly, not monthly.