World Cup and European leagues

[jknezek]

USA is in the "Group of Death"
Which group is The Group of Dearth?

You joke but the easy group is Switzerland, Honduras, Ecuador and France.  That group is weak with the weakest concacaf team, the weakest seeded team, a second tier South American team and an Ok France team missing one of its best players in Ribery. Not to say they are bad teams but that group is by far the weakest in the tournament

[Gray Fox]

Thank you.

[madzillagd]

I have to say I like the strategy of FIFA to get all the bad calls out of the way in the first round so we don't have to see them in the later rounds 

[jknezek]

I have to say I like the strategy of FIFA to get all the bad calls out of the way in the first round so we don't have to see them in the later rounds 

The first two games have been really shoddy. I'm hoping Mark Geiger, the American ref, does better. Mark is a few years older than me, but when he was a teenager he most likely ref'd some of my club games. I know I ref'd enough of his home town's club games that it is likely he ref'd a bunch of mine.

[Gray Fox]

I have to say I like the strategy of FIFA to get all the bad calls out of the way in the first round so we don't have to see them in the later rounds 

The first two games have been really shoddy. I'm hoping Mark Geiger, the American ref, does better. Mark is a few years older than me, but when he was a teenager he most likely ref'd some of my club games. I know I ref'd enough of his home town's club games that it is likely he ref'd a bunch of mine.

Where do you find where the refs are working what games?

[jknezek]

I have to say I like the strategy of FIFA to get all the bad calls out of the way in the first round so we don't have to see them in the later rounds 

The first two games have been really shoddy. I'm hoping Mark Geiger, the American ref, does better. Mark is a few years older than me, but when he was a teenager he most likely ref'd some of my club games. I know I ref'd enough of his home town's club games that it is likely he ref'd a bunch of mine.

Where do you find where the refs are working what games?

You don't really. Maybe a day ahead in the first round. A little more in the rounds after I think. It's one way they try and keep the pressure and possible bad influence off the refs. All the refs get one game at a time. They are only told their next game, if they are called back, after completing the first. All we know more than a day out is no member of a ref team can do their own country's game. Geiger has an American and Canadian linesman with him, so the only thing we know for sure is he won't do the USA v Ghana game.

[jknezek]

FYI - Geiger haas the Columbia vs Greece game today

[Gray Fox]

http://footballrefereeing.blogspot.com/2014/06/world-cup-2014-referee-appointments_14.html#.U50F2bESXIU

[jknezek]

http://footballrefereeing.blogspot.com/2014/06/world-cup-2014-referee-appointments_14.html#.U50F2bESXIU

Some of the postings on this blog indicate a fairly high level of knowledge. Interesting. I'll have to keep an eye on it, though most of it goes over my head. It's been a very long time since I last ref'd at 17 at the youth club level! Thanks for digging it out. +1

[jknezek]

Mark Geiger's performance was good enough to be called back. He's been assigned the Spain vs Chile match. I have a suspicion that will be a much tougher match to officiate.

[woacfan]

USA gutted out a big win today... Thought Jermaine Jones looked great!  He still has a tendency to do something dangerously crazy almost every game, but the rest of the time he looked really good.

Altidore's injury is a big concern.

And Bradley had one of those horrible games he turns in every once in a while.

Maybe, just maybe, they can pick up a point of three against Portugal. 

Its early, but Germany seems a lock to win the group.  If Ghana beats Portugal, then US only needs a tie against them to advance.  That is a big "if" of course.

[jknezek]

Not the win I was looking for, but 3 points is 3 points. Losing Jozy is brutal. We have no one else to play a true "9". When Klinnsman cut Boyd I said he put all our eggs in Jozy's basket and Jozy couldn't get hurt. Ouch. Strange to see 3 hamstring problems in one game. Hopefully both Bedoya and Besler will be OK, but I'm not holding much hope for Jozy. That looked bad. With Portugal losing their big striker, Germany playing a false 9, and Jozy going down, the only team in the group playing a traditional striker will be Ghana. The World Cup is always interesting!

We need 2 more points. So either a win against Portugal or a pair of ties, or Germany to wrap up the group, throw a B team in the last game, and we get a win there. Then we'd need some help between Ghana and Portugal. Early, early, but the best outcome is a win against Portugal. Not sure how to contain Ronaldo. Beasley was eaten up the whole game and only Jones and Beckerman saved his bacon time and again. Johnson had a good game until losing his man on the goal, but Ghana focused so much on Beasley the right side was quiet most of the night.

Bradley needs to step it up. Shades of Landon Donovan in '06 right now. Too much pressure, not enough output. Dempsey's goal was awesome, but once his nose broke he was just a body on the field. Understandable, but not helpful. That left Johannsson all alone and he's not able to do that. Lack of service, lack of movement, lack of everything made him invisible.

I prefer Zusi to Bedoya. Always have. We'll see how Bedoya's legs are and what Klinnsmann decides. Same with Besler and Brooks. Still prefer Besler even with Brooks' heroics.

Thanks to Jermaine Jones last night. Best game in a U.S. uniform and he didn't even get carded! And, as always, Tim Howard you are the man and you need to be the man. Couple good stops when called upon, no mistakes.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm very pessimistic about Jozy being able to return at all in the WC, but has anyone run across a follow-up medical report?

Even if we somehow manage to finish #2 in the group, the next game would almost certainly be Argentina - and that could get very Messi.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I'm very pessimistic about Jozy being able to return at all in the WC, but has anyone run across a follow-up medical report?

Even if we somehow manage to finish #2 in the group, the next game would almost certainly be Argentina - and that could get very Messi.

I'd like to wager on that statement... mostly because the US in group G would play someone from group H and Argentina is group F Next opponent would likely be Belgium, but they can't have any more performances like the first half today.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm very pessimistic about Jozy being able to return at all in the WC, but has anyone run across a follow-up medical report?

Even if we somehow manage to finish #2 in the group, the next game would almost certainly be Argentina - and that could get very Messi.

I'd like to wager on that statement... mostly because the US in group G would play someone from group H and Argentina is group F Next opponent would likely be Belgium, but they can't have any more performances like the first half today.

Yeah, G vs. H makes more sense.  I read somewhere (don't recall where, and it was apparently in error) that G2 would play F1 in the round of 16.