So... it's taken me a couple days to get over the loss. That stings to be sure. But Ghana played a better game and deserved to win. We didn't get our asses kicked, but we did get beat. That's the way it goes. I have way too much to say about the US team for one post, so I'll keep tonight's comments to one simple topic: Bob Bradley.
Considering how little the guy says, Bob Bradley is a fairly polarizing figure among US fans. No one, not even US Soccer, had him as their first choice to be coach after Arena got the boot. But here he is nonetheless.
Some criticisms are easy: He gave too many chances to guys who didn't earn it (i.e. Sacha Klejstan); he played too many of the same guys over and over again when he had better options (i.e. starting Ricardo Clark over Maurice Edu); he didn't give our creative attackers enough opportunity (i.e. Jose Francisco Torres).
Others are probably not his fault: He took a B Team to Copa America and flopped; he took a B Team to Gold Cup and got spanked in the final. Truth is, the federation and clubs heavily influence who plays when and where. If it was up to Bradley, I'm sure he'd want his best players all the time.
But here is some hard-to-refute evidence in his favor: He coached the US to the top of CONCACAF qualifying; he took a raggity-ass B Team to the Gold Cup Final; he took the US to its first ever major international cup final at the Confed Cup; he is the first US coach to win the group at the World Cup since 1930.
In my opinion, Bob knows how to win and how to coach in tournaments. In 2006, Bruce Arena didn't make changes and adjustments even as games were getting away from him. When the US needed a spark or a set of fresh legs, Bradley consistently brought the right guys in off the bench to positive effect. Injuries forced him into hard choices, but he made those choices and won the group.
I wanted to beat Ghana as much as anyone, but as is so often the case, one play can make all the difference. If we take a good, honest look at the US men's national team, can we really say that we're player for player much better than Ghana? We're probably on par with them, which I'd gladly take because they're not an elite team, but they're pretty damn good. By that analysis, the team didn't under-perform.
Unless the federation has someone else in mind, someone who is a proven national team coach, I can't see any wisdom in a coaching shake up. I guess what I'm saying is, barring something unforeseen... FOUR MORE YEARS!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Group Play Round-Up and Bring on the Knockout!
So, in case you're wondering how I fared with my picks, the answer is not very well. I correctly picked the outcome of 23 out of 48 group play matches. Group F really did me in. I only picked one match correctly. I gave Italy way too much credit and Paraguay way too little . Groups D and A were also brutal. I underrated Mexico and Germany and paid for it.
On the upside, I picked 12 out of the 16 teams in the knockout round. I didn't get the right order of finish, but I don't mind being wrong there, particularly in the case of the US winning its group.
As for the round of 16, I'm very excited. Obviously, I'm on the edge of my seat about the US-Ghana game. It should actually be a really good match up. I
Here are some quick thoughts and picks for the Round of 16 games:
Uruguay v South Korea: South Korea showed they can pick the lock on tough defenses. But Uruguay has defended really well as a team won their group in decisive fashion. The difference maker here I think is Uruguay's offensive machine Diego Forlan. I think he gets it done. Pick: Uruguay
USA v Ghana: This will be a good test of the US defense. I'd like to see us clear our lines convincingly and show forward movement and control in the middle of the park. Ghana plays pretty compact D and has real speed on the wing, but they can get disorganized at times, and the burden will be on our big game players not to let those chances get away. Pick: USA
Germany v England: Well... Germany isn't as bad as I thought they were before the tournament, but this is still a really inconsistent team. But not as inconsistent as England. I don't see Rooney getting enough of the ball for them to be a threat. Pick: Germany
Argentina v Mexico: As much as I dislike Mexico, I think they are a squad with a lot of potential... potential for kissing my ass after they lose HAHAHAHA! Pick: Argentina
Netherlands v Slovakia: Good for you, Slovakia, making it this far. Now, pack your bags. Pick: Netherlands
Brazil v Chile: Chile plays tough, but I don't think it will be enough. Brazil started shaky but they're starting to his their stride. Pick: Brazil
Paraguay v Japan: Upstart against upstart. Japan has really gone after it this tournament and scored some great goals. Can't bet against them in this game. Pick: Japan
Spain v Portugal: The Iberian showdown. Interesting these teams would meet so early in the tournament because this is one of those games where some really great players are definitely not advancing. I think the difference here is defense. Spain has it and Portugal doesn't. Ronaldo and company will need to be aggressive in pressuring the ball. They'll also need to be perfect in dead ball situations to get chances because they won't be getting in behind Puyol and Pique like they did with North Korea. Pick: Spain
One more thing: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
On the upside, I picked 12 out of the 16 teams in the knockout round. I didn't get the right order of finish, but I don't mind being wrong there, particularly in the case of the US winning its group.
As for the round of 16, I'm very excited. Obviously, I'm on the edge of my seat about the US-Ghana game. It should actually be a really good match up. I
Here are some quick thoughts and picks for the Round of 16 games:
Uruguay v South Korea: South Korea showed they can pick the lock on tough defenses. But Uruguay has defended really well as a team won their group in decisive fashion. The difference maker here I think is Uruguay's offensive machine Diego Forlan. I think he gets it done. Pick: Uruguay
USA v Ghana: This will be a good test of the US defense. I'd like to see us clear our lines convincingly and show forward movement and control in the middle of the park. Ghana plays pretty compact D and has real speed on the wing, but they can get disorganized at times, and the burden will be on our big game players not to let those chances get away. Pick: USA
Germany v England: Well... Germany isn't as bad as I thought they were before the tournament, but this is still a really inconsistent team. But not as inconsistent as England. I don't see Rooney getting enough of the ball for them to be a threat. Pick: Germany
Argentina v Mexico: As much as I dislike Mexico, I think they are a squad with a lot of potential... potential for kissing my ass after they lose HAHAHAHA! Pick: Argentina
Netherlands v Slovakia: Good for you, Slovakia, making it this far. Now, pack your bags. Pick: Netherlands
Brazil v Chile: Chile plays tough, but I don't think it will be enough. Brazil started shaky but they're starting to his their stride. Pick: Brazil
Paraguay v Japan: Upstart against upstart. Japan has really gone after it this tournament and scored some great goals. Can't bet against them in this game. Pick: Japan
Spain v Portugal: The Iberian showdown. Interesting these teams would meet so early in the tournament because this is one of those games where some really great players are definitely not advancing. I think the difference here is defense. Spain has it and Portugal doesn't. Ronaldo and company will need to be aggressive in pressuring the ball. They'll also need to be perfect in dead ball situations to get chances because they won't be getting in behind Puyol and Pique like they did with North Korea. Pick: Spain
One more thing: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wow
Well, I'm back. Thanks to all who sent Jess and I nice messages over the past week. It really helped.
And... HOLY SHITBALLS!!!!!! That was absolutely magical. I had the US placing second in our group. Never been happier to be wrong. Landon Donovan had disproved pretty much everything negative people have said about him. I used to heckle the guy when he would come to RFK to play United. Never again. That man is a hero.
Certainly, though, Clint Dempsey deserves a lot of credit for the win. He worked his ass off, got a great goal disallowed and took an elbow in the face. I don't know why the US can't catch a break with this officiating, but it's childish to complain. Besides, we don't have to complain. Bottom line: Bring on Ghana.
So I'm 6 for 8 so far on teams making it to the knockout round, though I haven't always predicted the correct order of finish. Once the group games wrap, I'll look back over the whole round and see how I did.
Here's some non-US related thoughts:
Weird stuff in Group D. Talk about a bunch of schizophrenic teams. Never could tell who was going to do what... and yet, Germany and Ghana seems like a really pedestrian outcome for such an exciting group. Oh well, I probably didn't give Germany enough credit, but I don't think anyone would say that team's not beatable.
I hate Mexico. I'm an Argentina fan until further notice.
France... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
And... HOLY SHITBALLS!!!!!! That was absolutely magical. I had the US placing second in our group. Never been happier to be wrong. Landon Donovan had disproved pretty much everything negative people have said about him. I used to heckle the guy when he would come to RFK to play United. Never again. That man is a hero.
Certainly, though, Clint Dempsey deserves a lot of credit for the win. He worked his ass off, got a great goal disallowed and took an elbow in the face. I don't know why the US can't catch a break with this officiating, but it's childish to complain. Besides, we don't have to complain. Bottom line: Bring on Ghana.
So I'm 6 for 8 so far on teams making it to the knockout round, though I haven't always predicted the correct order of finish. Once the group games wrap, I'll look back over the whole round and see how I did.
Here's some non-US related thoughts:
Weird stuff in Group D. Talk about a bunch of schizophrenic teams. Never could tell who was going to do what... and yet, Germany and Ghana seems like a really pedestrian outcome for such an exciting group. Oh well, I probably didn't give Germany enough credit, but I don't think anyone would say that team's not beatable.
I hate Mexico. I'm an Argentina fan until further notice.
France... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Quick Reaction After the First Weekend
Due to family issues, I probably won't be blogging as much this week. I'm sure the three of you who read this will be disappointed. Don't fret. I'll be back.
Some quick thoughts:
1.) I'm 6 for 8 on my picks. Not too bad if I do say so myself. Two of my boldest picks, for South Africa to draw with Mexico and the US to draw with England, both panned out. Good for me.
2.) Either Germany is really good or Australia is really terrible... or both. That was a good old fashioned ass kicking, and the Socceroos now have their best player on a red card. If I'm an Australia player, I'm probably not getting to comfy in my hotel room.
On the other hand, Germany was speedy and dynamic. It's hard to pass judgment after one game, but the Germans came to play, and I will probably eat my words about them underperforming. I guess Klose and Podolski didn't get the memo about how much they suck.
3.) U-S-A! U-S-A! That draw is a great result for us. England had us up against a wall a few times, but that's when having a top goalkeeper pays off. No team is going to take Rooney out of the game for 90 minutes, but we kept him out of the game for at least 70 and that made a huge difference. Frank Lampard, as usual, wandered the pitch like a lost puppy. How can a guy be so good at the club level and so easily vanish when his country needs him?
After Gerrard sliced up our backline early on, the US played great team defense for the rest of the game and kept England from controlling the game for long stretches. I think we'll see a different US team against Slovenia. Look for Torres to see some time in the middle with Bradley and maybe Buddle up front instead of Findley. The goal, I think, will be to possess the ball more and control the game rather than to play in a defensive shell. Getting a point is great, but now we have to go out and get 6 over the next two matches and that means creating more chances and putting the ball in the net.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day 1 Thoughts
Considering that no one has won a game yet and one game didn't even have a goal, it was a pretty exciting day. For a brief moment, I was 100% on my picks. I'm down to 50% now, which is probably as high as my percentage will be for the rest of the tourney. Today was a nice reminder that predictions don't mean much when it's time to play the game.
If I had to pick who had the best day, I'd have to say South Africa, but I can't help but feel like they left two points on the table with a bad defensive miscue.
Team by team thoughts:
South Africa - If there is such thing as a moral victory, they had one. They showed they belong in the tournament as much as any team. They caught a little luck in the first half and were overly-reliant on last ditch defending. They paid for it on Mexico's equalizer when the captain, of all guys, didn't push up with his back line and kept three Mexican attackers onside. But the energy is there. Can they keep it up?
Mexico - Same story we've been seeing from El Tri. Lots of possession, excellent skill on the ball, but not getting goals when they need them. If they can't break down South Africa, it raises questions about how they'll do against teams they don't outmatch at nearly every position. Also, did anyone else see Blanco just taking up space out there? He didn't a chance to show off his trademark diving and yelling at the referee. He reminds me of General Zod's goon from Superman II.
Uruguay - Well, that's defense for you. Forlan carried the whole load offensively today, and managed to generate a chance or two. They'll need to do more than that if they really want to score goals, but in this group, shut down defense might be enough. I don't know much about this team, but what I saw today was almost mistake-free defensive soccer. The performance today bodes well, but they can't feel two good about the number of cards they got, including a deserved red for a dumb-ass late challenge.
France - Franck Ribery played terribly. His speed was there, but his service and vision were amateurish. New captain Patrice Evra earned his pay today, but he might be the only one. They looked better after Malouda got into the mix, but you get the sense that if Ribery isn't going to step up, this may be a team that needs two forwards.
If I had to pick who had the best day, I'd have to say South Africa, but I can't help but feel like they left two points on the table with a bad defensive miscue.
Team by team thoughts:
South Africa - If there is such thing as a moral victory, they had one. They showed they belong in the tournament as much as any team. They caught a little luck in the first half and were overly-reliant on last ditch defending. They paid for it on Mexico's equalizer when the captain, of all guys, didn't push up with his back line and kept three Mexican attackers onside. But the energy is there. Can they keep it up?
Mexico - Same story we've been seeing from El Tri. Lots of possession, excellent skill on the ball, but not getting goals when they need them. If they can't break down South Africa, it raises questions about how they'll do against teams they don't outmatch at nearly every position. Also, did anyone else see Blanco just taking up space out there? He didn't a chance to show off his trademark diving and yelling at the referee. He reminds me of General Zod's goon from Superman II.
Uruguay - Well, that's defense for you. Forlan carried the whole load offensively today, and managed to generate a chance or two. They'll need to do more than that if they really want to score goals, but in this group, shut down defense might be enough. I don't know much about this team, but what I saw today was almost mistake-free defensive soccer. The performance today bodes well, but they can't feel two good about the number of cards they got, including a deserved red for a dumb-ass late challenge.
France - Franck Ribery played terribly. His speed was there, but his service and vision were amateurish. New captain Patrice Evra earned his pay today, but he might be the only one. They looked better after Malouda got into the mix, but you get the sense that if Ribery isn't going to step up, this may be a team that needs two forwards.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Group G and H Picks
Well, the Cup starts tomorrow, so I'm doing two sets of picks in one. First, Group G:
Ivory Coast vs. Portugal (6/15) - Draw
Brazil vs. North Korea (6/15) - Brazil
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast (6/20) - Brazil
Portugal vs. North Korea (6/21) - Portugal
Portugal vs. Brazil (6/25) - Brazil
North Korea vs. Ivory Coast (6/25) - Draw
1st Place: Brazil 2nd Place: Portugal
Rationale: I might be respecting North Korea and Portugal too much and Ivory Coast too little here. But the Elephants have always been a one man show, and that one man has a broken arm. Portugal barely qualified and Nani is hurt but I still give them the edge over Ivory Coast to get out of the group. After the group, though, I don't see them doing much. Brazil wins this group by virtue of being Brazil.
Now onto Group H:
Honduras vs. Chile (6/16) - Chile
Spain vs. Switzerland (6/16) - Spain
Chile vs. Switzerland (6/21) - Draw
Spain vs. Honduras (6/21) - Spain
Chile vs. Spain (6/25) - Spain
Switzerland vs. Honduras (6/25) - Draw
1st Place: Spain 2nd Place: Chile
Rationale: Spain is simply one of the teams to beat. They might be even better than they were two years ago when they won the Euro 2008. This is a midfield that can use Cesc Fabregas off the bench. That's just silly. They should win this group in a walk. Chile seems to be the least sucky of the rest of this group.
So, that wraps up the picks. I will be checking back in to see how my picks turn out. I fully expect that I will be completely wrong about almost everything. There's a reason I don't gamble on sports, but picking games is fun even if you suck at it. As I write this, opening kick is 15 hours away. Game on.
Ivory Coast vs. Portugal (6/15) - Draw
Brazil vs. North Korea (6/15) - Brazil
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast (6/20) - Brazil
Portugal vs. North Korea (6/21) - Portugal
Portugal vs. Brazil (6/25) - Brazil
North Korea vs. Ivory Coast (6/25) - Draw
1st Place: Brazil 2nd Place: Portugal
Rationale: I might be respecting North Korea and Portugal too much and Ivory Coast too little here. But the Elephants have always been a one man show, and that one man has a broken arm. Portugal barely qualified and Nani is hurt but I still give them the edge over Ivory Coast to get out of the group. After the group, though, I don't see them doing much. Brazil wins this group by virtue of being Brazil.
Now onto Group H:
Honduras vs. Chile (6/16) - Chile
Spain vs. Switzerland (6/16) - Spain
Chile vs. Switzerland (6/21) - Draw
Spain vs. Honduras (6/21) - Spain
Chile vs. Spain (6/25) - Spain
Switzerland vs. Honduras (6/25) - Draw
1st Place: Spain 2nd Place: Chile
Rationale: Spain is simply one of the teams to beat. They might be even better than they were two years ago when they won the Euro 2008. This is a midfield that can use Cesc Fabregas off the bench. That's just silly. They should win this group in a walk. Chile seems to be the least sucky of the rest of this group.
So, that wraps up the picks. I will be checking back in to see how my picks turn out. I fully expect that I will be completely wrong about almost everything. There's a reason I don't gamble on sports, but picking games is fun even if you suck at it. As I write this, opening kick is 15 hours away. Game on.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Group F Picks
I'm highly doubtful anyone from this group is going too deep in the tournament. Italy and Paraguay have talent to be sure, but age and inconsistency haunt both these squads. Slovakia is scrappy and could play spoiler here depending on how things shake out. Here's how I see it:
Italy vs. Paraguay (6/14) - Draw
New Zealand vs. Slovakia (6/15) - Slovakia
Slovakia vs. Paraguay (6/20) - Slovakia
Italy vs. New Zeland (6/20) - Italy
Slovakia vs. Italy (6/24) - Draw
Paraguay vs. New Zealand (6/24) - Paraguay
1st Place: Slovakia 2nd Place: Italy
Rationale: Italy always seems to do enough, and there isn't enough firepower in this group to stand in the way of getting to the next round. I think I'm picking the right two teams to make it out of this group. I give the 1st place spot to Slovakia because they've shown they can come through in the clutch and they attack from the midfield. That should bring goals in group play. I don't see New Zealand getting even a point in this group, but if they do, my guess it will be off of Paraguay, who just hasn't been the same since starting out so strong in qualifying.
Italy vs. Paraguay (6/14) - Draw
New Zealand vs. Slovakia (6/15) - Slovakia
Slovakia vs. Paraguay (6/20) - Slovakia
Italy vs. New Zeland (6/20) - Italy
Slovakia vs. Italy (6/24) - Draw
Paraguay vs. New Zealand (6/24) - Paraguay
1st Place: Slovakia 2nd Place: Italy
Rationale: Italy always seems to do enough, and there isn't enough firepower in this group to stand in the way of getting to the next round. I think I'm picking the right two teams to make it out of this group. I give the 1st place spot to Slovakia because they've shown they can come through in the clutch and they attack from the midfield. That should bring goals in group play. I don't see New Zealand getting even a point in this group, but if they do, my guess it will be off of Paraguay, who just hasn't been the same since starting out so strong in qualifying.
Injuries Abound and Second Guessing Myself
I know everyone is concerned with the injuries to Drogba, Ferdinand, and Robben, but it appears that even the most casual soccer player is not immune. I rolled my ankle five minutes into my game on Sunday. Rehab is going well. My team of medical experts have called it a mild sprain and I should be back on the pitch in 1 to 2 weeks.
These injuries are really racking up. Maybe even great athletes weren't meant to play in tournaments like this after the long, grueling European season. I can't say I'll cry to many tears about Drogba or Ferdinand, but I'm standing by my pick for the Netherlands to win the Cup. So walk it off, Arjen! I also just read that Portugal will be without Nani. In my opinion, that's a pretty big deal. Cristiano Ronaldo likes to wander into the middle of the park, and losing the speed and service that Nani provides out wide is just going to mean less space for Ronnie to do his thing. I didn't much care for Portugal's chances before, and I think even less of them now.
Also on the subject of picks... I caught a bit of the Germany-Bosnia friendly last week. I know Bosnia is not a powerhouse, but I worry I might have pronounced the death of German football a tad prematurely. I won't revise my picks because that's cheap, but it seems that even if Podolski and Klose completely vanish in this tourney, the Mannschaft have plenty of folks who can step up. I'm definitely worried about that pick.
These injuries are really racking up. Maybe even great athletes weren't meant to play in tournaments like this after the long, grueling European season. I can't say I'll cry to many tears about Drogba or Ferdinand, but I'm standing by my pick for the Netherlands to win the Cup. So walk it off, Arjen! I also just read that Portugal will be without Nani. In my opinion, that's a pretty big deal. Cristiano Ronaldo likes to wander into the middle of the park, and losing the speed and service that Nani provides out wide is just going to mean less space for Ronnie to do his thing. I didn't much care for Portugal's chances before, and I think even less of them now.
Also on the subject of picks... I caught a bit of the Germany-Bosnia friendly last week. I know Bosnia is not a powerhouse, but I worry I might have pronounced the death of German football a tad prematurely. I won't revise my picks because that's cheap, but it seems that even if Podolski and Klose completely vanish in this tourney, the Mannschaft have plenty of folks who can step up. I'm definitely worried about that pick.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Group E Picks
Yikes! Jozy sprained his ankle in practice. Sounds minor so even if he's out for the warm-up match this weekend, he'll hopefully be ready for England. Bummer of a thing to have to worry about though.
Alrighty, Group E picks. I'll be honest, the Netherlands are my pre-tournament-quasi-sleeper pick to win the whole thing. Sure, their back four isn't fantastic, but whose is, other than Brazil?
(Side note: When was the last time Brazil had the best defense going into... well... anything?)
At Euro 2008, the Netherlands tore through group play with mind-blowing counterattacking soccer. Two years later, their best players are in their primes and finished the club season in top form. Unless they have a meltdown, the Oranje look like one of the teams to beat.
Netherlands vs. Denmark (6/14) - Netherlands
Japan vs. Cameroon (6/14) - Cameroon
Netherlands vs. Japan (6/19) - Netherlands
Cameroon vs. Denmark (6/19) - Cameroon
Cameroon vs. Netherlands (6/24) - Netherlands
Denmark vs. Japan (6/24) - Draw
1st Place: Netherlands 2nd Place: Cameroon
Rationale: Obviously I like the Dutch. I think Cameroon is probably the second-best team here. Eto'o is their best known player, but their guys play all over Europe and have made names for themselves at clubs like Tottenham. Denmark has some good players but no game changers. My guess is that Cameroon's physical style will help them edge Denmark and dominate Japan.
Alrighty, Group E picks. I'll be honest, the Netherlands are my pre-tournament-quasi-sleeper pick to win the whole thing. Sure, their back four isn't fantastic, but whose is, other than Brazil?
(Side note: When was the last time Brazil had the best defense going into... well... anything?)
At Euro 2008, the Netherlands tore through group play with mind-blowing counterattacking soccer. Two years later, their best players are in their primes and finished the club season in top form. Unless they have a meltdown, the Oranje look like one of the teams to beat.
Netherlands vs. Denmark (6/14) - Netherlands
Japan vs. Cameroon (6/14) - Cameroon
Netherlands vs. Japan (6/19) - Netherlands
Cameroon vs. Denmark (6/19) - Cameroon
Cameroon vs. Netherlands (6/24) - Netherlands
Denmark vs. Japan (6/24) - Draw
1st Place: Netherlands 2nd Place: Cameroon
Rationale: Obviously I like the Dutch. I think Cameroon is probably the second-best team here. Eto'o is their best known player, but their guys play all over Europe and have made names for themselves at clubs like Tottenham. Denmark has some good players but no game changers. My guess is that Cameroon's physical style will help them edge Denmark and dominate Japan.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
US Soccer: Fast and Stanky
When it's less than two weeks to the World Cup and you're as soccer-obsessed as I am, you start doing crazy things, like following all the US Soccer players on Twitter. It's amazing the things you find out on there. The biggest gem (and I'm upset that it took me until now to realize it) is that the US team has been celebrating goals by doing the Stanky Legg, which is easily the best YouTube dance sensation of the past 12 months. Not familiar with the Stanky Legg? Wiki has the lowdown:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanky_Legg
Charlie Davies and Jozy were really into it at the Confed Cup last year, and apparently the guys are continuing the tradition as a personal shout-out to Davies, who is missing the World Cup due to injury. Don't believe me? Hit up the 15 second mark of this clip from the Czech Republic match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVLT-bAuFjQ
Stuart Holden seems to have it down pat. Maurice Edu? Not so much. Clint Dempsey got a little stanky after his goal against Turkey. The 20 second mark in this clip is where the magic happens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czmYGqjCXdI
I get the sense that Clint has good technique but didn't want to get too stanky and risk injury. Totally understandable. Naturally, as US supporters, it's our duty to do the stanky legg along with our players when they score. This GS Boys video should provide all the information US fans need to get stanky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewufRwrayTI
Best of luck, and GO USA!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanky_Legg
Charlie Davies and Jozy were really into it at the Confed Cup last year, and apparently the guys are continuing the tradition as a personal shout-out to Davies, who is missing the World Cup due to injury. Don't believe me? Hit up the 15 second mark of this clip from the Czech Republic match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVLT-bAuFjQ
Stuart Holden seems to have it down pat. Maurice Edu? Not so much. Clint Dempsey got a little stanky after his goal against Turkey. The 20 second mark in this clip is where the magic happens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czmYGqjCXdI
I get the sense that Clint has good technique but didn't want to get too stanky and risk injury. Totally understandable. Naturally, as US supporters, it's our duty to do the stanky legg along with our players when they score. This GS Boys video should provide all the information US fans need to get stanky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewufRwrayTI
Best of luck, and GO USA!
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