Official Game Thread: United States vs Italy

[MARINO1384]

Trust me, they tried testing us, but we shut them down. Not only that but we had possession of the ball A LOT more which is why you didn't see their Offense attack as well, but they did attack, they were just shut down quickly.

ohhh no i'm not argueing that they didn't test us, i'm just saying that it was stupid to take out Totti and Luca. Which brings up the point of that the united states shut them down so thier coach took out thier top players to try to find other ways to score. I agree we shut them down. It's deff shuting the other team down when the other team is a man up and they fail to score a goal.

 

[Prime Time]

:yes:

 

[Tone_E]

Bruce Arena praised Onyewu after the Czech game. he was one of 3 or 4 players to get credit for playing well that day. The rest of the team was looked at as dissapointing.

Onyewu shut down Toni. They didn't test him? I really don't understand how you figure that but okay.

How can we test anyone when we are offside the entire game. Toni alone was responsible for 10. Granted, not sure but Onyewu may have trapped him on several of those offsides, but Toni beat himself when he wasn't being shut down. Okay, I said, he got shut down, EVERY PLAYER IS SHUT DOWN until he scores. and it wasn't Toni's day. Big deal, it'll come.

And don't put words in my mouth :fire: , please, never did I say he wasn't tested. It could have been interpreted as such, but if so then I apologize for misleading you guys. Read my post again though, and you will understand that all I am trying to say is that Italy dissapointed ME, and that I, along with every American fan, and person on the globe for that matter understands that Italy was capable of so much more.

Never did I downplay the American effort and showing. Flip through the pages, Im tired of typing the same stuff over and over.

Right now I am feeling exactly the way you guys felt after the Czech game.

 

[Tone_E]

ohhh no i'm not argueing that they didn't test us, i'm just saying that it was stupid to take out Totti and Luca. Which brings up the point of that the united states shut them down so thier coach took out thier top players to try to find other ways to score. I agree we shut them down. It's deff shuting the other team down when the other team is a man up and they fail to score a goal.

And honestly wtf do you know about the Totti sub. It was well timed, and had to be done (keep in mind hes still not 100%). Watch the game again, Im not going to waste my time justifying the sub.

And just cause we take out our top two goal scorers according to YOU, we are not the States here, our bench can score (Iaquinta, Inzaghi, and Del Piero), and proved it in the Ghana game, so please, hush hush....

 

[wpgfishfan]

How can we test anyone when we are offside the entire game. Toni alone was responsible for 10. Granted, not sure but Onyewu may have trapped him on several of those offsides, but Toni beat himself when he wasn't being shut down. Okay, I said, he got shut down, EVERY PLAYER IS SHUT DOWN until he scores. and it wasn't Toni's day. Big deal, it'll come.

And don't put words in my mouth :fire: , please, never did I say he wasn't tested. It could have been interpreted as such, but if so then I apologize for misleading you guys. Read my post again though, and you will understand that all I am trying to say is that Italy dissapointed ME, and that I, along with every American fan, and person on the globe for that matter understands that Italy was capable of so much more.

Never did I downplay the American effort and showing. Flip through the pages, Im tired of typing the same stuff over and over.

Right now I am feeling exactly the way you guys felt after the Czech game.

We are still in first place and if we win we avoid Brazil:D

Say we win Thursday who do you want to play Australia or Croatia. I would rather play Croatia. Australia has looked dynamite

 

[wpgfishfan]

And honestly wtf do you know about the Totti sub. It was well timed, and had to be done (keep in mind hes still not 100%). Watch the game again, Im not going to waste my time justifying the sub.

And just cause we take out our top two goal scorers according to YOU, we are not the States here, our bench can score (Iaquinta, Inzaghi, and Del Piero), and proved it in the Ghana game, so please, hush hush....

When Totti was subbed off we were down to 10 men versus the 11 for USA. We could not keep playing with 2 strikers and Totti in his position right behind the strikers

 

[Prime Time]

I am pleased to see you guys frustrated. Not because I enjoy you guys not succeeding, but think about it..If you feel like this, imagine the Italian players. I hope they take out their frustrations out on the Czechs.

 

[Boomer]

Don't be a football snob.

You are supposed to encourage new fans to understand the sport without starting your statement with a comment like that.

When people want to learn the game..I explain it to them...no matter how stupid their question may be.

having seen the play again this morning...I must say that it was a clear foul deserving of a stern Yellow and a short leash for a red.....

But there is no way you go straight to a red there...it is the damn world cup for christ's sake.

OK, I apologise.

But the fact remains, FIFA want those sorts of tackles stamped out totally. It was late and it bent Pirlo's ankle and could easily have broken it. Like I said, in the Premiership it was a yellow, but officiating is sterner in major tournaments and that was a perfect example.

 

[Boomer]

Fix your contact lenses...the slide tackle came from his left side...

It was behind Pirlo's line of vision.

 

[Boomer]

Bruce Arena praised Onyewu after the Czech game. he was one of 3 or 4 players to get credit for playing well that day. The rest of the team was looked at as dissapointing.

Onyewu shut down Toni. They didn't test him? I really don't understand how you figure that but okay.

Why would he have praised him after the Czech game? He was guilty for both goals and was generally mediocre. And he was hardly Bobby Moore against Italy.

 

[Boomer]

And honestly wtf do you know about the Totti sub. It was well timed, and had to be done (keep in mind hes still not 100%). Watch the game again, Im not going to waste my time justifying the sub.

And just cause we take out our top two goal scorers according to YOU, we are not the States here, our bench can score (Iaquinta, Inzaghi, and Del Piero), and proved it in the Ghana game, so please, hush hush....

I'm with you all the way. Down to 10 men, with Totti on a yellow, you take him off and bring Rino Gattuso on to hold in front of Nesta and Cannavaro. No brainer.

 

[Tone_E]

We are still in first place and if we win we avoid Brazil:D

Say we win Thursday who do you want to play Australia or Croatia. I would rather play Croatia. Australia has looked dynamite

Counting on the win to avoid Brazil.

Croatia does have our number though, and have played their worst, so they will only get better. They will come out on fire if they beat Australia.

Australia in their own right have played excellent ball as well. It wont matter to me who we play, because we will have to face much better teams if we want to win it all anyway.

 

[Tone_E]

I'm with you all the way. Down to 10 men, with Totti on a yellow, you take him off and bring Rino Gattuso on to hold in front of Nesta and Cannavaro. No brainer.

Especially since it was De Rossi who was responsible for that initially. Pirlo couldn't do it alone, and required Gattuso to hold down the fort with him.

I am very pleased now that I know Gattuso will be starting for us from here out. Should've been that way from the beginning if he didn't get injured. With Zambrotta and Gattuso back, we have my preferred squad on the pitch. EXCEPT, I want to see Inazghi subbed in. That guy plays with energy and fire, that which was lacking against the States. I also believe Camoranesi should've been brough in to take advantage of the open space in the second.

 

[Boomer]

Especially since it was De Rossi who was responsible for that initially. Pirlo couldn't do it alone, and required Gattuso to hold down the fort with him.

I am very pleased now that I know Gattuso will be starting for us from here out. Should've been that way from the beginning if he didn't get injured. With Zambrotta and Gattuso back, we have my preferred squad on the pitch. EXCEPT, I want to see Inazghi subbed in. That guy plays with energy and fire, that which was lacking against the States. I also believe Camoranesi should've been brough in to take advantage of the open space in the second.

Gattuso is one of the best in Europe at doing that. I was in Istanbul to see the CL Final and whilst Gerrard and Alonso struggled with Kaka and Seedorf, it was Gattuso cleaning up Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell that allowed Milan the opportunity to go 3-0 up. It wasn't till Benitez brought on Hamann that Liverpool started playing as it allowed Gerrard and Alonso to push on.

Gattuso is a quality player.

 

[Prime Time]

Why would he have praised him after the Czech game? He was guilty for both goals and was generally mediocre. And he was hardly Bobby Moore against Italy.

Ask Arena. He started out slow, but he didn't do a bad job on Koller. Not an excellent job, but not a bad job.