Re: [nas] USA-Korea -tactics.......

[RichieAnimal@cs.com]

In a message dated 6/12/02 1:39:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, erw90@hotmail.com writes:


>     Observation: Arena didn't substitute Agoos after the Portugal
>     game.
>
>     Conclusion?
>
>     1.  Arena is an idiot, and you are smarter than he is.




I would not call Arena an idiot. He just does not think in terms of matchups like I do. By even saying that some might take you are an idiot.

I come from a man defense mentality where good matchup's are everything. Evidently, he can't make better matchups if he needs them just moving some of his field players around, instead of having to go to his bench during a match. I would do that, I would not even be beyond playing McBride as a back if we had worked that out  in previous practices.

I also think that in 2006 McBride would not make the team as a striker. BUT, he might make that team as a  center back.

He does not use different defenders for different opponents. He uses different attackers and mids, but the backs remain pretty much the same until he has to make changes due to injuries and cards.  You agree?
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>     Regis slipped in performance, and Arena benched him for Hejduk.



I thought you knew something about the game. I don't think Regis performance has slipped. I do think Regis can be beat by speed, also he gets caught up in attack during transition. So that forces Agoss to move and cover the flank we don't want that. Regis has 10 times more skill then the Surfer with the ball, and is smarter then the Surfer as well. 

Surfer made the team because of his versatility he can play right or left back and wing mid. The main problem that I have with him is he is just not that good with the ball at his feet, and he is mistake prone on defense and on the attack. 

The funny thing is Surfers movement at the flanks especially when he takes up a midfield position when he is away from the ball is really good. But it is not hard to look good without the ball at his feet. You might even look good with your off ball movement as long as you don't have to touch the ball :-)

The Surfer gets caught even if he stays back in support because of missed tackles and bad passes when he trys to start an attack. On his speed in this Cup he could be matched up with the kind of real speed that will make him look slow. Then Beasily becomes very important on his recovery runs, plus the help he provides on double teams in the midfield.

If Regis stays back and just attacks from his support position he is better then Surfer. He makes far less mental mistakes. 

>     Our entire lineup "slipped" when Armas went down.


No, you just have to reorganize. A combination of Reyna and O'Brian as inside mids is a step up from a combination of Reyna and Armas. This doesn't mean I don't like Armas I do. Tremendous one on one tackler perfect for a man defense :-). 

But, now we miss O'Brian at left wing mid, but if your looking to counter attack O'Brian is a liability at left Wing mid not enough speed. So you can work things out.
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,Arena
> brought in Beasley and Donovan, for which he now looks like
>     a genius.


It was obvious that Donovan should be here in this WC. But it was not obvious at least to me that Beasily belonged at this world cup. So maybe Arena is a genius for seeing that. I think if Beasily was not here, Wolfe would be seeing a lot more playing time.


    Agoos arguably hasn't "slipped" in ability -- he was that "bad"
> to begin with.


He moved from left wing back to left center back because he had slipped. Problem is the replacement left back Regis gets caught up in attack too much. That forces Agoos back to the left flank to cover, and again we don't want him having to do that 40 times a game.
> -----------------------
> The Nets' starters can't stop Shaq. 


Who's the Nets I don't know that soccer club? What's a Shag a pudding? Not interested in anything other then soccer.

Richie