• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Eight

Member
so who takes over the men's national team because in my uneducated eyes there is a talented core of players, but the next 4 years are way, way too valuable to keep the same leadership and direction
 

Purp

Active Member
so who takes over the men's national team because in my uneducated eyes there is a talented core of players, but the next 4 years are way, way too valuable to keep the same leadership and direction
I don't think Marsch leaves Leeds, but he'd be my man. I've heard some fascinating speculation about Pep, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd take Bruce Arena again over Berhalter, though.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
That wasn't a flat performance. What you saw is the difference between a veteran core that knows how to put the ball in the net and an inexperienced group without a proven talisman.
The ability of top-level teams to convert the smallest of chances into goals is what converted me from a scoffer into a casual fan. I still find lower-level soccer uninteresting. But the ability of world-class players to create chances and finish--and what it requires from world-class defending to stop them for 90 minutes--is worth my attention.

The France-Poland game going on now is a good example. France is so talented (and so perfectly arrogant) that they regularly create chances, but Poland is strong at the back (and clever on the attack, plus Lewandowski), which makes the game interesting. The Giroud first-half goal is a great example of how a small opening allowed by a good defense gets punished. Poland combined good talent with good tactics and good execution--and they're still down a goal at half.

The U.S. is much better than in the past. They can now beat half the world on athleticism alone. But they are still too loose to keep top Euro clubs off the board. Takes a ton of effort and skill to qualify and then advance to knockouts. Frustrating--but predictable--to see the ease with which the Dutch shrugged off the U.S.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Japan running its version of the rope-a-dope on Croatia. They let the opponent have 80% possession for 35 minutes and then see what kind of energy they have left to defend. In the group stage, Japan had only 34% possession and didn't score a first-half goal, but they're now 45 minutes from a quarterfinal berth.

Question for those knowledgeable: Is there a macho thing with top-end keepers about not using their hands on pass-backs when under counter-pressure? I've found myself saying, "Just pick it up!" about a dozen times, but they keep playing risky passes with their feet. Finally caught up to Australia yesterday. Croatia's keeper has been the only one I've seen with the humility to pick up the ball in that circumstance.
 

Purp

Active Member
Japan running its version of the rope-a-dope on Croatia. They let the opponent have 80% possession for 35 minutes and then see what kind of energy they have left to defend. In the group stage, Japan had only 34% possession and didn't score a first-half goal, but they're now 45 minutes from a quarterfinal berth.

Question for those knowledgeable: Is there a macho thing with top-end keepers about not using their hands on pass-backs when under counter-pressure? I've found myself saying, "Just pick it up!" about a dozen times, but they keep playing risky passes with their feet. Finally caught up to Australia yesterday. Croatia's keeper has been the only one I've seen with the humility to pick up the ball in that circumstance.
It's illegal for a GK to use his hands if a ball is passed back to him by a teammate with his feet. A teammate can head it or chest/thigh trap it to him, but he cannot pass it with his feet for him to pick it up. A long time ago that wasn't illegal and it made for very boring play across the back to thwart bad turnovers and quick counter-attacks. It was a good update to the laws.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
It's illegal for a GK to use his hands if a ball is passed back to him by a teammate with his feet. A teammate can head it or chest/thigh trap it to him, but he cannot pass it with his feet for him to pick it up. A long time ago that wasn't illegal and it made for very boring play across the back to thwart bad turnovers and quick counter-attacks. It was a good update to the laws.
Thank you, @Purp! Learning more about the beautiful game every day.
 

dawg

Active Member
It’s Mbappe’s world and we’re all just living in it. Absurd.
Daughter and I were watching the match. She’s 10, plays U11, and is understanding more about the game every day. She says Mbappe held the ball too long and let the defense recover. Then he fires a hypersonic missile into the top of the net. So she says “so yeah never mind. He’s pretty good, huh, dad.”

Yup. He’s pretty good.
 
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Purp

Active Member
Richarlson’s goal today…. jogo bonito. Insane skill. @Purp …. Y’all might want to give him a shot at No9.
Yeah, I've been wanting to see some tactical adjustments with Richarlison up top and Kane behind him. The problem is we've got to get more healthy to have all the other correct pieces to work behind them. It's been a brutal season for injuries. Another problem is the tactical changes i would make run contrary to Conte's insincts.

Richarlison is a huge reason why Everton weren't relegated. Tie between him and Calvert-Lewin. Nobody else there could score on an empty net. He's going to be really good for us.
 

Purp

Active Member
Thank you, @Purp! Learning more about the beautiful game every day.
Sure thing. One other thing I should add is that the strategy to play out of the back and use the GK as another player to pass to is a fairly new phenomenon. Goalies traditionally are not trustworthy with their feet so putting pressure on them when they get the ball occasionally results in goals. That's the reason it almost was never done most of my life. I'd personally use keepers less than most teams do these days and my rule would always be that any pass back to a keeper cannot be on frame and must be on the opposite side of the most threatening opponent player. These days keepers are trusted like holding midfielders with the ball and it's an unnecessary risk IMO.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Before the Morocco-Spain shootout, Morocco won the coin toss for kick order and elected to go first. Announcer said that teams that kick first are more likely to win shootouts. Why is that?

Edit: My guess is that because a majority of PKs are successful, kicking second more often means that you are playing from behind, which ratchets up the pressure even more and causes kickers to make mistakes.
 
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Eight

Member
reading through the espn article and see the mention of 6' 7" keeper prospect and i am curious for those who have played is there a point where you start to get too tall to play that position
 

mstrB

Active Member
reading through the espn article and see the mention of 6' 7" keeper prospect and i am curious for those who have played is there a point where you start to get too tall to play that position
Height is often overrated in that position, but it does trend with wingspan which is a big deal. A goal is not tall at all, it's very wide. The problem with height (sometimes) if for low shots you have to get down quickly and you are starting at a higher point. That being said I don't think that's "too tall". My guess would be something like 6"4 is optimal but I don't have any data other than it's for sure 6+.
 
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