Crazy that for many years the keeper was basically the best player on our squad...now we don't have a really good one
It took off after our game in Seattle. I'm SO glad we get to play there again. We're going to need that intensity without Balogun.
I was looking at AC Monaco's pitch when I found out that's who Balogun plays for. Bro if I were a soccer player this is where I would like to be playing. No personal income tax. Right on the Cote d'Azur. Can't believe they built that stadium in that postage stamp of a country
soccer n00b question -- does the crowd actually matter? its important in the NFL, NBA, etc. But in some sports it doesn't matter at all.
Apparently there are no appeals in the WC. It's ****ing asinine to have a single dude be able to suspend a player from a game in the world's most important sporting tournament after 15 seconds of consideration with zero room for appeal. Imagine doing that **** in the Olympics or something. It's the WORLD CUP. It's once every four goddamned years, maybe make sure you get it RIGHT?
It's the most punitive rule in sports. Absolutely insane that a single referee can have that much sway over the tournament.
I think it matters for national team games. That's why I would prefer that most of our Gold Cup games and qualifiers be played in MLS stadiums where we can sell them out instead of having patchy upper decks. I thought the crowd last night was the worst of our three home games. The sun was shining in their faces for most of the game, but LA and Seattle both sounded louder.
That red card was bullsht anyways, but they never overturn that sht. They better though, especially since we're a host and that was blatantly wrong call.
Crowds in soccer are way more into it than crowds in any other stadium sport (ie football). The loudness is about the same, but they don't need the jumbotron to tell them when to make noise.
When did Oasis become the official band when England wins (Wonderwall) as well as when England (or really any football team now) loses (Don't look back in Anger)?
Right, I can see that soccer crowds are basically 90% volume at all times, but my question revolves around how much it affects the outcome. It's well known that in the NFL and NBA home field is a dramatic advantage. But in MLB its basically meaningless. How does it affect soccer? And if it does, why/how?
Not sure it's meaningless in MLB or NFL or Soccer or Basketball...lots of players on both sides talked about the noise level at MMP in the Postseason with the roof closed. If it matters to the players then I'd say it matters. How exactly? Not a clue. But I'm just a guy watching things from a seat or on a TV...
I would argue that soccer requires constant communication, both verbal and nonverbal. Players need to time runs, looks for passing lanes, etc. in real time. If the crowd is loud enough to rattle them then they impact their concentration.
I think Freese proved yesterday that he deserves to start. It wasn't a lot of chances against him but he made solid saves and he now has 2 clean sheets and only 1 goal against in 3 matches. He's definitively our starter now and in the future. Crazy to think he turned down Manchester United as a youth to go to Harvard. Yesterday was further proof that we have turned the corner from a team that has to adjust to the other team's tactics to one that dictates them. If not for a combined 12" worth of offside calls, it's a blowout and Balogun is among the Golden Boot leaders. The red card was crap. Pure crap. When you look at what's been let go, fouls that had actual intent (looking at you, Leo Messi), and the fact that foul wasn't even called on this play, no one in their right mind could go back and call that a straight red. Yes, in slow motion and focused solely on their feet, it looked ugly. I cringed when I saw the Bosnian's ankle turn that way. But looking at the whole play, you know Balogun was not out of control and not going in with malice. The fact that they can't appeal this is wrong, too. It does concern me to go into a game against Belgium without him as he's probably been our best player to date. That said, I'm still confident that we can and will beat Belgium. They are not what they were and I think, if we continue to dictate the play and continue to push forward like we have, we should beat them. Now, it will mean that the goals are going to have to come from somewhere else because I don't have faith in Pepi at the moment. He's looked slow, weak, and out of his element. I'm not sure why Poch won't give Haji Wright time. I'd take 20 goals in the English Championship over 20 goals in the Eridivisie any day (sorry, again, @arno_ed). Wright would've been the better choice yesterday, too, as he has the strength to hold up play with his back to goal that Pepi doesn't have. Especially after the 2nd goal, we needed to maintain possession as much as possible and Pepi was just running around doing really nothing. It absolutely has an effect. This is the first time, probably since 1994, that the USMNT have truly had homefield advantage. Stadiums that are 90% OUR OWN FANS for once instead of most "home" games being essentially away games because US fans just didn't show up. I guarantee the players and staff will tell you it's had a massive effect on them. I'm very curious to see how that will translate post-World Cup...when we inevitably schedule that friendly against Mexico, probably in the September window,
