tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post7512694439994859128..comments2024-03-22T05:48:26.129-05:00Comments on Braves & Birds: Wha?Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08365733949431139562noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-15037603804257572972009-06-22T17:12:45.552-05:002009-06-22T17:12:45.552-05:00Love your blog... as a rabid Atlanta-everything fa...Love your blog... as a rabid Atlanta-everything fan I like most of your takes. I'm loosely interested in soccer, and I think you do a great job giving everything perspective.<br /><br />I felt obliged to comment that in the spirit of this blog, Ricardo Clark is (or at least was) a native Atlantan, and I went to high school with him at St. Pius X.<br /><br />He was two years older than me so I didn't really know him, but I do remember when he climbed the 20-ft facade in front of the school and mooned everybody at lunch once.TJ Eckleburg12https://www.blogger.com/profile/09819024402953805239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-85003950314649891142009-06-22T10:41:42.359-05:002009-06-22T10:41:42.359-05:00I actually think the U.S. is going to give Spain a...I actually think the U.S. is going to give Spain a good run. A U.S. team with its back against the wall/in an elimination format has given bigger-name foes some form of trouble for years and years in major tournaments--vs. Italy '90, vs. Brazil '94/'95, vs. Germany '02, vs. Italy '06. It helps that aside from Bornstein, the U.S. back four appears to be in excellent form. <br /><br />As is Bradley--he's been the U.S.'s best player by a wide margin if you ask me, and you're dead-on, Michael, when you point out that Clark's presence is vital to letting Bradley push forward into the kinds of positions where he and Donovan can collectively do some damage. This is the exciting thing about Jermaine Jones joining up--nothing against Clark, but getting a seasoned Bundesliga d-mid into that spot (and the likes of Mastroeni and Kljestan out of it if Clark's out) should be a huge boost for the U.S. midfield.<br /><br />I think the 4-2-3-1 with Dempsey up top is an interesting idea--I'd suggest some combination of Torres and Feilhaber in the 2nd d-mid/right wing spots, I guess, with Adu coming on at the hour mark. Bradley would never go for it, of course--he'd stick Dempsey on the right wing and Altidore or Davies up top with Feilhaber probably occupying the other midfield spot. And to be fair, the U.S. has looked much, much more comfortable playing 4-4-2 in recent months than any variation Bradley's tried (and he's tried a few), so I don't much blame him if he sticks with that Wednesday. At any case, I think it's obvious Dempsey needs to play as an out-and-out striker and let Feilhaber or Torres get the start in the midfield.<br /><br />I'm curious: what do you think Bradley should do once Bocanegra returns? I've liked the Demerit/Onyewu pairing enough and Bornstein little enough I'd like to see Boca just take over at left back. Since he plays there for his club, it's not like it'll be some huge adjustment, and if he's not the attacking "threat" from the run of play Bornstein or some other traditional left back might be, I'd think his usefulness on set pieces--both offensively and defensively--would make up for it.Jerry Hinnenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15097537044668238939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11175154.post-57679018218686050732009-06-22T09:53:55.820-05:002009-06-22T09:53:55.820-05:00200:1 is mighty generous odds for what happened ye...200:1 is mighty generous odds for what happened yesterday. I'd imagine Spain beats the US very handily (though not on the level of their shellacking of NZ).Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04447629718018884887noreply@blogger.com