concentration
i watched four games of football so far. something is certainly not right when i am watching so much football. but in any case, if there is one word that can sum it all up, it has to be the above.
the first game was the carling cup tie between arsenal and burnley. did burnley deserve to go through? yes. because we were naive, and because we shut off twice and that was when they scored. to me, the result is a massive disappointment, because most of the young players should know that the carling cup will be their only chance of top-level football unless they are able to secure loan deals elsewhere. and the opponents were burnley. i think it is embarrassing to suffer the same fate as chelsea. i feel really let down because i have basically been made to eat my words. the two most disappointing players were bendtner and randall. the way i see it, bendtner is not going to fulfil his potential. how many chances does he need? with randall, it is really his concentration that gave burnley one of the goals. and he was perhaps the only player who managed to perform poorly against wigan, so that basically summed it up.
then the women u20 world cup in chile. first semi final between france and north korea. france were basically on top for the whole of the game. took a deserved lead through the no17 nora coton-pelagie, who won the quarter-final for them previously, but conceded an equaliser which was really offside. then in the very last second of injury time, a lapse of concetration saw dprk grab the winner. heartbreak at the very end.
the second semi-final was between germany and usa. this game has less to do with concentration. the germans were outplayed in the first half because they were trying to match usa's tempo. in the end, they never got into the game, because it wasnt being played at their rhythm. the goal conceded wasnt a result of a loss of focus. it was the sort of thing that happens when you drill the ball across. credit to the usa for that.
i watch women's football and youth football because i feel that football at these 2 levels has something that football at the highest level has lost. so i am not too impressed by the americans' time-wasting tactics and negativity in the second half, especially when they have a team that can play football. i was hoping that they could be punished for that sort of thinking, but it was not to be.
3 names sum up germany's failure.
1)kim kulig and marina hegering
having to replace your central midfield completely due to injury and suspension is really bad luck. but the choice of personnel was bewildering. against brazil, they played kerchowski, the banecki twins and baunach. it is something like the roma of last season. interchangeability was the key word. basically they were playing with 5 attackers and 1 midfielder(hegering). kulig played as a forward in the u19 in july. so it took me some time to convince myself that she really was playing in center mid. this worked against brazil, so maybe the coach thought it could work against usa, so in place of kulig and hegering, she put in a midfielder nathalie bock and another attacker, the no18. i dunno if she realised it, but the americans pressed the midfield much more than the brazilians, and were much stronger and more organised. and kulig's aggression was missing. so they were run ragged.
2)julia simic
she came on only in the last 15 minutes or so, and that was when germany played their best football. the game was calling for someone to come in and dictate the tempo. and that was what she did. hold the ball, play it to someone, bring another player into the game. i think every midfield needs someone who can pass the ball.
the fourth game was the game between hoffenheim and bayern. if you are in germany, you would have heard alot about hoffenheim's exploits. so i was really eager to finally see them in action for myself. and i was very impressed. i think they are possibly the most exciting german team. fast, direct football. strong, fast, skilful. they play a 4-3-3 that becomes a 4-5-1 in defence, and the moment the ball is won, becomes a 4-3-3 instantaneously. what i mean is that when they are pressing, you can see the attackers pressing as well. but when they clear the ball, you will see three attackers up there with the opposing defenders. they came to munich looking for a win. they played well enough to win it. and in the last minute of injury time, a concetration lapse saw the ball get to luca toni around the penalty spot. he scored, and i felt really sorry for hoffenheim. sometimes, it is really that unfair.
it always seems like we need to show some guts. but when we do, we get slapped in the face like that.
the first game was the carling cup tie between arsenal and burnley. did burnley deserve to go through? yes. because we were naive, and because we shut off twice and that was when they scored. to me, the result is a massive disappointment, because most of the young players should know that the carling cup will be their only chance of top-level football unless they are able to secure loan deals elsewhere. and the opponents were burnley. i think it is embarrassing to suffer the same fate as chelsea. i feel really let down because i have basically been made to eat my words. the two most disappointing players were bendtner and randall. the way i see it, bendtner is not going to fulfil his potential. how many chances does he need? with randall, it is really his concentration that gave burnley one of the goals. and he was perhaps the only player who managed to perform poorly against wigan, so that basically summed it up.
then the women u20 world cup in chile. first semi final between france and north korea. france were basically on top for the whole of the game. took a deserved lead through the no17 nora coton-pelagie, who won the quarter-final for them previously, but conceded an equaliser which was really offside. then in the very last second of injury time, a lapse of concetration saw dprk grab the winner. heartbreak at the very end.
the second semi-final was between germany and usa. this game has less to do with concentration. the germans were outplayed in the first half because they were trying to match usa's tempo. in the end, they never got into the game, because it wasnt being played at their rhythm. the goal conceded wasnt a result of a loss of focus. it was the sort of thing that happens when you drill the ball across. credit to the usa for that.
i watch women's football and youth football because i feel that football at these 2 levels has something that football at the highest level has lost. so i am not too impressed by the americans' time-wasting tactics and negativity in the second half, especially when they have a team that can play football. i was hoping that they could be punished for that sort of thinking, but it was not to be.
3 names sum up germany's failure.
1)kim kulig and marina hegering
having to replace your central midfield completely due to injury and suspension is really bad luck. but the choice of personnel was bewildering. against brazil, they played kerchowski, the banecki twins and baunach. it is something like the roma of last season. interchangeability was the key word. basically they were playing with 5 attackers and 1 midfielder(hegering). kulig played as a forward in the u19 in july. so it took me some time to convince myself that she really was playing in center mid. this worked against brazil, so maybe the coach thought it could work against usa, so in place of kulig and hegering, she put in a midfielder nathalie bock and another attacker, the no18. i dunno if she realised it, but the americans pressed the midfield much more than the brazilians, and were much stronger and more organised. and kulig's aggression was missing. so they were run ragged.
2)julia simic
she came on only in the last 15 minutes or so, and that was when germany played their best football. the game was calling for someone to come in and dictate the tempo. and that was what she did. hold the ball, play it to someone, bring another player into the game. i think every midfield needs someone who can pass the ball.
the fourth game was the game between hoffenheim and bayern. if you are in germany, you would have heard alot about hoffenheim's exploits. so i was really eager to finally see them in action for myself. and i was very impressed. i think they are possibly the most exciting german team. fast, direct football. strong, fast, skilful. they play a 4-3-3 that becomes a 4-5-1 in defence, and the moment the ball is won, becomes a 4-3-3 instantaneously. what i mean is that when they are pressing, you can see the attackers pressing as well. but when they clear the ball, you will see three attackers up there with the opposing defenders. they came to munich looking for a win. they played well enough to win it. and in the last minute of injury time, a concetration lapse saw the ball get to luca toni around the penalty spot. he scored, and i felt really sorry for hoffenheim. sometimes, it is really that unfair.
it always seems like we need to show some guts. but when we do, we get slapped in the face like that.
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