Yanks Soccer

Good Morning folks, it’s not even light here on the east coast, but YS is up and ready to roll with some olympic coverage.  After the jump is the US lineup and after that will be some running commentary.

———-Guzan————

Wynne – Edu – Parkhurst – Orozco

Rogers - Holden – Kljestan – Szetela

McBride - Altidore

 

Pre-Game  Just to refresh your memory, the USA needs a win or a tie to advance to the quarterfinals.  If the Dutch lose or tie in the game against Japan, the USA is through automatically.

Pre-Game  The teams are taking their pre-game pictures and exchanging banners.  We’re about two minutes from the start.  Stadium looks pretty full, just about the maximum 91,000.

1′  Jozy Altidore breaks through the defense running on to a long ball but is offside.

2′  Michael Orozco almost kicked in the face by a Nigerian attacker, USA gets a free kick.

4′ Michael Orozco is gone!  Red Card!  He threw an elbow into his chest.  The USA is in a bad position now.  We might have to see Ianni.

6′  The US squashes a counter attack, how many of those can we stop is the question?

7′  Robbie Rogers has moved to left back.  Maybe now he’ll play some defense.

8′  Nigeria is getting runs into the box now, this looks dangerous.

9′  Maurice Edu holds off a Nigerian attacker and lets the ball roll out, this guy is impressive for a midfielder.

10′  Robbie rogers makes a dangerous run up the left flank but a cut back sees him lose the ball.

11′  USA wins a corner kick but it is cleared by Nigeria’s defense.

13′  When will JP Dellacamera stop talking about the 10 million dollars payed by Villareal to get Jozy, he sounds like a broken record.

14′  Once Nigeria gets into the attacking third, they give the ball away far too much.

15′  Nigeria puts in a dangerous cross that is collected by Brad Guzan.  The US is in a tough situation right now.  The game is not going like it was planned, that’s for sure.

16′  USA seems happy to just nock the ball around in the back.  Unfortunately, it’s resulting in turnovers and good chances for Nigeria.

17′  Maurice Edu gives up a corner, let’s hope it doesn’t burn the US.

18′  Glancing header by Obasi, Guzan comes up with a big save.

19′  Keeper came out and headed the ball to Holden, but his shot on open goal was off/

19′  Altdore crosses to Holden who hits the ball to Szetela who gives it up.

20′  A Nigerian takes a dive in the box, that looks like a yellow card to me for flopping.  Anyway, a good no call.

22′  Nigeria crosses dangerously to Obasi and his header goes wide of the goal and cleared by Szetela.

23′  Nigeria’s midfield has some great speed.  That’s something that the US will have to be way of.

24′  Nigeria shoots from the corner of the box but it goes over the bar.

25′  There’s some nice african music being played in the crowd.  It’s quite soothing, especially since I’ve been on edge ever since the red card.

26′  A great clear by Marvell Wynne.  He stopped a Nigerian attack that was the most dangerous of the game.

28′  The US can’t posses outside of their own third.  This is troubling.  The US will need to get the counter attack machine going because they can’t just sit back anymore.

29′  Nigeria threatens up the left flank when a Nigerian defender goes by Marvell Wynne, luckily the ball went out for a goal kick.

31′ The Nigerians are going to fall until the die.  They have been all over the field today, don’t expect anything to change there.

32′  Guzan makes a snap shot diving save to keep the US level.  Guzan has had a fantastic tournament.

33′  Obuke muscles Rogers and gets a shot from six yards.  Luckily it was off target.  Nigeria is bound to score any minute.

34′  Marvell Wynne went goal line to goal line up the right side and his cross almost finds a US player.  Wouldn’t a goal have been really nice.

36′  Nigeria gets free possession into the US attacking third now, the US needs to push up or they risk a goal.

38′  Brad Guzan wastes time on a back pass, smart move.

38′  Kljestan crosses but the Nigerian keeper is out and catches the ball.

39′  GOAL!  Nigeria scores!  Parkhurst gets beat and the [ass to Isaac is put in the back of the net.

41′  That hurts the USA badly.  Down a man and down a goal.  They need to push forward and go for a goal.  I don’t want to have to bank on a Netherlands tie or loss

42′  Nigeria on the counter attack, squashed by Kljestan, he’s been solid so far.

43′  Guzan makes a diving save on a 30 yard shot.  They can shoot those all day.

45′  Goal mouth action in front of Guzan’s net.  Almost results in two or three shots.  Let’s just get to halftime down 1 and re-group.

45+  USA gives away a corner kick.  Cleared off the line by Szetela.  Big save by Danny.

Halftime  USA needs more attack.  They also need to push the defensive line up because they are just letting Nigeria possess in the attacking third.

Halftime  Good news!  The Dutch and the Japanese are level, hopefully we won’t have to get a goal back.

Halftime  What does shopping for pearls in Beijing have to do with soccer, I don’t know, I also don’t think USA network knows.

46′  Benny Feilhaber enters the game for Jozy Altidore.  Looks like a defensive move but the US needs to attack.  Jozy had a good first half, strange move.

47′  The US is looking very energetic.  Let’s just hope we turn that energy into a goal.

48′  Feilhaber wins a free kick from the left channel.  Holden should be able to put this one in a good spot.  Headed by McBride but saved by the Nigerian keeper.

50′ The US is holding the Nigerians in their own half, good stuff to start the half.

51′  Obasi shoots a deflected shot over the bar, the resulting corner is cleared by the US defense.

52′  Holden had a golden opportunity.  He had a cross come to him when he was wide open.  The US will rue that miss.

54′  Nigeria content to possess, the US needs to press more.

54′  Nigeria wins a corner kick, resulting in a curling shot to the back post.  Missed the back post by about a foot, that was really close.

55′  Free kick by Holden from left channel.  Headed over by Kljestan.  The US is getting open on set pieces but the just can’t convert yet.

57′  The Dutch and Japanese are still scoreless in the 57th minute.

58′  Szetela chipped the goalie but Nigeria runs back and clears the ball before it runs over the line.

60′  Dangerous throw in for the US.  

60′  USA picks up a free kick from the left wing.  Benny Feilhaber is booked for dissent.  Silly card.

61′  A great ball in by holden but it is just a big high and collected by the keeper.

62′  Japan and the Netherlands still tied at 0-0.

63′  Nigeria looks a bit too relaxed.  They’re playing like a tired team.

63′  Good shot by Nigeria from the right channel, sails over the bar.

65′  USA stops a dangerous Nigerian sequence with a slide tackle in the box.  Excellent defending by the US.

66′ Goal Mouth Action!  Guzan makes a snap save with two Nigerians baring down on him.  What a play.

69′ Dax Mccary replaces Danny Szetela.  It’s a straight switch for the US, McCarty will play defensive mid.

70′  Japan and Netherlands still tied at 0 72 minutes in for them.

71′  Nigeria likes there long shots, they just don’t go in ever.

72′ McCarty is proving himself to be a ball winner.  He just takes the ball away and stops play so well.

73′  The Dutch have just scored off a penalty kick.  The US needs a goal now.

74′  The US needs to push up and get the goal.  They’ve played well but now they need a goal to advance.  It’s crunch time for the Americans.

75′  Marvell Wynne crosses and it is almost chested in to their own goal.  Corner for the US.

77′ The USA is making a change here.  It’s Stuart Holden coming out for Charlie Davies.  Davies should add some speed.

78′ McCarty plays a ball in over the top, but the Nigerians stop it before it gets to Davies.

79′ GOAL! Nigeria scores!  Obinna gets wide open in the box.  He cuts the ball back to the middle and finishes into the top corner.  The US is dead.

81′  Davies hauled down outside the box, no call, McBride isn’t happy about it either.

83′  All the US can do is hope for Japan to get a goal now.  That’s the only realistic option yet.

84′  The Dutch are still leading 1-0 in the 86th minute.

85′  The US looks dead tired.  There is no energy left in any of the US players.  The heat looks like it’s really affecting the players.

86′  Shot from 35 yards goes high and wide.  Nigeria loves to shoot from far out.

86′  Davies runs by a Nigerian defender but it goes out for a corner.

87′  Penalty Kick for USA!  Keeper takes out Edu in the box and receives a yellow card.  Kljestan is taking it.  They need to hurry and score.

88′  Kljestan Scores!  They need another quick goal.  He put it in the right bottom corner.

89′  USA has a free kick.  Nigeria is stalling while USA waits to take it.  This is the best chance of the game for the US.

90′  Dutch are still leading in stoppage time

90′  Charlie Davies header off the cross bar.  The US was so close!

90′  Davies shoots and the Nigerian goalie makes a diving save.  Davies is looking really good.

90′  Nigeria almost scores off a deflected shot.  Wynne gets a free kick from the right wing.

90′  The Dutch have won there match.

90′  Chance wasted and headed out by Nigeria.  Nigeria comes back and almost scores on an open net.

90′  FULL TIME!

Post Game  Try playing a full match down a man.  That’s what the USA did today and they did an amicable job as well.  The US played a great tournament and didn’t advance, it just doesn’t work out sometimes.

Post Game  This ends the running commentary for today.  Feel free to discuss the match in the comments section below.