6.18.14
ASN Morning Read: Jones Owns the Field, Obviously
The United States midfielder went into Turbo Beast Mode against Ghana; Clint Dempsey records a rap album; Vice President Joe Biden visits the American team, winning hearts and minds.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
June 18, 2014
7:24 AM
Tactical breakdown: "Klinsmann’s exhortations are frequently to allow players to express themselves, and he speaks a lot about possession, but when the product is what it was in Natal, those are just vague buzzwords. Instead of looking for a second goal against an extremely vulnerable Ghana defense, the U.S. packed it in to defend. As this World Cup has shown, teams that throw themselves into the attack will be rewarded. Against a shorthanded Portuguese side on Sunday, the U.S. has no better opportunity to play with that type of valor—possibly failing, but failing inspirationally, rather than with a whimper."
Vice President Joe Biden visited the American locker room after their win and man is he charismatic. Also, owes DaMarcus Beasley a drink it seems?
Almost everyone thinks the U.S. will advance now. Objectivity people, objectivity.
Jurgen Klinsmann=gambler: "Klinsmann has always had the aura of a gambler about him, even dating back to his first managerial job as Germany's national team coach from 2004 to 2006. Back then, he took risks and confounded observers at times with personnel and tactical decisions. He has done the same at the helm of the U.S,, with Landon Donovan's omission from the World Cup roster the most noteworthy. So far, his choices have paid off, revealing a more deliberative calculus in terms of how he arrives at his decisions."
Jermaine Jones dominated the field against Ghana: "Literally from the opening whistle Jones was vital to the U.S. victory. His simple but smart and well-placed pass to Clint Dempsey set up the surprise go-ahead goal 30 seconds into the game. From there, he took to doing the grunt work on defense, often on the U.S. left flank, to help fullback DaMarcus Beasley neutralize Ghana’s speedy attack on that side."
The U.S. national team isn't the only group of Americans having a good World Cup:
Just another victory:
Clint Dempsey, rap star. "We just were having fun with it and it ended up being an album," he told The Wall Street Journal.
