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| Angola | Tunisia | Iran | USA | Trinidad & Tobago |
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| Japan | Saudi Arabia |
Togo | Costa Rica |
Serbia
& Montenegro |
What Went Right?
Their defense, although losing its shape and organization on several occasions,
actually played pretty well, relying on their individual defenders to close down
the opposition in the box. They kept taking a lot of long-range shots, however
off target they may have been.
What Went Wrong?
No coordination going forward whatsoever; all eleven players that took the pitch
at any one time all played like individuals doing their own thing, like there
was nobody else helping them. Their entire attack was predicated on getting the
ball quickly to their lone front man, Akwa, and letting him do the rest. They
lacked any kind of quality in midfield both in the center and on the wings.
There was no ball control anywhere so there was no possession. Their chances on
goal would have been the worst in this tournament if not for the USA and
Trinidad & Tobago. It was drudgery watching them; so many times you got the
urge to turn off the television and just get the recap on the news.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Goalkeeper Joao Ricardo was
really busy, especially against Portugal. Midfielder Antonio Mendonca was a
decent presence going forward. And then there was Akwa, who had most of the
chances on goal, however bad they were. Armando Flavio and Mantorras were
actually much better front men when they got on the pitch in place of Akwa. Luis
Delgado, Joao Jamba and Carlos Kali were actually very good man-markers in
defense – Gawd knows they spent an awful lot of time having to close down
whatever attackers their useless midfield let in.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
While Akwa stepped up to take on the scoring responsibilities, he was really bad
at it. His play lacked any kind of refinement, skill or maturity, and on those
occasions when he wasn’t the person taking the shot on goal you could see him
become surly and bratty, like a snotty little 5-year-old throwing a tantrum
because somebody else was playing with his toy. So you can imagine how childish
he became when he was substituted. Paulo Figuerido was invisible as a midfield
playmaker. Andre Macanga and Jose Ze Kalanga couldn’t control the midfield to
save their lives.
How Was The Coaching?
Not very good. Luis Oliveira Goncalves seem to think that his duties primarily
consisted of mollifying Akwa and little else. I realize that virtually all
coaches have to spend more time than they really want to in placating their star
players, but this was just taking it a little too far, to the detriment of the
team. If Goncalves had spent just a little more time on the X’s and O’s
maybe Angola would have had much better than mathematical chance at supplanting
Mexico.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Actually, Yes.
They performed exactly the way we all thought they would under the
circumstances. So there really is no surprise that things turned out the way
they did.
What Now?
Here’s hoping in the future that Angola spend a lot less time kissing up to
one player and a lot more time coming up with tactics and strategies that will
work on the international stage, whether that means getting in Akwa’s face and
reading him the riot act or getting rid of him entirely. This is about as much
talent as this team has, so it doesn’t get any easier for them, especially in
a tough African region. I sincerely hope that, sans Akwa, this is not the last
time we see these first-timers in the World Cup for a long time. Akwa, meet
Terrell Owens and Allen Iverson.
What Went Right?
They played very well when they had the ball in the center of the field. They
didn’t waste time building an offense, choosing to get the ball forward
through the center and into the attacking end quickly. Ali Boumnijel was pretty
good in goal, but that was because he had to be.
What Went Wrong?
Practically everything else. The only time Tunisia played with any urgency going
forward was when they fell behind, and that was early and often. Their defense
broke open like the 12th Street levee in New Orleans after Katrina.
They didn’t take advantage of the world-class winger they had on the right, so
their play out on the flanks was non-existent. The midfield took most of the
scoring chances, from long range, because they could never service their front
man, and that was because they never put more than one out-and-out striker on
the pitch at any given time. There was no midfield control, so they conceded an
obscene amount of possession. They never established any kind of coordinated
attack, and they were disorganized in the midfield and especially in the back.
The energy and pace they were known for just wasn’t there.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? While defender Radhi Jaidi
was virtually useless in defense – along with his comrades on the backline –
he was almost sublime going forward and on set pieces. Striker Zaid Jaziri
actually made his presence felt, but he had to spend an awful lot of time going
back and bringing the ball forward himself. Hamed Namouchi and Riadh Bouazizi
showed infrequent flashes of quality in the center of the midfield. Keeper Ali
Boumnijel was the only real line of defense in front of goal.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Jaidi and the rest of his cohorts on the backline were useless, and supposed
stopper Adel Chedli in front of them clearly wasn’t. Nobody who partnered with
Jaziri up front was of any help to him or even any kind of a optional scoring
threat. We expected a helluva lot more from Hatem Trabelsi coming forward on the
right but it just never happened.
How Was The Coaching?
If it weren’t for the ineffective use of Trabelsi then I would have said that
Roger Lemerre did about as well as could have been expected with the players
available to him, but I can’t say that. Trabelsi was the only true world-class
player Tunisia had, with the ability to roam down the flank from touchline to
touchline and transition from world-class man-marker to an innovative attacker
on the wings. He was all of that at Korea/Japan four years ago. That Lemerre
restricted his duties to almost entirely defensive until they got behind was a
waste of Trabelsi’s talents.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Yes, but they
still could have played much better than they did.
What Now?
Tunisia is one of the better sides in African football. There is clearly some
talent on this team, it was just utilized incoherently. Four years ago they had
Trabelsi doing everything surrounded by not much else. This year they had a
little more talent but utilized Trabelsi badly. Maybe the thing to do would be
to marry the talent with Trabelsi’s world-class skills? I’ll bet they’ll
knock on the door a little more.
What Went Right?
Tactically they were much better than anybody thought they would be. Good
organization and poise in the back, decent on set pieces, and could actually
pressure team going forward. Iran didn’t give up a lot of quality shots in the
box, making teams have to take their chances from long range. They showed good
energy, found space to create chances, had good movement off the ball, and they
attacked relentlessly. I was skeptical about Iran coming into this tournament
– I was pleasantly surprised.
What Went Wrong?
As organized in the back as they were they couldn’t eliminate the niggling
little critical mistakes that proved to be fatal. And as creative and relentless
as they were in attack they just couldn’t finish any of their chances. It’s
great to see that they have adopted a direct attacking scheme but at some point
the ball has to find its way into the net.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Ali Karimi was their
undisputed best player. Karimi was the creative force going forward for Iran.
Defenders Yahya Golmohammadi and Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh were absolutely fantastic
in the air, especially on set pieces. The rest of the defense (Hossein Kaabi,
Mohammad Nosrati and Rohman Rezaei) actually showed some bite in the back and
made opposition strikers work for their chances.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian just didn’t get it done up front (Rasoul Khatibi
actually showed more finishing skill than either one; isn’t it about time the
Daei be sent to the old folks home). Mehdi Mahdavikia was pretty useless on the
flanks. Javad Nekounam couldn’t shut down anybody in front of the backline to
save his life (thank Gawd the defense did).
How Was The Coaching?
Not bad. This was probably the best Branko Ivankovic was going to get out of
this bunch in this group. He clearly needs to teach these guys a little
something about maintaining leads, though. But I’m not going to fault him
simply because he kept on attacking after they got a lead. Iran had good
attacking quality so Ivankovic clearly brought a certain pizzazz to the table.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Yeah, pretty
much.
What Now?
Actually the national side is going in the right direction. They’ve got a lot
of players plying their trade in Europe and they make it a point to enter as
many international competitions both in and out of their region as they can. My
best guess would be for them to settle on a coach for the long haul who will
institute a continual game plan that works and keep him around for a while; quit
hiring and firing coaches every other season.
What Went Right?
The best thing that happened to the USA in this tournament was that Italian
fullback Christian Zaccardo put the ball into his own goal, thereby giving this
side the lifeline they clearly didn’t deserve. When presented with the
daunting task of having to face eventual finalists Italy with only eight
outfield players, the Americans focused, clamped down in the center of the field
and played with the fleeting heart and determination we had expected them to
play with all tournament long – and in the process showed their best attacking
quality all month. That says it all right there.
What Went Wrong?
All of Bruce Arena’s tactics went south from the moment Czech Jan Koller put
that header past Kasey Keller. The defense couldn’t take control of its own
penalty area. They got closed down incessantly, even in their own half of the
pitch, so there was never any consistent ball control. They had the wrong people
playing in the wrong places: DeMarcus Beasley playing on the right wing instead
of his familiar left; Landon Donovan playing in the box limiting his ability to
roam and create; Eddie Pope a shell of himself flailingly man-marking players
far bigger than he. They made poor decisions, which proved fatal. They made
critical errors at the worst times. They couldn’t get anything going
offensively, especially down the wings, which had been a strength coming in.
Because Donovan was playing out of position the team lacked leadership and
influence, especially in midfield. They never played with any sense of urgency,
even when they were behind. They were the most impotent side in this tournament
when it came to set pieces. With Brian McBride as the only out-and-out striker
they never had any good chances in the box, and Arena waited until it was too
late to try to get Eddie Johnson on the pitch to link up. Most of all, they were
lackluster and flat.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? The few times Clint Dempsey
was on the pitch there was some real energy and quality going forward, so it’s
no surprise that he scored the side’s only goal during the run of play.
Despite the controversial yet critical foul inside the penalty area against
Ghana, Oguchi Onyewu actually showed some real closing down ability in the box,
so he is clearly the kind of big, physical defender the USA should build the
center of its defense around. Jimmy Conrad was the best flanker they had on both
sides of the ball, and you can’t fault McBride for the failings of the rest of
this team because he worked his butt off and was his usual consistent in the
air.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Keller, Pope, Donovan, Beasley, defenders Steve Cherundulo and Carlos Bocanegra,
midfielders Claudio Reyna, Ben Olson and Bobby Convey, and striker Eddie
Johnson. You know – practically everybody that was expected to show up
(arguably the best player from 2002, John O’Brien, was left languishing on the
bench the entire tournament). For that matter, the coach didn’t show up,
either.
How Was The Coaching?
Pretty damn bad, and just so you know it pains me to have to say that about
Bruce Arena, a coach who I had come to respect over the last eight years. I
expected a helluva lot more out of somebody as smart as he is. He chose his team
badly, opting to leave Taylor Twellman at home when he clearly could have used
another goal poacher. He went with a conservative, rigid 4-4-2 but didn’t give
striker McBride the linkup help he needed, instead choosing to emphasize defense
instead of the adventurous direct attacking football that had worked for them
for eight years. He had players playing out of position. He didn’t change
anything when it became apparent that what he was doing wasn’t working, which
was really bewildering when you consider that one of the traits that made him
such a good football coach was his ability before now to change personnel and
tactics on a moment’s notice to fit what he needed to accomplish at the
moment. And in short order he lost the confidence of his team, who were left
wondering what was going on and why they were playing the way they were in the
face of all that was going on around them. In essence, Arena became unmoving,
rigid and stubborn at the exact moment when the USA needed an innovator. The
straw that broke the camel’s back was when he started blaming the officiating
for all that was going wrong – the one true sign that a coach has lost it.
I’ve defended Bruce Arena for eight years, but after this it is clear that he
and USA Soccer need to part ways.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Not at all.
The USA had reached a point in the international football hierarchy where nobody
wanted to play them – that’s how good they had become. While most people
were picking Italy and the Czech Republic to come out of this group, a lot of
football insiders were giving the USA the benefit of the doubt that they could
supplant one of those two (Ghana never entered into the conversation). And for
eight years, there has been nothing but steady and traceable improvement by the
USA. For them to play this badly in such a short amount of time and at this
level – especially when you consider that as badly as they played they still
had a chance to advance – is an unfortunate indication that they have
measurably fallen back in the football hierarchy.
What Now?
The future really isn’t all that bleak. Their finish notwithstanding there is
more football talent on the ground in America than ever, so it may be time to
start harvesting it and putting it to use on the international level. That means
more international tournaments for the USA as well as sending a good portion of
the prime football talent to ply their trade in the elite leagues in Europe.
I’m glad America has its own soccer league, the MLS, but in order for this
abundance of talent to realize their potential and compete in a tournament of
this magnitude the MLS is going to have to serve as more of a stepping stone to
much better leagues worldwide. I’m sorry to have to say this but the MLS is a
minor league by comparison (As much as I like Donovan it speaks volumes that the
best footballer this country has ever produced can’t even get on the pitch at
Bayer Leverkusen). After eight years it probably is time to let Bruce Arena go.
What made him such an attractive coach for most of that time – his innovative
tactics and schemes, especially in attack, and his eye for football talent –
have deserted him to a degree. Can you say JURGEN KLINSMANN?!
What Went Right?
Their defense and goalkeeping, plain and simple. Sure they gave up four goals in
three games, but they crowded their penalty area like their lives depended on
it, then withstood the predictable opposition offensive onslaught that was to
come. But more than that, T&T played with an obscene amount of heart and
guts. Their whole approach was batten down the hatches, dig the trenches, and do
everything you can to survive, but they battled for every inch of ground, and
made sure that England, Sweden and Paraguay had to fight just as hard.
What Went Wrong?
No real quality to speak of, especially going forward and in the midfield. They
sure as hell didn’t scare anybody into thinking they could actually score a
goal.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Shaka Hislop was a monster
in goal. When the defense broke down – and it did on oh so many occasions –
there he was to make the impossible save. He turned in the best goalkeeping
performances in this tournament (although he won’t get recognized for it
because his side didn’t make it out of the group stage). The backline of Cyd
Gray, Avery John, Dennis Lawrence and Brent Sancho were under siege and just
kept battling, never giving up once. Even though he didn’t get off any real
chances, Dwight Yorke was everywhere doing everything; creating what few chances
they had, trying to score, transitioning back in defense, going out to the wings
– everything. He certainly rejuvenated his reputation with this performance.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
The entire midfield. Christopher Birchall, Carlos Edwards and Densill Theobald
just didn’t have any semblance of attacking quality. And needless to say Stern
John and Collin Samuel were invisible up front.
How Was The Coaching?
Well, given what little football quality he had at his disposal, Leo Beenhakker
did as well as could be expected. My Gawd these guys had backbone; they clearly
showed up to play. If you think a more world-class coach could have gotten any
more out of this bunch than Beenhakker, then you obviously didn’t see them
play. These guys fought tooth and nail for everything and left it all out there
on the field, and in the process actually had a theoretical, mathematical
chances of advancing going into their last group fixture. That was due in no
small part to Beenhakker.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Yes but with a
bullet. This team and their fans had absolutely no expectation of doing
anything; they were just glad to be here. But along the way they showed that
they weren’t going to just be everybody’s whipping boy, and they didn’t
back down from anybody. As a result, they didn’t finish at the bottom of this
tournament or anywhere near it. They left Germany without a single goal or point
but they left with their dignity intact and having gained a lot of respect from
the rest of the football world. For me Trinidad and Tobago was the best thing
about this year’s quadrennial tournament.
What Now?
Unfortunately the future doesn’t look all that bright. Shaka Hislop is 37 and
very near done, and Dwight Yorke is 35 and definitely close to retirement. For a
country of only 1.35 million there isn’t a lot of football talent on the
ground, so there is a very real possibly that this is as good as it gets. It
took them over 70 years to make this maiden appearance. Here’s hoping it
doesn’t take that long until their next one.
What Went Right?
Pretty good play out on the wings, so when Japan was in attack they did a good
job of spreading the defense. Not bad in the center of the midfield, but you can
attribute that to just one player. They at least managed to maintain their
tactical form against Australia. Oh, and they led two matches.
What Went Wrong?
What service the front was getting from the wings and the center of the midfield
they weren’t getting their shots off, so they never established any scoring
threat up front. Utilizing a 5-3-2 formation doesn’t exactly say that you plan
on attacking with any regularity. That said, that crowded a backline still
couldn’t stop anybody from scoring. Japan had the lead in two matches and not
only didn’t hold onto them, they lost entirely.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Shunsuki Nakamura did
everything he could in the midfield, including going into the box and getting
his shot off. Naturalized Brazilian Alex Santos was an absolute workhorse on the
left flank, roaming from touchline to touchline and making things happen going
forward while getting it done on defense. Diminutive keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
actually did all he could to stop the bleeding.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Neither Naoshiro Takahara nor Atsushi Yanagisawa ever got on the end of a decent
shot. Hidetoshi Nakata never lived up to his international rep in the midfield.
And the backline anchored by Yuji Nakazawa was spineless and lost, so needless
to say everybody else on the backline save Santos were useless.
How Was The Coaching?
Not very good. I know Zico is a better coach than this. There clearly was enough
talent on this side to do better than this, but I never got the feeling that
Zico was trying to win as opposed to just trying to survive. In this group they
were going to get attacked relentlessly, anyway, so they might as well have come
out in a straight 4-4-2, get Shinji Ono on the pitch more along with Junichi
Inamoto (who saw no action at all) and just attacked. As it was they played
scared, and it mattered.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Yes, but they
still could have done a helluva lot more going forward. They may have had a
mathematical chance in their last fixture against Brazil, but because they
didn’t bring the pain in their previous two you just knew they weren’t going
to against the pre-tournament favorites.
What Now?
Learn to be a little more adventurous like their counterparts across the strait
in South Korea. Japan has midfielders who play in some of the best leagues in
Europe; how about using them and getting a better attack going forward. Start
establishing some goal poachers who will get in the box and start taking
chances. And do everything they can to train quality defenders who will take
people on and will not be moved by goal poachers coming into their house.
What Went Right?
With tons of energy and pace, the Saudis played much better than anybody thought
they would despite getting just one point. The 4-5-1 formation made good use of
the midfield going forward and the lone striker in the box. Good direct
attacking, good combination play, a lot of energy, flying and running into
spaces. They outran and out-hustled Tunisia and put Spain on their heels. They
weren’t the world’s greatest finishers but man did they get their front men
some chances with their short and precise one-touch passing. Clearly a very
disciplined team that was fun and entertaining to watch.
What Went Wrong?
Everything that worked well against Tunisia and Spain they clearly got away from
against the Ukraine. I find it hard to believe that wet weather took them out of
the high-energy team that could find and create space, make good shots and even
better short, crisp passes. But the confident team that had a chance at getting
out of this group after their first fixture were totally bloodied, battered and
beaten after their second. And Spain in was the wrong team to have to make it up
against in their last group fixture.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Pretty much everybody you
or I have never heard of (because they don’t ply their trade outside of Saudi
Arabia). Mabrouk Zaid made some big saves in goal, especially against a furious
Spanish onslaught. Hamad Al Montashari and Redha Tukar were critical in front of
goal. Khaled Aziz was a dispossessing fool in front of the backline, and Nawaf
Al Temyat and Saud Khariri played the one-touch passing game going forward like
nobody’s business. Yasser Al Kahtani was able to get fantastic service and get
some good shots on goal, and supersub Sami al Jabar was a goal poacher off the
bench.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Against the Ukraine, everybody except Aziz, Temyat and Kahtani.
How Was The Coaching?
Pretty damn good. Marcos Paqueta had only six months, after the firing of the
coach who got them to Germany, to get to know his players and get them to gel.
Clearly it was smart on his part to fill this team largely with players from the
club he coaches on a regular basis, Al Hilal, so getting them to gel would be
less of a concern. It worked about as well as could be expected. He even got
what normally is a restrictive 4-5-1 formation to look fluid and attractive
going forward. So the Saudis earned a good amount of respect in this tournament.
This was about as good as it gets for a team that, however well they played,
doesn’t have any star-quality players.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Yes and no.
They finished in last in their group, which is where everybody expected them to
finish, but they didn’t finish last in this tournament and man they went down
fighting. They gave Tunisia one helluva scare and made Spain work, and they
played attractive, organized attacking football throughout. I would have taken
them in a match against any of the three teams that finished behind them.
What Now?
I realize that Saudi players are paid handsomely at home, which is why a lot of
former star players from around the world are ending their careers in Saudi
Arabia. But if they have any real designs on making real advances at this level
in the future, then two things have to happen: (1) Send some of these players to
the best leagues in Europe to play, and (2) get away from the Asian region from
time to time and start playing more matches against the football elite from
Europe and South America and start getting into more international competitions
with those football elite. Other than that, keep doing what you’re doing and
build on what you accomplished here.
What Went Right?
The internal turmoil this team had coming in was just ignored when it came time
to take the pitch. Togo actually showed some good instincts going forward and
had lots of chances on goal, albeit mostly from long range. Even when they had
to play with ten men or from behind (which was most of the time) they kept
coming in waves. The frontline hardly scored but they communicated well and
linked up with regularity. The defense lost its shape on a number of occasions
but still did pretty well by not allowing too many goals. They were in every
group fixture and were certainly not to be taken lightly.
What Went Wrong?
They got virtually nothing from their midfield. They didn’t dictate any pace,
they didn’t control the ball, they didn’t create any real attack, they
didn’t service their front men, and they didn’t do anything to stop the
opposition when not in possession. Their wingers and flankers were pacy and
energetic but little else. Their strikers made bad shot selections. And they
spent way too much time trying to get the ball on the feet of center forward
Emmanuel Adebayor when they had two other attacking options on the frontline.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Adebayor, to a degree. He
at least wanted the ball and wanted to make things happen. As the lone strike
option most of the time he at least stepped up. Defenders Ludovic Assemoassa and
Dare Nibombe spent most of the tournament under siege and were left to stop a
lot of opposition attacks. Keeper Kossi Agassa was pretty decent, too.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Adebayor’s strike partners up front, Kader Mohamad and Moustapha Salifou were
of no help in the box, spending most of their time going out to the wings or to
the half touch line go bring the ball forward or make long passes to Adebayor.
Of course, I can’t really blame them because Alaizys Romao and Maman
Cherif-Toure offered absolutely nothing going forward and even less in
transition, and Junior Senaya was an absolute joke in front of the defense.
How Was The Coaching?
Well, after throwing a temper tantrum and walking off the job just days before
their first group fixture, Otto Phister came back and actually did a pretty
decent job under the circumstances. He really didn’t have much to work with,
but his tactics were pretty sound. I really didn’t like the way he used his
personnel; that midfield needed help and he did nothing about it all tournament
long. I think I would have gotten Assimiou Toure into the games a little more.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? This was their
maiden voyage so they finished exactly where everybody thought they would.
What Now?
People don’t realize it but Africa is not the world’s easiest region to
qualify from. Togo got here in place of Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Senegal, South
Africa and Morocco. So unless they stop the bickering and the infighting within
their own federation and find some midfielders with some backbone and attacking
quality they are going to have a hard time getting back to this stage in the
near future.
What Went Right?
Good attacking quality going forward. They weren’t the most innovative attack
but they sure went forward in spades. Decent service from a midfield that until
now had not really been in-form in attack. And the two strikers, Paulo Wanchope
and Ronald Gomez, sure took advantage of their service; they weren’t as
proficient as they could have been but they sure took a lot of shots on goal.
What Went Wrong?
The defense was the second worst in the tournament, and in a competition where
defense was clearly the thing that was a death knell. While the midfield
provided good direct quality going forward they didn’t control the midfield,
and they were overmatched when trying to take on people when they weren’t in
possession. That coupled with a backline that just couldn’t close down anybody
and wasn’t physical enough to take anybody on spelled disaster.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? Wanchope and Gomez in
attack, Danny Fonseca and Walter Centeno in the midfield (or at least going
forward). All four were a threat to score in every fixture, and Germany, Ecuador
and Poland had to account for them throughout. Despite the defense giving up
nine goals keeper Jose Porras actually was pretty consistent and he made a lot
of saves; it wasn’t his fault that the defense in front of him couldn’t stop
anybody. And Michael Unama was actually pretty good going forward on the wing.
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Everybody on defense. Center-back Gilberto Martinez is the best defender they
have, and that really isn’t saying much. The person counted on to organize the
defense didn’t. So needless to say defenders Leonardo Gonzalez, Luis Marin and
Michael Umana didn’t really step up to fill the defensive void.
How Was The Coaching?
About as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Alexandre Guimaraes
got about as much as he could out of this bunch. He relied almost solely on
direct attacking to get through, and at this level you have to play defense.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Well, they
didn’t finish where I thought they would, but probably where everybody else
thought so. This being their second straight World Cup – and having done much
better than expected in Korea/Japan – I thought that Costa Rica was primed to
make the leap into the second round. But this was a much tougher group that most
of us thought is was, and who knew Ecuador was going raise their game and play
lights out in their first two group fixtures?
What Now?
Costa Rica does play in CONCACEF, so outside of the USA and Mexico they are as
good as it gets. There clearly are some more World Cups in their immediate
future. They’ve caught on to the creative, attacking game rather well, so they
should be at least entertaining to watch. What they can do is find some
defenders who can transition better and aren’t afraid to take people on.
What Went Right?
Are you kidding? Nothing – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! They got here, and their fans
– the many thousands who bothered to show up for this sad fiasco of a campaign
-- got to at least enjoy some beer and schnitzel on mild German summer days. And
they finally scored two goals – in a losing effort, no less –so that at
least gave their fans something to cheer about, however fleeting it may have
been. That’s about it.
What Went Wrong?
Where do we begin? How about here: EVERYTHING WENT WRONG! The side that was the
undisputed best defense – giving up only one goal -- and was as tactically
organized and sound as anybody in the world through two years of qualifying
chose the absolute worst moment to just simply go to pieces in giving up ten
goals in three games. They couldn’t attack, they couldn’t defend, they
couldn’t control the midfield, they couldn’t coordinate anything either
going forward or going back, they couldn’t pass, their goalkeeping stunk, they
clearly didn’t communicate anything to anybody, their tactics were awful,
whatever strategies they supposedly employed didn’t work, they made no
tactical or personnel adjustments at all – they were the unfortunate
recipients of Murhpy’s Law; everything went wrong. You couldn’t make this
shit up. A Nazi scientist couldn’t have come up with a football side with this
much talent playing this perversely bad.
Who Stepped Up To The
Plate? NOBODY!
Who Didn’t Show Up?
Again, where do I start? Central defender Nemanja Vidic was supposed to be the
linchpin of a world-class defense, but because of injury he didn’t play at
all. But that surely can’t be the reason why their defense went from best to
worst overnight. Dragoslav Jevric was mundane in goal at best; defenders Milan
Dudic, Goran Gavrancic, Ivika Dragutinovic and Mladen Krstajic couldn’t close
down a bar; midfielders Dejan Stankovic, Albert Nadj and Predrag Djordjevic
couldn’t service a whore, much less their front men; and front men Savo
Milosevic and Mateja Kezman, on the rare occasions when they actually did get
some service and got on the end of a midfield pass, couldn’t put a shot on
target to save their lives. In essence, everybody who was counted on to be on
point for this squad wasn’t.
How Was The Coaching?
Is there a worse answer than hideous? How about this: Not just awful, but
hideously awful on an obscene level. I know I never knew what Ilija Petkovic was
doing from one moment to the next, or what he was trying to accomplish, so I’m
fairly certain that he didn’t either. S&B didn’t do any of the things
that worked for them the previous two years, and when it became apparent that
what he had out on the field wasn’t working, he didn’t do anything to change
it. The worst thing, though, was that this team came in woefully, absurdly
unprepared. It wouldn’t have even mattered if they were placed in the easiest
group in this tournament; I’m convinced that they still would have lost. That
is squarely the fault of Petkovic.
Did They Finish Where
They Were Expected? Oh, Hell No!
They were one of the three teams in Group C that was expected to at least make
it tough for everyone else and go down to the wire trying to get out of it. I
for one thought that with a defense supposedly this good and Argentina not
having played well for over two years they should have gotten out of this group.
Last place was simply out of the question. That this defense played this
atrociously at the exact moment when both Argentina and Holland found their
world-class attacking form speaks volumes.
What Now?
Scrap everything and start from scratch. This team had eight years since their
last World Cup appearance to come up with players, tactics and strategies to
compete on this level – and this is how they perform? Start with Petkovic, and
then get rid of most of these players. Montenegro is gaining its independence so
in the future they will just be Serbia. That said, there is clearly some
football talent in this country. You’ve got four years to find it and make it
gel. Get to work.