byualum wrote:I know there are a lot of soccer fans on the board. I just finished watching the USA/Uruguay match and had a couple questions...
1. Why did they play overtime? Most soccer games I've seen they play "stoppage time" and then let the game end in a tie.
2. Why did Adu get the yellow card in the 2nd overtime? He wasn't anywhere near a player from the other team.
3. How good is Adu? There was so much fanfare when he started playing; has he lived up to the hype?
4. What was the deal with Uruguay after the game? Do these two sides have a history? Sour grapes on the loss?
1. In the knockout stage of any tournament you have to have a winner. Extra time is the time added onto the end of the half to make up for injuries, subs, any stoppage of play, since the clock doesnt stop.
Added Extra Time, what we call overtime, is what happens when they dont have a winner and one team has to win. They play 2 15 minutes "halves", then go to penalty kicks to decide the game. They used to have golden goal, which is sudden death.
2. I didnt see Adu's yellow card cuz my Tivo didnt record enough. the Uruguyayans looked pretty good at simulaing the foul and having the ref call it for them.
3. Adu is only 18 and has already been playing pro soccer for 5 years. imagine if Tiger Woods joined the PGA at 14. look at Michelle Wie right now. Lebron James is amazing, but its taken him 4 years and a weak Eastern COnference to get blown out in the Finals. Adu was a high school freshman when he joined MLS, he good now, but he'll be better when he's 22 and 25, and 28. give him time. Even in this tourney, he's 2 years younger than most everyone and he's dominating the middle of the field.
4. Uruguay has a history of being the South American thugs. They are always willing to foul and usually foul hard. They aren't afriad of taking yellow cards. thats just their way. each country has a style (except the US) or identity. Uruguay is bunker in defense, hold on to the match, and counter attack. frustrate the opponent by not giving them any space and fouling them hard to take them out of their game. They are like the San Antonio SPurs (bowen, Manu) or Detroit Pistons (Lambeer, Rodman, Isaiah, etc) or the Raiders with Jack Tatum.
Last night, Uruguay was just sore losers.
as for soccer bumping and falling, its apart of the game. I promise you there is more flopping going on in the NBA right now as soccer. Varejao, Bowen, Manu, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, RIchard Hamilton, Kirilenko, and on and on. Its awful!
There is a role for it in the game cuz it gives the team a rest, especially if you've been on defense for a long time. there are no timeouts, so you have to get a rest at some point. watch how many guys get water while a player is down. its a part of it, but good referees recognize it and wont tolerate to keep the match going. a trick to notice real injury and fake: 2 rollovers is really injured and 3 rollovers is faking it.
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:25 pm