Quote:
Originally Posted by SOMBRI2
the game should never have gone to PK. soccer goals are hard to come by, unlike hockey sometimes. i think when US decided to play all defensive in 2OT, there defence were too tired to give it all. huge credits to Japan who stayed patient and waited for the chance.
the amount of experience this USA team has, versus Japan...and that you see the poor quality showcase in the PK shootout. i would classify it as a choke.
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I don't know if they decided to play defensive in 2OT, they were just gassed. Their strategy in the game was to run run run run and pressure the Japanese midfield giving them no time on the ball. It worked except the US couldn't score on their chances in the 1st half and they gave up that weird riccohet goal to Japan to tie it 1-1. In soccer it just takes one mistake.
And then they gave up a goal on a backflick on a corner. That's just a skillful goal, not a defensive error.
The Americans were the much more tired team after 120 because they had played 'fullcourt press' almost the entire game.