Sigh..... USA! USA! USA USA!USA.......   Oh well, maybe next time.

But in the meantime.....


My son Kai changes his chant!



<<<-------------

And we now support:


Cheers,

Frank

You’re right  about your goalie, Tinker, and I can imagine the US soccer team becoming a world team in not a very far future. I read somewhere that in the US 16 million kids are training in the youth soccer leagues. Belgium has about  11 million inhabitants as a country. Sooner or later this has to show up in the figures.

You’re right  about your goalie, Tinker, and I can imagine the US soccer team becoming a world team in not a very far future. I read somewhere that in the US 16 million kids are training in the youth soccer leagues. Belgium has about  11 million inhabitants as a country. Sooner or later this has to show up in the figures.

Krisberden,
30 to 40 years ago, soccer suddenly became popular with kids in this country.  It sort of had something to do with a guy named Pele.  My kids started playing at age 7 and 9 and I got involved in coaching.  I knew diddely about soccer but I also did not appreciate that kids did not have all of the space to play unsupervised as I had growing up.  There were a lot of others the same as me with the same, or less, experience.  Most of us tried to keep it fun.  I coached for about ten years and probably never actually able to show any of “my kids” a thing about skills.  My favorite line from beginning to end was, “If you guys can’t play this game any better than I, you are in deep trouble.” 

We were fortunate to have a few volunteers with some skills and between all of us, a few of our kids ended up playing in colleges.  A couple ended up coaching professionally and one, who I had somehow had a hand in teaching him something, ended up playing in the Olympics and coached a couple of pro teams.  Kids today are learning from a lot of guys and girls who’s first coaches knew no more than I had known. 

Our highschool coach had grown up in Portugal.  He often told me that when kids start playing by themselves and without all the supervision they would then start showing up on a world stage.  My wife is German.  On one of our visits to her family in a small village about 30 km south of Studtgart, I recall seeing a group of six teenagers playing keepaway with a soccer ball.  They were kicking the ball around in a small area, never touching with their hands or letting the ball touch the ground.  The circle they were playing in was probably 20 to 25 feet in diameter with very well marked perimeter.  You see, they were playing in the center of a traffic rotary with heavy traffic from all four directions.  I watched in amazement as those kids were acting as if totally unaware of the traffic.  I watched for maybe ten minutes;  the ball never stopped moving.  The ball never went “out of bounds” and the boys were not only showing total control of the ball, but they were banging into each other as if out on a wide pitch. 

I am sure those six young lads were not exceptions in the skills area.  I told my friend about what I had seen.  He told me that was not exceptional in Europe.  When our kids can develpoe skills at such a level, we will become competitive with the Europeans and South Americans. 

Hey, I am waiting for the girls turn in a couple of years.  I had the most fun coaching them.  I even had the good fortune to have coached against one of the best in the world.  I “hated” her when I was coaching my girls.  She absolutely killed us. One time, we held her to one goal and thought we were absolutely great. But later on, I got to cheer her as she played in more international games (they call it “caps”) than any other girl >>> or guy<<< and she was one of the best for years. Her teams won a couple of Olympics as well as world Championships. When she was younger, she even played against some of my boys teams.  She killed us then as well.  She was quite successful against you Europeans and everybody else in the world as well.  Our girls team is still taking no prisoners.   
Tinker

Well Cor, here's hoping. 

Does the German Team help with the development of Festool Drills?  They completely drilled Brazil.  

Hopefully come Sunday Festool Germany will be so happy they won the World Cup, maybe they will allow some items to become available in NA.

My best childhood friends family were immigrants from Argentina, his dad was the most rabid soccer fan I've known. Though he's now gone from this life I hope for his sake Argentina wins, I remember his extreme elation when they won in the 70's and I can imagine his joy again. RIP Mr. Troisi

Doh!  My Oranje! Too bad the game looked slow. Live by the pk die by the pk....

guess I'm rooting for Deutchland.!

Great game today - Go Germany Tomorrow!

Jack

Yeah, They seemed to be playing "Not to Lose" in that game.  They looked better >>> and tougher<<< in their game against Brazil.  I guess they finally decided pi's could be a bit risky.

I have watched a couple of Germany's games.  The game against Algeria was very interesting in the way it was played and perhaps a hint of what was to come.  In that game, the Germans were very well organized and they were building all over the field.  They seemed to know where they were going every time they the ball. Every attack always involved almost every player and no attack was carried out by long runs, but passes with triangles all over the field.  No player was acting alone.  The Algerians were playing like a bunch of nomads.  A lot of long runs with the ball.  What was interesting about their play was if an opposing player (German) had the ball, even 30 or 40 feet away, a lone player (Algerian) would try to attack the ball with speed and a whole lot of determination.  One could see them running themselves into the ground as the game wore on.  It was almost a saving of energy for the Brazil game.  By the time they got to the yellow shirts, they were operating on all eleven cylinders and Brazil would not stand a chance.

I think the Dutch got all wound up in the hype about Messi and played not to be beaten by one player.  They were not playing as if they expected to win.  I don't think the German side will be suckered in to playing that sort of game.  Argentina will have a whole lot of small groups coming at them from all over the field.  That team, with every play, has backup from attest two other players every where on the field. When I was learning what little I know,(as a knew nothing about the game coach) I watched, and listened to our high school coach.  He was Portuguese and played the game from almost the time he could walk.  His main tactic was "triangles and support".  Never try to run the field alone with the ball.  Always support the man with the ball.  Watch the German side.  They have demonstrated exactly what my mentor preached. I expect more of the same later today.
Tinker

Yeah, They seemed to be playing "Not to Lose" in that game.  They looked better >>> and tougher<<< in their game against Brazil.  I guess they finally decided pi's could be a bit risky.

I have watched a couple of Germany's games.  The game against Algeria was very interesting in the way it was played and perhaps a hint of what was to come.  In that game, the Germans were very well organized and they were building all over the field.  They seemed to know where they were going every time they the ball. Every attack always involved almost every player and no attack was carried out by long runs, but passes with triangles all over the field.  No player was acting alone.  The Algerians were playing like a bunch of nomads.  A lot of long runs with the ball.  What was interesting about their play was if an opposing player (German) had the ball, even 30 or 40 feet away, a lone player (Algerian) would try to attack the ball with speed and a whole lot of determination.  One could see them running themselves into the ground as the game wore on.  It was almost a saving of energy for the Brazil game.  By the time they got to the yellow shirts, they were operating on all eleven cylinders and Brazil would not stand a chance.

I think the Dutch got all wound up in the hype about Messi and played not to be beaten by one player.  They were not playing as if they expected to win.  I don't think the German side will be suckered in to playing that sort of game.  Argentina will have a whole lot of small groups coming at them from all over the field.  That team, with every play, has backup from attest two other players every where on the field. When I was learning what little I know,(as a knew nothing about the game coach) I watched, and listened to our high school coach.  He was Portuguese and played the game from almost the time he could walk.  His main tactic was "triangles and support".  Never try to run the field alone with the ball.  Always support the man with the ball.  Watch the German side.  They have demonstrated exactly what my mentor preached. I expect more of the same later today.
Tinker

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Germany!
Thank goodness it didn't go to pk's to claim a world cup

What a brilliant goal in overtime   The best team won but, they almost needed the red cross after some of the defensive play of the opposition!  Congratulations Germany

Jack

Stunning goal but what an arse Messi made of that free kick

Exciting game!  really could have gone either way.

Grats to Germany, well done.

That last free kick when he (Messi) had all that time to consider and (even rest) was not the mark of the "Golden Player" for sure.

His team put a big load on his shoulders. 
Tinker