Would Zusi and Brooks even have been in there if not for injuries to Bedoya and Besler? Probably not. Clint Dempsey, who had been running around with tissue jammed up his nose after being kicked in the face, probably would have been taken out before Bedoya or Besler. Chandler for Beasley might have been another option if not for the injuries.
And to be fair, Brooks was not always on the same page as Cameron on the back line though they managed to get through okay. But his tally might find its way into the top 10 all-time US goals in World Cup action. Reports have Brooks telling his teammates of a dream the night before in which he scored the winning goal in the 80th minute. Not even close - the goal was scored in the 86th minute.
On paper it was a great day. 2-1 win over Ghana, Portugal falling to Germany 4-0. Upon closer inspection, maybe not as good as it seemed. The injuries were a bit much - isn't fitness supposed to be the hallmark of this team. Altidore's status is still unclear; at least Dempsey, Besler and Bedoya are likely good for Sunday's match against Portugal. Of greater concern was the US play for about 88:30 of the 90 minutes on Monday. No possession, terrible passing, non-existent attack. Maybe Altidore's injury messed things up; Aronson is is a different kind of striker, not as mobile as Jozy. Bradley was not playing the top of the diamond in the middle - they were playing a straight 4-4-2; that may have accounted for the some of the messed up passing. That it was 1-0 through 82 minutes may say more about the quality of Ghana than anything else.
Portugal will be missing some key personnel on Sunday but they seemed anxious to redeem themselves after the pasting they received from Germany; US will almost certainly need a better performance.
Goal Line Technology - One Yes, One No
The yes was in the France-Honduras match. You can find the video here. The Honduran coach appeared perturbed about the whole thing and my first reaction was "Dude, it is what it is." Turns out what happened was that the result of the initial shot was shown on the stadium screen, which of course indicated "no goal." That was followed quickly by the view of the ricochet off the keeper, which was over the line. The coach was thinking that the GLT had reversed itself and was questioning what was going on.
The no was in the Mexico-Brazil match, where the technology showed that Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa had indeed prevented another goal with his acrobatics. Not that it was really that close but the ball was part way across the line.
Speaking of Mexico-Brazil, I hope you saw that match because it was an excellent example of how compelling a 0-0 draw can be. Conversely, I would not suggest tracking down a replay of Nigeria-Iran as that is an example of how bad a 0-0 can be...like watching grass grow as a college mate once pointed out.
Other Random Items
Excellent performance for France by Newcastle's Mathieu Debucy at right back. He was a constant offensive threat coming up from his fullback position, especially after Honduras went down a man. Fellow Magpie Moussa Sissoko also came on in the match as a sub and performed creditably.
US referee Mark Geiger has indeed drawn another assignment - Wednesday's marquee match featuring Spain and Chile.
Belgium overcame a slow start and eventually subdued Algeria 2-1, the sixth time (I think) that a team has won after falling behind in this WC Final. Goals were from Fellaini and Mertens, who were not in the starting line up.
The Alan Pardew head butt, which is more of head shove, is making the rounds, with Pepe getting a red card and Costa avoiding any sanctions for their tepid, but ultimately still aggressive, actions.
Academy Awards to Mueller (for the initial flop on the inadvertent elbow) and Indi for overwrought reaction to Costa's tap.
Anybody seen a booking for simulation yet? I believe we're still waiting for this WC Final's first.
17 of the 48 group stage matches in the book. Are we not entertained?
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