(10-24-2013 09:06 PM)I45owl Wrote:  Apparently, Blas Perez and other Panamanians had asked the US to sit back and take the loss because the US didn't need the win, but Panama did. That would make me lose a little bit of respect for Perez, but...

Listen to Johannsson's interview in the clip. He says the Panamanians basically "quit playing" after the Nats tied it up, which I think is that kind of "yawn" aspect to his goal. It's very well struck, but his body language is kind of, "ok, if you're going to give me 5 yards at the top of the box I'm not going to pass that up."

BTW, they didn't have little league soccer in my hometown growing up nor did my high school sponsor it, so I've never played "officially" competitively (just pickup and intramurals), but is it normal for opposing players to have that mindset and actually ask that of the other team? I'm still convinced that Algeria's #1 objective in WC '10 was to keep the US from advancing with them earning the 3 pts to advance themselves being a distant #2.