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OT: USMNT Soccer Thread


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3 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

Commentary from Matthew Doyle on MLSSoccer.

OK, let’s talk about that forward depth chart. We’ll start with the European contingent:

  • Sargent has seven shots and zero goals in nine games for Norwich City
  • Hoppe has played 89 minutes all year for Mallorca and has one shot
  • Nico Gioacchini has two shots and zero goals for Montpellier

It’s easy to rule those guys out. It’s harder with Pefok, who has 9g/1a in about 1400 minutes for Young Boys this year. However, he hasn’t scored in about six weeks and seems to have lost his starting job. He was also poor for the US in the September camp.

Of the MLS contingent, Zardes would’ve been called if he’d been healthy. Dike has been in good goal scoring form for Orlando City with six goals in his past eight appearances – though it’s worth noting a couple of those were penalties – but he struggled mightily in his US appearances this summer.

Going beyond that list would’ve required a surprise call-up for the likes of Brian White or Miguel Berry, or a return to international action for Jozy Altidore. Jozy has been superb since recovering from foot surgery and looks fitter than he has in years, so I’ll admit I’m a little disappointed not to see him here.

Also worth noting: No Tim Ream. He's been very good for Fulham this year, and there's a real case to make that he should've been included over McKenzie, who is barely playing in Belgium.

I think Ream should have made it, but I can see the other side of the argument.  

Sargent went from a bad spot to a worse spot.  He probably would have been better off playing in 2. Bundesliga than ending up with Norwich.  Both he and Rashica are floundering after their moves to Norwich.

I don't know what the hell Farke and the team's brain trust is thinking at Norwich.  I guess they can claim the need for money in selling off Buendia despite heading to the Premier.  The even bigger mess is they have just kept Cantwell on their U23 squad after he got healthy.  When you haven't won a game and don't have enough creative players, you can't play stupid games like that.

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6 minutes ago, brianstl said:

 Sargent went from a bad spot to a worse spot.  He probably would have been better off playing in 2. Bundesliga than ending up with Norwich.  Both he and Rashica are floundering after their moves to Norwich.

It makes no sense to me how Sargent decided to go to Norwich after multiple years where his biggest issue at club level was playing for a team who couldn't provide service or goal scoring opportunities.

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I don’t mind Arriola. His energy and runs serve of a purpose by stretching the defense, even if he has worse touch than I do. Lletget and Roldan I don’t understand at all. 

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On 11/5/2021 at 9:36 AM, Littlebill said:

I don't totally hate Arriola. Serves a purpose as a high energy pressing guy. Don't love it, but am not toally against. Lletget and Roldan over someone like De La Torre just doesn't make sense to me.

Hoppe, Wray or Aaronson can play that pressing role just as well, and actually have some skill/ technical ability. Hell, Sargent plays that role at Norwich sometimes and is better than Arriola. If Morris can get healthy, he also plays that role way better than Arriola. 
I’m not saying he’s totally useless as a player, but I can think of probably 7 or 8 better options in the pool for the role of pressing winger than Arriola 

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USMNT vs El Tri tonight from Cincy

 

No Reyna, that's a bummer.  But I'm hopeful.  Big sports weekend for me this game, SLU vs EIU, Texas vs KU in Football (just 2 basketball schools going at it), Texas at Zags basketball should be interesting.

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35 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

That BS by Mexico #21 shoulda been a Red card.  He eye raked Aronson

I don’t blame the ref for not seeing it. He was trying to break everything up. It’s just another example why it’s absolutely inexcusable that there’s not VAR for Concacaf qualifying. But I’ll take another dos a cero win! 

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1 hour ago, TheA_Bomb said:

That BS by Mexico #21 shoulda been a Red card.  He eye raked Aronson

McKennie can’t get a yellow there though. 
 

should have been a red. 
 

I wish we had fans that would throw beer and glass bottles at them. We take that on the road but don’t give it back at home.

Kudos to the crowd in Cinci.

The US absolutely dominated the 2nd half

Mexico said we wanted to be like them… What’s that much older and less talented

How I long for Jermaine Jones

Zach Steffen’s 1st half play was essential to the win

The ref didn’t use his yellow cards equally

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1 hour ago, courtside said:

Tim Weah right wing runs. Tim Weah service. Tim Weah tackles. 

His cross and Pulisic's finish were text book.  I thought Zimmerman was pretty solid along the back line, particularly in the second half.  With Robinson and McKennie both out for Jamaica, it will be interesting to see who Coach B starts in their place. There is no 'rest' issue this time out.

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22 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

His cross and Pulisic's finish were text book.  I thought Zimmerman was pretty solid along the back line, particularly in the second half.  With Robinson and McKennie both out for Jamaica, it will be interesting to see who Coach B starts in their place. There is no 'rest' issue this time out.

Yep. And on the 2nd goal, he recognized the 2 on 1 in the middle and crossed vs taking it wide or to the corner. Dmids slow getting back, numbers, backline drifting.

Zimmerman was very good in the back middle. Dominated in the air. 1v1 defending. Intercepted passes. Didn’t turn it over. (once) Good distribution out of the back. Physical but had the one foul. Another good MLS player, at Nashville.

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On 11/12/2021 at 3:06 PM, TheA_Bomb said:

USMNT vs El Tri tonight from Cincy

 

No Reyna, that's a bummer.  But I'm hopeful.  Big sports weekend for me this game, SLU vs EIU, Texas vs KU in Football (just 2 basketball schools going at it), Texas at Zags basketball should be interesting.

It was obvious Texas didn’t stand a chance against the Zags, but even I didn’t expect Texas football to lose in Austin against Kansas.

Is there a more loud-mouthed, fraudulent athletic program/fanbase? Texas should try firing another coach to motivate the big boosters about a potential return to prominence.

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10 hours ago, BilliesBy40 said:

It was obvious Texas didn’t stand a chance against the Zags, but even I didn’t expect Texas football to lose in Austin against Kansas.

Is there a more loud-mouthed, fraudulent athletic program/fanbase? Texas should try firing another coach to motivate the big boosters about a potential return to prominence.

I'm not sure the root of your issues.  Perhaps aTm lil brother syndrome.  Texas basketball with Beard certainly stands a chance, he's assembled great players via transfer portal and signed 2 five stars. They went to the defending National Runner up 3rd game of the year and lost by 12.  There's no Shame in that and it will probably be a positive experience. 

As for losing to KU in football that should never happen and it's terrible.   I keep telling myself Saban lost to LA Monroe year 1.  So just maybe it'll be alright alright alright.

As for fraudulent, there's nothing fraudulent about Texas, the Learfield IMG College Directors Cup winner they just haven't sustained winning in football since 2009.  For fraudulent, see Baylor a school that's lack of morality and systemic corruption covered up horrible events.  Loud-mouthed?  Maybe a bit.  But apparently you've never been amongst Bama, LSU, Eagles....fans.  Entitled is probably the word you're looking for.

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31 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

USMNT gifted a 1-1 tie. Jamaica goal disallowed and Jamaica misses a point blank shot. Steffens caught flat footed on a 30 yd shot. 
 

But take the point and head home. 

If you want to blame anyone, blame Adams for lazy D on that play. But really, it was an amazing effort by Antonio.

You’re right. 1 point is fine. We are in good shape.

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21 minutes ago, Lando Griffin said:

Can someone talk about how good of shape we are in? 

After tonight’s game we were in 1st place in Concacaf qualifying. Mexico 2nd. Canada 3rd. Panama is a distant 4th. But Mexico is playing in Canada tonight. Top 3 automatically qualify. 4th place has to play a play-in against a team from another continent 

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11 minutes ago, Reinert310 said:

After tonight’s game we were in 1st place in Concacaf qualifying. Mexico 2nd. Canada 3rd. Panama is a distant 4th. But Mexico is playing in Canada tonight. Top 3 automatically qualify. 4th place has to play a play-in against a team from another continent 

Awesome thanks— so it’d take a pretty epic collapse.

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15 minutes ago, Reinert310 said:

After tonight’s game we were in 1st place in Concacaf qualifying. Mexico 2nd. Canada 3rd. Panama is a distant 4th. But Mexico is playing in Canada tonight. Top 3 automatically qualify. 4th place has to play a play-in against a team from another continent 

I would not call Panama a distant 4th, they were only 3pts (one win) back before tonight’s games. 
 

That said they are down 1-0 early vs El Salvador

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