laker119 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 I gotta give Berhalter a bit of credit tonight, he’s not sitting back or putting out a passive XI. He probably picked our strongest side, sans Gio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 World Cup bound. Big time! The draw is on Friday, so we will have more to talk about in that regard very soon. Good thing Gregg didn’t listen to people who asked whether he should rest our A squad against Mexico! That point was vital. almaman, majerus mojo and laker119 like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Pretty much an underwhelming performance against the Costa Rica B team. There was some energy for the red/white/blue in the first half, but the second half was pretty much cruise control. I did a 'gulp' after CR scored their second goal before the 60th minute. We had 12 corners, and none of them were remotely close. The team was gassed and the goal appeared to be run out the clock. Nothing was remotely settled on #9 or GK, in my eyes. I'm not sure what Steffan was thinking on the second goal. I don't know, I guess Miles Robinson and Musah didn't stink. Yes we qualified, and that was the ultimate goal. I just wish we had showed better. I feel like we just got awarded a participation ribbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobillsgo Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 10 minutes ago, HoosierPal said: Pretty much an underwhelming performance against the Costa Rica B team. There was some energy for the red/white/blue in the first half, but the second half was pretty much cruise control. I did a 'gulp' after CR scored their second goal before the 60th minute. We had 12 corners, and none of them were remotely close. The team was gassed and the goal appeared to be run out the clock. Nothing was remotely settled on #9 or GK, in my eyes. I'm not sure what Steffan was thinking on the second goal. I don't know, I guess Miles Robinson and Musah didn't stink. Yes we qualified, and that was the ultimate goal. I just wish we had showed better. I feel like we just got awarded a participation ribbon. Good thing we went for it in Azteca. Play a B team there and lose and we’re in the playoff. I do expect Costa Rica to beat NZ and join us in the World Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, HoosierPal said: Pretty much an underwhelming performance against the Costa Rica B team. There was some energy for the red/white/blue in the first half, but the second half was pretty much cruise control. I did a 'gulp' after CR scored their second goal before the 60th minute. We had 12 corners, and none of them were remotely close. The team was gassed and the goal appeared to be run out the clock. Nothing was remotely settled on #9 or GK, in my eyes. I'm not sure what Steffan was thinking on the second goal. I don't know, I guess Miles Robinson and Musah didn't stink. Yes we qualified, and that was the ultimate goal. I just wish we had showed better. I feel like we just got awarded a participation ribbon. Agree with all of this, BUT that participation ribbon will feel much more valuable in November. We made the dance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, HoosierPal said: Pretty much an underwhelming performance against the Costa Rica B team. There was some energy for the red/white/blue in the first half, but the second half was pretty much cruise control. I did a 'gulp' after CR scored their second goal before the 60th minute. We had 12 corners, and none of them were remotely close. The team was gassed and the goal appeared to be run out the clock. Nothing was remotely settled on #9 or GK, in my eyes. I'm not sure what Steffan was thinking on the second goal. I don't know, I guess Miles Robinson and Musah didn't stink. Yes we qualified, and that was the ultimate goal. I just wish we had showed better. I feel like we just got awarded a participation ribbon. Pretty much echoes my thoughts. The normal far too many excellent chances not finished. If it was my choice the GK position is settled if Turner is healthy. He’s gotten better with his feet and his shot stopping ability is just better than Steffan. Significantly imo. The thing we need to consider is how few minutes if any have we had our full team in the last year of qualifying. I honestly feel if we had been able to play our full squad or even just 1 of the big 5 short we’d have finished 1st in Concacaf. Question is will it ever be that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, slufanskip said: The thing we need to consider is how few minutes if any have we had our full team in the last year of qualifying. I honestly feel if we had been able to play our full squad or even just 1 of the big 5 short we’d have finished 1st in Concacaf. Question is will it ever be that way? Bingo We still haven't seen Giovanni Reyna share the field with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Sergino Dest. Yes, they've never played a single minute together. slufanskip likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 We have a lot of talent across the middle and wings: Reyna, Pulisic, McKennie, Musah, Adams, Aaronson, and Weah. I see seven talented players for five, maybe six, positions. Of course, as noted above, we have not had a time where all of these players were available at the same time, but hopefully they will be for the World Cup. Do we have any creative ideas for getting as many of those guys as possible on the field at the same time? Could Weah switch back to the 9? Could one of them play a false 9 role? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majerus mojo Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 3 hours ago, HoosierPal said: Nothing was remotely settled on #9 or GK, in my eyes. I'm not sure what Steffan was thinking on the second goal. Turner should be the GK over Steffen if the tournament started tomorrow. Some brutal moments from the latter the last couple of games (though he's been quality vs. Mexico). Will be interesting to see how Turner's playing time with Arsenal shakes out. HoosierPal and slufanskip like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majerus mojo Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 Speaking of goalies, this chart tracked expected goals scored/allowed during qualifying, and is bonkers re: Keylor Navas (CR) https://twitter.com/PaulCarr/status/1509542155949379595?s=20&t=76M5vO1avc5Ce1elX10GYg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 17 minutes ago, BilliesBy40 said: We have a lot of talent across the middle and wings: Reyna, Pulisic, McKennie, Musah, Adams, Aaronson, and Weah. I see seven talented players for five, maybe six, positions. Of course, as noted above, we have not had a time where all of these players were available at the same time, but hopefully they will be for the World Cup. Do we have any creative ideas for getting as many of those guys as possible on the field at the same time? Could Weah switch back to the 9? Could one of them play a false 9 role? I’ve had that same thought. My initial instinct tells me to try Aaronson up there. It’s out of the box and he may have never played the 9 in his life but we have no one that can consistently finish. With Aaronson what we would gain is a guy that can and will put defenses under pressure possibly creating some bad give aways. I don’t think he’d be any worse finishing in the box than any 9 we currently use. It’s also just a way to get our best players on the field at once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 For you soccer heads, here is ESPN's first shot on the WC roster. https://www.espn.com/sports/insider/soccer/insider/story/_/id/33209961/projecting-usmnt-world-cup-roster-joins-locks-pulisic-mckennie-dest-plane-qatar It is an interesting article and those interested in soccer need to read. Their 23 man selection is below. It is easy to put some ? on their list. They have four tiers of players, and the one of interest is the small group of "Locks and Starters". That group is Dest, A. Robinson, McKennie, Adams, Musah and Pulisic. You can question those missing from their Tier 1 list if you like. Yes, a lot will change between now and November. Injuries being the first wild card. Whose form improves over the summer is another. And who knows, perhaps some stud Peru striker will figure out he has a remote US relative and come play for the red/white/blue. And finally... our projected 23-man squad in full (and final thoughts) Goalkeepers (3): Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath Defenders (8): Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Joe Scally Midfielders (5): Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Kellyn Acosta Winger (4): Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson Striker (3): Ricardo Pepi, Gyasi Zardes, Josh Sargent slufanskip and BilliesBy40 like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, slufanskip said: I’ve had that same thought. My initial instinct tells me to try Aaronson up there. It’s out of the box and he may have never played the 9 in his life but we have no one that can consistently finish. With Aaronson what we would gain is a guy that can and will put defenses under pressure possibly creating some bad give aways. I don’t think he’d be any worse finishing in the box than any 9 we currently use. It’s also just a way to get our best players on the field at once Aaronson is an interesting idea. He has shown an ability to get in behind the defense, and to your point, he would certainly pressure the D. The main question mark with ideas like this is whether whoever it is can hold up play enough when needed. Regardless, it will be hard to keep Aaronson off the field. Until recently, I figured Weah would be the odd man out of the starting XI, but he has been one of our best players in recent months. Musah has also filled a needed role in the middle. slufanskip likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, majerus mojo said: Speaking of goalies, this chat tracked expected goals scored/allowed during qualifying, and is bonkers re: Keylor Navas (CR) https://twitter.com/PaulCarr/status/1509542155949379595?s=20&t=76M5vO1avc5Ce1elX10GYg Navas has been one of the most underrated players in the world since his coming out party at the World Cup. Or at least underrated to the average fan, since he has been at huge clubs since then. majerus mojo and slufanskip like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 40 minutes ago, HoosierPal said: For you soccer heads, here is ESPN's first shot on the WC roster. https://www.espn.com/sports/insider/soccer/insider/story/_/id/33209961/projecting-usmnt-world-cup-roster-joins-locks-pulisic-mckennie-dest-plane-qatar It is an interesting article and those interested in soccer need to read. Their 23 man selection is below. It is easy to put some ? on their list. They have four tiers of players, and the one of interest is the small group of "Locks and Starters". That group is Dest, A. Robinson, McKennie, Adams, Musah and Pulisic. You can question those missing from their Tier 1 list if you like. Yes, a lot will change between now and November. Injuries being the first wild card. Whose form improves over the summer is another. And who knows, perhaps some stud Peru striker will figure out he has a remote US relative and come play for the red/white/blue. And finally... our projected 23-man squad in full (and final thoughts) Goalkeepers (3): Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath Defenders (8): Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Joe Scally Midfielders (5): Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Kellyn Acosta Winger (4): Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson Striker (3): Ricardo Pepi, Gyasi Zardes, Josh Sargent If I could pick it right now. Keep- Turner easily for me Back 4 - Dest, Zim, M Rob, A Rob - imo these 4 if healthy should be locks. MF 3 - Adams, McKennie, Reyna. This leaves Musah the odd man out. Reyna can make runs at least equal to Musah but his creativity at the end of the run is far superior. He’s by far our most creative player and I want that guy center. Wingers 2 - Pulisic, Weah leaving Aaronson the odd man out. Striker 1 - I don’t care. I just don’t like any option we have. The 3 Ferarria, Pepi, Sargent all have potential but no one has separated themselves at this point. If it doesn’t change I’d be thinking about how to get Musah or Aaronson on the field, whether that be from playing one of them up top or by moving someone else and outing Musah or Aaronson in their place. Something has to be done though we just can’t keep missing so many good chances game after game. If we advance we’ll have a game where we have few chances and we have to be able to bury them BilliesBy40 likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 If you want to try Musah or Aaronson up top, it has to be tried in the friendlies coming up. We need to be done with experiments for the first round of WC games. Wonder if Brian McBride is still fit? slufanskip likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 51 minutes ago, HoosierPal said: If you want to try Musah or Aaronson up top, it has to be tried in the friendlies coming up. We need to be done with experiments for the first round of WC games. Wonder if Brian McBride is still fit? Absolutely. I just don't know how we aren’t looking for alternative answers right now. HoosierPal likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Here is another selection, from MLS Soccer. Article is kind of long. Similar lineup, but only 2 strikers and no Brooks. Interesting. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/roster-prediction-who-the-usmnt-could-bring-to-qatar-2022-world-cup OUR PROJECTED 23 GK: Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Sean Johnson RB: Sergino Dest, DeAndre Yedlin CB: Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, Aaron Long LB: Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally DM: Tyler Adams, Kellyn Acosta CM: Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Gio Reyna LW: Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson RW: Tim Weah, Jordan Morris ST: Jesus Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi slufanskip likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 2 minutes ago, HoosierPal said: Here is another selection, from MLS Soccer. Article is kind of long. Similar lineup, but only 2 strikers and no Brooks. Interesting. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/roster-prediction-who-the-usmnt-could-bring-to-qatar-2022-world-cup OUR PROJECTED 23 GK: Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Sean Johnson RB: Sergino Dest, DeAndre Yedlin CB: Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, Aaron Long LB: Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally DM: Tyler Adams, Kellyn Acosta CM: Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Gio Reyna LW: Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson RW: Tim Weah, Jordan Morris ST: Jesus Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi I agree with this as of now except that the 9 is still wide open. BTW Luca was pretty darn good the last couple of games HoosierPal likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 FYI - Coverage of the World Cup draw can be found at 10:30 central on FS1 and on FIFA.com. The draw itself should begin at 11:00 am. Cross your fingers to be drawn into Qatar's group, as they are clearly the weakest team from Pot 1. Slu let the dogs out? and laker119 like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker119 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Here’s my dream draw: Qatar, USA, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilliesBy40 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 2 minutes ago, laker119 said: Here’s my dream draw: Qatar, USA, Iran, Saudi Arabia. That would be great. Portugal is another beatable team from pot 1. Canada is in pot 4. It is very possible their group will end up being the group of death unless they are drawn with Qatar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierPal Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 7 minutes ago, laker119 said: Here’s my dream draw: Qatar, USA, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Red/White/Blue v Qatar in the opening match of the WC. Yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgstl Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 5 minutes ago, BilliesBy40 said: That would be great. Portugal is another beatable team from pot 1. Canada is in pot 4. It is very possible their group will end up being the group of death unless they are drawn with Qatar. Beatable currently, but they have the talent to be very, very good. Would not surprise me to see them pretty far in the knockout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlebill Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 24 minutes ago, laker119 said: Here’s my dream draw: Qatar, USA, Iran, Saudi Arabia. The only federation that can have multiple teams in a group is Europe. but mine is Qatar, US, Tunisia, then the UEFA playoff TBD (Ukraine, Scotland, or Wales) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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