OT: Final WCQ Window for USMNT

[Slu let the dogs out?]

We could win group B  pretty favourable draw all things considered  

Ouch Canada. Don’t see them getting past Belgium or Croatia. 

[laker119]

If it ends up with Scotland or Wales, this group is gonna give England fans all the rivalries they can handle.

[TheA_Bomb]

Silver lining for the England game some history brought up about the US win over England in STL and the movie direct by David Anspaugh "Game of Their Lives".  So get ready STL to cash in on the moment and promote yourself as a Soccer time.

[slufanskip]

1 minute ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

We could win group B

Ouch Canada. 

We could but let’s be real. Would you bet on us even odds vs England? 
 

im as high on our young kids as anyone but I wouldn’t. 

[wgstl]

man I dont like our group

[slufanskip]

2 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Silver lining for the England game some history brought up about the US win over England in STL and the movie direct by David Anspaugh "Game of Their Lives".  So get ready STL to cash in on the moment and promote yourself as a Soccer time.

I believe that game was played in Brazil

[Slu let the dogs out?]

51 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

We could but let’s be real. Would you bet on us even odds vs England? 
 

im as high on our young kids as anyone but I wouldn’t. 

Depends on our starting XI. Still 8 months out.  We don't necessarily have to beat England to win the group. Clearly it would help.

 

50 minutes ago, wgstl said:

man I dont like our group

I think all 3 games are winnable. Not sure you could say that if we had found ourselves in any other group. 

[laker119]

Especially with how Gareth Southgate manages England, it is a winnable game.  He’s more pragmatic and certainly they won’t blow us out of the water with an attacking style.

[TheA_Bomb]

3 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

I believe that game was played in Brazil

but the movie was filmed in STL right?

 

You don't like our group? Every group is likely to have 2 EURO teams we have 1 good 1 and then the last placed EURO team.  Iran got us before in the WC but they are one of the lesser teams.   Can't complain about the group.

 

Didn't think about the England rivalries in our group, Scotland or Wales will be so up for England so that puts even more pressure on a team that is under the most pressure and has choked for decades.

 

Would we get disqualified if we launched a few Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iran just before the game as payback for their recent rocket attacks in Iraq near our Consulate?

[TheA_Bomb]

8 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

I believe that game was played in Brazil

I never watched it, maybe I will tonight.  Here's wikipedia plot synopsis so there is a STL connection

 

"The film is based on the true story of the 1950 U.S. soccer team which, against all odds, beat England 1–0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The story is about the family traditions and passions that shaped the players who made up this team of underdogs. One group of teammates were from The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Another group came from the Corky Row district of Fall River, Massachusetts."

[slufanskip]

8 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

but the movie was filmed in STL right?

 

You don't like our group? Every group is likely to have 2 EURO teams we have 1 good 1 and then the last placed EURO team.  Iran got us before in the WC but they are one of the lesser teams.   Can't complain about the group.

 

Didn't think about the England rivalries in our group, Scotland or Wales will be so up for England so that puts even more pressure on a team that is under the most pressure and has choked for decades.

 

Would we get disqualified if we launched a few Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iran just before the game as payback for their recent rocket attacks in Iraq near our Consulate?

Yes much of it was. Part of it was filmed on Montana on the east side of Grand Blvd. I was working at Grand and Montana at the time. 

[slufanskip]

1 minute ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I never watched it, maybe I will tonight.  Here's wikipedia plot synopsis so there is a STL connection

 

"The film is based on the true story of the 1950 U.S. soccer team which, against all odds, beat England 1–0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The story is about the family traditions and passions that shaped the players who made up this team of underdogs. One group of teammates were from The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Another group came from the Corky Row district of Fall River, Massachusetts."

Yes many players were from StL. 

[slufanskip]

Regardless of the draw if we have our full squad we should clearly be the 2nd favorite. 
 

Missing a player or 2 of the big 5 and we still have a good chance. For me it’s all about the USA having our full squad. 

[TheA_Bomb]

Be happy think about Mexico's draw Argentina (lil guy named Messi), Poland (Lewandowski and tough squad), Saudi Arabia is in driving distance they'll be pumped.

[slufanskip]

2 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Be happy think about Mexico's draw Argentina (lil guy named Messi), Poland (Lewandowski and tough squad), Saudi Arabia is in driving distance they'll be pumped.

I believe Mexico is way overrated 

[RUBillsFan]

1 minute ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I never watched it, maybe I will tonight.  Here's wikipedia plot synopsis so there is a STL connection

 

"The film is based on the true story of the 1950 U.S. soccer team which, against all odds, beat England 1–0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. The story is about the family traditions and passions that shaped the players who made up this team of underdogs. One group of teammates were from The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Another group came from the Corky Row district of Fall River, Massachusetts."

Neighborhood youth athletic competition in The Hill in the 1930s/1940s must have been insane, right?  Yogi Berra, Joe Garragiola, and 4 members of a US World Cup soccer team.  Can you imagine competing with that kind of athletic talent every day after school?

[TheA_Bomb]

1 minute ago, slufanskip said:

I believe Mexico is way overrated 

Agree they are only getting older too.  They are at the point when the Soccer loving public is at odds with the manager and unhappy.  I think that hurts the team.

I think Costa Rica is going to get in, they have some exciting youth we saw in our last game and good for them nation of 5 mil doing well.

[wgstl]

11 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Depends on our starting XI. Still 8 months out.  We don't necessarily have to beat England to win the group. Clearly it would help.

 

I think all 3 games are winnable. Not sure you could say that for the majority of other groups. 

I do not. I think one is very good, perhaps one of the favorite this year. The other 2 are good.  If its wales, Wales and Iran are pretty good. winnable yes, but pretty good.  I think on the eye test this group looks easier than what it is.  If we go off of Rankins, its pretty tough. 

 

Tranfermarket, elo, fifa has an average ranking of:

 

#5 England 

#17 USA

#18 Wales

#21 Iran

[Slu let the dogs out?]

9 minutes ago, wgstl said:

I do not. I think one is very good, perhaps one of the favorite this year. The other 2 are good.  If its wales, Wales and Iran are pretty good. winnable yes, but pretty good.  I think on the eye test this group looks easier than what it is.  If we go off of Rankins, its pretty tough. 

 

Tranfermarket, elo, fifa has an average ranking of:

 

#5 England 

#17 USA

#18 Wales

#21 Iran

 By FIFA rankings it would probably be considered the group of death, no? I don’t necessarily care about FIFA rankings. Mexico is ranked 9 by FIFA. Mexico sucks. 

[wgstl]

1 minute ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

 By FIFA rankings it would probably be considered the group of death, no? I don’t necessarily care about FIFA rankings. Mexico is ranked 9 by FIFA. 

fifa rankings are the worse, probably.  There's another computer ranking I used to look at but cant find it. 

[TheA_Bomb]

Just now, Slu let the dogs out? said:

 By FIFA rankings it would probably be considered the group of death, no? I don’t necessarily care about FIFA rankings. Mexico is ranked 9 by FIFA. 

Yeah there's a real FIFA ranking lag.  It's the World Cup all the teams are good it's who is not as good as the others.  Group F Canada in with Belgium and Croatia that's tough.  It's hard to pick a better existing group Maybe D if US took Denmark's spot.  Or H in lieu of Uruguay?  But it's all moot.   Gotta get out of Group B.  You're going to have to beat or draw good teams at some point.  I'm good with it, need to advance this WC.

[slufanskip]

13 minutes ago, wgstl said:

I do not. I think one is very good, perhaps one of the favorite this year. The other 2 are good.  If its wales, Wales and Iran are pretty good. winnable yes, but pretty good.  I think on the eye test this group looks easier than what it is.  If we go off of Rankins, its pretty tough. 

 

Tranfermarket, elo, fifa has an average ranking of:

 

#5 England 

#17 USA

#18 Wales

#21 Iran

I didn’t say they weren’t good but I also believe we are better than 15 with our full squad. If we can’t beat Wales and Iran at Neutral sites then we aren’t as good as I think we are. 
 

The rankings are based upon our results but those results were achieved without us ever having our best team on the field and many games with 2 or more of our top 5 not playing. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

USA v England the Friday after Thanksgiving? Inject it into my veins.

[wgstl]

29 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

USA v England the Friday after Thanksgiving? Inject it into my veins.

can't wait for this to be a 5 am start.  

I'm just happy that our best WC squad will have prime time games next go around

[Slu let the dogs out?]

19 minutes ago, wgstl said:

can't wait for this to be a 5 am start.  

I'm just happy that our best WC squad will have prime time games next go around

You bring up a good point...when are start times announced?  I assume, based on your 5am reference and this graphic I found on ESPN, the games will start at one of these three times.

5am isn't ideal but it's manageable. Anyone remember Korea in 2002? Brutal. I fell back asleep and missed the game against Germany.

10am starts would be great. After doing it at Disney every day last week, I've become a big fan of drinking before 10am. 2pm isn't bad either:

TIMEZONE CONVERSION:
1 p.m. local: 10 a.m. GMT, 6 a.m. ET
6 p.m. local: 3 p.m. GMT, 11 a.m. ET
10 p.m. local: 7 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET