Tonight we won our 8th match in a row which is a USMNT record. I thought this feat deserved its own thread. Congrats to the boys and to Klinsmann on this accomplishment! To get some discussion going, what has been your favorite moment of this streak? Mine was Brad Evans' winner vs. Jamaica because it was just so out of nowhere.
Not a "moment," but I think we may look back on the US vs. Panama as a turning point for the US Team. Great crowd, the US had just edged Jamaica, and then they turn in a dominant performance and humble what most thought would be a difficult opponent. I enjoyed that game even more than the tie at Azteca.
So did I. That was my favorite game of this cycle so far, and the first time under this coach that we really felt like we were exactly who we wanted to be as a team. We had the nice one-off performance against Scotland, but that time it wasn't a one-off performance. It was like we'd turned a corner.
My favorite moment is when I laugh at people who post the streak is meaningless due to the oppositions' low rankings.
Favorite moments. 1. ter Stegen fatally being unwilling to kick the ball out for a throw. 2. The miracle short-corner against Jamaica. 3. Wondolowski scoring against Guatemala.
The goal against Honduras, the A team's last match. The level of sophistication in that tally and other attacks during the game reached heights I haven't seen before from the team before.
That said, this fall we're going to play the 3rd best team in the region in their house, where we have a dismal record, and then a Mexican team which finally managed to win a couple of GC games and will probably be feeling full of confidence (or hubris) when they head up to Columbus.
If the US wins in Costa Rica, it will be the best result I have seen the US get outside of a World Cup. Looking forward to that one.
If we win there, I'll be very, very confident that we're "for real." And we might even be mathematically clinched, depending on how other results go. In any case, we'll at most need one more win, and probably just a single point from 3 more matches.
we are going to go into mexico with hubris? we are going to what fail soon? I dont appreciate your positive demeanor assuming that our team has hubris as if this the kind of team we have. that being said here is a bunch of tripe about how our team is blah blah blah blah... anyway CONGRATS on the US getting to our best streak in USMNT history!
It is going to be very very tough. Costa Rica has only lost TWICE in the last 17 matches. Both to the USMNT.
Yes, Congrats to the Nats. Though I really think the turning point for the cycle was the Costa Rica snow game. The article had just come out. LD was on the outs. We get the snow, Dempsey scores early, Jones plays with a hole in his leg and snow in his fro. JK gets the officials to let them play. We came together as a team right there. I think we are starting to see the results of coming together as a team off the pitch, on it. Our top level guys are, for the most part, back and playing well (outside of RB). LD is in the fold, DMB a viable LB option. Jozy had a breakout season which finally translated to the Nats. Dempsey is on a CL level team with Spurs. Roma has helped Bradley, and he them. Jones is a mainstay for Schalke. Fabain is doing well at Hoffenheim. Howard and Guzan in England. And we really have some impressive depth now. We have a lot of guys who can be effective role players on the A squad. Whether it is veteran guys from last cycle (Beasley, Gomez, Goodson, Torres, even Gooch & Boca as a 4th CB) or some of the newer guys stepping upu (Zusi, Cameron, Besler, Gonzo, Diskerud, Corona, Bedoya Orozco-Fiscal) and Holden working his way back. There are 35-40 guys I feel reasonably confident in playing well, in at least a limited capacity.
This team has a lot to be proud so far. Klinnsman has these boys taking it hard to the competition and confident in their abilities to pass in the oppositions half for goals. Now, I would like to see that streak extended to 11 games. Bring the Gold Cup back to the States.
Agree with Truecrew. Thought that snow debacle showed some grit in JK and the team. I have always been very, very cautiously optimistic about JK. He is a bit of a tool in the media, has some of the smug-striker thing I always hated as a player and not enough of a track record as a coach to be as smug as he seems to want to be, but starting with the snow bowl I think he's quietly shown how serious, competitive and focused he is. Dunno if he's a great coach, but he's turning not to be a disaster. And this team seems to have enough solid, non-ego ravaged pros to power on regardless. Only those who watched the shock and awe of 98 up close can appreciate the kumbaya these guys have at the moment. Does it last? Dunno, but I think it might.
You seemed far more positive about the Mexican NT's outlook than ours. I'm curious, are you Mexican-American? It's rather bizarre to have an opinion that Mexico is going to magically be full of confidence when they are at a low right now. Mexico is a dog to win this tournament and if they don't defeat Honduras in the next WCQ match day, things could get very, very bad for them.
We have 3 games left here I hope. If we can find a way to win the gold cup we will have 12 wins on the year. With 5 games left after that (with one friendly in november probably too) we would have an opportunity to have the most wins in a FIFA calendar year in history. Our most is 14.
Anyone pretending Marko72 is anything but one of the best posters on these forums (and an ardent U.S. supporter) is out of his/her mind. He's posted nothing "negative."
Anyway, another great moment... Discovering Geoff Cameron is a ridiculous long-ball passer (who saw this coming?):
Why thank you! Even if a little over the top. Anyhow, just to be clear, when I referred to Mexico I was referring mainly to the typical bi-polar nature of their their media/fanbase. (And, not uncommonly, their team as well.) They've just won two. If they win two more, the pimp suits come back out of the closet.