You guys are blowing smoke. I old enough to remember when we were crap. I went to a Costa Rica game at El Camino Junior College in Torrance CA. We had our heads handed to us at home. We have come a long way since the 70's and 80's evern the 90's. Klinsman wants us to play more aggresively I agree. But it ain't gonna happen over night. Some of you will live to see the USA lift the World Cup trophy. I won't. Sit back relax. Have a beer smoke a joint. Things are fine and will only get better. BTW Aron Johannsson took himself off the Iceland team because of "lingering injuries" I think the injurie was a phone call from Klinsman. So we will have another attacking option for the Hex
Yes and I remember a pre-2002 WC friendly against the Dutch where they made us look like a bunch of little girls.
Except Tony Sanneh, who was a beast against the Dutch (only US player who didn't suck in that game IIRC) despite having been garbage pretty much every time he stepped on the field for the US up to that point.....and proceeded to have a spectacular World Cup.
You're confusing friendlies. There was the pre-WC 2002 friendly the Netherlands won 2-0 that is remembered fondly because the US created tons of chances but couldn't convert. A very positive performance. There was also a friendly in 2004 where Arena utilized an approach that resembles Klinsmann. If I remember correctly, the final was 1-0 and the Dutch manager was furious at the US playing so conservative in a friendly. A very negative performance. Woah - Robben had hair!
Exactly, and how many did Antigua and Barbuda have last night? Which team is punching way below it's weight class?
So you're comparing the Dutch, one of the best teams in the world consistently for the past 50 years to Antigua and Barbuda?
my big issue was that we pretty much knew Landon and Shea weren't gonna be able to play and he still called them in. THen, 2 more guys become unavailable and he doesn't call any replacements in. Jurgen's own arrogance is gonna do him in eventually.
Meh, I recall Bradley's teams getting scored on in the first 15 minutes pretty consistently. Both coaches have their faults. I thought it was ridiculous when people were calling for Bradley's head then and I find it ridiculous that people are asking for JK to be fired now.
Klinsmann is on a long honeymoon. Bob was ripped to shreds after every mediocre performance or close win. Of course some of that was justified. You may disagree that JK should be fired but if you can't see his mistakes and a poor team at the moment then you're blind, I'm sorry. JK needs to adjust and add some weapons to this team in 2013. So January, the Gold Cup needs to be used for introducing new players. There needs to be new blood at CB. Boca will not make it to 2014, and Goodson is not good enough. Gonzalez, Besler and maybe Edu moving back there. He needs to A) find a long term partner for Cameron and B) find backup option. Klinsmann needs to have a creative option off the bench. A lot of that depends on his willingness and stop subbing in a dmid when the team needs offense. It reminds me of a certain coach in Columbus. Wide options, I don't care what your playing style is, not having those guys who can cross or provide pace limits you from a tactical standpoint. The US player pool isn't deep but there are a couple of guys who can fulfill that role. Also for those who say width comes from the fullbacks, true but vs. better teams, so in the World Cup, the US will be sitting back and defending most of the time. Castillo, F. Johnson won't have as many opportunities to bomb forward and join in the attack. Who else will provide wide play? Shea, Pontius, Gatt?
In the World Cup maybe, but in qualification, Bradley's U.S. team held 9 clean sheets in 18 games compared to Klinsmann's 1 clean sheet in 5. Also, Bradley only trailed, at any point in the game, in 5 of those 18. Most telling is Bradley at this stage of qualification scored 14 goals and only gave up 3. Klinsmann has only scored 8 and surrendered 5.
Which plays into my point almost exactly. Bob's teams were better at defense. People didn't call him Bunker Bob for no reason. I said specifically that each coach had their weak points and that I remember people asking for him to be fired after almost every match. I thought the sentiment was ridiculous then and it is now as well. I think JK has some huge coaching flaws, but so did Bradley. I liked Bradley as a coach better than I like JK, but asking for him to be fired before going into the Hex is pretty silly.
New Caledonia is better than Tahiti and is above Tahiti in the standings, so this should really be a NZ v. NC thing.
I'm not saying Klinsmann should be fired because a coaching change at this point would be disastrous this close to the Hex. However, I'm not optimistic he can get the job done. Also, I did not prove your point. Just because he was nicknamed Bunker Bob doesn't change reality. Read the end of my first post. At the end of the first group round Bob had produced 14 goals, Klinsmann has produced 8. He would need 6 in the last game just to score the same amount, while he as already given up 2 more goals than Bob did.
Just out of curiosity: Why does everybody just accept that Cameron is a CB when he plays mid at Stoke? Why not just put him at the 6 and look for a true, dedicated centre back?
We also don't have a team in our group this time giving up tons of goals. Last time we had Cuba. A&B has not had a single game where they lost by more than two goals. Cuba lost half their matches by a margin of 3 goals or more in the last qualifier. I also think JK's style matches up well against the teams that are most likely to make the Hex. Time will tell.
You mean A&B Jamaica and Guatemala are probably 3 of the toughest opponents in this round that we could have faced? I agree. A&B and Guatemala were two of the best teams in the first round. they have been incredible. Jamaica is also the highest ranked they have ever been. El Salvador is the only other tough team out of the lower group. Our worst team was extraordinary in the first round. No one cares. our toughest team in the first round last time was trinidad and tobago and they didnt even qualify this time. cuba is terrible. and of course a guatemala team that we beat 1-0 and 3-0. Guatemala of course is far superior today than they were in 2008. but no one is going to care.
Well when people start pointing out goal differential as "proof" that we did better last time I figure it is a good idea to provide better context, right? However, I know most of the people on here like to just come in and complain so it will fall on mostly deaf ears.
Because Williams does a decent job at dmid and besides Cameron there isn't much else at CB. Cameron didn't have a very good game last night. Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, Seb Hines (needs to file paperwork). I'm undecided on Tim Ream, George John. Jay DeMerit would be a temporary option. Those who might be too young or inexperienced: Austin Berry, Matt Hedges, Amobi Okugo. Or he needs to play Edu there.
So we moved a midfielder for StokeCity, one of the best defensive sides in the EPL, who was in the running for man of the match after his performance against Arsenal, to center back so we could take Danny off the bench at Hoffenheim and accomodate him at dmid for the USMNT? That guy must be really good. It would be interesting to hear an evaluation from some professional scouts on Cameron's suitability at mid v. CB.
For the NT, the USA only has 1 legit super-star, who was involved in virtually every relevant goal scored for the last decade. And chances are we'll never see him again in top form. So time to start planning for life after him.