Pre-match: 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification: USA vs Costa Rica

Wikipedia says the game will start at 6:55 P.M. U.S. Soccer likes announcing a start time and starting 15 or more minutes later. For the Ghana game last month they announced 4:45 P.M. and started at 5:00 P.M.

 

A win combined with a Mexico win and a TT/Hondo draw and things are back to looking rosy again.

 

http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/08/03/newcastle-usmnt-defender-deandre-yedlin-injures-hamstring/
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DeAndre Yedlin will miss the start of the 2017-18 Premier League season and he may not be ready for the the USMNT’s two crucial 2018 World Cup qualifiers in September.

The Newcastle United right back injured his hamstring in a preseason game against Mainz last week and Yedlin, 24, will now be out until the end of August

 

I'd go with Timmy Chandler.

 

Since it is a two game set and the game after CR is in a place where Chandler had one of his worst games ever due to the heat, Arena will probably need to think through multiple possibilities of how to handle this injury.

 

That interval between announced game time and the actual start is probably the most valuable spot for commercials. The fanatic is kinda hopeless stuck in front of the screen.

 

A year ago I was a Yedlin skeptic but my thoughts now are:

Dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, DANG!

 

----------------Howard
--Cameron--Brooks--Besler
Chandler----Bradley----Johnson
----------Nagbe------Pulisic
----------Wood-------Altidore

 

I would do that with Bedoya or Arriola instead of Chandler. Anything but Zusi.

It is a complete failure that Arena has the whole Gold Cup to come up with RB depth and all he came up with is Zusi.

 

Lichaj would do just fine as right wingback. You could also use Villafana on the left and Johnson on the right.

 

that should work fine at home before Chandler turns into the Wicket Witch of the West in Honduras.

 

---------------------------altidore---
----------johnson--nagbe---bradley----pulisic
-----villafana----------------------------------------lichaj------
---------------ream----brooks----cameron-----
---------------------------howard---

Bradley and Nagbe were the only competent combo in the GC.

 

Zusi will be exposed if taken to the World Cup. He can't handle fast wide players. Chandler's commitment is questionable, although Bruce did call him in before "injury."

So Lichaj or Johnson it is.

 

I actually think FJ should be our LB and Lichaj our RB. FJ has been so lackluster for the nats at LM and a pretty decent LB. I would rather have Nagbe/Pulisic/MB/Arriola in the midfield at the same time.

So.

Wood - Jozy
Nagbe-Pulisic-MB-Arriola
FJ-Brooks-Cam-Lichaj
Howard

GCam is so good bringing the ball into the midfield getting it to the next level. Brooks is pretty good at it himself.

Besler is a solid replacement for either CB. Chandler should come in to see how he does. Arena hasn't seen him yet.

Danny Williams needs to be seen. I know he is at a new club but we have 0 defensive #6s to close down a game except GCam. We can't rely on over-40 adult league Dax to get it done.

 

Johnson will be going into the B1 season fully fit. He's probably worth another shot in midfield.

 

Chandler hands down is the 2nd best RB in our pool.

Anything or anyone else is a major step down. I generally find it interesting how with him, a poor performance or two years ago in Central American heat stays with him amongst a few for years yet we have countless players who've performed poorly in similar situations yet it's never brought up.

Zusi's been overmatched vs the likes of Haiti and Guatemala for Christ's sake.

 

CVs don't play the game.

 

I don't trust chandler. I would never blackball anyone, but he would have to be impressive as hell in camp for me to start him in a wcq.

Zusi is serviceable. He probably should not make the wc roster, but if he'll quit losing focus after he gets called for a foul, he'll be fine for concacaf in a pinch. I think Johnson or lichaj should be in front of him though.

I don't get the Dax hate. He's an emergency player and he understands that. It's like hating on the third keeper. I hope Danny Williams gets a shot and is a revelation, but until then Dax deserves to be around.

 

you guys have me trying to decide if id take chandler or zusi at right back...what a crap decision. ugh, i think id have to go zusi- cause at least he would try- at ALL- to defend.

(i go lichaj with zero hesitation, btw)

 

Humor me. When did he play against these teams at RB? I am not recalling.

 

Maybe Wikipedia is getting that 'start time' from a TV channel's programming start time. Their start time is sometimes 15 or 30 mins before the game starts, especially if there's no pregame show.

 

The lasting memory of Chandler in the Gold Cup in 2015 is hard one to shake. He had a lot of problems against those teams.

It might just be that the style of Concacaf teams is beyond Chandler's ability to play well in a consistent manner.

It does not make sense but there is too much evidence that he struggles in a lot of these games, and not just because of heat issues, there has to be something else.

This would be a damn good time with Yeldin hurt to make his stamp on the team after years of ups and downs. I would love to see it because I am far from enamored with Zusi.

 

Yedlin's injury gives us the opportunity to test Fab at rb and V/fana at lb against pretty good opponent.

Cam and Besler are the respective back ups.

This is why Fab is a lock for Russia.

I would start Bradley, Dax and Zardes in a 3 man midfield. Bring Williams in and see how he operates.

We don't have time to fool around.

Obviously Pulisic, with some rotation of Jozy/Wood/Morris/Dempsey.
Personally I could see starting Morris with Jozy and bringing Wood for Morris in 2nd half and Dempsey for Jozy later.