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

Let's hope it is in between what y'all are saying., If it is just depending on Pulisic, one good hard tackle can take him out completely. Similarly, Bradley is not going to lead the offensive attack (that will be Pulisic), but he will be the fulcrum and the release point for much of the midfield and the wings.

 

Hype vs Reality. The US isn't Dortmund.

Bradley doesn't lead the attack. But the game does flow through him.

 

A bit of rhetorical grandiloquence - nothing said here is all that controversial or unknown to anyone. Clumsily overstated at times, but the contours of this are largely true and well understood with very few (read "ya'll") actually "living in the past."

 

Just asking: Are you serious, exaggerating, or being ironic?

 

Costa Rica is the most tactical team in the region. If I were a neutral observer who just loves soccer, they'd be my fave CONCACAF team.

Pressing is all the rage these days. Specially "Gegenpressing" which is just a fancy word for the proper application of pressing. Of course you're supposed to do it as soon as you lose the ball. That should be self-evident.

The problem is that man-to-man pressing is risky when you have trouble with dribblers. Like we do. A couple of your men get "broken" (due to a lack of agility & proper marking skills when faced with "cintura" types, dribbling demons) and you find yourself on the wrong side of a 4-vs-2 counter.

Costa Rica is borderline in that, but I wouldn't try Gegenpressing, with our pool, against the Mediterraneans/South Americans.

 

I agree with you.

Both on the self evident fact that my prose is overwrought, (similar to yours), and that my points are not earth shattering and are obvious to most people, excepting obviously the person I quoted and the many others who expressed similar opinions in this thread.

 

Still no lineup. No PBP thread?

 

Anyone know kick-off time?

 

From Steven Goff:

#USA v #CRC
Kickoff time: 6:55 pm ET
TV: ESPN, Univision
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIq4dopXUAEkOP5?format=jpg&name=large

 

ZUSI!!!! YAAASSSSSS!!! He gets the start!

Anyone who thinks this guy isn't going to Russia is fooling themselves.

 

Pretty irritated Dempsey isn't starting the home game, in mild weather, against a team he generally plays well against.

But we get to watch Fabian Johnson be mediocre in the position he wants to play, as opposed to be good in the position we need him in.

 

Disagree on Dempsey. Completely agree on Fab. Dude is not good in the MF.

 

Not too shabby. About as expected though i didn't expect Ream to start.

 

And would you look at that--no Wondolowski on the gameday roster.

 

Don't be surprised when nobody can combine with Pulisic and we look inept, because Dempsey is the only guy in the entire player pool who's shown he can. Hopefully he's on sooner rather than later come the second half.

 

Zusi is just startinng because Yedlin is injured.

Hopefully Yedlin doesn't get injured during the World Cup.

 

Agreed. I fully expect us to look completely disjointed in the middle of the field until he's subbed on around the 65th. I disagree that he should start. Remove Nagbe. Insert Feilhaber at CAM. Push Pulisic out to the Wing/Roaming. Besler in for Ream. Bradley out and Cameron to DM.

Bring Demps on for Feilhaber in the 65th... would be a hell of a team.

 

Nagbe has been good with the Nats, not sure why you would want to remove him

 

Zusi? SMDH

 

Fabio at inverted overlapping RB is perhaps the one "clever" line-up ploy of JK's era that tended to work. Probably would have been less effective as it got scouted, but it obviously unbalanced the D on some US attacks.

He can be a very good LM though and I thought he and CP had a moment or two together. Maybe he will bring it today...

 

Good for Ian Drake for questioning the starting lineup

 

The next time he has a moment in midfield will be the first.

 

We agree to disagree. He runs well in to open space (10-15 yards) then nearly always loses possession once in the final 3rd.

He's a fringe bench player to me.

 

I am glad to see Nagbe on the left, as he plays well with Villafana, as well as Pulisic. I have to give BA credit for this move. I think Johnson did a credible job on the right in the WC, and think he and Zusi will be a good match, as he can cover for Zusi. He also can link up with Pulisic, so no worries there.