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

A game being an official match has never stopped Chandler from not showing up before. If anything it enhances the likelihood of him hurting something that's just major enough to beg out but minor enough for him to play 90 in the first game following the break.

 

It makes me worry about stuff like nuclear wars when people reason that we should somehow cajole a guy to join the team for WC qualification match while at the same time admitting as given that he is unreliable and one never knows form time to time if he will actually care about showing up.

I guess it's just one of those human nature things that explains Las Vegas.

 

Kelyn Rowe can be added to the injury list - whether or not Arena was going to call him in, Rowe won't be available now.

 

He was on my list. Feels like a few straight important camps where the injuries start mounting right ahead of selection. I think it' probably a combo of a coincidence and not, more so the first, but...

We already were hurting somewhat at the cam/aw spot between the lack of depth and key injuries. Rowe was the direct replacement for Lletget, who is also out. I would think Kljestan's inclusion is very likely now, if it wasn't already. But he doesn't double as a wing so this increases the reliance on playing mostly up the middle.

 

Just play Zardes as l or r mid 8/10 in a flexible 3 midfield. He can do the inside/out thing with Morris on the left and Fabian can do it on the right with Pulisic.

With Bradley at dmid we could put Dax or Roldan or Delgado at the 6/8. Delgado and Dax can play key passes in the attacking third and Roldan is pretty good in the box while all can be pulled back into dmid if Arena wants.

The difference with the qualis' is that we have Pulisic who didn't play in the GC.

I feel like we have a really strong, healthy pool.

 

You know I (and most) don't want to do that, so why are you telling me to like it's a comfortable solution for me?

You also are about the only person who thinks he should play in the center of the park in spite of his bad touch which has been exploited by the opponent when he's shown up there for the nt.

Zardes is struggling badly right now, at his best he's merely been adequate for the nt, and I wasn't talking about starting options anyway. Rowe was a sub/offensive-minded option who we only should have used if we were down in a game, when we have formidable opposition like Costa Rica at home and Honduras on the road. At most, that's what Zardes would be. But I'd still in all likelihood go in another direction with Zardes out of form.

You keep talking about Delgado casually too like he just hasn't had a couple good weeks in MLS, but before that was mediocre, and has zero nt experience. Nobody else here shares the opinion he should be a fixture in the upcoming fixtures. That's because it's particularly wacky.

 

So why? Because,, like I say in my post, we have Pulisic for quali's. That's going to make a huge difference. Take Nagbe out and substitute Zardes who can score the ball and cross and has an aerial game, etc. Then take Acosta out and put a real footballer in there like Dax or Roldan or Delgado. What's this "couple of good weeks" stuff? Delgado has been Mr. Steady for Toronto. If you want to know the truth, Schmetzer in Seattle and Vanney in Toronto have started pushing their 8's into attack more and both are getting good results with Roldan and Delgado respectively who are developing meaningful skills.

And b.t.w. - "most" doesn't include guys like Arena and Klinsmann who both valued Zardes so I'm not the only one.

And b.t.w. - Delgado played the whole tourney with U20's in wc final. Moreover, his partner at Toronto is Bradley, duh. Think that might count for something in the preparation.

 

Fabian Johnson is reported injured and probably won't be able to make the qualifier.
Now Gonzo, Rowe and Fabian are unavailable.

 

For all the shtick that Chandler gets about not showing up and being injured it seems Johnson and Brooks should get the same treatment. All three are partially made of whatever Marco Reus is made of. Reminds me of the book the White Rat (Whitey Herzog baseball player/manager). He had pitchers that took great care of their body and diet and yet were always injured. He mused that Babe Ruth ate whatever he wanted and while not svelte looking was always healthy. He likened it to a fine tuned Ferrari going over country roads that a pickup had no problem with.

 

Better hope Besler and Cameron are healthy for two more weeks. And both are on yellow, so a card against Costa Rica means the player would miss Honduras. Who is the third CB? Miazga?

If no Johnson and no Yedlin some clear second choices are going to have to start. Like Zusi or Bedoya.

 

I think comparing Chandler to Brooks and Johnson is an undeserved slap in the face, especially to Johnson.

Chandler has been good enough to start for the US pretty much since joining in 2011, and has played a grand total of 7 competitive matches. Brooks has played 14, despite being hindered by niggling injuries and only breaking through in 2014 compared to 2011. Johnson has played 32 competitive matches since 2011.

 

Wasn't meant to be a slap just poining out how fragile a lot of our better players are. may have to go into qualifiers with Yedlin, Johnson and Brooks out. Seems every time there's a qualifier there are big injury issues. Don't remember so many in the past.

 

Part of the problem with JK';s management was that he discouraged players from discussing their problems with him. Kind of like a too strict father who doesn't communicate with his kid because the kid is scared of getting slapped

Brooks' coach explained to Jurgen about Brooks' situation but Jurgen really didn't show any flexibility at all.

I'm hoping Arena goes another direction and there are signs already that he is.

 

This is why I've always thought Arena was smart to bring in Ream. He has experience and can play cb or fb. Lately he has been healthy as far as I know. I actually see him going to Russia as a dependable back up.

Having said that, we might be smart to go with good aerial cb;s against Honduras. In the past they liked to play outside crosses into the box.

If we go 5 in the back in SPS we could throw Ream in there with Besler, Miazga, Gonzo+ a rb.

Against CR I"d expect something more conventional like Cameron + Besler

 

Edited my lineup to account for Brooks' injury. Also V/fana on bench and Ream playing well.(Edit: correction, V/fana played 90 on Friday)

-------morris----jozy----pulisic
-------zardes---Bradley---dax
--ream--Besler---cameron--fab
--------------gk: timmy

off subs: Wood for Jozy . Dempsey for Morris.

 

Its almost a must win for us. A win gives us 11 points, ties us with CR. Panama has Mexico in Mexico, meaning probably a loss for them. So we get some breathing room on the 4th place team, especially since we face them shortly at home.

Honduras plays at TandT, which won't be easy for them. A loss, and they are pretty much done, which means then would be desperate at home against us. They would need a win more than we need anything.

So we want to get the three points and not have to worry about a rabid Honduras team. If they get a win or tie, they will even be more rabid, since whey will most likely have leap frogged Panama.

So lets beat CR.

The back line is messed up by injuries, but we could put out an offensive lineup that could run rough shod over CR, but with gaps in the back. So do we reinforce ourselves more defensively or just let fly the dogs of war (Nagbe, Pulisic, Altidore and Wood)??

 

Lets play this out.

We get three against CR, Panama loses and then Honduras gets a win in Trinidad, a tough probability, but the worst case for us.

That means:

USA 11
CR 11
Hon 8
Panama 7

The next round we could lose to Honduras, Costa Rica gets a win at home against Mex, and Panama gets the win at home too.

That makes it Mex 17
CR 14
USA 11
Hon 11
Panama 10

That is tight... Thanks Juergen.

Next round sees us getting three at home against Panama. And Costa Rica and Mex most likely getting three points at home against Hon and Trinidad respectively.

Mex 20
CR 17
USA 14
Hon 11
Panama 10

The last games could come down to and us verses Hon scenario.

We have Trinidad on the road. Honduras has Mexico at home to finish the Hex.

Honduras has a bit of an advantage as Mex will be qualified and probably sending a b or c teams.

Also in our advantage is that that last game is against the weakest team in the group and one that will be out of the picture.

So the best path is a win against CR, and a win against Panama, with GD maybe we don't even need points in Trinidad, but a tie in Trinidad will do it.

Or we win against CR and get a point in Honduras. That pretty much cinches it for us barring anything weird happening in the other games. Of course, the weird stuff could be good for us as well.

 

Do you not read previous posts? Fabian is out.
Also, it's hardly likely that Morris will start over Altidore.
I seriously question that both Zardes and Dax will start.

 

Dude, it's almost Labor Day and Zardes doesn't have a goal this year.

 

There's been no such announcement. He's been training and all indications seem to be that he'll play this weekend.

 

I think we have a better chance at beating Honduras at Honduras than CR at home. It's just my opinion.

 

I don't know. I felt like the GC win against Costa Rica was comfortable, not that we dominated, but we had a clear edge in play throughout. I know CR was missing players, but the US will presumably add Pulisic, Johnson, Cameron, Wood, and maybe Yedlin. So, I would bet the qualifier plays out like the GC game--kind of tight, but US ultimately pulls out a 1-goal win.

 

If he has a nagging injury I'd bet money he plays 90, skips the qualifiers and plays 90 right after, just like Chandler.

 

Our last WCQ against CR in the USA ended up a 1-0 win for us in a snowy field and that was as close to a do-or-die game. The GC results are usually one-sided. We didn't do well vs Honduras in Honduras because JK used cold climate players, big mistake. That is where Chandler's reputation was sealed.

 

I'll take that bet!