Pre-match: 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage: USA vs Panama

This is a real weird transfer, isn't it? Boyd is seemingly on the way up (didn't someone say the top 2 teams in Turkey were sniffing around?), which seems like he'd want to stay and push on in a better competition/team in Europe. Plus he's still young.

And it's not like he's a household name, where it'd help Miami sell seats (though maybe that's not a requirement now, since teams are investing in talent more than eyeballs).

And yeah, if people rip on him like they do to Pomykal in his thread, I shudder to think what's about to happen!

 

Unfortunately, not terribly different a situation than where he's been in with Vitória S.C.

It's possible he could end up in a season-long David Accam type situation.

 

@juvechelsea i was honestly asking, i wasnt aware of a full 11 turnover actually happening (and yes, i was just referring to intl tourneys, not sure if that was you or another poster). thats pretty wild that it has.

i wasnt making any overall comment on rotating other than genuinely not knowing of full turnovers. it just seems so extreme, even knowing 8, 9 isnt uncommon.

but i agree the lack of changes (both here and, infamously, the end of the hex) is a pretty questionable strategy. we clearly need to rotate based on that alone.

so i appreciate all the info, it really just seemed like an apocryphal thing.

anyways (posting in general now) ive seen a lot of articles and a few posts suggesting go with our strongest team again to "lock down" first in the group and rotate vs- in that scenario- curacao. that seems crazy to me. you rotate now because no matter how bad things could possibly go tonight we still go through. if we mess around, get cute, or just something incredibly flukey (one zardes-esque goal off the face against us) happens and wed be out.

im on board for wholesale changes, though not complete turnover. i just cant see our midfield without at least one of pulisic or mckennie being able to get a result.

i do think it could be interesting to try an alternate lineup, going with 5 in the back (i guess arriola or lima would have to play lwb) playing for the draw. i think that could facilitate a lot of changes and is the only way i can see roldan/mihailovic/trapp in the middle- i just dont see them being able to hold up an offense actually looking to score.

im not advocating that, just thinking (typing) out loud...

 

The tiers of CONCACAF are in so much flux right now. IDK who's better, Haiti or Panama? Jamaica or Panama? Honduras or Costa Rica? or Jamaica or Canada?

Tier 1: USA, Mexico, Costa Rica (could go down)

Tier 2: Jamaica (could go up), Haiti, Canada (could go up), Panama (could go down), Honduras (could go down)

Tier 3: Curacao, Trinidad, El Salvador, etc.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=kansas city kansas weather&cad=h

Yeah...rotate that squad....

 

It will be similar for the match in Philadelphia in temp and humidity. Never fun.

 

I would do it differently:

Tier 1: Mexico
Tier 2: USA
Tier 3: Everyone else

really wish there more decent teams in Concacaf to keep it somewhat interesting.....as it is, its a snoooozzzzzer

 

Yea we really need to combine with South America.

 

In other words, they thug.

 

Would so much rather watch them play Brazil, et. al. over say Nicaragua and Curacao.

 

Right now CONCACAF is so horrible that topping it is like being toughest kid in a fourth grade class after being held back two years.

Whoever wins the Gold Cup has really won nothing but all the teams that finish below the finals have failed against some of the worst in the world.

 

agreed.

On the other hand...it is nice to see countries like cucracao and guyana etc get a chance to show what they got...

per capita..they are pretty good, actually...they are just so small as countries that they don't really have much of a chance vs the big boys...

it would be cool to see how a "central american all-star" team or a carribean all-star team would do....say (jamaica, tnt, cuba, haiti, dominican, bermuda, etc all together as one team) or a (guatemala, nicarauga, el salvador, etc) would do...I think those teams would be fierce....

 

2007 saw the boldest rotation, as Bob Bradley swapped 10 out of 11 starters between the 1st and 2nd matches of the group stage. The lone starter to keep his spot was Benny Feilhaber, because Pablo Mastroeni was still ineligible to play after his red card in the World Cup.

 

And my wife is Alex Morgan....I mean, Morgan Fairchild.

 

FYI, match time is listed at 8:30 PM, but FS1 lists kickoff as being 1 hours and 38 minutes (as of several minutes ago). Typical

 

Rotate a bit tonight. Maybe Mikey & Lima. Morris looked good, maybe he starts for Boyd, who was a tad shot happy last game for my taste.

But the big rotation shouldbe vs Curacao.

Be the fresher team for the SFs & Final.

 

The travel would be brutal. No thanks as long as the meat of our team is in Europe.

 

San Marino and Tahiti would like a word.

 

Yeah, I'd be happy to have a SuperCopa every four years, but traveling down there for qualifiers and whatnot...ugh, no.

 

USMNT Twitter feed says it's 9pm Eastern, and then teases with a picture implying we're starting Morris...

The Stage is Set.
It's almost time.

Tune in at 9pm ET on @FS1, @UniMas and UDN for 🇺🇸 vs. 🇵🇦 pic.twitter.com/ioYkvH5iLX

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 26, 2019

 

I would be all for the copa to replace the Gold Cup but WCQ would be ridiculous.

 

ok guys... who's ready to see the B team?

 

I’d play 4-4-2:

Jozy. Morris.
Pulisic. Wes. Roldan. Boyd
Lima. Long. Miazga. Cannon.
Steffen

A little consistently and a little change.

USA!

EDIT: Welp, I was off a bit.

 

LFG!

I love it if it's what you say it is, especially later this evening.

It's an MLS starters + lineup vs Panama.