PBP Thread: Match #30, England vs Panama, 24 June 2018 [R]

HansWorldCup · Jun 24, 2018

grandinquisitor28 said: ↑

I could see this being a bit of pick your poison if it's Senegal or Columbia. I definitely think if Japan advances, that would be the preferred opponent, but Senegal is a hard out, and Colombia, w/o any stupid red cards is as well.

Definitely a difficult decision there. Need to look at the bracket to see the other likely scenarios, I feel like I've got a grasp on where every groups headed except for D, and H. I could add C, as Peru has the most power there to throw a monkey wrench in. but for now if I were to predict it I'd go:

Russia vs Portugal

Uruguay vs Spain

France vs Nigeria/Iceland/Argentina

Denmark vs Nigeria/Iceland/Argentina

Brazil vs Germany

Mexico vs Switzerland

Belgium vs Senegal/Colombia/Japan

England vs Colombia/Senegal/Japan

That's kinda how I see it.

C/D and G/H pairings are the most difficult to figure out.
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Hmm i think
Russia-Portugal
France-Nigeria/Argentina
Brazil-Germany
England-Senegal/Colombia
Spain-Uruguay
Croatia-Denmark
Mexico-Switzerland
Japan-Belgium

FanOfFutbol · Jun 24, 2018

grandinquisitor28 said: ↑

Depends upon if the US had gone w/the kids, or trotted out the same decrepit, entitled losers who jaked it on Matchday 10. The kids showed what they could do when they were totally overmatched against Portugal, and France, and during these friendlies and at the more recent youth World Cups. A young team lead by Pulisic would have lost to Belgium, and should've lost to England, but likely would've beaten Tunisia but they wouldn't have gotten battered 8-1. They played Portugal in Portugal immediately after the debacle and won 1 to Horvath, they tied France while being played off the fielding a game France certainly wanted to stomp us in, both of these games played without Pulisic.

I know it's kind of en vogue to poop all over us and rightfully so, we were an abomination in qualifying. But our kids sure as hell aren't, and if enough of them had gotten a chance at this World Cup it probably would have looked more like the US in '06, than Honduras in '14 and Panama in '18. The kids are good. They would have gotten a lot out of this, even in defeat, which is why I want the veterans punted into the nearest septic tank, France Post-2010 style. They lost the right to wear the shirt after what they did at T&T, most especially to the kids who should've had this opportunity just as Donovan's generation gave kids their chances in '06 and '10. It's time for them all to be kicked to the curb, if for no other reason than justice. Keep some glue guys and move on. Do not give us a mixed squad.
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But if we had qualified we would have been stuck with the same people in charge and therefor would have had the same group playing at the WC that we endured throughout qualifying. I doubt there wound have even been one change, barring injury, from the group that were called for the final qualifiers. We would have gone three and out just like Panama.

Also, if we had qualified I doubt the "kids" would get the chances they will get now.

But all that is not really what this thread is about.

The group is pretty much done and those that will advance pretty much deserve to and those that are going home deserve that as well.

Cannons · Jun 24, 2018

FanOfFutbol said: ↑

It says a LOT about the weakness of CONCACAF that a team as bad as Panama can qualify. This cycle the only team in CONCACAF with any real quality is Mexico. I hate to think how bad the US would have looked if we had somehow tied T&T on that last day of qualifying.
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I totally disagree with your post. The only thing wrong with the USA was poor coaching (Klinsmann/Arena) and their insistence on playing too old, fading stars as well as marginal players. That is why we're not there and if they had got in under Arena, yes... we probably would have bombed out.

Looking forward, we were tied by a French team that is in the WC... no small feat. IF we stick with the youth movement, we'll be back next cycle. That all comes down to the coach selected. It's imperative that Ernie continues the youth movement and selects a coach that is committed to that. If this is done, we may be in a good position to join Mexico in the next WC and make a big splash. There is no way we lose to England 6-1 with our kids

FanOfFutbol · Jun 24, 2018

Cannons said: ↑

I totally disagree with your post. The only thing wrong with the USA was poor coaching (Klinsmann/Arena) and their insistence on playing too old, fading stars as well as marginal players. That is why we're not there and if they had got in under Arena, yes... we probably would have bombed out.

Looking forward, we were tied by a French team that is in the WC... no small feat. IF we stick with the youth movement, we'll be back next cycle. That all comes down to the coach selected. It's imperative that Ernie continues the youth movement and selects a coach that is committed to that. If this is done, we may be in a good position to join Mexico in the next WC and make a big splash. There is no way we lose to England 6-1 with our kids
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But, if we had qualified we would have gone to the WC with the same old staff and the same old players and the same old attitude and we lose to just about anyone we meet there and we lose badly to the better teams.

The only way just about any of the players that tied France (a really meaningless result) play in this WC if we had qualified is if there were a LARGE number of injuries to the core we already had. If the top of the organization is not changed, as it would not have been if we qualified, the body will not change either.