My timeline is filling up with #USMNT drawing #FRA mentions. One thing is constant through the years. So many American fans have ZERO perspective & context around results of meaningless friendlies good and bad. I can't believe after the ultimate failure we still get this.— Kartik Krishnaiyer 🇺🇦🌻⚽️ (@kkfla737) July 15, 2018
If friendlies are really an indicator of how well a team is going to perform in a major tournament, then the US should have won a WC by now.
When you analyze things Mexico nearly not qualifying in the 2014 World Cup was way more surprising than the US struggling and not qualifying in the 2018 cycle. Mexico was was coming off a 2011Gold Cup were they cruised. They were also coming off the Olympic victory in 2012 which led most fans to believe that the ratoncitos verdes mythos was about to die. They didn't exactly impress but they won all their games in the Fourth Round of the WCQs. The US had a lot of red flags since 2010 they failed to qualify to two Olympics, a U 20, and U17 World Cup all of this during this. Also, their performance in the 2015 Gold Cup was their worst in a while and probably one of their worst in an A team Gold Cup. Everyone remembers them crashing out to Jamaica in the semis but they were outplayed by Haiti and Honduras at home. Both teams exposed a slow and error prone defense and it doesn't take a genius to realize the smaller CONCACAF teams were watching. It showed when they struggled against Guatemala in the Fourth Round. These negative results were masked somewhat by their 4th place in the 2016 Copa America and their 2017 Gold Cup win. The US dropped too many points at home but as opposed to Mexico in the 2014 cycle fid have an offense that would show up against smaller teams at home. Though their offense didn't so much damage against Costa Rica of Mexico. The US also had an easier set of opponents than the Mexico did in 2014, they closed out with Panama at home and an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago while Mexico closed out with Panama and Costa Rica away. Their was a huge difference as to how the teams came into the final match day. The US destroyed Panama 4-0 and turned their GD around and had seemingly delivered a knock out blow to a direct competitor 3rd place. Mexico on the other hand had barely beat Panama with a Raul Jimenez chilena in the 86th minute. True, luck wasnt on the USMNT's side the final match day but they were in a way better position than Mexico in 2013 and had at least The media both the English and Spanish speaking media acted like the US was already qualified after the Panama game, so did the US federation. They only took the kiddie gloves off after the US failed to qualify. However, it didn't take long for the kiddie gloves to be put back on and you saw articles proclaiming things like "Missing the World Cup could be positive." and that the US was on the cusp of a "Golden Generation".
I'll say it Croatia would have beaten Mbappe and France had Pulisic been there. but seriously where do people come from that Mbappe and Puli are on the same boat? Or that there is no other good young talent except for those 2 that they will dominate world football? Puli is soon to be 20 and has yet to really impress.
Mbappé dropped goals against Croatia and Argentina in knockout rounds. He became the first teenager in 50 years to score in a World Cup final, he already has more goals in KO World Cup games than Messi and Ronaldo, he also has two back to back seasons with 20+ goals and 10+ assists. Pulisic didn't even show up against Mexico and Costa Rica in the qualifiers and he looked poor in away games in the WCQs he looked out of his element. There shouldn't even be a comparison.
If you think we are using our best and brightest in soccer, I feel like you need to purchase an HD television. Mbappe is just like 1000 dudes that play football or hoops in the states, put cleats on em at 6 and train em and we will win everything https://t.co/RJXkrI34wn— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) July 15, 2018
this always cracked me up. http://fiftyfive.one/2017/03/twelve-deities-that-christian-pulisic-resembles/
Someone tell this dude not a single African team made it to the knock out rounds in Russia. He thinks athletic black players are the answer.
https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/...der-usa-borussia-dortmund-mckennie-509980.jsp kid sounds like Joffrey. has no one ever told him that a true leader doesn't need to say that he's a leader, that people will perceive him as such with his actions without having to say it to the public?
can't say I disagree. I recall when reporters were calling him, the American Messi and not once was he humble enough to make them stop. He seemed to like the attention. once the US failed to make the WC, his tune was "too much pressure on him".
Maybe he thought they were saying he is a diva who will undermine the collective strength of his team?