News: USA Men: News & Analysis

In a statistical sense, I bet you're right overall. That the wealthiest, most determined and most well-connected parents lie disproportionately behind those who get such invites. Call it "The Ivy-League Method for Anointing who We'll Pretend are the Best & The Brightest".....

If it's a smallish minority who fall for this deluded crud, and those responsible for honing in on talent when there's no room for BS [ ] are clearheaded and objective, then this can be a relatively harmless amusement for the bored "elite". But if not...well, then,..... get ready to embrace The Suck..

 

I just realized that the bolded sentence above should actually read: "I did not include any players who have contracts with second division teams or who haven't played with the first team yet, per wikipedia."

 

Messi was the reason he got the Barca job. Yeah, that's true. But not the reason why he got the Argentina job. Tata is very well respected in Argentina and it was just an obvious choice because he was the best coach available and had coached Messi in Barca.

Not sure what the beef is with Tata. He comes from the same Bielsista school as Poch and Sampaoli. His only problem was that he jumped a step too high when going to Barcelona. Otherwise his Paraguay was finely tuned and played to it full capability. He took a terrible Newell's Old Boys and made them champions and Libertadores semi-finalists in two years. His Argentina played well in spite of losing two finals and he only left because the Argentina federation has become a complete chaos since Grondona's death.

 

Good news, now what?

 

I think they play El Salvador on March 3. With a win, they win the minigroup and go to the final, if they draw, they are guaranteed a slot in the U-20 tournament, and then it'd depend on whether El Salvador can beat Mexico and the tiebreakers, which I presume is Goal Difference and Goals scored. (US sits at +1 obviously)

 

2 out of 3 make it?

 

yes. 4 from Concacaf total.

 

Here is the exact formula I believe (please correct me if I am wrong)

US Qualification = Mexico not beating ELS or US draws/beats ELS

Mexico plays ELS next. If Mexico does not win, the US is automatically qualified. If Mexico does win the US will need at least a draw.


Note that in the previous group stage, it was head to head that was the first tie breaker, not GD. If they use that same formula in this stage, GD should not mean anything to the US as there is no scenario now available that they could get caught up in that.

 

Weird format

 

I watched the last 25 minutes of the game. Glad to see them pull it off all the way to the end. Had a couple of great run-out opportunities in that time and completely wasted them. The second one was maybe more miserable than the first. I believe it was Jonathan Lewis on the break and he had a month of Sundays to chip the keeper, from midfield, then from 40 yards, then 30 yards but instead dribbled into the box and right into the keeper (who did a really good job on both breaks, by the way). That kind of finishing won't win many games.

Also, I wish people (and announcers particularly) would learn what constitutes an own-goal. If a ball played by an attacker would have gone in the goal without intervention by a defender then it's not an own-goal. The EPB goal is a clear example of this but the announcer in the video called it an own-goal, at least initially.

 

You're telling me they all went to the Water Closet after beating Mexico? What the ?

 

You are basically correct, and the US has qualified for the World Cup already unless Mexico beats ES and ES beats US , and then it would come down to the scoreline.

The tie breakers are:

1. Greater number of points in matches between the tied teams.
2. Greater goal difference in matches between the tied teams (if more than two teams finish equal on points).
3. Greater number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams (if more than two teams finish equal on points).
4. Greater goal difference in all group matches.
5. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches.
6. Drawing of lots.

If the US wins or draws, it's ahead of the ES-Mexico winner on points.
If ES wins or draws, the US is ahead of Mexico on points.
If the US loses, and Mexico wins the other match, then all three teams end on three points and it comes to the second tie breaker, which is GD. There,it's complicated, but basically the US needs to lose by less than ES does and not by much. There is one possibility for drawing of lots (ES 1 US 0, Mexico 1, ES 0) and some where the US goes out on goals scored (ES beats the US by 2 and loses to Mexico by 3)

 

That should read if the US wins or draws, the US is ahead of Mexico regardless of who wins ES Mexico

And if ES wins or draws against Mexico, US is also ahead of Mexico

 

Mexico won 6:1. USA will finish ahead of El Salvador on goal differential unless El Salvador beats USA by at least 3.

 

US up 2-1 at the half! (It's live on Facebook on the Concacaf page)