Pre-match: WCQ: USA vs. Panama (10/6/17)

Weston McKennie has played 6 bundesliga matches! Call me when Braldey does that, bro!

 

First off, before we start worrying about getting punked in Russia, screwed at the draw, or done in by the refs, lets actually qualify.

Second, FIFA won't screw us, we are their baby. Soccer is boomong here. MLS attendance is higher than League 1 & almost as high as Serie A. They are colluding with us right now to get us the 2026 bid. Just as soon as they take the "vote."

Why would Putin screw us? He controls most of the executive branch of our government. It would be like screwing himself.

If there is a team that should be worried about getting jobbed, it is Panama.

I'd love a Russia draw. If we get there. We can beat them. That is our best draw.

 

I’m pretty sure he played more than 6 games for Borussia Mönchengladbach. I also can’t tell if you’re joking.

 

He's probably worse now than then. Age and complacency do funny things to players...

 

Lineup at 3:30 pacific time?

 

For the record, I am pissed about our venue choices this hex. Win, lose, or draw. Shortsighted greed wins over patriotism. Someone at USSF should be fired.

 

We COULD just cut and paste ole threads while changing the name of the opponent for most pregame threads on here!

 

I think the group draws and especially the second round opponent drawn 2002 had just a smidge to do with that!

 

I bet he is.

 

Shocked!

 

FYP.

 

Howard in goal, Gonzalez in the lineup, no Cameron, Arriola gets a start in midfield, Dempsey on the bench again.

Showtime.

Meet your starting XI for #USAvPAN, presented by @VolpiFoods1902.

Lineup notes » https://t.co/4A7To0F6yS pic.twitter.com/xWR7Ff312k

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 6, 2017

 

oh god, not again

 

Tonight’s U.S. MNT Starting XI vs. Panama: 1-Tim Howard, 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 3-Omar Gonzalez, 4-Michael Bradley, 5-Matt Besler, 6-Darlington Nagbe, 9-Bobby Wood, 10-Christian Pulisic, 15-Jorge Villafaña 17-Jozy Altidore, 21-Paul Arriola

 

That'd make sense if we had the CBs to play effectively in a 3-5-2. They'd need to mesh well and we'd the two outside backs to be pretty mobile and pass well. Cameron, and...??? ... profit? Maybe Brooks? Besler in the middle?

We'd also need two good wingbacks, which given Yedlin and Johnson's ability to play MF we probably actually have. Yedlin's speed is a plus.

It could be done effectively, but it would be a gamble at the back, whatever the benefits for the attack might be.

 

I can live with that. I'm sure I won't have a lot of company in feeling that way

 

About as attacking as we can get.

Assuming a diamong midfield with Pulisic in the middle

 

No Cameron, look at it again, its a back 4.

 

So.... either Bruce called in an injured Cameron, while neglecting to call Miazga as well, or this dude legitimately rates Omar above both.

That's simply crazy.

Omar will either tie Yedlin back or you're left with a slow ass all hell Omar covering when Yedlin bombs forward. Holy shit.

 

Aww, I deleted my post so people wouldn't see my lineup mis-read. Wishful thinking I guess. Same with the inclusion of GCam....

I was thinking how that lineup seems to have a ton of players, and I guess I was off by one extra.

 

Naw. We'll get drawn into Wales' or Poland's group. I can just taste the mediocrity

 

We should win this by a couple of goals at least. I do not like the MB and Nagbe pairing. Neither one of those do enough defensively.

 

Hopefully Besler will be able to cover for Omar's blushes. And Yedlin tracks back/doesn't get beat for pace, unlike Zusi in Honduras.

 

“Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was Oh no, not again. Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why the bowl of petunias had thought that we would know a lot more about the nature of the Universe than we do now.”

I find this actually remarkably apropos of the game that is about to start, I suspect

 

This is all kinds of stupid. If you're not going to put Cameron at CB, you put him at DM. Nagbe to help defensively? Is there another Nagbe I'm unaware of?

I'm told it's coach's decision re: Cameron, plus Besler and Gonzalez have started together more than any other CB combo this year.

— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 6, 2017