I’m gonna rub my hands together with glee when the forum goes ballistic because Jozy got the call after going on a goal scoring streak in MLS.
Outplayed and outcoached. Yeah we had tired legs, probably some of the guys were still feeling the effects of the stomach thing that swept through the squad. Still- we let the CR B team beat us 2-0. No excuses for the shambolic defending and a crapfest of GKing by Steffen. Berhalter is in over his head and all the opposing teams in the WC know that. I know we're missing some important pieces but with Berhalter at the helm I have no confidence that we can get out of our group.
ARob was definitely showing signs of fatigue. Normally, he would beat his man up and down but he just couldn't tonight. I thought Adams wore down also. I think Costa Rica's fresh legs served them well tonight. Tip of the cap, they were the better team.
Some other perspective: we are 0-3 with a -8 GD with 1 goal scored in our last 3 qualifiers in CRC. We’re 0-0-3 with a GD of 0 and 1 GS against Mexico in Azteca during that same time period . We have always been worse in Saprissa.
One of those is not like the others. Foden is a good player but he’s not in the realm of Mbappe or Haaland. I think Reyna, Pulisic, McKennie, Dest, etc can absolutely be compared to a guy like Foden.
We didn’t play great, but the team should be celebrating. Biggest concern is Steffen. He’s getting worse.
I think Foden has a higher ceiling than every one of our players. He’s just had the Pep/England system handicap thus far
True - that's why I said "best talent in the region," not the world. I do think there's a chance that Reyna could end up being one of the very best in the world at his position, though. We do have the strongest roster in the region, but I'm not sure we ever fielded a truly full-strength starting lineup due to injury and other personnel issues. So I'm pretty good with 25 points and a +11 goal differential.
im a huge fan and low key defender of steffen, but him being out making a save with his rib for some reason kinda excuses everyone else for being completely lost...
We qualified, but was that really in doubt before kickoff? The Ticos played a normal game….pretty much conceding they couldn’t pull it off. I’m not sure about this team. We are missing a lot of players, but never seem to have everyone healthy at the same time. We don’t have a consistent striker, and that’s not on Greg. Dempsey is dead on right now. These players need to head back to their clubs and start kicking ass. Get ready for the WC and be in form. No riding the pine. We can’t go into the WC with three goalkeepers who play backup roles and get minimal PT. Just can’t do it.
Yedlin also with a pretty bad match. I can see some serious hand wringing if he has to play in the WC. His touch is so MLS 2010.
I think if you told me we’d finish with 25 points and a +11 GD, I’d have guessed we lost away to Mexico and CRC and basically hit par everywhere else. Given our inconsistent play and our key players being so young, I’m cool with it
dude, we all are, but what we just watched wasnt exactly conducive to happiness. lets reschedule- say meet back here in a day or two and be thrilled about the big picture. but that match was a draaaaaag.
I have no idea how Greg doesnt John Brooks Steffen after this qualifying cycle. I would be very disappointed if he didnt.
Should have rotated more. I'm disappointed that Reyna didn't play in midfield in any of the three matches in this window. Everyone has mentioned the team missing McKennie this window. I think we missed Dest just as much.
I think Adams is perfectly fine. But if you layer Acosta and Zimm + M. Robinson together, Adams not being better than fine is a problem.
I don't give a crap about this result. I think about October 2017 and that was a much worse feeling. I'm excited that we're back in. McKennie was missed this window. Dest too to a lesser extent.
We have a lot of concerns. A lot of issues. As what we're now facing is not C'CAF but WC group play. Everything is now focused on the better teams from South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. But we have months to discuss it. First and foremost I pray no serious issues to any of our key players.
Rebuttal: We played better than them for 60 minutes, they scored a goal against the run of play that our keeper probably should have done better with, then score another goal off a cross our keeper definitely should have done better with, after which we're gassed and realize it doesn't matter any way. It was a disappointing game. But the sky really isn't falling on a day our de-facto U-23 national team qualifies for a World Cup on a journey that was never really in doubt.
god, hopefully horvath as actually won the job at forest cause turners going to be sitting just like steffen is.