2022 WC Qatar: Worldwide Opponents Watch [all R's]

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by Sebsasour, Jun 5, 2019.

  1. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Mexico had to keep pushing for another goal because of the fair play and got caught out because of all the players pushing up. It still played a big part.
     
  2. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm in the minority, but I'm sorry you guys (and Canada) are out. I'm hoping Costa Rica can make it through next, but they have a tough match ahead of them with Germany fighting for their lives.

    I cheer for all the CONCACAF teams in the WC because a rising tide lifts all CONCACAF boats.
     
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  3. zlatan_but_a_car

    Botswana Meat Commission FC
    United States
    Oct 16, 2017
    Today was always going to be a good day. I only truly hate Mexico when they play us, outside of that I find them fun to watch (most of the time). If they had succeeded "huzzah CONCACAF bros, we're all under-respected on the global stage" and such, when they lost "lmao L-Tri" and all that.

    But I really really wanted them to go out on Fair Play points. It would've been so hilariously cruel. I was always going to get joy from this match, but I could've maximized my joy if KSA hadn't scored.
     
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  4. laxcoach

    laxcoach Member+

    United States
    Jul 29, 2017
    intermountain west
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    US is the shark among minnows right now and it won't change soon. Why pretend?

    I too wanted El Tri to go down for 'fair play' if they were going to go out. Fitting tribute to them.
     
  5. BatigoL5

    BatigoL5 Member

    Apr 24, 2004
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hope Mexico knows there is still World Cup games to be played.

    I know there are games this weekend.

    Just don't know who is playing.

    But I do know who ISN'T playing

    hahahahaha
     
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  6. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Mexico had the easiest CONCACAF group, and I think we went through versus them mostly on the strength of our midfield, but I do think a non-zero % reason for the difference was the England won their opener 6-2 and Argentina lost theirs to the one of the presumptive easier teams.

    England could manage through at that point, but Argentina needed the W badly.

    This game ... I am shocked Mexico didn't get the third goal. Two called back for offside. A great save on a free kick. Saudi Arabia was collapsing.
     
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  7. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yea, it was a win-win for me. I'd have started to unequivocally root against them in the KO's so they wouldn't get further and for the lol's they always get bounced at that point.
     
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  8. papermache16

    papermache16 Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Again, this proves how big a deal what the final standings of CONCACAF qualifying is and how indicative it is of how a team will do in the World Cup.

    Oh wait.
     
  9. AutoPenalti

    AutoPenalti Am I famous yet?

    Sep 26, 2011
    Coconut Creek
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kind of disappointed in terms of CONCACAF representation.
     
  10. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    This passion won't happen after globalization is achieved, when we have Petrobras playing Apple in a semi, and Alpha Romero playing Bayer Pharmaceuticals in the other.
     
  11. grandinquisitor28

    Feb 11, 2002
    Nevada
    Just like we needed Couva to get our heads out of our rear ends, El Tri probably needed this to better take seriously the degradation of the program. It sucks and it hurts for them, but they'll have 6 months shorter wait for the next world cup and they get to co-host it. Hopefully they do at least some of the work necessary to stem the rot because they've definitely fallen off as a program since the middle chunk of the last decade (feels like '15), and it clearly started to hit the senior team by '21 after hitting the youth teams a good five or so years earlier. It sounds like what matters most is figuring out how to stop development blockages at the biggest clubs. Maybe import our salary cap lol, though I doubt they do that. But they definitely need to fix it at the club level, and in fairness to them, a few changes w/call ups and that conservative approach and they're through, only to get smashed by France. Maybe this way, the changes happen. They have more than enough ammo to build themselves back into a world power in no time, just need the reformative will.
     
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  12. Dr Jay

    Dr Jay BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 7, 1999
    Newton, MA USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes but it wont make any difference 4 years from now.
     
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  13. diablodelsol

    diablodelsol Member+

    Jan 10, 2001
    New Jersey
    That’s club football.
     
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  14. zlatan_but_a_car

    Botswana Meat Commission FC
    United States
    Oct 16, 2017
    Hey now, I believe in CR!
     
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  15. grandinquisitor28

    Feb 11, 2002
    Nevada
    He coached and behaved like he was 100% out. There was a lot of full scale DGAF to the last 8 months of his regime.
     
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  16. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    I've been saying this for a while: football is evolving into a more physical game, a less "intellectual" one, so countries with less physical people will be at a serious disadvantage.

    Brains could compensate for it back when you didn't have all games widely available to all kids through the Internet, and to coaches. But now everybody can do the "brains" part.

    What you cannot get is an extensive pool of 6'4" strong defenders, when the genetics of your people have a median size of 5'7" instead of 5'10".



    PS: Italy in Europe has been the first casualty of the trend, IMO. Top footballers in Italy came from less affluent classes, and tended to be shorter than the average Italian, who is still fairly short in Europe.
     
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  17. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Federation coaching hires are like rebound partners.

    After years of domestic hires who focused on work and grinding, US Soccer went and got the shiny penny visionary in Jurgen. After Jurgen, they went after someone who focuses on preparation, is even keeled, and will work with the organization instead of against it.

    Mexico had a string of domestic coaches but couldn't break through, so they went for the brilliant mind in Osorio. Then they got sick of the tinkering and went with the consistent and established but still big named Tata. Now all the talk is that they need a Mexican because foreigners just don't understand Mexico/don't care, etc.

    All these things may or may not be true, but there's always tendency to see saw. Berhalter is the literal definition of a rebound chick from Jurgen, for example.
     
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  18. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    There won't be nation-states.
     
  19. DIMITAR BERBATOV!

    Aug 2, 2010
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right.

    The goal of qualifying is just that...to qualify.

    In the end, it's a binary, all-or-nothing thing.

    The USA was always the best team in this cycle. Canada finishing higher didn't disprove that.

    Look at UEFA. Serbia finished ahead of Portugal. Who would you rather play tomorrow in a knockout?

    It was fun to see Canada make a WC, but some of their fans got carried away.

    They were always likely to be humbled at the WC.

    On the other hand, Mexico just bottled it while Costa Rica have a low ceiling due to pool limitations. They never had a deep talent pool in the first place, and their best guys are generally past-it (Ruiz, Borges, Bolanos, etc).
     
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  20. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    This is the fourth time Mexico has been held to 4 points since 1994, but the first time they didn't advance. That sounds mathematically about right, that 4 points gives you a 75% chance to advance.
     
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  21. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    I read that he tried to quit and they wouldn't let him?

    BTW, I somewhat called that. This is only the second time Tata has lasted in any job for four years, and it's clear he wanted out earlier. He doesn't like staying put, even in good situations.
     
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  22. BatigoL5

    BatigoL5 Member

    Apr 24, 2004
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    back to a world power?
    hahaha
    when has mexico ever been considered a world power??

    concacaf i'll give you that
    on the world stage? hahaha, that's a hard no
     
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  23. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Yes, but I believe CAF didn't have anyone go through in 2018 and AFC in 2014, so at least we've got us (and like a Keylor Navas-sized shot at Costa Rica).
     
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  24. Ironbound

    Ironbound Member+

    Jul 1, 2009
    At least we never had an embarrassing hookup with Sven Goran Eriksson.
     
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  25. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Italy won the Euro Cup as recently as last summer, and went out in the World Cup in a one game playoff. I put that more on the format where it put the whole qualification campaign on a one game scenario.
     
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