Pre-match: 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals: USA vs Cuba 7/18

Idc. We dont need a special player to come in and save the day who will never play for us again, johaanson/zardes/dempsey are more than enough capable of EACH having two goals against cuba. Idk why everyone is thinking this could be a "close" game. This is not honduras, panama..hell even el salvador or gautemala..this is CUBA, idk if you guys even watched their last game but they were extremely fortunate to not get scored on against a weak guatemala and virtually no chances at goal..they got lucky.

 

Sorry, I have to disagree here:

1. Our coaching staff is coaching for a tournament, and one of the key attributes you want to leverage as a team in any tournament is your depth. So, it makes sense that you rest players that you can when you can. So, I don't get the minimum respect for stability and cohesiveness statement. It seems to me that the team that was sent out in the first game was the assumed starters/core. The second game we gave most of them a rest and then in the third game we replaced a few starters with others who were in better form.
2. BS is always going to have a lot of discussion, because we are a bunch of nervous nellies who don't agree on much.
3. Competitors are weak in comparison to us because we are better than they are, while that doesn't mean we are 'good' in all contexts it does mean we are 'good' in the context of the Gold Cup. While we haven't played 'joga bonito' we did what we needed to in the group stage and now enter the the dicey stage of the tournament.

I agree with the poster that says we should win by 4 to 6 goals. If we only win by 1, I'll be disappointed, yes, but not looking for any scalps.

 

Its kind of hard not to have that with only 12 teams.

 

Experience has shown this *not* to be the case for fringe and/or new players. Missing pre-season training when you are trying to break into the team can be a hindrance.

 

While you make good points to a certain degree, here is why I'm angry and disappointed:

After the 2014 WC in which we over-achieved, I was expecting even more evolution over another year of preparation, and thought that we'd get to this Gold Cup (at home, no less) and make a short snack of the opponents until the final. I thought the first games would be a mere formality to reach the final, likely against either Mexico or Costa Rica, and then anything might happen but we'd either win or give them a hard time. I thought that after handling fairly well (win or lose) the likes of Germany, Portugal, Ghana, and Belgium, we'd have no trouble handling the likes of Haiti, Honduras, and even Panama. I thought we'd have a cohesive core and basically would put that core forward except for resting a couple of players in a meaningless game (like Dempsey and Bradley after clinching the group).

So what I see instead is regression rather than evolution, and what I see is a confused and discombobulated team that needs to face all these lowly opponents like we're playing for our lives and suffering all these scares while they pressure us and penetrate our defense at will (well they sucked at finishing otherwise we'd have had a historical fiasco and would have been eliminated in group phase, as shown by Haiti shooting 21 times at our goal) getting a couple of lucky and undeserved wins by the minimum score and barely managing a tie in the last game.

OK, I'm willing to suspend disbelief if we beat Cuba comfortably as we should, dispatch the winner of Haiti/Jamaica by a couple of goals or even 1-0, and perform decently in the final, win or lose.

But for now I'm deeply unimpressed and kind of appalled at the management.

 

That depends on how you do. If you miss the pre-season training for the sake of sitting on the bench of your national team, then yes. If you miss it to shine in an international tournament, then no. If you really need to worry that much, then maybe you are just not good enough to start with (fringe indeed).

But yes, I acknowledge that you do have a point.

 

We should be able to beat Cuba, initially a weak side and by now in the tournament a side barely able to field a proper team, by 8-0. Worst case, say playing as we did against Guatemala in the friendly, we win 4-0. Even a JK team can meet these expectations......yes?

 

Frankly, I don't think we fear the opponent, I think it has to do more with fearing ourselves not playing our best.

 

So what is the payout on odds Alexi Lalas will talk about the importance of set pieces against a bunkering Cuba?

 

I get your frustration, but a few things have happened along the way to this tournament. The most glaring is not finding a true LB to relieve Fabian Johnson from that task. Untimely injuries to Jones (who had a better WC than Bradley), Morris getting a hairline fracture, he wasn't a regular but was a revelation as a sub, and of course, the resting of Williams (I think he is better than Beckerman) and Cameron, who can be a steady presence in defense.

 

I have a pair of extra tickets for the GC Quarterfinals in Baltimore on Sat 7/18.
USA v Cuba 5pm

Sect 141, row 42. On the aisle, right next to USA supporters section.

Face Value $110 for the pair. PM ME

 

I have a pair of extra tickets for the GC Quarterfinals in Baltimore on Sat 7/18.
USA v Cuba 5pm

Sect 141, row 42. On the aisle, right next to USA supporters section.

Face Value $110 for the pair. PM Me.

 

I think this game may play similarly to the Honduras match. We won't be able to break down their defense in the first half through the run of play, but I see us being able to tally a goal or two from a set piece. Then, when Cuba HAVE to come out of their bunker, we'll be able to use our more skilled players to nab a second, third and maybe fourth.

The key is to score before the first half ends. In some way.

 

Wondo?

 

Thank you Alexi, your input always appreciated.

 

I'm going to make the same recommendation I had for the US Women against Japan - score early, score often. Seems to have worked.

 

Seriously, soccer "minows" aren't necessarily laying down for anyone around the world. Look at recent friendly results around the world, the San Marino's and Malta's of the world aren't getting blown out like they were even a few years ago. The game isn't as simple as the quality you have on the field, it's about making it difficult for the opponent, and these smaller sides are becoming more and more educated in tactics that prevent the superior sides from playing their brand of football. Teams like Honduras, Panama, and Haiti are big, physical sides that usually compete very well against us, Mexico and Costa Rica. We have played like shite, no doubt about that, but hopefully we can play up to our potential starting now. If Jurgen can't get these guys sorted now, I will be disappointed.

 

It's the exception rather than the rule when we cake-walk through a CONCACAF qualifier or Gold Cup match. Inconsistent refereeing, poor field conditions, a bunkering opponent, a hacking opponent, hostile fans whether home or away... these are the realities of CONCACAF even before you look at the opponent's quality or our own form. Every game is a slog.

We finished the group stage at the top of the group and with no injuries. Given the realities of this competition, I'll take it.

 

Show me:

---------------------Zardes------------------------------
---------------------------------------Dempsey----
-----------------------------Bradley----------Bedoya----
------------Corona------------------------------------------
----------------------------------Mix------------------------
Fabian----------------------------------------------Yedlin
--------------------Brooks--------Alvarado--------------
----------------------------Guzan-------------------------

This is what I would LIKE to see, because Corona and Mix have shown to work VERY well together, but I have my doubts on that.

It would be good to see Corona used right away to get an idea of what he looks like. Cuba shouldn't be too tough of a test...but you never know.

Gordon in for Zardes if he's not performing.

I think we see:

---------------------Zardes------------------------------
---------------------------------------Dempsey----
-----------------------------Bradley----------Bedoya----
------------Mix------------------------------------------
------------------------------Beckermann-------------
Fabian----------------------------------------------Yedlin
--------------------Brooks--------Alvarado--------------
----------------------------Guzan-------------------------

Still a good lineup. I think JK isn't over Brooks and Alvarado and won't be. There's a TON of potential there. Testing vs. Cuba is almost a no brainer. Will he give Clint a rest and put in Aron maybe?

 

There's a major difference in these two sets of games- the former (where we did well) was all against teams that used high pressure and took the game to us (I added Holland to your list). The latter was all against teams that bunkered and looked to hit us on the counter.

There are several possible conclusions to draw from these two sets of results, and one possible answer is we are playing disappointingly down below our previous highs. However, I propose that a simpler solution that fits all the facts is that we are a very good counter-attacking team and not so good at breaking down a packed defense.

Personally, I think that breaking down an organized, physical and bunkering defense is the hardest thing to do in international soccer. It takes very special players on highly skilled and organized teams to do it consistently. I don't think we have that level of "very special" player. So, we do what most of the rest of the world has to do when facing these kind of teams- score on set pieces, draw pks and score the occasional brilliant goal from the run of play (or a counter-counter attack). Truth is that as long as we stay organized on our defense, we shouldn't give up many goals and will stand a good chance of winning these games. We just won't blow anyone out. It's hard to blow out a team that is committed to defending with 10 or 11 players.

 

Honduras did anything but bunker.