Pre-match: U.S.A. vs. Panama, CONCACAF U-20 Championship, 2/18 @ 2:30 PM Central

So when we lose to Haiti am I going to hear how much better CONCACAF has gotten and how it isn't a big deal that we lost?

Donovan and Dempsey seem like luck despite our systems flaws. Structure and the DA has brought forth robotic players with no creativity or tactical nous. Ramos needs to go but not all of his fault either. Ramos is there of course because of the good old boys clubs and his connections.

Klinsmann isn't a very good keeper, there because of his father and the system we have. Who you know can keep you in the picture longer.

At what point do we stop making excuses by saying CONCACAF has gotten better and we will be fine. Love the mediocrity and acceptance. This might be the only place where people actually give a damn, that is part of the reason why Ramos and even Klinsmann kept his job for so long. No accountability or pressure from the media or press.

 

I thought that way for a long time but, to my everlasting shame, kept my mouth shut. One of the things that always bugged me about Yedlin was that he would get in a great position due to speed and then sit there with his trademark shrug and frantic facial expression as if to say "okay, who do I cross it to." Having said all that, and admittedly with a few too many cups of Pinot Noir in the bank, Yedlin has blossomed under Rafa to the point that I would pick him over Chandler, Lichaj, Arriola, Cameron, or many others. And I never thought I would say that.

And to pile on to the discussion you brought up earlier, I agree the USMNT should look south for inspiration. We started with the old school English model and that got us just so far for a while. Lately it seems that we have been trying to emulate a sort of quasi teutonic impressionist express yourself and rip phone books in half post modernist model.

But I also disagree with you. By looking South, in my mind, I don't mean recruiting every chavo del barrio con una pelota en los pies. I mean, instead, that our focus should be on dominating CONCACAF and eventually being competitive against most CONMEBOL sides. In practical terms that means beating Mexico and Costa Rica at their own game and having enough organization, inspiration and relative superiority (to steal a special operations phrase) to consistently give sides like Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia and Chile a run for their money. Once we master that task, we can probably expect to upset the occasional Argentina and Brazil.

To accomplish this, we have to consistently compete with our neighbors. What a concept! Instead of hoping for MLS to one day be invited to the Champions League, we should demand inclusion in Libertadores. We need to figure out a way to trash our lame excuses and start winning in CCL. We need to advocate for continued CONCACAF inclusion in Copa America building on the Centennial. If all that means finding our talent in the streets of LA or the Rio Grande Valley, so be it. But whatever we do should be incremental. Let's conquer our hemisphere and then we can set our sights on the World Cup.

 

God Bless your cotton socks, you figured it out!

 

When we lose to Nicaragua and Belize?

 

That will be starting in the EPL in a few months. And nobody is calling him Philip Lahm for crying out loud.

 

Playing Libertadores would teach our local players so much...

But to get the invite, we need to win a CCL first, or a few.

Mexico is out this cycle because of the reorganization, but they're already negotiating returning for next season. They know how important it's to play against those clubs to "foguear" (temper) their players' steel.

 

Seriously getting strong second and third divisions is the ultimate goal.

Klinsmann came in place and started turning the team into a mini-Germany, it didn't work, we don't have the resources or the history of Germany, the Germans spend too much money on soccer.

Guess what history and resources we have? Millions of Hispanic-Americans that breath the sport...

How do we facilitate the process? Second and third divisions; longer seasons, higher salaries, better organization, better incentives.

What's the first step? The big boss have to be a proven Hispanic coach, someone with Libertadores and Conmebol experience, winning record as a coach, no as a player, Pellegrini for example, Schelotto...

 

Even if I knew absolutely nothing about the beautiful game (which is pretty damn close to the truth) I would be able to tell instantly that that is prevaricating. That is the type of weaselly take no responsibility comment that is far too common these days in all walks of life.

 

Right now the Mexican team may be the most talented team ever, yes, Copa Libertadores is getting them there.

 

What does Libertadores have to do with the U20 team? If we had MLS teams go, we'd have what like 1 or 2 U20 eligible players playing in it at the very best?

 

Of course you are correct. But the conversation took a turn towards the overall US program and seeing as how this match is gone and done with, a little reflection on our overall philosophy probably ain't hurting nuthin.

 

Do we really have to explain this guy about the importance of Libertadores?

Speechless

 

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I select players based on skull shape and astrological sign.

 

Did I read this right? Up a man for 72 minutes and lost to panama? Just can't be any excuse for that.

 

Yes you read that right. But in fairness, it was worse than it sounds.

 

I understand the awesomeness of Libertadores. But are you thinking if MLS participated, which would be the 5th-8th place MLS teams by CONCACAF rules, we'd all of a sudden be winning youth WC's?

Mexico hasn't done jack shit since being invited to Libertadores. They needed us to beat Panama to play in the last WC.

 

Still speechless

 

Because you have zero answers. You think there's all these studs playing in rec leagues that the U.S. is missing out on, even though Mexico is calling in American born players

 

I personally think the issue here is player selection. Not necessarily that we are not scouting players. Simply that Tab did not select enough difference makers from the rather large pool available. Not bringing in Yueill because other players have more versatility smacks of over thinking.

Playing a CB as a DM and a DM as a CM certainly didn't help either.

 

Forget Dempsey and Donovan we probably just popped out the greatest American player ever.

 

Oscar Sorto?

 

Panama was closer to the 2-0 than we were to the 1-1.

And they didn't just bunker and counter. They controlled possession for stretches of the game.

In the end, Panama had one more shot (10 to our 9), same shots on goal (2-2), one fewer corner kick (6-5) and we had more fouls (22-16):

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...2017-concacaf-u20-championship-group-b-opener

And that playing 80% of the game down a man.

 

As much as I am looking forward to the successful conclusion of the argument to determine the racial makeup of the national team program, I think I'd rather hear about the status of Tyler Adams injury.

Perhaps there is a pre-game thread for the next match that I missed that I can subscribe to?

 

Tyler Adams #RBNY will have MRI on his sprained ankle tomorrow-initial X-ray's negative-likely out for remainder of @CONCACAF qualifiers

— Glenn Crooks (@GlennCrooks) February 19, 2017

Sprained ankle is last I saw.

 

The best u-20's not included were Pulisic, Haji Wright, Kai Koreniuk, CCV, Weston McKennie, Jackson Yueill, Josh Perez, Mukwelle Akale, Matthew Olosunde, Nick Taitague, Justin Vom Steeg, etc. One Latino that I count.

The problem is this could essentially be our startring 11 when enter in another center back..... A Pulisic, Gedion, Akale, Yueill midfield would be the most technical midfield we as a country have ever produced at any age.

ITS SO FRUSTRATING we don't get to see it.