Canada won the 50-50 balls, and unlike most CONCACAF teams, they have the offensive firepower to turn them into points. That is the game in a nutshell.
When it’s this bad, there is no such thing as overreaction. And yes, it’s that bad... Here is your emoji...
That is actually what Berhalter said. Piette had a monster game. That's what I said. Nobody is going to post an all touches McKennie game next to an all touches Piette game (altho 'touches' doesn't do justice to what Pietter did). It will not happen on these boards, trust me.
We have no outside shooters. And that is problem in a game like this. Whipping in crosses to Josh Sarge is not going to work very often against Canada. Passes should go to your teammate, not the opposition. If they are fast, you need to defend them that way. Long, fast as he is, was not tight enough a few times. Ream is too slow. (BTW the 1st half OS was a bad call. We got lucky there too.)
My problem here is that, Canada Publicly stated that they were going to go after Bradley as he is the weak-spot. EVEN our opponent knows about Our internal corruption. PATHETIC.
Why do our Star players look like Crap and the other teams players look like Stars? lets stop with the tangents/ defelctions/ over-analysis and get right to the source. It starts at the top. We have a nasty control-freak cabal that is destroying our national team.
It's not though. Conventional wisdom says you hire Tata. The problem is people like Donovan said it was important that the coach speak english. Whilst I get that to a point, it is pretty far down the list of what I want in a head coach.
It's very simple, Canada beat us with 3 on 6 numbers. For BOTH Long & Yedlin to allow Davies to get behind them...piss poor inexcusable! In a situation like that you need to be man-marking not ball-watching. Roldan, to his credit, has at least moved into a potential passing lane. That kind of fundamental breakdown just shows we may be a first world country but we play with third world soccer intelligence (and we have the coaches to prove it).
Well in a month the rematch is in Orlando. If this team tanks this tournament, which is very possible, bring a coach that doesn't speak english. If they have tactics and can switch strategies depending on the opponent that would be better. Admittedly, this team has no Donovans or Dempseys or hell even HeyDudes or Eddie Lewis' ... this team is going to have to raise their game. It's odd but the US team could always hold possession of the ball for minor stretches. But tonight's performance was as if they were deer caught in headlights with the exception of 2 players.
That is the thing Gregg immediately pointed out after the game in an interview—that Canada were more hungry. Problem is that it’s one of the things a manager is responsible for—to make sure your players are motivated and hungry with the correct attitude every time they step onto the pitch.
As a Philadelphia Union fan, I am amazed (but I guess not fully surprised) that we could not generate many chances or score any goals against a central defense that included a Philadelphia Union reject.
And lost badly. More players need to refuse call ups. Nagbe wont come...if pulisic were to refuse...that would open some eyes. He was not the problem and yet GB gave him the hook. Meanwhile, Roldan continues. FIRE GB. It's the right thing to do
You know, I think someone on here said it best... It’s not that what we lost, it’s how we lost. For the past year, Berhalter has been making wild decisions (Adams at right back, bringing back Bradley, relying too much on Zardes and Trapp, Lovitz, switching up the CB every game, playing out of the back, etc.). His team has seemed disjointed, uninterested, and incoherent of any real plan except we keep hearing about this master system and style of play that one day we will he gifted with. Now, I’m all for giving a new coach a longer leash. No new coach should be fired after his first few windows. But, Berhalter’s no longer in his new window, and what do we have to show for it? This team was not just outclassed. They more importantly looked like they didn’t want to be there. When we can see the heartbreak from the players, who obviously seem disconnected with the coach and his system. It’s not a good sign. Lastly though, what about us as fans? I know the players are the ones who play the game. But what about all of us that invest our time, money, and energy into this team? We expect to at least not play like we’re the equivalent to the Faroe Islands. I don’t want to see my players visibly frustrated and disconnected with the coach. Sometimes, that’s the player, but in this case, I don’t really hear anyone rallying in Berhalter’s defense. The whole thing was a giant mess. And for the past FIVE years!!! This program has been a disaster. The whole thing started sinking in 2015, and things were ignored. And after it blew up in our faces in 2017, the problem still isn’t fixed or showing any signs of being fixed. Dear US soccer, give me a reason to care. More importantly, give new, potential fans a reason to care. Because I tell you what, Gregg Berhalter is alienating his team, his fans, and his country.
Since around the time of GC 2011 we started setting some negative milestones: First, home loss to Panama in the prelims of that GC; that was the first one ever. Then we lost to Jamaica in the WCQ semis (first loss to Jamaica in a meaningful game in decades if ever), plus looked shaky against Guatemala away (1-1 draw), Jamaica at home (edged out a 1-0 win), and needed a late late goal to beat Antigua and Barbuda away (2-1). We redeemed it all seemingly with a great 2013, plus a really nice 2014 WC run. Then it was 2015 and we then lost at home to Jamaica (QC semis, 2-1) which was our first ever home loss to Jamaica (or at least in however many decades), followed by the just god-awful loss to Panama in the 3d place game. WCQ 18 was a fiasco even before Couva. Remember that we drew T&T away and lost to Guatemala in an embarrassing fiasco, and were facing early elimination before we righted the ship with some resounding wins that caused people to forget how terribly we played. And then it was goodbye to dos a cero and the first home loss to Mexico in WCQ since forever; and don't forget both the pornographic beatdown at Costa Rica plus the home loss to them, not sure the last time we've lost 0-6 on agg to any team in WCQ. And it all wrapped up, of course, with the most humiliating loss in US Soccer history, which knocked us out of the WC and provided a depressing counterpoint to the Caligiuri goal. That about brings us to last night, a completely deserved 0-2 loss to a confederation opponent who we've not lost to since the mid-80s. Canada may not be more talented (though I'm really not sure about that), but they were better organized, better in execution, brought more intensity, and handed our asses to us. What does this trend line of historically significant losses mean, which has early roots in 2011 and seems to be inexorable? Everyone can have their theory--lost generation, JK, etc.--but the evidence shows a program in slow but steady decline relative to the teams around it. Part of this is coaching; part of this is talent; and part of this is a loss of confidence and spirit. It's the last one that concerns me the most. Coaches can be fired. Players can be found and developed (though I still think the players we had from 1994-2010 were on average better than the ones we do now). But a team that lacks a fighting spirit--well you all saw it last night. The US used to be an overachieving team, and this is what made them compelling to me when I started to follow them closely in 2001. They weren't the most talented squad around, but they managed to exceed their expectations due to grit and intensity, and it made them inspiring to watch. Now the opposite is true. The US seems to go through the motions, getting beaten by hungrier and arguably less talented teams, and they don't even seem that bothered about it. Gagg certainly doesn't, if the press conference is any indication. And the worst part of it for me is: I just don't care that much. There was a time when a loss to Canada in a meaningful game would have made me nauseated with disappointment and disbelief. Now I can totally believe it, especially after watching the first part of that fiasco, and I'm not even that disappointed. I even turned off the game halfway through the second half, partly because I didn't see the US doing anything worth watching, but mainly because I just didn't care. TL;DR: The program is in a low point but the signs of decline date to around 2011; I don't even care that much.
Canada and US won the same # of 50/50s--49. https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2019-10-15-canada-vs-us-mens-national-team/stats