PBP: 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship: USA vs. Costa Rica 3/18 5:30 ET

No, sometimes it isn’t, this is one of those occasions.

 

The field condition looked pretty bad as well and the 90 degree certainly didn't help either.

 

I was hoping for a replay, because I'm pretty sure he could've made something if he hadn't just thrown himself to the ground...

 

Well... we won. Ochoa was awesome. His saves and presence kept us in the game. He was fun to watch too.

Pineda was god awful. Idk if Kessler would be any better. Good thing we probably won’t need a result against Mexico to qualify. Can anyone else play CB??

 

Oof that was tough.

I honestly think this comes down to the fact that these guys haven’t played a game in months and most of Costa Rica players are in mid-season. We know most of these guys play better in MLS.

Maybe we’re a bit better in the Mexico game with this game and the next under our belt in time for (you’d) hope a semifinal against Haiti or Canada.

 

U23 and this team really isn't a youth team. It's a team taped together due to 5 extenuating circumstances. Must be U23, Had to be almost all domestic, had to miss 4 teams, had to be released, of course no injuries. We probably have 30 U23 players who are better than most here.

 

He did make something of it. As you said, he threw himself on the ground. He literally lunged to the left, in an attempt to draw contact, and then hit the deck. Absolutely comical dive.

 

A win is a loss. I learned something here. No 3 points? Teach me more.

 

Yup there was an analysis that showed this looks like a C- USMNT.

 

For the last 15 minutes plus stoppage time, we hoofed the ball away to nobody, and jogged around.

Thankfully, CR was relatively toothless, but a good attacking team takes this team behind the woodshed.

Positives: Ochoa was very good, no big mistakes and a handful of good saves. The forwards were very mediocre, and the FBs were decent.

Negatives: The midfield was terrible and outmatched. The center-backs turned in one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen at a YNT tournament as a unit, and the entire team can go about 60 minutes before running completely out of energy.

 

I think it may be a C- U23 USMNT. I think only Vines, Araujo, and Ferriera even sniff full team caps from here on out.

 

Did I say anything like that? Not all wins are created equal, sometimes you win with a bad performance, this is one of those.

disagree?

 

To be honest, Costa Rica absolutely deserved the win here. That sure was dire. A lucky win is a lucky win, but ayayayay que feo!

 

I do adhere to the belief that a win in an away qualifier is a good win. Period.

That said, I don't think anyone in the starting 11 (I'll cut the subs some slack) looks they have serious senior team potential other than Ochoa.

 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned following the MNT, it’s to not take a gifted win for granted. We lose plenty of games, and plenty of games we “should” win. I’ll take wins however I can get them.

 

I think a win is a win saying means exactly that. it is a win with a poor performance.

 

Of the OF's, the FB's were ok. Best of the starters. Araujo brought it in his limited minutes. Start that man - center, perimeter, mf - find a place.

Everybody else in the OF were mediocre or worse, starter and sub.

The tactical plan of build-up and press was stubborn. It would have been fine if they brought and played the proper personnel. But he didn't.

I guess Kreis deserves some credit for adjusting to go defensive with a lead. But even there he didn't provide an outlet up top. It was Soto, so a black hole. Tough to score and they came close to breaking us down.

There had to have been plenty of scouts watching, giving players an opportunity to impress for a Euro move. But only Ochoa did. Araujo didn't get a chance. USS & a couple MLS clubs not putting their best foot forward from this standpoint. I can think of so many guys who could have used these games as a showcase for club & country.

 

While they dominated the second half really no good scoring chances.

 

Positive points:

• Ochoa
• Dotson
• Glad was actually very good on defense and saved our bacon quite a bit. The passing was not good.
• Saucedo was excellent off the bench
• Vines for the first half. I believe he spent the second half on the bench as the ball rarely got to him.

I have to imagine Kessler is better than Pineda, who is supposed to be out there for his distribution. That was not there, and he was poor on defense, so there needs to be a rotation there.

I thought Michel was pretty terrible, both poor on the ball and inactive off the ball.

Biggest disappointment was the lack of conditioning. It's hard to stay sharp in the off-season, but you can stay in shape. If this team could have played with the first 10 minute intensity for even half the game, we would have rolled CR.

 

Fair enough. I’m drunk and I’m happy we won despite looking like shit.

 

OMG this Alexi Lalas 11 JFC

 

Another words bags of money and coke exchanged hands.

 

I turned it off. What is it?

 

Yueill was as bad as Pineda, absolutely terrible, horrific, etc.

Glad only excels in a bunker, which he causes by keeping the ball in our box, he’s not and never will be national team caliber.