You have not seen the replay then. I'd post a screenshot for you if this message board wasn't stuck in 2004 Not the start the #USMNT drew up. Costa Rica leads after 60 seconds in Columbus (via @ESPNFC) pic.twitter.com/1DI47EY9ol— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) October 13, 2021 go to 56 seconds and watch slowly
I was thinkng the same thing. Jamaica has played 4 road games and only 2 at home, right? They are so unpredictable, they might still have a shot at 3rd. Canada has yet to play in Central America, right?
Costa Rica surprisingly played us pretty straight up. W/ more favorable calls it may have worked out for them. But the better play was probably to bunker, especially when you're that old. They have a lot of confidence playing against us for results over the years. Ironically they have less vs. many worse teams. The cm did what their m.o. was, which was win most balls, go, but see a lot of attacks die in the final 3rd. Adams was doing his job as a 6, Musah as an 8, Wes you're just usually sacrificing finals balls out of cm when he's your 10. It's a miscast. We'll be better when Gio or Ledezma is in there, and sometimes I think Lletget still, if the progressors are behind him. These were easier home matches, obviously. He shouldn't be fully discarded. Berhalter needs to use certain players situationally. That may include Wes, or some other name players too. Would have helped if Aaronson wasn't so off. He needs a rest. He's been overworked w/ how much Reyna & Pulisic haven't been available these two windows. Was more an asset in theory than reality this window. The d was discernibly shakier back there w/out Turner in net, and a pairing for Miles that didn't include Zimm, McKenzie, or even Brooks. But Richards at least showed an advantage in possession over McKenzie. Definitely had the disadvantage v. Brooks. In the interim, it's MRob-Brooks home, MRob-Zimm road I think, while Richards continues to gain trust. He should get there before the end of qualifying, but we need not rush it. This was a better style for Dest, because he didn't have to do as much defending. We saw when he did. ARob is probably the more solid 2-way fb right now, even if his service let him down, and he dropped off from last window. Pepi played fine, Zardes played fine. In all 3 matches, the striker wasn't really the issue, outside of arguably Gyasi v. Jamaica. Things broke down along the way, sometimes earlier than others. But we came out w/ 2 goals and win, so that suffices.
Doesn't show how close, if it was close the forward would have deflected it. The header was also dumb.
I absolutely believe he’s great in the Bundesliga. I just don’t think it translates to the national team. Of the top 6-7 center backs in the pool, he’s far and away the worst in the group in space. We’ve had a ton of clean sheets this year, but it seems like we give up a goal in almost every game he plays in, with him being at least partly to blame for many of them.
It was fun watching the young guys play keep away from the older Costa Ricans, right?!? I sure enjoyed it. On another note, aging is tough. I felt a little sympathy for the lumbering Costa Ricans. The body really slows down - speed, reaction, dexterity, power - once you hit 35. It was amazing that Robinson was able to catch that Costa Rican on that breakaway. Take 10 years off that Costa Rican and it might have been a different story.
Sorry man, but it’s absolute BS to blame Weah’s performance for others leaving him on an island, but Arriola for being gassed. Weah is a decent player, but he’s been quiet for plenty of long stretches.
He is as close as ARob and than Richards, none of them was close enough. And as usually the one that knows that he made a mistake protests the most. What about that header? Too much energy?
I thought Richards had a good game. Look like a young guy who is playing for his first time with the team in a pressure situation, but all in all find out. The hate he’s getting in BS is surprising and I gotta figure it’s down to two things. One is his resting “lazy face”, which takes some getting used to. He looks like he’s going to mess up but then his headers are right on target and his passes well weighted. And the other reason is some high level of confirmation bias that would keep an Intro to Psychology class busy for a semester. There will always be haters, but I expect most of you will come around after you see him a few more times.
He’s got the back line going, he’s got the midfield right, if Berhalter would just get out of his own head with the front 3 than this is best team in the region and it’s not close. I truly understand what he’s get at when he talks about verticality and I respect it, and would even welcome it as a plan B. but he’s got to stop asking his super talented wide players to play verticality because it makes it super difficult for his midfielders to connect with the forwards. They’re too far away, too wide. Let Weah and Aaronson roam in the attacking 3rd and trust that the players will be able to make space by themselves with movement on and off the ball, and with passing. Verticality means all of our offense is being run through the fullbacks and sure Dest is good for that but it’s too predictable and too easy to pack numbers, while Robinson just isn’t that player. begging you coach. No more verticality
I thought Richards play on the non-PK was excellent, sliding without touching the man and getting his foot between the ball and the man made it look like he won possession. I don't see that getting overturned by VAR either. He really had no other choice, it was that, or a direct shot on goal. I've loved Miles all year, but this was his worst performance. He'll learn from it, but nearly every dangerous moment in the 2nd half came from a mistake from him. Loved, loved the one touch passing out of our defense from minutes 10-35 or so.
Lots of really great comments and insights on this thread so far, so kudos to the BS community here. Trust me, it hasn't ALWAYS been this good. So thanks to all. To add just a little to what others have noted about the inconsistency of play coupled with our superior athleticism and speed and these fantastic flashes of brilliance and technical ability. But I can't help but think--we are SOOO young. I see stuff out there that reminds me of youth soccer, except it's the frickin' national team with players who barring career injury and other hazards, have gigantic upside. Great cuts to get open, and then crosses that find nobody. Giving the ball away cheaply. Failing to double at touch or to turn on the switch and hunt in packs, though some amazing recoveries to win the ball back. And the passing --over and over again I saw on the ground passing that was too slow, not crisp at all. Top players send sizzling grass cutters to the open or checking player. And the equally skilled receiving player handles that ball with a deft first touch and turns to face in the proper direction or find the player that is in the optimal position to receive. In contrast, we send passes to teammates that fail to leave them open to the field or put them under pressure. Recall that silly square pass at the end that was intercepted and had the CR player in alone on goal. Horrid. Pull a stunt like that against a Mexico and it's bye bye time. At one point, Antonee was alone outside the 18 on the left, with nothing but green in front of him and instead of driving hard to the near post to set up the standard trio of opportunities - shoot, send across the face of goal or back to a central player -- he sent a cross into marked Pepi, to no avail. I nearly exploded out of my chair. And frankly, this is not down to coaching. We put these top guys on the pitch and we're going to be a handful, simply by virtue of the huge talent level. And it's not because, I would argue, that they haven't played together. There are just too many players out there who have not fully grown into their soccer brains and bodies. I think we will qualify simply by dint of our talent, and the general lack of it elsewhere, but I am resigned to be frustrated.
Studies have shown the main factor in home field advantage is the refs give better calls to the home side....at 4-1 not sure if that matters though...
I had never seen him play before. Sure, he had some shaky moments, but it’s obvious he’s skilled and very athletic. I thought he played well. He’s only going to get better.
He should have put the header out for a throw in. We also had three other chances to get the ball back. He was protesting because the attacking player was "offside" except for the fact that dest and whoever on CR put the cross in were both over the endline. The CR player made a play at the ball and then stopped himself because he was offside, except he wasn't. I don't know how else to hold your hand here. if the CR attacker wasn't where he was, then Steffan makes a very comfortable save. But because the situation was complicated, the ball found the back of the net. If you've never seen this happen before, then you've experienced far too few football matches in your life.