Wouldn't this mean the players suck? This isn't foosball, this isn't FIFA. The coach doesn't control the players.
Oh, Canada! momentarily we will have Mexico, U.S. and Canada on 11 or 10 points, all at +5GD, with the rest well behind. I think we're looking out our contingent, frankly, barring a collapse.
He’s fighting for his life to stay on this roster. I don’t care if it’s 1000 degrees. I expect him to run through walls at a million miles an hour until he has to be stretchered off the field. Franky I expect that of anyone wearing the Stars and Stripes.
I agree. The standing don’t lie at this point. And unless Panama trips over themselves and/or Costa Rica suddenly get their act together I think Panama finishes out the top half of the table.
Everyone slows down in temp and humidity. Road race times are drastically different than cooler weather. But, whatever.
I know you're all waiting in suspense for yet another guys thoughts, so here we go: When we get Reyna and Pulisic back, our attack has some real depth, excepting of course a straight up forward. Pepe is the clear starter, and I don't mind Zardes in a role like he had tonight, coming in and running stuff down when we are up, but I don't like the idea of having Zardes on when you need a goal. That's the first choice midfield, clearly. Hopefully Busio or de la Torre or really anyone can step up enough to give some depth and allow for a little rotation. Right now you need at least two of our starting three on the field though even if a Busio steps up. Adams is the true leader of this squad. Berhalter better call in Scally for the next qualifiers because I don't rate Moore or Bello at this point. Like Zardes, I think this sort of role to kill off a game is a good fit for Yedlin, but I'd prefer him not to start. Hopefully we can get Brooks back, and with the three of Robinson, Richards, and Brooks, though no one is mistaking them for Italy, I'm comfortable with that group. McKenzie seems like a disaster waiting to happen every time he plays for us. Zimmerman can do in a pinch, but again, I don't want him to start if we can avoid it. I guess I hope to see Berhalter coaching us in a World Cup because otherwise that means something went terribly wrong, and we are deep enough into it now that I'd rather enjoy not living with that sort of anxiety.
We are definitely OK. (But also still have plenty still to do, and plenty to be nervous about as little has been convincing...). As a small correction, we've only played three home games, and have 2 wins and 1 draw. In the three road games, it's 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Not sure what the formula is -- you certainly would like to win at home and draw on the road, but with 11 points from the 6 games, we are certainly in a good spot, even if it's looked shaky at times getting here. Also, while it always sucks to draw at home, Canada has shown itself to be in the upper group, which perhaps gives that result a slightly better perspective than we may have felt at the time.
No. My bad. Sometimes my mathematician's brain just can't do simple arithmetic unless I write it out all the way like: (I also plead "Old brain syndrome") (Sometimes I feel like the kid in a "Farside" comic: He's sitting at the back of the room and raises his hand: "Mrs. Brown, can I go home now? My brain is full.) Away tie - 1 point Home tie - 1 point Away win - 3 points Home win - 3 points Away loss - 0 points Home win - 3 points This gives 11 points out of 18 But it is expected/wanted to win at home and tie on the road so that would be a total of 12 expected points so we are just one point below expected standard.
Yeah and opportunities to make up that point will be...in Jamaica, in Mexico, in Canada, and in Costa Rica. If we can get 5 points out of those and hold serve at home we are set. Sounds reasonable but of course we've got to do it. I feel like we will have a little margin for error given all the draws and teams dropping points at home.
Our northern neighbors know how to finish off a team at home, though Panama were caught on the break for 2 and 3.
Sergino Dest - Man of the Match Is there another player in the pool who can have this kind of performance? It was like the U20 World Cup all over again where all of the success came from attacks involving the backs and Dest was the guy who was the threat to destroy. This window has been a really good one for Dest, who was the primary attacking threat and was directly involved in 3 of the 4 goals scored. This window showed us a kind of attacking right back we have never seen before in the US. This is a true world class player. His goal was as good as it gets from an individual standpoint and he wrecked his side of the field constantly just like he did against Jamaica. Weston McKennie had a really good second half. Adams was good over 90 minutes. Musah had his moments also. Busio has improved considerably since heading to Italy, which is crazy. He already thinks and responds faster.
Just wait and see that for the next window Berhalter will call in Lletget, Acosta, Roldan, Zardes and Arriola again. He will eventually leave out players like KDLF, Hoppe, LDLT and Busio.
A better, more forward looking midfield = better attack. Elite attackers = more goal opportunities. My regret, besides the overthought and misguided Panama lineup decisions, is how underused and misused Hoppe, Busio and DLT were. My dream depth chart: CF: Pepi, Hoppe Wing: CP, Aaronson, Weah, Konrad, AM: Reyna, Musah, McKennie, DLT DM: Adams, Acosta, Busio Wingbacks: Dest, ARob, Scally, Yedlin, CB: MRob, Richards, Brooks, Zimmerman If Lleget and Arriola were removed from the picture, the attack will improve w/o any defensive drop off, IMO
is he really though who is going to take his spot? hoppe barely played and was awful and josh sargent is well josh sargent lol.
Home matches against mediocre CCAF opposition (w/ questionable tactics) = better attack. Last cycle Lletget started a match v. Honduras we won 6-0. This window we won 2-1 and 2-0 v. similar opponents w/out him. That's not a better attack. This qualifying already w/out him on the road we scored 0 goals at El Salvador. 4-0 in a half w/ him at Honduras. Were shut out in the 1st half. Earlier this cycle, after losing 2-0 on the road v. Canada, we beat them 4-1 adding Lletget, Zardes, and co. Immediately after that aforementioned 6-0 v. Honduras last cycle, we drew 1-1 on the road. 4-0 v. Panama at home, then 1-2 T&T on the road. They rotated very little. So to ignore these home-road variances, the more Euro-based group enjoyed this time around, and Lletget + the more domestic-based contingent didn't, is being dishonest or foolish. And Lletget has arguably handled the home-road variance better than most, even though on paper he's more adept in a tight space, possession style. Outside of maybe 10 players in this pool (that doesn't include Dest, McKennie, and Pulisic), our players can't adjust very well to different styles of play, and handle playing on the road well, so their effectiveness plummets. Maybe with different peaks and valleys, but that's true. So you have to play to strengths and away from weaknesses. Canada, factoring in schedule, has out-played us so far, including our more Euro-based lineups. Their typical lineup has 6-7 MLS-based players, none of whom who are all that young. Outside of maybe a Miles at cb, many fans want to cull this contingent from the equation, even in a rotation. Maybe this more comes down to a fed that has us playing on the road very little for short-sighted monetary reasons, and a manager who sets up players poorly. For now a more Euro-based lineup benefited from playing at home instead to technically enjoy w's, in historically lackluster w's, which people still pretend to be impressive, while the other sides of their mouths saying we should have as high or higher standards than in the past because of their club pedigrees. Reality is it takes a mix of backgrounds & experience-levels, and for them to be set up well, to maximize results, while qualifying comfortably in the end. The sooner our manager and fan base realize this, the better it will be for our enjoyment and sanity.