Yanks Abroad Flavors of the Week: 2022-2023 Thread

He’ll yes, same deal, he’s the starter if he can lace up his boots.

 

Classic Turner in the second half: 2 really good reaction saves and 3-4 cringe-inducing passes.

 

Yeah, I didn’t watch but saw an Arsenal fan complaining about his long distribution.

 

The last couple of Europa League Games I have watched on Paramount+ Replay have had really bad stalling spells. Is anyone else noticing this? I have not had this issue with CL Games... just the last couple Europa League games.

 

Yes and I think the root issue of this is that in UCL while there is a large gap between the top teams in a group and the bottom, the gap is not unsurmountable. That gap is just huge in Europa. You have UCL caliber teams (eg, Arsenal) stacked against teams that literally even avid soccer fans have never heard of.

So the never heard of teams tend to play it really really slow. The longer it goes scoreless the better it is for them to hope a odd breakaway or a PK can give them hope. On the flip side the strong teams don't press a ton once they get a lead either. No reason to play to hard and risk injury. So Europa games can be fairly stagnant.

 

I appreciate your response and totally agree but I meant that the actual video replay is of poor quality and I don't think it has to do with Paramount+ itself but the satellite feeds themselves... because it isn't stalling in an out sporadically with the rolling button but the sound goes out pretty regularly and the image stalls and gets pixelated. It was terrible in the Arsenal Game in the last window and horrible today for Union and Malmo.

 

I like that Turner is being fearless on cong out for highballs.

 

That's funny, the Arsenal fans I saw were claiming the long passes were good but the short passes bad. (While also saying he was a net positive for the saves.)

 

That's all wonderful, but if they all playing at their ceilings than the order is Turner, Horvath, Steffen. And we do need Turner's ceiling to do reasonably well, not a low Steffen's one. That's the fan I am.

 

I would think people would pull for Steffen even if Turner fans just in case he's injured. At that point it's a free for all with Steffen and Horvath the possible starters. I do see the concern with Steffen not being as good at saves and iffy being the starter over Turner because I think GB likes Steffen's distribution better. I also think his distribution is better but despite that he's likely to make one or two really bad passes a game. I've also seen in person him dropping dimes to outside backs etc to start counters. So .... I'm hoping for Arsenal to hone Turner's passing, Steffen to get back to peak Dusseldorf form and Horvath to look like he did in CL a few years ago. Get them all to their absolute peak so no matter who's playing they're an asset.

 

That's a good summary of what I've seen from previous game. He still seems a little unsure of short passes which I believe is lack of confidence in implementing the system they've given him. He'll need more p.t., to get it down, I think. I assume he is more familiar with USMNT set up on the short passes and not starting from scratch in Qatar.

 

Pepi goal (PK), now has 3g 1a in 4 games

Joe Scally has Played the 2nd most minutes of any teenager in the Bundesliga this season #USMNT🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/X07BDqWCgX

— US Soccer's Bot (@USSoccersBot) October 7, 2022

 

Get that confidence going.

 

Pepi now scores in the run of play. Beautiful chip and 1-2 w/ a teammate, then he absolutely thumps it home on the volley.

This is down a man. He was playing defender for the 2nd half of his performance. Just very determined to not let his team lose.

In fine form now. Was going to receive high grades even before that, w/out a goal in the run of play.

 

Pepi’s second:

Et le doublé pour #RicardoPepi 🤩 He is on fire 🔥 @Ricardo_Pepi9 @USMNT #Sorare https://t.co/NGM7pUl8ts pic.twitter.com/VOwfURI0VQ

— AJ75 (@N00V0) October 7, 2022

Had to check how old Jozy was when he tore up the Eredivisie… he was 22-23

 

A beautiful goal.

 

🚨 USMNT international Ricardo Pepi with FC Groningen today

☑️ 90 min
⚽️ 2 goals
🚀 3 shots
🔑 2 chances created
❌ 100% tackles won
⚔️ 8 duels won
💪 100% successful dribbles
✅ 9.0 fotmob rating (MOTM)

5 g/a in the Eredivise with just 4 games played. 📈 pic.twitter.com/GmovhLhOs8

— Takes 🇺🇸 (@USMNTTAKES) October 7, 2022

Pepi vs RKC Waalwijk (Brace) pic.twitter.com/b48wlowxpR

— Jack Stephen 🇺🇸🇮🇳 (@USMNTZ) October 7, 2022

Pepi breaking records...

3 - Only Ronald Koeman and Richairo Zivkovic scored in three consecutive Eredivisie games for @fcgroningen at a younger age than Ricardo Pepi (19 years and 271 days). Cowboy. pic.twitter.com/LUlJ0uRabt

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) October 7, 2022

5 - Ricardo Pepi is the first player this century to be directly involved in five goals in his first-ever four Eredivisie matches for @fcgroningen (4 goals, 1 assist). Star. pic.twitter.com/KSenmVCG2v

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) October 7, 2022

 

Great goal, but man, they really don’t defend in that league.
Still, love to see it.

 

de trein!

 

Its as if people forgot the quality of goals that Pepi scored in MLS.

I think Pepi burned out a little bit towards the end of the 2021 MLS season. As players like Musah, Reyna, Scally, etc. did at the end of their first full season of first team playing time. But then he went right into the spring 2021 Bundesliga season without a break. Never seemed to have juice.

He looks like he has his mojo back now.

Great for his confidence.

 

Pepi had a normal break to start the 22/23 B1 season. He has simply found his level. Nothing wrong with that. He can build from there.

 

While potentially true it's hard not to factor in that Augsburg flat out sucked going forward last year (bottom 5 in goals and just not good in chance creation). You could have Lewa in a team like that and if they never get the ball it doesn't really matter. I'm glad Pepi is getting regular playing time and playing well, people forget he's 19 and will get more chances in top 5 leagues.

 

Pepi's youth has been stated numerous times. He's in a free scoring league and getting good service. Hopefully, he can transfer the form to the WC. GGG is seemingly desperate to play him.

 

GGG is a boxer.

 

American players have had some great goal-scoring seasons in the Eredivisie. Stewart. Bradley. Altidore. Not the same as scoring in one of the Top 5 leagues. I like what Pepi is doing. But not as much as I like what Pefok has been doing.

I would like to see all four of Pefok, Pepi, Ferreira and Sargent chosen for the WC.