PBP: 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage PBP Thread

That's Spain v Germany on 11/27

 

I am thoroughly going to dig those 2:00 PM starts!

 

Is it June already? Oh wait, the time change messed me up. The ultimate money grab to put the World Cup in the desert forcing the shift is finally here.

Can’t wait to get this started!

 

USA World Cup roster: 26 players called up for Qatar 2022 tournament
By MLSsoccer staff
Wednesday, Nov 9, 2022, 05:18 PM

It’s official. #USMNT

This is the squad to rep the stars and stripes at the World Cup! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/yEfzTrlreU

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 9, 2022

 

Anyone have a list of all MLS players who are on World Cup rosters?

 

The league website is updating it here whenever new names are listed.

 

Going social media silent on the WC and will use pirated streams as much as possible. My best subversive method in response to many complaints. So for now, I act disinterested online.

 

Yet you found the need to comment on social media about it.

Thx,

Jay!

 

And 7 days out will be my last. They don't track BigSoccer for engagement this far out do they?

 

I don't know about you guys, but I have a very uneasy feeling about these games. It seems like the USMNT has never quite jelled this WC cycle. They've had a couple good games and a lot of games where they just seemed to be kicking the ball around. There's been a lot of different players, kind of a constantly changing cast of characters, but without many distinguishing themselves and claiming a spot on the team. Berhalter's esteemed system seems to have mostly shown a lot of really dull, unimaginative soccer. I'd like to be more optimistic, but unless there's a miracle of sudden teamwork building, this USMNT iteration seems headed for three and out. How do you guys feel?

 

0-3 and a long flight home.

 

I think it's 50/50 at best for us to advance.

We have some really good players but also have some holes in the 11 regardless of who Berhalter chooses. His system doesn't seem to really bring out the best in the players we have. If we try to always build from the back we're at serious risk of conceding WPIOOTBGW goals. If we're as slow and sloppy as we were in the September friendlies there's no way we advance. OTOH if we play our best we could advance and even win a knockout-round match.

I'll be rooting hard either way.

 

We're in the Group of Death, four top 20 teams from the FIFA rankings. You could show me a final standings where any one of these teams went 3-0-0 or any one of these teams went 0-0-3 and I'd believe it (ok, I'd be a little surprised at Iran going 3-0-0).

 

Those are basically my thoughts too... (EDIT replying to SccrDon) On paper, we're better than Iran and a favorable-toss-up against Wales. But recent form is not encouraging - and even if we do advance out of the group, I don't fancy our chances against the Netherlands. I think the only way we get a fifth game is if the "USA-ENG rivalry" gifts us a surprise performance and we top the group.

 

Maybe it's just all the negativity on Twitter, but it seems "fans" are almost rooting for us to go 0-3 so they can fire Berhalter. I mean I don't agree with all the choices he made, but at the end of the day it's what we have so Team USA all the way from here on out!

 

I don’t know.

 

I don't know where to put this so I'll just put it here.

MLS ends up with 36 representatives in the FIFA World Cup.

Most of any league outside of the big 5 by my count.

— Tutul Rahman (@tutulismyname) November 14, 2022

That's a nice achievement for MLS anyway you look at it, even if you exclude domestic players. But of course your friendly MLS hater will come out of the woodwork and try to find a way to discredit this. I've seen "but MLS has almost double the teams of other leagues", "but MLS isn't sending elite players", "but MLS isn't sending players to elite teams" etc. The mental gymnastics they use to try to discredit MLS every chance they get is amazing. This number will only increase with more time. MLS hasn't even reached its 30th year!

 

The one I liked is "well, its the only domestic league that has teams in two countries at the World Cup".

To which anyone paying attention immediately said "The EPL/Championship had/has teams in England and Wales".

 

The haters seem kind of irrelevant when even MLS Next Pro is represented at the World Cup.

 

******** soccer.

 

******** them. They are irrelevant and will be run over by the wheels of progress.

 

Add another player to the list...

BREAKING: Atlanta United's Thiago Almada has been called into Argentina's official World Cup squad as an injury replacement.

Almada, 21, is MLS's record signing and had a strong debut season with Atlanta. Just made Argentina debut in September. Huge news. pic.twitter.com/ZSxHCWmqEN

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 17, 2022

First MLS player to be called to an Argentinean World Cup squad.

 

Well, some thought that Mexico turned the corner with an impressive 4-0 win over Iraq... but no, they followed that up with 2-1 defeat to Sweden.