Post-match: 2022 World Cup, USA-Iran

Champions League talent. AYSO coach. Match was much tighter than it needed to be.

 

From a source I know to be reliable (3rd or 4th hand tho), and this is a quote on Pulisic

“hospital trip is to do an MRI for a potential hernia. Rib x-rays checked out. Groggy but cleared concussion protocol. In “a lot of pain”. They’ll get more details later tonight / tmw.l

 

You find subbing on Zimmerman awful?

 

Thanks, classy post. I hope your team can turn the page to younger guys in support of your star attackers. You've had a great run of 3 tournaments (only 2 bad performances in 9 games), but I imagine you need to inject more youth into the side like El Tri does in our confederation. Unlucky in '18 and '22, you'll be back.

 

For some, there are not guys with the exact same skill set, but there are guys who play the same positions and/or roles.

Zimmerman should’ve only come on for CCV. Putting him in for an attacker only allowed Iran to control the ball more, which inevitably led to more chances.

Dest was gassed. Any other RB but Moore would’ve been fine. He’s arguably our 6th or 7th best right back.

In midfield, Luca is a big drop off from Musah and WM, but he is still much better in possession than Acosta. Had we sat back a little more, but with a less conservative formation, I feel that we almost certainly would’ve scored 1-2 more goals without conceding more chances than we did in the first 75 minutes or so.

 

When I get more on Pulisic I’ll post more

 

I'm going to point out that the subbing Acosta on is about where the wheels came off the bus in the midfield on both this game and against Wales.

 

Miles Robinson doesn't get hurt. EPB doesn't get phased out.. JB doesn't get phased out. Does Tim Ream get a look? He's been almost as important as Tyler this WC.

 

Just read this on BBC:

Iran have been in the World Cup group stages six times - and been eliminated every time.

Only Scotland (eight) have participated in as many World Cups and never reached the knockout phase.

Tunisia could also make it zero from six tomorrow if they don't beat France.​

 

Really interesting to see the dichotomy between the opinions on Aaronson. I thought he did well when he came on and showed some 10-like ability to create chances for his team mates and create space on the half turn. He is obviously a different type of player than Pulisic, but I counted the ball he sliped through to Sargent for a shot, the nice cut back and cross late in the game just over Acosta and that Moore did nothing with, and then found the ball and Wright for Wrights awful shot late in stoppage time as good moments where he got on the ball and made the right pass quickly.

I can see the issue him him is that he plays vertically with his passing instead of with his dribble but really Aaronson started the half off well I thought, but once we made more subs and we started to go into a shell thats when his influence went away.

 

I think it would have been better for the team’s morale and momentum to go and score a second goal. ‘We scraped through’ is a different vibe from ‘we killed off the game’.

It’s a concern that some players we now may need to rely on (Reyna, Ferreira) have had very little or no game time.

In-game management has been puzzling. Wales is not a good team and we invited them back into the match. And we managed to make a poor Iran look dangerous a few times by choosing to defend in our box.

In general I’m impressed with how this team has performed. Berhalter deserves credit for getting out of the group without a loss or a goal from the run of play. But two goals in three games was a tactical choice I don’t really support.

 

We‘ll never know but there’s a world where Berhalter just saw Reams form in the Prem where he was near the top of the list for high performing center backs and decided he’s just too good to leave home, high line or no

 

youre right........its McCallan 18 Time.

 

Is it? Happens every 4 years (except 2018...).

 

Apparently large parts of Iran got behind our boys! This video was allegedly shot in Tehran:

Residents of these buildings in Tehran cheer US goal: “America! America!” #MahsaAmini #FIFAWorldCupQatar2022 https://t.co/RdaST8DpXj

— Kelly G Niknejad (@TehranBureau) November 29, 2022

 

I think he would have been on the roster at least, for being left-footed, a ball-player, and a couple months of solid EPL play. Berhalter's never shown to not like him. He wasn't available mid-qualifying, and Gregg decided to temporarily move on because of Ream's age. Then he shockingly has his best year ever.

He would have even started this game instead of CCV, at least. Maybe we see Miles-Zimmerman from the beginning. But if Gregg replaced Zimmerman in this situation, I don't know why he wouldn't have in that one. Ream's ahead of CCV on the depth chart.

You didn't mention Richards. That may have been the snafu. But him and Miles were oil and water. Ream-MRob did well together at El Salvador. So we could have still seen it.

 

Oh god, yeah, thats gonna make my two finger pour a three finger pour right there

 

I'm one of those who just cast Ream away as a good passing CB who was average at defending. Shows what I know.

 

I mean it isn't like we don't have another silky dribbling midfielder who knows how to hold onto the ball in Reyna who could come on for Musah. Aaronson, Wright, Reyna could have a decent shot at creating a counter attacking goal in the last half hour of that match or at least make Iran work to get the ball back.

 

Yes. And 4 of last 5. That’s honestly serious cred in the world. Legit “Pot 2” team now.

 

I saw the knee hit in the lower rib area

 

You have a lot of fans on this board. You know that, right?

 

At the time, that was one of my first hunches. Somebody said I was nuts, that it was just CP's nuts.