11/17 WCQ: USA v Jamaica official game thread, N&A version {R}

It's a tough game to predict because Bruce is being so secretive about their roster. I do like our young players and I am confident in their abilities. I think we will win and Panama will win over the woeful ES ( I can't believe they still even have a chance). But if I am wrong and Jamaica does win, I think it is probably a good indication that they will be a force in the hex. This game is their entire tournament, if they can come up big when it counts, it shows they have the guts/mental edge/ and intagibles necessary for the difficult hex.

 

The USA is also on a 28-game unbeaten streak against CONCACAF opponents. The last loss was against Costa Rica in September 2001 in the Hexagonal.

 

If the roster is as stated above, the US will sit back early and then counter through players like ralston and donovan and EJ. McBride will be a ball winner and hold things up for the others or flick into spaces deep of the Jamaican defense.

In that scenario, I like the US to dump Jamaica 3-1. Expect Jamaica to dominate possession and chances early, however.

Dont underestimate how much of an advantage it will be to play in Columbus. 30 degree weather and Jamaicans dont mix.

 

you are right about it being difficult to predict with all the silence about who is there. however, I don't think we'll be able to judge how Jamaica will do in the Hex based upon this game. if the US is starting Sanneh, Corrales, Albright and Ralston, or gives much time to Suarez, Califf, etc, this game will tell us nothing more than Jamaica is able to beat half a team of average MLS'ers. whoopdie doo. That doesn't mean that our team can win though. I think people are going too ga-ga over the difficulty of having Jamaica present in the Hex. If we can't beat them in the standings with our full squad in the Hex, we don't deserve to be in the WC.

 

Do you really think teams are concerned about "deserving" a place in the World Cup.

The World Cup is all about being there...nobody really cares what road you take to do it.

 

You're right that this isn't the best US team. But these days, our B-team (or C-team depending on your opinion of tonight's roster) is still a good team. It can be a very good team if people like Spector, Johnson, Gooch, Clark, and Dempsey play to their potential.

But look at things from Jamaica's perspective. They've had some bad breaks over the past few months in qualifying. But if they can win a must-win game on the road against a very good team in tough elements, they may have turned the corner in their slump and will prove to be a contender in the hex. It's nice to be deserving to go to the WC and to actually qualify, but during the process you should try to capitalize on good luck and good breaks. Jamaica not being in the Hex would be a huge break any way you see it.

 

What if this team explodes Jamaica? Will Bruce drop the old guard?

 

you are placing too much emphasis on that word in relation to the teams. i couldn't care less about what the teams think. I'm telling you what I as a fan think. if the US can't contend with the mighty Jamaica in the hex, then the team has a lot of problems that go beyond whether or not we win this particular game.

 

I just happen to disagree. no big deal in that. this jamaican team had 2 cracks at Panama, and couldn't beat them either time. they also had a chance to greatly help their cause in the last game at home with El Salvador, and couldn't get one measley goal. at some point people will just have to admit that this isn't really a great Jamaican team. sure, they will get the odd result, and could possibly even get that odd result tonight, but they simply aren't that good. we would have a tougher road game against panama in the hex than we would with jamaica.

by the way, i agree that we have enough young talent that our young guys could beat Jamaica if they played to their potential. I just dont like some of the guys like albright, califf, suarez, etc. our true "young guns" are not the ones i'm worried about.

 

I hope we are well past the days of playing counter-attacking soccer against Jamaica in Columbus when its 30 degrees outside...

 

Alot of the players on the Jamaican team play in the MLS and in England though, so the weather isn't as much of an advantage as it would be against, say... El Salvador or Mexico who's players stick around central America most of the time.

Most Jamaicans have to head North to play professionally. It will be an advantage, but not a huge one. Psychologically, if anything.

 

It's about 55 degrees and slightly raining here in Columbus. Weather forecast indicates the rain should stop before 6 tonight.

 

Fair enough.

 

Any word on the expected attendance?

 

this isn't a sellout? how big is Crew Stadium? 22,500? This is going to be a GREAT game, and it's a shame if it ends up being half empty.

 

Random message board people seem to be implying around 15k in attendance. Don't shoot the messenger. I'll be there.

There has been virtually no mention of the match in the local media. This is always the problem when the US Nats come to town. They assume they don't have to do any promotion, like the stadium fills itself or something. Plus, the cheapest tickets are $35 (plus ticketmaster charges) and for an average fan that's too much for a match that means next to nothing. In fact they didn't even mention the game on the news this morning, the same channel that always has Crew news and highlights.

 

I'm about to head down to Columbus. Final farewell to all and hope to God I don't see Ramiro Corrales starting...

 

If the 15k estimates prove to be accurate, it's been a very dissappointing semi-final round in terms of attendance.

25k for ES in Boston
19k for Panama in DC
15k for Jamaica in Columbus
9k for Grenada in Columbus(round before semis)

In 2000 our numbers were much better for the semis:

18K for Barbados in Boston
52K for Guatemala in DC
25k for Costa Rica in Columbus

In 1996 our numbers were more impressive:

30K for Guatemala in DC (yes I know the crowd ratio sucked, I was there)
19k for T&T in Richmond
41K for Costa Rica in Palo Alto, CA.

US soccer needs to wake up and do something this because attendance used to be better for US national team games. They need to act fast beacuse we need the pro-US crowds for the hex.

 

This is gonna be a tough match. Jamaica will be more than happy to let us attack and get a goal on the counter its like that almost every time we play at home so we have to create early chances and knock them out early very early. Before 20 minutes get 2 goals knock Jamaica out. They can do this they usually create a great amount of chances by 10 minuts so it shouldnt be much of a problem to create 3 or 4 chances and get 2 goals by 20 minutes.Cant let Jamaica hang in there 0-0 at the 80th minutes because then Jamaica could win and we have to play them 2 times in 2005.

 

attendance dwindles if you keep going back to the same old places...

gotta go to places where fans are thrilled to see the usmnt...with mls, the novelty is wearing off in dc, columbus, and boston....

bit surprised, the reggae boyz supporters turn columbus into a home field for them tonight..

 

I really don't think you can say those 52k count as 'our' numbers.

 

Another game I was lucky to be at... the crowd was at worst 60% (I'd say close to 70%) pro-US. The game was a sellout and a bunch of US supporters couldn't even get tickets. It was a wild atmosphere at that game and the media hype was actually buzzing. Washington Post and DC's TV stations had a story every night about the game in the week prior to the match. The ticket demand among the US supporters was impressive and we could probably have filled the stadium ourselves without the Guatamalan's help. A little blue-bird also told me that Project Mayhem made their debut the night before the game. The little blue-bird was wrong because Project Mayhem doesn't even exist. That game and the week leading up to it was a glimpse of where soccer could and should be in this country. What a fun time!

The atmosphere was much better than the game against Hondoras in DC the following year. That was also a sellout but the crowd was very much pro Hondoras.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane, but that was a golden week for US soccer prior to the Guatemala game.

 

ding ding ding. I am just wondering why it's taking them so long to figure this out. DC, Columbus and Boston area fans are absolutely spoiled now, and will probably only show up in great numbers for future matches if we are playing top teams. It is time to start sending some of these games to Seattle, Oklahoma, Utah, OR WHEREVER, where the locals will appreciate a shot at going to the games.