7/2 USA v Paraguay: Post-Match [R]

Given the Euro teams had no obligation to release American players for this, please let us all know what this 'A' team we could have brought is.

 

Yes. I long played keeper, and as average as I was that would still be the sort of goal my teammates could never forgive my letting in.

 

dude what game were you watching?

 

You can't blame the players so much for their performance as we should both Bradley and US Soccer for treating this prestigious Tournament like if it were some sort of Youth Mini-Tournament in Bradenton!

Just Pathetic! Just shows how arrogant US Soccer has become lately, if not more than before!

 

I'm sure there will be multiple idiots that will start the Twellman bashing but just remember who set up our only goal.

My biggest gripe is with the midfield. They suck. All of them. Benny just sucks a little less then the rest. We played 3/4 of the game without anything from them. We only looked dangerous when Mapp entered the game (he was great) but that was too late.

EJ needs to get some nads. He refuses to give up his body and backs off on anything that even smells like contact. We cannot have a whimp playing forward. Getting by that , he refuses to take anybody on. He had multiple chances and back passes on all of them. Who the Hell will penetrate if our speed forward is too much of a ********** to attack?

Should I start on the defense? Naw, they're helpless and hopeless. How many goals have we given up in two games ... 7? That ain't defense. I know Bornstien is a BS favorite but why do all the goals come over his side?

 

We have played well.

We have also lost the two matches 6-2. Why on Earth should the South Americans think we aren't broom-worthy? Because we have a ton of chances?

Missing 193 times from 6 yards does not win respect. Nor should it.

But I'll still root like hell for them. It's just frustrating.

 

How quickly they've forgotten last Sunday.

 

I'll be the one to say it has been great to get our younger players - ones who will feature prominently in qualifying - experience in high stakes matches, in front of hostile crowds. Heck, I hate watching us lose as much as anyone. But we'll be better off in qualifying as a result. Not that playing in Copa America will prepare Bornstein, Clark and Feilhaber to deal with urine bags and batteries at Saprissa, but at least they won't be totally out of their depth.

BB is in the process of blooding new players and making this team his, and he needs to see how some untested players perform in meaningful matches. I'm sure he is building for the 2009-10, with the Confed. Cup, qualifying and the WC. Though it might not be pretty to watch, I think he is taking a long term approach....be patient.

And at least we stuck it up the Mexicans in the Gold Cup.

 

They do not need to play columbia. What's the point?

Unfortunately I'm expecting the same from the U-20 team. I don't want to be desapointed anymore.

 

I agree that the time has come for Keller to hang up his cleats and retire from international play, but I honestly don't see how people here are blaming him for this loss.

Blame it on the guys taking shots and missing open nets. Or trying to get cute by chipping it on an open net (Mapp).

Jesus, these guys weren't able to score on Paraguay's BACKUP KEEPER!!!!

 

Dude. Not only did they sweep the floor with us, they broke the broomstick off in Keller's ass.

 

Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber have a future for the USNT. In fact, they might be the starting central midfield tandem for the next two World Cups. Both showed a level that almost all of their teammates couldn't match. Still, they looked inexperienced way too often and have some growing yet to do.

Jonathan Bornstein has a future...if he can stop making HUGE mistake each game. The guy plays 86 minutes of very solid ball each game, but makes one or two glaring mistakes that usually result in a goal. You can't have your starting right defender cost you that badly each game. But he's young and I'm confident he'll improve.

Eddie Johnson and Taylor Twellman need to do the honorable thing and retire from international play. Neither has what it takes to play on this level. If Johnson had some of the hustle of Twellman, he might have something going, but he's just a waste of space and an attack killer.

Drew Moor, despite some nice crosses, does not have a future with the NT. Jimmy Conrad had a hot streak going for a while. He's cooled down. Kasey Keller is due for retirement. Sasha Kljestan does not seem to have what it takes either. Same goes for Jay Demerit and Danny Califf. Lee Nguyen didn't show anything worth mentioning.

The book is not closed on Justin Mapp, but he needs to show a lot more than he has these two games. Personally I think that if anyone can maximize his potential, it is Bradley. Ben Olsen won't be a starter for the NT in the future, but god bless him he hustles out there and has looked pretty decent in the last two games. If a few more players had his 'win or die trying' attitude things would have looked different tonight.

 

I'm not so sure he is match fit... He doesn;t have breakout speed.. but I have seen him play before.. I don't think he is truly.. THAT slow. Honestly he wasn't in long enough to give a true impression...

 

No, but his player choices are to be scrutinized. I suppose he had little to choose from really. MLS rules only allowing a certain amount per team. Its really not fair to Bradley really, in over his head, dealt a bad hand, not given all the players he needs to win. MAYBE this is why Klinsmann decided he would not be coach. If he can't have the best all the time then whats the use? I remember reading the aftermath of why he didn't take the job and this was one of the rumors as to why he bailed. He was not confident in being able to go to a Copa America with a less then full strength squad... he forgot about it long time ago.

 

i think i make take a hiatus from soccer until we can finish which means ill never be back............suddenly i am realizing why the world series of poker is on ESPN cause no one likes to watch the USA dominate have twice as many shots on goal and score a third as many goals honestly...............i miss clint, landon, Da Beaz, we could win these games........


....................oh yeah why the hell didnt we grab clint mathis and put him on a plane to Venezuela cuase he may be fat and slow but he doesnt miss many sitters

 

If we bring our first team we would had a chances to bring the cup home for the first time.

 

I haven't been upset with the result of the game since the QF's five years ago, nor as frustrated w/what could have been, and isn't, since. We brought a collection of non-entitities, and U-23, and a few veteran leaders w/limited upside, and we're good goalkeeping, and an actual finish or two away from being a likely semifinalist in this tournament. Sick to my stomach after this game. It was like watching S. Korea blow chance after chance over the weekend, but not in a good way, particularly regarding the final scoreline. Unbelievably frustrating.

 

Keller needs a walker and we need a forward who wants to go to goal and can finish. EJ has speed to waste and not enough swagger. TWellman has wasted every big chance he gets. We get punished almost every mistake, they give us sitters and we panic or make the werong decision. I thought others played well based on their experience levels and true expectations (Lee Ngyuen(SP) doesn't count. The long term goal is 2010 and we Bradley is too find depth or stars. Was our Watford man about to blow chunks or what?

 

Maybe if MLS paid our American players enough to stay here, they could be available to play Copa America instead of sitting on the bench in Europe.

Just a thought...

 

So that's what you tell them. :/

 

Wow. Are all of your periods synchronized from being BigSoccer buddies for so long?

I've seen more rational less emotional responses from Hugo Sanches after a U.S-Mex game.

We sent a youth squad to an elite continental competition to test their mettle.

-Mapp did decent today (shoot w/ your right once in a while)
-Nguyen almost got us a goal in his first touch (and is only 20 years old)
-Clark picked up his game as well.
-Feilhaber and Bornstein had passable games.
-Keller, the man Romario said put in the best keeper performance he'd ever seen... will soon be the man Portland Timbers will say put in the best keeper performance they've ever seen.
-Twellman sucked. Again. Alot.

The team ALMOST were all on the same page.
And considering we have another year to sort out who works well before qualifying starts i'd call it acceptable.

If you don't want to watch then don't.
Me, I will. And i'll even watch Tom "Can't Get Anything Right" Rongen waste our youth talent.

The goal is the world cup, remember?

 

I think you people are overreacting. I would be angry if the U.S had only those 2 headers missed as their only chances. The U.S had like a dozen shots on goal.

 

I thought this was a pretty encouraging game, one in which the score didn't reflect the two teams' quality of play (unlike in the Argentina game). The Univision commentators agreed. The finishing was terrible and there were the sort of defensive mixups that you'd expect from a thrown-together team, but there were plenty of positive signs as well.

 

It's not about FIFA or clubs releasing players. It's about testing our players against I quality opponents I couldn't give a shit about FIFA.

 

Man, I just read the first few posts.

Some of you guys actually watched the games with expectations?

I thought we were going to get pummeled 4-0. As it was, I was moderately happy with the 2-1 (mostly) game. I thought we actually moved the ball kind of well. If Borestein and Feld hadn't dropped off so much, we might have seen about 10 more near goals.

I actually thought it was a good game.