the old guard has 20+ guys they can bitch and moan about, and they consistently pick guys who are twice the player they ever were
1848795364771422407 is not a valid tweet id 1848800505465651288 is not a valid tweet id Just think of what Pulisic could be doing for the Colorado Rapids right now... 1848802480341323843 is not a valid tweet id
Let's hope that Pulisic can equal and surpass Donovan at the top of the US national team mountain! But yeah, Pulisic is vaulting ahead of every American player in club competition, and the last few weeks have been a great demonstration of the idea that just because somebody was a great player for the US doesn't mean that they are a great pundit. The opportunities available for US players are so substantially larger that it is difficult to compare to the prior generation, and players in that group now in the pundit class should hesitate before making comparisons. The club game itself has changed and become ever more demanding. And international competition is changing along with it.
Eh. Pundits are paid to pundit. "Everything is fine" doesn't make for good tv. We hear this kind of punditry around every spot. Everything was tougher back in the day. Everybody took things more seriously back in the day. "Back in my day the starting pitcher was out there until his arm fell off! Now, look at these soft prima donnas coming out after the 5th inning!!!!" To guys of that Lalas generation there was no such thing as a meaningless game against Mexico. I think that's the crux of the matter. Maybe I'm alone in this feeling, but this was the talent level of Pulisic all along. He just had a whole series of injuries at Chelsea that continued to check his momentum. We all saw what that guy could do if he could just stay on the field and start week-in and week-out. Another reason not to overwork the guy. He does have a history.................................. And, by the way, some of those injuries were sustained while on duty for the USMNT against CONCACAF teams. Just like Reyna, who suffered a broken leg while playing for the USMNT against a CONCACAF team. He hasn't gotten back on track in club soccer since that leg break.
Of course. Clicks is clicks. Lalas and co are no different to the sensationalist tabloid journos that have been writing nonsense for decades.
Lalas and the old guard came from a different time when there was no league or MLS in place. From 1989-1995, a core group of the USMNT players were under contracts with the USSF and only a handful played with clubs. During that time span, they played a series of exhibition games against clubs and other national teams and when it came time to play a Concacaf Gold Cup or a Copa America, everyone was geared up to play their best , especially wanting to beat Mexico. Those friendly games were all players had and cared about. I mean some played in Europe or at APSL clubs but very few. Lalas didn’t go to Europe until after the 1994 World Cup which was when he signed with Padova in Italy's Serie A. Even after the startup of MLS in 1996, players were still more loyal to the national team instead of their clubs because the nats were the only club players knew and had a close relationship to. I recall in 1996-97 how coach Laurie Calloway in San Jose was infuriated with Eric Wynalda because he was saving himself for national team games as opposed to the next MLS regular season match. I think that went on until at least 1998 which was when the USA ended up last in the World Cup tournament.
No question. its also true that rivalry with Mexico seemed a helluva lot more intense in 94-06 than it has become now. We hadn't beaten Mexico from 1934 to 1980. Not once. The we started gaining momentum as a soccer nation after being awarded the 94 World Cup. Mexico was our measuring stick. We were the little brother. The big brother had beaten us ALWAYS and now the little brother was challenging. We were striving to beat them, they were striving to hold us down. It got very heated on the field and in the stands. Particularly if we were winning the game in the 2nd half. If Mexico was going down, they were going to go down fighting. That dynamic is just not there now. It's almost equals that respect each other. There doesn't seem to be that same hatred between the players. Yes, it has its moments. Part of the reason the rivalry has lost its intensity, in my opinion, is just the teams play each other so much now. Since Pulisic's first callup for the USMNT.........................we've played Mexico 13 times. How can all of those games be special. What does a friendly against Mexico mean to him? A Nations League or Gold Cup semi or final? A WCQer? Of course. Remember when Landon Donovan said he actually roots for Mexico if they're not playing the USMNT? That's how times have change........................that hatred isn't there now amongst many of the players. He played great against Mexico. He's our all-time leading scorer against Mexico. But he didn't hate those guys.
Yeah things are very different now and of course players need to care more about their clubs instead of playing 7-10 national team games a year, especially in a non Gold Cup , CA or WC year. As a fan of MLS, I would love to see star players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie in MLS but they are shining in the Serie A and their careers and skills as players would probably not improve if he were to come home. More power to them if they can stay in Europe as long as they can.
Or at least along the beaches of Southern California and/or in Mission Viejo. Soccer Ball Lands in Mission Viejo's Lap
Milan-Club Brugge 3-1, pagelle e tabellino: Diavolo nel ... MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan 7; Emerson Royal 6, Gabbia 6,5 (83' Thiaw sv), Tomori 6, Theo Hernandez 6; Fofana 6 (75' Musah 6), Reijnders 7,5; Pulisic 7, Loftus-Cheek 5 (60' Okafor 7), Leao 6 (60' Chukwueze 7); Morata 5,5 (75' Camarda 7). All. Fonseca Milan Bruges, le pagelle della partita di Champions PULISIC voto 7,5 La Gazzetta Dello Sport
youre confusing punditry/analysis with trolling/being clickbait attention whores. i dont mean to put that on you any way (other than you accepting it, and ironically exemplifying "everything is fine" yourself) but its the stephen a smith-ification of sports media, which isnt all that different from all of media as a whole. there are people who want actual analysis, evaluation, opinion etc (from qualified experts) but there are a lot more who want (and its a lot easier/cheaper to produce) absolutely garbage nonsense, and thats what we get. but no, its not the same and it hasnt always been like this. i also dont think being completely ok with things going to shit is a some virtuous sign of maturity.
Shrug. We see the same type of "punditry" in the UK. Watch all those Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, Ian Wright, etc. shows. its not about tactical analysis or real player evaluation. Is more puffery. Its more "Back in my day we weren't smiling and shaking hands with opponents before a game! Watch these young players! They're not taking it seriously enough!! They're all goofing around! I was ready to kill somebody on matchday!!" I have a theory that may be completely wrong. In the US, much of soccer broadcasts are directed at casual fans and not the kind of hardcore fans we see on Big Soccer. An argument about whether Christian Pulisic should play against Mexico in a friendly or not.......................is accessible to a casual fan. You start talking about false 9s or inverted wingers or overlapping fullbacks or whatever and you lose the casual sports fan.
You must agree that line is blurrier than you seem to be suggesting. Tell me the best mainstream pundit you've ever heard, I know we can look through a list of their comments/analysis and find items which are ridiculous. Because that job is not only about providing bulletproof analysis.
A whole series of injuries, and a particular manager who was never exactly a fan and looked (unsuccessfully) under every rock for an upgrade. Now he's healthy, and he's trusted. And we're seeing what was always likely to be his trajectory if unimpeded.