https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/45502051/usmnt-gold-cup-mexico-canada-getting-concacafed A nice piece that came out yesterday to illustrate the differences between concacrap and Conmebol and UEFA. What it comes down to is not surprising: 1. We have far more violent fouling than other confederations AND we dispense yellow cards at a lower rate than anyone else. So yes, we are the worst, or should I say Central America, and Prendergast from the Caribbean? (that's a call back for the oldsters). 2. While Conmebol also has significantly more fouls than UEFA or say, the EPL, Conmebol does card violence at a significantly higher rather than our ---- confederation does. That's the core difference. We have the most fouls, and refs that are the least inclined to draw cards to shut down percolating violence. The net effect is thuggery and games getting out of hand. I'm curious who the worst offenders are? I've always felt it was primarily Guatemala, and Panama, and I just can't remember how bad Honduras is. I feel like Costa Rica plays pretty clean, Mexico has a penchant for going full ardido when they feel they are losing to a team beneath them, or to the US, so there's that. But yeah, concacrap sucks lol, that's the theme.
Now we become love is actually a Talking Heads song off their album More songs about buildings and food
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6435289/2025/06/19/malik-tillman-usmnt-psv-my-game-my-words/ "But before last season, Tillman sat down with Maas and was offered a wager. If he hit a certain number of goals and assists, there would be a prize. Goals from distance counted double. That little sweetener stuck somewhere in the back of Tillman’s brain. He swears it wasn’t a conscious decision, but that first game he finished cleanly from 20 yards. And then it happened again. And again. “Maybe this plays a part,” Tillman whispered of the wager, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as I pulled up yet another clip of another goal from distance." Good article that really dives into his game.
Sadly for Malik, he did not negotiate an injury clause and despite his excellent season, missed the number.
With so many leading US midfielders and attacking players missing (Pulisic, McKennie, Weah, Musah, Reyna, etc.), I see this as Malik Tillman's tournament to assert himself with the national team. It's time to replicate his performances with PSV that drawing attention from major European clubs and create a starting XI headache for Pochettino once the full squad is available again.
Don't show this to the Tillman haters Yeah but that's only because Jack McGlynn is too good for a top 10 Euro league or something
Yeah, Malik Tillman is not just a penciled-in starter, but he’s now a part of the core group. We haven’t had a player assert themselves like this in a tournament since the LD/Dempsey days. By this time next year we may be saying that Tillman is the best player in the US pool.
For me he's locked in a place on the first team. That said, I could easily see a starting midfield with 3 of Adams, McKennie, Johnny or Musah with Tillman on the bench. I've been skeptical of him based on past performances but I'm glad he's stepping up. Especially his defensive intensity.
Reiterates that FC Hollywood has not expressed any interest in buying back Tillman. https://www.bavarianfootballworks.c...n-proposalr-psv-malik-tillman-transfer-rumors
He might be, he clearly has a special composure on the ball and Poch likes him. But I don't think he was particularly good against Turkey, he was clearly an improvement against Switzerland, but it was a hot night and the Swiss took their feet of the gas in the second half and its not like he created anything. He was invisible for large chunks of the Saudi game, including the entire first half. Context is very important obviously and has been very young for his past poor performances, like the friendlies in the lead up to Qatar where he played his way off a team that Gregg was looking for an excuse to have him on. The fact is he has over 20 caps and his 2 best games in a US shirt game against Caribbean teams. Let's see how he does in the knockouts.
Not really. There are at least a half dozen players that will be there barring injury. Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, Jedi, Dest, Richards, and Weah. Then add Turner and Freese. Now they might have some am I starting worries but their tickets are punched.
Not even a healthy Pulisic is 100% assured of going. He probably went from a certain lock to a near lock by turning down his manager this summer. Tillman is a lock if healthy and Poch is still the manager. But what if Poch checks out after this summer?
In what universe is Pulisic not a lock to go next summer. This whole he turned down this camp is overblown. Should he have done it? I can see both sides but there is zero way even Poch keeps him off the roster next summer. He's our best attacking player. Poch and every manager on the planet has one goal in mind at the WC. Win.
Barring injury, there’s zero chance he isn’t starting game one and beyond. It’s not even worth discussing.
I disagree. I have personally seen coaches do this type of thing when the behavior of certain players is more costly than the benefits of their talent inclusion. It is possible that Pulisic continues to have clashes with the coach and that the coach excludes him from the team. People have this bias from being observers of American sports that certain players are entitled to do whatever they want and that coaches/general managers are transitory. Ask Luka Doncic about that. Pochettino is “not a mannequin” in regard to Pulisic. He has told us that he makes the decisions and that he is the one who left Pulisic out. This kind of thing (players opting out) is unusual for coaches at this level. Pochettino has opted out of Pulisic before (at Chelsea). He could very well do it again. It is not out of the realm of possibility. Also, this deserves to be discussed publicly. Many have complained about how crappy that the USMNT has performed since Qatar. It’s well established. The Pulisic/McKennie/Weah/Reyna USMNT has sucked. Period. I haven’t seen a comparative analysis, but this extended period of suck is the worst we have looked in years. Some think that these players get a pass because they play in Europe. No thanks. There is a HOME WORLD CUP next summer and these guys are opting out when they have sucked for nearly three years and they have missed much of the time with the new coach. If I’m the coach, I do not consider any of these guys for inclusion unless they get with the program immediately and show up saying “yes, sir”. Otherwise they are a cancer. It is reasonable to discuss how these people have been committed only insofar as it advances their careers or is convenient for them. We have clearly seen that in their play in the past two tournaments (Nations League and Copa America)…they were awful. Terrible. Embarrassing. Clearly not committed. Out of touch. Now we know that the problem was never Berhalter, it was the Golf Crew. In this tournament, the guys who were somewhat excluded from the Golf Crew (part of the former leadership council) have grown in the program and have become trusted players for the coach to rely on. Malik Tillman is chief among them. When has Pulisic earned Pochettino’s trust? McKennie? Certainly not Reyna, who was not even called in for this tournament. Malik Tillman, Luna, Richards, Ream…those guys are earning the coaches trust.