Didn't USA lost the match against Trinidad B team? What is the Fifa ranking of Trinidid B? American football sucks.
I have no idea how Saudi Arabia keeps qualifying out of Asia, when they play so badly. They should be lucky that China doesn't have a mature soccer program, or that New Zealand doesn't join AFC... I'm already seeing it: Juan Antonio Pizzi doesn't get to the third game...
Would have been interesting to see what might have happened to allocations if the Cup hadn't been increased to 48 in '26. I don't expect much from my Concacaf sides, nor AFC, if results go as I suspect they will, only Mexico will advance, and even this is in doubt w/the current generation a bit old and soft in the belly. Panama is going to get obliterated, they don't perform well away from Central America (and oddly, the US in Gold Cups), Costa Rica is older, not better than they were in '14 (though they could surprise an over-confident squad), and then the AFC? I don't see it. S. Korea seems to have just faded over time since '02, Japan seems to have hit a ceiling. I don't know what to expect from Iran, maybe they'll surprise. I expect nothing of note from Australia, though I do think they did a nice job in handling the adverse conditions in Honduras in the playoff. Brutal field conditions, horrific officiating, and the intensity of the crowds there usually makes it a bit difficult to get a result. I just think this is going to be an awful tournament for the AFC and Concacaf in particular, not sure what to expect from CAF considering so many of their better sides didn't make it. This tournament strikes me as all UEFA, and a bit of CONMEBOL. My surprise team, if there is one, would be Senegal. Hope Concacaf and AFC prove me wrong, I just tend to doubt they will, especially the AFC (if nothing else, I know Costa Rica and Mexico can manufacture goals, not so sure about AFC squads).
Yeah, 61% !! Can't recollect any other WC game where a team had 61% possession, 0 shots on target and lost 5-0.
Well, it is, the key word is the one in bold, italics, and underlined. Some teams won't be nearly as good as others as theirs obviously a drastic difference in quality between some regions and others, but if you want to have a World Cup, you still need to invite teams from the entire world, and not just the most competitive parts of it. My one complaint remains the reliance on the horrific FIFA rankings, although it appears they're ready to change their methodology, finally, after a handful of countries figured out how to game their idiotic system for #1 seeds in back to back World Cups (just one look at CAF and you see how brutal an impact inept rankings can have: CAF had one qualification group featuring 3 World Cup qualifiers from 2014 (including two teams that made the knockouts), and a Cup of Nations Champion from 2012 that's been competitive of late in Zambia).
Nearly a perfect performance by Russia, provide pace and a clinical finish, but it was against a very very weak team. Russia raised their game for the occasion the same team who had not won their last 7 matches before today game, and now they are favorite to get past the group. Saudi Arabia as always the obvious country that don't belong here and this happens repeatedly, pretty awful in defending, no quality, lacking the physical attributes and they did not have even a decent mentality. I know Asia is weak, but its strange when all other teams from Asia at least shows some discipline and organization while the Saudis have none. Is there a big gap, or what?
Well done to Russia, seriously I expected a win but more along the lines of a 2-0 or 3-0 tops. But 5-0 is really something! Happy for the host nation to have won without some questionable calls occuring...
Wow! That performance by Russia was something! looks like Saudi Arabia will beheading home, everyone must of been blown away after that score
Ehhh, we had the talent to qualify, and failing to do so was an inexcusable abomination of epic proportions, but the problem was the developmental gap bshredder reported about, where essentially the 1990-1994 generation contributed virtually nothing of quality to the roster, it's just a lost generation, 1990-1994, and that would have been the players in their prime. The good news is that the 1995-2002 era looks like it might be our best ever in terms of depth of quality, and elite level prospects. We're not here, and it's an embarrassment, especially considering what you'll see from Panama instead over the next few weeks, but we'll be back soon enough, and maybe better than any USMNT since 2009, and possibly even '02.
Awfull Russia's results during last years cheat Saudis. They were thinking: "Aha, we have chance in such weak group. Ok. Uruguay will be the 1st, and we must beat Russia. How? We'll take a ball, and over the posession will build attacks on weak Russia's defenders". Smth went wrong.
Well, have to say, congrats to Russia. Couldn't ask for a better opening. Did their job. Still a very limited team.
Just a couple of points 1. Its the first time they've qualified since 2006 2. They finished above us in the qualifiers
Both is an acceptable answer. Bruce was too set on MLS guys, Klinsmann refused to play guys in their natural positions and didn't know how to play CONCACAF teams.
I followed the Asian qualifiers and the Saudis looked a lot better then. Bauza had the right idea, focusing on a more coordinated defense even if conceding the ball more. Pizzi is more a possession-oriented guy, but he needs strikers who can finish. The Saudis lack seriously there, they had 59% possession and not a single shot on goal. Also, even in qualifiers they had trouble with big, physical teams: the only team they couldn't beat (loss away, tied at home) was Australia, another big physical team. I can see them creating some more trouble for Uruguay & Egypt, but losing the opener this way is probably taps for them. Morale must be very low at this point. PS: Why didn't they keep van Marwijk? I never heard a coherent explanation.
Just got back from the match... what a blowout - Moscow is going crazy tonight, but have to wake up in 3 hours to catch my flight to Kaliningrad. Anywhere, here's some footage of what I got so far: Opening ceremony: 1st Goal: Golovin's Freekick: