Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Since 2000: The U.S. and Costa Rica have played nine times. At home, the U.S. has four wins, two draws, and no losses. In Costa Rica, the U.S. has three losses. In fact, the U.S. has never won in Costa Rica in seven attempts; their one draw was in 1985 in a match in Alajuela. They're sitting on a streak of six straight losses playing in San Jose. The U.S. has won in Port of Spain and San Pedro Sula before. After Azteca, I think this is the toughest test in the hex for the U.S. team. As far as qualifying goes, the U.S. will be happy with a point in this one, and based on current form I think they have a good shot at it. If the U.S. wants to take the next step and become an internationally competitive team, however, we need to consistently be competitive in places like Saprissa and Azteca.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 The US ain't sneaking nothing and I will be at the game making sure it doesn't happen.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Costa Rica has beaten the US on American soil, while the US has never even managed a draw in San Jose (they did draw in Alajuela once, as mentioned above.) The all-time stats. Anyways history is just that, history. We don't have the world-class players we did before, while the US so far is the most convincing team in the region. Still, given the tough time the US had in the Cuscatlan, and in general how tough it seems to win away from home here, I'm going with a win for us. Kenton gets the better of Bradley
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Once, in 1985, at the low point of the U.S. team. Against a U.S. team composed of college kids, indoor soccer players, and players with day jobs who only played soccer on the side. In a game where the U.S. intentionally scheduled it in a heavily Costa Rican area, marketed it exclusively to the Costa Rican community, and had Costa Rican traditional dancing performed for halftime entertainment. On a fluky ball that was misjudged by our starting keeper, who at the time played indoor soccer for, I believe, the Buffalo Stallions, and basically only saw a real soccer field during national team training. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 That was pretty much US soccer until a little before 1994. Regardless all of CONCACAF was crap until Mexico 1986. I expect an entirely different game this time in the Ricardo Saprissa. Especially considering the Costa Rican FC cracked down on coins/ batteries/ piss bags and the like, so this time there can't be any excuses
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 I think with the right lineup we could get a 1-0 win but with bob bradley making the lineup we'll lose 2-0.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Winning road games in World Cup qualifying can be tricky. Argentina got blasted in Chile and Bolivia and could only manage a draw againt bottom feeder Peru. (No offense against Peru, my family is peruvian and I root for them like crazy, but they are horrible.) Even Brasil tied in Peru and got away with one of the luckiest draws I have seen in recent memory in their last trip to Ecuador a few weeks back. The US is clearly the class of this region and they will come away with a draw in Costa Rica. The US will most likley win all their home games and a few draws on the road will be enough to secure qualification, which is all that matters. Does anyone really care or remember who comes in first in all these regional qualifying tournaments anyway??
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Why do people keep sayin the US is a bad away team where's the record for that and how many teams in Concacaf are better than the US away? Looks like everything its pretty even, if anything the US has a bit of an edge over the other teams.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 sorry dude.. US is a bad away team.. every team is a BAD away team.. wait wait.. every team is a good HOME team..
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 should we expect american bunkering? MLS style vs Saprissa?
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 SUPER CATENACCIO!!!!!!!!111 That's how Bradley rolls on the road... But you Ticos weren't all that flashy in Azteca either, so you also play differently on the road.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Kenton had the wrong lineup and the wrong people in the Azteca. The same vs El Salvador. But as soon as he put Carlos Hernandez on the field (after being nagged to death by the stadium) and took some useless people out, la Sele looked like an entirely different team.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 man i would love to be @ this game.. i cant though.. already going to the azteca for the US and will be joining Morado for the CR game.. good thing it will be in HD.. can't wait
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 ummm USA is a horrible away team...lmao dont you just love saying that, if it wasn't for El Salvador's failed attempt at wasting time then that game was sealed. USA hasnt won in Costa Rica in how many years?? i know its a double digit number, but i think it'll stay like that. Costa Rica is just a whole other different animal in San Jose.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Since the beginning of time. Before the Neanderthals roamed the Earth. Before the Age of the Dinosaurs. Before the first amoeba split into two identical copies of itself.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Still, Costa Rica's best offensive player is 34, they lack a target forward, their defense doesn't really inspire confidence. Never has the CR look so weak or the US so strong on the road, IMO the stars are aligning
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 where are they getting USA never looked so strong on the road from?? more like never looked so lucky they say the samething about costa rica every year and they get beat in San Jose every year. lets take baby steps, after you beat mexico in el azteca, then possibly you can win in San Jose.
Re: (Pre-match) WCQ: Costa Rica vs USA 6/3/09 Every year or every 4 years? We don't go to CR that often and the last time we sent an understrenght team cause were already qualfied, unlike the one that CR sent to the US when they lost 3-0. I know you guys don't follow the US team or know anything about it by the likes of it, but tell me how this team isn't an improvement from past teams or how this CR team is better then the last ones?