Qatar 2022 [R]

markmcf8 · Nov 29, 2022

We played well. We played with honor. So did Iran. That was a good game, and pretty darned clean, especially considering that it was do or die for both teams.

I really hope that Pulisic is OK.

Go USA!!!

falvo · Nov 29, 2022

mjlee22 · Nov 29, 2022

That was a really awesome goal by Pulisic, it was very similar to the 2nd goal that Korea scored in their loss to Ghana.

SoccerMan94043 · Nov 29, 2022

don gagliardi said: ↑

Gareth Bale, bye-bye.
Click to expand...

I think he baled on the World Cup.

SoccerMan94043 · Nov 29, 2022

If we play a half like the second half we just played against Iran, the Netherlands are going to crush us.

bsman · Nov 29, 2022

I sure hope Pulisic recovers by Saturday. I actually think we match up pretty well vs the orangemen.

bsman · Nov 29, 2022

I almost choked when ggg subbed on Shaq and Walker. However -‘Walker saved a potential Iran goal, so…

mjlee22 · Nov 29, 2022

I think Shaq Moore’s valuation will take a big dip with this WC. Why is Gregg playing him, i.e. what are his strengths besides being named after a Basketball player?

falvo · Nov 29, 2022

Why isn’t he playing Reyna?

Is he injured?

don gagliardi · Nov 29, 2022

Buffalo Bills long-snapper.

Pulisic may never have kids BUT AT LEAST WE SCORED
— Reid Ferguson (@SnapFlow69) November 29, 2022

falvo · Nov 29, 2022

@don gagliardi

Carlos Queiroz was hired to fix American soccer.
Now he could oust the United States from World Cup

don gagliardi · Nov 29, 2022

falvo said: ↑

@don gagliardi

Carlos Queiroz was hired to fix American soccer.
Now he could oust the United States from World Cup

Click to expand...

That headline aged well.

falvo · Nov 29, 2022

UPDATE: #USMNT forward Christian Pulisic has been diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and his status is day-to-day. pic.twitter.com/abZcjU6tco
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) November 29, 2022

falvo · Nov 29, 2022

Tuesday, November 29, 2022
USA-Iran Men's World Cup Player Ratings
by Mike Woitalla
USA-IRAN EXPRESS:
Nov. 29 in Doha
USA 1 Iran 0. Goals: Pulisic 38.
Att.: 42,127.
* * * * * * * * * *

The USA celebrated its first victory of the 2022 World Cup and is headed to the knockout stage thanks to Tuesday's 1-0 win over Iran. Coach Gregg Berhalter's team scored only two goals in five hours (including stoppage time) of Group B soccer, but its second goal, Christian Pulisic's 38th minute strike, was enough to earn a round of 16 date with the Netherlands on Saturday. Defensively, the USA, which didn't allow Iran a shot on target, moves on having conceded only once, a penalty kick goal in the 1-1 tie with Wales.
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USA Player Ratings
(1=low; 5=middle; 10=high.)

GOALKEEPER
No saves were required of Matt Turner but he distributed well under pressure, including some accurate long-range passes that sparked U.S. attacks -- most notably, the sequence that led to Christian Pulisic's goal.
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Player (Club) caps/goals (age)

6
Matt Turner (Arsenal/England) 23/0 (28)

DEFENDERS
Central defender Tim Ream intercepted through balls in midfield, passes in the U.S. penalty area, won headers, and also covered for the outside backs. Ream himself passed well and his cross-field chips to right back Sergino Dest got flank attacks going. Ream and his powerful partner Cameron Carter-Vickers squelched attacks down the middle and cleared balls from the wing as Iranians failed to unleash a shot until Saman Ghoddos' over-the-bar header in the 52nd minute. Carter-Vickers' body check and grabs didn't meet the officials' criteria for a foul but he could be more careful in the penalty area. Dest, who defended with clean tackles, was a thorn in the Iran's left side from the get-go. His prep work included the assist on Christian Pulisic's goal. On the left side, Antonee Robinson also surged frequently, but with less precision and more turnovers. Like Dest, Robinson also retreated swiftly when defensive duties called.
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Player (Club) caps/goals (age)

8
Sergino Dest (AC Milan/Italy) 22/2 (22)

7
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/Scotland) 12/0 (24)

8
Tim Ream (Fulham/England) 49/1 (35)

5
Antonee Robinson (Fulham/England) 32/2 (25)

MIDFIELDERS
Within the first five minutes, Tyler Adams headed to safety an Iranian free kick and intercepted a pass in the U.S. penalty area. His ball-winning continued throughout the game and the only blemishes on his performance were a yellow card for an unnecessary midfield foul and a turnover late in stoppage time that led to one more futile Hail Mary attack by the Iranians. Adams, who enables the outside backs to attack aggressively, also distributed crisply and brought the ball forward. On the U.S. goal, Adams dribbled upfield from his own half before combining with Robinson and dishing the ball to Weston McKennie. A nicely lofted pass by McKennie floated for Dest to run to behind the Iranian backline and head to Pulisic. Yunus Musah won balls and the large amount of field he covered contributed to Iran's failure to maintain midfield possession. Musah took the USA's first shot, a much too high volley from 18 yards, and set up its first shot on target, delivering the cross for Pulisic's header to keeper Alireza Beiranvand. Late in the first half, Musah won a ball that Adams then passed perfectly to Josh Sargent for a promising attack.
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Player (Club) caps/goals (age)

7
Weston McKennie (Juventus/Italy) 39/9 (24)

8
Tyler Adams (Leeds United/England) 34/1 (23)

6
Yunus Musah (Valencia/Spain 21/0 (20)

FORWARDS
Christian Pulisic went off injured at halftime — but first he scored a historic goal for the USA. He anticipated Dest's header across the goal area, beat two defenders to the ball, and half-volleyed into the net from close range for the goal that earned the USA passage into the knockout stage. Pulisic was injured on the play and his absence was felt in the second half. He had in the first half kept the Iranians wary whenever he was on the ball and at times kept position deep in their half. Josh Sargent did some of that in the second half, coming into the midfield to make himself available. Late in the first half, Sargent had taken an Adams pass and stormed toward goal with Tim Weah, who anti-climactically ended the foray with a pass to an Iranian in the penalty area. In the 28th minute, Weah couldn't figure out how to take advantage when Sargent's shot (after a pass from Pulisic) deflected high and from eight yards headed the ball weakly to the keeper. Seven minutes later, Sargent controlled a Dest cross and laid the ball off for Weah to shoot unmarked from 12 yards. Weah's shot went way high. Weah started the eight-player sequence on Pulisic's goal minutes later by plucking Turner's ball out of the air and laying it off to Musah. But his day got more frustrating in first-half stoppage time. McKennie relayed a pass from Turner that Weah met with a well-timed run and stroked the ball into the net. But Weah wasn't level enough with defender Majid Hosseini for FIFA's "semi-automated offside technology."
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Player (Club) caps/goals (age)

6
Tim Weah (Lille/France) 28/4 (22)

6
Josh Sargent (Norwich City/England) 23/5 (22)

7
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/England) 55/22 (24)

SUBSTITUTES

The USA's ability to keep possession in the Iranian half decreased with the haphazard Brenden Aaronson on the left wing. Kellyn Acosta's arrival didn't stabilize a tiring midfield. Shaq Moore looked dangerously unsure of himself. Walker Zimmerman headed away Iran's balls down the middle.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)

4
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England) 27/6 (22)

4
Kellyn Acosta (LAFC) 55/2 (27)

nr
Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/Turkey) 6/1 (24)

nr
Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) 36/3 (29)

nr
Shaq Moore (Nashville SC) 16/1 (26)

TRIVIA: The USA, in its 36th World Cup game dating back to 1930, for the first time fielded a starting lineup consisting only of European-based players.

• It was also the first time since MLS's 1996 launch that no MLS players were in the U.S. starting lineup at the World Cup (or any competitive game besides a match against Jamaica at the 2011 Gold Cup).

UP NEXT: Round of 16, USA-Netherlands, Saturday, 10 am ET.

Nov. 29 in Doha
USA 1 Iran 0. Goal: Pulisic 38.
USA — Turner; Dest (Moore, 82), Carter-Vickers, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Musah, McKennie (Acosta, 65); Weah (Zimmerman, 82), Sargent (Wright 77), Pulisic (Aaronson, 46).
Iran — A.Beiranvand; Ramin, Majid, M.Pouraliganji, M.Mohammadi (Karimi, 45+3); Ahmad (M.Torabi, 71), Ezatolahi, Hajsafi (Jalali, 71) Gholizadeh (Karim, 77), Azmoun (Ghoddos, 46), Taremi.
Yellow cards: USA — Adams 43. Iran — Majid 77, Jalali 90+6. Red cards: none.
Referee: Antonio Mateu (Spain). ARs: Pau Cebrian (Spain), Roberto Diaz (Spain); VAR: Juan Martinez (Spain).
Att.: 42,127.

Stats:
USA/Iran
Shots: 12/4
Shots on target: 5/1
Saves: 0/4
Corner Kicks: 5/1
Fouls: 10/14
Offside: 1/2
Possession: 51%/49%

don gagliardi · Nov 29, 2022

No grade for Zimmerman?

How many Iranian forays did he head away in stoppage time?

TyffaneeSue · Nov 29, 2022

It's also awfully kind not to rate Haji Wright

falvo · Nov 30, 2022

Wednesday, November 30, 2022
USA graduates from soccer to football before our eyes
by Paul Kennedy

The USA is through to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.

It isn't the first time the USA has survived group play. It did it in its last two appearances in the tournament -- in 2010 and 2014 -- and before that in 1994 when it hosted the World Cup and in 2022 when it reached the quarterfinals.

The 2002 World Cup — in which U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter started the two knockout games — will be the reference for his team.

Berhalter's Americans achieved their goal of getting out of the knockout stage but will be disappointed if the round of 16 is the end of the line.

Most times the USA has played two good games in group play but then ran out of gas. The 2022 run is similar to what happened in 2010 when the USA opened with two ties and then needed to win its third game to advance.

In 2010, the 1-0 win came on Landon Donovan's memorable goal in stoppage time. On Tuesday night, Christian Pulisic's goal came a lot earlier — 38th minute —and at a great cost — he ended up in the hospital with what was diagnosed as a pelvic contusion. (He was back at the U.S. luxury hotel on the Pearl, though, to greet his teammates when they returned from their game.)

Both goals came on end-to-end plays:

2010: Howard pass to Donovan pass to Altidore pass to Dempsey shot saved and rebound to Donovan for the goal. Four players involved.

2022: Adams backpass to Turner clearance to Weah layoff to Mush pass to Dest pass to Adams pass to Jedi pass to Adams pass to McKennie pass to Dest header to Pulisic for the goal and crunching knee to the midsection.

What is different, of course, about the 2022 team is its youth.

The USA's starting lineup against Iran is the youngest starting lineup at the 2022 World Cup. And its starting lineups in the other two group games are the next two other youngest lineups in the tournament's first 36 games.

Its biggest test came on Tuesday night, a must-win game at the Al Thumama Stadium, and to its great credit it was oblivious to the heavily pro-Iranian crowd, bossing Iran in the first half.

On Monday, Iran coach Carlos Queirozsaid he thought the USA was the most consistent and probably best team in Group B over the first two matchdays, so he said after Tuesday's match he wasn't surprised how the USA came out and deserved its lead.

The USA accomplished in 2022 what it could not do in 1998 in Lyon and that's beat Iran at the World Cup.

"I talked yesterday in the press conference about the 1998 game and the guys not having the appropriate intensity to compete against Iran — and today we had it," Berhalter said. "It was clear from the opening whistle."

"We believed in ourselves," he added. "We believed in what we were doing."

That is what's been so impressive about the USA's growth through the three games. Berhalter's youngsters do seem to believe in themselves and they look like they are having fun at it.

They've grabbed control of each of their three games — for long stretches — with their linkup play, the variety of their starting positions, the different channels they attack, their willingness to look for each other, and their generosity to help each other out. Almost always with short passes and interchanges.
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In the USMNT's hierarchy of young stars, Tyler Adams, the general, Weston McKennie and Pulisic are at the top. It will be the underdog on Saturday when it faces the Netherlands, but the Dutch will want nothing to do with Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah and Timothy Weah popping up all over the field.

The frustrations with how the USA has struggled to close out the three Group B games stem from just how well it has played before then. And it is all relative.

"It's the first time in 92 years that we've had two shutouts at a World Cup," Berhalter said, "so the boys are doing something right."

Queiroz has been in the game too long to spin. He was right when he said the USA has graduated from soccer to football.
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falvo · Nov 30, 2022

In the Euro snob thread, I always see and read about how soccer fans in the US and Canada continue to support their EPL, Serie A , La Liga or Bundesliga teams, ignoring their own, local home-based clubs and leagues.

Then you have the biased American sports media wanting soccer to fail at every turn out of some type of prejudice or fear that it will take away form their major sports.

Today, they were critiquing the "terrible play" of the USMNT so I posted this…

Not that I care really what anyone else thinks but as an Italian-American with dual citizenship , who also lived in Italy, I'm very proud that the USA advanced.

I've been waiting for America to do well at the World Cup level since Ricky Davis was playing alongside Giorgio Chinaglia with the New York Cosmos.

I mean Didier Deschamps when coaching Juventus in Serie B during the 2006-2007 season once said "it takes two teams to play il Bel Gioco or Jogo Bonito" and the blowouts in some games that I've seen are mostly because the other teams have been crap.

Holland plays the most boring soccer and they aren't that good at all and who have they even played?

Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal and this makes them a great team?

There is no Gullit , Van Basten, Rijkaard , Johan Cruyff or Total Football that I have witnessed.

Italy can't even qualify for two consecutive tournaments or even score one lousy goal against North Macedonia.

They were also eliminated by a guy named Aleksandar Trajkovski who was playing for Palermo in Serie B , 3-4 years ago and we are supposed to always hate on the Americans and why exactly?

Most of us on Big Soccer all live in the states so who are we supposed to root for exactly, Serbia, Iran , Saudi Arabia or Croatia?

We all know Qatar landing the WC was fixed and as the host nation , they can't even get out of their group or score so we aren't supposed to cheer on the Americans?

I mean seriously!

I think there are many soccer fans wanting to see the US team succeed.

Goodsport · Nov 30, 2022

Just shortly after the final whistle blew for the USA-Iran game, Chris Wondolowski was interviewed on KNBR.

GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!
GO USA!!!
VAI BRASIL!!!

-G

TyffaneeSue · Nov 30, 2022

Meanwhile, over on the referee board, they are losing their collective minds over the fact that an all-female crew has tomorrow's Germany-Costa Rica game. Surely they can't be capable of managing male players! They only got this assignment because of political reasons, not because they deserve it.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/general-assignments-discussion.2123504/page-13#post-40995631

The discussion will be only too familiar to some of us.

Goodsport · Nov 30, 2022

Of my currently participating teams:

Brazil vs. Cameroon on Friday, 12/2 at 11:00am PST.

USA vs. Netherlands on Saturday, 12/3 at 7:00am PST.

GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!
GO USA!!!
VAI BRASIL!!!

-G

SoccerMan94043 · Nov 30, 2022

TyffaneeSue said: ↑

Meanwhile, over on the referee board, they are losing their collective minds over the fact that an all-female crew has tomorrow's Germany-Costa Rica game. Surely they can't be capable of managing male players! They only got this assignment because of political reasons, not because they deserve it.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/general-assignments-discussion.2123504/page-13#post-40995631

The discussion will be only too familiar to some of us.
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Outside of the idiot Seattle fan, it's hard to pull that all apart as I don't have the experience or data to know whether the crew you referenced should be at the World Cup or not.

TyffaneeSue · Nov 30, 2022

SoccerMan94043 said: ↑

Outside of the idiot Seattle fan, it's hard to pull that all apart as I don't have the experience or data to know whether the crew you referenced should be at the World Cup or not.
Click to expand...

I don't either. But I do know that this referee team is being scrutinized like no other. And all the familiar tropes are being trotted out.

don gagliardi · Nov 30, 2022

Messi misses a PK with his team’s World Cup advancement in the balance. Imagine if it were Wondo.

don gagliardi · Nov 30, 2022

Poland and Mexico currently in separate games level on points and goal differential with tie breaker fair play points (favoring Poland). Yellow card could be decisive!

Wow!