Belgium is very beatable. But while a US loss would be a disappointment in the moment, expectations have been met. This team has been fun, they’ve won, and acquitted themselves well. The USMNT isn’t a joke. And man, it sure would be a lot of fun to keep it rolling into a quarterfinal game. Can’t wait for Monday night.
Expectations have not been met. This is supposed to be the generation of players that make a run to the quarters/semis. Especially on home soil.
We beat Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia. Not exactly a murder's row. The tournament starts on Monday v Belgium. If we fall at the round of 16 again, then it was $9 million or whatever it was wasted, because we could've got any coach to get us to this point honestly.
Was the expectation to lose in the round of 16??? That is some massive goalpost moving. It's quarterfinal or bust, come on, even by Poch's own standard.
I agree, beat Belgium AND don't shit the bed vs Spain/Portugal/Croatia and that will be a successful tournament.
I don’t want to put the cart before the horse here; but if we beat the Belgians and are matched up against Portugal or Croatia…. then that’s a winnable game as well. Spain is tough sledding.
True, but we have beaten Spain in a FIFA tournament. Convincingly. There was a lot of critiques of Poch before the tournament as well as concerns about this team's toughness. He had them ready. Yesterday proved that.
Guys, we’ve watched this team suck for like 16 years or so. I worried about them even getting out of the group stage. I’m happy about how this tournament has gone so far.
Yeah, they no longer look like pampered (mostly) Euro-based 'stars' but are showing some of the swagger that Arena used to reference in the teams he managed that were often short on talent, but compensated for that with work ethic and commitment.
A step forward, tangible progress, would be preferable yes. Ideal. But you have to have a serious and rare brain worm to look at how the team has played so far, even accounting for the opposition, and say it’s not good enough and more is required. Tens of millions of people around the country have tuned in and watched this team for several weeks now, and they’ve seen a group that plays great soccer and wins. Going into the tournament not many thought that’s what we would see. I know I expected more of the same-scraping by and scrapping and clawing for every result and every point. This team does have scrappers, but they have some real ball players too. They have been a joy to watch, and that is progress in and of itself. Barring a 3 or 4 nil capitulation to Belgium, the US can hold their heads high and know that there are legitimate reasons to think this program is on the right track.
And Spain beat Cape Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia while France beat Senegal, Norway and Iraq .England played Croatia, Ghana, Panama and the Congo. You can only play the teams they give you and in any case the tournament is specifically designed to NOT give good teams good opponents early.
Yeah but if any of those teams go home in the next round, they certainly wouldn’t be thinking they’ve met expectations. We still need a win against a big team before this World Cup feels like a real success. The play on the field has been great, but it we go home in the round of 16 to Belgium, all that effort will be just to get back to where we were in 2014. That being said, it’s been a great run so far, and hopefully they can do something special on Monday.
I absolutely agree. I was just responding to the theory that, unlike, apparently, other sides, the US hasn't beaten anyone. I'm just pointing out that pretty much nobody has beaten anybody. Yet. We've won the games we should have won. That may not bring home the trophy just yet, but it's not nothing.
Well said. We were a #1 seed thanks to virtue of being a host. The group stage was *supposed* to be a walk in the park...and it was. The Round of 32 included third-place teams. In other words, "Teams That Should Have Been Bounced". If this wasn't supposed to be a walk in the park for most teams, it was the closest thing. The game vs Belgium is where teams formerly would get to once they finished top two. This is where the "real tournament" begins, especially for the #1 seeds.
Oh, I'll give the players and Poch their flowers. They have played much better than I though they would, 100% but it's fair to point out the easy schedule as well. At the end of the day, if we were told pre-tourney that we'd be out at the Ro16 again, everyone would be disappointed. The reason for higher Poch was breaking the glass ceiling of the QF. If we don't get there, this will be remembered as a 'what if' or 'what could've been' tournament. Belgium is beatable, they aren't a juggernaut. If this team and coach want to be taken seriously, beating Paraguay and Bosnia ain't doing that. France isn't gonna peacock around Europe after they beat Paraguay saying what a great win it is. Bosnia isn't good. Belgium is, we should aspire to that level, which is why we hired Poch in the first place.
This is pretty much where my head is on this. We've done great things, played great ball, and cleared every hurdle so far. This team is playing like one of the top 8 teams in the world. I couldn't name 6 teams that I've seen that are clearly better after 3.1 games. For this to be a successful tournament they need to go out and beat Belgium and punch their way to the quarters.
Is Poch making every US coach of all-time look like a 3rd grader? I know the players are getting a lot of credit which is deserved. We have real talent and skill in a way that we haven't seen. However, in big games have we ever looked more put together? More confident which I give him a lot of credit for establishing. The way he talks makes me want to run through a wall. I know the roster build has some questions but I just am looking at this group and its just different. He does deserve a ton of credit.
A major test will be how he chooses to handle the Balogun absence. (While praying that the idiots running the WC dont decide to tack on another game) One-for-one replacement with Pepi? Gives you the speed but not the physical presence. Slide in Haji Wright? Gives you the physicality including some ability in the air but nowhere near the speed. Push Pulisic up top? At that point the permutations become too complicated but most assuredly dont include Max Arfsten. Aaronson? Please no. This is a coaching challenge under about as much pressure as a coach can face. It'll be interesting.
Well, most coaches didnt get the benefit of an artificially easy group due to being a host and getting to be in Pot 1. Also, they didn't get the benefit of a round of 32 game against someone like Bosnia. Poch has done well, but the schedule and format cant be denied.
My only point to this is we had the pressure to actually win the group which we really have never had and the way we played is nothing like we have seen in any WC regardless of competition. Obviously its not like we have taken down a top team...yet
Agreed. When the roster first came out, I looked at the forwards and I couldn't really identify with any certainty who was going to be the starter. Balogun has certainly played well, but if you'd told me before the games started that he was going to be the go-to guy, I wouldn't have been excited about it. So I'm REALLY not convinced that whoever our plan B turns out to be is going to match pace with plan A, which already seemed like a surprise in how well it worked out.