PBP: United States vs Paraguay; 11/15; 5pm ET

Discussion in 'USA Men' started by AutoPenalti, Nov 15, 2025.

  1. NorthBank

    NorthBank Moderator
    Staff Member

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Lexi Lalas says “heresy!”
     
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  2. GoodHands

    GoodHands Member+

    AC Milan
    United States
    Jul 17, 2024
    What Lalas says is unimportant. Also if Lalas does say something the best option is, probably, exactly the opposite. His brain was rejected by Dr. Frankenstein and even by Igor and by 3 out of 4 neighborhood zombies, too long dead.
     
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  3. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    Raleigh NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There’s a niche now in sports media for clowns who are in on the joke, like McAfee and Stephen A. Say shit just to say shit, hoping to create 1:17 clips for the ESPN front page.

    Those guys should be paying royalties to Alexi. He invented this.
     
  4. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    I'd give most of the discredit for making that popular to Jim "the Gnome" Rome
     
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  5. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Oh, I'm very excited about our offense and I agree with the above. I think this was a good win -- there are just times I focus on a certain sub-element I don't think is working. I think, frankly, it was just a few decisions from being much better.

    -----

    Agree that Poch isn't all overloads and there's a lot of similarities to Spurs -- I just found these overloads interesting because Poch very much likes overloads historically but really hasn't done it much with the US. He keeps adding elements as our players get a bit more comfortable.

    I just don't think the overloads worked all that well in terms of really creating chances. I don't think there's anything there that isn't fixable, and some of that got fixed by the second half.

    On isolations, 1v1 isolations are great and overloads are great, but much like in a basketball game, if you are going 1v1, you need to clear out space. We had guys overloading into space while the guys on the balls were, at times, playing a 1v1 isolation game. Some improvement on decision making and a better sense of timing and space -- whether by experience or a personnel change or two, and I think things really get unlocked.
     
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  6. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    No doubt. I think we're starting to get quality depth at some positions if we stay healthy. Not every position ... but some.
     
  7. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    I think you missed the joke.
     
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  8. dspence2311

    dspence2311 Member+

    Oct 14, 2007
    Hopefully he starts the next one and fins a groove
     
  9. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    I'll give Rome credit for that as long as we remember he get his ass kicked on air by an interviewee. Rome took a live beat-down. I wanna see Lalas do that.
     
    RalleeMonkey repped this.
  10. dlokteff

    dlokteff Member+

    Jan 22, 2002
    San Francisco, CA
    I bet I do...Chris.

    This makes me laugh every time it comes up like once a year.
     
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  11. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    The only bad part is that Everett backed off. It was great seeing the little weasel run down the hall. But he needed that beat down.
     
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  12. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    Lalas is a big, physical guy. Even in his older age he’s probably still handling most of our soccer players.
     
  13. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    1990s Lalas was by a mile the easily most recognizable American player in the world. When I was living in Bolivia during the 94 world cup that's the only player Bolivians remembered.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    on the American Fiasco podcast he goes on and on about how pissed he was that he wasn’t named a starter in 98. He said “if you asked me if I actively tried to undermine the team, so they wouldn’t look good without me, I wouldn’t deny it.” Like, he was bragging about it.

    I can’t believe he makes a dime from soccer. Total scum.
     
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  15. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    That whole squad was filled with hate-worthy characters. Agoos, Wynalda, Reyna, Freidel, Harkes. They were all also very important for our development as a soccer nation. We will be talking about them.
     
  16. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    None of those guys have said they tried to make the team lose.

    Also, what's wrong with Freidel?
     
  17. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    arfsten had a match high 25 lost possessions vs paraguay.....very poor performance aside from the assist
     
  18. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    LOL.

    One, this of course is wildly incorrect and nearly impossible.

    And two, it's amazing how little you know anything about the sport.
     
  19. NorthBank

    NorthBank Moderator
    Staff Member

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm kinda new to watching Arfsten but from his USMNT call-ups, I'd say he's very far from consistent. Has some very good moments but some very bad moments as well. And yet I wouldn't be massively surprised if he makes the WC squad. And that exemplifies our quality in depth perhaps.
     
  20. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    he started off very well for first part of the match...i was impressed...and thinking to myself he might even be better than jedi (bc i dont like how jedi is poor in tight spaces and lacks finesse) jedi doesnt make the cross on reynas goal.

    .then paraguayan defenders figured him out and he totally sucked the rest of the match. poch called him out in his presser mentioning he lost the ball 3 times in a row late in the game and he needs to be smarter. thats the problem with these mls players, they have such poor situational awareness and just general experience at high levels of play.....they havent had to earn their spot at the highest levels and learn what they need to from that process.....they dont get it.

    confidence alone isnt enough.
     
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  21. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Max Arfsten has the most caps for the USMNT in 2025.
    He's played in 15 of our 17 games. More even than our captain.

    Seeing as we're 6 months from the World Cup squad selection, he's practically a lock whether Antonee Robinson returns to fitness or not.

    Antonee Robinson hasn't played for the USMNT in more than a calendar year. That situation is troubling.
     
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  22. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    I'm fairly convinced you didn't actually watch the game. I'm not sure you watch ANY US game.
     
  23. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    at his best, he was good in the air, mediocre with his feet.
     
  24. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    I think he has been way better than many people say. I was at the game in Austin vs Ecuador and he was damn good.
     
  25. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    his best moves are really good...but in the 2nd hlaf vs paragauy he was giving the ball away like candy to trick or treaters

    you cannot have a player who loses possession 25 times in a match and be a serious team...thats once every 3 minutes
     

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