This is not a thread about what you want to happen. This is also not a thread about what you feel should happen. Just your analysis and/or gut feelings of what you think will happen.
What I feel will happen is that we draw Colombia, beat CRC, and perhaps draw Paraguay, finishing 2nd in our group and going out to Brazil in a 2-1 AET game in the quarters. This will leave people unsatisfied, but will also leave them with enough excuses (It's Brazil after all!) to be cautiously pessimistic heading into the next round of WCQ. As is tradition. The public, according to betting markets, has us about the same, with us and Colombia being almost a push to win the group, and the team who finishes 2nd going out to Brazil in the quarters. If we win the group, I think we have a legit shot at the finals since we'd be favorites over any of Ecuador, Haiti or Peru. A SF matchup against one of Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico or Chile and we're through. Even if we lose that match, it's an accomplishment.
We are pretty much on the same wavelength here. Although, I think we can beat Paraguay 1-0 and still finish 2nd.
Expectations are to win. However, leeway should be given based on the route to the final. If the US wins the group and runs into a 2nd place Brazil, for example, then that should understandably temper expectations. With the favorable US draw, however, 2nd place and a QF exit should not be considered success. That would be hitting par.
I think we're going to lose to Colombia, draw an entertaining game with Costa Rica, and beat Paraguay handily. We go 3 and out..............................but will have performed well enough to regain confidence going into the Hex.
I'm expecting to go 2nd in the group and lose to Brazil. Sure would be nice to win the group even if it's something like 2010. Then things line up quite nicely.
This is not an easy question. Under Klinsmann we've had a schizophrenia that shows us as strong in friendlies and weak in tournaments. The infusion of younger and impressive talent could change this, and the stars may be aligning for an American run in the Copa. My expectations? We make the semifinals.
i voted 3 and out. we have a defense that makes all the sense in the world (guzan behind yedlin/cameron/brooks/johnson)- klinsmann will absolutely not play that back four together more than once. beckerman will play more than nagbe and bobby will be pushed wide to accommodate dempsey. klinsmanns given us no reason to believe he will do anything consistently, or arguably "right".
I think on-paper a semifinal appearance is a good thing to strive for. I'm even more bullish and say shoot for the Final. I think this squad is going to surprise a lot of teams. IMO, Colombia is more daunting than Brazil today and that's our first game -- should set the tone and take some pressure off. Should we meet up with Brazil in the KOs, keep in mind this will be an experimental Brazil squad with no Neymar, no Marcelo, no Douglas Costa, no Thiago Silva. We will need a couple upsets to get to the semis, but I think this squad can do it. Saying that, anything can happen. More than anything, I'd like to see improvements in the way the team plays. Can the US remain composed and produce moments of possession that lead to good chances -- as we've seen in their last two games -- against top squads in competitive matches? Seeing that would be a sign of progress, even if the run isn't very deep.
Home field advantage helps. CRC is very good, but they hate playing the US here, just like all CONCACAF teams do. The US can win that game. Paraguay too. Saying the USA should beat Colombia seems like a bad case of homer goggles, but I think they can definitely earn a point. One of Mexico or the USA will be in the Final. I think there's a good chance both make the Semis. So I guess my expectations are to win the group and make a Semis appearance. If this tournament were being held anywhere else, I'd be say second place in the group and a QF appearance.
I think Colombia are better than us by a good margin. CRC are our equals at home and we are better than Paraguay. JK rosters usually score goals so I will say that I am optimistic we get 4 points and score enough goals to advance. If we can beat a loaded Colombia then we will probably win the group and make a semi. If we draw Colombia then we probably advance from the group but this is not guaranteed. There would be formational changes that might not work against CRC so the door is still open for disappointment but we probably comfortably advance If we lose to Colombia close and the team played well in the loss then I think we advance close If we get ripped by Colombia then we probably do not advance. Final verdict? QF is our final destination and we go out heroically to Brazil 3-2 in extra time. The Colombia game is critical and it is unfortunate we have to see them first. Seeing them second or even on the final group day would be a better situation because it would be nice prep for the QF opponent and we could modulate our starting XI based on what we need knowing they are fighting to win the group like we are. The ramping up in WC 2014 helped us greatly.
By the way, all 4 of the teams in our group are in the top 10 favorites according to betting markets. It is certainly the most difficult, and the one with the most parity. For shits and giggles, here is the strength of all the groups, with individual team rankings and average of the group: Group A USA - 4 Colombia - 5 Costa Rica - 9 Paraguay - 10 Average - 7 Group B Brazil - 2 Ecuador - 8 Haiti - 11 Peru - 16 Average - 9.25 Group C Mexico - 7 Uruguay - 6 Venezuela - 12 Jamaica - 15 Average - 10 Group D Argentina - 1 Chile - 3 Panama - 13 Bolivia - 14 Average - 7.75
My instinct [gut? who knows] is that this is Jurgen's Anti-WC Brasil. I think he's as highly motivated, even desperate, to now make a mark that saves his reputation as he was nonchalant, even indifferent, to blowing it all off as a glorified training exercise back in 2014. It does help when the manager is seriously gyred to winning, winning above all else, as JK seems to be as the Copa approaches. Besides this, the rising tide of American talent is raising all boats, even the SMS Goppingen. In addition, it seems the players are ready to play, and play hard, no matter what the soap opera of their "leadership". I'm genuinely optimistic for our chances in the Copa, and I'm putting money on our making it to the finals [although I can't get any bookie to go with 5,000-1 odds.... ] . I voted in the "lose in finals" box because if we make it the pressure and moment gets to our kids. Besides, Guzan always has a "moment to forget"... but I hope I'm as wrong as Ozymandias on that one. So, Jurgen, win one for us BSers, eh?
I honestly do not know what to expect. We have a tough group. We have the talent to advance but who knows? I know that doesn't really add anything to the conversation. Sorry.
I can't see CRC as the USA's equal on US soil. On a neutral field, sure. Otherwise, yeah, I pretty much agree.
I expect the quarterfinals. With that said, we ought to enter the tournament with the hopes to win everything. We're not so far back of the other sides that a deep run is impossible.
No optimism from me right now. I'm excited to see more of Nagbe and Pulisic, but I see us eliminated by the end of the Costa Rica match. Anything more and I'll be pleasantly surprised. We're still a team playing way below our level of talent, and I'm not sure how that changes before next Sunday. That said, I'd love to see a USA/Mexico semi in Chicago happen somehow. We're owed one after Mexico choking in '13.
With a strong squad, a winnable group, and home field, American fans should demand more than second place and a meek quarterfinal exit. But the poll results show the lowered expectations of the Klinsmann era.
But this is a poll of what people are expecting, not what we're demanding. They can demand whatever they want, that doesn't make it realistic. Also, the strength of a squad can only be considered relative to the other teams involved. Like it or not, we're something like the 4th-7th best team in the tournament WITH home field advantage. The poll results aren't skewing lower than what they should be, they're polling in line with the betting public, pundits, and the group think. If the poll were saying we're most likely to go 3-and-out I'd say this board is being overly pessimistic. Oh, and while this group is certainly "winnable," it's also objectively the most difficult by almost all ranking metrics. Not to mention it exhibits the most parity of any group. There aren't 2 teams where you can look at them and say they are clear favorites to go out of the group, unlike the other groups where it's obvious. The difference between top 8 and top 4 could be something as simple as a blown penalty call. It's not like there's a huge gap in results that cause one situation or the other.
Fortunately, only Colombia and Brazil are on the same half of the draw as the US, while Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Mexico cannot face the US until the Semifinal. The opportunity is here.