2022 World Cup - USA team thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Tom - you appear to follow soccer much more than most. I'm still learning some of the nuances. What would be the disadvantage of Iran packing all their guys in the back end of the field (pitch) and just play for the tie? Of course if a clear break out opportunity arose, take the stab, but otherwise just clog up the front of their goal.
A tie DOES NOT guarantee Iran will move on. If Iran ties and Wales loses to England, then, yeah, Iran will move on, but if Wales wins they will have equal points with Iran (4 points). Wales would then move on by goal diffferential, and Iran goes home (unless Wales beats England by a ridiculous number of goals). As is typical, Wales-England and Iran-USA will kick off simultaneously.
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sorry I missed this. @LionJim provided a good bit of the answer.
In the World Cup, teams are placed in groups of 4. In the first week plus of the tournament, each team plays the other 3 teams in their group. While it's nice to dominate, and win every game with ease, teams don't get any awards for doing that. At the end of the group stage of competition, the top two teams in each group advance to the knockout rounds, where it becomes single elimination until a champion is crowned.
The USA team has not shown a great ability to score goals. However, they probably have more offensive firepower than does Iran. So if you're the Iran coach, it pays to have your team go into a defensive shell (kind of what you described), frustrate the USA, and then hope to score on a quick counter at some point in the game. As @LionJim indicated, for Iran just getting a tie against the USA doesn't guarantee that they'll finish in the top two of their stage, as Wales could conceivably sneak past Iran in such a scenario if they defeat England. (And as @LionJim mentioned, the World Cup purposely stages the final group stage games at the same time, so that teams battling to advance don't know what's happening in the other game.)
By next week, when the World Cup is in the knockout stage, playing for a tie is not too smart. Because ties will have to be broken, either in OT or by PKs, where anything can happen. In group stage matches, playing for a tie can be a benefit, but that depends on how the other teams in your bracket do.
I hope that helps.
Iran have two forwards who can hurt us; one of which is currently tied with Haaland for third most goals this season in the European Champions League. We will need our midfield to render inept the connection between their midfield and their forwards and hope our backs maintain their shape really well on counters.
I now would not be shocked if Iran does not fully play in a low block (defensive shell deep in their own half), or at least as some (including myself) have been anticipating. They may try to play for all three points. I somewhat hope they do because I think our advantage over them is in the midfield and it may open some things up for us. I would take their strikers over ours, but overall I would take our team.
We just need to find a way to finish a couple chances. I don't care if they come from discrete moments of brilliance in open play, set pieces, or penalties. Just get a couple of balls into the back of the other's team's goal.
I now would not be shocked if Iran does not fully play in a low block (defensive shell deep in their own half), or at least as some (including myself) have been anticipating. They may try to play for all three points. I somewhat hope they do because I think our advantage over them is in the midfield and it may open some things up for us. I would take their strikers over ours, but overall I would take our team.
We just need to find a way to finish a couple chances. I don't care if they come from discrete moments of brilliance in open play, set pieces, or penalties. Just get a couple of balls into the back of the other's team's goal.
Tehremi really scares me and I wish we had someone other than Zimmerman to help Ream defend him because I worry about him sometimes. I really worry about his ability to pass because he has turned it over several times last game while doing so and Tehremi is always looking to take advantage of that.
He is no where near as good as Haaland, not close. But what he is, is someone who knows how to be in the right place at the right time and can fight if he needs to. (rather than create like Haaland)
Carter Vickers is someone I think would be good in this game.
Yup. They can play the odds and hope to get the England/Wales result they need to advance.
Iran dominated the first 6 minutes, but the USA has turned thing again, and has had multiple shots/chances since then. I'm still pretty nervous at the 20 minute mark, but am liking what I'm seeing for the most part from the USMNT.
GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!! USA
Pulisic to the rescue
Pulisic to the rescue
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USA now playing a man down, as Pulisic was injured on the goal, and he's getting treatment off the field.
Edit: he's back on after a couple of minutes
Edit: he's back on after a couple of minutes
oh, Weah with a goal in stoppage time, but the offside flag comes up. It looks as though his knee may have been offside. It was close.
I would have liked to see the real replay there
It was EXTREMELY close
if the flag goes up though, guess it isn’t reviewable
no, it is reviewable. Iran was trying to quickly restart before the VAR review was completed. It didn't take the VAR judges long to conclude it was the correct call, and they notified the center ref.
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