USMNT/Soccer Thread

UKwizard

Heisman
Dec 11, 2002
21,277
13,810
113
Normally I would agree but were are trying to get back to our mediocre perch in world soccer and **** like this can't happen to reach that.
 

BigBlueSean_rivals178247

All-Conference
Oct 23, 2013
20,054
3,040
0
I saw this coming man. We lost to FRIGGING TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO and did not qualify for Russia. We then followed that up with about as lack luster of a coaching search ever. Look at Argentina, how long did it take them to find a coach after Sampaoli? A couple weeks!

Our Federation literally zeroed in on Greg Berhalter (because he has familiy in the Federation hierarchy and literally waited AN ENTIRE YEAR just so we would not have to pay a buyout. We wasted a year of friendlies. A year of time to get valuable familiarity with a young team. I guaran-damn-tee we did not say 2 words to the likes of Tata Martinez or Jorge Sampaoli. If you want to see the disorganization and complete ineptness of US Soccer look no further than the handling of Josh Sargent. This is a dude that definitiely has a place in our team's future --- We did not include him in our u20 team and then Berhalter literally comes out and says Gyasi Friggin Zardez, Jordan Morris and Tyler Boyd are "way ahead of Sargeant"? On what f*&%ing planet!? Now if it is a stylistic fit, I get it--- but if that is the case your time with this team should be far adequate to make that determination earlier and include him on the u20 world cup team!!!! Mexico played the same Venezuela team with their C team and won 3-1 easily.

Jurgen Klinsmann literally sitting back saying "yall bitches miss me yet?".


This personifies where I am at right now with this national team:


 
  • Like
Reactions: Comebakatz3

CardHack

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
120,002
4,975
113
This may sound naive, but I buy the reasons Sargent was left off; it was far more his situation at Werder Bremen where he started off really well and then rarely made the 18. They were saturated with Strikers at one point (didn't they have the 40 year old Pizarro?) and he had an opportunity very briefly, but then everybody came back from injuries and then were in good form. If he sticks with the Gold Cup squad which is later than the U20 World Cup his preseason window closes real tight with Bremen, and he REALLY needs to make their senior squad this season or he basically will have been a lightly played teenager for about two years...and many is the sad story with US soccer players that fit that bill. We're looking at that now with Zelalem as the latest disappearing legend in part due a major injury sustained in his U20 World Cup.

He logically could have gone to the U20 World Cup, but there you have Soto who if deprived a feature doesn't have the leverage he needs to get a quality contract out of Hannover or the scrutiny of the likes of the rumored Dortmund. I think part of the u20 roster management situation for strikers was also a belief that Tim Weah would be the first striker, but he demonstrated in technicolor that he's a Left Wing and doesn't get into channels well enough like the very savvy Soto does. It probably cost them the Ukraine match in the end.

US Soccer fans appear to have a little bit of a tendency to proclaim Youth Player A or B as a solution to all of our problems at a certain position sometimes without having a full understanding of a kid's strengths and weaknesses. Weah is a great example; he physically appeared much more finished product to me than virtually any kid on the US roster...but that doesn't immediately equate to being a better hold up player. He is big for a wing so you immediately assume he can't project there...but he thrives far more in wide space than centrally, or so it seemed to me. He's like alot of the kids on that team though...he has to get that club situation righted or he'll end up like the Julian Green's and Zelalem's of the world completely losing form waiting around for his Dream Club to pull him up from reserve squads.

That said, to me Tyler Adams is clearly, exclusively and definitively the most clearcut example of something that I think Berhalter has already coughed up; in the last two friendlies our 6 Will Trapp has been overrun, and that's WITH a very accomplished 8 in Weston McKennie for the entirety of the first half debacle in Cincinnati. Frighteningly Chris Durkin had a very similar experience in Poland with getting trucked against everybody but France (who he didn't get to play against) at the U20 level. The most common observation from someone whose only evaluative talent is that they can see with their own two eyes is that Trapp and Durkin lack the range and closing ability to thrive at the DM position...and you have Tyler Adams sitting there looking a prototype of N'gola Kante. And like Sarri did with Kante, play him at a position where he isn't world class. I mean geez, Adams solves a hell of alot of problems.
 
Last edited:

Catman100

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
6,899
10,145
96
I would at least like to see effort. The second goal for Venezuela was scored by the guy that hit the post, while USA players watched the play. Unbelievable.
I agree, the team and the future hasn't been the same since not qualifying for the WC.
 
Mar 25, 2004
14,660
62,013
0
I did think Boyd did some good things yesterday (of course, he was left wide open on the wing), but it was clown shoes all around otherwise. Steffen's mistake leading to the first goal is something eight-year-olds know better than to do - the reactions of the half dozen or so sitting around me were proof enough of that.
 

CardHack

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
120,002
4,975
113
...and I want to expand on something as it applies to Adams; if Berhalter persists in trying to play Adams at a position different than Leipzig, if you're Leipzig and are asked to release Adams for international duty isn't there a point at which you say no because you are risking a valuable commodity playing him outside of his preferred position?
 

BigBlueSean_rivals178247

All-Conference
Oct 23, 2013
20,054
3,040
0
The only bright spot of these two friendlies is Duane Holmes in my opinion, the midfielder from Derby County. He's only played about 50 minutes but I want to see a whole hell of a lot more. I love his willingness to take some touches under pressure and accelerate and break through the lines. He also did something I think we need to see a whole lot more of against Venezuela. There was a moment where he played a driven pass into the feet of Roldan and Roldan took a massive touch up in the air on a pass that was a great pass that split the lines of the defense and open them up. You can visually see Holmes get on and exchange words with Roldan as if he was saying "that's gotta be better". We need more of that influence in this team.
 

mhroe1984

Heisman
Dec 16, 2007
14,060
10,627
0
Women's team straight dominating Thailand. Currently 7-0 in the 56th minute. At least they're good. It's shameful that our men's team is so awful.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BlueRaider22

BlueRaider22

All-American
Sep 24, 2003
15,562
9,058
0
Women's team straight dominating Thailand. Currently 7-0 in the 56th minute. At least they're good. It's shameful that our men's team is so awful.


I turned to my co-worker and said, "Hey it's 4-0 right now in the 51st minute.....we're doing great......."

No more than 5 minutes later he turned to me and said, "4-0? What website are you on? I'm reading 7-0."
 

BlueRaider22

All-American
Sep 24, 2003
15,562
9,058
0
I don't know if this is factual.......but someone just tweeted.

"The USWNT scored more World Cup goals in 55' that the USMNT had scored in the last 9 yrs."
 

JesusCal91

All-Conference
Mar 26, 2019
2,665
1,991
0
Good god is women’s soccer a joke 13-0 in the World Cup? Why the hell is there this many teams in
 

JesusCal91

All-Conference
Mar 26, 2019
2,665
1,991
0
I don't have the data so perhaps I'm wrong, but it's amazing how women's sports (in general) have such a wide talent differential between the top and bottom teams.

Because most of the rest of the world barely fields a team. Theres 24? Teams in this women’s wc. Should be 8 at the max
 
May 6, 2004
15,086
11,447
0
Soccer is considered a man's game... I'm not sure I've ever seen girls playing soccer in Europe, though I guess that's changing.

Then you gotta consider the luxury that it is, place like Thailand where the average salary is probably 10k a year how many girls could they possibly have devoted to sport?
 
  • Like
Reactions: LineSkiCat14

mhroe1984

Heisman
Dec 16, 2007
14,060
10,627
0
Thailand isn't even the lowest ranked team in the tournament. They're currently ranked 34th in the world, while USA's next opponent Chile is ranked five spots below them at 39th.
 

mhroe1984

Heisman
Dec 16, 2007
14,060
10,627
0
That game was the equivalent to the overall #1 seed vs play in 16 seed game.
Some of the lower tier squads have held their own in the first games--- Chile, Argentina etc

I wouldn't even equate it to that. It was more like when UK played Asbury College in an exhibition game a few years ago when the Cats won 156-63.

It looked like the USA women were just toying with a HS Junior Varsity team yesterday.
 

vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
57,418
38,483
0
Soccer is considered a man's game... I'm not sure I've ever seen girls playing soccer in Europe, though I guess that's changing.
That was true. Rest of world thought USA girls playing soccer was totally weird. What a F-ed up country we is. :flush:
 

BigBlueSean_rivals178247

All-Conference
Oct 23, 2013
20,054
3,040
0
I am fine with the 13 goals due to the goal difference aspect. The celebrations after goal 7 though are just kind of a bad look. Unless its your first WC goal, just chill and bring the ball back to midfield. You did not see Germany doing any of that when playing Estonia yesterday in Euro Qualifying. Act like the 3x Champion favorite that you are.
 
May 6, 2004
15,086
11,447
0
Reward for cheating is much greater... flop in basketball maybe you get some freethrows or fresh set of downs if the kicker flops contact in football...

in soccer one moment of cheating and it's potentially game over; you're playing 11 on 10 or you've earned a penalty kick or free kick to score from against the run of play.
 

vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
57,418
38,483
0
Watching France Noway. 1-1 but Fr dominating.

Interesting to me is that the women game ref has done tonnes of Bundesliga matches & good ones at that. Little heavy, but not at all hard on the eyes.