USMNT/Soccer Thread

TCPUKChamps

Heisman
Dec 18, 2002
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My EPL Top 6 Prediction:
1. Liverpool - 88 points
2. Man City - 86 points
3. Arsenal - 79 points
4. Tottenham - 77 points
5. Chelsea - 73 points
6. Manchester United - 70 points

With 7/8 matches left:
1. Liverpool - 76 points (7 Matches Left)
2. Man City - 74 points (8 Matches Left)
3. Tottenham - 61 points (8 Matches Left)
4. Arsenal - 60 points (8 Matches Left)
5. Manchester United - 58 points (8 Matches Left)
6. Chelsea - 57 points (8 Matches Left)

Big 6 matches left:
Liverpool (Tottenham, Chelsea)
Man City (Tottenham, Manchester United)
Tottenham (Liverpool, Manchester City)
Arsenal (None)
Chelsea (Liverpool, Manchester United)
Manchester United (Man City, Chelsea)

All 6 teams still have European dates left as well.

End of the year is going to be nuts. I have an outside shot at hitting the Top 6.
 

BlueRaider22

All-American
Sep 24, 2003
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Avoiding drawing T&T. :D


Lol....

I actually kinda want them. But seriously, with us going with the young bucks and trying to build for the future, I just wondered what would be a "win" for the tournament?

To my knowledge we're still ranked #2 in the CONCACAF pool. And there seems to be a drop off in ranking after #3 Costa Rica. But are these rankings relevant to the US right now given are current situation?
 

vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
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So Pulisic is hurt
Didn't seem serious to me. Stayed on bench & walking around afterwards.

Pretty fun game - open. Chile outplayed us but that's what you'd expect. Zardes looked better than I've ever seen him. Lewis could be quite good. Bradley made a couple nice long passes that didn't connect. Ream pass back - WTF?
 

BlueRaider22

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Sep 24, 2003
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Didn't seem serious to me. Stayed on bench & walking around afterwards.

Pretty fun game - open. Chile outplayed us but that's what you'd expect. Zardes looked better than I've ever seen him. Lewis could be quite good. Bradley made a couple nice long passes that didn't connect. Ream pass back - WTF?


Agreed. I think we looked really good on offense......particularly when Pulisic was in there.

I'm worried about the defense. It really seems like we've got some pieces to work with, but we're struggling to field a stout back 4. The good thing is that we have plenty of time to work out the bugs.
 

vhcat70

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Feb 5, 2003
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Didn't seem serious to me. Stayed on bench & walking around afterwards.
Reading today that Pulisic has had multiple leg muscle issues/jnuries, so even if this injury wasn't bad, could be part of an ongoing problem.
 

CAT Scratch FVR

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Sep 4, 2004
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Sad we are pegging future hopes on one guy. He's a fine player with potential, the best we have right now, but we need more.
 

BlueRaider22

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Sep 24, 2003
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Sad we are pegging future hopes on one guy.


I think we're pegging the future hopes on a collection of guys.....Pulisic just happens to be the best of the group and thus gets the headlines.

Weah, Arriola, Miazga, Sargent, Acosta, Trapp, McKennie, Adams, etc. These are all guys <25 yrs old.......many of which are 20 yrs or younger. As a group, they have more potential than we've ever had. It's how this group develops that will determine how we perform for the next 5-10 yrs.


And, I have heard analysts state that the crop of guys behind this group is very encouraging thus far as well. But since they're still so young, it's hard to expect a lot right now.
 
Mar 25, 2004
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I think we're pegging the future hopes on a collection of guys.....Pulisic just happens to be the best of the group and thus gets the headlines.

Weah, Arriola, Miazga, Sargent, Acosta, Trapp, McKennie, Adams, etc. These are all guys <25 yrs old.......many of which are 20 yrs or younger. As a group, they have more potential than we've ever had. It's how this group develops that will determine how we perform for the next 5-10 yrs.


And, I have heard analysts state that the crop of guys behind this group is very encouraging thus far as well. But since they're still so young, it's hard to expect a lot right now.
There's a "U.S." kid (born in Miami, raised in Spain) who's apparently raising hell in Barcelona's academy.
 
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BigBlueSean_rivals178247

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Here's the sad thing, I've been paying attention to Mexico quite a bit. We are no where in sight.

Comparing performances against Chile and Ecuador to Mexico's barely B team performance against Chile and Paraguay. Guys, it's nowhere close. Technically, Tactically, First touch, Creativity, just pure speed and skill. It's literally nowhere close.

We have to integrate these young guys, specifically in the midfield in fast. And even then I think Mexico will run us ragged. Just a different level of execution and creativity. Tata is doing with Mexico what he did with Atlanta United.

Lozano is a stud . But they have brought in a **** ton of loaded talent that is just better in every way:

Lozano
Lainez
Pineda
Aguirre
Vela
Corona
Guttierez
Montez
Jonathan Gonzalez (massive massive loss for us)
Pizzaro
Raul Jimenez

And quite a few others. Lainez is niiiiiiccceeee.

We play Mexico tomorrow, a dos a cero loss would be a good result. Go watch the highlights of the. And Chile.... Night and day difference....and that's Mexico's C team with a couple b team players.
 

CardHack

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There's a "U.S." kid (born in Miami, raised in Spain) who's apparently raising hell in Barcelona's academy.

That is Andres Costa...there are probably ten kids minimum at his age that appear to be more accomplished but that comes back to something I've wondered myself. I don't know if our teen talent pool is really that deep, or given the advent of so many sites and the attention gleaned from the higher number of youth going through the Development Academy systems throughout the US that we just think it's deeper because we know the names. The elephant in the room has to be the number of US/Mexican dual nationals and the climate in the US towards Mexicans in particular; a whole bunch of that teen talent seems to think Mexico first and US if that El Tri invite doesn't come...and I agree with the earlier poster with regard to Mexico's current roster makeup (despite the fact we have heavily outperformed them at the u17 and u20 levels for the last four years or so), we are way behind them in the number of players in the 22 year old to 29 year old prime of career players. They have roster depth positionally everywhere but at the deep mid level that is vastly superior to us; and even then Jona Gonzalez doesn't get a whiff with them at the 6.

Where we appear to be is where we were in 2002 where we had 20 year old Landon Donovan and 20 year old Demarcus Beasley playing critical roles on a team that realistically was on the verge of making the World Cup Finals losing to Germany in the quarterfinals...and a 19 year old Clint Dempsey on the horizon. This influx of kids in Adams at 19 at Leipzig and 20 year olds playing such crucial roles at Dortmund and Schalke seems unprecedented when coupled with the volume of others getting to the Bundesliga as 18 year olds.
 

NKYWildcat

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Mar 16, 2002
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Love all the different races and Champions League/Europa spots available in EPL right nows, should be a fun month or two for English soccer. Great race for the league title. Four teams going for the 3rd and 4th place and auto CL spots. The teams who ended up 5 and 6 will be in Europa League. And, because of who may win the FA Cup, a good chance 7th place gets a Europa League berth as well.
 

vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
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Cincy played pretty dang well in LA imo. Had 3-4 really good chances, but Mattocks managed to miss the net repeatedly. Good news he got wide open.
 
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Jan 28, 2007
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Sad to say it, but the USMT is done. You can't miss the WC if you're in our position. It's one thing if you're the Netherlands. But this killed US soccer. Now it's just ugly hipsters with ****** beards that can't get laid banging on drums in 2nd rate cities. Sad!
 

vhcat70

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Feb 5, 2003
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Sad to say it, but the USMT is done. You can't miss the WC if you're in our position. It's one thing if you're the Netherlands. But this killed US soccer. Now it's just ugly hipsters with ****** beards that can't get laid banging on drums in 2nd rate cities. Sad!
If latter comment refers to MLS, I don't see a correlation between it & the national team. I mean, the national team was sh!tty well before MLS came along & it hasn't affected that one way/other imo.

The other thing is that MLS' purpose isn't to create the best teams money can buy as in Europe but to have some level of competitive balance; i.e., make $ for all owners/members by giving 2nd rate cities' teams a chance to win, regardless of overall quality ala NFL style. Whether people here like that a approach or not, MLS has made that decision.
 
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stuway

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Mar 29, 2007
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Ajax is freaking unreal. Took out Real and Juve back to back. And they can absolutely beat Man city or Totenham. I love it, just hate that there their 2 future super stars are gonna go to Barca..barf

Hope my Reds come through today against Porto. I want Messi!!
 

stuway

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Mar 29, 2007
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Between the Premiere League title race and the UCL finals rounding out, its a good time to be a Liverpool fan. Of course its been a long time coming to be competitive again.

But I think Liverpool will win out in the PL and City will draw once more to give Liverpool the title.

The UCL seems like Messi is on a mission or Ajax is destiny. Either way very nervous about the UCL semis and final.

A whole lot of great top 4 battles in the other Europe top leagues. Many UCL spots to jockey for still. Good times.

How do yall see the Premiere League and UCL shaking out??
 

CardHack

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Just watched the ESPN 30/30 episode on the Hillsborough Tragedy in 1989. Just terrible.....

Watched it last year once and found I couldn't watch even five minutes of it again without feeling a combination of nauseated and horrified. Every account given from a police officer to a parent to a spectator or survivor is wretching.
 
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stuway

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Yeah they had a tribute like last week at Anfield for the victims. Guess it was the anniversary. Its unfathomable to see a tragedy like that at such a time we were so far advanced.

Horrible oredeal. Idk if I could watch the thing.

Ok looks like

Liberpool vs Barca
Tottenham (changed this 3 times in last min of game WOW wtf? Insane) vs Ajax

Who does everyone like?? Heart obviously Liverpool, but head Barca. I sadly say Barca vs Ajax (thrilled for btw)

Oh and Raheem Sterling is a beast btw. He has turned into a magnificent player. Too bad he left Anfield.
 

vhcat70

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Feb 5, 2003
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I didn't have a horse in the race, but what a MC-Tot race! Did think the one Tot goal was a handball - arm was out from body & ball hit it imo - but then I'm no rules expert.
 

stuway

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It was so close....either his hip or arm...hard to tell man. Glad I wasnt the ref
 
May 6, 2004
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Sad to say it, but the USMT is done. You can't miss the WC if you're in our position. It's one thing if you're the Netherlands. But this killed US soccer. Now it's just ugly hipsters with ****** beards that can't get laid banging on drums in 2nd rate cities. Sad!

hah, this gave me a good chuckle. :joy:

I sadly say Barca vs Ajax (thrilled for btw)

I haven't watched much soccer this year, but from what I did i'd be surprised if this wasn't the final. Barca is a whole 'nother level really, but upsets happen and would make for a great story to see Ajax recapture some old glory.