The Soccer Thread

[Guest]

Please hold onto this lead HON.

 

So Mexico can only now tie for 3rd place right? And with only 4 goals scored they are pretty much eliminated.

 

Yes but if they do tie for third, they'd win the tiebreaker unless they win both games by 1 goal and Honduras loses by one goal since goal differential is the first tiebreaker.

[Guest]

About time.

[bukie]

Finally put one on net.

[bukie]

There's two.

[Guest]

Kljestsn looks like Littlefinger from Game of Thrones.

[bukie]

USMNT wins the hex! Also 5-0 at home with a clean sheet.

[USSoccer]

Thoughts:

 

-Jamaica sucks. Every cycle we hear this and that about athleticism and speed, but unfortunately for them none of them can play soccer.

 

-LOL @ Mexico for starting the rotting corpse of Rafa Marquez.

 

-That said, Mexico's attack already looks a billion times better.

[shnsajax]

Mexico still can't finish worth a [expletive]. Aquino's shot was horrible. Panama has a ton of size on Mexico.

[Guest]

Is Chokearito a thing? Can we make it a thing?

[shnsajax]

I hate having Mexico on ESPN. Every time they score that might be the goal that changes things for Mexico.

[wolf stansson]

Raul Jimenez...holy fuckn [expletive].

[wolf stansson]

Now watch them do the most El Tri thing possible and take NZ lightly, lose 1-0 on the road and draw at home.

 

Just a question: who on earth, besides Jurgen, rates Mix Diskerrud higher than Sacha Kljestan as a starter at CM at this point in their careers?

 

I like Mix, but Sacha is better, more experienced, more refined, more composed and plays for a bigger club in a bigger league and plays 90 every game.

[bukie]

If Panama beats the US and CR beats Mexico, Mexico still finishes 5th and misses the playoffs, unless they outscore Panama by 2.

[USSoccer]

Now watch them do the most El Tri thing possible and take NZ lightly, lose 1-0 on the road and draw at home.

 

Just a question: who on earth, besides Jurgen, rates Mix Diskerrud higher than Sacha Kljestan as a starter at CM at this point in their careers?

 

I like Mix, but Sacha is better, more experienced, more refined, more composed and plays for a bigger club in a bigger league and plays 90 every game.

 

I do, actually. I don't think Sacha is good enough to play at the international level. He's not had a good senior NT performance since the home MEX match in 2009; he's had multiple opportunities to make himself a starter since and failed miserably. He then failed to take advantage of lifelines handed to him by both Bradley and JK; out of position on the wing or not, he couldn't even show basic competence out there.

 

I think it's mostly a mental/speed of thought thing with him, but it is what it is. He's a depth guy. He wouldn't even have been called in had Bradley, Dempsey, EJ and FJ not been hurt.

 

Mix has better touch and thinks much faster than Sacha. Plus, if we're picking nits, they don't really play the same role for club or country.

[USSoccer]

Raul Jimenez...holy [expletive] [expletive].

 

That was the goal of the Hex, and one of the best goals given the circumstance that I've ever seen.

[CubInOK]

Donovan and Jones were injured vs JAM. Howard and Besler will also miss the next game.

[shnsajax]

Donovan and Jones were injured vs JAM. Howard and Besler will also miss the next game.

 

So Mexico better take care of business vs CR and not be expecting too much help from us.

[wolf stansson]

Sigi doesn't appear to have a very firm grip on his team.

 

Very clear the Dempsey signing disrupted their chemistry. $ will do that, though.

[UMFan83]

So Mexico is up 3 points, up by 2 goals in GD, and down 2 in GA. If Mexico loses and Panama wins for some reason, Mexico is out unless Mexico loses by only 1 and Panama wins by 1 AND mexico scores 2 more goals than Panama does. So it would have to be something like a 4-3 Mexico loss and a 1-0 Panama win for Mexico to advance to the playoff. And that is because Mexico and Panama would tie in points, Goal Differential, Goals scored, and Mexico would lead in points scored in H2H matchup 4-1.

 

I think this is correct.

[bukie]

So Mexico is up 3 points, up by 2 goals in GD, and down 2 in GA. If Mexico loses and Panama wins for some reason, Mexico is out unless Mexico loses by only 1 and Panama wins by 1 AND mexico scores 2 more goals than Panama does. So it would have to be something like a 4-3 Mexico loss and a 1-0 Panama win for Mexico to advance to the playoff. And that is because Mexico and Panama would tie in points, Goal Differential, Goals scored, and Mexico would lead in points scored in H2H matchup 4-1.

 

I think this is correct.

The likeliest scenario at this point is that Mexico loses and Panama wins. Mexico is going to have to root hard for the US, or hope that CR doesn't care.

[Guest]

Good overview of tonight's qualifying games that breaks down the possibilities without drowning you in details: http://soccer.si.com/2013/10/14/world-cup-qualifying-scenarios-standings-fifa-world-cup/3/

[cl smooth]

is there a place online where i can watch the england/poland match? espn3 doesn't seem to be carrying it.

[Guest]

the first row dot eu

[Guest]

According to Wahl, all yellows are wiped clean for today, so all everyone has to do is avoid being sent off tonight and there won't be any issues with WC suspensions.

[bukie]

Here's what needs to happen for the USMNT to get a seed at the World Cup:

 

- USMNT win at Panama

- Netherlands loss at Turkey

- Switzerland loss v Slovenia

- England draw or loss v Poland

- Three of Spain, Uruguay, Portugal and Croatia fail to qualify for World Cup.

 

If all that happens, the US would pass the Netherlands, Switzerland and England in the FIFA ratings (to be 11th), and three other teams ahead of them (Spain, Uruguay, Portugal, and/or Croatia) would be out of the draw.

 

Odds of all that happening...about 1 in 27,000.

 

Guaranteed seeds in World Cup: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Belgium