soccer soccer soccer

[wolf stansson]

Gregg really is doing something with this team. I’m a believer.

[soccer10k]

Is this Mexico's A team?

[UMFan83]

horsefeathering love beating Mexico twice in the same summer to win a trophy

[wolf stansson]

Is this Mexico's A team?

B in an ideal world with full fitness. But this is our, like, C- team

[soccer10k]

Is this Mexico's A team?

B in an ideal world with full fitness. But this is our, like, C- team

 

Thanks. I knew it was our C team but didn't know much of anything about their team.

[bukie]

Is this Mexico's A team?

B in an ideal world with full fitness. But this is our, like, C- team

 

Thanks. I knew it was our C team but didn't know much of anything about their team.

You could argue the USMNT played with 0 starters on the field (depending on your opinion of Zardes and Cannon), and Mexico played with effectively 9 starters, missing Ochoa most glaringly.

[wolf stansson]

 

Watched the replay. Good lord please someone come collect the corpse of Alvarez.

Edited August 2, 2021 by wolf stansson

[wolf stansson]

FOH HECTOR HERRERA YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Miles Robinson is on that list too.

 

Prophetic. Even besides the goal, he was fantastic tonight.

[wolf stansson]

Things we learned:

-GGG can sacrifice tactical ambition for pragmatism

-Matt Turner is the most in-form keeper in the pool and should be the starter

-Acosta is the Adams back-up

-Hoppe is an elite wing/forward prospect

-Miles Robinson is the starter next to Brooks

-the scrappy, resilient team culture is back and better than ever

-we are deeper than ever, we aren’t just developing high end talent

-we are right on track to be outsider contenders in 2026

 

 

It’s really nice to love soccer again. My other teams suck, so this is great for me. I don’t like Alexi Lalas but when he cried in the postgame show, I felt that.

[bukie]

On we go to CONCACAF WCQ. Here's how I'd rate the teams going into the octagon:

 

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Costa Rica

5. Jamaica

6. Honduras

7. El Salvador

8. Panama

[UMFan83]

On we go to CONCACAF WCQ. Here's how I'd rate the teams going into the octagon:

 

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Costa Rica

5. Jamaica

6. Honduras

7. El Salvador

8. Panama

 

Alexi Lalas had them something like this last night (cant remember the exact order of Panama and El Salvador, but certain about the other placings):

 

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Honduras

5. Jamaica

6. El Salvador

7. Panama

8. Costa Rica

[stitchface]

Is this Mexico's A team?

 

sort of - no hirving lozano and a couple others that are at olympics.

[stitchface]

On we go to CONCACAF WCQ. Here's how I'd rate the teams going into the octagon:

 

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Costa Rica

5. Jamaica

6. Honduras

7. El Salvador

8. Panama

 

Alexi Lalas had them something like this last night (cant remember the exact order of Panama and El Salvador, but certain about the other placings):

 

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Honduras

5. Jamaica

6. El Salvador

7. Panama

8. Costa Rica

 

Rating them is all well and good but 1 and 2 are pretty much neck and neck, then there's a gap to 3, and then a huge gap to 4.

[stitchface]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/chelsea-engchelsea/story/4444258/chelseas-christian-pulisic-open-to-new-defensive-switch-thomas-tuchel

[stitchface]

Things we learned:

-GGG can sacrifice tactical ambition for pragmatism

-Matt Turner is the most in-form keeper in the pool and should be the starter

-Acosta is the Adams back-up

-Hoppe is an elite wing/forward prospect

-Miles Robinson is the starter next to Brooks

-the scrappy, resilient team culture is back and better than ever

-we are deeper than ever, we aren’t just developing high end talent

-we are right on track to be outsider contenders in 2026

 

 

It’s really nice to love soccer again. My other teams suck, so this is great for me. I don’t like Alexi Lalas but when he cried in the postgame show, I felt that.

 

I think most of this is over-reaction. This team barely got by some second tier teams. Loved to see the fight in the team last night but, at least on the attacking side, Mexico was far better. Hoppe has a ton of energy but really unrefined - not convinced on elite. Acosta and Turner are both terrifying on the ball - great defense but Turner nearly gave the ball away in the goal box early on and Acosta gives it away in midfield way too frequently. Robinson looked good.

[bukie]

Despite the struggles vs Canada due to the odd tactical switch after the goal, and to some extent Qatar, they were definitely the better squad for every other game in the tournament I'd say probably 8-10 players helped their status during the tournament, and more than that should be involved at some point in WC qualifying, especially with the 3 games per international window schedule.

 

Helped cause: Robinson, Turner, Acosta, Sands, Vines, Hoppe, Moore, Busio, Roldan

Didn't hurt their cause: Cannon, Dike, Lletget, Williamson, Gioacchini, Bello, Zardes, Kessler

Hurt their standing on the USMNT: Arriola, Yueill, Lewis

[stitchface]

Despite the struggles vs Canada due to the odd tactical switch after the goal, and to some extent Qatar, they were definitely the better squad for every other game in the tournament I'd say probably 8-10 players helped their status during the tournament, and more than that should be involved at some point in WC qualifying, especially with the 3 games per international window schedule.

 

Helped cause: Robinson, Turner, Acosta, Sands, Vines, Hoppe, Moore, Busio, Roldan

Didn't hurt their cause: Cannon, Dike, Lletget, Williamson, Gioacchini, Bello, Zardes, Kessler

Hurt their standing on the USMNT: Arriola, Yueill, Lewis

 

wow, disagree. Great to beat mexico but this seems myopic to me. Robinson, Turner, and Hoppe helped cause. Don't agree on any of the others and would put an asterisk on Hoppe as not convinced he will be effective against better competition. I'm not an Acosta fan and the rest of those midfielders gave the ball away way too much including Busio against weak competition. Even last night, the lack of composure throughout the team was evident. Dike hurt his cause in my view especially after he hurt himself flinging himself to the ground. This team was second best last night and really never showed they were better than the other teams they played in this tournament.

[bukie]

Despite the struggles vs Canada due to the odd tactical switch after the goal, and to some extent Qatar, they were definitely the better squad for every other game in the tournament I'd say probably 8-10 players helped their status during the tournament, and more than that should be involved at some point in WC qualifying, especially with the 3 games per international window schedule.

 

Helped cause: Robinson, Turner, Acosta, Sands, Vines, Hoppe, Moore, Busio, Roldan

Didn't hurt their cause: Cannon, Dike, Lletget, Williamson, Gioacchini, Bello, Zardes, Kessler

Hurt their standing on the USMNT: Arriola, Yueill, Lewis

 

wow, disagree. Great to beat mexico but this seems myopic to me. Robinson, Turner, and Hoppe helped cause. Don't agree on any of the others and would put an asterisk on Hoppe as not convinced he will be effective against better competition. I'm not an Acosta fan and the rest of those midfielders gave the ball away way too much including Busio against weak competition. Even last night, the lack of composure throughout the team was evident. Dike hurt his cause in my view especially after he hurt himself flinging himself to the ground. This team was second best last night and really never showed they were better than the other teams they played in this tournament.

I completely disagree, especially the back line was strong all tournament, so guys like Vines and Sands really stepped up, and Shaq Moore was also an asset for sure. Acosta was at his best last night and was the only player that was a holdover starter from the Nations league final, and he's definitely at the very least shown he needs to be on the field against Mexico.

 

Dike was worn down, but showed flashes early, needs rest more than anything. Hoppe was really the only one creating anything for the first 70 minutes of the game yesterday, and almost won the game on his own offensively against Qatar. They were definitely the second best team on the field vs Mexico until about the 65th minutes, then the subs came in and they effectively bossed the game from there on out, with Mexico generating no real dangerous chances on Turner, with just one easy save to make beyond the end of the first half.

 

As for the rest of the games, the scores show they just squeaked by, but they really dominated each game, save when they effectively let Canada do whatever they wanted and bunkering after getting the early goal, and early on vs Qatar when they were a little slow to handle counters in the first half despite dominating the ball. The lack of scoring was an issue for them all tournament, mostly due to a complete lack of connection between what was a solid back line all tournament and an inexperience forward trio, with midfield being a glaring weakness all tournament. Everything always seemed to get better when Roldan came on, though, and Busio did make a positive impact on at the very least the Martinique and Mexico games after he came on, and earned himself a look from high level Euro clubs.

[stitchface]

I felt like that backline allowed too much dribbling space in many of the earlier games - better teams will take advantage - hard to gauge a defense against weak competition. Busio I thought was really good at times and really struggled at others - lots of reason to be optimistic but I don't think he is there yet. Not convinced they bossed the game but they definitely had some great chances and looked at least as likely to score in the second half. Mexico missed a couple sitters though that would make everyone see this much differently.

 

Should be good for qualifying but not convinced on too many of these guys against top World Cup teams - I think they give up a lot of goals against competent attacking teams.

[imb]

the goal scoring was really hurt imo by not having a midfielder who could connect the defense to the forwards. I really like Acosta and the way be plays, he does a lot of little things, but he needs someone in the midfield with him who has more vision. Im judging basically the entire roster as can they provide depth, and almost to a man they all showed more than i expected.

 

As for Turner, I'm not convinced he's not the best option (I don't know much about Horvath at all, admittedly.) Turner had the one bad touch last night but he was in position the entire tournament, and every time I see Steffen play, he always seems to have 2-3 brutal screw ups with his positioning.

[stitchface]

the goal scoring was really hurt imo by not having a midfielder who could connect the defense to the forwards. I really like Acosta and the way be plays, he does a lot of little things, but he needs someone in the midfield with him who has more vision. Im judging basically the entire roster as can they provide depth, and almost to a man they all showed more than i expected.

 

As for Turner, I'm not convinced he's not the best option (I don't know much about Horvath at all, admittedly.) Turner had the one bad touch last night but he was in position the entire tournament, and every time I see Steffen play, he always seems to have 2-3 brutal screw ups with his positioning.

 

Turner was fantastic to be clear - the good news is the footwork is probably easier to work on than the positioning. Steffen is really hurt by not playing enough - being at man city is probably not good for his development.

 

It's probably more than the mids - the forwards also need to be able to hold up the ball. Zardes is great on effort but not so much on touch. Same for Hoppe.

[wolf stansson]

GGG in the ringer

 

 

https://www.theringer.com/soccer/2021/8/2/22601665/gregg-berhalter-usmnt-world-cup-qualifying-test

[stitchface]

GGG in the ringer

 

 

https://www.theringer.com/soccer/2021/8/2/22601665/gregg-berhalter-usmnt-world-cup-qualifying-test

 

good stuff - thanks for posting.

[wolf stansson]

Further proof that US soccer journos are comparing Hoppe to the wrong Clint.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/08/04/matthew-hoppe-gregg-berhalter-t-shirt/

 

This kid is definitely the new Clint Mathis.