soccer soccer soccer

[wolf stansson]

So no Dest and no McKennie for our do or die window? Yikes

We got serge. I guess John brooks is excommunicated.

 

 

 

[soccer10k]

Chelsea-Real

Man City-Atletico

Villarreal-Bayern

Benfica-Liverpool

 

First two winners square off in one semi and the bottom two winners in the other.

[wolf stansson]

I have mixed feelings about how, no matter what happens, the MNT needs MLS to deliver a supporting case that gets thrust into the most crucial moments.

[wolf stansson]

https://twitter.com/lgbtqfc/status/1504935207878549506?s=21

 

Yet another reason the 2026 World Cup is going to be sick

[stitchface]

I have mixed feelings about how, no matter what happens, the MNT needs MLS to deliver a supporting case that gets thrust into the most crucial moments.

4 years ago they were the frontline . . .

[stitchface]

Chelsea-Real

Man City-Atletico

Villarreal-Bayern

Benfica-Liverpool

 

First two winners square off in one semi and the bottom two winners in the other.

 

pretty meh except the first one . . . semis could be great though!

[wolf stansson]

I have mixed feelings about how, no matter what happens, the MNT needs MLS to deliver a supporting case that gets thrust into the most crucial moments.

4 years ago they were the frontline . . .

For sure! And btw, the level of that supporting cast at any given moment is a perfect litmus test for the overall health of the game in our country. It’s why I love & care about MLS so much.

 

 

Dest out minimum 3 weeks.

Snake bitten European season but great to see Christian closing strong.

[wolf stansson]

[wolf stansson]

Zach is fit so at least there’s that.

 

[stitchface]

I have mixed feelings about how, no matter what happens, the MNT needs MLS to deliver a supporting case that gets thrust into the most crucial moments.

4 years ago they were the frontline . . .

For sure! And btw, the level of that supporting cast at any given moment is a perfect litmus test for the overall health of the game in our country. It’s why I love & care about MLS so much.

 

 

Dest out minimum 3 weeks.

Snake bitten European season but great to see Christian closing strong.

 

I have to admit I was for once not happy to see in the Chelsea lineup - and sure enough, he's on the ground halfway through . . .

[stitchface]

What a clasico!

[wolf stansson]

 

Group A looking like a raw steak to every team in pot 2

[UMFan83]

 

Group A looking like a raw steak to every team in pot 2

 

Love how in our part of the world we're saying 'hopefully we can beat freaking Panama and get a point in CR or Mexico to make the world cup' and in Europe they have multiple contingencies in place in case a pot 1 team does not actually make the world cup.

[UMFan83]

Ricketts family now viewed as favorites to purchase Chelsea according to this:

 

https://www.cubsinsider.com/2022/03/22/ricketts-family-flying-to-london-to-pursue-chelsea-bid-currently-listed-as-underdogs/

 

You may not be able to place a bet at the sportsbook at Wrigley Field, but you might want to wager on the Ricketts family’s Chelsea Football Club bid if you can find a place to do so. Though they had opened as underdogs at +750, the folks at Gambling.com have now installed the Cubs owners as favorites from among a group of 12 different suitors for the soccer club.

 

The Ricketts family now sits at +110 to win the Chelsea sweepstakes, a big shift in the wake of news that they’re advancing their candidacy in a big way. They have displaced Nick Candy, a London-based luxury property developer who holds an emotional edge as a lifelong Chelsea fan and probably even met his wife in the bleachers during a sunny afternoon at the pitch.

 

At least the Marquee money is going somewhere

[wolf stansson]

My condolences to both Cubs fans and Chelsea fans, who's teams will both get immediately weaker if the Ricketts bid is accepted.

[UMFan83]

 

It should tell you a lot when the head of the Chicago chapter of Chelsea supporters is going out of his way to protest this.

[soccer10k]

My condolences to both Cubs fans and Chelsea fans, who's teams will both get immediately weaker if the Ricketts bid is accepted.

 

Hmm … that’s a tough one.

 

Though considering the Ricketts don’t seem to give a shit about the Cubs being good, might as well take Chelsea down with them.

[imb]

i was afraid the ricketts might have a leg up because the number 1 mandate for the new owner is to build a new stadium, and the ricketts could be like wow isnt it great how we built up wrigley and the surrounding?

[stitchface]

Can someone explain why everyone still acts like the US might not qualify if they beat Panama? Do they actually think Costa Rica is going to take 9 this window?

[CubinNY]

i was afraid the ricketts might have a leg up because the number 1 mandate for the new owner is to build a new stadium, and the ricketts could be like wow isnt it great how we built up wrigley and the surrounding?

Apparently, their politics is coming into play here as well, I'm not sure how much value to put in that part of the equation as money usually wins these types of contests. If they come up with the best offer/plan, they will probably be the next owners. In my opinion, that's a bad thing for society in general, but might not be a bad thing for the team they will own. Some proportion of every dollar they make goes to fund the worst people in the world of politics, at least in America.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Can someone explain why everyone still acts like the US might not qualify if they beat Panama? Do they actually think Costa Rica is going to take 9 this window?

 

Because the USMNT fanbase is equal parts toxic and paranoid.

[soccer10k]

Can someone explain why everyone still acts like the US might not qualify if they beat Panama? Do they actually think Costa Rica is going to take 9 this window?

 

I was going to replay differently but then I realized I missed the “if they beat Panama” part the first time I read this. Costa Rica’s been playing well but it’s pretty likely they don’t beat both Canada (who still has something to play for) and the US (who, in your scenario, would also still have something to play for). I mean, anything is possible. We didn’t expect to lose to T&T four years ago either. But I’m not going to worry about that until Costa Rica beats Canada and El Salvador and we lose to Mexico.

[UMFan83]

Can someone explain why everyone still acts like the US might not qualify if they beat Panama? Do they actually think Costa Rica is going to take 9 this window?

 

Because the USMNT fanbase is equal parts toxic and paranoid.

 

This. I don't blame the fanbase for being paranoid though given what happened in T&T. Everyone was reassuring doubters that there was no way that the US was not getting a result in T&T and even if they didn't there's no way Honduras and Panama were going to both beat Mexico and Costa Rica respectively. And no one was wrong for reassuring those doubters. That was a horrifically improbable occurrence that probably happens 1-2 times if you play those matches 100 times. But clearly that is stuck in many people's heads as we go to the final window.

 

I will only truly start to worry if US falls to Mexico and Costa Rica beats Canada. Until then, I feel relatively safe despite the difficult window.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

My main concern as it relates to qualifying is making sure a thinner first choice roster has the right amount of rotation, since Mexico is the least important game but also is a big rivalry and comes first, there's risk in not getting it right.

 

With Reyna going 90 minutes last week I think that helps ease concerns about the wingers, between him, Pulisic, and Weah you can fill the 540 minutes with strong players that aren't run ragged. That said I wouldn't mind Morris starting tomorrow for his speed on the break and to make sure those 3 are in the best shape possible for Panama/CR.

 

The outside backs are less of a concern with Dest out because RB you have several similar options and at LB Robinson has shown he can be productive playing all 3 games(though again, Bello against Mexico wouldn't be the worst thing). GK and CB are non-issues in terms of rotation IMO.

 

Striker I just don't know, Ferreira is in the best form and his skillset will be the best for Panama, but if the CR game matters they won't be bunkering so having Ferreira's pressing would be useful. I'm probably fine whatever the choice is here but if they want to throw Pepi or Pefok out against Mexico that's probably the move that optimizes qualification.

 

And then there's the midfield. Adams can't play against Mexico or definitely can't start, he's a yellow card from suspension and he's too important to not have in the game that functionally guarantees qualification. I'd start Sands since we'll be defending a lot and he plays a fair amount of CB anyway. Then you have Musah, Acosta, and LDLT for the other 2 spots. I'd probably go Musah/Acosta then Musah/LDLT and hope you're qualified. Subbing Musah where possible in those games and you can maybe start him all 3.

[wolf stansson]

It also has much to do with the overall frustration fans have had with GGG's teams seemingly adding up to be less than the sum of their parts during the entire qualifying cycle. Obviously health and suspensions have played a role in that, but I think there's a constant low to high grade cognitive dissonance of watching our players play for the national team and then comparing it to the clubs they play at and just expecting more. Then contrast it with Canada, who seem to get a squad that is greater than the sum of their parts, like we used to pre-2016. So we've lost our collective spirit and aren't getting peak performances out of a combination of players that we know is better than they've shown.