soccer soccer soccer

[UMFan83]

Uhhh time to shell up

[wolf stansson]

I hope my good friend Gio Reyna has fun when he comes on. I honestly don’t think I can watch.

[Mark Priors Calves]

Uhhhhh....

[wolf stansson]

Bench Steffen btw

[wolf stansson]

A win in Mexico would’ve made tonight so fun.

[bukie]

To whoever asked a while back if Costa Rica is still a tougher place to play than Panama...uhh, yes. Very much so.

[wolf stansson]

We’re back?

[UMFan83]

To whoever asked a while back if Costa Rica is still a tougher place to play than Panama...uhh, yes. Very much so.

 

We didn’t even play bad. We had good chances early. Felt like once we gave up the 1st goal we were like meh and it turned into a glorified friendly.

[UMFan83]

Costa Rica goes 6-1-0 in their last 7 WCQ matches with the 1 draw being at Mexico. Pretty impressive.

[wolf stansson]

I’m excited despite the game and I didn’t think I would be as recently as five minutes ago.

 

 

 

Thank ducking god

[bukie]

To whoever asked a while back if Costa Rica is still a tougher place to play than Panama...uhh, yes. Very much so.

 

We didn’t even play bad. We had good chances early. Felt like once we gave up the 1st goal we were like meh and it turned into a glorified friendly.

Yes, they thoroughly outplayed CR and still lost 2-0. The stadium atmosphere is tougher than Azteca these days.

 

Which is why everyone knew going into this qualifying round that the US needed to have a bid sealed without needing a result here, and thankfully they did.

 

Also why that needless throwaway loss in Panama was a terrible choice.

 

The USMNT may look like they barely qualified this cycle, but they were the best team in xG/xGA for the entire cycle, and I believe they outplayed their opponent in every game.

[Rex Buckingham]

Yeah, but I don't think xG knows that we haven't had a quality finisher since Deuce retired

[bukie]

Yeah, but I don't think xG knows that we haven't had a quality finisher since Deuce retired

Pulisic had a hat trick like 3 days ago...

[soccer10k]

Yeah, but I don't think xG knows that we haven't had a quality finisher since Deuce retired

Pulisic had a hat trick like 3 days ago...

 

And two were penalties…

[bukie]

Yeah, but I don't think xG knows that we haven't had a quality finisher since Deuce retired

Pulisic had a hat trick like 3 days ago...

 

And two were penalties…

I mean, penalties are about 90% finishing.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Also the US scored more actual goals than any team save Canada(and that 2 goal difference was entirely in the h2h), so it’s not like it was all underlying numbers with no production.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

In more forward facing news, now we can look forward to how terrifying the draw will be on Friday. Fully expecting some nonsense like Brazil, Senegal, Wales

[bukie]

In more forward facing news, now we can look forward to how terrifying the draw will be on Friday. Fully expecting some nonsense like Brazil, Senegal, Wales

Well, we know they won't get New Zealand, since they won't draw that playoff spot with a CONCACAF team. At least it can't be Germany again.

 

Honestly, with the pots done as they are now, it's a lot less scary since they can only get 2 tough UEFA teams if they catch Wales in the draw. No more Germany/Portugal or Portugal/Poland.

 

In fact, every World Cup the USA has been in since 1986, they've been in a group with two UEFA teams, and the only way that happens this year is if they catch Serbia or Wales in the draw.

[stitchface]

To whoever asked a while back if Costa Rica is still a tougher place to play than Panama...uhh, yes. Very much so.

 

just because the US half-assed it doesn't make it a tough place to play. ridiculous performance. qualified for world cup but nowhere near good enough to compete.

 

while we're benching people, I'd be happy to never see Antonee again. pathetic.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Honestly, with the pots done as they are now, it's a lot less scary since they can only get 2 tough UEFA teams if they catch Wales in the draw. No more Germany/Portugal or Portugal/Poland.

 

In fact, every World Cup the USA has been in since 1986, they've been in a group with two UEFA teams, and the only way that happens this year is if they catch Serbia or Wales in the draw.

 

The spirit of your point remains, but Poland is in Pot 3 too. I’m less worried about 2 UEFA teams than I am of drawing Poland and/or Wales instead of the more manageable teams in those pots. Outside of Qatar there isn’t a huge difference between drawing France or drawing Brazil. If you made me pick one non-Qatar team for the group I guess it’d be Spain?

[bukie]

Honestly, with the pots done as they are now, it's a lot less scary since they can only get 2 tough UEFA teams if they catch Wales in the draw. No more Germany/Portugal or Portugal/Poland.

 

In fact, every World Cup the USA has been in since 1986, they've been in a group with two UEFA teams, and the only way that happens this year is if they catch Serbia or Wales in the draw.

 

The spirit of your point remains, but Poland is in Pot 3 too. I’m less worried about 2 UEFA teams than I am of drawing Poland and/or Wales instead of the more manageable teams in those pots. Outside of Qatar there isn’t a huge difference between drawing France or drawing Brazil. If you made me pick one non-Qatar team for the group I guess it’d be Spain?

I mean, sign me up for Qatar-Serbia-Ghana, but outside of that unlikely dream scenario, Spain and Portugal seem the least scary of the seeds. Maybe England wouldn't be terrible. No thanks to Brazil, France, Belgium, Argentina for me.

 

As for pot 3/4, as long as US can avoid Poland/Wales, the rest are the same.

 

I am also fully expecting Qatar to magically get a draw where they could have a fighting chance to advance. Something like Switzerland/Tunisia/Costa Rica-New Zealand.

[soccer10k]

Honestly, with the pots done as they are now, it's a lot less scary since they can only get 2 tough UEFA teams if they catch Wales in the draw. No more Germany/Portugal or Portugal/Poland.

 

In fact, every World Cup the USA has been in since 1986, they've been in a group with two UEFA teams, and the only way that happens this year is if they catch Serbia or Wales in the draw.

 

The spirit of your point remains, but Poland is in Pot 3 too. I’m less worried about 2 UEFA teams than I am of drawing Poland and/or Wales instead of the more manageable teams in those pots. Outside of Qatar there isn’t a huge difference between drawing France or drawing Brazil. If you made me pick one non-Qatar team for the group I guess it’d be Spain?

 

So if we're worried about drawing a UEFA team in Pot 3 and/or 4, we probably want to get a UEFA team in Pot 1, right? Unless we get Qatar of course. That way at most we only get one UEFA team from Pot 3 and 4.

[bukie]

On the other end of the draw, Canada slipped to pot 4, and is probably going to get a rough group as a result. Could be something like Brazil-Germany-Poland.

[UMFan83]

Why do they automatically put the host country in Pot 1? I get that playing at home gives some advantage (heck even South Africa almost advanced out of the group stage) but in years like this it’s an unnecessary advantage given to 3 lucky teams in the other pots.

 

(Permission to erase this post if the US draws Qatar)

[bukie]

Why do they automatically put the host country in Pot 1? I get that playing at home gives some advantage (heck even South Africa almost advanced out of the group stage) but in years like this it’s an unnecessary advantage given to 3 lucky teams in the other pots.

 

(Permission to erase this post if the US draws Qatar)

It's good for FIFA financially if the host country has a fighting chance to advance from the group stage, keeps the locals interested longer.