bukie

It's been a little frustrating to watch this team boss their opponents for effectively 120 of 180 minutes over 2 games and end up with 2 draws. Many of the players, especially at the wings (Jedi, Musah, Pulisic, Dest, McKennie, Weah, Adams) have been the best players on the field across both games. Depth is a bit of a concern, particularly since Gregg has gone with largely the same lineups for 2 games, aside from splitting Wright and Sargent equally (with neither generating really much with their time aside from the one early Sargent header vs Wales). Moore clearly wasn't ready for primetime, Yedlin is fine but a step slow, and Aaronson/Reyna hasn't had much of an opportunity to do anything yet. I want to say Ream and Zimmerman have been better than I was afraid they'd be, but the only goal the team has given up so far was on Zimmerman, and the US midfield has been so dominant for the majority of the game, there hasn't been a ton being asked of them other than field back passes and distribute the ball forward. CB is still a concern going forward, but Turner and Adams have been good enough where it's only really hurt them once so far. I am not sure how well they will generate chances against a turtling Iran unless they can get better presence in front of the goal, and their set pieces have done effectively jack horsefeathers, but I'd like their chances against almost any other team that won't sit back.

It's soccer, officially. [tweet] [/tweet]

Somebody monkey pawed this season good.

I'm not sure I've ever rooted so hard for Northwestern as I am now, leading the fighting Bruce Pearls 31-27 midway through the 2nd half.

Watching the replay of Spain-Costa Rica. Some part of me really enjoys watching the CONCACAF club that has no business in the tournament but gets there thanks to CONCACAF'ing shenanigans get absolutely destroyed in the finals with halfway decent officiating.

[tweet] [/tweet]

Louisville well on their way to finishing last place at the Maui invitational, currently 0-5 on the year, one of 13 D-1 teams that still don't have a win.

Argentina had zero losses during the entire World Cup qualification cycle, then loses to a weak AFC team in their first WC fiinals game.

On the plus side, Fields should be able to avoid any hits during practice this week.

3-2 right? wins were Boston, Boston and Miami. Losses to Boston and Philly Yes, I missed that the Bulls have already played the Celtics 3x.

Last year, the Bulls were 1-15 against the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Sixers and 45-21 against everyone else. This year, the Bulls are 3-1 against the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Sixers, and 4-9 against everyone else.

15 minutes to go, then expecting about 10 minutes of stoppage time.

I'd probably go Reyna for Sargent and move Weah to the 9.

Great half, USMNT dominated. Few sloppy passes there after the goal, but deserved goal and lead. I'd sub in Aaronson for McKennie here as the first sub, with Reyna coming on for the last 30 minutes or so, with maybe a Dest sub-out for...maybe Yedlin? Weah the first player to score against Wales in a World Cup since Pele.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL

Well, if that shot stopping keeper chart means anything, the US should have a huge advantage at keeper in this game. Cue a Turner mistake leading to a goal in the first 5 minutes.

Which makes today's US-Wales result all the more important, as Wales will likely get a resting England in the 3rd game.

He has a really bad tendency to wait too long for some giant hole to develop, and all it does is give the defense time to end the play.

Two plays in a row where the Falcons rush 4 against 6 blockers and someone comes right up the middle untouched

In game decisions continue to make me think the staff actively works to keep the opposing team in the game.

A little disappointed Ecuador only got 2 here, but there are still 2 games against likely better opponents for Qatar to get blitzed.

I mean, if you are 1-14 from the game with a game worst -19 +/-, maybe just sit this one out.

Sencire Harris made a difference in the game. [tweet] [/tweet]

So far this season, Illinois' personnel strategy has been "keep putting new guys in there with Shannon until something works". Tonight it's Harris, Epps and Dainja. Mayer has stepped up some. Clark has had a good second half after a bad first half. Hawkins and Melendez just don't have it today for whatever reason, but Illinois still leads #8 UCLA late in the 2nd half. It's a good sign.

This is the first I've heard of anything untowards happening out of Qatar for this World Cup.