2017 Gold Cup

[UConnDan97]

Amazing. We put in our best center mid, and the chances start coming in bunches.

This is a much easier game when your best player is on the field. For me, McCarty is the best player on the Gold Cup roster. He should play the remainder of the games...

 

[Waquoit]

Landycakes gives a list of the good players not here and fails to mention their best player.

 

[whaler11]

ESPY night is the worst sports TV night of the year. Salvation did not lie within this game.

I don't even like the NBA but spent most of the second half trying to figure out who has the worst roster in the league.

 

[ZooCougar]

Talent pool. Not manager.

 

[SAMCRO]

Wow... what a piss poor performance. I know this was the C team, but still... pretty disappointing performance from guys who know what's at stake for themselves personally, as it relates to earning a roster spot for Russia. And you can't even be mad, b/c it's not like they didn't play up to their skill level, it's that they did and the result is a nail biter v. Martinique. We have no depth. Brooks, Cameron, Jonson, and Yedlin better take their "stay healthy" pills thru 2018 because our defensive depth is suspect at best.

Also, can anyone explain why Hamid has not seen a minute in goal if Arena is using this tournament as a way to evaluate players? Arena already knows what he is getting with Guzan.

 

[meyers7]

Also, can anyone explain why Hamid has not seen a minute in goal if Arena is using this tournament as a way to evaluate players? Arena already knows what he is getting with Guzan.

Definitely agree with that. And what he's getting is a keeper who can make some impressive saves, but is just about as apt to do something klutzy too.

 

[ZooCougar]

This player pool is a mile wide and an inch deep. What's the point of evaluating more of the same? These players are what we we thought were already.

 

[meyers7]

This player pool is a mile wide and an inch deep. What's the point of evaluating more of the same? These players are what we we thought were already.

 

[dvegas]

Hoping Andre Blake of the Reggae Boyz via Storrs can shut down El Tri tonight

 

[dvegas]

Good thing the post is a goalies friend. And its a team game. Otherwise it's 2-0 Mexico at the half

 

[dvegas]

By the grace of the ghost of Peter Tosh at Agora Waterbury spring 1983, the long ride back to Storrs after the show, Blake shuts out El Tri. Jah Bless

 

[SAMCRO]

Apparently French Guiana knowingly used an ineligible player v. Honduras, which ended in a 0-0 draw. It is under review, and odds are CONCACAF will rule it a forfeit giving Honduras a 3-0 win. This could potentially screw Canada as those 2 extra points and 3 goals put a very different spin on their math later today. Canada could have lost to Honduras by 1 goal and still finished 2nd in the group the way things sit right now. If it's ruled a forfeit it puts Canada in a must draw or win to clinch 2nd place situation.

the player in question was apparently Capped by France years ago, so technically cannot play for another nation. French Guiana knew this, as did CONCACAF, and played him anyway.

 

[businesslawyer]

If we're beating up our team for lackluster play through two rounds -- and we certainly should be -- I bet it would be fun to read the mexican press at the moment.

 

[meyers7]

Apparently French Guiana knowingly used an ineligible player v. Honduras, which ended in a 0-0 draw. It is under review, and odds are CONCACAF will rule it a forfeit giving Honduras a 3-0 win. This could potentially screw Canada as those 2 extra points and 3 goals put a very different spin on their math later today. Canada could have lost to Honduras by 1 goal and still finished 2nd in the group the way things sit right now. If it's ruled a forfeit it puts Canada in a must draw or win to clinch 2nd place situation.

the player in question was apparently Capped by France years ago, so technically cannot play for another nation. French Guiana knew this, as did CONCACAF, and played him anyway.

Yea, it was Florent Malouda. He played for Chelsea for a number of years. Played 80 games for the French.

French Guiana is a "overseas department" of France and not a member of FIFA. However they are a member of CONCACAF. It's kinda complicated. The French Guiana players are actually French citizens.

 

[UConnDan97]

Looks like a few more changes for tonight.

For those who wanted Guzan to sit the bench (myself included), we got our wish. Hamid will start. Looks like Zusi, Bedoya, McCarty, Corona, Dwyer are all back in the starting lineup again. Miazga will get a start tonight as well, which is something that I hoped I would see. Let's see how tonight's version of "musical chairs" goes. I've got a feeling that McCarty and Bedoya in the midfield will help stabilize things a bit and we should hopefully see a bit more quality from the boys tonight...

 

[LIuconn]

Miazga looks good, but this is some boring soccer

 

[UConnDan97]

Miazga looks good, but this is some boring soccer

I think he looks pretty solid, too. It's hard to judge this game based on the quality of our opponent, but I would say that it at least looks more competent than against Martinique...

 

[UConnDan97]

Miazga to the rescue!

The US has played much better tonight. Should have been 5-0 with those two blown pk's. Some players definitely helped their stock tonight...

 

[SAMCRO]

Looks like Howard, Altidore, Nagbe, Gonzalez, Dempsey, and Bradley will join the team for the knockout round. Not clear on who is being sent home, but read definitely Bedoya (he's about to become a father) and Guzan.

 

[UConnDan97]

Looks like Howard, Altidore, Nagbe, Gonzalez, Dempsey, and Bradley will join the team for the knockout round. Not clear on who is being sent home, but read definitely Bedoya (he's about to become a father) and Guzan.

I'm torn between two opposing thoughts.

The first thought is that we should do everything in our power to win the Gold Cup, in order to qualify for the Confed Cup playoff and to build momentum into WC qualifying.

The second, and perhaps the prevailing thought, is that this tourney is somewhat meaningless when compared to the WC, and we should let players like Hamid, McCarty, etc., have opportunities to grow and shine.

I would prefer at the very least to leave Howard, Altidore, and Bradley home...

 

[Waquoit]

Just win, baby!

 

[SubbaBub]

I'm torn between two opposing thoughts.

The first thought is that we should do everything in our power to win the Gold Cup, in order to qualify for the Confed Cup playoff and to build momentum into WC qualifying.

The second, and perhaps the prevailing thought, is that this tourney is somewhat meaningless when compared to the WC, and we should let players like Hamid, McCarty, etc., have opportunities to grow and shine.

I would prefer at the very least to leave Howard, Altidore, and Bradley home...

It is the last non-friendly competition before the WC. We should be looking at guys who will make the roster and have them play together. The group stage is a bunch of non competitive sides. Only one of which may make the WC as the 4th place Concacaf side. The knock out will have two legit WC knock out capable sides in CR and Mexico. We should see where we stand as much as possible based on the pool available.

There will be plenty of Russia fringe players on the field. No need to keep our best available guys out to see younger talent.

 

[UConnDan97]

It is the last non-friendly competition before the WC. We should be looking at guys who will make the roster and have them play together. The group stage is a bunch of non competitive sides. Only one of which may make the WC as the 4th place Concacaf side. The knock out will have two legit WC knock out capable sides in CR and Mexico. We should see where we stand as much as possible based on the pool available.

There will be plenty of Russia fringe players on the field. No need to keep our best available guys out to see younger talent.

Well that doesn't make a lot of sense to me for a few reasons, and I suspect that Arena doesn't necessarily share that opinion based on his initial selection.

First, he's not bringing in likely starters such as Pulisic or Cameron, so this is not Arena trying to get his best 11 to play together. He wouldn't add two goalies with his 6 additions if that were the case; Gonzalez would just stay home and Pulisic would be on his way.

Second, what was the point of bringing younger players like Miazga, etc., if it wasn't to give them more than 1 game of evaluation each?

To me, this is a move to try to evaluate 2 or 3 players max while surrounding them with a larger quantity of regulars. Arena is still treating this as an evaluation; he's just shrinking the evaluation pool...

 

[UCFBfan]

I thought there were rumors that he Confed Cup was going away and this one that just happened may have been the last. Is that just a rumor or a likely scenario? If that's the case, why care about the Gold Cup except to give younger guys a chance to show they belong at a higher level on the USMNT?

 

[SubbaBub]

Well that doesn't make a lot of sense to me for a few reasons, and I suspect that Arena doesn't necessarily share that opinion based on his initial selection.

First, he's not bringing in likely starters such as Pulisic or Cameron, so this is not Arena trying to get his best 11 to play together. He wouldn't add two goalies with his 6 additions if that were the case; Gonzalez would just stay home and Pulisic would be on his way.

Second, what was the point of bringing younger players like Miazga, etc., if it wasn't to give them more than 1 game of evaluation each?

To me, this is a move to try to evaluate 2 or 3 players max while surrounding them with a larger quantity of regulars. Arena is still treating this as an evaluation; he's just shrinking the evaluation pool...

When your opponents are Panama (5th or 6th best in Concacaf), Martinique, and Nicaragua you shouldn't worry about winning. The squad underperformed. This is when you break in new players into formal competitions. As the GC immediately before the WC, there is no other reason other than finding players to fill the bottom of the roster and get your WC squad playing together.

Arena is doing both. The guys he is bringing in shouldn't have made a difference against such weak competition. If the US makes the final it plays CR and Mexico, two of the final 16 in Brazil. This will be the biggest tests short of one or two friendlies that may happen against 2018 prep squads from the big powers, like Germany or Argentina.

Arena can't get his best 11 together because many are in Europe trying to win time at their clubs which will be more important than playing in the GC.

Evaluations also happen in training. Guys like Miazga are on the radar for bench positions or roster spots due to injury or loss of form from guys ahead of them. Right now Miazga isn't making the roster, but he has a year to make the case an this is his opportunity.

He is shrinking the evaluation pool, but at the same time giving some guys time to get back to their clubs. The GC was set up as two tournaments, a B/C level group stage and an A/B level knockout round. I have no issues with how Arena is playing this.