MNT’s 2022

[ZooCougar]

Some. But that doesn't make it a B/C team. Not saying we shouldn't have done much better. Just trying to correct some misrepresentation going on.

Yeah it does. The first choice team was on the bench. This is very simple.

 

[meyers7]

Yeah it does. The first choice team was on the bench. This is very simple.

So Navas started on the bench? Hmmm missed that. I'm not sure you understand the meaning of A/B/C.

No I take that back, I am sure you don't.

 

[Waquoit]

I know people have some mixed feelings about our results, but we should sit back and calmly analyze. After all, we came in tied for 3rd in our group. We only squeaked by because of goal differential. That's pathetic. With our talent and resources we should have been in before this weekend. Our only hope for success in the World Cup is for the players to take over. Kinda like 2014 UConn.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I know people have some mixed feelings about our results, but we should sit back and calmly analyze. After all, we came in tied for 3rd in our group. We only squeaked by because of goal differential. That's pathetic. With our talent and resources we should have been in before this weekend. Our only hope for success in the World Cup is for the players to take over. Kinda like 2014 UConn.

I mean, we had the spot virtually clinched when we were tied for 2nd and behind only Canada and their Dream Cycle.

We didn't squeak by. We dominated goal differential. At no point in the last few months were we anything besides a heavy favorite to qualify.

Would the narrative really be that different if Mexico had lost to El Salvador and finished behind us?

 

[Tenspro2002]

So do I understand this right that we have a 1/8 chance of being drawn with Qatar instead of a legit Pot 1 team?

That's a major, major advantage to whichever Pot 2 team goes with them, no?

 

[Waquoit]

We didn't squeak by. We dominated goal differential.

In my mind, winning by tie-breaker is squeaking by. Some competitions use head-to-head as the first tie-breaker. In that case, we're off to Qatar to face the Kiwis.

 

[Tenspro2002]

In my mind, winning by tie-breaker is squeaking by. Some competitions use head-to-head as the first tie-breaker. In that case, we're off to Qatar to face the Kiwis.

Sure, in some alternate universe we were at risk of not making it.

Not in this one though.

 

[navery12]

So do I understand this right that we have a 1/8 chance of being drawn with Qatar instead of a legit Pot 1 team?

That's a major, major advantage to whichever Pot 2 team goes with them, no?

Correct have to hope we draw Qatar as the Pot 1 team and avoid Wales as the Pot 4 team

 

[Tenspro2002]

Correct have to hope we draw Qatar as the Pot 1 team and avoid Wales as the Pot 4 team

What's wrong with Wales?

 

[navery12]

What's wrong with Wales?

They're 18th in the FIFA rankings and would have been the top team in Pot 3. But since their qualifying game was delayed due to Ukraine the winner of the play in game between them and Ukraine/Scotland is in Pot 4

 

[meyers7]

They just mentioned being drawn into Groups G and H would give the team some extra time together before first game. I guess some leagues aren't stopping until a week before the WC starts. Yikes.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Netherlands gets the lucky draw with Qatar. Dang.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Group B with England, wow!

 

[LIuconn]

Methinks this is rigged? ha. Well I kinda like our chances against England at the moment, we'll see what these teams look like in 5 months and how Jedi Robinson does in the Prem next season. If he adopts well and Dest gets playing time at Barca that can help mitigate Foden/Sterling/Grealish/Sancho etc down the wings

 

[SubbaBub]

Went from one of the easier groups to the Group of Death.

The US is almost always guaranteed to be in a group with 2 Euros.

 

[ZooCougar]

So Navas started on the bench? Hmmm missed that. I'm not sure you understand the meaning of A/B/C.

No I take that back, I am sure you don't.

One first choice player does not an A team make. Come on.

 

[ZooCougar]

Went from one of the easier groups to the Group of Death.

The US is almost always guaranteed to be in a group with 2 Euros.

This is not a group of death lol.

 

[ZooCougar]

I mean, we had the spot virtually clinched when we were tied for 2nd and behind only Canada and their Dream Cycle.

We didn't squeak by. We dominated goal differential. At no point in the last few months were we anything besides a heavy favorite to qualify.

Would the narrative really be that different if Mexico had lost to El Salvador and finished behind us?

We were a heavy favorite in 2017 until the second half of the last game.

 

[ZooCougar]

In my mind, winning by tie-breaker is squeaking by. Some competitions use head-to-head as the first tie-breaker. In that case, we're off to Qatar to face the Kiwis.

This is the correct take.

Sure, in some alternate universe we were at risk of not making it.

Not in this one though.

This is the incorrect take. Before the last Mexico game if you felt this way then you didn’t understand the situation. We avoided a playoff by the skin of our teeth. And we lost to a b/c team in San Jose.

 

[HuskyHawk]

England is tough. Iran is fairly weak. Wales would be the strongest of the pot 4 teams by a lot.

 

[ZooCougar]

England is tough. Iran is fairly weak. Wales would be the strongest of the pot 4 teams by a lot.

This isn’t Germany, Ghana, Portugal tough though.

 

[navery12]

Being paired with the Qatar group is nice and England is about average for the Pot 1 options. But Wales and Iran would be the 2nd and 3rd best teams out of pots 3 and 4 so some bad luck there. Overall I'd go slight positive with the draw

 

[Tenspro2002]

From what I can tell, the most positive aspect of the draw is if we make it out of group stage, our knockout round opponent (if not Netherlands) could be pretty soft.

 

[SubbaBub]

This is not a group of death lol.

GoD means that neither of the top two seeds (us and Eng) are not locks to go through. It doesn't mean the group with the toughest teams. The only GoD candidate would be Group H.

Since they changed the pot system to be based on rankings and not federation, the GOD isn't as bad as it used to be. The US can finish anywhere from 1st to 4th. England can also easily bomb out just because of the potential head games of potentially playing us, Scotland, Wales or Ukraine.

As an Everton supporter, with Pickford as the likely #1 we could easily have another Joe Hart situation. 4 pts isn't going to get the US through unless we run up the score on someone. We will need 2 wins.

 

[Palatine]

Time for GB to stop experimenting and try to develop chemistry with his top players. We know the back line and the midfield. Time to pick front three and let them learn to communicate and play together