MNT’s 2022 | Page 3 | The Boneyard

MNT’s 2022

Ggggg overthinks simple crap. We have highly skilled, agile 1 on 1 attackers and we choose to put 2 games in frigid temps, because 'Concacaf is hard' according to Gregg. The cold benefits teams that park the bus more than it does our speedsters (not that our tactics allow for free flowing games - we need to stack passes in the back for possession stats, afterall)

How many MLSers start tonight? I say 5
 
Cyle Larin is just dangerous. Jonathan David is too. and ... of course Alfonso Davies. The USA has no player that dominates in a scoring spot in front of goal. Without proper spacing and collaborative play, we look awful. The goals we get - never set pieces lately - seem like a fluke.
 
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Ive been saying that since the summer when we beat Mexico twice. The goals were flukey and Mexico isn't very good
 
I don’t mind Puli on bench he’s been pretty lousy. But to start Morris? Yeesh. Coming off an ACL and not in in-season form
 
Morris looks like the little kid in A Christmas Story.
 
He’s gonna get lit up agains good teams and individual matchups. He always does. But decent set pieces
 
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I’ll take 2-0. Morris has played well. Doesn’t get pushed off the ball like Pulisic. Pulisic really just a bad fit for the overly nasty CONCAF. Aaronson has the same problem, too physical for him, even if those are are most talented healthy wings.

Acosta is slow but he makes very few mistakes. Steady and good on set pieces.
 
And Pulisic with a goal. Maybe we should just play him at striker.
 
It wasn’t a striker goal. Have you seen him at striker with Chelsea? Invisible
 
2 Honduran players subbed at half due to hypothermia. Wild
 
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navery12 said:
So what's the best result for Mexico/Panama tonight?
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Mexico winning was unequivocally the best outcome. Mexico has El Salvador and Honduras, in addition to us, in the next window. Mexico is getting in.

If Panama had won, we open up the possibility of both Mexico and Panama (and maybe Costa Rica) being able to pass us if we only get 2 points in the next window.

Besides us, Panama has Honduras and a Canada squad that will have nothing to play for. They should easily get 4 points, maybe 6.

If we beat Panama, we finish ahead of them regardless of other results. If we draw Costa Rica, we finish ahead of them unless we lose out and they win out. That's the most straightforward path.

If we draw Panama, then they need to make up 4 points (they win out and we don't win another match, or they win+draw and we lose out).

If we draw Costa Rica, then they need to make up 5 points (they win out and we at most draw one).

If we lose to either, it gets dicey, but still doable.

We're in very good shape, and the match at Azteca is basically a freebie. If we can get a point, it's nice, but probably not necessary.
 
We should NOT read very much into this game, Honduras did not want to be there and they almost never crossed into our territory. They were awful.

Couple of things. Acosta's service into the box on set pieces is the best we have seen in qualifying. There's no reason, with the skill level of our team, that others shouldn't be able to do the same thing. If no one can, then has he to play more.

The strikers have been terrible. Love to see Sargent, Dike (huge monsters) get a call up. Pefok deserves a looksie as well. Gretzky had Dave Semenko to protect him on his line. Someone has to protect Pulisic to open the field for him.
 
Tenspro2002 said:
We're in very good shape, and the match at Azteca is basically a freebie. If we can get a point, it's nice, but probably not necessary.
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would love 3 points at Azteca. unfortunately, they will have their fans back after the 2 match ban.

all eyes are really on the Panama game in Orlando - biggest MNT game since Couva. LETS GOO!!!
 
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LIuconn said:
He’s gonna get lit up agains good teams and individual matchups. He always does. But decent set pieces
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I'm not starting him over Adams, but he's a decent back up. But it was nice having someone who can deliver decent setpieces.
 
I ragged on Morris when he forsook Europe because he couldn't bring his dogs. But the guy plays his best soccer for his country and I think the team is stronger with him on it.
 
Palatine said:
The strikers have been terrible. Love to see Sargent, Dike (huge monsters) get a call up. Pefok deserves a looksie as well. Gretzky had Dave Semenko to protect him on his line. Someone has to protect Pulisic to open the field for him.
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The knock on Sargent is that he wasn't scoring goals. He just had a brace in the EPL. In fact, he was nominated for Budweiser Goal of the Month. We will find out tomorrow if he won.
 
outlaw said:
would love 3 points at Azteca. unfortunately, they will have their fans back after the 2 match ban.

all eyes are really on the Panama game in Orlando - biggest MNT game since Couva. LETS GOO!!!
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So this is the question that Berhalter has a month and a half to ponder. Do you play your best players at Azteca? And risk some of your stars having trouble recovering from playing at altitude and not being ready for the game against Panama in Orlando 72 hours later? Do you bring more players into camp, and leave your entire first team at home and send a B team to Azteca? Or do you try to split the difference, bring your best team to Azteca but only let the Pulisics, Dests, McKinneys, etc. play a half?

I really don't know what the right answer is. But I would be tempted to bring 40 guys into camp and leave your A team in Orlando with players normally outside the pool to practice against and send your second and third units to Azteca.
 
businesslawyer said:
So this is the question that Berhalter has a month and a half to ponder. Do you play your best players at Azteca? And risk some of your stars having trouble recovering from playing at altitude and not being ready for the game against Panama in Orlando 72 hours later? Do you bring more players into camp, and leave your entire first team at home and send a B team to Azteca? Or do you try to split the difference, bring your best team to Azteca but only let the Pulisics, Dests, McKinneys, etc. play a half?

I really don't know what the right answer is. But I would be tempted to bring 40 guys into camp and leave your A team in Orlando with players normally outside the pool to practice against and send your second and third units to Azteca.
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Forget the Mexico game. Would could win that one and still not qualify for Qatar. That would give us 24 pts

Costa Rica has Canada (Canada's already qualified) at home. Away at El Salvador and USA at home. They could get 9 points put them at 25.

Panama has Honduras at Home, USA Away (the tough one), and Canada at home. 9 points gets them to 26

Mexico has Honduras away and El Salvador at home. Even 4 points there gets them to 25.

Canada picks up even 1 point at home against Jamaica and they are in the top 3.

We really have to beat Panama or Costa Rica. Which really comes to beating Panama at home. And that may only get us to 4th.

(I think the math is right???)
 
meyers7 said:
Forget the Mexico game. Would could win that one and still not qualify for Qatar. That would give us 24 pts

Costa Rica has Canada (Canada's already qualified) at home. Away at El Salvador and USA at home. They could get 9 points put them at 25.

Panama has Honduras at Home, USA Away (the tough one), and Canada at home. 9 points gets them to 26

Mexico has Honduras away and El Salvador at home. Even 4 points there gets them to 25.

Canada picks up even 1 point at home against Jamaica and they are in the top 3.

We really have to beat Panama or Costa Rica. Which really comes to beating Panama at home. And that may only get us to 4th.

(I think the math is right???)
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You are correct that we can beat Panama and still finish behind Costa Rica. Not likely but possible. To actually control our own destiny we need to beat Panama and tie Costa Rica. Beating Panama and tying Mexico allows Costa Costa Rica to tie us and let it come down to goal differential But there are absolutely plenty of scenarios where getting points in Mexico become the difference between 3d and 4th and 4th and 5th as well. If it truly was a meaningless game, there would be no decision to make. It's just far less likely than the Panama game to be decisive.
 
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