US World Cup Qualifying

[DarthGrumpy]

Found a seat at the casino in Fort Lauderdale that my vendor took us for entertainment last night that I could watch both the USMNT and the Yanks. I was happy. My wallet was less so as I was not paying attention to the cards in front of me.

Overall, happy to see the USMT on the field. T&T pushed hard early and the US bent; but, did not break. Sacha got a key goal for them heading into halftime and then Jozy put the game away after. Pulusic played great. Just hope he keeps his head on his shoulder and some player down the road tries to take him out. In other words, I hope the kids never see de Jong on the pitch anytime soon. Realluy want to see him on the same pitch with Nagbe. Glad to see Johnson play his natural midfield role; but, against a quality opponent, not sure if JK has the courage not to play him int he back 4. I like how Wood and Jozy work together; but, does anyone think that Jozy can stay healthy for the entire Hex and Cup? I actually would have liked to see Horvath in net as I think its time to rotate him in as he is likely the #1 keeper for the Cup in 2018.

 

[ZooCougar]

Found a seat at the casino in Fort Lauderdale that my vendor took us for entertainment last night that I could watch both the USMNT and the Yanks. I was happy. My wallet was less so as I was not paying attention to the cards in front of me.

Overall, happy to see the USMT on the field. T&T pushed hard early and the US bent; but, did not break. Sacha got a key goal for them heading into halftime and then Jozy put the game away after. Pulusic played great. Just hope he keeps his head on his shoulder and some player down the road tries to take him out. In other words, I hope the kids never see de Jong on the pitch anytime soon. Realluy want to see him on the same pitch with Nagbe. Glad to see Johnson play his natural midfield role; but, against a quality opponent, not sure if JK has the courage not to play him int he back 4. I like how Wood and Jozy work together; but, does anyone think that Jozy can stay healthy for the entire Hex and Cup? I actually would have liked to see Horvath in net as I think its time to rotate him in as he is likely the #1 keeper for the Cup in 2018.

The only reason Fabian was in the back four was because Yedlin was out. I think he wanted something more solid than Cameron and Acosta.

 

[businesslawyer]

The only reason Fabian was in the back four was because Yedlin was out. I think he wanted something more solid than Cameron and Acosta.

This. I'm not a JK fan, but I think he gets credit for playing Acosta at LB against St. Vincent's to move Fabian up. With no natural left side center back and Yedlin out against T&T, I have no issues with deciding some stability was needed and pulling Johnson back.

 

[ZooCougar]

This. I'm not a JK fan, but I think he gets credit for playing Acosta at LB against St. Vincent's to move Fabian up. With no natural left side center back and Yedlin out against T&T, I have no issues with deciding some stability was needed and pulling Johnson back.

Plus Johnson and Pulisic linking up gives you a wicked left side.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

USA to host Mexico in Columbus on November 11th for the Hex.

No surprise considering the US's track record in Columbus, though I was hoping for the Rent or Red Bull Arena so that could catch it.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...final-round-qualifying-of-2018-fifa-world-cup

 

[SAMCRO]

USA to host Mexico in Columbus on November 11th for the Hex.

No surprise considering the US's track record in Columbus, though I was hoping for the Rent or Red Bull Arena so that could catch it.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...final-round-qualifying-of-2018-fifa-world-cup

I already booked a hotel room in downtown Columbus for that weekend, figuring the game would be there. I travel there for work occasionally, so should be easy to arrange some appointments in Cbus that week. Going to try to get tickets thru the lottery, and then the secondary market worse case. Unfortunately tOSU is at Maryland that weekend or I would have tried to pull off the double. UConn conveniently has a bye week that weekend, too.

 

[ZooCougar]

Clint Dempsey to miss rest of 2016 season due to irregular heartbeat

Dempsey out. He may done done.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Clint Dempsey to miss rest of 2016 season due to irregular heartbeat

Dempsey out. He may done done.

Regardless of my soccer opinion of him, I hope he gets well. He has given a lot the USMT and he has a family to think of, too.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Well, its clear now how Infantino won the chairmanship of FIFA and it was not on a platform to clean it-up. Nope, it was to provider more money and to provide those soccer fiefdoms out there with greater access to that money regardless of the impact on the quality of the product.

Boiling Point: Watered down World Cup

So, for 2022 in Qatar (still find that hard to swallow), the World Cup maybe expanded to 48 teams with 16 automatically advancing to the group stage while the other 32 are paired-off in single elimination games to advance to the group stage (total of 32 teams). WTF? Didn't FIFA pay attention to the issues that the expanded Euro Cup raised?

So, which sports organization is winning the title of most corrupt - FIFA, the NCAA, or the Olympic Committee?

 

[SAMCRO]

Klinsman loves Wondo... I just don't get it. Was hoping to see CCV get a look with the senior side. No Howard or Guzan makes sense.

GK: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
D: Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin),Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)
M: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading)
F: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

Let the young guys get a run in for Cuba, and play your A-side for 50-60 minutes v New Zealand, then sub in as many as possible of the reserves

LINK

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Klinsman loves Wondo... I just don't get it. Was hoping to see CCV get a look with the senior side. No Howard or Guzan makes sense.

GK: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
D: Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin),Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)
M: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading)
F: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

Let the young guys get a run in for Cuba, and play your A-side for 50-60 minutes v New Zealand, then sub in as many as possible of the reserves

LINK

Completely agree on both - giving the youngsters, especially in net, is key as the USMNT will need many of these kids for 2018 and beyond Wondo must know about JK's Swiss bank account or something.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Well, its clear now how Infantino won the chairmanship of FIFA and it was not on a platform to clean it-up. Nope, it was to provider more money and to provide those soccer fiefdoms out there with greater access to that money regardless of the impact on the quality of the product.

Boiling Point: Watered down World Cup

So, for 2022 in Qatar (still find that hard to swallow), the World Cup maybe expanded to 48 teams with 16 automatically advancing to the group stage while the other 32 are paired-off in single elimination games to advance to the group stage (total of 32 teams). what? Didn't FIFA pay attention to the issues that the expanded Euro Cup raised?

So, which sports organization is winning the title of most corrupt - FIFA, the NCAA, or the Olympic Committee?

CONCANCAF appears to support eh expansion to 48 teams, apparently because it improves their (USA) chances of hosting the 2026 World Cup.

World Cup expansion increases CONCACAF's hopes of hosting in 2026

Personally, CONCANCAF would be better using some of this money to secure the bid instead of expanding the World Cup to about 1/3 of the countries on the planet. Afterall, it worked well for Qatar and Russia.

Caelus lands massive oil discovery in Alaska

 

[LIuconn]

The young domestic kids (maybe CCV?) will get a look in January

 

[ZooCougar]

Klinsman loves Wondo... I just don't get it. Was hoping to see CCV get a look with the senior side. No Howard or Guzan makes sense.

GK: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
D: Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin),Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)
M: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading)
F: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

Let the young guys get a run in for Cuba, and play your A-side for 50-60 minutes v New Zealand, then sub in as many as possible of the reserves

LINK

Wondo is a locker room guy. Apparently he keeps everyone in line.

 

[ZooCougar]

The young domestic kids (maybe CCV?) will get a look in January

He will be too busy with Spurs. January camp is usually for fringe MLS types.

 

[businesslawyer]

The young domestic kids (maybe CCV?) will get a look in January

No. Players who are playing in the top tier of Europe do not get called into the camp, and don't have to be released by their clubs. The camp is for Mexican and MLS based players who are in their offseason anyway.

So you won't see CCV.

 

[meyers7]

Wondo is a locker room guy. Apparently he keeps everyone in line.

Like they really need that?? Or like Bradley, the captain can't do that??

Wondo's got some pictures.

 

[ZooCougar]

Like they really need that?? Or like Bradley, the captain can't do that??

Wondo's got some pictures.

At least he dumped Zusi and Diskerud seems to be a distant memory.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Food for thought for maybe 2018 and definitely 2022 and beyond...

Parchman: Top 10 future US national team starting goalkeeper prospects

 

[ZooCougar]

Food for thought for maybe 2018 and definitely 2022 and beyond...

Parchman: Top 10 future US national team starting goalkeeper prospects

If Jon Kempin is that high on the list then we are deep trouble.

 

[Waquoit]

Both keepers blew yesterday. And I was not happy with the way Jozy jaked it all game.

 

[meyers7]

Both keepers blew yesterday. And I was not happy with the way Jozy jaked it all game.

Agreed on both comments. That is if by "jaked" you mean walked around and complained about not getting any calls all game.

 

[ZooCougar]

That game was dumb. Other than Gooch and Green looking game, there wasn't much to take away. Maybe I was just reminded that Jozy is terrible as a lone striker.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Agreed on both comments. That is if by "jaked" you mean walked around and complained about not getting any calls all game.

Horvath was good against Cuba the other day. Yarbough was OK against though not inspiring NZ in the 1st half while Bingham was plain shaky. Still better than the goal that the NZ keeper let through. Did not like Altidore walking around, either, as he had lots of opportunities to move to space and help on the offensive side. Overall, a sloppy game against an inferior opponent that can only be partially attributed to the new faces and a pile of subs. Besler was the only back who looked decent. Green worked his but off and was one of the better players on the pitch while Kljestan did nothing to hurt his case to be part of the core USMNT group. Gooch provided good energy off the bench and Williams also looked solid in his 30. The rest, blah.

 

[SAMCRO]

Agreed on all points above. Tough to take anything away from yesterday in totality. A couple solid individual performances, several terrible individual performances, and a mediocre to poor team performance.

Bigger question in my mind is if Nagbe gets called back up in November after requesting to not be on the US roster for these 2 friendlies in order to spend time with family? I wasn't aware of that until the announcers spoke to it late in the match, but curious if thee is more to the story.