USMNT Falling

[Palatine]

The best soccer player in the world is 5'6" and weighs 150 pounds.

If he were born in the USA, I don't think he'd be playing football or basketball. He'd be playing soccer.

I think Ronaldo is bigger than that.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think Ronaldo is bigger than that.

Ronaldo hasn’t beaten anyone 1v1 in quite some time. He’s fading really fast.

 

[Palatine]

Ronaldo hasn’t beaten anyone 1v1 in quite some time. He’s fading really fast.

He just jumped 18 feet into the air to score on a header. He may not be back to the ground yet.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Hopes for the junior USMNT team making the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo just dimmed.

U.S., Mexico face tough road for Tokyo 2020

The United States, Mexico and Costa Rica were drawn into the same group for the Olympic qualifying tournament in March.

www.espn.com

Group A: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, USA
Group B: Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras

The top 2 finishers in each group advance to the playoffs with the two finalists advancing to the Olympics. The way the US has been playing lately, getting points against Mexico home or away feels to be beyond them and getting points in San Jose is going to be a stretch, espeically with primarily MLS players as qualifying will be during the height of European club play. The Olympics is not a huge tortunament on the calendar; but, it's a very solid experience on a global stage for younger players.

 

[Palatine]

 

[Waquoit]

I like it. Sargent will be ready when Jozy pulls up lame 20 minutes in.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I like it. Sargent will be ready when Jozy pulls up lame 20 minutes in.

That's why I would pick Sargent to start, even if he's not as expereced as Altidore. I like Sargent's engine, noce for the ball, and ability to annoy the heck out of center backs, though he does not have Altidore's passing ability yet. I would have Altidore as a 'supersub' off the bench for when a goal is really needed and the team only needs him to run hard for 20 or 30 minutes.

 

[Waquoit]

I would have Altidore as a 'supersub' off the bench for when a goal is really needed and the team only needs him to run hard for 20 or 30 minutes.

The problem is when you make that move you want a spark. Not a guy that jogs like he has 90 more to play.

 

[ZooCougar]

Pulisic: U.S. 'definitely should have qualified' in '18

Christian Pulisic has echoed the comments of Jurgen Klinsmann, telling ESPN that the U.S. "had quality" to make a deep run at the 2018 World Cup.

www.google.com

 

[meyers7]

Hopes for the junior USMNT team making the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo just dimmed.

U.S., Mexico face tough road for Tokyo 2020

The United States, Mexico and Costa Rica were drawn into the same group for the Olympic qualifying tournament in March.

www.espn.com

Group A: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, USA
Group B: Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras

The top 2 finishers in each group advance to the playoffs with the two finalists advancing to the Olympics. The way the US has been playing lately, getting points against Mexico home or away feels to be beyond them and getting points in San Jose is going to be a stretch, espeically with primarily MLS players as qualifying will be during the height of European club play. The Olympics is not a huge tortunament on the calendar; but, it's a very solid experience on a global stage for younger players.

Not sure what you're saying here. This Qualifying Tournament is just 3 group games in Mexico. Over less than a week. Then the semi's. At least if we come in 1st or 2nd we won't have to play Mexico or Costa Rica for an Olympic spot. Getting to that semi-final will be hard though.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Not sure what you're saying here. This Qualifying Tournament is just 3 group games in Mexico. Over less than a week. Then the semi's. At least if we come in 1st or 2nd we won't have to play Mexico or Costa Rica for an Olympic spot. Getting to that semi-final will be hard though.

From what I read, there are two pools, A and B, with the top two finishers in each pool advancing to the playoffs with the semifinal winners both advancing.

With arguably the 3 (Mexico, Costa Rica, USA) of the top 4 teams in the 8-team group dropped intot eh same pool, its going to be very difficult for the US to advance to the playoffs. If the US does advance, they are likley to face either Canada or Honduras in the winner-take-all semifinal. Not easy. I beleive the US opens group play with the DR and ends with Mexico.

 

[meyers7]

From what I read, there are two pools, A and B, with the top two finishers in each pool advancing to the playoffs with the semifinal winners both advancing.

With arguably the 3 (Mexico, Costa Rica, USA) of the top 4 teams in the 8-team group dropped intot eh same pool, its going to be very difficult for the US to advance to the playoffs. If the US does advance, they are likley to face either Canada or Honduras in the winner-take-all semifinal. Not easy. I beleive the US opens group play with the DR and ends with Mexico.

Yea that's what I said.

You said, "getting points against Mexico home or away feels to be beyond them and getting points in San Jose is going to be a stretch," .

We're not playing Mexico home and away nor are we playing in San Jose. That's what I was questioning.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Yea that's what I said.

You said, "getting points against Mexico home or away feels to be beyond them and getting points in San Jose is going to be a stretch," .

We're not playing Mexico home and away nor are we playing in San Jose. That's what I was questioning.

Ah, so they are single games at a 'neutral' site? I did not catch that, apologies. Nevertheless, getting points against Mexico will be difficult and a USMNT MLS heavy team will have problems with a Costa Rica team. In any toruanent with more than one pool, CONCACAF should never put the US and Mexico in the same pod together as they are histrically (say last 30 yeras) two best programs.

 

[meyers7]

Ah, so they are single games at a 'neutral' site? I did not catch that, apologies. Nevertheless, getting points against Mexico will be difficult and a USMNT MLS heavy team will have problems with a Costa Rica team. In any toruanent with more than one pool, CONCACAF should never put the US and Mexico in the same pod together as they are histrically (say last 30 yeras) two best programs.

Yep. Guadalajara, Mexico

3/20/20 vs Costa Rica
3/23/20 vs Honduras
3/26/20 vs Mexico

Semi on 3/30
Final on 4/1

IDK, I think I'd prefer 3 games to get 2nd in a group with Mexico/Costa Rica rather than a 1 game playoff for Qualification vs Mexico/Costa Rica.

 

[outlaw]

back from my honeymoon and ready for a big year - we really cannot afford to miss out on yet another global tournament. up the baby-ish yanks!

 

[meyers7]

back from my honeymoon and ready for a big year - we really cannot afford to miss out on yet another global tournament. up the baby-ish yanks!

Congrats!

 

[Palatine]

We have a game on Saturday at 4 PM, we being the USMNT.

Any thoughts?

 

[outlaw]

Any thoughts?

I know its Jan Camp - and I know this is the obvious - but I really want to see them win this game. I am much more excited to see the boys play the Netherlands and Wales in March but Saturday will give an opportunity to the fringe domestic based players to impress. Its GB - so who knows. At some point the experiment needs to turn into form going into qualifying.

 

[ZooCougar]

We have a game on Saturday at 4 PM, we being the USMNT.

Any thoughts?

Don’t care. It’s camp cupcake so it’s not really the USMNT. It’s not even a real international break. It’s a stupid USSF cash grab.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Don’t care. It’s camp cupcake so it’s not really the USMNT. It’s not even a real international break. It’s a stupid USSF cash grab.

Gonna watch because I wanna see the young guys like Llanez, Aaronson, Vines and Ferreira but agree.

 

[Waquoit]

Pass

 

[Palatine]

Paul Arriola does less with point blank scoring chances than anyone on the planet. It's almost surreal. It seems to happen twice a game.

 

[meyers7]

Not a bad showing by the yutes. They looked better than I thought they would.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Pulisic can't seem to shake his latest injury...

Chelsea's Lampard: Pulisic had injury setback

U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic will remain sidelined for the forseeable future, according to Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.

www.espn.com

 

[meyers7]

Down goes Berhalter, down goes Berhalter. Well Jay, but it's a start.

Berhalter's brother leaving U.S. Soccer post

Jay Berhalter, the U.S. Soccer Federation's Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, is leaving his position, effective at the end of February.

www.espn.com