Alexi Lalas is ecstatic that the US was able to win a home game against a team with no wins in 11 games so far in the qualifying round.
Because he's an idiot.
Because he's an idiot.
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Apparently actually paying attention to the game was a little much for him as well.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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Ok, so we all can step off the ledge.
A. They dominated the entire match and scored 3 goals
B. They started strong unlike many matches in the past
C. They will qualify I believe barring a complete collapse
D. They need to go for 5 points next cycle, 3 at home against Panama and 1 a piece to CR and Mx
E. I still hate Derphalter
His lineup responded.
I really think Luca De La Torre was terrific tonight. His pace was so good, his control just as good. I think he gives Derphalter something to think about.
Weston of course was a stud muffin, he was all over the field and effective doing it.
Timmy Weah is so good and he oooozes talent.
This team with a healthy and in form Weah, Puli, Aaronson and Reyna can be very fun to watch.
A. They dominated the entire match and scored 3 goals
B. They started strong unlike many matches in the past
C. They will qualify I believe barring a complete collapse
D. They need to go for 5 points next cycle, 3 at home against Panama and 1 a piece to CR and Mx
E. I still hate Derphalter
His lineup responded.
I really think Luca De La Torre was terrific tonight. His pace was so good, his control just as good. I think he gives Derphalter something to think about.
Weston of course was a stud muffin, he was all over the field and effective doing it.
Timmy Weah is so good and he oooozes talent.
This team with a healthy and in form Weah, Puli, Aaronson and Reyna can be very fun to watch.
Yeah. I mean it when I say McKennie is our best player right now. If he were more mature a few months ago, maybe we win the game he was sent home.
and welcome to De La Torre. He looked great.
but again…it was Honduras. The next window is when they earn their keep.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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He really is. Just a kid getting a big break in Schalke with another American Haji Wright. Weston rose, Haji didn't. Now he's at Juve with a possible EPL move with Arsenal and Tottenham sniffing around. I'd personally stay at Juve if I were him.
Yes it was Honduras but what makes it good is El Salvador is .5 millimeters above Honduras, both are terrible and they did to Honduras what they should have done to El Salvador last night.
Fuuuck it, I'll be disappointed if they don't get minimum 1 point @ MX. Canada is shit, Fuuuuck them also, posers, they'll get exposed in Qatar.
I've been drinking since 215 so I'm a little less sensible then I was then
BTW, Antonee Robinson does a really good job getting forward and getting into position to put in crosses.
BTW, Antonee Robinson isn't actually all that good crossing the ball.
I don't ever see him play for Fulham, maybe he is better there and this was just an off stretch for him. But his percentage of good crosses versus attempts seems really low.
BTW, Antonee Robinson isn't actually all that good crossing the ball.
I don't ever see him play for Fulham, maybe he is better there and this was just an off stretch for him. But his percentage of good crosses versus attempts seems really low.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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Oh no...I'll tell you first hand being a Fulham supporter. I see almost every FFC match and Antonee is one player that week in and week about drives us nuts. He has tremendous pace and recovery but his crossing is abysmal. He puts his head down and drives hard down the left side and either overruns the ball or puts in a poor cross. He is decent enough defensively and he has tremendous recovery for as much as he runs. Regardless there is no other options for us...and by us I mean our dear National Squad and my beloved Whites.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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This was good Kellen and I'm glad good Kellen showed up. He was very solid filling in for Ty Adams.
Overall I can't point out one bad performance. I think Jordan Morris was solid, Reg Cannon did a nice job overlapping. This was a good team win. Everyone did something except Matty Turner and that's a great thing.
Yeah. I’m not sure what Morris did. Maybe I missed something. And my man Zimmerman! What a solid player and an emotional leader.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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My thoughts with Jordan Morris are he is coming off ACL surgery, he was active and looked to be proactive. Did he separate himself? No, but he didn't look overmatched.
I tell you what, the back 2 is a strong suite.
We have Zimmerman, Brooks, M. Robinson, Richards. That right there is 4 very solid dudes. Add Aaron Long if he can find a way to get back to where he was before rupturing his achilles. I've become a big Miles Robinson fan. He is young, big and mobile. I just hope Brooks figures shit out.
Canada scores just about the goofiest goal you will ever see. Dude (Larin, I think) comes down the right side and fires in a cross. Canuck player slides in about eight feet inside the near post trying to get a touch on it. It looked to me like he missed the ball completely, but he may have gotten a slight touch on it. The ball smashes off the outside of the post, straight back out towards the Canadian who slid in trying to play the ball. That guy is now laying on the ground facing away from goal. The ball hits him in either the lower back or in the ass, bounces back towards goal over the goalies head and just barely across the line for a goal.
They get a second in stoppage time to win 2-0.
They get a second in stoppage time to win 2-0.
I hate the way this last rotation sets up as it could make for an epic choke by the US team.
Mexico - both teams tied in second a 21 points. Mexico will be going all out for revenge and to lock up a spot on their pitch
Panama - Panama gets last place Honduras first so could be within a point of the US for the second match. This will be a tough gut wrencher if we lose to mexico
Costa Rica - If we end up only getting a point out of the first two matches then we have a ton a pressure here to get a tie. Even if we get two points we will likely need a least a tie to ensure a top three finish
Mexico - both teams tied in second a 21 points. Mexico will be going all out for revenge and to lock up a spot on their pitch
Panama - Panama gets last place Honduras first so could be within a point of the US for the second match. This will be a tough gut wrencher if we lose to mexico
Costa Rica - If we end up only getting a point out of the first two matches then we have a ton a pressure here to get a tie. Even if we get two points we will likely need a least a tie to ensure a top three finish
Yep. Just what we didn’t want…to head into the last window with pressure to get a win and/or a result or 2. Last time we had Trinidad and Tobago. This cycle we have to go to two places where we never win and barely ever tie, and then a difficult home match against Panama.
Look at this lineup vs Panama. We praise McKennie for being in top form and being our best player right now…but his selfishness cost us. And so did Berhalter’s selections. If we beat Panama in October, this qualification is over.
www.espn.com
we played that game without starting arguably our 4 best players (Pulisic, Dest, Adams, McKennie) and with Zardes as the #9.
Panama 1-0 USA (Oct 10, 2021) Lineups - ESPN
Starting lineups for the Panama vs. United States Fifa World Cup Qualifying - Concacaf game from October 10, 2021 on ESPN.
we played that game without starting arguably our 4 best players (Pulisic, Dest, Adams, McKennie) and with Zardes as the #9.
It was! But it also showed that we are still not scoring in the run of play, which has been my point. It takes chemistry gained through playing together. And Berhalter has just never consistently kept his attacking core group playing together.
That said, we saw some good chances created and good combination play. The passing between McKennie and Weah in that one sequence comes to mind. And the forward line breaking penetrating balls from Acosta as well.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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I'm not to sure at Mexico is out of bound for points. I'm not being a wild dreamer here either. This isn't your daddy's Mexico, they don't seem to the "it" factor and frankly, I'm shocked TaTa is still there. Is 1 or 3 points a guarantee, nah...but 1 or 3 isn't some wild fantasy.
A wise man said in this very thread we should play the Honduras game in Ohio. It was reported that several Honduran players had to come off at halftime due to hypothermia, though the Honduran FA may be exxagerating that.
I do think CONCACAF has to step in and ban these extreme environments. Just pass a rule that games cannot be played in temperatures lower than 25 or 30 and higher than 85. We have played weekday afternoon games in Mexico and Central America to maximize heat and humidity. If its going to be 95 that day, play the game at 11PM or 7AM if you have to.
This is the worst Mexico team I can ever remember. I watched pretty much the whole game rooting for them and they were so hopeless. After watching awhile, I was certain no team would be able to score. Mexico got really lucky on an unnecessary challenge in the box far from goal that resulted in a PK.
Mexico and Panama are even.
Mexico did only have a few thousand fans there so that didnt help. BTW, Azteca has one of the worst "TV views" in sports. That lower level they have there is just weird.
I think we can get at least a point out of that one as well. SMF can't wrap his head around this, but Mexico does have good players. They just don't play well together in the system that Martino uses. He isn't really any better than Berhalter in that neither of them gets anything close to the best out of their players.
Lets play worst-case scenario for March
Canada loses at CR
Panama beats Honduras
USA loses to Mexico
Mexico 24
USA 21
Panama 20
CR 19
Really, really need the Canucks to beat or draw the Ticos.
Next fixtures
USA over Panama
CR win at El Salvador
Mexico over Honduras
Mexico 27
USA 24
CR 22
Panama 20
The US would need a draw in CR to avoid playing NZ in June.
Basically, we need either a draw at Azteca or a CR draw at home vs Canada. Need to be 3 points ahead of them because the GD would be too much for them to make up even if they beat us. If we are 3 ahead of CR after beating Panama, we will have clinched for all intents and purposes (unless CR would beat us like 5-0)
If we drew Panama and the other results, held
USA 22
CR 22
Panama 21
Panama hosts Canada and would have to beat them and hope for a USA/CR draw. If Canada beats or draws Panama, the US would just need a draw in CR.
Canada loses at CR
Panama beats Honduras
USA loses to Mexico
Mexico 24
USA 21
Panama 20
CR 19
Really, really need the Canucks to beat or draw the Ticos.
Next fixtures
USA over Panama
CR win at El Salvador
Mexico over Honduras
Mexico 27
USA 24
CR 22
Panama 20
The US would need a draw in CR to avoid playing NZ in June.
Basically, we need either a draw at Azteca or a CR draw at home vs Canada. Need to be 3 points ahead of them because the GD would be too much for them to make up even if they beat us. If we are 3 ahead of CR after beating Panama, we will have clinched for all intents and purposes (unless CR would beat us like 5-0)
If we drew Panama and the other results, held
USA 22
CR 22
Panama 21
Panama hosts Canada and would have to beat them and hope for a USA/CR draw. If Canada beats or draws Panama, the US would just need a draw in CR.
That same wise man was saying here for a year that the US would never struggle to qualify again due to this new qualifying format. And then double down. Again and again.
now, we may and probably will still qualify, but going into the final window with these three games is a real bitch. No matter how we slice it.
however, unless my math is wrong , we’d be up 10 points on Panama if we had just beat them in the Fall.
CONCACAF is the worst I've ever seen it. We have the most talent we ever have. It is unfathomable that it may come down to needing a draw in Costa Rica.....which is actually a tougher thing to do than getting a draw in T&T. However, this time we'd likely finish 4th and beat NZ for a bid.
You were also wrong about lockdowns
. We now know that to be true. We tried telling you that they don’t work!You were also wrong about lockdowns
Are we going to go there. Lockdowns absolutely work. You cant spread Covid if you dont leave your house. Covid wasnt even here in Summer 2020. Why? Spring lockdowns.
I don't need to. You cant spread Covid from your living room. Now, the reasons lockdowns in the US weren't as effective was because there were no lockdowns. You could do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted except go to a gym for a few months. Heck, in July 2020, I went to Hilton Head and you never would have thought there was a pandemic going on......and that's when the south was starting to get hit hard.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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Gio Reyna should be back with Dortmund this week as per espnfc.com. If he can get some good minutes under his belt, it'd be nice to have just another option to use for the March window.
It'll be interesting to see if Sargent can use his brace as a springboard to consistent success with the Canaries and give DerpaDerp another option for the 9 spot. This team is desperate for someone to grab that position by balls and go forward.
It'll be interesting to see if Sargent can use his brace as a springboard to consistent success with the Canaries and give DerpaDerp another option for the 9 spot. This team is desperate for someone to grab that position by balls and go forward.
Over the next six weeks Sargent will score five goals and get three assists and Berhalter will still call in Gyasi Zardes because Zardes was able to tie his own shoes before a big game against Real Salt Lake.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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Sadly you're correct. I see no way that Zardes doesn't get called into the March camp and get minutes. I mean all this dude has ever done is have a few decent seasons in a bush league...oh yeah and Derpaderp coached him during one of those seasons.
I'd rather see Pefok, Sargent, Pepi and hell even Altidore over Zardes. All 4 of those took or have taken on Euro challenges or were deemed talented enough to have given a shot.
I wouldn't mind Altidore but man did he decline quickly. He's still only 32. At 31, Clint Dempsey was starring at the 2014 WC and maybe the best player on the 2017 WCQ failure team. I don't think anyone would have envisioned Altidore being washed up by 29 or 30 but his body could never hold up.
BTW, looks like the Revs just signed him. Talk about an interesting roster for MLS
- Altidore
- Lletget
- Turner (until the fall I think when he goes to Arsenal)
- Kizza
Also, my math tells me we need to gain 1 point on CR at the end of Matchday 12. 🇺🇸 @ 🇲🇽 and Canada @ 🇨🇷. If we can get a draw and they lose or we win and they draw, they cant overtake us in the final game. We desperately do not want to have to get a draw down there though this isnt a good CR team. I can't believe Bryan Ruiz is still playing. He's a million.
If you listened to Jason Davis yesterday, you’ll recall that someone brought up a fair point…Zardes did just as much against a strong Canada side as Pepi did against an awful Honduras size.
Points are valid on Zardes but he really is no worse than anyone else. We have about 8 guys who are all roughly as good as each other
In terms of "production", maybe, although Pepi was at least a part of one of the goals.
But in terms of actual on the field play? No. No way. Not even close.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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He did. I always looked at Altidore as our poor man's version of Lukaku. Similar body style, had a little bit of pace, similar type of goals. Could hold up and bruise and grind you.
Then poof, it all went away.
Oh ole Brian Ruiz, our wonderboy at Fulham that never ever ever lived up to his expectations when we brought him in 2011 from Twente in the Eredivisie.
I think 1 point is not even remotely a reach at Mexico City especially if they have crowd restrictions. 3 really isn't a reach either...Tata just doesn't have this team meshing.
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anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a
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I did and I don't buy it. I mean sure if we got for a 1 per 1 game I guess. Pepi got an awkward chance and helped with a goal. But he's still new to this, Zardes has been at this for years and other than scoring a boat load of goals against Martinique, Cuba and the vast majority of the Sunday Rec League squads in Concacaf, he is useless.
But when it comes down to it, it all just shows how lacking our 9 production and talent is with the national team. Too bad back in the day we couldn't have found of those international loopholes for Robert Lewandowski to play for the U.S. I mean has an American name...there has to be ties to the U.S. right?! haha.
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