As a chelsea fan, I’d like to see Pulisic play Canada instead of Honduras. Wasn’t it Honduras who knocked him out for 2 months?
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Surely he can't be stupid enough to start Ferreira again, can he? Last night, playing against a team using two young, inexperienced centerbacks, would have been the perfect time to play a center forward who would attack the centerbacks and put them under pressure. We have two of them in the pool that you could have called in (although one of them got hurt last weekend) specifically to play last night if you wanted to save Pepi. Instead we played a center forward who was more interested in dropping back into the defensive half to get touches on the ball than to actually put the other team under pressure.
There might be a time to play a center forward the way that the US did last night, but last night was most certainly not that time. That was just another example of the coach out thinking himself. Which happens far too often.
I think you have to start Aaronson on Sunday over Weah. With Weah just coming back from injury you don't want to pile too many minutes on him too fast. Bring him off the bench with 20 or so minutes to go if you need him, and then you can bring him back as a starter on Wednesday.
I also think that you are going to see Miles Robinson start. Maybe him and Richards against the Canucks, and then Robinson and Zimmerman on Wednesday.
BTW, the current weather forecast for Hamilton on Sunday is a high of 26 with a chance of snow showers. So maybe not too bad.
On the other hand, the current forecast for St. Paul next Wednesday is for a high of 11 and a low of -8 with 10 - 15 mph winds. So the temperature will surely be in single digits at the kickoff with wind chills below zero. Remind me again, which idiot thought that was going to be a good idea?
Although I guess it could be worse, because on Thursday the high is supposed to be 3 with a low of -13.
On the other hand, the current forecast for St. Paul next Wednesday is for a high of 11 and a low of -8 with 10 - 15 mph winds. So the temperature will surely be in single digits at the kickoff with wind chills below zero. Remind me again, which idiot thought that was going to be a good idea?
Although I guess it could be worse, because on Thursday the high is supposed to be 3 with a low of -13.
It wasn't me. I have been saying all along what a terrible idea St. Paul in February was. I mean, guess they actually got lucky because it could have been 20 below. On the other hand, it will be 43 in Cincinnati for a high on Wednesday
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I'm hoping for another 1-0 win and no injuries. Bone chilling weather equals injuries, bodies can't really get warm like they'd normall get.
Another cold note, Jason Davis on his show yesterday said Berhalter didn't have the heat on in the locker room thursday night at halftime. Not too bad of an idea, if they're chilly, keep em chilly.
Whatever, US Soccer is dumb. They're probably gonna let Carlos Cordera be president again, why not bring back that moron Sunil Gulati while they're at it.
What an inept organization.
I haven’t listened to the pundits so I have no idea what people are saying. But starting Ferreira against those center backs might have been a good idea. I mean, you’d like to think you’re good enough to beat El Salvador regardless of who you start at the #9. We got the 3pts and now we move on. The game wasn’t really ever in doubt. But you’re right in the sense that we could have been up 2-0 at the half if we had a better forward who is actually playing games and in form right now instead of a guy who is not in season.
Berhalter said he went with Ferreira because he is better at playing higher and drawing out there center backs. That didn't work necessarily but honestly, I think it was simply the case of having Pepi play in the tougher game.
In theory it works. In practicality it rarely does. It’s fashionable right now, heck I even tried it with my team. But unless you have Pep and Messi, it’s better to not to.
I have been wanting to rewatch the game because I watched it live in a bar. But did Pulisic and Weah ever exploit the space in and behind that Ferreira was creating?
Yeah, it didn't work, because there was no way that the Salvadoran defenders were going to go as high up the pitch as Ferreira was playing. I mean he was frequently dropping back into the defensive half to get touches. Did Berhalter really think that the center backs were going to follow him 40 or 50 yards from the goal?
I agree that the real reason almost certainly was to save Pepi for the Canada game. But like I said, if that's the case they actually do have a couple players that they could have called in to play Thursday whose skill set would have been better suited to attack what should have been the Salvadoran weak link.
The other thing is that if you are going to play your fullbacks down the wing and have them put in as many crosses as the US was doing, especially with Robinson, it might have been a good idea to have a big guy in the middle who is good in the air to aim those crosses at, rather than a little guy who was frequently too far from goal to have been a threat in the air in any event.
Of course with the quality of most of those crosses it probably wouldn't have made a whole lot of difference anyway.
No Weah against Canada. Weah got the first covid vaccine shot and then caught covid before he got the second shot. In France they consider him to be fully vaccinated, but in Canada because he has not yet taken the second shot they do not consider him fully vaccinated, so he is not allowed in the country.
That's interesting because Berhalter, when asked, said everyone on the roster can and was traveling to Canada.
Did anyone post this? Pretty big deal going to the best team in the northern part of London. Lol.
Not sure I’m crazy about it as Arsenal has a super #1 keeper, but having the USA ‘s top 2 keepers playing for large clubs like Arsenal and Man City has to count for something.
maybe Matt Turner can help Arsenal compete for an FA Cup or Moose Cup next season.
Not sure I’m crazy about it as Arsenal has a super #1 keeper, but having the USA ‘s top 2 keepers playing for large clubs like Arsenal and Man City has to count for something.
maybe Matt Turner can help Arsenal compete for an FA Cup or Moose Cup next season.
I think they didn't realize that he wasn't going to be able to play until a couple days ago. They assumed he was good to go in France, so he would be good to go in Canada as well.
He needs to get better with his feet but at this point he is what he is.
but his shot stopping…wow.
Yea that doesn't make any sense. To be fair, its not a huge loss. I really like Weah but even though Aaronson is out of season, he's played some friendlies recently so he has to be pretty close to match fitness. Hurts our depth though.
If they were to beat Canada, they honestly should move the Honduras game to Columbus or Cincinnati.
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Yeah I know. Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Brad Friedel, Casey Keller...they all rode the pine week in and week out
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Haha. I wasn’t gonna be the one to tell him. Sometimes I feel bad.
Gratuitous ode to my favorite player. He has a message for you all.
The lineup is out and you got this prediction exactly correct.
Like I said, he should be fired on the spot.
Turner
Robinson - Robinson - Richards - Dest
McKennie - Adams - Musah
Pulisic - Zardes - Aaronson
Robinson - Robinson - Richards - Dest
McKennie - Adams - Musah
Pulisic - Zardes - Aaronson
Why
??? Would have never guessed Pepi would t have started either game. Especially this one.
Rough game. Seemed like we had more opportunities but they had better quality chances. Both goals on defensive breakdowns where the attacker got through.
Sometimes the talent on the field isn't enough to overcome the incompetence on the sideline.
Gyasi Zardes has now played 22 games against the top teams in CONCACAF or other top teams from around the world, meaning Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada in this current cycle, plus Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay (I'm trying to pick out teams that were in the top 30 at the time, so I might have missed one or two). 16 of those 22 games were starts. In those 22 games Zardes has one goal, against the Netherlands in a friendly in the 3rd of those 22 games back in 2015, and one assist.
He simply cannot play at this level. When you are playing Martinique or Guyana, sure, he can play against teams like that and maybe get you a goal. When you are playing one of the better teams he does not score and he does not get assists. And with his poor first touch at that level he is simply unplayable.
For anyone other than Gregg Berhalter.
He simply cannot play at this level. When you are playing Martinique or Guyana, sure, he can play against teams like that and maybe get you a goal. When you are playing one of the better teams he does not score and he does not get assists. And with his poor first touch at that level he is simply unplayable.
For anyone other than Gregg Berhalter.
I literally fell asleep at halftime and woke up in the 85th minute. After watching the 1st Half, I was 100% certain we were not going to score.
This team simply is too talented to look this bad game after game. They have played 1, just 1 good game in qualifying and that was home vs one of the worst Mexico teams in recent history.
If we don't beat Honduras, I think Berhalter is done. Even if we beat them, I think you have to seriously consider making a change. I am not sure who is available but the USMNT job is one of the best 10-12 job international jobs out there for various reasons. Arena, now Berhalter have failed. I thought Klinsmann was really good the first cycle. I would go back to Europe for the next coach. These guys are all playing in Europe now. I think you need a Champions League level coach.
This team is going to make the World Cup, thanks in large part to CONCACAF being down even for its own standards but does anyone believe this team has any chance to get out of the Group Stage? And its our most talented team ever so how is that possible? Whether fair or not, the finger has got to be pointed at Berhalter. It may be time.
This team simply is too talented to look this bad game after game. They have played 1, just 1 good game in qualifying and that was home vs one of the worst Mexico teams in recent history.
If we don't beat Honduras, I think Berhalter is done. Even if we beat them, I think you have to seriously consider making a change. I am not sure who is available but the USMNT job is one of the best 10-12 job international jobs out there for various reasons. Arena, now Berhalter have failed. I thought Klinsmann was really good the first cycle. I would go back to Europe for the next coach. These guys are all playing in Europe now. I think you need a Champions League level coach.
This team is going to make the World Cup, thanks in large part to CONCACAF being down even for its own standards but does anyone believe this team has any chance to get out of the Group Stage? And its our most talented team ever so how is that possible? Whether fair or not, the finger has got to be pointed at Berhalter. It may be time.
With today's loss Honduras is mathematically eliminated from qualifying. If the US doesn't come out and run them off the field right from the start heads should roll.
Including the all the idiots who agree to play this game somewhere where it's going to be around 5 degrees at kickoff.
Exactly, when you are playing at home against a team like Honduras where you have way, way more talent you should strive to be playing in the best weather conditions possible. Why risk giving their vastly inferior talent any chance on slowing down/mucking up the game with the risk of lousy field conditions.
And if they were worried about travel, Charlotte is closer to Hamilton than St. Paul is. And Charlotte is actually an easier flight back to Europe for the European guys. And Charlotte has a nice field that you could play on. And the high temperature in Charlotte on Wednesday is supposed to be 60°.
Just one example.
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