USMNT Olympic Qualifying

[Sean Miller Fan]

They won their first in a must-win game vs 🇨🇷 1-0. It wasn't easy as Costa Rica badly outplayed them. That was very concerning though it was also somewhat the case of the US sitting back and defending an early 1-0 lead.

The win all but assures them a spot in the semfinal (which is also THE actual qualifying match) vs either Canada, Honduras, El Salvador, or Haiti next week.

This is a U24 Tournament. However, this is basically a U24 B side for the US. If they do qualify, the question is do you bring all the young stars and try to win gold in Tokyo or do you have them play in the Gold Cup which no Americans care about. The US olympic U24 team could essentially be the full national team.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

This is a U24 Tournament. However, this is basically a U24 B side for the US. If they do qualify, the question is do you bring all the young stars and try to win gold in Tokyo or do you have them play in the Gold Cup which no Americans care about. The US olympic U24 team could essentially be the full national team.

No, the Olympic teams could not in any way, shape or form be the full national team, or anything close to it. Because teams do not have to release players to play in the Olympics, like they do, for instance, for the Gold Cup.

There is a zero percent chance that Christian Pulisic is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Weston McKennie is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Gio Reyna is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Tyler Adams is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. And so on.

But of course a soccer super fan such as yourself surely knows that.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

No, the Olympic teams could not in any way, shape or form be the full national team, or anything close to it. Because teams do not have to release players to play in the Olympics, like they do, for instance, for the Gold Cup.

There is a zero percent chance that Christian Pulisic is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Weston McKennie is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Gio Reyna is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. There is a zero percent chance that Tyler Adams is playing in the Olympics, even though he theoretically could. And so on.

But of course a soccer super fan such as yourself surely knows that.

Messi and Neymar did but they're no Pulisic I know.

The Gold Medal match in Tokyo is on August 7 and its unlikely the US even with a full national team would make that. They would, however, make the Gold Cup Final on August 1. While you are correct in that teams dont have to release them for the Olympics, I really really doubt that Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona, etc are going to care about their guys showing up at camp a few days later. They also might prefer it since the Olympics are a shorter tournament and their guys will be fresher having a longer summer break

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Messi and Neymar did but they're no Pulisic I know.

The Gold Medal match in Tokyo is on August 7 and its unlikely the US even with a full national team would make that. They would, however, make the Gold Cup Final on August 1. While you are correct in that teams dont have to release them for the Olympics, I really really doubt that Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona, etc are going to care about their guys showing up at camp a few days later. They also might prefer it since the Olympics are a shorter tournament and their guys will be fresher having a longer summer break

This is one of those things about which you think you really know something, and the more you post the more obvious it is that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Never stops you from continuing to talk though.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

This is one of those things about which you think you really know something, and the more you post the more obvious it is that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Never stops you from continuing to talk though.

Not an adequate reply. Try again. Why would those Euro teams care about having their players back a few days later? Wouldn't they want them playing better competition in Tokyo? Mexico in the Gold Cup would be just about the only team better than the U24 teams the US could face in Tokyo.

Also, why did Messi and Neymar play but Pulisic cannot?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Not an adequate reply. Try again. Why would those Euro teams care about having their players back a few days later? Wouldn't they want them playing better competition in Tokyo? Mexico in the Gold Cup would be just about the only team better than the U24 teams the US could face in Tokyo.

Also, why did Messi and Neymar play but Pulisic cannot?

Well first of all, you think the US could go far in the tournament (and they certainly could) and you post that the tournament ends on Aug 7. In 2019, when the season started on time, the first EPL games of the season happened on Aug 10. So you should expect the first games of the 21-22 season to be either Aug 7 or Aug 14. I'd bet on the 7th given the 2022 calendar, but we will see. So you are proposing that teams would have no problem at all if their players missed all of their preseason and potentially their first game of the season to play in a tournament that no one cares about on the opposite side of the world. Where they could end up playing six games in either 16 or 17 days.

That is, quite simply, batshit crazy. The fact that you don't understand that means that either you have no idea when the European season starts, or you have no idea how those clubs think, or you have no idea how most of the world views the Olympic soccer tournament, or, possible a half dozen other things.

Or, more likely, you don't understand any of it.

As to why Pulisic can't play but Messi and Neymar could, mostly money. Chelsea paid $73 million for Pulisic. By contrast, Messi came up through Barca's youth teams, so they essentially paid nothing for him. If the guy you paid $73 millions gets hurt that's a lot worse for your bottom line than if the guy you paid $0 for gets hurt. If management at Chelsea allows Pulisic to play and he gets hurt, how do you suppose that conversations with Roman Abramovic is going to go? How long do you think that the people who allowed that to happen would still have jobs? If we put the over/under at five minutes, wouldn't you have to take the under?

So if you are the person or people who are in a position to make that decision, why on earth would you allow it? So some completely uninformed sorta fan from Western PA can see the Americans do well in a tournament that no one cares about?

And the fact that you needed someone to explain this to you ought to be an indication for you of just how little you apparently know about something that you think you are quite knowledgeable in. But somehow I don't think that's how you are going to take it.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Well first of all, you think the US could go far in the tournament (and they certainly could) and you post that the tournament ends on Aug 7. In 2019, when the season started on time, the first EPL games of the season happened on Aug 10. So you should expect the first games of the 21-22 season to be either Aug 7 or Aug 14. I'd bet on the 7th given the 2022 calendar, but we will see. So you are proposing that teams would have no problem at all if their players missed all of their preseason and potentially their first game of the season to play in a tournament that no one cares about on the opposite side of the world. Where they could end up playing six games in either 16 or 17 days.

That is, quite simply, batshit crazy. The fact that you don't understand that means that either you have no idea when the European season starts, or you have no idea how those clubs think, or you have no idea how most of the world views the Olympic soccer tournament, or, possible a half dozen other things.

Or, more likely, you don't understand any of it.

As to why Pulisic can't play but Messi and Neymar could, mostly money. Chelsea paid $73 million for Pulisic. By contrast, Messi came up through Barca's youth teams, so they essentially paid nothing for him. If the guy you paid $73 millions gets hurt that's a lot worse for your bottom line than if the guy you paid $0 for gets hurt. If management at Chelsea allows Pulisic to play and he gets hurt, how do you suppose that conversations with Roman Abramovic is going to go? How long do you think that the people who allowed that to happen would still have jobs? If we put the over/under at five minutes, wouldn't you have to take the under?

So if you are the person or people who are in a position to make that decision, why on earth would you allow it? So some completely uninformed sorta fan from Western PA can see the Americans do well in a tournament that no one cares about?

And the fact that you needed someone to explain this to you ought to be an indication for you of just how little you apparently know about something that you think you are quite knowledgeable in. But somehow I don't think that's how you are going to take it.

Honestly Joe, come on, be truthful here. Do you really think Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, etc really care if their guys play August 3 in a semifinal in Tokyo or August 1 in the US? As I said, the US probably will not make the Aug 7 final. They are more likely to lose in the July 31 quarterfinal, in which case they could get to Europe 1 day sooner.

Also, I know you are grasping at straws but Barca's decision to allow Messi to play in Beijing had NOTHING at all to do with the fact they didn't pay anything for him. Messi had a value at that time to Barca, of I don't know a quarter billion, half a billion, maybe more. It was widely known he could have been one of the greatest ever but they let him go. I see you conveniently left out PSG allowing Neymar to play despite paying a quarter billion. Do you think they gave a sh!t the Olympics were in his home country? If he got hurt (which he did in the World Cup), the fact he did so at home doesn't let them recoup any of their money.

Lastly, I know no one cares about Olympic soccer but Americans have no idea what the Gold Cup is and nobody watches it. If the US made a semifinal and final in Tokyo, it will GROW the game in this country. Im sorry but it will. Americans LOVE the Olympics and if the US make a run, Americans will watch. Kids will watch. No, we aren't going to become the next Brazil if we win the Olympics but it would help the future of US Soccer take a step forward. Losing to Mexico in front of a half empty NFL stadium of Mexican fans isnt going to do that.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Honestly Joe, come on, be truthful here. Do you really think Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, etc really care if their guys play August 3 in a semifinal in Tokyo or August 1 in the US?

They absolutely care. If it was up to them those players would play in NEITHER of those tournaments. Do you really not understand that with the Gold Cup they are REQUIRED to allow their players to play, and for the Olympics they are not? They aren't going to release their players unless they absolutely have to. For the Gold Cup, they have to.

If you were paying attention you would have actually seen that play out earlier today. Three players that the US had called up to play in their friendlies next week are now not going to play. They were all three originally going to only play in the first game because of covid rules. But the FIFA rules say that if a player would have to sit out five days (because of covid protocols) upon returning the clubs don't have to release the players. So even though those three guys would have not only not missed a game, they wouldn't have even missed a practice, their clubs are not allowing them to play for the US. Why? Because clubs basically NEVER want to release their guys to play in international games, and almost never do it unless they have to (and when they do it's usually a guy they aren't using so international game action actually helps the club).

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Honestly Joe, come on, be truthful here. Do you really think Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, etc really care if their guys play August 3 in a semifinal in Tokyo or August 1 in the US? As I said, the US probably will not make the Aug 7 final. They are more likely to lose in the July 31 quarterfinal, in which case they could get to Europe 1 day sooner.

Also, I know you are grasping at straws but Barca's decision to allow Messi to play in Beijing had NOTHING at all to do with the fact they didn't pay anything for him. Messi had a value at that time to Barca, of I don't know a quarter billion, half a billion, maybe more. It was widely known he could have been one of the greatest ever but they let him go. I see you conveniently left out PSG allowing Neymar to play despite paying a quarter billion. Do you think they gave a sh!t the Olympics were in his home country? If he got hurt (which he did in the World Cup), the fact he did so at home doesn't let them recoup any of their money.

Lastly, I know no one cares about Olympic soccer but Americans have no idea what the Gold Cup is and nobody watches it. If the US made a semifinal and final in Tokyo, it will GROW the game in this country. Im sorry but it will. Americans LOVE the Olympics and if the US make a run, Americans will watch. Kids will watch. No, we aren't going to become the next Brazil if we win the Olympics but it would help the future of US Soccer take a step forward. Losing to Mexico in front of a half empty NFL stadium of Mexican fans isnt going to do that.

for anyone who follows it, they know the US has already made a decision on their player pool and our young stars like Pulisic, adams and WK are not being considered. It might be a wasted opportunity for exposure and growing the support domestically...but our best players aren’t playing. End of discussion.

 

[JD1976]

Not an adequate reply. Try again. Why would those Euro teams care about having their players back a few days later? Wouldn't they want them playing better competition in Tokyo? Mexico in the Gold Cup would be just about the only team better than the U24 teams the US could face in Tokyo.

Also, why did Messi and Neymar play but Pulisic cannot?

Yes they absolutely do care. Euro clubs are huge on periodization and preseason fitness. Olympic participation would be a huge detriment to the training schedules of these players.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

They absolutely care. If it was up to them those players would play in NEITHER of those tournaments. Do you really not understand that with the Gold Cup they are REQUIRED to allow their players to play, and for the Olympics they are not? They aren't going to release their players unless they absolutely have to. For the Gold Cup, they have to.

If you were paying attention you would have actually seen that play out earlier today. Three players that the US had called up to play in their friendlies next week are now not going to play. They were all three originally going to only play in the first game because of covid rules. But the FIFA rules say that if a player would have to sit out five days (because of covid protocols) upon returning the clubs don't have to release the players. So even though those three guys would have not only not missed a game, they wouldn't have even missed a practice, their clubs are not allowing them to play for the US. Why? Because clubs basically NEVER want to release their guys to play in international games, and almost never do it unless they have to (and when they do it's usually a guy they aren't using so international game action actually helps the club).

I know these teams dont want to release players for anything but they have to for the Gold Cup.

Lets say US Soccer and Pulisic, McKennie, etc and ask Chelsea, Juve, etc if they can release these players for the Olympics and Pulisic, McKennie really prefer to play in the Olympics, you are trying to tell me that these clubs are going to say:

"Well, even though these tournaments are being played at roughly the same time and we realize you and USMNT want the Olympics, we are not required to release you for that so we are going to force you to have a 2 week shorter summer vacation to go play in the Gold Cup."

You act like everything is cut and dry. Clubs dont have to release for the Olympics so you are 100% certain they wont despite 2 of the biggest stars in history being allowed. The bottom line is these guys are going to play in a tournament this July/August anyway. They really do not have a preference which one it is. If they did, it would probably be the Olympics because their guys would be able to get 2 extra weeks of a summer vacation and the competition would be better in Tokyo

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

the competition would be better in Tokyo

The competition at the U23 tournament in Japan will not be better. Because almost none of the best U23 players will be there. It's not just the US that is going to have eligible guys not playing because their clubs don't want them to. It will happen with almost every team in the tournament. That's a big part of the reason why you see things in the Olympic tournament that you never see in the World Cup.

In the last Olympics Honduras made the semi-finals. Cameroon and Nigeria have both won the tournament. Nigeria and Paraguay have finished second in recent Games. Chile, Iraq and Ghana as well as the United State have made the semifinals. Because most of the best U23 players from most of the best countries simply don't play in the tournament. Because most people don't care about it.

The other thing that the clubs would be interested in is that while the Gold Cup and the Olympics both potentially have the same number of games, the Gold Cup is contested over one week longer, so there is more time between games. Which matters when you are squeezing that many games over that few days.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The competition at the U23 tournament in Japan will not be better. Because almost none of the best U23 players will be there. It's not just the US that is going to have eligible guys not playing because their clubs don't want them to. It will happen with almost every team in the tournament. That's a big part of the reason why you see things in the Olympic tournament that you never see in the World Cup.

In the last Olympics Honduras made the semi-finals. Cameroon and Nigeria have both won the tournament. Nigeria and Paraguay have finished second in recent Games. Chile, Iraq and Ghana as well as the United State have made the semifinals. Because most of the best U23 players from most of the best countries simply don't play in the tournament. Because most people don't care about it.

The other thing that the clubs would be interested in is that while the Gold Cup and the Olympics both potentially have the same number of games, the Gold Cup is contested over one week longer, so there is more time between games. Which matters when you are squeezing that many games over that few days.

The Euro and South American U24 teams will be better than every Gold Cup team the US could play outside of Mexico. Regardless, the level of competition really won't factor into the Euro clubs' decision. They'd prefer their players in Tokyo to the Gold Cup.

- longer summer break
- shorter tournament
- less games (potentially) = less chance of getting hurt
- happier players (assuming the players would rather play in the Olympics)

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The Euro and South American U24 teams will be better than every Gold Cup team the US could play outside of Mexico. Regardless, the level of competition really won't factor into the Euro clubs' decision. They'd prefer their players in Tokyo to the Gold Cup.

- longer summer break
- shorter tournament
- less games (potentially) = less chance of getting hurt
- happier players (assuming the players would rather play in the Olympics)

Like I said, the more you post the more you show how little you know.

First of all, if the clubs preferred the Olympics then why don't they try to steer their players that way? And yet none of them do. Odd, isn't it?

Secondly, it won't be a longer summer break. The European clubs will all be in or about to start preseason training by the time that either of the two tournaments start.

Third, the length of time that the tournament takes is, indeed, shorter for the Olympics. But the number of potential games is exactly the same. And every team in the world, literally every team in the world, would rather have their guys playing potentially 6 games over 23 days than 6 games over 16 days.

Fourth, do you really think that the competition will be higher? Seriously? Do you really know that little? You think that the Romanian U23 team is better than the Costa Rican full national team? More than half of the teams in the Olympic tournament would be lucky to win one game, even one, in the Gold Cup. None of them, literally none of them, would be a championship contender. It's as if you don't know that many of the best U23 players will not even be playing at the Olympics. Because no one cares about the Olympic Men's Soccer Tournament.

Fifth, if the players would actually really play in the Olympics don't you think that they would be making that known, in an effort to be allowed to play in the tournament like Messi did? And yet have there been any quotes at all from any of those guys saying that they want to play in the Olympics and not the Gold Cup? Any at all?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Like I said, the more you post the more you show how little you know.

First of all, if the clubs preferred the Olympics then why don't they try to steer their players that way? And yet none of them do. Odd, isn't it?

Secondly, it won't be a longer summer break. The European clubs will all be in or about to start preseason training by the time that either of the two tournaments start.

Third, the length of time that the tournament takes is, indeed, shorter for the Olympics. But the number of potential games is exactly the same. And every team in the world, literally every team in the world, would rather have their guys playing potentially 6 games over 23 days than 6 games over 16 days.

Fourth, do you really think that the competition will be higher? Seriously? Do you really know that little? You think that the Romanian U23 team is better than the Costa Rican full national team? More than half of the teams in the Olympic tournament would be lucky to win one game, even one, in the Gold Cup. None of them, literally none of them, would be a championship contender. It's as if you don't know that many of the best U23 players will not even be playing at the Olympics. Because no one cares about the Olympic Men's Soccer Tournament.

Fifth, if the players would actually really play in the Olympics don't you think that they would be making that known, in an effort to be allowed to play in the tournament like Messi did? And yet have there been any quotes at all from any of those guys saying that they want to play in the Olympics and not the Gold Cup? Any at all?

Its U24 this year, not U23. That makes a difference.

The U24 squads (even without their best players) from Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, and Spain are better than all Gold Cup teams but Mexico. Maybe Romania too.

It would be a longer summer break because Gold Cup training would start 2 weeks prior, the last week of June. Euro clubs dont start preseason training until mid-July.

Also:

Pulisic intrigued by possibility of playing in Olympics

SHORT HILLS, N.J. (AP) — Christian Pulisic thinks about all the talented young American players and thinks they could go far in next year's Olympic men's soccer tournament, perhaps himself included.

www.businessinsider.com

One thing we can agree on is that those guys would rather go for a Gold in Tokyo instead of losing to Mexico in front of 50K Mexican fans in Arlington or wherever

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The U24 squads (even without their best players) from Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, and Spain are better than all Gold Cup teams but Mexico. Maybe Romania too.

Romania's full national team is ranked 37 in the world. Jamaica is currently 47 and Coast Rica is 50. The idea that Romania's youth team is better than a team ranked that close in the world rankings to their full national team is one of those ridiculously crazy ideas that you get into your head that has no basis in the real world.

More than half of the teams at the Olympics, including Romania, would be lucky to win one game at a Gold Cup.

And just out of curiosity, when exactly is it that you think that the Olympic team will be starting training for the Olympics? Do you figure they are getting on the plane the day before the tournament starts and flying over with no training?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

BTW, in the actual games the US did not look very good tonight in the first half. Fortunately they played a lot better in the second.

As of this moment the game against Mexico on Wednesday is going to be meaningless.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Romania's full national team is ranked 37 in the world. Jamaica is currently 47 and Coast Rica is 50. The idea that Romania's youth team is better than a team ranked that close in the world rankings to their full national team is one of those ridiculously crazy ideas that you get into your head that has no basis in the real world.

More than half of the teams at the Olympics, including Romania, would be lucky to win one game at a Gold Cup.

And just out of curiosity, when exactly is it that you think that the Olympic team will be starting training for the Olympics? Do you figure they are getting on the plane the day before the tournament starts and flying over with no training?

2 weeks prior to Tokyo

Gold Cup: 2 weeks prior to 1st game

So they get a longer summer break if they do the Olympics.

Romania is an outlier in this pool, however I don't care what their senior team is ranked, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Honduras, etc all suck. I would Romania's U24s right there with those teams since they qualified out of Europe. You would have said the same thing about Belgium back in the 2008 Olympics when they had a laundry list of future stars that no one heard of.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

BTW, in the actual games the US did not look very good tonight in the first half. Fortunately they played a lot better in the second.

As of this moment the game against Mexico on Wednesday is going to be meaningless.

They looked awful for the first 150 minutes of this tournament. The Mexico game is meaningless thankfully. Just comes down to 90 minutes vs 🇭🇳 or 🇨🇦

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

You would have said the same thing about Belgium back in the 2008 Olympics when they had a laundry list of future stars that no one heard of.

And when Nigeria beat them 4-1 it would have shown that I was right.

It's like as if you can't wrap your head around the fact that those 20 and 21 and 22 year olds will, in fact, get better as they get older.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Just comes down to 90 minutes vs 🇭🇳 or 🇨🇦

The double draw last night actually means that El Salvador and Haiti still have a chance. If one of those teams pummels the other on Thursday I wonder if Canada and Honduras will play to an intentional draw to ensure they both go through, or if one or the other will play the game to try to avoid Mexico.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The double draw last night actually means that El Salvador and Haiti still have a chance. If one of those teams pummels the other on Thursday I wonder if Canada and Honduras will play to an intentional draw to ensure they both go through, or if one or the other will play the game to try to avoid Mexico.

I think those teams will do everything they can to avoid Mexico even if that meant chancing not qualifying for the knockout round. They'd have to play it like a date with Mexico is guaranteed elimination. Much better chance to try to finish top of the group and have to beat the US

 

[JD1976]

I enjoy the USMNT very much, but this Olympic tournament does nothing for me and I’m sure I’m not alone. Now, the women’s tourney actually has full national teams competing so that is a tourney worth watching.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

US Soccer has been proceeding with an Olympics plan they set forth a year ago. It’s a plan that doesn’t include our top players who are playing in New York.

However Pulisic stated today that he would want to play if his club would allow him. It may be a dream of his to play in the Olympics, but it’s a bad move. We saw what happened to CP this season when he didn’t have a preseason due to his injury. He went from Chelsea’s best attacking player to the bench. He’s been struggling to regain his form ever since.

USMNT, Chelsea star Pulisic wants to play at Olympics

Christian Pulisic has revealed he wants to play in the Olympics if the USMNT reach the tournament in Tokyo this summer.

soccer.nbcsports.com

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

US Soccer has been proceeding with an Olympics plan they set forth a year ago. It’s a plan that doesn’t include our top players who are playing in New York.

However Pulisic stated today that he would want to play if his club would allow him. It may be a dream of his to play in the Olympics, but it’s a bad move. We saw what happened to CP this season when he didn’t have a preseason due to his injury. He went from Chelsea’s best attacking player to the bench. He’s been struggling to regain his form ever since.

USMNT, Chelsea star Pulisic wants to play at Olympics

Christian Pulisic has revealed he wants to play in the Olympics if the USMNT reach the tournament in Tokyo this summer.

soccer.nbcsports.com

Well its either the Olympics or Gold Cup for him. I'm not sure why Chelsea would care which one he plays in. Yea, they'd prefer he didnt play in either but he is definitely playing in one. I would think they would want to be somewhat of a friendly employer and let him go to Tokyo especially since the tournaments are taking place at roughly the same time.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Well its either the Olympics or Gold Cup for him. I'm not sure why Chelsea would care which one he plays in. Yea, they'd prefer he didnt play in either but he is definitely playing in one. I would think they would want to be somewhat of a friendly employer and let him go to Tokyo especially since the tournaments are taking place at roughly the same time.

At this rate he may not even be at Chelsea. Lol. Not sure Tuchel values him in this 3-5-2 system

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

At this rate he may not even be at Chelsea. Lol. Not sure Tuchel values him in this 3-5-2 system

Yea I said I thought Chelsea was too big of a club for him. Dortmund was so perfect for him

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Yea I said I thought Chelsea was too big of a club for him. Dortmund was so perfect for him

Well most chelsea supporters rank him as the most responsible for getting them to Champions League this year. He played so well last Spring that some English pundants considered him the best winger in England. The leagues top right back said he was the most difficult player to play against. That’s some high praise. He literally put the team on his back. Then in the FA Cup Final, he scored early and then was going in 1v1 on keeper for his 2nd goal to seal the game and he came up lame. That injury cost Chelsea the goal and the FA Cup. And it cost Pulisic his job because he wasn’t fit and in form when the new Manager came in.

he’s beyond a Dortmund now. If he leaves, it’s to a place like Bayern Munich, Liverpool, or Man United. All three are closely monitoring his situation at Chelsea. No one, other than Tomas Tuchel, questions his ability. The only thing to question is his durability.

 

[anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a]

So I have watched 45 minutes of this semi final game against Honduras and wow, thankfully this would be considered the B/C squad that could be available. This current team has hardly any individual skill and I have no clue what the team concept is. They refuse to play wide, use runners or overlapping play. They're slow, have terrible touch and there is zero scoring options on this current team.

Simply put Honduras is superior to this team we are seeing, they pass better, are more clinical and have dominated quality chances.

Unless we see a miracle, looks like another lost Olympic tournament by the junk product the MLS is.


On a different note, the adults looked very solid against Northern Ireland today. CP was very slick in his play.

 

[anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a]

LOL. Terrible. Let's see how the MLS responds LOL

 

[anon_4dfwm2pijbr0a]

Wow, so that was a very nice goal by Jackson Yuell. Very good placement and touch.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

2-1

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Wow, so that was a very nice goal by Jackson Yuell. Very good placement and touch.

You can't hit it much better than he did.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

So I have watched 45 minutes of this semi final game against Honduras and wow, thankfully this would be considered the B/C squad that could be available. This current team has hardly any individual skill and I have no clue what the team concept is. They refuse to play wide, use runners or overlapping play. They're slow, have terrible touch and there is zero scoring options on this current team.

Simply put Honduras is superior to this team we are seeing, they pass better, are more clinical and have dominated quality chances.

Unless we see a miracle, looks like another lost Olympic tournament by the junk product the MLS is.


On a different note, the adults looked very solid against Northern Ireland today. CP was very slick in his play.

Well, this wasn't really that surprising. This team wasn't much different in skill than the last 2 squads who tried to qualify. The main difference is that the last 2 squads were compromised of the best U23 players available for the most part and as you could see, hardly any of those players went on to become full USMNT players with any consistency and their lack of quality was a huge factor in us not qualifying for Russia 2018. I think you could say the same for this team but as the U23 A team played earlier in the day and is filled with guys playing at big clubs.

BTW, kinda fitting 2 USL scored for Honduras since 2 semi-pros scored for Trinidad to knock us out of last WC Qualifying and Jamaica had a GK from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds knock the US out of the Gold Cup a few years back.

 

[Pitt79]

One thing we can agree on is that those guys would rather go for a Gold in Tokyo instead of losing to Mexico in front of 50K Mexican fans in Arlington or wherever

Actually the history is, Mexico has won 8 Gold Cups, and the USA has 6, so it hasn't been a slam dunk that Mexico always wins.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Actually the history is, Mexico has won 8 Gold Cups, and the USA has 6, so it hasn't been a slam dunk that Mexico always wins.

Yeah, but in the last ten tournaments Mexico has won five and the US has only won five.

Wait a second...