Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

[jb12780]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Gulati needs to go before change happens.

The whole pyramid of soccer in this country needs a huge revamp.


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[Thrash13]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Really...did anyone not see this coming?

Did a lot of see struggle happening? Sure. Did any of us see the USMNT not qualifying for Russia 2018? Not a chance. There's no way you can say it with a straight face you expected us to lose last night along with a Honduras and Panama win against Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively.

We probably would've gotten embarrassed in Russia next year, but it just so happens it all crashed down before we got that far. Nonetheless, nobody saw last night going the way it did.

And I really don't put much of this on Dempsey. He is one of the only ones who showed any kind of urgency last night. He just isn't as good as he once was, and that obviously happens to every person on this Earth. Father Time never loses!

[fugazi]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Did a lot of see struggle happening? Sure. Did any of us see the USMNT not qualifying for Russia 2018? Not a chance. There's no way you can say it with a straight face you expected us to lose last night along with a Honduras and Panama win against Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively.

Yes, I can. You could tell watching them for the past 2 years. My surprise level is not very high at all...am I surprised? yes...but not much at all.

We've been downright AWFUL in defense forever, and currently don't have a keeper on roster that can make up for it.

Our midfield is a sieve for the most part, and Attack is often aenemic, especially since our "Ace Striker" has the first touch and pace of Stephen Hawking.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Yes, I can. You could tell watching them for the past 2 years. My surprise level is not very high at all...am I surprised? yes...but not much at all.

We've been downright AWFUL in defense forever, and currently don't have a keeper on roster that can make up for it.

Our midfield is a sieve for the most part, and Attack is often aenemic, especially since our "Ace Striker" has the first touch and pace of Stephen Hawking.

Agree for the most part, although I will say Jozy shows up for the national team more than most of our other attackers. Most of the time, our biggest issue on offense is that nobody but Pulisic can reliably get Jozy the ball, so if Pulisic gets marked out of the game then Jozy is on an island and our plan B is basically long balls to somewhere near Jozy and then hope he can bring it down while being double marked (he can't), and then score a solo goal or maybe Pulisic will escape his 3 markers to run onto a Jozy pass.

Everything else though, pretty much spot on. We are currently in the midst of Howard's "Jordan playing for the Wizards" moment. It's just painful to watch him fail to make even routine saves and passes. He was a hero during the 2014 World Cup, and post-WC would have been the perfect time to start phasing him out, along with Guzan and Rimando.

Same thing goes for the rest of our team really. We should have started to phase in guys like Miazga, CCV, Hyndman, Horvath etc. a while ago, but instead we insisted on rolling through along list of sub-par MLS players and now we are paying for it.

[ImTellinTim]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Yes, I can. You could tell watching them for the past 2 years. My surprise level is not very high at all...am I surprised? yes...but not much at all.

We've been downright AWFUL in defense forever, and currently don't have a keeper on roster that can make up for it.

Our midfield is a sieve for the most part, and Attack is often aenemic, especially since our "Ace Striker" has the first touch and pace of Stephen Hawking.

It is rather impressive how we managed to score the most goals in the Hex and finish 5th. Bra-****ing-vo

[OliDegu2008]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

dumpster fire.jpg


The whole USMNT is a dumpster fire.

[dubcity]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Bradley is an embarrassment as a regular starter, not to mention captain.

Been saying this for years. But every time he would get an assist/goal people would lose their minds talking about how brilliant he is.

So tired of US MLS players being so overrated in general. Being the captain of Toronto FC doesn't mean **** for the national team. People were too busy being defensive and offended by Klinsmann's perceived criticism of the league to objectively see the stagnation and mediocrity of these players.

I'm sure there are people who think Pulisic coming to the MLS would be great for US soccer too. Smh.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Been saying this for years. But every time he would get an assist/goal people would lose their minds talking about how brilliant he is.

So tired of US MLS players being so overrated in general. Being the captain of Toronto FC doesn't mean **** for the national team. People were too busy being defensive and offended by Klinsmann's perceived criticism of the league to objectively see the stagnation and mediocrity of these players.

I'm sure there are people who think Pulisic coming to the MLS would be great for US soccer too. Smh.

It's pretty crazy actually, he dropped several levels almost INSTANTLY when he joined the MLS.

He wasn't a starter for Roma simply because pre-injury Strootman was an absolute monster and on the fast-track to becoming one of the best midfielders in Europe. However, Bradley was still very useful for Roma, and most Roma fans have pretty fond memories of him.

When he was still playing in Italy, Michael Bradley was very good. Within probably a year of him playing in the MLS he was already looking a shadow of his former self.

In his Europe-form he is still the best passer of the ball we've ever produced, but it has been clear for a while now that he isn't going to return to that form.

[studbucket]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I've always been on the pro-Bradley side of this argument. I thought he was one of our best players at the 2010 World Cup, but I can understand why people are frustrated with him. However, in the grand scheme of things, I don't think Bradley is much of a problem at all compared to several other players on this roster and the many structural reasons why the USA missed the 2018 World Cup.

Disliking a player is fine, but Bradley is probably not even in the top 20 reasons why we didn't make the World Cup.

I'm biased for Bradley and MLS, and I admit it. I just think that with all that's happening, even if he is disappointing, he's the wrong place for anger and frustration right now.

[dubcity]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

He wasn't a starter for Roma simply because pre-injury Strootman was an absolute monster and on the fast-track to becoming one of the best midfielders in Europe. However, Bradley was still very useful for Roma, and most Roma fans have pretty fond memories of him.

When he was still playing in Italy, Michael Bradley was very good. Within probably a year of him playing in the MLS he was already looking a shadow of his former self.

In his Europe-form he is still the best passer of the ball we've ever produced, but it has been clear for a while now that he isn't going to return to that form.

That gets into the discussion of whether it's better to play limited minutes and cup matches on a decent European club or to play full starter minutes on Sporting KC. I will always go with the European club in that argument.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I've been relatively pro-Bradley as well.

I'm not angry with him, I'm just not sure we can rely on him to do the job we need him to do. As I said previously, there is a 19 year old American at Schalke currently playing Bradley's position better than he is.

I agree though, if we are tossing players off the list, there would be a number of players that need to go before Bradley.

[studbucket]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

That gets into the discussion of whether it's better to play limited minutes and cup matches on a decent European club or to play full starter minutes on Sporting KC. I will always go with the European club in that argument.

I think it's an interesting argument and have gone both ways on it. Frankly, I think it depends a lot on the European club. There have been enough Americans go over there, barely play, and not learn much from training. They are worse off for having gone to Europe (easy example: Brek Shea).

Then you have others who go over and get much better from the experience (DeAndre Yedlin).

And some MLS teams clearly have better coaching and training staffs than others, so while I don't expect a young player to grow much while playing on Colorado (to choose a team), it may be great for them to get minutes for FC Dallas.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Brek Shea's problem wasn't going to Europe, his problem was Brek Shea.

[studbucket]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Brek Shea's problem wasn't going to Europe, his problem was Brek Shea.

I disagree a bit, but that's fine. He came back to MLS far worse than he left. That could very well be a Brek Shea problem, it could also be a Stoke City problem. I'm not sure I want any young US players to end up on Sunderland ever again, but many other large clubs don't seem like a complete disaster.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I disagree a bit, but that's fine. He came back to MLS far worse than he left. That could very well be a Brek Shea problem, it could also be a Stoke City problem. I'm not sure I want any young US players to end up on Sunderland ever again, but many other large clubs don't seem like a complete disaster.

He actually got a decent chance at Stoke, he was just really bad. Aside from that, Shea has always had attitude and work rate issues.

Tbh I always thought he was really overrated at Dallas. I mean I liked him and he was a good player, but I don't think he was as nearly good at Dallas as he was made out to be.

I agree though, playing at just any random European team isn't always going to be great for development, and to be fair to Shea, it's hard to be an attacker in a Pulis team (though Shea does tick all the boxes of being over 6ft tall and reasonably fast).