Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

[dickey1331]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I think this kind of proved how valuable Tim Howard has been. I don't think we even make it out of any of the group stages without him and some really good luck.

[elprez98]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

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[KG]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Top 10? No, but I wouldn't even call us a consistent top 30 team which is certainly achievable. Top 20 is even achievable. Did you watch the 2004 Euro? You don't have to have the most talented team, just the team that plays as the best unit.

As a matter of fact, that should be our aim, Greece circa 2004 that is. They won that Euro because they were an incredibly organized practically singular unit, and their fitness levels were utter insanity. That's us. That is absolutely us. Our players are consistently some of the fittest at any given tournament, and we overachieve due to our often very good team chemistry.

We are trying to force ourselves to be something we aren't (not yet anyway).

With the right coaching and tactics we could be a very formidable side.

Yeah but look where Greece is now. Bottom of their Euro 2016 table by a large margin. A pretty weak/bad group too. They even lost to the Faroe Islands.

Top 20 is our realistic goal. I don't think we're lacking in the tactics/coaching as much as we're lacking in the talent, especially when it comes to creative players.

[Bruins]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Yeah but look where Greece is now. Bottom of their Euro 2016 table by a large margin. A pretty weak/bad group too. They even lost to the Faroe Islands.

Top 20 is our realistic goal. I don't think we're lacking in the tactics/coaching as much as we're lacking in the talent, especially when it comes to creative players.

We have plenty of creative players in MLS that we should be giving a shot, but sadly we have a coach who only wants to stick to "his guys."

[gopher_guy]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Brazil under Dunga (this time around) only has 1 defeat in like 13 or 14 games. It was really no surprise that their team vs ours (starting 2 inexperienced on the Natl level) CBs, no Clint, no Fabian, would run through us, especially after the lineups were announced (Jozy isolated, Bedoya out of position, etc...).

People act as if just because Brazil got smoked by Germany that they're not still a really really good side.

I wasn't really making a profound statement about us vs. Brazil, just an observation that both us and our main rival were both playing world powers, with two very different results.

[Brahvocado]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Yeah but look where Greece is now. Bottom of their Euro 2016 table by a large margin. A pretty weak/bad group too. They even lost to the Faroe Islands.

Top 20 is our realistic goal. I don't think we're lacking in the tactics/coaching as much as we're lacking in the talent, especially when it comes to creative players.

My point was that we should be aiming to play a similar game to that Greek team, not emulate them entirely. We are definitely lacking in tactics though, it's never been Klinsmann's strength.

[KG]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I wasn't really making a profound statement about us vs. Brazil, just an observation that both us and our main rival were both playing world powers, with two very different results.

Ah. The Mexico result was a little misleading though. No Aguero & Lavezzi until late. No Pastore or Di Maria either. No Romero in goal. Once they put on Aguero and Lavezzi vs Mexico they dominated (as they should).

They pretty much isolated Messi up there.

[ImTellinTim]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

U23s lost to Honduras in the semifinals of Olympic qualifying. Will now face the loser of the other semifinal for 3rd place. 3rd place team plays against Colombia in a playoff for a spot in Rio.

[Eton Rifles]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Mexico just won the other semi so it will be against Canada on Tuesday.

[elprez98]

Official USMNT Thread

Result notwithstanding, how was the performance?
I am stuck at work.

[KG]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

Result notwithstanding, how was the performance?
I am stuck at work.

Eh...it was a typical USMNT performance. Some good and some bad. The US pretty much let Mexico control possession but overall did a decent job at limiting quality shots by Mexico. The chances Mexico got they finished (except for the Chicharito flubb in the 2nd half). Not much service for Jozy & Clint. They had a few counter opportunities but the lineup didn't have much pace outside of Fabian and Zardes so the attacks fizzled out.

The winner was a lovely volley, great technique, but never should have happened. Beasley tried to close down and win a header he had zero chance at getting which forced #9 (I think Peralta) into a flick over the top which was perfect. If Beasley just gets tight to him he would have forced him to take it down with his back to goal.

[elprez98]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

That volley was pretty sick though.

[ImTellinTim]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I guess you could fault Beasley a little bit there, but it was incredibly lucky that that overhead kick a) still missed him and b) ended up where it did.

[jasontoddwhitt]

re: Official USMNT/USWNT Thread

I'm kind of curious how much of a leash Klinsmann has. His stated goals were Confederations Cup and Olympics.

He whiffed on one, and the U23s will now have to backdoor into the Olympics if they are going to go.

Where's the coherent style he said he was going to promote? I know the groundwork and the foundation is being laid out at the youth levels (someone on a FM board posted the US Soccer training guide that laid out training from U7 all the way to the senior team...twas a good read), but there is no cohesion. The youth teams don't play the same tactical system as the senior team and vice versa. There's no continuity.

I'm not calling for his head yet, but it would be nice to see some steady progress towards a goal instead of what seems to be a lot of starting and stopping.

[elprez98]

Official USMNT Thread

Just turned on the game and we look BAD. Outside of Zardes and Wood I'm not seeing anything of note.

And seeing Jonathan Spector out there lets me know how old I am.