Copa America Centenario Match Thread

[mgriff]

Instead of clogging up the VBook threads, we can talk about all the matches in here.

 

[ACamp1900]

Better in possession, especially at midfield, no hope of scoring, better US strikers in the stands than on the field.......

 

[mgriff]

I really like Wood. I don't like the formation but the waking up after a goal has got to stop.

 

[ACamp1900]

I think I have a better chance of scoring with Salma Hayek than this team does in this half...

 

[mgriff]

I say the worst is the midfield. I love Bradley, but Jones and Bedoya have not linked the back line and the forwards very well thus far.

 

[mgriff]

That's fucking harsh.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Damn refs

 

[ACamp1900]

I say the worst is the midfield. I love Bradley, but Jones and Bedoya have not linked the back line and the forwards very well thus far.

They are holding possession, kind of hard to hit forwards when they're constantly offside or can't get open...

 

[ACamp1900]

Damn refs

Second straight huge game the US have been hit with a very harsh free kick....

 

[mgriff]

He's Mexican, right?

 

[IrishLion]

What a frustrating half.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Just ugly all around. Any pressure in the midfield and ball instantly heads backwards.

 

[nsisk157]

Bedoya is trash. Bring on the young buck.

 

[ACamp1900]

There's zero chance back from that second goal, they're simply not good enough... The first touches in the front third are horrible right now...

 

[IrishLion]

What would it take for the US to actually compete as a top national team?

The NFL and NBA folding, funneling most youth players to soccer?

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

What would it take for the US to actually compete as a top national team?

The NFL and NBA folding, funneling most youth players to soccer?

Work rate is first class, but our skill levels are no where near what's needed.
With how easy it is now to follow the top leagues in Europe I'd expect a massive growth in 15 years vs. this point now.

 

[ACamp1900]

Work rate is first class, but our skill levels are no where near what's needed.

I've been questioning our work rates up front for years... Lol

 

[IrishLion]

Work rate is first class, but our skill levels are no where near what's needed.

That's what I'm saying. To raise the skill level to where the rest of the world's at, you need the best athletes playing soccer from the start.

That is slowly changing in the US, but idk if it will ever be to the level that it would take to produce a top national squad.

 

[notredomer23]

Jones is in his last tournament. He has to be. He has lost a step big time.

Dempsey, while decent, has clearly lost a step too. Out with the old, in with the new.

Bradley has been turning it over wayyyyyy too much leading to Yedlin faux handball.

Need Nagbe and Pulisic. Defend well(they've been doing decent at that truth be told besides the set piece!). Get a goal back quick and see what you can do.

 

[mgriff]

Too much money is needed to play on the best teams and a lot of soccer players come from conditions that don't afford them that kind of capital. We have no incentives for youth development, no academy system where they are educated and pursue soccer professionally. We are light years behind.

Proper academies would be a start, and clubs paying for youth development. It's not a huge draw here yet, though, so the money may simply not be there.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

That's what I'm saying. To raise the skill level to where the rest of the world's at, you need the best athletes playing soccer from the start.

That is slowly changing in the US, but idk if it will ever be enough.

It's not athletes so much as what concentrated on at the youth level. Messi and Ronaldo did not get ridiculous ball and dribbling skills working on passing as soon as they see danger every time.

 

[IrishLion]

Imagines if any number of NFL wide receivers and defensive backs used their natural speed and footwork talent and had played soccer from the start instead... what kind of difference would that make? You could have dudes that are 6'3" and run 4.4's making runs, skying over people on set pieces, winning 50/50 balls with natural footwork...

Or am I placing too much weight on the flexibility of athletes' developmental potential?

Is an NFL WR gifted with traits that translate to football and nothing else? Or could those guys be world class athletes on the pitch if that's where they had started instead?

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Imagine if any number of NFL wide receivers and defensive backs used their natural speed and footwork talent and had played soccer from the start instead... what kind of difference would that make? You could have dudes that are 6'3" and run 4.4's making runs, skying over people on set pieces, winning 50/50 balls with natural footwork...

Or am I placing too much weight on the flexibility of athletes' developmental potential?

Is an NFL WR gifted with traits that translate to football and nothing else?

Ocho Cinco says hi.
He's freely admitted he preferred soccer, but more money in football.

 

[mgriff]

We need an energetic sub. Desperately. We are down 2-0 you fuckers.

 

[mgriff]

Did Big Sam replace Jurgen for the second? Why are we hoofing it?

 

[notredomer23]

We need an energetic sub. Desperately. We are down 2-0 you fuckers.

I am so sick of candy ass Jurgen. Two of our arguably best offensive players are on the bench.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Realistically though the scouse is right our academy set up is a joke and the teams who have a top academy aren't scouting here because any parent from the States is gonna say let little Johnny stay here and use soccer to go to college instead of going to Europe.

 

[mgriff]

We're really gonna just let them pass and no pressing? Usually we can count on the U.S. giving their all on the pitch, but they look like they can't be bothered.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Great header better save.

 

[notredomer23]

Realistically though the scouse is right our academy set up is a joke and the teams who have a top academy aren't scouting here because any parent from the States is gonna say let little Johnny stay here and use soccer to go to college instead of going to Europe.

This is an ill informed post (don't mean to sound like a dick, it is a common misconception). We have good academies now that have sprung up over the past five-ten years and clubs like Real Madrid(Joshua Pyndath), Barcelona(Ben Lederman and Konrad De La Fuente), Borussia Dortmund(Christian Pulisic), Manchester United(Matthew Olusunde), Arsenal(Gedion Zelalem), Leicester City(Kyle Gruno), Liverpool (Brooks Lennon) and PSG (Timothy Weah) all are always actively scouting the United States. And that is a very short list of many more prospects in Euro academies that were first recognized playing academy ball United States.

Not only are the Euro teams scouting here, but they are also setting up academies or at least affiliates. Liverpool, Stoke, Tottenham Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Sunderland all have academies or affiliates in the US. And that is just off the top of my head.

The problem? It has only been good for 5-10 years. We need it to be good for another 10 years before the benefits will be overwhelmingly noticeable.