Everything Soccer

[notredomer23]

Are all of you still in mourning over the US losing??

No idea what you're talking about

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm ready to nuke North Dakota, even with my uncle currently working there.............

 

[NorthDakota]

I'm ready to nuke North Dakota, even with my uncle currently working there.............

If you don't mind me asking... Where at? With how few people are here... I may know him.

 

[ACamp1900]

If you don't mind me asking... Where at? With how few people are here... I may know him.

He's working an oil field, I can ask for more details if you'd like

 

[NorthDakota]

He's working an oil field, I can ask for more details if you'd like

No that's okay. I'm about as far from there as it gets. About a 6 hour drive to get to the heart of it.

So good news... You can drop a bomb here and he should be just fine.

 

[Cackalacky]

Way to go USMNT..... wop wop wop wop.

So do we still get to play the playoff in October?

 

[ACamp1900]

Yes, but we will lose to Mexico... I see it clearly as Buford saw how Gettysburg would go had he lost the high ground....

 

[Old Man Mike]

I hope that this isn't too offensive, but I watched the first half vs. Panama, and it's hard to believe that the team can beat anyone. The only things that looked vaguely good to me were Gonzalez/Brooks most of the time, Bradley most of the time, and Johansson. I suppose there could be something else in there [Ream? had a good play or two], but the play in the middle third of the field, and the defense on the goalie's wide right side were pathetic. Didn't help that Dempsey wasn't there in the first half, nor Bedoya ... benching guys like that tells the others that this is of no consequence, and show me what you can do --- well, if those guys wanted to impress or even play, they got nothin'.

....... an amateur's thoughts, who hasn't earned an opinion, sorry.

 

[ACamp1900]

Nailed it,... Idk what is wrong with Bradley w the national team but he's so much better than that.... And idk why Brooks and Omar were only paired twice this tourney... And the rest of the team gives me a sad...

 

[notredomer23]

Nailed it,... Idk what is wrong with Bradley w the national team but he's so much better than that.... And idk why Brooks and Omar were only paired twice this tourney... And the rest of the team gives me a sad...

Klinsmann insists on playing Bradley as an attacking mid which he simply is not. He needs a partner in the middle or needs to play deep.

Klinsy doesn't like Omar for some reason, probably because he is MLS. It is clear that Brooks and Omar are the two best CBs. Well actually Besler you can add in there, but he is in the dog house.

Klinsmann has done wonderful things for the national team. I would love to keep him on as the technical director of all US Soccer operations but I am not so sure he is the man for the job anymore.

 

[Cackalacky]

I have to think Klinsman is looking at the larger picture by playing those mixed up lineups this tournament. If I saw one thing last cycle was that we were not deep. We were who we were with little variation... I have to think he is getting new people experience and putting them under pressure and the veterans also have to adapt to playing with inexperinced kids. I would much rather that occur now in friendlies and the Gold Cup than the Hex and qualifying.

I look at it like how the other major national teams are. They play miriads of personnel and they all function like a well oiled machine.

I have to think that is what he is doing.

 

[notredomer23]

I have to think Klinsman is looking at the larger picture by playing those mixed up lineups this tournament. If I saw one thing last cycle was that we were not deep. We were who we were with little variation... I have to think he is getting new people experience and putting them under pressure and the veterans also have to adapt to playing with inexperinced kids. I would much rather that occur now in friendlies and the Gold Cup than the Hex and qualifying.

I look at it like how the other major national teams are. They play miriads of personnel and they all function like a well oiled machine.

I have to think that is what he is doing.

2018 will be a very deep year at every position but they need to get striker figured out. Will Dempsey still be good enough? Will Altidore figure it out? Will Bobby Wood live up to his potential that he has shown in some flashes? Will Juan Agudelo revive his career?

I am very optimistic about this team going forward for the continuity of their existence lol but the there are some glaring question marks at striker, where as the defense with the exception of maybe right back, goalie, and midfield will be strengths.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Did you guys watch the game? Sorry nd23, but your boy Brooks was awful, once again. He made some decent plays, but he is ALWAYS good for one (if not two) major gaffs a game, that lead straight to goals. On Panama's goal, he made an absolutely brutal play on the ball, and ole'd the Panamanian straight to the goal. He also got beat badly a couple of other times that should have led to goals. At this level, it's unacceptable. I know he's young and he's athletic and blah blah blah, but enough is enough. He's bad in the air despite his size, he loses marks way too easily, and he makes too many mental mistakes. There has to be accountability, and it seems a few players have none (Brooks, Chandler) while others get buried (Donovan, Besler, Diskerud). So for me, there are MAJOR questions at centerback still.

I'm actually OK now (used to be against it) with Bradley playing in the attacking role. His play leads to many of our goals. He and Dempsey are our best players by a wide margin right now. My problem is him playing so much. His work=rate is top notch, but he plays so hard ALL THE TIME, and yet he never gets a match off. It's obvious he gets burned out. And I'm convinced it'll shorten his career. Why was he even playing today? Why did he play the third match of group play?

Anyway, back to Brooks...this team's problems are so much bigger than Brooks and Chandler. When your 3rd best striker is a good club player and nothing more (Wondo), you have problems. When your best striker (not including Dempsey) suffers from a severe confidence problem and isn't performing, and you don't have a back-up plan for when he is out, you have severe problems.

I've been patient with Klinnsman, even after he butchered the Landon situation, but he's really close to being done in my book. The game in October is a must win for him IMHO. He's got too much power (he's basically his own boss, which is crazy at this level), and the results just aren't there consistently.

 

[notredomer23]

Did you guys watch the game? Sorry nd23, but your boy Brooks was awful, once again. He made some decent plays, but he is ALWAYS good for one (if not two) major gaffs a game, that lead straight to goals. On Panama's goal, he made an absolutely brutal play on the ball, and ole'd the Panamanian straight to the goal. He also got beat badly a couple of other times that should have led to goals. At this level, it's unacceptable. I know he's young and he's athletic and blah blah blah, but enough is enough. He's bad in the air despite his size, he loses marks way too easily, and he makes too many mental mistakes.



I

I know Brooks isn't the greatest now. But he is supremely talented and has unlimited potential. His weaknesses are 100% mental and he looked clearly disinterested today (to go along with mental, I guess). He played like crap today and I am not defending his performance. Brooks is going to be a baller. He has some growing pains right now. He's barely 22. He has plenty of time. The real problem in this tournament was Alvarado. Just not a good player. Omar should have been there in his spot every game with Brooks and Besler should have been included in the roster.

Chandler is one I will never defend and it is absolutely preposterous that Klinsmann keeps playing this guy. I honestly like Klinsmann's tactics and training and formations and all that. But my one knock on him (and it is a HUGE knock) is his roster selections and where he puts those players.

 

[IrishLax]

If Klinsmann doesn't bring back Besler and start him after this dreadful showing then he needs to be fired. There is no excuse for being petulant and not playing your best players because you don't like something they said.

 

[autry_denson]

quick MLS tangent: have never followed the league closely until this year when my son joined in the NYCFC bandwagon.

So we're watching the game yesterday and waiting to see how Pirlo is going to translate without the studs that surrounded him at Juve. Holy shit. He came into the game and transformed it immediately. Almost every touch turned into a chance for NYC. They looked like a juggernaut offensively. And Lampard still hasn't played.

Their D is still shaky, so I'm not going to make any predictions about them taking over the league. But even their D is improving with some key intriguing additions. With only about 30 minutes of data to work with, I'm thinking Pirlo is going to have a much bigger impact on the league then anyone realized (or maybe I was the only one who didn't anticipate just how much he would dominate here). I think they are a legit contender this year.

 

[Emcee77]

I have to think Klinsman is looking at the larger picture by playing those mixed up lineups this tournament. If I saw one thing last cycle was that we were not deep. We were who we were with little variation... I have to think he is getting new people experience and putting them under pressure and the veterans also have to adapt to playing with inexperinced kids. I would much rather that occur now in friendlies and the Gold Cup than the Hex and qualifying.

I look at it like how the other major national teams are. They play miriads of personnel and they all function like a well oiled machine.

I have to think that is what he is doing.

I tend to agree. In the grand scheme of things, there wasn't really THAT much at stake here. It was a good opportunity to experiment in a competitive situation.

 

[Emcee77]

quick MLS tangent: have never followed the league closely until this year when my son joined in the NYCFC bandwagon.

So we're watching the game yesterday and waiting to see how Pirlo is going to translate without the studs that surrounded him at Juve. Holy shit. He came into the game and transformed it immediately. Almost every touch turned into a chance for NYC. They looked like a juggernaut offensively. And Lampard still hasn't played.

Their D is still shaky, so I'm not going to make any predictions about them taking over the league. But even their D is improving with some key intriguing additions. With only about 30 minutes of data to work with, I'm thinking Pirlo is going to have a much bigger impact on the league then anyone realized (or maybe I was the only one who didn't anticipate just how much he would dominate here). I think they are a legit contender this year.

He's just an absolute wizard, isn't he? I am so excited about him in MLS.

 

[autry_denson]

Did you guys watch the game? Sorry nd23, but your boy Brooks was awful, once again. He made some decent plays, but he is ALWAYS good for one (if not two) major gaffs a game, that lead straight to goals. On Panama's goal, he made an absolutely brutal play on the ball, and ole'd the Panamanian straight to the goal. He also got beat badly a couple of other times that should have led to goals. At this level, it's unacceptable. I know he's young and he's athletic and blah blah blah, but enough is enough. He's bad in the air despite his size, he loses marks way too easily, and he makes too many mental mistakes. There has to be accountability, and it seems a few players have none (Brooks, Chandler) while others get buried (Donovan, Besler, Diskerud). So for me, there are MAJOR questions at centerback still.

I'm actually OK now (used to be against it) with Bradley playing in the attacking role. His play leads to many of our goals. He and Dempsey are our best players by a wide margin right now. My problem is him playing so much. His work=rate is top notch, but he plays so hard ALL THE TIME, and yet he never gets a match off. It's obvious he gets burned out. And I'm convinced it'll shorten his career. Why was he even playing today? Why did he play the third match of group play?

Anyway, back to Brooks...this team's problems are so much bigger than Brooks and Chandler. When your 3rd best striker is a good club player and nothing more (Wondo), you have problems. When your best striker (not including Dempsey) suffers from a severe confidence problem and isn't performing, and you don't have a back-up plan for when he is out, you have severe problems.

I've been patient with Klinnsman, even after he butchered the Landon situation, but he's really close to being done in my book. The game in October is a must win for him IMHO. He's got too much power (he's basically his own boss, which is crazy at this level), and the results just aren't there consistently.

I recall one of your previous posts discussing Zardes' development. Am I crazy to think he'll be the best player on this team in a couple of years? I haven't watched him enough at club level to assess with confidence - what's your take having watched him in LA?

On Bradley: tremendous playmaker. But he's really awkward with the ball in/near the box, w too many touches (which seems to be a problem for all of our goal scorers). I think he's better a bit further back from what I see.

 

[autry_denson]

He's just an absolute wizard, isn't he? I am so excited about him in MLS.

It was incredible to watch. I thought they would just fixate on him and not give him any space to create. And they tried to do that, but he somehow finds a way to keep the ball, get some room and find people in places that look impossible.

 

[notredomer23]

It was incredible to watch. I thought they would just fixate on him and not give him any space to create. And they tried to do that, but he somehow finds a way to keep the ball, get some room and find people in places that look impossible.

I am a NYCFC fan as well and that second half was crazy yesterday. Pirlo makes the whole team better. His impact is much greater than Villa's. Also, 2 of the 3 goals were the fault of Jefferson Mena who they just signed. He showed some major talent and I think he will be fine, he was just rusty because he hasn't played much lately. I am very optimistic going forward.

Kwadwo Poku is going to be an absolute star. He had 3 of the assists yesterday.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I recall one of your previous posts discussing Zardes' development. Am I crazy to think he'll be the best player on this team in a couple of years? I haven't watched him enough at club level to assess with confidence - what's your take having watched him in LA?

On Bradley: tremendous playmaker. But he's really awkward with the ball in/near the box, w too many touches (which seems to be a problem for all of our goal scorers). I think he's better a bit further back from what I see.

Zardes has not looked good for the club without Landon. He's looked kinda bad actually. He does much better for the national team. He's young so I'm hopeful, and maybe playing with Steven G will get him going again.

I think Bradley would do much better with a proven striker, besides only Dempsey.

 

[ACamp1900]

I love Zardes and his story is incredible but Hollywood is right, he's had a tough year with the Galaxy... his first touch has let him down all year...

 

[autry_denson]

Zardes has not looked good for the club without Landon. He's looked kinda bad actually. He does much better for the national team. He's young so I'm hopeful, and maybe playing with Steven G will get him going again.

I think Bradley would do much better with a proven striker, besides only Dempsey.

disappointing to hear, hopefully he can reach the next level. someone has to step up at striker, Dempsey won't be around at this level too much longer.

 

[autry_denson]

I am a NYCFC fan as well and that second half was crazy yesterday. Pirlo makes the whole team better. His impact is much greater than Villa's. Also, 2 of the 3 goals were the fault of Jefferson Mena who they just signed. He showed some major talent and I think he will be fine, he was just rusty because he hasn't played much lately. I am very optimistic going forward.

Kwadwo Poku is going to be an absolute star. He had 3 of the assists yesterday.

I've been shocked at how good Poku has looked recently. He's had a few games where he looked really bad (to me at least). Yesterday he looked as good as I've seen all year.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Here's a crazy idea, but what-the-heck we've got no football to talk about and I learn from you guys every time I ask a stupid question, so....

OK, I know that the girls' and the guys' games are different [seems to me that the guys' ability to suddenly outrun the long ball is more dangerous than the girls, even given gender on gender equalization, which puts more pressure on defenders not to overcommit], so what I'm wondering could be bunk. BUT, the USA girls became very dangerous offensively not just because they had a "dangerwoman" in Morgan, and a second "dangerwoman" in properly-positioned Lloyd, and a mighty midget Trickster in Rapinoe [almost none of which I see on the guys' team --- maybe Dempsey --- but they also had the two most amazing deep defensive wings, Klingenberg and Krieger, who not only defended with speed and tenacity wide, BUT ALSO CHARGED UP THE FIELD to put big pressure at regular intervals on the opponents.

We seem to have no such wide defenders, or don't play them, or don't let them aggress, or whatever. This abandons the offense to only the upper attack diamond, or whatever the he!l we're playing. If Bradley can't do both a Lloyd and Rapinoe imitation on a single play, we get basically nothing done. {by the way, I NEVER complain about Bradley charging in there and trying; in terms of ignition, he's about all there is --- let him try some Magic; I wish he'd "get excited" more.} But this question is about the deep wide defenders.

Do we have anyone who could both get back and defend and also push the attack all the way deep into the attacking zone a la Klingenberg/Krieger? Could Bedoya do that? Would the coach let him? And now the craziest part, if such is possible: could a speed merchant like Zardes be trained to be such a guy ?--- he seems decent at face-up defense when he has been asked to do it, to me.

Anyway --- slow day on the "pitch" { I'm picking up a few terms, weirdly }. Wish we had what the Brit announcers call a "dangerman" ... an irritating feeling but Mexico has one in Guardado.

 

[dublinirish]

He's just an absolute wizard, isn't he? I am so excited about him in MLS.

yeah the guy is going to be absolutely adored in NYC. He's definitely the hipster's footballer and playing in a cosmopolitan environment will suit him down to the ground.

 

[autry_denson]

Here's a crazy idea, but what-the-heck we've got no football to talk about and I learn from you guys every time I ask a stupid question, so....

OK, I know that the girls' and the guys' games are different [seems to me that the guys' ability to suddenly outrun the long ball is more dangerous than the girls, even given gender on gender equalization, which puts more pressure on defenders not to overcommit], so what I'm wondering could be bunk. BUT, the USA girls became very dangerous offensively not just because they had a "dangerwoman" in Morgan, and a second "dangerwoman" in properly-positioned Lloyd, and a mighty midget Trickster in Rapinoe [almost none of which I see on the guys' team --- maybe Dempsey --- but they also had the two most amazing deep defensive wings, Klingenberg and Krieger, who not only defended with speed and tenacity wide, BUT ALSO CHARGED UP THE FIELD to put big pressure at regular intervals on the opponents.

We seem to have no such wide defenders, or don't play them, or don't let them aggress, or whatever. This abandons the offense to only the upper attack diamond, or whatever the he!l we're playing. If Bradley can't do both a Lloyd and Rapinoe imitation on a single play, we get basically nothing done. {by the way, I NEVER complain about Bradley charging in there and trying; in terms of ignition, he's about all there is --- let him try some Magic; I wish he'd "get excited" more.} But this question is about the deep wide defenders.

Do we have anyone who could both get back and defend and also push the attack all the way deep into the attacking zone a la Klingenberg/Krieger? Could Bedoya do that? Would the coach let him? And now the craziest part, if such is possible: could a speed merchant like Zardes be trained to be such a guy ?--- he seems decent at face-up defense when he has been asked to do it, to me.

Anyway --- slow day on the "pitch" { I'm picking up a few terms, weirdly }. Wish we had what the Brit announcers call a "dangerman" ... an irritating feeling but Mexico has one in Guardado.

My amateur opinion is that we have one of those guys in Yedlin, who's still developing but should be very good.

My own sense is that our issue is not one of 'missing pieces'. it's an issue of raising the quality of all of our pieces (and throwing in a couple of world-class talents in the mix, which we haven't done outside of GK).

 

[Irish YJ]

Zardes has not looked good for the club without Landon. He's looked kinda bad actually. He does much better for the national team. He's young so I'm hopeful, and maybe playing with Steven G will get him going again.

I think Bradley would do much better with a proven striker, besides only Dempsey.

Zardes was horrible vs Jamaica. I don't know how it looked on TV, but in person it was awful.

 

[ACamp1900]

A lot rides on Altidore getting healthy and living up to expectations...