Everything Soccer

[GowerND11]

In relation to Ream... Love him and what he has done, especially in the last few years. But wow... the amount of "talent" we were supposed to have in CB this generation just went absolutely belly up. CCV was supposed to step in and be a force, but that didn't happen. Matt Miazga too...

Maybe Trusty and Tolkin can provide at some point, but will they be ready for meaningful minutes this summer?

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Glad to see a different team yesterday.
Balogun and Pepi are your number 9's. As long as Balogun is healthy and plays like he did the last two games, he should be the starter.
3-4-3 formation worked well. Left some defensive holes, but it certainly provided a dynamic attack.
Will be interesting to see who they put as the attacking mf on the wings. Freeman, Arfsten and Dest could really thrive there. Do you put Robinson in the midfield winger spot or does he play in a defesnive role in the 3-4-3. I wonder how Cardoso fits in. Luna would be a perfect sub in the midfield.
Still have a lot to figure out with midfeild and defense. Is it McKennie and Adams who start centrally? Who do you have besides Richards? Ream looks too old but apparently no one else can play quality defense.
Freese should be the starter from here on out.

Its going to sound crazy, but slot McKennie in beside Richards and Ream in the back 3. Hes playing some FB with Juventus and he's shown he can play anywhere on the pitch. When we play against a single striker he can naturally slide forward into more of a midfield position. Adams and either Johnny or Musah as CMs. Pulisic and Tillman at double 10s. Balo as 9. Dest and Jedi at wingbacks.

But your solution with Jedi slotting in there probably makes more sense.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Ream and Richards are the two starting CB for the World Cup. No clue who third and fourth choices are.

 

[gregm83]

Glad they looked good against a backup Japan team. Real impressive.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Glad they looked good against a backup Japan team. Real impressive.

I sense your sarcasm. Japan rotated heavily but let's not act like this is the US A team either.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I'll take the result.

Any result.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

My WC starting 11 is this (assuming all healthy)
GK: Frees (sp)
Defense: Robinson Richards Ream Dest
Midfielders: McKennie Adams McGlynn
Forwards: Pulisic Balogun Weah

I'm not a fan of McGlynn. I don't think he has the pace or lateral quickness to play at higher levels.

That is Tillmans position.

 

[BabyIrish]

My WC starting 11 is this (assuming all healthy)
GK: Frees (sp)
Defense: Robinson Richards Ream Dest
Midfielders: McKennie Adams McGlynn
Forwards: Pulisic Balogun Weah

I would replace Dest with Freeman, McGlynn with Tillman, and Weah with Zendejas.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

I would replace Dest with Freeman, McGlynn with Tillman, and Weah with Zendejas.

Bold move. I don't think Freeman is quite ready for that.

 

[T-Boone]

I’ve got to be honest, the USMNT is a lamer name than the Socceroos.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I am more concerned about the state of the host nation than it's roster right now.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I don't either, but neither seem good enough defensively for me. You have to be DAMM threatening offensively to offset shaky defense at a fullback spot, and I don't see either that way. Freeman does impress me with one skill. He has a great basketball player's ability to engage another body right at the flight of the ball and be the guy who gets the control almost every time. But in other foot-talent terms -- not very sharp. (Alexander-Arnold was a rare case of a fullback so threatening that you could {just} put-up with his bonehead defense.)

Now to back up and prove that I know nothing at all about this sport's finer points: I have loved the crazy man Luna's play. He often when no one else was going for it, was pretty much trying to try "brave" things and always at high energy. No one else here seems to like him, though, so I'll just admit that he and I stand alone as fellow Lunatics about this.

 

[BabyIrish]

I don't either, but neither seem good enough defensively for me. You have to be DAMM threatening offensively to offset shaky defense at a fullback spot, and I don't see either that way. Freeman does impress me with one skill. He has a great basketball player's ability to engage another body right at the flight of the ball and be the guy who gets the control almost every time. But in other foot-talent terms -- not very sharp. (Alexander-Arnold was a rare case of a fullback so threatening that you could {just} put-up with his bonehead defense.)

Now to back up and prove that I know nothing at all about this sport's finer points: I have loved the crazy man Luna's play. He often when no one else was going for it, was pretty much trying to try "brave" things and always at high energy. No one else here seems to like him, though, so I'll just admit that he and I stand alone as fellow Lunatics about this.

I agree about Luna, which is why I like him as a sub. A guy with that energy late in the game can be a real spark and difference maker. From what I have seen, he seems to wear down in the second half due to the amount of energy he plays with. But Luna should be on the team for sure and I would be surprised if he wasn't.

 

[Fbolt]

Agreed, I like Luna as a sub. He does play with passion and energy.

Good to see Balo finally find the goal as he'd been punching close-range shots right at the keeper for two games in a row (doubles!).

Hoping Ponch has a master plan. And yes, hope is my strategy at this point because I'm not seeing anything else.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Agreed, I like Luna as a sub. He does play with passion and energy.

Good to see Balo finally find the goal as he'd been punching close-range shots right at the keeper for two games in a row (doubles!).

Hoping Ponch has a master plan. And yes, hope is my strategy at this point because I'm not seeing anything else.

I believe the next window will have the full squad and the play will look much more consistent.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Steffen

Dest, Richards, Ream, Robinson

Weah, Adams, McKinnie, Tillman

Pulisic

Balogun

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Steffen

Dest, Richards, Ream, Robinson

Weah, Adams, McKinnie, Tillman

Pulisic

Balogun

Thats my favorite lineup too. But they may have found something with a back 3. We'll see if Poch continues with it in the next window.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

If you told me Reyna wouldn’t be a part of this team come 2026 WC I’d have laughed.

He dug his grave.

22 years old and I feel like he's been around forever already. He's got time to rejuvenate his career, but the next round of life choices me makes are going to have to be really really good one.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

New England Revs part ways with Caleb Porter.

I was a big Porter fan and it doesn't feel all that long ago. Feel like his star has definitely fallen.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Mckennie is lining up as one of the 3 CBs for Juventus today. Lets see how this unfolds. Its possible he can slot into a back 3 alongside Richards and Ream in the US squad.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

^Nevermind, that lineup sheet was clearly wrong. Hes playing RWB today.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Weah scored in the first half and looked electric against Real Madrid.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Weah scored in the first half and looked electric against Real Madrid.

Still my favorite US player. Tillman is up there too.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Still my favorite US player. Tillman is up there too.

Marseille looks like a good side. Very fast and dangerous on the counter and had creative ways to break the press. The result was fair but I'd expect to see them advance to the knockouts.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

There was discussion after Bayern's match about why no Premier League teams went to Palace for Michael Olise. One thing is now pretty clear, and it's if he ends up back there, Bayern Munich are going to get a lot of money on the sale.

The Devil's Club got another late winner. Simeone still looks like a Miami Vice villain. I think he enjoys the part.

PSG and Inter both looked solid.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

How long does Ange get at NF? That was an epic collapse.

I don't know if their crazy Windex chugging Greek owner is nuts enough to fire him right away or just keep him around.

And as we all know, Ange isn't going to adjust his tactics, which in the English Premier League is a super philosophy.

Amorim is finding out too.

 

[Tejas]

I know and can understand why a lot of people hate Arteta and Arsenal, but Bernardo Silva has got to be the biggest piece of annoying garbage on any soccer field in Europe. That is absolutely undebatable.🤪

 

[Tejas]

Between him and Bruno for me

That's a fair debate.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Between him and Bruno for me

That's a fair debate.

They're both c*nts.

That match was horrendously boring yesterday. Guardiola getting a 1-0 lead in the first ten minutes and then parking the bus. Miserable viewing.

Six English teams played in the Champions League earlier in the week and only one of them won. It would seem that the path for Real, Bayern and PSG is just going to be easier until those leagues can somehow close the gap to the English Premier League.

 

[NorthDakota]

They're both c*nts.

That match was horrendously boring yesterday. Guardiola getting a 1-0 lead in the first ten minutes and then parking the bus. Miserable viewing.

Six English teams played in the Champions League earlier in the week and only one of them won. It would seem that the path for Real, Bayern and PSG is just going to be easier until those leagues can somehow close the gap to the English Premier League.

Its gotta be close to time for Guardiola to leave. Hes been there almost a decade. These guys don't generally stick around terribly long even when things are going well.

Also curious how the other European leagues are supposed to catch up to England unless there is some financial collapse. English mid table teams can simply pay much better than almost every continental team. Tough to build a better league when your best players play for 1/2 top domestic clubs or in England.