Futbol Talk

[brewcity77]

Bunches of thoughts...

Beasley was okay on the goal, the help defense was not. Beasley funneled Vela inside, no one else stepped to the attacker.

Guzan & Howard to me are pretty similar. This is the worst our pool has been since probably the early 1990s when Meola and Friedel were just kids. Hope some youngster emerges soon. Horvath, Cropper, and Jesse Gonzalez should all get a shot.

We have one all time win at Azteca, but it was a friendly.

I expected a loss, so I'm pleased with the result. 7 points should see us qualify, but all four games remaining are winnable. We have a winning record in qualifying in both Honduras and Trinidad.

I liked the strategy. Concede possession to marshal the defense. Keep it close and hope to nick a late goal. Almost got us the win. Arena has done a fantastic job. That said, I still hope he steps down after Russia. I don't think he's a long term answer, but he's an upgrade from Jurgen.

[WarriorInNYC]

Bunches of thoughts...

Beasley was okay on the goal, the help defense was not. Beasley funneled Vela inside, no one else stepped to the attacker.

Guzan & Howard to me are pretty similar. This is the worst our pool has been since probably the early 1990s when Meola and Friedel were just kids. Hope some youngster emerges soon. Horvath, Cropper, and Jesse Gonzalez should all get a shot.

We have one all time win at Azteca, but it was a friendly.

I expected a loss, so I'm pleased with the result. 7 points should see us qualify, but all four games remaining are winnable. We have a winning record in qualifying in both Honduras and Trinidad.

I liked the strategy. Concede possession to marshal the defense. Keep it close and hope to nick a late goal. Almost got us the win. Arena has done a fantastic job. That said, I still hope he steps down after Russia. I don't think he's a long term answer, but he's an upgrade from Jurgen.

Good stuff Brew.  I thought the Mexico goal was a combo of Cameron worrying too much about Chicharito and Tim Ream not getting back from the corner in time.  Beasley did what he needed.

I like Horvath, Cropper really hasn't impressed this year with the Revs.  I'm a bit biased as a NYCFC fan, but Sean Johnson is having a great year and I'd really like to see him get a decent run in the Gold Cup.

Agreed re: Arena.  Get through Russia, then I'd like to see someone like Oscar Pareja take over the reins.

[Henry Sugar]

My two cents on USA v Mexico

https://twitter.com/LoweDownStats/status/874235972443090944

In words, I viewed the game as a good defensive matchup for both teams. I was pretty pleased with the road defensive performance based primarily on the defensive shot quality. Mexico is the best defensive team in CONCACAF, btw.

If you look at the comparison between Arena and Klinsmann, you can definitely see a change in focus from the approach. Arena definitely wants to focus on fewer, higher quality shots on offense, and he's willing to concede plenty of bad shots to his opposition. I'm also basing this statement on how his LA Galaxy team's stats were in prior years.

[tower912]

Winning ugly.   The whole tournament.    The defense is astoundingly inept, but the other teams have not put the bunnies away.   

[brewcity77]

Right now, I think we miss the final again. Costa Rica has had the strongest side this tournament and we just looked disjointed yesterday. Maybe that changes with a few more days of practice, but fitting in first-teamers with guys that were just starting to gel seems like a mistake, at least that many of them. Honestly, I really thought we missed Kelyn Rowe last night. He's been great all tournament and I'm baffled why he got sent home. He did great at threading passes in the final third and would've fixed what was one of the two biggest problems last night.

The other glaring issue was the defense. So many dumb mistakes. Lichaj had a terrible game. El Salvador could've had three goals off his mistakes alone had they not been so wasteful. Sure, he got the goal and it was well-taken, but all-in-all he was awful. Gonzalez was okay, but Hedges and Morrow were both marginal in defense at best. Gonzalez would probably be my man of the match, between the game-winner and the at least average defense.

I don't expect much on Saturday. Costa Rica won't likely be as poor at finishing as El Salvador was, and if we can't string passes in the final third I don't see how we'll score. I really hope I'm wrong.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Bruce "whose in charge of the ball boys" Arena

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Okay so if everyone is healthy and playing, would like to see this lineup rolled out.

        Besler        Brooks       Cameron


 Yedlin                                                 Fab

                Bradley         ?????

                          Pulisic

                Dempsey       Morris/Altidore

[brewcity77]

Wow. Great performance. The real difference was in the middle of the pitch, where Acosta, Bradley, Nagbe, and the defense smartly held possession. When we did attack, it was deliberate and dangerous. Nagbe was fantastic, though Morris, Altidore, and Arriola presented routine threats too. Dempsey, despite his short stint, was my man of the match for setting up the opener and adding the brilliantly taken free kick to tie Donovan's scoring record.

Honorable mention to Howard, who wasn't called on often, but came up huge when needed. He didn't put a foot wrong all night. The defense was also much better in front of him. Gonzalez and Besler were comfortable and composed. Though my favorite play by a defender was made irrelevant by Howard. On one of the Costa Rica breakthroughs where Howard came up with a mammoth save, Zusi was sliding in perfect position 12 feet behind him. Had it got through, he would've been the hero. And I rarely praise Zusi, especially in defense.

Great match, great performance at both ends. Deserved win. Looking forward to Wednesday.

[brewcity77]

And it's...Jamaica. Two years after losing to the Reggae Boys in the semifinals, we'll be facing them for the Gold Cup after they dispatched Mexico 1-0 on a late free kick goal from Kimani Lawrence. I only watched the second half, but Jamaica was indeed the better side from what I saw. They were quick in attack and stout in defense. Their keeper was really in great form. Should be a good game.

[brewcity77]

Ended up being a decent final. Slow first half, but USA started building the attack and it paid off with Jozy's brilliant free kick. No keeper in the world would've saved that.

Second half was very good. Jamaica's equalizer was definitely on Jordan Morris. Their counter was generally effective and while the USA had the bulk of possession and chances, it was nervy at the end. Jamaica kept busy enough pressure on to keep it exciting, and we kept chipping away.

Suiting that Morris made amends with the 89th minute winner. After watching this tournament, it feels like Kellyn Acosta, Jordan Morris, and Kelyn Rowe are ready for primetime. Dempsey and Howard still have gas in the tank and will likely be on the plane to Russia. Watching Gonzalez and Besler reunited was also nice. They play well together and I'm still not sure why Klinsmann broke up a defense that was working.

Arena did well and continues to impress. The group stage wasn't inspiring, and the El Salvador game was nervy, but he pulled enough of the right levers and this team was at their best against the two best teams they played.

14 games unbeaten now and time to start thinking about the roster for Russia. 23 names to come, and qualifying starting again soon in September. Need at least 4 points from those games, though 6 is realistic.

[brewcity77]

Here are my post-Gold Cup thoughts on the 23 members that will be going to Russia:

Goalkeepers (3):

1) Tim Howard
2) Brad Guzan
3) Ethan Horvath
4) Jesse Gonzalez
5) Bill Hamid

Howard and Guzan are 1/2, pretty much guaranteed. It could be the last World Cup for both, as the younger Guzan will be 37 in 2022. Horvath seems the favorite for the third keeper spot, though any of those three could sneak onto the plane.

Defenders (8)

1) John Brooks
2) DeAndre Yedlin
3) Geoff Cameron
4) Omar Gonzalez
5) Matt Besler
6) Graham Zusi
7) Jorge Villafana
8) Eric Lichaj
9) Matt Hedges
10) Cameron Carter-Vickers
11) Tim Ream

It's unnerving that 4 of our top 5 defenders are center backs. Decent chance Fabian Johnson is deployed at the back simply because he's better than anyone else back there. The guy that could really move up this list is CCV. If he can work his way into the Spurs rotation, look for him to be on the plane to Russia, and possibly even battle for a spot in the starting eleven. Not a lot of depth at the fullback positions. I'm not in love with Zusi, Villafana, or Lichaj and could see any of them replaced with someone like Ream who can be more versatile and play almost anywhere across the back line.

Midfielders (8)

1) Christian Pulisic
2) Michael Bradley
3) Fabian Johnson
4) Darlington Nagbe
5) Kellyn Acosta
6) Danny Williams
7) Gyasi Zardes
8) Sebastian Lletget
9) Kelyn Rowe
10) Alejandro Bedoya
11) Benny Feilhaber

The first four are all but guaranteed. After that it's really tough. I expect Arena will look to two-way players on the bench, and Acosta is a solid central mid while Williams is the best central midfield destroyer we have now that the wheels have fallen off Jermaine Jones. Zardes and Lletget both played for Bruce previously and provide speed and width. I like Rowe, but have him just outside. Bedoya and Feilhaber are old stalwarts who could slide in if Bruce wanted experience.

Forwards (4)

1) Jozy Altidore
2) Bobby Wood
3) Clint Dempsey
4) Jordan Morris
5) Dom Dwyer
6) Josh Sargent

Altidore and Wood, barring injury, are locks. Dempsey seems to be accepting the super-sub role, and despite his age (he'll be 35) he can unlock defenses like no other in red, white, and blue. At the moment, I'd give the last forward spot to Morris, though it's neck and neck with Dwyer. If it's a surprise name, my bet is on the youngster, Sargent, who will only be 18 but has pace and an uncanny knack for scoring goals. I just don't see Agudelo or Johannsson on this roster.

[JWags85]

Cant disagree too much with this.  Though honestly, after Howard I almost want to bring Horvath and either Gonzalez or Hamid.  Guzan has already fallen off and as you said, he wont be there in 2022, I'd rather see if the young guys show anything in training to prepare us for the loss of the best keeper in US history.

As for forwards, pretty straight forward, no pun intended, but Id like to see Dwyer fit in there somewhere.  The man just finds a way to score goals, just a pure poacher, but I dont see any way he gets the nod over Morris, especially with the latter being younger.

Speaking of younger, now that I'm looking, Arena familiarity or not, I'd rather have Emerson Hyndman take that last MF spot over Lletget.  I think he's going to be a very familiar face in the US kit for the next decade.

[fjm]

In Barça and Paris in mid August. Going to try ant catch both a PSG and Barça game. Cant wait!
Already been to one Barça game in my life. Euro soccer is just such an amazing atmosphere.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

1) I wonder if Sargent makes it just to get his feet wet.  Even if he doesn't play in WC 2018, going through it once would be beneficial just for the experience.  I imagine he'll be a big part of the USMNT by 2022 and would love for him to be familiar with the WC routine.

2) In order to keep 5 forwards, Arena would have to go with 7 defenders, 7 MF, and Fabian Johnson as a swingman D/MF.

3) What formation does the USMNT play and who are the starting 11?  There is some value in having different formations and strategies available to matchup with opponents and keep the opposition of balance.

But I struggle with how to best deploy the best 11.  Pulisic is best as a true 10 in a 4-5-1 but Altidore is best paired with another striker in a 4-4-2.  Pulisic might be able to play up top in a 4-4-2 diamond but Bradley is best when paired with another CMF in a traditional 4-4-2.  And I still don't know where the best spot for Fabian Johnson is.  He can play either FB or WMF but who else is on the pitch determines where he lines up.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Arena will never do it but I stand by a 3-5-2. Fab as a wingback Bradley and someone else playing deep and Pulisic behind Jozy and whoever else plays on top.

[JWags85]

Arena will never do it but I stand by a 3-5-2. Fab as a wingback Bradley and someone else playing deep and Pulisic behind Jozy and whoever else plays on top.

I absolutely love that honestly.  Something like
 
           Altidore      Wood
                    Pulisic
                   Nagbe
Johnson Bradley Acosta Yedlin
           Brooks     Cameron
                Howard

Basically Nagbe and Acosta in the middle of the pitch with Bradley sitting a bit deeper.  Danny Williams could take Acosta's spot too.  Very glad that he will be getting Premier League time this year with Huddersfield.

[brewcity77]

Speaking of younger, now that I'm looking, Arena familiarity or not, I'd rather have Emerson Hyndman take that last MF spot over Lletget.  I think he's going to be a very familiar face in the US kit for the next decade.

Hyndmann is a good shout. Where he ends up this year could make a big difference. If he's on loan in the Championship, I could see him getting passed over. Another year making an impact at Rangers or if he can break into the lineup at Bournemouth, he might get a shot. Worth watching him.

[fjm]

Hooo-weee. I was at the PSG game last night here in France. Neymar is a beast. Although bummed he left my favorite club in Barçelona, It was crazy to see how good he played.

[brewcity77]

Last night was a trainwreck. Granted, there should've been a penalty given, but the USA backline was awful. I put that down mostly to Ream. He may as well have handed the first goal to Costa Rica. Let Urena walk by him, then gave him way too much space in the box to get a shot off. Constantly gave the ball away and created far more danger than security.

One thing that stood out, Howard very rarely played long balls forward. Seemed like we were in danger a few times because of short passes forward, but the first goal came off a long ball from Howard, so that may have been by design.

Offensively, too many one-on-one attempts. When we played short passes, we had success. Ticos did what they do and congested the final third, which frustrated us. Countered well and kept us under pressure.;

Our defense was such a wreck. No chemistry between the centerbacks. Zusi and Villafana were constantly under pressure. When you have that much pressure on the fullbacks, we need the wings to track back to help. Zardes would've helped last night because he is very good at helping to cover overmatched fullbacks. Not having Brooks or Gonzalez to pair with Cameron really hurt.

Navas did come up with a couple fantastic saves, but it shouldn't have come to that. The offense needed to realize sooner that it wasn't about one man unlocking the defense but a team effort. They never seemed to want to play wide balls in that would have allowed Altidore to use his size and strength.

Suddenly Honduras is massively critical. Lose and we will likely be in fifth, even a draw will probably leave us staring at the playoff with two to go. The upside is that Honduras has a tough final two matches, and we still get Panama at home (this entire race is basically a three-team race for one spot). I think we need 14 points to be assured qualification. That means winning one on the road.

[GGGG]

Get a draw in Honduras and they should be fine.  Ending with Panama at home and on the road against a bad Trinidad team should result in six points.

If they fall into the playoff spot, they would go home and home v. the Asian playoff winners.  Here is my thought there.  Root for South Korea to win in Uzbekistan next week so they can wrap up their bid outright.  They have managed to screw up their qualification by losing to teams like Qatar and China.  The Koreans are usually too good. 

That would mean a playoff would likely be against Syria or Australia with Uzbekistan or Saudi Arabia as possibilities.  If that is the case, root for Syria because they have not been playing at home due to the conflict there.  Australia would be difficult IMO but the US would still be favored.

[JWags85]

Can we also talk about how STUPID it was of US Soccer to put this game in Northern NJ, home of the largest Costa Rican population in the country.  Twellman got really annoyed towards the end of the game for good reason.  Costa Rican chants and flags everywhere, getting "ole" chanted to extreme extents in your "home" stadium.  This was like playing Mexico in El Paso.

Granted, there were plenty of problems on the field, but it makes it tougher to settle in and especially fight back from 1 down when your home field advantage is nonexistent.  Playing road games in CONCACAF is hard enough as it is.

Pulisic shows plenty of flashes of what a special player he is, but you can see the nerves get to him at times, the finishing ability will come.  Its a bit tougher to play on the attack when you're not out there with Reus, Aubameyang, Sahin, and Kagawa.

[MUfan12]

Granted, there should've been a penalty given, but the USA backline was awful. I put that down mostly to Ream. He may as well have handed the first goal to Costa Rica. Let Urena walk by him, then gave him way too much space in the box to get a shot off. Constantly gave the ball away and created far more danger than security.

I pin the first one on Howard as much as I do Ream. Positioning was horrid, and was beaten by a weak effort.

Cameron's giveaway for the second was a little... matchfixy.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Geoff Cameron is not that good of a defender though. At least not as good as people seem to think.

When I saw Stoke vs Palace last year, he was the culprit to blame for three of the four goals Palace scored.

[JWags85]

Geoff Cameron is not that good of a defender though. At least not as good as people seem to think.

When I saw Stoke vs Palace last year, he was the culprit to blame for three of the four goals Palace scored.

He's a perfectly fine center back on the wrong side of his prime.  He's steady when paired with another competent CB, unfortunately Ream is not that. That pass was poorly advised and cost us, but we have far more issues than Cameron. He's been one of the only consistent performers back there

[brewcity77]

He's a perfectly fine center back on the wrong side of his prime.  He's steady when paired with another competent CB, unfortunately Ream is not that. That pass was poorly advised and cost us, but we have far more issues than Cameron. He's been one of the only consistent performers back there

I prefer Cameron as a right back, but he's been okay when paired with Gonzalez or Brooks in the middle.