Oso planning to go pro
If Falcao is healthy, he is absolutely still one if their best options. Unfortunately, he hasn't been since his ACL injury.
Who ya got? I say 2-1 US in extra time.
Can we talk about how silly the two yellow card suspension is? If it's 2 in one game or a straight red, sure suspend them but if theyre gonna do this cumulative crap at least have it reset after the group stage.
Now...thoughts going forward (I'm looking at you, Argentina).The suspensions: Jermaine's red card was stupid, Bedoya's yellow card was stupid, and as much as I am growing to appreciate Bobby Wood's game, his temper needs to get under control because every time he thinks he's fouled it looks like he deserves a yellow for dissent. Getting Yedlin back will help, but we lose 2/3 of our midfield and our best attacking option going forward.How to beat Argentina: Herb Brooks' speech in Miracle included this gem: "You don't defend them, you ATTACK them. You take their game and you shove it right back in their face!" He was talking about the 1980 Soviet hockey team, but it applies to Argentina as well. Watching Argentina, they are the type of team that scores more from the run of play than from counters. They like the build-up, working it around, probing the defense, then exploiting the weaknesses. I don't care how good you are, they are ultimately going to find a weakness. How have most teams played them? They try to put the emphasis on defense, holding out, and hoping to steal one on the counter. Ask Panama how well that worked for them.What you have to do is attack. Using the Three Factors we can see that Argentina is best at not allowing shots but second worst (Haiti) at allowing quality shots. The reason their shot disparity is so great is because teams are afraid to attack them, yet when they do, Argentina allows shots on target. So how do you exploit that? Attack. Get a high volume of shots and count on Argentina's defense, which isn't expecting you to attack, to get overwhelmed.Further, Argentina will be coming off two days' rest. They will be the ones with the tired legs, so if you push the tempo, if you attack them, they will be more likely to wear out sooner. This is a very good Argentina side, but let's not confuse them with 2009 Spain. They can be beat. Play physical and play fast. Expect that you need three goals to win and two goals to get to a shootout. No one on earth is going to get a 1-0 win against this team with a sneaky counter. It won't happen. Shove the game down their throats, attack the wings, get crosses in. Allow Yedlin and Johnson to get forward and do some damage.Maybe it backfires and you lose by a heavy margin. So what? It's the #1 team in the world and you still get the third place game. Lose 3-0 or 5-1...well, that's what's expected. I'd rather attack and lose than bunker and lose, because if we bunker in, we will lose. Again, this isn't 2009 Spain, so the Bradley plan of allowing them to control the entire pitch outside our box won't work. Messi will break that plan down. Gotta go at them.Who should play: The entire back line has been solid. Thanks Besler, time to go back to the expected back five of Guzan with Yedlin/Cameron/Brooks/Johnson in front of him. That is the easy part. My fear is that Jones will be replaced by Beckerman, when he should be replaced by Nagbe. You need to attack and you need pace. My grandmother has more pace than Kyle Beckerman and she died 20 years ago. The 4-4-2 worked well yesterday, allowing space for the backs to get forward, so let Bradley (who looked better after Jones went off) man the 6 position on his own as he was always supposed to do. Put Nagbe at the tip of a diamond midfield to provide to the forwards and wings. Zusi has looked good in relief roles, so he can be an even swap with Bedoya. I actually trust Zusi more right now.The next question is who takes Wood's spot. My expectation is Wondolowski, which I don't like. He is probably the best hold-up player we have, but we need to go forward. That means Christian Pulisic. You brought him for a reason, so why not give him his first start against the #1 team in the world? The kid can handle playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, I think he can handle this. Set it up like this:GuzanYedlin - - - - - Cameron - - - - - Brooks - - - - - JohnsonBradleyZardes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ZusiNagbe- - - DempseyPulisic - - -
One other note, I think the Jones and Bedoya suspensions are potentially very good for the US IF Jurgen decides to be aggressive instead of playing it safe/steady.
No extra time in this tournament.
Yes there is extra time in this tournament, it just doesn't come into play until the Final match. just remember knowing is half the battle...
How bout that prediction though?
What you have to do is attack. Using the Three Factors we can see that Argentina is best at not allowing shots but second worst (Haiti) at allowing quality shots. The reason their shot disparity is so great is because teams are afraid to attack them, yet when they do, Argentina allows shots on target. So how do you exploit that? Attack. Get a high volume of shots and count on Argentina's defense, which isn't expecting you to attack, to get overwhelmed.
The way we play, no one is playing target striker. Wood hasn't when he was in. What I want is a forward player that can make runs and get behind the defense. I also want someone that can draw the center backs out. Dempsey and Wood have worked well together in that regard. With no target or hold up player on the roster, I'd rather take my chances with Pulisic emulating Wood than hoping Zardes can magically fix his runs or find a first touch.
The only reason Besler worked on the outside is because of the work Bedoya put in:http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2016/06/17/three-things-we-learned-from-usa-2-1-ecuador-on-to-the-semis/I don't trust Besler on an island on the outside. Zardes has been providing deep defensive cover most of the tourney, so if you play Besler, gotta put Zardes on his side. But I still don't like that either. I would say play FJ at mid in front of Besler, but FJ is notorious for not tracking back once a turnover occurs.
I don't mind the formation at all, and alot of the players where you have them, and I'm a huge Pulisic fan. But you're asking a scrawny 17 year old to play target striker here, I really, really don't get that.
To elaborate a bit on my formation...I would draw overlapping circles.The first circle would be the defensive circle and would include the back four, Bradley, and the two flank midfielders. Those seven would overlap and be primarily in charge of defense, with Zardes and Zusi responsible for the fullback defensive positions when Johnson and Yedlin go forward and Bradley responsible to help out in the middle.The second circle would be around the fullbacks and the four midfielders. That would be the support circle, and those six players would be responsible for getting the ball forward and into the box.The last circle would be around the flank midfielders, Nagbe, and the forwards. That would be the attack circle and those five players would be responsible for creating chances. Within the circles, responsibilities would overlap and players could move in and out of each other's primary roles.Not exactly total football, but maybe a bit more using our national team the way the Cubs do in baseball, where different guys can slot in and help out at various positions. I definitely don't see Pulisic as a hold-up or target striker, but as an overlapping piece think he could be the point of the attack.