Futbol Talk

[noblewarrior]

Shockingly solid team selection from GGG. My only nitpicks would be a couple of guys on the back end of the roster but quite frankly I'm pleasantly shocked from this group selected.

Link here: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2023/08/berhalter-selects-24-player-biosteel-usmnt-training-camp-roster-ahead-of-september-matches

[Its DJOver]

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/

I can't remember the last time a group was as wide open as Group F is.  Everything else seems fairly straightforward for the most part, with the Pot 1 and 2 teams have favorites to go through.

[panda]

Berhalter soccer terrorism back and badder than ever

[brewcity77]

Last night was better, consistently pressured in the first half and didn't need until the 90th to break through in the second. But boy was that Aaronson free kick one of the worst free kick goals I've ever seen. Should've been blocked by the wall but it totally came apart, still should've been a routine save but the keeper slipped. Can't believe that hit the back of the net.

https://x.com/lefootyoracle/status/1701818496726802653?s=46&t=y09G3XF0pbaZZc_-K-dYSw

[panda]

Last night was better, consistently pressured in the first half and didn't need until the 90th to break through in the second. But boy was that Aaronson free kick one of the worst free kick goals I've ever seen. Should've been blocked by the wall but it totally came apart, still should've been a routine save but the keeper slipped. Can't believe that hit the back of the net.

https://x.com/lefootyoracle/status/1701818496726802653?s=46&t=y09G3XF0pbaZZc_-K-dYSw

Lol - the usmnt twitter called it a free kick stunner !

I don't think Balogun should be an automatic name on the team sheet. Pepi is as good if not better than him in the us jersey. Great and unique problem to have as usmnt fans.

Will be VERY interesting next window. Reyna is nearing fitness back training with Dortmund. If he stays on track, he'll be ready for national team duty...

[wadesworld]

Went to the game on Saturday.  The stadium in St. Louis is very nice.  I don't know crap about soccer, but it seems like Turner is a stud, Dest and Ream seem really good, Weah looked like the best player on the field to me, I know Pulisic is legit but he was not good Saturday, in my opinion, and Tessmann looked like he would've been cut from Marquette High's JV team.

The AO Chicago guy who leads the cheers is the real MVP though.  Can't imagine yelling like that for 2 hours.

[jesmu84]

https://the18.com/soccer-news/berhalter-balogun-tension-rumor-has-some-usmnt-fans-concerned/132346

[mug644]

I'm in western MA, and considering going to the USMNT game in Hartford against Germany on Oct 14th. I don't have tickets yet (would only be looking for one), and wonder if anyone has recommendations for the best/cheapest way to get a decent seat. Is it via what seems to be the official place for the team, on Ticketmaster? Any guess on whether I'd pay more or less than face value if I just go to the stadium that day? Thanks in advance.

[panda]

I will say spurs under Ange mentality impresses me, but they may be the luckiest team of all time.

They had no business taking points from
This game.

[JWags85]

I will say spurs under Ange mentality impresses me, but they may be the luckiest team of all time.

They had no business taking points from
This game.

Some of the most atrocious officiating I've ever seen.  Jones straight red will 100% be overturned.  Diaz was onside for the waved off LFC goal (which they inexplicably showed no lines for on the broadcast) and Jota's second yellow was deserved but the first yellow was an absolute joke.

Credit to Spurs for applying the pressure enough to get a result but my word Liverpool got screwed.  And I'm very slow to blame officiating in soccer

[MUfan12]

Yeah I had to laugh at how they've been lauded for persevering today. FFS they were handed the three points and bobbled it over the finish line.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Poor LiVARpool.   

[Pakuni]

Justice for Moussa Sissoko.

[panda]

Spurs looked toothless against 10 men at home. Took everything going against Liverpool for them to win on an OG in the dying moments against 9 men. Lucky to get a point against arsenal. Very lucky to escape against Sheffield.

Their house of cards will come crashing down around the festive season when their lack of depth is exposed. Although crashing out in the second round of the league cup will help ease fixture congestion.

After the first 1/4 of the season gone, I see a three team race at the top with arsenal Liverpool and manc. Will definitely be the most competive title race in recent memory. Race for 4th and 5th champions league spots will be fun too. Newcastle and villa are my picks there.

[Its DJOver]

A 6 country, 3 continent World Cup, really?

[The Sultan]

A 6 country, 3 continent World Cup, really?

Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay are hosting the first three games because its the 100th anniversary of the first tournament played in Uruguay.

Everything else will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, which will be much easier travel-wise than 2026 will be.

So IMO it's pretty cool. Unless they spread it out like this, only a handful of countries are ever going to have the infrastructure to host the entire tournament. 

[Its DJOver]

Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay are hosting the first three games because its the 100th anniversary of the first tournament played in Uruguay.

Everything else will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, which will be much easier travel-wise than 2026 will be.

So IMO it's pretty cool. Unless they spread it out like this, only a handful of countries are ever going to have the infrastructure to host the entire tournament.

I have no problem with multiple countries, but do Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay or Portugal/Spain/Morocco.  Whoever gets the draw of playing in one of the first three games which will essentially be a road game, and then has a multi time zone shift to play their second match against a team that has been in Europe/Africa the whole time will have a legitimate gripe against FIFA.  2026 you're at least locked into a west/central/east region for the group stages.  Also, qualifying format gets even weirder with 6 auto-bids. I understand that multi-country hosting is now inevitable, but this does not seem like the best solution.

[The Sultan]

My guess is they wanted to do it in South America on the 100th anniversary, but that they just don't have the infrastructure for the whole cup unless they include Brazil.

[Its DJOver]

My guess is they wanted to do it in South America on the 100th anniversary, but that they just don't have the infrastructure for the whole cup unless they include Brazil.

I'm sure that's the reason, but again, this doesn't seem like the best solution. 

As much as it is a nice sentiment, if FIFA had just told the COMNEBOL countries that they can't host because they don't have the infrastructure and that's why it's going to SP/PR/MR, I'm not sure anyone would be up in arms.

FIFA also now has to figure out what they're going to do with the rule about rotating between continents because that's clearly going out the window.  There are already rumors that Saudi Arabia is going to offer Greece billions to put towards their infrastructure in an agreement to try and co-host a 2034.

[JWags85]

My guess is they wanted to do it in South America on the 100th anniversary, but that they just don't have the infrastructure for the whole cup unless they include Brazil.

Yea, honestly, while the host countries would have squawked, I think having the WC in SP/PR/MR and then the semis and finals in SA would have been a more meaningful solution if they truly wanted to incorporate the locations for the 100th.

[jesmu84]

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1709604733915132301?t=xzSaxWBiOjezZUCF-TvEWg&s=19

Are they even considering joining with Greece now?

Also, can we just award them the bid and skip over the bribes and fake moral outrage?

[panda]

So so dumb. And this is coming from an organization that hosted a November tournament in the desert with zero infrastructure.

[mug644]

Anyone else going to be in Hartford tomorrow for the USMNT game against Germany?

[panda]

I'll be watching - what a huge window. Not sure what usmnt have planned for the 2024 window, but these games will be probably the biggest tests before the copa. Excited/nervous to see how ggg lines the team up. Balogun not so subtlety hinting he wants a #10 behind him and to stop ggg endorsed spamming worthless crosses into the box. 

[panda]

Fun first 35 minutes. GGG ball returns for the rest of the game. Still waiting on Berhalter to beat any team of quality...