Futbol Talk

[Its DJOver]

Expectations for this team are at an all time low. I would not be surprised at all if we don't get out of the group at the Gold Cup.

[MuggsyB]

WTF???? 4-0 Switzerland?  At the half? 

[MuggsyB]

Is this a sports event or a Yodeling contest?  Extremely disappointing.

[MuggsyB]

How are we #16 in the FIFA rankings?  Did they mean #116?

[wadesworld]

So it wasn't the coach after all?

[JWags85]

So it wasn't the coach after all?

This match was a talent issue. 75% of the back line was MLS lifers.  Harriel and Arfsten got torched and abused continually on the outside.  McKenzie is a solid center back but was routinely left on an island in the middle. Zimmerman was a ghost.

Over half the US starting 11 were MLS players with under 5 caps.  The Swiss started 11 guys that all play in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, or the EPL.

If the Federation had input into the call ups, I would be annoyed but understand it.  If it's all Poch, that's frightening.  Harriel should never get another cap, he's not even a standout in MLS.  Jokes about who his dad is aside, I have no clue what Little Berhalter has done in MLS to justify a call up, he's never even appeared for younger US teams.

The best US talent wasn't on the field tonight, so it is what it is.  But for all the complaints that Euro based US players don't have proper passion or heart, I don't care how much heart the domestic based guys have if they are completely and utterly outmatched

Also, the downfall of Matt Turner has been shocking.  From the next great American keeper headed to England where US keepers have been excellent for 20 plus years, to seldom used backup who will never be a European first choice keeper again, whose confidence is shattered, and is a liability for the national team, all in a few years.

[BM1090]

Yeah I'm worried about the USMNT but this match was our C team, not indicative. Way more worried about our major guys either being injured or having little international run from 2024-2026.

[The Sultan]

Between players who opted out (Pulisic), couldn't play due to the Club World Cup (McKennie), and Poch didn't think were good enough (Sargent), there is plenty of blame to go around. The World Cup starts a year from today, and the USMNT is a complete mess with no competitive matches between now and then.

Meanwhile every European team played full strength with Nations League and WC qualifiers the past couple of weeks, and will have 4-6 competitive matches this Fall.  South American squads ditto, though with only a couple matches in the Fall.

I think the most damning thing is that we have a "Golden Generation" of players who don't seem to care all that much.

[JWags85]

I think the most damning thing is that we have a "Golden Generation" of players who don't seem to care all that much.

And people are quick to call the players spoiled, lacking heart, etc...  And while that's not necessarily wrong, it totally ignores the damage that a hapless and moronic USSF has had in all of it.  You've got a stable of guys playing at the very highest club level and spending their years with elite players at the top of their craft, and then returning to a National team that is more obsessed with politics and internal power plays than actually winning at the highest level.  While I can't fathom not being absolutely stoked to earn caps for the US, from their perspective I can't fully blame them.

I mean, Pulisic is a prime example.  People can criticize him now, call him a diva, whatever.  But dude has busted his ass for the US and showed up many times when nobody else on the team has.  He's got 78 caps already, with injuries and a global pandemic during his active years.  If he's not burning to play, that speaks to something systemic and internal to me more than a diva of a player.

[Shaka Shart]

And people are quick to call the players spoiled, lacking heart, etc...  And while that's not necessarily wrong, it totally ignores the damage that a hapless and moronic USSF has had in all of it.  You've got a stable of guys playing at the very highest club level and spending their years with elite players at the top of their craft, and then returning to a National team that is more obsessed with politics and internal power plays than actually winning at the highest level.  While I can't fathom not being absolutely stoked to earn caps for the US, from their perspective I can't fully blame them.

I mean, Pulisic is a prime example.  People can criticize him now, call him a diva, whatever.  But dude has busted his ass for the US and showed up many times when nobody else on the team has.  He's got 78 caps already, with injuries and a global pandemic during his active years.  If he's not burning to play, that speaks to something systemic and internal to me more than a diva of a player.

This is a good call out though. While I wish they would be playing in these tune up games, what incentive do some of these guys have when they have experienced nothing but US Soccer railroading in MLS players to promote a domestic agenda over international.

It's very much a "I wish they would play but I can't really blame them" type of thing

[JWags85]

I would love for the Club World Cup to be fun, but man does it suck.  Last night's Inter/Porto match was the first good match of the tournament.  All the "good" teams are apathetic or disinterested.  The lesser teams by and large just aren't talented enough to make up the difference and take advantage.  And to top it off, there have been 2 massive weather delays.

The only exception is the South American teams who are in season and interested in competing.

Dortmund against a South African team tomorrow will be a fantastic sleep aid if anyone has young children who are struggling to nap midday.

[The Sultan]

If I'm Liverpool, Arsenal or Barcelona, I am thrilled. City, Chelsea and Real will hit a wall at somepoint next season after this.

[The Sultan]

Also, mid-day kick offs in Orlando on the first day of summer is a terrible idea.

[JWags85]

If I'm Liverpool, Arsenal or Barcelona, I am thrilled. City, Chelsea and Real will hit a wall at somepoint next season after this.

I agree in theory.  But we'll see.  The way Chelsea is playing, I think they probably go just as hard in practices or the exhibition tours they play each summer.  Just 50% cruise control.

In other news, one of my favorite bits of delusion is from the MLS fanboys who are insistent that the top few MLS teams could compete in most any league, further stating they'd compete for promotion in the English Championship and easily finish top 3 in the Dutch League or the Portuguese league.

Well, LAFC is unquestionably one of the top MLS clubs.  In the last 3 years, they have an MLS title, another Western Conference championship, won the US Open Cup, and best record in the West 2 times.  And its midway through the MLS season so they are in peak form.  They've scored 0 goals in 2 matches against an aforementioned apathetic and cruise control Chelsea team (who just gave up 3 goals to Flamengo) and then a Tunisian club that are certainly not world beaters playing in a pathetic league.  They will probably drop a 2-1, 3-1 to Flamengo at best in their next match, but they've already been eliminated.

That Inter Miami match was great, but it was literally a Messi moment of brilliance and a goal against play.  The xG was .80 for Inter to 1.75 for Porto and Porto bested them in most every stat.  Only relevant cause Inter's first match they did absolutely nothing against Al Ahly, another decent team from a terrible Egyptian domestic league. This is the ideal format for Inter Miami though.  They have a ton of uber talents with very little juice left, but they can turn it on for a few matches.

[wadesworld]

Senegal's women's national basketball team cancelled a 10 day trip to the US because the US denied Visas for 5 players, 6 staff members, and a ministerial delegation. The US is going to win the World Cup and every gold medal in the 2028 Olympics! We're great again!

[Pakuni]

Woody Johnson is buying Crystal Palace.
The success of the Jets under his tutelage has got to have them thrilled in South London.

[The Sultan]

Woody Johnson is buying Crystal Palace.
The success of the Jets under his tutelage has got to have them thrilled in South London.

So one of the reasons for this sale was because UEFA doesn't want to have multiple teams with the same owners in the Europa League next year...one of Palace's current owners also owns Lyon.

However just last year, City and Girona, as well as Leipzig and Salzburg, were all in the Champions League.

[JWags85]

Woody Johnson is buying Crystal Palace.
The success of the Jets under his tutelage has got to have them thrilled in South London.

On the heels of their biggest success in club history, first appearance in European football...and they get Woody.

I'll say this though, depending how things shake up, it might not be terrible.  He won't have majority ownership, just the largest stake.  I would assume one of the conditions of the sale was Steve Parish staying on as chairman, and if so, then Woody probably can't muck it up too much.  Plus Josh Harris and David Blitzer are savvy owners and not meek voices.

Interestingly, John Textor, who sold the stake to him, is looking to immediately reinvest into another English club.  Granted part of the sale was because he owns Lyon and that might affect Palace's Europa League qualification, but he's also a pretty active involved owner (there was video of him fighting with terrible refs on the sideline in Brazil during one of his Botafogo matches).  I wonder if he might be interested in a club where he has more control/influence given what I mentioned above.

[The Sultan]

On the heels of their biggest success in club history, first appearance in European football...and they get Woody.

I'll say this though, depending how things shake up, it might not be terrible.  He won't have majority ownership, just the largest stake.  I would assume one of the conditions of the sale was Steve Parish staying on as chairman, and if so, then Woody probably can't muck it up too much.  Plus Josh Harris and David Blitzer are savvy owners and not meek voices.

Interestingly, John Textor, who sold the stake to him, is looking to immediately reinvest into another English club.  Granted part of the sale was because he owns Lyon and that might affect Palace's Europa League qualification, but he's also a pretty active involved owner (there was video of him fighting with terrible refs on the sideline in Brazil during one of his Botafogo matches).  I wonder if he might be interested in a club where he has more control/influence given what I mentioned above.

He wasn't getting along with Parish, and likely wants a Championship side where he can have majority control. What's he's done at Botafogo since he bought them is pretty incredible. And Lyon had a rebound year as well.

[The Sultan]

Salzburg lost yesterday to be eliminated from the Club World Cup. Less from four weeks from now, they have their first Champions League qualification match, with their season starting just a few days later.

[JWags85]

Pochettino interviewing for the Brentford job a year out from the World Cup.  I didn't think it was possible for US Soccer to be more of an embarrassment but here we are.  Calling out Pulisic's lack of commitment to the team while doing this is something...

[Pakuni]

Pochettino interviewing for the Brentford job a year out from the World Cup.  I didn't think it was possible for US Soccer to be more of an embarrassment but here we are.  Calling out Pulisic's lack of commitment to the team while doing this is something...

Well, he says it never happened, so there's that. And there has been pretty much no reporting corroborating it.

Also, he's right about Pulisic. Seeing players skipping major international tournaments to go on vacation (while daddy backs him up, of course) is far more embarrassing than your coach being linked to another job. And it's even worse when legitimate international stars are in your country gutting it out through a heat wave for a meaningless tourney.

Speaking of embarrassments, rough month for our future countrymen up north.

[The Sultan]

Maybe Jesse isn't all that good.

[MuggsyB]

Sweet Jesus!! Make a freaking PK!  Inexcusable. 

[MuggsyB]

Excellent response to my post!