Futbol Talk

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I still really dislike Gyasi Zardes as a player.

That's how I feel about Zusi.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Prediction time, 2-1 colombia with quintero scoring both goals. For those of you who don't know, he's the next big star for Colombia. Probably going to be the starting CAM for Colombia moving James to the left hand side.

[jesmu84]

Pretty crazy how much more confident the individual players looked, and the team cohesiveness appeared, when the players played in their natural/club roles (minus Cameron)

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Yech, this is terrible to watch. Between the complete disrespect from the US crowd, the constant flopping of Colombia (weird cause their senior team usually stays on their feet) it's pretty brutal.

On that note I have a real simple way to stop diving. If a player is on the ground for longer than 10 seconds, you have to sub them off if there is no blood.

[drewm88]

Yech, this is terrible to watch. Between the complete disrespect from the US crowd, the constant flopping of Colombia (weird cause their senior team usually stays on their feet) it's pretty brutal.

On that note I have a real simple way to stop diving. If a player is on the ground for longer than 10 seconds, you have to sub them off if there is no blood.

Ugly U23 game. Ugly officiating in both.

[mu03eng]

Pretty crazy how much more confident the individual players looked, and the team cohesiveness appeared, when the players played in their natural/club roles (minus Cameron)

100% this.

Hypocrite alert....I rail against players playing out of position...but I love Cameron in the center. Truth be told, I love Cameron generally, I think he is the most consistent player on the senior team in the last year or two.

[JWags85]

100% this.

Hypocrite alert....I rail against players playing out of position...but I love Cameron in the center. Truth be told, I love Cameron generally, I think he is the most consistent player on the senior team in the last year or two.

I think Cameron's injuries and subsequent absence from the national team for a bit actually helped him in the long run.  He was often maligned and criticized a few years back, fell off the map, worked on his game at the club level, and he's been fantastic as of late.  Big fan.

[WarriorInNYC]

100% this.

Hypocrite alert....I rail against players playing out of position...but I love Cameron in the center. Truth be told, I love Cameron generally, I think he is the most consistent player on the senior team in the last year or two.

But I don't think Cameron is necessarily all that out of position at CB.  He's been playing CDM over in England, but has logged a ton of minutes at CB over the years.  I love how he is a threat with his sending accurate long balls, as well as his frame off of set pieces.

For me, the starting CB pair, when all healthy, needs to be Cameron-Brooks.  Though I did think Birnbaum played well last night (though he really wasn't tested all that much by GUA).

We need to find a LB that is capable.  I would go ahead and pencil in Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin in the back.

I'm not a Zardes fan, but he played decent last night.  I honestly think the only position he should play on the USMNT is as a winger in a 4-3-3.  He doesn't have the passing or technical skills to be a midfielder, and doesn't have the finishing skills to be a true striker.  What he is good at, is he's fast and makes smart and dangerous runs and can play some decent crosses.  (However, his first touch is still crap).  I don't want to see him in the starting XI (though Klinsmann loves him), but as a winger he can somewhat contribute.

I'm not a big Zusi fan either, though he did play somewhat well last night.  I know Klinnsman said he played Zusi for set piece delivery (though his set pieces were awful), but why start him at AM in a 4-3-3 when he hasn't played that position, while Mix plays AM in a 4-3-3 at NYC and has been doing a great job at it this year?  Again, argument that I'm wrong on this could be had, as Zusi scored last night, but I think he really thrived off of the US pressing high and causing GUA to make mistakes in the back and leave a bunch of space.  Not necessarily because Zusi has a ton of talent.

Beckerman provided some relief, and his positioning is great, but it is quite easy to see from last night's game that he doesn't have it all left, and he should not be on the roster for the WC.  His speed is severely lacking, and his passing isn't crisp.  In games like this against inferior opponents, it can be good to have a smart player like Beckerman in.  But against more talented squads, he will simply be outclassed.

[mu03eng]

Zardes represents the 90s of US soccer, lot of effort and splash but just a horrendous first touch. My god, I don't know how you can have a worst first touch and play at the national level. Granted that's always been the US achilles heal for some reason but it's getting better....just not with Zardes.

I agree that the biggest weakness is at LB right, not sure what solution we have there long term. I do love the Cameron-Brooks pairing with Besler as a sub as needed there.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I agree that the biggest weakness is at LB right, not sure what solution we have there long term. I do love the Cameron-Brooks pairing with Besler as a sub as needed there.

Demarcus Beasley

But if finding a left back is hard, why doesn't the US just play 3 in the back with Beckerman in a CDM role and yedlin and someone else as wing backs? I'm not super familiar with the US personel but I know Yedlin can play defense and midfield so I feel like being a wing back would really benefit his game.

[jesmu84]

Demarcus Beasley

But if finding a left back is hard, why doesn't the US just play 3 in the back with Beckerman in a CDM role and yedlin and someone else as wing backs? I'm not super familiar with the US personel but I know Yedlin can play defense and midfield so I feel like being a wing back would really benefit his game.

I actually quite like the 3-4-3/3-5-3. But, there are many international teams who use a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 (or variant) and their wingers/outside mids wreak HAVOC with an undisciplined/sub-par technical 3 CB formation. The US would be that team.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I actually quite like the 3-4-3/3-5-3. But, there are many international teams who use a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 (or variant) and their wingers/outside mids wreak HAVOC with an undisciplined/sub-par technical 3 CB formation. The US would be that team.

I mean, why not test it out for copa america then? They'd get a pretty good idea of how'd they fare pretty quickly against Colombia with Cuadrado and James. If they can handle that then they may actuslly find a formation to stick with.

[brewcity77]

On Friday, he played a RB at CB, so he could play a DM at RB, so he could play a RB at RM, so he could play a CAM at CDM, so he could play a deep lying playmaker at CAM.

We need to find a LB that is capable.  I would go ahead and pencil in Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin in the back.

I think the problem you mentioned in the Friday post relates directly to this comment from your recent post. We have a capable LB in Fabian Johnson. The problem is that Jurgen seems to want to deploy him in the midfield, bouncing back and forth from side to side.

Zardes' biggest problem, in my opinion, is again positioning. He normally plays as a central striker when I have watched him for Galaxy, yet Jurgen wants him on the wing. I'm not sure he has either the pace or touch for that, though as a striker who just needed to poke it in, he excels. Yet for some reason, we never see him deployed like that for the Nats.

Guatemala played the second game hoping for a draw, and after conceding the second, seemed content to just try to limit the damage. The consolation is a win against SV&G should really be enough to put us through, and would do so if both us and T&T win.

The U-23s were disappointing, though I missed most of the game. Saw the opening 20 minutes or so but missed all real action. Honestly, coming out of CONCACAF, I don't think there's ever much excuse for us not being able to qualify. Two Olympics running now we've come up short.

[WarriorInNYC]

I think the problem you mentioned in the Friday post relates directly to this comment from your recent post. We have a capable LB in Fabian Johnson. The problem is that Jurgen seems to want to deploy him in the midfield, bouncing back and forth from side to side.

I know Fabian would be completely capable playing at LB, but he's absolutely been killing it in the Bundesliga as a LM.

The U-23s were disappointing, though I missed most of the game. Saw the opening 20 minutes or so but missed all real action. Honestly, coming out of CONCACAF, I don't think there's ever much excuse for us not being able to qualify. Two Olympics running now we've come up short.

That was the problem.  Beating Colombia was going to be tough as hell.  The biggest issue was not being able to beat Honduras.

[brewcity77]

So Leicester City just won the league. Wow. On Twitter, everyone wants to compare it to other sports. There is no comparison. They were a 5,000:1 shot. For the love of God, the Babylonian Casino only had David as a 2,000:1 underdog against Goliath.

Winning a one-off, winning a tournament, it just can't compare to winning a full league like this. Especially in a sport where competitive disparity isn't just encouraged, it's the entire basis of the sport. Since the league's inception in 1992-93, there had only been 5 different champions (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers), and those five along with at various times Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, and Leeds dominated the top four. Prior to Leicester this year, only 13 teams had ever finished in the top-four of the league, with Everton, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Norwich City each having one appearance up there in the past 24 years.

Winning this league, winning any top flight European league, is a virtual impossibility for all but a handful of ultra-wealthy teams. Absolutely amazing accomplishment. There's no comparison. There's nothing like it. There will likely be nothing else like it in our lifetimes. Next year, it will be United, or City, or Arsenal, or Chelsea again, the status quo will return.

Don't forget this moment. This is the single unlikeliest event in sports you will ever see in your life. I hope you didn't miss it.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Agree Brew. Probably top 5 for upsets in sporting history. Good for Leicester, good for Jamie Vardy, etc. Last season they were last in the premier league at Christmas and now they won the league, incredible. Curious to see how they fare in the Champions League next year. Now I'm just hoping West Ham can get a Europa League spot, COYI.

[jesmu84]

Ug. So Spursy...

[GGGG]

I do not know what I should think about Arsenal.  On the one hand, their track record of consistency is very impressive.  OTOH, their continued under-performance is an issue right? 

[mu03eng]

Ug. So Spursy...

This season redefines Spursy.....they scored the most goals in the league, allowed the fewest in the league and can't catch the league winner with 2 games to go. Tremendous team that in any other season would be the clear winner and would be remembered historically....so Spursy.

[mu03eng]

I do not know what I should think about Arsenal.  On the one hand, their track record of consistency is very impressive.  OTOH, their continued under-performance is an issue right?

MiBs call it right, Arsenal is great as long as it doesn't mean anything. It's like the club has a collective mental block in performing when the pressure is on. Don't see any reason it changes.

[mu03eng]

So Leicester City just won the league. Wow. On Twitter, everyone wants to compare it to other sports. There is no comparison. They were a 5,000:1 shot. For the love of God, the Babylonian Casino only had David as a 2,000:1 underdog against Goliath.

Winning a one-off, winning a tournament, it just can't compare to winning a full league like this. Especially in a sport where competitive disparity isn't just encouraged, it's the entire basis of the sport. Since the league's inception in 1992-93, there had only been 5 different champions (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers), and those five along with at various times Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, and Leeds dominated the top four. Prior to Leicester this year, only 13 teams had ever finished in the top-four of the league, with Everton, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Norwich City each having one appearance up there in the past 24 years.

Winning this league, winning any top flight European league, is a virtual impossibility for all but a handful of ultra-wealthy teams. Absolutely amazing accomplishment. There's no comparison. There's nothing like it. There will likely be nothing else like it in our lifetimes. Next year, it will be United, or City, or Arsenal, or Chelsea again, the status quo will return.

Don't forget this moment. This is the single unlikeliest event in sports you will ever see in your life. I hope you didn't miss it.

One thing I do wonder, is if there is some new model that gets taken away from this. LC played almost only EPL games (no champions or Europa Leagues, etc) which allowed them to play their starting XI more than any other team in EPL. Next year LC will have to play all of the non-EPL cups and that wears a team down.  Will be interesting to see what their title defense looks like.

[MUfan12]

MiBs call it right, Arsenal is great as long as it doesn't mean anything. It's like the club has a collective mental block in performing when the pressure is on. Don't see any reason it changes.

Arsenal haven't had a great spine in years. They desperately need some steel in the midfield.

[GGGG]

One thing I do wonder, is if there is some new model that gets taken away from this. LC played almost only EPL games (no champions or Europa Leagues, etc) which allowed them to play their starting XI more than any other team in EPL. Next year LC will have to play all of the non-EPL cups and that wears a team down.  Will be interesting to see what their title defense looks like.

Also out early in both the League Cup and the FA Cup.  I think they will end up playing 43 matches all year.

Manchester City for instance will play 59.  60 if they win on Wednesday. 

[Golden Avalanche]

This season redefines Spursy.....they scored the most goals in the league, allowed the fewest in the league and can't catch the league winner with 2 games to go. Tremendous team that in any other season would be the clear winner and would be remembered historically....so Spursy.

Not quite so. Spuds can only reach 76 which would be enough to win exactly one time in Premier League history (at that, it would have been by a single point). They really weren't all that tremendous. It's just that the elites were absolutely dreadful.

[brewcity77]

One thing I do wonder, is if there is some new model that gets taken away from this. LC played almost only EPL games (no champions or Europa Leagues, etc) which allowed them to play their starting XI more than any other team in EPL. Next year LC will have to play all of the non-EPL cups and that wears a team down.  Will be interesting to see what their title defense looks like.

I'm sure people will try to copy them, but it will be a fool's errand. The seasons Vardy and Mahrez had were ridiculous. Vardy more than quadrupled his goal tally from last year while Mahrez scored more this season than in his entire senior career combined (5 years). It would be like OJ Mayo and Khris Middleton both putting up MVP seasons for the Bucks next year. You just can't mimic that.