World Cup 2018 Qualification

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:20 pm

So....for any red cards given out by the Mexican ref to the winning team tonight, the suspension will be served against......Mexico.

howard · Post by **howard** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:47 pm

Well, he missed the crossbar, only hit two of three pieces of wood

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:51 pm

I get excited about these qualifiers until Fox reminds me where the World Cup is going to be.

howard · Post by **howard** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:54 pm

cuz hillary hates them so much she'll order a boycott?

Post by **Shirley** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:29 pm

This kid Pulisic is impressive. Might we finally get that true world-class player America so needs?

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:31 pm

Door slammed. Very nice.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:34 pm

Jozy is in full Jozy Tease Mode tonight!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:35 pm

PuliSICK amiright???

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:44 pm

Kinda deep at forward. Don't ever remember that.

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:02 pm

Rex wrote:Jozy is in full Jozy Tease Mode tonight!

3/4 tease mode

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:15 pm

Pulisic is the truth.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:16 am

Let's all pause for a minute to reflect on this. Keep reflecting. Giddy.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:32 am

The only highlight I can find of his assist on the 3rd goal happens after he chested the ball down with control to then nuke the defense in the give and go with Klejstin - and I am wondering how long Klinsman will wait before he relents and lets him be the attacking mid he was clearly born to be - he set up the 4th with the steal and the push - highlights in this piece:

http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ss ... ights.html

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:33 am

Basically, on the pitch last night at the game there was Pulisic, and then there was everyone else.

testuser2 · Post by **testuser2** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:46 am

Thanks for that article. It led me to this one from June http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ss ... occer.html

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:19 am

double post

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:19 am

tennbengal wrote:
testuser2 wrote:Thanks for that article. It led me to this one from June http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ss ... occer.html

Wow, thanks for highlighting that - had missed looking at that link. Great read. Will be curious if Nonlinear or wlu or a few others who are knowledgeable about US Soccer development issues can look at it.

Post by **brian** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:33 am

That was a good read. And I didn't realize he lived in Detroit for a few years. The story referenced an event at a golf course where I played on a league for a couple of years.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 1:39 pm

That's about as thorough a breakdown of the state of youth soccer in the US as I've ever seen. Basically a longform article on a topic that is often nibbled at by the Wahl's, Goff's, etc.

First, we've covered a lot of the issues raised in the article, particularly the ridiculous amount of competing leagues. NPL, EDP, ECNL and then the legacy "local" leagues are all competing with each other. The USSDA (development academy) is a really good model, especially now that they are dropping down to U12 on the boys side. They are barely off the ground on the girls side, but I expect that to pick up momentum...

Hopefully, I mean, there's no guarantee that established regional elite leagues are going to just shut down operations because the USSDA is up and running. There needs to be some success stories for that to happen.

=-=-=-=-=

The other thing that this article really nails is the CULTURE gap between the US and just about everywhere else where soccer is either the clear cut favorite or at a minimum it's 1b to something like rugby or cricket or whatever. In just about all of Europe and South America that's just the way it is. You grow up WATCHING games, not managing a team on EA's latest FIFA iteration. This is where the soccer IQ comes from, not having a coach (possessing wildly varying degrees of knowledge) try to walk you through what cues you need to read to tell you to tuck in, get wide, make a through run, etc. etc.

I've been coaching girls for over 10 years now. And for them, watching soccer on TV just isn't on their lists of fun things to do. I can cajole my daughter into watching the WNT or the occasional Premier League game... But after about 15 minutes she's on her phone. I will say, she and her friends LOVE going to live events. But that's pretty infrequent.

I think all of this is changing, especially on the boys side, as they just seem more likely to sit down and watch a sporting event... And as is well-known, the amount of soccer on TV these days is BONKERS. That just wasn't the case as recently as 6-8 years ago.

=-=-=-=-=

The other thing this article kind of skims is something that goes even deeper. In a lot of countries around the world, soccer is a working class sport. It is played by millions of kids living if not in poverty, at low income levels. Of course, just like with football and basketball in this country, not all of those kids make it out... But in a lot of cases, the kids that turn into professionals have a drive and hunger that just doesn't exist with the vast majority of American soccer kids.

When folks in this country talk about how our structure misses out on wide swaths of the potential talent pool, I think people don't understand, fully, what we are missing. It's not just that the expensive as fuck elite clubs price out a huge chunk of these players. Or that the latino immigrants are completely ignored. You hear people lament that we are missing out on the talent. What they're not saying, and probably haven't thought much about, is that we are missing out on kids with more than just a passion for the sport, we are missing kids with a hunger driven by need. That probably sounds a little harsh, but there's a drive that comes from a kid who is trying to pull his family out of a shit situation that you can't replicate or fake.

Kids playing on the top level teams in this country are REALLY good. But there are some fundamental issues with our culture that is either going to take another decade or so to sort out, or frankly are just inherent and we may never be able to fix. We'll just have to work around some stuff and accept it.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:16 pm

tennbengal wrote:double post

That's ok..You're giddy. Giddy is nice.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:21 am

I agree we are missing out on young players who are just not in the club situation, but not as bad as we used. US Soccer and a number of other organizations are trying to foster relationships in that group. Folks like Gideon Z and Andy Najar would fall into that category.

I agree the drive is a big deal. It is why you hear story of folks driving 3 hours one way to play for a great club team (Clint Dempsey and a few kids who would drive to Philly). That is a type of dedication and drive that parents sacrifice when a kid is driven.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Thu Sep 08, 2016 7:33 am

Also, just want to duck back in to note, Pulisic!

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 11:00 am

if you guys are bored youtube has the AFC qualifiers live.

Iran-Korea (2nd half, Iran up 1-0)

No commentary, it's like you're sitting in Tehran

Qatar-Syria (just starting)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 8:20 am

I am not sure how I feel about the US squad for Friday (and even Tuesday).

Fine with Howard in goal. Nervous about the midfield. We have lots of untested/limited youth. Jones finally got minutes last night but has not played since the summer. I think missing Dempsey will be a big deal.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)

Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)

Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:18 am

So The England-Scotland poppy issue is going to be a big deal. If FIFA can get away with just a $ fine, I think you let the association eat the fine. However, I can see FIFA going after qualification points. I mean look at what happened when Cameroon went with the one piece uniforms a few years back (6 point penalty).

I am pro-FIFA on this one. I have no problem with the Poppy or desire to honor that day, but do see a problem with how to enforce this worldwide. If Poppies are okay, why not some other symbol that could be antagonistic to another nation. I just don't see how you can let this happen and then not allow some Falkland Island, Pro Israel or Pro Muslim item on a kit that results in even more tension between nations. I mean could you see a USA v. Japan match with the US wearing Pearl Harbor remembrance icons and Japan with Hiroshima/Nagasaki logos. Or USA v. Germany V-day kits. Slippery Slope.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:27 am

wlu_lax6 wrote:I am not sure how I feel about the US squad for Friday (and even Tuesday).

Fine with Howard in goal. Nervous about the midfield. We have lots of untested/limited youth. Jones finally got minutes last night but has not played since the summer. I think missing Dempsey will be a big deal.

I'm good with the selection, as long as Chandler and Orosco never get in a game. I'd think one of them doesn't make the roster cut. Dempsey is a huge loss leadership wise, but the form Jozy and Bobby Wood are in, it'd be disappointing to see one of them on the bench. Plus, the way Klejstan and Pulisic play together, coupled with Wood and Jozy up top, that is the most potent offense the US has ever fielded. If Bradley can get back to his old self, I'm loving this team.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:03 am

The Sybian wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote:I am not sure how I feel about the US squad for Friday (and even Tuesday).

Fine with Howard in goal. Nervous about the midfield. We have lots of untested/limited youth. Jones finally got minutes last night but has not played since the summer. I think missing Dempsey will be a big deal.

I'm good with the selection, as long as Chandler and Orosco never get in a game. I'd think one of them doesn't make the roster cut. Dempsey is a huge loss leadership wise, but the form Jozy and Bobby Wood are in, it'd be disappointing to see one of them on the bench. Plus, the way Klejstan and Pulisic play together, coupled with Wood and Jozy up top, that is the most potent offense the US has ever fielded. If Bradley can get back to his old self, I'm loving this team.

This. Having what appears to be a legit offense gives me way more hope and excitement to watch this team than I have had in years.

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:03 am

Klejstan was pouring blood out his nose last night. He finished but gonna need a mask to play on Friday. I like that roster a lot. The other guys are tested so it seems like an easy time to move on from Dempsey. I might need to go celebrate a bit.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:36 am

So Morris went out last night with a hamstring issue. Guessing if he can't go we get Wondo?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:51 am

I'd rather add Dempsey and let him stay home.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 9:20 am

Bumping for this pretty great overview of the next generation of potential impact US players:

http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/gallery ... ure-110716

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Nov 10, 2016 8:16 pm

Brazil is beating on Argentina 3-0 with just under 30 to play. Argentina is mid table and at risk of not making the trip to Russia.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 1:08 am

Olympic soccer might be irrelevant but it really gave Brazil a boost. They have been on fire since.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:30 am

wlu_lax6 wrote:Brazil is beating on Argentina 3-0 with just under 30 to play. Argentina is mid table and at risk of not making the trip to Russia.

Brazil looked awesome last night. As good as you can imagine, and that scoreline flattered Argentina (who were awful in the 2nd half).

SHocked to see Tottenham washout and Chinese league player Paulinho playing, and playing well, for Brazil.

I am also thrilled that I get Spanish-language BeIn Sports with my subscription. Because Ray Hudson manages to ruin every single game he broadcasts.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 4:12 pm

Frankie Hejduk doing cartwheels in a speech to the national team. Nice!
http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/11 ... -klinsmann

Also Armenia took 3 points on a goal in Alex Ferguson time to upset the top of table Montenegro.

Engerland up 1-0 over the Scots

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:20 pm

Honduras lost at home to Panama. Awesome, fuck those guys!

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:39 pm

The Fox camera work and direction remains extreme trash.

rass · Post by **rass** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:46 pm

Gotta get those UFC promos in before they can show us the starting keeper writhing in pain.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:00 pm

And the insistence on Nfl style cutaways to close-ups of players while the ball is in play is beyond infuriating.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:00 pm

Also, Bradley and jones were absolute trash in the first half. And chandler. And johnson. But especially Bradley and jones.