The Swamp

MOREIRA!!!

Crap, now I want Saborio to score.

that was the result we very badly had to have

phew…

Kinda ugly. Probably should have pissed it away with the breakaway.

Arriola is a Hero for faking that Injury so Weah could play

Jamaica beat Honduras 2-0 on the road! Honduras is done.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:38 pm

A man playing with boys. An unbelievable run.

So at this point I think we have to cheer for Mexico and Canada every game except against the US. The better they do the bigger the divide between 3rd and 4th becomes. Makes a top 3 finish less dramatic. Hoping Mexico wins is not something I like.

I need subtitles or a translator.

Imagine their reactions if Berhalter set Panama's starting lineups?

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:27 am So at this point I think we have to cheer for Mexico and Canada every game except against the US. The better they do the bigger the divide between 3rd and 4th becomes. Makes a top 3 finish less dramatic. Hoping Mexico wins is not something I like.

I think CRC will get stronger as the qualifying goes on, and Panama will fade. The CRC team and program just has a lot more quality than Panama, regardless of what we may have seen this week. That's good for us, I think. Canada should be fine because they have their toughest games behind them, but I would worry a bit that they are so heavily dependent on MLS players to fill out the team. Much more so than USA, though it's a worry for the Americans too. And I think this was the last window in which MLS players can be counted on to have better fitness than those who play on the European calendar.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:00 am I need subtitles or a translator.

"Don't play (someone) anymore" was prominently featured as was someone "playing like a child"

Rex wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:17 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:27 am So at this point I think we have to cheer for Mexico and Canada every game except against the US. The better they do the bigger the divide between 3rd and 4th becomes. Makes a top 3 finish less dramatic. Hoping Mexico wins is not something I like.

I think CRC will get stronger as the qualifying goes on, and Panama will fade. The CRC team and program just has a lot more quality than Panama, regardless of what we may have seen this week. That's good for us, I think. Canada should be fine because they have their toughest games behind them, but I would worry a bit that they are so heavily dependent on MLS players to fill out the team. Much more so than USA, though it's a worry for the Americans too. And I think this was the last window in which MLS players can be counted on to have better fitness than those who play on the European calendar.

I'm not really debating the point, exactly, but what one has to realize about CRC is they OLD AS FUCK. Like, they are starting multiple guys in their late 30s. Anyone that catches them on the second game in November (too lazy to look) should be all about pressing them and putting them under.

I mean... I watched the game VERY high last night (which was great), so my perception was all a little off. Everything was slowed down, which was really cool. But it did highlight just how slow CRC is at various parts of the field. There was one sequence where Bryan Ruiz is trying to chase down a ball and he's a good 10 yards clear and our defender just glides in a takes the ball away. That is happening all over the field for them.

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 2:49 pm

Rex wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:17 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:27 am So at this point I think we have to cheer for Mexico and Canada every game except against the US. The better they do the bigger the divide between 3rd and 4th becomes. Makes a top 3 finish less dramatic. Hoping Mexico wins is not something I like.

I think CRC will get stronger as the qualifying goes on, and Panama will fade. The CRC team and program just has a lot more quality than Panama, regardless of what we may have seen this week. That's good for us, I think. Canada should be fine because they have their toughest games behind them, but I would worry a bit that they are so heavily dependent on MLS players to fill out the team. Much more so than USA, though it's a worry for the Americans too. And I think this was the last window in which MLS players can be counted on to have better fitness than those who play on the European calendar.

I'm not really debating the point, exactly, but what one has to realize about CRC is they OLD AS FUCK. Like, they are starting multiple guys in their late 30s. Anyone that catches them on the second game in November (too lazy to look) should be all about pressing them and putting them under.

I mean... I watched the game VERY high last night (which was great), so my perception was all a little off. Everything was slowed down, which was really cool. But it did highlight just how slow CRC is at various parts of the field. There was one sequence where Bryan Ruiz is trying to chase down a ball and he's a good 10 yards clear and our defender just glides in a takes the ball away. That is happening all over the field for them.

Landon on the Grant Wahl podcasts was just laughing about Ruiz. He basically said if you want a break away it is the 36 year old running in wet concrete. Said that the other journalist on the pod could have caught him.

It'll be interesting when Canada host Costa Rica because they might be the fastest team out there.

No mention of how bad they looked in the second half? I get it's about results now but if that was the preferred squad they have a lot of work to do. They were not clinical at all in the final third. Pepi? Way too quiet to be a savior. They probably should have gotten beat 2-1.

Even the goal was probably 0.2 expected goals. They've looked bad in more halves than they've looked good and no Mexico yet. I can t get past if that's someone other than Ruiz they lose 2-1 and sit behind panama in a playoff position or worse. Guess they're on track but what makes you believe these guys will make any noise if they make it. Maybe you hang your hat on youth but I dunno man. Guess someone has to come take it from you and maybe theres no one to do it in concacaf but not impressed and all the media has been positive.

The fact is, they sucked the life out of a very tired/old CRC squad and coasted through on the 3rd of 3 match games. I'm not jumping for joy, but I'll take that lineup 100 out of 100 when compared to the absolute capitulation from Sunday. They knew out of the gate down in Panama we were playing for a tie and it showed early and often as Turner was peppered in the first half.

Also, you yourself mentioned we are missing two of our very best offensive threats.

So, when you drop out walking yellow cards like Acosta, and human negative play - passback players like Lleggett, Roldan and Arriola... And absolute cement footed strikers like Zardes? Do I think we'll make some noise in Qatar?

Absolutely. Question is whether Triple G will allow it to happen.

How much does it matter, if at all, that our squad hasn't had a ton of time together because (1) they're playing all over the world and (2) they're super young? Because I've been tying a lot of my hopes to the belief that the same players from last night will be unrecognizable, from a cohesiveness standpoint, a year from now.

It's weird rooting for a best-case scenario of barely qualifying in a way that makes it unquestionable that changes need to be made.

If they hadn't come back from the opener, is Berhalter ggone?

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:07 pm If they hadn't come back from the opener, is Berhalter ggone?

Don't know but Bob Bradley is in the last year of his contract with L.A. (and Ben Olsen probably would give up his Washington Spirit job for the position).

I've got a rant teed up about the incestuous nature (still) of MLS, US Soccer and the American Soccer media, I just don't have the will to type it all out. The fact that the VAST majority of commentors on Fox, ESPN and now Paramount (I guess) are former MLS players really allows for the "analysis" and commentary to flat out ignore what we all know to be true.

And it's incredibly frustrating that guys like Steven Goff and Grant Wahl, because they are primarily access journalists like Shefter, refuse to point out the obvious. They are good journalists. But they (apparently) have no interest in truly putting some heat on GGG and US Soccer in general.

And, yeah, it sucks that the only way this is going to change in the near future (this cycle) is for something near-cataclysmic to happen to our team.

I don't ever want to feel like I did on Sunday, but I feel like we're doomed to at least one more MLS all star squad in a meaningful game.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:16 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:07 pm If they hadn't come back from the opener, is Berhalter ggone?

Don't know but Bob Bradley is in the last year of his contract with L.A. (and Ben Olsen probably would give up his Washington Spirit job for the position).

And herein' lies the problem with firing GGG... You're just going to swap in another MLS guy at this point, so, what's the point? All the other big time coaches already have gigs. This job actually has serious appeal because the talent pool and the stage they'd potentially be on.

I just don't have any confidence we'd land a non-MLS guy worth a damn.

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:41 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:16 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 4:07 pm If they hadn't come back from the opener, is Berhalter ggone?

Don't know but Bob Bradley is in the last year of his contract with L.A. (and Ben Olsen probably would give up his Washington Spirit job for the position).

And herein' lies the problem with firing GGG... You're just going to swap in another MLS guy at this point, so, what's the point? All the other big time coaches already have gigs. This job actually has serious appeal because the talent pool and the stage they'd potentially be on.

I just don't have any confidence we'd land a non-MLS guy worth a damn.

Marsch has said he wants the job at some point but knows it is not the right time (he is a friend of GGG). He is probably the top "american choice" if you don't go retread or MLSer.
Pellegrino Matarazzo is at Stuttgart. New Jersey born, Columbia Grad but never really felt like a national team coach
David Wagner - Was the "wonder kid" until he did not put it together with Schalke (but he is having a good run with Young Boys). Same as Matarazzo.

Wonder if we would ever go with a Mexican coach. Juan Carlos Osorio or Tata

Interesting to see the names that were in play when GGG got the gig.
https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/sizing- ... j01e85ivek

Speaking of soccer journalists check out this write up on ESPN

USMNT's World Cup qualifying: What's working, what's broken and the problem with playing it safe

BILL CONNELLY
ESPN Staff Writer
3:38 PM ET17 Minute Read

We're through two qualification windows for the U.S. men's national team, and they've had two must-win matches to end each one. The USMNT has scraped and stumbled and suffered from a number of self-inflicted wounds. Gregg Berhalter & Co. have wasted points with an overmatched and overthought lineup in Panama. They've suffered poor breaks in a draw in El Salvador. They've suffered the full weight of CONCACAF, its rough pitches and its occasional rough-and-tumble tactics.


And yet, after two windows that felt in danger of spiraling negatively, the U.S. has 11 points and on pace for 29 over the 16-match qualification, well more than the team will need to qualify. (Up next? A home date with Mexico on Nov. 12 in Cincinnati, live on ESPN2.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.c ... atform=amp

It's the tough pitch and the rough and tumble tactics again?

degenerasian wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:24 pm It's the tough pitch and the rough and tumble tactics again?

Nobody could have known there'd be tough pitches and rough and tumble tactics in CONCACAF.

While that's a lazy preamble, the overall article is pretty spot on. At the end he says what a lot of us are saying: Stop giving CONCACAF so much respect. We shouldn't be playing for draws on the road against Panama and El Salvador. We completely shut down the offense and the numbers a glaring on this front.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:10 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:24 pm It's the tough pitch and the rough and tumble tactics again?

Nobody could have known there'd be tough pitches and rough and tumble tactics in CONCACAF.

And this is what I was ranting about after last Sunday. These haven't even really been a factor. Yes, ElSal and Hondo keep their grass a little long. We know this and should be able to train for it. Like, if you're going to play a team who plays on turf... Duh.

Secondly, does anyone here remember a game that was just complete thug-ball? I don't. There have been cycles... many moons ago. Where the ref lets way too much stuff go and the game is just a war of attrition. I'm thinking of away games in Guatemala, specifically, with that Ruiz asshole kicking everything in site as the crowd cheers and the ref swallows his whistle.

We haven't had a "ref outrage" game in a very very long time.

Lazy in the first paragraph and dead wrong in the second. Hard to read for 17 more minutes whether he's got it right or wrong.

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:27 am We haven't had a "ref outrage" game in a very very long time.

Only because we got 2-0 win against Jamaica for the bad no-DOGSOs.

Just got to push back, get in thier face. Canada has learned this for this cycle. Seems every Canada game lately there's a scuffle of some sort.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:48 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:27 am We haven't had a "ref outrage" game in a very very long time.

Only because we got 2-0 win against Jamaica for the bad no-DOGSOs.

You're not wrong, but the fact that there's no VAR in this region... I've watched a number of other games, and everyone is getting some level of screwed on this front (roughly).

https://edmontonsun.com/sports/soccer/j ... elling-out

Games in Edmonton nearly sold out in hours, they are releasing more tickets slowly.
And looking at the forecast ahead, 16 days away, about -7C, so not cold enough!

Good for FIFA, about time they did something right. Does closed doors just mean no fans, or will the game not be televised? If not televised, that's punishing the visiting team's fans.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:33 pm Good for FIFA, about time they did something right. Does closed doors just mean no fans, or will the game not be televised? If not televised, that's punishing the visiting team's fans.

Pointing out that they had a similar sanction over the summer, but it was reduced from 2 games down to 1 (against JAM). Let's hope this stays at 2 games.

BTW, El Tri play their next 3 qualifiers on the road.