2021 Gold Cup: CONCACAF AF

trekfan55

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Panama up 2-1 at halftime vs Honduras.

Lucky as hell I should say. Let’s see if they can make adjustments in the second half.
 

Titans Bastard

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CONCACAF used to invite teams to the Gold Cup starting in 1996 (Brazil), and continuing through additional tournaments like 1998 (Brazil), 2000 (Colombia, Peru, South Korea), 2002 (Ecuador, South Korea), 2003 (Brazil, Colombia), and 2005 (South Africa, Colombia).

It cheapens the integrity of the regional championship, but I don't mind. The USMNT is starved for quality competitive games, and if inviting Qatar and hopefully bigger & better teams than Qatar to the Gold Cup helps with that, I'm fine with it.

Qatar are already booked for the 2023 Gold Cup as well.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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I appreciate the history. South American teams makes more sense to me geographically than a “random” Asian team does, but with the World Cup and Qatar’s need for competitive play it makes sense. As does that airline sponsorship money.
 

Titans Bastard

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I appreciate the history. South American teams makes more sense to me geographically than a “random” Asian team does, but with the World Cup and Qatar’s need for competitive play it makes sense. As does that airline sponsorship money.
Yeah. In defense of Qatar's sporting merit, they are the defending Asian champions. At the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the won a group that included Saudi Arabia, and then beat Iraq, South Korea, UAE, and Japan in the knockouts.

I think Qatar is one of those teams that performs a bit above its talent because almost all their players come from two clubs and they play a zillion friendlies anyway, so there's a lot of familiarity within the team.
 

Titans Bastard

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The lineup for today's match against Canada. USMNT fell one goal short of owning the GD tiebreaker, so anything less than a win means second place in the group and a potential SF against Mexico (if we even make it that far).

View: https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1416849079594897408



So is THIS a 3-5-2 with Dike and Zardes up top? Or will Lletget and Zardes be occupying some sort of wide-ish half-space in a 3-4-3?
 

Jimy Hendrix

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I'd prefer Hoppe over Zardes (that one touch last game where Hoppe took it out of orbit to a dead stop, Gyasi could never), but I can see the counter argument also. Zardes and Dike both have smart striker runs in their lockers, and I can see Zardes making those runs while Dike's gravity sucks defenders in his direction and getting slipped in.

I'd imagine it's the 3-4-3, but I suspect Zardes will stick higher than Hoppe did, making it feel more 3-5-2ish at times.
 

rguilmar

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I could also see it a sort of 3-4-1-2 with Lletget filling the space between the strikers and midfielders.
 

McBride11

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Foul on the Canadian player? I mean that grabbing happens allllll the time, that is never called on the arm grabs. Zimmer lost balance and dove on the ball and took out the Canadian guy.
Im all for Murica but not sure how that isn't called.
 

DJnVa

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Foul on the Canadian player? I mean that grabbing happens allllll the time, that is never called on the arm grabs. Zimmer lost balance and dove on the ball and took out the Canadian guy.
Im all for Murica but not sure how that isn't called.
I mean, the arm grab isn't normally called, but it is *if* they lead to another foul. It didn't even rise to a VAR review and Canada didn't even complain that much.
 

Titans Bastard

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Pines in this game makes me nervous.

After seeing replays, I don't think either Canadian PK shout was a penalty.
 

Mr. Wednesday

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Ref is really letting them play.

I didn't like the way that contact on Akinola's knee looked. I don't agree with Stu that it was a clean tackle, but I'm not sure the ref had the right angle to see it.
 

McBride11

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I mean, the arm grab isn't normally called, but it is *if* they lead to another foul. It didn't even rise to a VAR review and Canada didn't even complain that much.
Ya I guess the ref crew and Dr Joe disagree. I just feel, as a defender, if that were in my men's league I'm giving up a PK.


I'm gonna blame my YTTV Fox feed looking like absolute trash
 

DJnVa

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Tell me Canada hasn't played Mexico or the US recently without telling me they haven't played Mexico or the US recently.

"Canada on an 8 game winning streak"
 

Mr. Wednesday

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It's not just the U.S. and Mexico. Canada have had trouble getting consistent results against the second tier of CONCACAF as well (teams like Honduras and Panama).
 

Titans Bastard

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Tell me Canada hasn't played Mexico or the US recently without telling me they haven't played Mexico or the US recently.

"Canada on an 8 game winning streak"
Hah. It's been a murderer's row:

Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Aruba, Suriname, Haiti, Haiti again, Martinique, and...Haiti once more.
 

McBride11

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First GC match been able to watch. I should know this but, remind me why this is mostly the "B" team. Long Euro seasons? Olympics? Saving for the WCQ? Getting the B more experience?
 

Mr. Wednesday

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First GC match been able to watch. I should know this but, remind me why this is mostly the "B" team. Long Euro seasons? Olympics? Saving for the WCQ? Getting the B more experience?
Late start to the Gold Cup means that the knockout rounds overrun preseason and early-season matches for Euros. Berhalter wants to give the "A" guys an offseason and give them preseason with their clubs. There aren't many players who are so secure that they can show up late without concerns about losing their place.
 

McBride11

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Late start to the Gold Cup means that the knockout rounds overrun preseason and early-season matches for Euros. Berhalter wants to give the "A" guys an offseason and give them preseason with their clubs. There aren't many players who are so secure that they can show up late without concerns about losing their place.
Great thanks. Which shows how impressive the current US talent is being mostly overseas at strong clubs and the "B" team is still pretty strong themselves.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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We’ve not quite gotten a grip on Canada with the extra midfielder after Ayo got hurt.

I’d match them and withdraw a striker for a midfielder.
 

Mr. Wednesday

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I know Pines didn't push much there, but it looked like the timing was just so that it unbalanced the attacker. I wouldn't argue with a penalty for it.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I feel like I had not internalized the fact that Freddy Adu is two years younger than me and holy hell does that make me feel old.