USMNT: Hold My Beer
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
What a fun game to watch. The lineup was everything I could have hoped for and more, just fun, athletic and hungry players. Costa Rica isn't as good as they once were and it was only a friendly, but wrecking CONCACAF stalwarts without most of our A team starting is great to see.
Couldn’t agree more, really enjoyable. We looked like we outclassed Costa Rica, as you noted with much of the team from the Mexico finals watching. A lot to enjoy now and maybe more to look forward too
This account consistently makes hilarious videos.
View: https://twitter.com/watke_/status/1402818491766411267
View: https://twitter.com/watke_/status/1402818491766411267
Catching up on this thread after watching the game last night and agree with all your feedback. It's so exciting to have depth on the USMNT. In previous cycles, this team was so razor thin that a single injury could cost the team dearly. Now, it feels like the drop off would be survivable, the system could be maintained and some of the guys (like Aaronson - my Union fan bias clearly) are even pushing those ahead of them. We even have impact subs who can be used to change things up (instead of a one-trick pony like Wondo off the bench).
CB seems to be the one area of concern - especially handling speed from the opposition. McKenzie had a real bumpy start with the Union before settling into the system - in fairness, he was 19 and playing alongside Trusty who was also 19. Hopefully more reps is all he needs to settle in but remember he's still only 22. His speed is sorely needed next to Brooks.
CB seems to be the one area of concern - especially handling speed from the opposition. McKenzie had a real bumpy start with the Union before settling into the system - in fairness, he was 19 and playing alongside Trusty who was also 19. Hopefully more reps is all he needs to settle in but remember he's still only 22. His speed is sorely needed next to Brooks.
Thats so great, I missed those subtleties watching live (except freaking nailing the PK) and also shines a cool light on the 'who takes the PK'
Oh man, funny timing, just came here to post this new one:
View: https://twitter.com/watke_/status/1403023537061908488
This was so annoying at the time - how do you cut away right then?! Of course, it turned out that he really didn't do anything.
View: https://twitter.com/watke_/status/1403023537061908488
This was so annoying at the time - how do you cut away right then?! Of course, it turned out that he really didn't do anything.
Fun USMNT twitter has been a real help as the comments section of the SBNation blog melts into a slime puddle of the wildest nonsense.
Yeah, if more of USMNT's members could do things like that, maybe I'd start betting them.
View: https://twitter.com/PaulTenorio/status/1405010814633975811
That last window in March is by far the hardest. Let's hope the USMNT has qualification virtually wrapped up by then.
That last window in March is by far the hardest. Let's hope the USMNT has qualification virtually wrapped up by then.
USA SHOULD have this wrapped up basically by the time we play Mexico on Nov. 12. I know it was a friendly at home, but watching our B team wreck Costa Rica earlier was very enlightening on the kind of class the USMNT has when compared to most other CONCACAF sides.
Yes when the team plays cohesively and GGG doesn't go nutty with the lineup they are truly a deep and formidable squad in CONCACAFFY competitions.
I believe the last time Foxboro got a WCQ was against Panama in October 2005. The grass surface was replaced by FieldTurf in 2006 and we've never gotten a WCQ since.
Looking through old games, I don't even know when the USMNT last played a home WCQ on turf. They put down temporary grass fields at CenturyLink in 2013 and at Rice-Eccles in 2005. I stopped looking at some point after that.
Temporary grass fields suck too, so even if Gillette offered to do that, I'd pass.
Thanks for the info guys. Bummer. I remember going to the El Salvador qualifier in November 96? Fun times.
Edit 1997 - qualifier for the 98 WC
Edit 1997 - qualifier for the 98 WC
That tweet is really asking a lot of his readers' CONCACAF flag knowledge.
Opening at Argentina is going to be tough, so it’ll be critical to get all six points against Nicaragua.
Edit: those Thailand matches could be sneaky difficult
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Just be glad Nicaragua isn't any good at soccer. Throw their flag in the mixer with Honduras and El Salvador for maximum CONCACAF flag chaos.
I was Gio's eighth-grade Amiercan history teacher, ninth-grade English teacher, and academic advisor throughout his middle school years. A GREAT KID in every way.
If they could hold the Olympic soccer prelims at Harvard, they can hold these matches there, too.
#iamolderthanyou
#iamolderthanyou
I was there also - fun game. I thought I was so clever by calling El Salvador El Salvadorks. A much more innocent time for me
Wow, nice. I hope his parents were cool. Did you make Gio into a Red Sox fan?
His parents are EXCEPTIONAL. His older brother, Jack, whom I also knew well, died at the end of seventh grade of cancer. Through it all, they were supportive, loving, gracious, heartbroken, and yet strong for Jack and his younger brothers (including Gio). Claudio used to use my SmartBoard on occasion to give presentations to parents and students on soccer. Gio knew very much of my love of the RS, and totally went with it. I worked on him for three years to get him to think Liverpool when he hit his twenties, and when he visited me last year, he greeted me with a hug and a "No, Mr. Kelly, I haven't signed with Liverpool yet!" Gio is as kindhearted and humble as any teenager I know, but when your beloved oldest sibling dies of cancer at 13, it makes you grow up pretty quickly. By the way, the other famous athlete I've taught, Donovan Mitchell, was also just as great a kid and student as Gio. I was Donnie's history teacher, baseball coach, and advisor from 2010-12.
Always good to hear that someone you root for is a good person. Not sure if you've read this, by the way.
Wow - so proud that Gio wrote that. And to think that I was teaching him in ninth grade just three years ago. By the way, in Jack's last year, the school had him always eat at my lunch table because they knew I would take good care of him. I gave him tons of shit about Manchester (as a Liverpool fan) and we had lots of laughter. Gio knew that and made sure that I served as his advisor a few years later. One great family. Thank you for providing me with that link.
Schalke's manager was quoted in the local press saying that Matthew Hoppe will miss most of preseason because of the Gold Cup. So, there's one name for the roster.
https://www.ruhr24.de/s04/schalke-04-trainingsauftakt-spieler-fehlen-matthew-hoppe-gold-cup-usa-s04-gelsenkirchen-90808653.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true
https://www.ruhr24.de/s04/schalke-04-trainingsauftakt-spieler-fehlen-matthew-hoppe-gold-cup-usa-s04-gelsenkirchen-90808653.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true
Not against the US. Jamaica and Canada but still good job FIFA and boy does that sound weird to say.
I totally misread the statement thinking the games when the infraction occurred are the games that the punishment will apply to. Pre-vacation brain.
With so many names (59!) that are mostly not in the best 23 it's hard to process all of this. It's also very hard to predict what Berhalter will do because as you go down the depth chart, the differences between players get smaller and diverging opinions become more numerous.
So that they get a real summer break and are ready for WCQ in the fall.
There are two big reasons why many big-name US players aren't going to the Gold Cup.
A) They already played in the Nations League and need some rest
and/or
B) The Gold Cup overlaps with Euro club preseason and missing preseason can make things tricky, particularly for players who will be at new clubs or have new managers
Who would you drop for him?
Trusty & Glad have earned their spot, so it’s not fair to bump them. Young guys who earn a call up need to get it.
Wicky has been rolling Pineda out as the more defensive of the double pivot with Medran in most matches, so it’s hard to say Pineda has earned a spot at CB. He’s kind of a tweener now - CB/DM - but needs to settle into a permanent role in order to continue developing.
I might have called him in over CCV or EPB given that both those guys will be back to Europe during the tournament and will likely been searching out new loan destinations, too.
Mostly, just disappointed that Pineda got a long look in camps this winter and spring, but Berhalter passed him over this time. I’m being a homer.
Wicky has been rolling Pineda out as the more defensive of the double pivot with Medran in most matches, so it’s hard to say Pineda has earned a spot at CB. He’s kind of a tweener now - CB/DM - but needs to settle into a permanent role in order to continue developing.
I might have called him in over CCV or EPB given that both those guys will be back to Europe during the tournament and will likely been searching out new loan destinations, too.
Mostly, just disappointed that Pineda got a long look in camps this winter and spring, but Berhalter passed him over this time. I’m being a homer.
Thank you. I figured it had something to do with B, but definitely wasn't thinking about A. If B wasn't a factor do you think that that playing more together would outweigh the rest?
No, but guys like Bryan Reynolds, Daryl Dike, and Chris Richards would be in the mix for the Gold Cup.