USMNT: To Rüssia With Love
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
Wood has the defenders retreating before he gets the ball. Castillo looks like he can't be calm on the ball.
So true. And we're up 2-0 because of Geoff Cameron's passing ability from central defense (lofted the ball Zardes got sandwiched on) and Cameron's ability to finish a set piece.
The thought of a stable, comfortable partnership between Besler + Brooks with Cameron in the DM/Beckerman role in 2018 ...makes me a happy fan?
I mean, that's a good spine, that should still have enough mobility to get the job done. Add two years of development of Yedlin at RB, and a healthy Fabian Johnson allowed to roam up and down the left flank...and we're cooking with gas - right? Suddenly, this team doesn't look rudderless and the big questions become "who plays central mid field with Bradley?" and "who plays up top/who is healthy up top?"
I did think Twellman was right on about Wood fluffing it because he got distracted after realizing he'd just Thierry Henry'd.
Whatever you want to do with Zardes, make sure it's in the offensive third as much as humanly possible. Preferably always.
Not perfect but his dynamism makes a difference, and busting up two defenders to make that goal happen is the kind of thing Jozy is supposed to do. The weight on his pass to Dempsey was perfect.
Not perfect but his dynamism makes a difference, and busting up two defenders to make that goal happen is the kind of thing Jozy is supposed to do. The weight on his pass to Dempsey was perfect.
If we can do that, great, but there's two issues for me: today Cameron is better than Besler and Brooks at CB, and also Cameron turns 33 during the 2018 WC, will he be as good then as now? Or as versetile? 33 is fine for a CB, but at DM he might be more limited
Umm, did we watch the same play? The "pass" is the ball hitting Zardes in the back of his shoulder, so there was no weight or intent. He did bravely stick himself into a situation where he was gonna get smooshed between two defenders, so his bravery should be commended, as should his run which started near the midfield line. He did make something happen. But he didn't "weight" a pass to Dempsey - he got hit with the ball, which fell to an open Dempsey, who calmly put it home.
http://thebiglead.com/2016/03/29/clint-dempsey-goal-guatemala-usmnt/
Well, I am comparing him to Beckerman tonight, and he's a little more mobile than a statue. ;-)
But you make an excellent point. However, I think Brooks will be in his prime and Besler's the one we have to be worried about aging out of effectiveness. Cameron strikes me a defender who gets better with age, given his reliance on positioning.
WOOT! It's our night.
Keller I think was on point about forcing set pieces against shorter teams in our region.
Nice DJ Khaled there from JK: AND ANOTHER ONE . . . AND ANOTHER ONE
Nice DJ Khaled there from JK: AND ANOTHER ONE . . . AND ANOTHER ONE
I hope you are right about Brooks, I'm certainly showing scars from past young CBs washing out or blowing multiple ligatendons
Putting Altidore on feels vaguely like putting Pedro into Game 7.
If Pedro was inexplicably a horrific and overrated and useless player.
If Pedro was inexplicably a horrific and overrated and useless player.
It was Carlos Ruiz, so even the referee agreed he deserved it. Ricardo Clark was once suspended nine games for flagrantly stomping him after a dive -- the most worthwhile suspension of all time.
USA looking a little less interested at the moment. The job is not quite yet done here boys. Guatemala getting too much of the ball.
It's nice to give Finlay a run-out at his home stadium. And anyway, this is what he's for - run at tired defenses.
No Bradley for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Probably not terrible that he clears the yellow now and so will be available for T&T.
Look, I have no desire to muddy my long time hate for Ricardo Clark with a story like this that makes me like him.
I just accidentally cheered the run-in of Ethan Finlay, thinking it was Pulisic time. We are gonna get Pulisic time tonight, right?
I think you have to leave it pretty late -- 82d, 83d minute at the earliest now. He's the third sub, so once he's on, an injury means playing with 10 men. Gotta try to keep the three goal lead in order.
I'm mostly glad that Pulisic is in the game so everyone can stop talking about getting him cap-tied, even though there was never a chance of him playing for Croatia.
Sorry, wasn't clear, two separate plays. The pass I referred to was the one at the end of the half that handed Dempsey a breakaway until he decided to cut back for unknown reasons.