USMNT 2020

[kingkoopa6 8369]

Lejet!

[Trey3216 15347]

Well, there we go  

[Napoleon 8688]

Looked like Soto’s glancing header nicked the left shoulder of the defender and then redirected in, though it probably would have gone in anyway. 

Of course, the camera angles weren’t so hot. 

[Napoleon 8688]

Antonee Robinson* should NOT starts.
 

*or whatever his name is. 

[kingkoopa6 8369]

another sick cross

[Napoleon 8688]

Mira fucking Soto!

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

welp the big news for me is soto, as mentioned above he's on loan from norwich to telstar in the dutch 2nd.

for those don't know went rsl dev to hanover 96, his contract was set to expire so he inked a move to norwich before the restart who then got relegated, at the same time his english work permit was denied thus the purgatory loan to telstar.

these 2 goals could be vital to getting him to a 1st division side in the january window.

[Napoleon 8688]

Ledesma, Soto, Cannon, Giochinni (until that awful PK).

Musah is good, Reyna is good, McKennie is still all over the place. 

[LurkingHorn 1066]

I'll echo everyone about Musah. That MF trio can be solid for years to come.

I complain about him all the time, and he wasn't particularly awful or anything, but Tim Ream does absolutely nothing for me. Dude is 33 and shouldn't be here anymore, but the Egg loves him. 

I didn't particularly love having to move Dest to LB, but seeing Cannon makes me feel better about moving Dest. 

Overall, can't wait to see this team with Pulisic, Reyna, the midfield trio, and whatever body we throw at striker (Sargent?). 

[Saint Austin 745]

I didn't watch. Did Panama play its scrubs?

[Napoleon 8688]

37 minutes ago, Saint Austin said:

I didn't watch. Did Panama play its scrubs?

Pretty much. 
 

it looked like the had a guy around 5’ tall when they panned the players during national anthems. I also think that they were looking at who was going to fill out the bench. 
 

...and their keeper sucked. 

[UDontKnow 10447]

25 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Pretty much. 
 

it looked like the had a guy around 5’ tall when they panned the players during national anthems. I also think that they were looking at who was going to fill out the bench. 
 

...and their keeper sucked. 

I think Panama's keeper got his first cap today.

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

I remember the video shot on the bus after the loss to Germany in Korea.  Lots of joy despite the result that day.

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

When it got to 3-2, my first thought was, "How in the hell are 3 of my 4 favorite teams coached by Beerholder, Shaka, and Herman?"

Above and beyond the obvious talent in the starting 11, I'm pretty psyched about some of the backups.  I mean, a healthy CP puts Gionchini (sp) on the bench.  Brooks would take a CB position.  

Right now, I'm pretty excited about a 4-3-3 in which we have: 

- A solid goalie.

- One solid CB.

- A badass LB; a pretty solid RB (Cannon)

- And nobody to complain about in the forward 6.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Knoxtnhorn

[LurkingHorn 1066]

9 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

When it got to 3-2, my first thought was, "How in the hell are 3 of my 4 favorite teams coached by Beerholder, Shaka, and Herman?"

Above and beyond the obvious talent in the starting 11, I'm pretty psyched about some of the backups.  I mean, a healthy CP puts Gionchini (sp) on the bench.  Brooks would take a CB position.  

Right now, I'm pretty excited about a 4-3-3 in which we have: 

- A solid goalie.

- One solid CB.

- A badass LB; a pretty solid RB (Cannon)

- And nobody to complain about in the forward 6.

Pulisic would probably replace Llanez, not Gioacchini. Reyna on one side and Pulisic the other. Man...we're going to be making a lot of teams pick their poison.

Otherwise, I agree with what you're saying. Yedlin might still have something to say about Cannon being the RB starter, but that's a good problem to have. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

Ugh.  I don't care for Yedlin.  I have an irrational bias against anyone who was in the field against T&T.

[LurkingHorn 1066]

9 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Ugh.  I don't care for Yedlin.  I have an irrational bias against anyone who was in the field against T&T.

That's fair. 

[kingkoopa6 8369]

11 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Ugh.  I don't care for Yedlin.  I have an irrational bias against anyone who was in the field against T&T.

Same. But if you scored in that game. You get a pass

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

True.  And CP gets a pass as well.

[UDontKnow 10447]

Really wish there was some way Dest could stay at RB. Are there no natural LBs in the player pool?

[ztejas 43474]

1 minute ago, UDontKnow said:

Really wish there was some way Dest could stay at RB. Are there no natural LBs in the player pool?

Probably pretty thin. Guessing Adams is our best LB. 

[goatsaag 279]

8 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Really wish there was some way Dest could stay at RB. Are there no natural LBs in the player pool?

Antonee Robinson is the best natural left back in the pool. Was a high level player in the Championship, now starts for Fulham in the Premier League, but has been fairly underwhelming so far for the national team.

[UDontKnow 10447]

2 minutes ago, goatsaag said:

Antonee Robinson is the best natural left back in the pool. Was a high level player in the Championship, now starts for Fulham in the Premier League, but has been fairly underwhelming so far for the national team.

Yeah he started against Wales, IIRC. Even though he was underwhelming, I still like Robinson - LB, Dest - RB over Dest - LB, Cannon - RB. I know it's a not a popular opinion.

[Napoleon 8688]

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Really wish there was some way Dest could stay at RB. Are there no natural LBs in the player pool?

Más o menos.
 

1 hour ago, goatsaag said:

Antonee Robinson is the best natural left back in the pool. Was a high level player in the Championship, now starts for Fulham in the Premier League, but has been fairly underwhelming so far for the national team.

Antonee supposedly has been playing well for his club, but he kind of sucks for the USMNT.

I thought that he looked like shit, but I'm not a pro scout.

Pro scouts thought that he looked pretty weak, so I'm going to go with their opinion over mine.
 

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Yeah he started against Wales, IIRC. Even though he was underwhelming, I still like Robinson - LB, Dest - RB over Dest - LB, Cannon - RB. I know it's a not a popular opinion.

Well, if Antonee Robinson is on the field, then we aren't as good as when he's on the bench or in the stands.

Dest's a right footed player, but he played quite well on the left side mixing with the left winger or cutting in on his right foot. FAR AND AWAY better than when Robinson was playing. Also, by playing left, Reggie Cannon was able to show that although he isn't quite the dribbler that Dest is, he can cross the ball, draw a PK, serve up and assist, and defend quite well.

And with Dest playing on the left, he can cut into the middle on his preferred foot and put shots on goal.

Dest is a better right back than Cannon, but we are much better with Dest on the left and Cannon on the right than we are with Dest on the right and Robinson on the left. At this point, there's not a soccer expert out there who would disagree, and I read plenty of their remarks over the past couple of days and that helped solidified the opinion that my eyes hadn't deceived me.

[Jive Turkey 12617]

Ugh. This is certainly going to be problematic for the US in the future.

 

[Napoleon 8688]

12 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

Ugh. This is certainly going to be problematic for the US in the future.

He's the new Jozy.

You just accept that you can't rely on him and try to build a team around the players that you can rely on.

Building your team around Pulisic is absolutely moronic. We're getting to the point where we can build a style that can run relatively the same way even if missing a key player or two. With Pulisic our team would be far greater than it is without him, but you can't expect him to be healthy. He America's Michael Owen. He'll have peaked before 23.

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

I was thinking John O'Brien myself.

[Napoleon 8688]

8 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

I was thinking John O'Brien myself.

That the best USMNT comparison, but physically and positionally, he has much more in common with Michael Owen. 

Small, swift, technically gifted attacking players with hamstring problems. 😟

Muscle vs Cartilage/Ligaments...

I don’t know why this happens, but people who get pulled hamstrings can play for much longer than people whose knees are bone-on-bone, but I feel like the hamstring issues never go away. They’re just a randomly set ticking clock that can go off anytime. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

10 hours ago, Napoleon said:

That the best USMNT comparison, but physically and positionally, he has much more in common with Michael Owen. 

Small, swift, technically gifted attacking players with hamstring problems. 😟

Muscle vs Cartilage/Ligaments...

I don’t know why this happens, but people who get pulled hamstrings can play for much longer than people whose knees are bone-on-bone, but I feel like the hamstring issues never go away. They’re just a randomly set ticking clock that can go off anytime. 

You're right.  I was just using him as a comparison of a potential US star that couldn't get healthy.  

[shnsajax 3591]

Sargent w a really nice assist to put Werder up 1-0 on Bayern.

[ztejas 43474]

On Puli - fortunately it's 2020 and science may have a better answer for him than it did for others in the past. He's also better than O'Brien or Jozy ever were - so even if we only able to get bursts of excellence from him they should push us a little further.

Part of the issue is that he plays so God damn hard and puts so much stress on certain parts of his body. I actually think Derrick Rose is a pretty good comparison, too. Light frame, explosive athlete but reckless with his body. 

The good thing is that he hasn't had a major injury yet where he's needed surgery - so his quality hasn't been impacted a whole lot - just his ability to consistently get on the pitch.

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

 

 

[shnsajax 3591]

 
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I realize that Barca has a ton of injuries right now, but two Americans played for them today in a CL match while another started for Juventus. Pretty special day for the USMNT.

[Napoleon 8688]

10 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

I do not understand the Konrad thing.

I watched him a year ago play for one of the US youth teams (U17 I think) and he was fairly underwhelming running around with kids his own age.

Then I watched him the USMNT against Wales (I believe) and he was very underwhelming playing with adults.

Now he has made his debut playing for Barcelona's first team in the Champions League.

He must be a completely different player with Barcelona, because what I've seen of him in 2 to 3 youth matches and one senior match with the nationals makes me t think that he won't be good for about 3 to 4 years from now.

Good for him for making his debut, but I hope that doesn't mean that he's guaranteed minutes with the USMNT.

Oh, and nice goal from Dest. He's good at the soccer. We've developed him nicely.

[Knoxtnhorn 6055]

5 hours ago, Napoleon said:

I do not understand the Konrad thing.

I watched him a year ago play for one of the US youth teams (U17 I think) and he was fairly underwhelming running around with kids his own age.

Then I watched him the USMNT against Wales (I believe) and he was very underwhelming playing with adults.

Now he has made his debut playing for Barcelona's first team in the Champions League.

He must be a completely different player with Barcelona, because what I've seen of him in 2 to 3 youth matches and one senior match with the nationals makes me t think that he won't be good for about 3 to 4 years from now.

Good for him for making his debut, but I hope that doesn't mean that he's guaranteed minutes with the USMNT.

Oh, and nice goal from Dest. He's good at the soccer. We've developed him nicely.

My thoughts exactly.  When I saw the above tweet, I was all, "That guy?".  Antonee Robinson seems to be similar, though, I thought he played well after the first few mins against Wales.

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

[Zepol87 9188]

The Hunts have to be with that

[Napoleon 8688]

4 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Looking him up online with his name and then "FC Dallas" brings up something that says that he is 6'3"...

I don't fucking think so. There is no way that you can be an exception right (or left) back at 6'3".

He's pretty good, so that part isn't up for debate, so I'm thinking that his " 6'3" " is really more like 6'1" and as he puts on weight, he'll eventually move inside.

I'm also thinking that Juventus' interest is a direct reflection on Weston McKennie. His ability and attitude (an motor) must have opened Juve's eyes to the FC Dallas academy. Dallas may not win championships or put butts in the seats, but they are finding selling players to Europe to be a very profitable business.

 

4 hours ago, Zepol87 said:

The Hunts have to be with that

What does this mean?

I know that the Hunt family owns FC Dallas, but I'm confused by the "have to be with that" part. It may be an expression that I don't use. Just wondering.

[alincoln 2381]

All MLS teams should be required to model their academies on FC Dallas.  

As for Puli, other wingers (Giggs comes to mind) have been able to get past their recurring hamstring issues as they matured and developed a tailored fitness regime.

 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOIIquBJq3/?igshid=10gbb8vkfeikn

Konrad ^^^

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

more Konrad:

 

 

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

[Ted Lange 16110]

 

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

uefa update

Champions League knockout stage:
1. Gio Reyna, Bor. Dortmund, 5 games, 4 starts, 1 assist
2.Sergino Dest, Barcelona, 4 games, 4 starts, 1 goal
3.Weston McKennie, Juventus, 4 games, 2 starts
4.Christian Pulisic, Chelsea, 3 games, 2 starts, 1 goal
5.Chris Richards. Bayern Munich, 2 games, 1 start
6.Konrad de la Fuente, Barcelona, 2 games
7.Zack Steffen, Manchester City

Champions League or Europa League knockout stage:
1.Tyler Adams, RB Leipizg, 3 games
2.Ethan Horvath, Club Brugge, 1 game, 1 start

Europe League knockout stage:
1.Tim Weah, Lille, 3 games, 1 assist
2.Richy Ledezma, PSV, 2 games

Final matchday in the group stages will be played Dec. 8-10.

[shnsajax 3591]

[A-Tex Devil 2451]

10 hours ago, shnsajax said:

 

Reyna, Mckennie and Pulisic all score. 

[shnsajax 3591]

Reyna, Mckennie and Pulisic all score. 

It wasn’t a goal but Chris a Richards came on for Bayern again today as a sub. He’s starting to see some regular time with them.

Yunus also signed an extension with Valencia with $100 million release clause.

[Napoleon 8688]

On 12/5/2020 at 9:47 PM, A-Tex Devil said:

Reyna, Mckennie and Pulisic all score. 

I was stopping in to see if this had been posted. Pretty sweet day for the kids.

 

On 12/5/2020 at 10:43 PM, shnsajax said:

It wasn’t a goal but Chris Richards came on for Bayern again today as a sub. He’s starting to see some regular time with them.

Yunus (Musah) also signed an extension with Valencia with $100 million release clause.

Re: Chris

This is bueno, because he's definitely our future, so I'd like to see him see the field. Boateng is playing with lead boots these days. He's been great, but he's old... especially for a speed league like the Bundesliga. I don't know if Richards will be one of the two first choice CBs next year, but he'll definitely be in the group of 3 under consideration. The more time he gets this year, the more likely he's a First XI choice next year.

Re: Yunus

I can't imagine Yunus picking the US over England, but then again, I never imagined that Sergiño Dest would actually select the USMNT over The Netherlands. I think that if Dest had waited one more year, he would have been guaranteed the RB slot in the Oranje starting XI, but I don't know if even he knew how fast his star would rise and I'm guessing that he didn't want to sit on the bench for the Oranje.

Yunus may think the same thing about England, that he might have to sit a bit, but in addition to that possibility, I think that two things are in our favor:
1) He does NOT play in England, so there isn't the same local pressure in the press and from teammates to choose England.
2) The majority of the USMNT core is under 23 years of age and it's a lot more fun to hang out and play with guys your age and family men who are much older and see their time with the national team as a duty & a job that is part of the big picture rather than an opportunity to hang with friends playing in various teams around Europe. 

I hope that Yunus surprises me.

If he does, I'm starting to wonder where we play him along with Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Gio Reyna. For me, Weston is a player without a defined position. I feel like his "box-to-box" is a box that covers the entire field. From corner-to-corner-to-corner-to-corner... and I'm not sure if that's really want you want out of any of your players. Oh well, I'm not the manager. Hopefully he's learning from Pirlo and continues to play... preferably in a specific role rather than switching roles on a weekly basis.