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Yeah, the decision to stage this match in Columbus (and next week's in the Twin Cities) will open them up to a lot of second guessing. 3 pts is 3 pts. Shame that 10 man Jamaica couldn't hold off El TRI.
Twin Cities outdoor in February is just stupid. It will probably be near 0 for the game. I live 10 minutes away and there’s 0% chance I sit out for 3 hours. Luckily, there should be enough cold weather idiots that will be there. Tickets were pretty much sold out immediately IIRC when they went on sale.
Post by potentpotables on Jan 31, 2022 11:26:23 GMT -5
In the wake of the loss yesterday, I saw two things:
1. A lot of fatalism by US Soccer fans on Twitter (we are in trouble of making the world cup) 2. Ridiculous comments by GGG after the match (basically that Canada couldn't match our physicality, if you didn't see them - they are going to seem ridiculous to you, and I didn't think we played that poorly minus the finishing. His comments make me look like the world's biggest pessimist).
Doing a little math, with four matches left it feels like only Costa Rica and Panama are still alive. Only Honduras has been officially eliminated, but Jamaica and El Salvador have 7 and 9 pts respectively. One more point for US would put Jamaica needing 4 wins, which is unlikely. 3 more points for US would be El Salvador in the same spot, again unlikely.
Costa Rica and Panama are two of the 4 matches USA have left (along with Honduras and at Mexico). Panama at home, CR on the road. I'm giving US 3 pts for Wednesday night against Honduras, putting us at 21 pts.
CR have the following matches left - at Jamaica, Canada, at El Salvador, USA. I'm giving them 8 pts - two wins, two draws. I think that's very aggressive but they fall correctly - two away matches at teams below them, two home matches with teams above them. That seems like best case scenario. I'll even give them 3 for the USA match. That puts CR on 21 pts.
Panama have the following matches left - at Mexico, Honduras, at US, Canada. That's 3 pts against HON, but then with the other 3 matches, I'll give them best case 5 pts (and think that's hugely generous). That gives them 8 pts left, gets them to 25. So that's the target USA has to beat.
US have the following matches left - Honduras, at Mexico, Panama, at Costa Rica. I'll give 3 pts for Wednesday night (which is almost a must now) and then 4 pts for the other 3 (loss Mex, win/draw vs Panama/CR). That's not quite worst case, obviously, but it's a bad case.
Anyway, my brain is starting to spin here, but I think the point is that USA are in a pretty decent position despite the loss yesterday. I actually think, sitting on the same number of points, Mexico should be far more concerned.
Post by potentpotables on Jan 31, 2022 12:17:16 GMT -5
I also think that one of our goal scoring problem is Pulisic being in poor form. It seems a combination of things - he's lacking confidence, he's out of position at Chelsea, he's down the pecking order at Chelsea, he's out of position for USA, he's being CONCACAF'd - just a combo of all of those things. I also think Reyna being out is hurting the goal scoring, which is sort of crazy considering age/experience, but he's one of our best 11 (and, crucially, should be taking free kicks and corners instead of Pulisic).
A couple of thoughts then on our best player:
1. He needs a move away from Chelsea. This seems unlikely, but with all their attacking power he's not likely to get enough minutes before November. I made the joke on Twitter that I'd love him at Everton but don't think he'd move to the Championship. He really needs to move to a tier lower though in the EPL - Crystal Palace, Brighton, someone with a sound manager and system in place where he will get regular minutes.
2. He needs to play almost a true #10 role for USMNT. Maybe in a 4-4-2 playing just off of the #9 (preferably Pepi) (also, I would hate tinkering with the MMA midfield that surely is going to be our engine). Maybe in a 4-2-3-1 with Musah being a bit more attacking (due to ball carrying) and Adams/McKennie being the CDM/wrecking ball crew. That would be Pepi with Pulisic and then Musah and Weah/Aaronson/Reyna/Arriola out wide.
3. I'm not sure what to do about Pulisic getting CONCACAF'd. It seems like he's getting fouled and not getting the calls. Some of this seems endemic to USA, but he needs to be told that he needs to adjust to this. He's not getting star treatment in CONCACAF, it is what it is, USMNT players rarely get that treatment (maybe rightfully so), so play the damn game.
I also think that one of our goal scoring problem is Pulisic being in poor form. It seems a combination of things - he's lacking confidence, he's out of position at Chelsea, he's down the pecking order at Chelsea, he's out of position for USA, he's being CONCACAF'd - just a combo of all of those things. I also think Reyna being out is hurting the goal scoring, which is sort of crazy considering age/experience, but he's one of our best 11 (and, crucially, should be taking free kicks and corners instead of Pulisic).
A couple of thoughts then on our best player:
1. He needs a move away from Chelsea. This seems unlikely, but with all their attacking power he's not likely to get enough minutes before November. I made the joke on Twitter that I'd love him at Everton but don't think he'd move to the Championship. He really needs to move to a tier lower though in the EPL - Crystal Palace, Brighton, someone with a sound manager and system in place where he will get regular minutes.
2. He needs to play almost a true #10 role for USMNT. Maybe in a 4-4-2 playing just off of the #9 (preferably Pepi) (also, I would hate tinkering with the MMA midfield that surely is going to be our engine). Maybe in a 4-2-3-1 with Musah being a bit more attacking (due to ball carrying) and Adams/McKennie being the CDM/wrecking ball crew. That would be Pepi with Pulisic and then Musah and Weah/Aaronson/Reyna/Arriola out wide.
3. I'm not sure what to do about Pulisic getting CONCACAF'd. It seems like he's getting fouled and not getting the calls. Some of this seems endemic to USA, but he needs to be told that he needs to adjust to this. He's not getting star treatment in CONCACAF, it is what it is, USMNT players rarely get that treatment (maybe rightfully so), so play the damn game.
A move out of England could be really healthy too. I could see him in Italy or back in Germany
I also think that one of our goal scoring problem is Pulisic being in poor form. It seems a combination of things - he's lacking confidence, he's out of position at Chelsea, he's down the pecking order at Chelsea, he's out of position for USA, he's being CONCACAF'd - just a combo of all of those things. I also think Reyna being out is hurting the goal scoring, which is sort of crazy considering age/experience, but he's one of our best 11 (and, crucially, should be taking free kicks and corners instead of Pulisic).
A couple of thoughts then on our best player:
1. He needs a move away from Chelsea. This seems unlikely, but with all their attacking power he's not likely to get enough minutes before November. I made the joke on Twitter that I'd love him at Everton but don't think he'd move to the Championship. He really needs to move to a tier lower though in the EPL - Crystal Palace, Brighton, someone with a sound manager and system in place where he will get regular minutes.
2. He needs to play almost a true #10 role for USMNT. Maybe in a 4-4-2 playing just off of the #9 (preferably Pepi) (also, I would hate tinkering with the MMA midfield that surely is going to be our engine). Maybe in a 4-2-3-1 with Musah being a bit more attacking (due to ball carrying) and Adams/McKennie being the CDM/wrecking ball crew. That would be Pepi with Pulisic and then Musah and Weah/Aaronson/Reyna/Arriola out wide.
3. I'm not sure what to do about Pulisic getting CONCACAF'd. It seems like he's getting fouled and not getting the calls. Some of this seems endemic to USA, but he needs to be told that he needs to adjust to this. He's not getting star treatment in CONCACAF, it is what it is, USMNT players rarely get that treatment (maybe rightfully so), so play the damn game.
A move out of England could be really healthy too. I could see him in Italy or back in Germany
I'd be worried about both of those leagues, I think. He can compete in the EPL, and I'd hate for him to give up on that at this point.
I also think that one of our goal scoring problem is Pulisic being in poor form. It seems a combination of things - he's lacking confidence, he's out of position at Chelsea, he's down the pecking order at Chelsea, he's out of position for USA, he's being CONCACAF'd - just a combo of all of those things. I also think Reyna being out is hurting the goal scoring, which is sort of crazy considering age/experience, but he's one of our best 11 (and, crucially, should be taking free kicks and corners instead of Pulisic).
A couple of thoughts then on our best player:
1. He needs a move away from Chelsea. This seems unlikely, but with all their attacking power he's not likely to get enough minutes before November. I made the joke on Twitter that I'd love him at Everton but don't think he'd move to the Championship. He really needs to move to a tier lower though in the EPL - Crystal Palace, Brighton, someone with a sound manager and system in place where he will get regular minutes.
2. He needs to play almost a true #10 role for USMNT. Maybe in a 4-4-2 playing just off of the #9 (preferably Pepi) (also, I would hate tinkering with the MMA midfield that surely is going to be our engine). Maybe in a 4-2-3-1 with Musah being a bit more attacking (due to ball carrying) and Adams/McKennie being the CDM/wrecking ball crew. That would be Pepi with Pulisic and then Musah and Weah/Aaronson/Reyna/Arriola out wide.
3. I'm not sure what to do about Pulisic getting CONCACAF'd. It seems like he's getting fouled and not getting the calls. Some of this seems endemic to USA, but he needs to be told that he needs to adjust to this. He's not getting star treatment in CONCACAF, it is what it is, USMNT players rarely get that treatment (maybe rightfully so), so play the damn game.
A move out of England could be really healthy too. I could see him in Italy or back in Germany
no one outside of England can afford him. No way Chelsea sell him for less than 70M
Wes is our best player, such a beast. glad he's done more than make up for that weird covid thing he did earlier.
He's certainly most in form. All the Everton fans in England scoffed when American Toffees wanted to sign him before he moved to Juve. They were clueless about him.
Post by potentpotables on Feb 5, 2022 16:49:41 GMT -5
Great debut for Frankie Lampard today at Goodison. First time the Toffees had scored the first goal in a match since October 23! That seems impossible.
Anthony Gordon is becoming a crucial member of the starting xi.
Post by potentpotables on Feb 23, 2022 15:15:06 GMT -5
Also, McKennie's injury yesterday leaves him out 8-12 weeks and missing the March WCQ window. Who is going to be that destroyer in midfield? Hope Wes gets fit soon.
Post by potentpotables on Feb 27, 2022 12:50:40 GMT -5
Second week in a row Everton had an inexplicable handball in th box not called. This one was very confusing. Pep said after the match that he was told Richarlison was offside in the buildup. Lampard said he was told by officials there was no offside. A City reporter seemed to confirm with the league that there was no offside. NBC/Peacock went all in on this offside theory, and laid down the offside lines that definitely don't make offside obvious. But again the PL said it wasn't offside, it just wasn't a handball.
Very frustrating. Cost a shot at a point when we need every point badly.
