World Soccer XXX: We Have Men Too!

[Jimjamesak]

Wait, what do you mean?

As a referee, if your country makes the quarterfinals it’s almost certain you’re going home.

[Jimjamesak]

Pulisic apparently Snapchatting from the hospital.

[Stauber1]

Maybe it's a lack of service but Sargent has been invisible for me in the group stage. Outside maybe 1 or 2 runs.

We simply don't have a 9 that can give you what you really want from them at this level. Sargent brings more of those secondary attributes than any of our other options; winning battles and 50/50s, hold up play, combining, angles and how they press. An argument could be made in favor of Ferreira on that last one but on balance it's either Sargent, trying to scare the opposition with Wright's speed, or maybe a false 9. And neither a false 9 nor a speedy solo attacker with average-at-best finishing compliment the other strengths of this team the way a big target out of the back does.

Sargent is no Brian McBride but he gives us more than what else is available to fill that role, even if someone like Wright might be a *touch* more of a scoring threat in specific situations.

[dxmnkd316]

As a referee, if your country makes the quarterfinals it’s almost certain you’re going home.

I missed that he was spanish. Now my comment feels dumb. thx

[Stauber1]

People upset with end of game tactics. Nobody likes seeing their side bunkering, but the goal is never to just pack 10 into your defensive third and then never venture out.
The tactics were fine, it's the decision making and execution on the field that was a little lacking at times. Having to swap off Sargent for Wright didn't help. You can understand the thought process of having the pace up top to threaten the space in behind the Iranian defense when they were commiting everything forward, but in practice Wright just wasn't capable of getting on the end of and then holding those balls getting sent forward. Berhalter's hand was kind of forced though with Sargent's injury.

At the end of the day though, if you are holding a 1-goal lead late in a game against an opponent worth anything, you are going to be called on to do a lot of defending

[dxmnkd316]

People upset with end of game tactics. Nobody likes seeing their side bunkering, but the goal is never to just pack 10 into your defensive third and then never venture out.
The tactics were fine, it's the decision making and execution on the field that was a little lacking at times. Having to swap off Sargent for Wright didn't help. You can understand the thought process of having the pace up top to threaten the space in behind the Iranian defense when they were commiting everything forward, but in practice Wright just wasn't capable of getting on the end of and then holding those balls getting sent forward. Berhalter's hand was kind of forced though with Sargent's injury.

At the end of the day though, if you are holding a 1-goal lead late in a game against an opponent worth anything, you are going to be called on to do a lot of defending

The overall strategy was fine. The difference for me was the individual decisions and play. So many balls lost on ill-conceived passes and lazy efforts on balls that weren't being challenged very hard. Just sloppy when they didn't have to be

[Slap Shot]

You have to gameplan relative to the ability of your players. I don't abhor the bunkering mentality per se, but a young squad like they have might have been better off trying to control possession as they had all game instead of trying to hold their composure in their own 1/3 for 20 minutes. There were breakdowns in the latter portions of the match that didn't happen previously. Iran wasn't going to win the midfield so why give that up?

[Stauber1]

Late in a game holding a 1-goal lead you have to expect the other team will start shifting more numbers forward and into the middle. Then it's about holding shape, making good high percentage decisions with the ball, and winning battles along their sparse back line when you send the ball forward. And those last two are where US struggled at times.

It's not like when the US got the ball in a more advanced position there was no one connecting or making forward runs. They were moving up the field, they just were losing the ball in areas where they shouldn't (can't), and failing to win too many of the balls being sent forward. Again, that goes back to decision making and execution on the ball.

But you can't expect them to just knock it around the middle of the park when Iran has pushed a center back into that space and their outside backs have started engaging 20-30 yards further up the field as well, and their entire side is playing high pressure no matter where you send the ball. The space just isn't there anymore.
So ok, now there's more space in behind, but you have to execute to get in there and then you need to hold onto the ball once you are there. That wasn't happening as well as we'd like to have seen. Fatigue? Personnel? Nerves? Maybe some of all of that, though I do think Hadji Wright wasn't right for the moment - which isn't to say Musa/Adams didn't have instances of turning the ball over in bad areas or after support had already committed to going forward (nothing worse than holding the ball just long enough for an outside back to commit to a run and then unnecessarily turning it over).

And it has to be said credit to Iran for their pursuit and energy late in a match.

[ticapnews]

Was Iran totally offside on the play where they wanted the VAR? Wouldn't that make it moot?

I'd have to see it again to make sure, however I caught the same thing but the ball was played by the other forward (who was onside) and then to that forward - who was onside again when the ball was played to him. So there likely would have been no offside call. Fortunately we'll never have to know for sure.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Lol wut

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1...FfP-rDD54K7l7w

[Jimjamesak]

Lol wut

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1...FfP-rDD54K7l7w

On the flip side, Wilbon and Kornheiser were impressed and heaped praise on Pulisic so the old guy demographic is a bit split.

[Kepler]

On the flip side, Wilbon and Kornheiser were impressed and heaped praise on Pulisic so the old guy demographic is a bit split.

Wilbon and Kornheiser are frauds, so **** them whether they cheer or boo, but yeah the Fox derp is just throwing red meat to their subhuman cattle. It's not an age thing, it's Cletus being told he has to hate soccer to be a Merican.

[Jimjamesak]

Pulisic diagnosed with a “pelvic contusion” and listed as day to day.

[ticapnews]

Pulisic diagnosed with a “pelvic contusion” and listed as day to day.

We're all day to day.

But that does sound painful. The Qataris frown on alcohol but I assume they're OK with painkillers

[French Rage]

We're all day to day.

"We all are, act accordingly."