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The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

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Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

So, first off, that was a * game by the US (except Howard). We got dominated and we shouldn't have, we're better than that.

Looking forward, I'm not as optimistic as others. Our defense is still questionable and, other than Brooks, there's not much on the horizon. In the midfield, Jones and Beckerman need replacements. At least we look bright at forward.

Oh, and the next World Cup is in Europe, where we've never won a game.
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

So, first off, that was a * game by the US (except Howard). We got dominated and we shouldn't have, we're better than that.

Looking forward, I'm not as optimistic as others. Our defense is still questionable and, other than Brooks, there's not much on the horizon. In the midfield, Jones and Beckerman need replacements. At least we look bright at forward.

Oh, and the next World Cup is in Europe, where we've never won a game.
Jones and Beckerman? If you're going to call out midfielders' performance from this world cup, the list starts and ends with Bradley. Mr. Invisible, except when he was making unforced giveaways, when he stuck out like a sore thumb.
 
Jones and Beckerman? If you're going to call out midfielders' performance from this world cup, the list starts and ends with Bradley. Mr. Invisible, except when he was making unforced giveaways, when he stuck out like a sore thumb.
I'm not calling out performances, far from it (Jones and Beckerman were the two best). It's based on age, they're both over 30 and will likely not be around in 2018.
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

Predict the 2018 Roster:
My Predict the 2018 Roster:

Brad Guzan (G)
Bill Hamid
Sean Johnson


Fabian Johnson (LB)
John Brooks (CB)
Omar Gonzalez (CB)
Deandre Yedlin (RB)
Alfredo Morales
Matt Besler
????
????

Julian Green (LWM)
Michael Bradley (CDM)
Luis Gil (CAM)
Gedion Zelalem (RWM)
Mix Diskerud
Joe Corona
????
????

Aron Johannsson
Jozy Altidore
Terrance Boyd
Juan Agudelo
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

So, first off, that was a * game by the US (except Howard). We got dominated and we shouldn't have, we're better than that.

Looking forward, I'm not as optimistic as others. Our defense is still questionable and, other than Brooks, there's not much on the horizon. In the midfield, Jones and Beckerman need replacements. At least we look bright at forward.

Oh, and the next World Cup is in Europe, where we've never won a game.

Well, it's in Russia. Get a game in Vladivostok and win a game in Asia.
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

What I really hate about the US getting eliminated is now ALL the stupid discussion of "what do we have to do?" Because all the Eurosnobs roll on out with the "we'd be winning if we used Pro/Rel like the Belgians/English/Germans/RandomEuropeanCountry do!" or "we need more clubs and youth academies, TONS more!"

Guys we know we need more, we need money for that. :rolleyes:
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

So a lot of criticism around Bradley I feel like can be explained by noting that Klinsy had him playing too far upfield, outside of where he excels. Beckerman was probably what we needed defensively to survive some of those games, but Bradley was taking too many first touches further up the field in more crowded areas and his first touch simply isn't good enough for him to excel in traffic.

1). Thoughts?
2). If that's a fair assessment, what should've been done differently? A 4-2-3-1 with Bradley and Beckerman in the HMF roles? Let Johannsson and/or Diskerud take the CAM role? Or was all that thrown in disarray when Jozy got hurt and Klinsy thought better of putting Johannsson up front in a lone striker role?
3). Come to think of it, how badly did we miss Boyd out there?
 
So a lot of criticism around Bradley I feel like can be explained by noting that Klinsy had him playing too far upfield, outside of where he excels. Beckerman was probably what we needed defensively to survive some of those games, but Bradley was taking too many first touches further up the field in more crowded areas and his first touch simply isn't good enough for him to excel in traffic.

1). Thoughts?
2). If that's a fair assessment, what should've been done differently? A 4-2-3-1 with Bradley and Beckerman in the HMF roles? Let Johannsson and/or Diskerud take the CAM role? Or was all that thrown in disarray when Jozy got hurt and Klinsy thought better of putting Johannsson up front in a lone striker role?
3). Come to think of it, how badly did we miss Boyd out there?
1) The assessment with Bradley is correct, it's an unnatural position for him and it showed.
2) Not have Altidore get injuried. Realistically I think keeping the 4-4-2 playing somebody like Wondo. The real struggle was with Zusi and Bedoya, both of whom could do nothing.
3) Boyd (and Eddie Johnson) was not going to be good enough against the teams we were playing.
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

I liked Zusi on set pieces but otherwise agree that he just wasn't up to it, along with Bedoya. Maybe my untrained eye missed something, but Bedoya didn't do a whole lot for me.

I'll reiterate that I am still shocked not to see Diskerud or Johannsson more.
 
What everyone seems to be ignoring is that it wouldn't have counted anyway because the flag was up for offsides.

Just watched a replay. Ian darke said shortly thereafter it would have counted, the flag was just to signal goal kick.

For as much as Belgium dominated the second half, that was a grade A+++ chance to steal it at the end
 
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Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

The last two or three minutes of the Argentina - Switzerland game yesterday reminded me of a final level in Warcraft 3: the level objective was to survive a siege. How the Swiss didn't score in that scramble was pretty surprising.
 
Re: The FIFA World Cup Thread (Spoilers Welcome)

ESPN Insider had Doug McIntyre's projected 2018 roster as of today:

-------Altidore-----Johannsson---
-------------Diskerud------------
-Green--------------------Yedlin-
-------------Bradley-------------
Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson
-------------Guzan--------------

Reserves
G
Cody Cropper
Sean Johnson

D
Chris Klute
John Brooks
Erik Palmer-Brown
Geoff Cameron

MF
Luis Gil
Gedion Zelalem
Graham Zusi
Danny Williams

FW
Terrence Boyd
Juan Agudelo
 
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