World Soccer XXX: We Have Men Too!

[Jimjamesak]

We aren't going to do well in the WC according to armchair #10s. So not sure why people have any expectations at all.

Also, when isn't Pulisic injured? Jeez.

Well, it’s obvious we have world class talented players that being ruined by Berhalter’s system!
/s

(Or maybe it’s our players aren’t as good as they think and also young and inexperienced while Japan has as good, if not better, players who are older and more experienced and ultimately played better today.)

And, yeah, Pulisic injured. Again. What a shock.

 

[Jimjamesak]

It should be noted that Japan went 15-1-2 in qualifying with a +48 goal differential (yeah, it’s Asia but still). They’re a pretty good team and could make a run at the World Cup (though their group is insanely tough).

 

[RaceBoarder]

I'm not following the crowd off the cliff on this one, but there wasn't much that looked promising here today...

We were playing off our heels the entire match and the passing was butt fugly =(

 

[Jimjamesak]

I'm not following the crowd off the cliff on this one, but there wasn't much that looked promising here today...

We were playing off our heels the entire match and the passing was butt fugly =(

Oh it was bad, there’s no denying that, I’m just shaking my head at the toxic “FIRE BERHALTER!” crowd instead of a decent response like “maybe McKennie shouldn’t be turning the ball over half the time?”

 

[RaceBoarder]

Oh it was bad, there’s no denying that, I’m just shaking my head at the toxic “FIRE BERHALTER!” crowd instead of a decent response like “maybe McKennie shouldn’t be turning the ball over half the time?”

Honestly, it seemed that everyone today was kind of looking for the correct play based on what they need to do with their home club. Meaning Player A would look for Player B, but Player B was getting in position to set something up after Player A passed to Player C.

Lots of individualism and little team cohesion this AM.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Honestly, it seemed that everyone today was kind of looking for the correct play based on what they need to do with their home club. Meaning Player A would look for Player B, but Player B was getting in position to set something up after Player A passed to Player C.

Lots of individualism and little team cohesion this AM.

Yeah, for all of the hype they get the midfield of Adams, McKennie, and de la Torre plus Reyna and Aaronson was pretty garbage today. Credit to Japan on their press but it wasn't the first time a team played like that against the USMNT, they saw it a lot in CONCACAF, and they know how to play out of it but just didn't today.

A good take I saw was really heavy on criticism for Reyna (he radiates “best kid on the team who flips out when he doesn’t get the ball” energy) and McKennie (plays with a ton of unearned confidence). Another pointed out the Pulisic sized hole in the midfield.

Edit: It should be pointed out that it's not surprising the effort was pretty low from some players. It's a pre-World Cup friendly and guys are definitely more concerned about not getting hurt two months before the tournament.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Yeah, for all of the hype they get the midfield of Adams, McKennie, and de la Torre plus Reyna and Aaronson was pretty garbage today. Credit to Japan on their press but it wasn't the first time a team played like that against the USMNT, they saw it a lot in CONCACAF, and they know how to play out of it but just didn't today.

A good take I saw was really heavy on criticism for Reyna (he radiates “best kid on the team who flips out when he doesn’t get the ball” energy) and McKennie (plays with a ton of unearned confidence). Another pointed out the Pulisic sized hole in the midfield.

Edit: It should be pointed out that it's not surprising the effort was pretty low from some players. It's a pre-World Cup friendly and guys are definitely more concerned about not getting hurt two months before the tournament.

You're not wrong on the last part. That being said however:

Given that these guys don't play together, they need to execute just like they would in a WC Match to get the reps in. What we got today was like the NFL's 3rd pre-season game (well a few years ago when there were still four). The starters were on the field for a good chunk, but it was still a half-assed attitude. Wasn't worth the price of admission. And Iran got a result against Uruguay today, so unless the US wants to sleepwalk into being perceived at the bottom of the group, I don't think they accomplished anything.

 

[mookie1995]

Girl tells mookie she saw Thailand is coming here to play kuwait.
that will be interesting

 

[Jimjamesak]

You're not wrong on the last part. That being said however:

Given that these guys don't play together, they need to execute just like they would in a WC Match to get the reps in. What we got today was like the NFL's 3rd pre-season game (well a few years ago when there were still four). The starters were on the field for a good chunk, but it was still a half-assed attitude. Wasn't worth the price of admission. And Iran got a result against Uruguay today, so unless the US wants to sleepwalk into being perceived at the bottom of the group, I don't think they accomplished anything.

And that’s absolutely the right response (for the most part, I have one quibble), there should’ve been a better effort. And blaming everything squarely on Berhalter, like everybody and their mother seems to be doing (though not you), is foolish.

The only thing I disagree with is trying to fully settle on a lineup. It’s still two months out and the possibility of injury to a starter in that time is high. The Euro teams are entering a brutal stretch of multiple weeks with multiple games while MLS is in the playoff push and right into the playoffs. It’s very important in these two games to see where depth players fit in.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Well, at least England isn’t in great shape either.

Relegated from League A of the Nations League after losing to Italy.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Yeah, that’s a red card.

 

[Kepler]

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Yeah, that’s a red card.

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[RaceBoarder]

Yeah, that’s a red card.

That's a badge of honor if you are an official, lol....

 

[Jimjamesak]

That's a badge of honor if you are an official, lol....

It just means good work! A little uncommon at the professional level though lol.

(Though, from what I've heard about the NWSL, not all that surprising)

 

[joecct]

Wales to make the knockout round:

@SkySports: Michael Sheen delivered another incredible speech to the Wales national team! https://twitter.com/SkySports/status/1574503106930524245/video/1

 

[mookie1995]

Girl tells mookie she saw Thailand is coming here to play kuwait.
that will be interesting

Hmmmm
this is futsal
May still be interesting.
16 Asian teams tournament

 

[Jimjamesak]

I feel like people are trying to treat these games as normal pre-World Cup, two weeks before send-off friendlies instead of the month and half out with a month of intense club fixtures in between friendlies they really are.

 

[First Time Long Time]

I feel like people are trying to treat these games as normal pre-World Cup, two weeks before send-off friendlies instead of the month and half out with a month of intense club fixtures in between friendlies they really are.

Certainly not games to instill confidence

 

[Jimjamesak]

Certainly not games to instill confidence

I don’t think these games were meant to instill confidence. I think it was more about trying out players who may have to be backups in case of injury between now and the World Cup while getting some minutes to others.

I honestly don’t blame them on this one though. The referee didn’t do anything to stop the Saudis from hacking down US players so the US players stopped trying to dribble through players about 30 minutes in. By the time Yedlin was taken out 60 minutes in you could clearly see them go “fuck this, I’m not missing the World Cup because I got hurt in a friendly.”

 

[Jimjamesak]

And it’s not like the rest of the group is on fire. England and Wales both got relegated in the Nations League while going winless and Iran had to hire a new coach two weeks ago.

And now it’s questionable if any of the Iranian players will be able to play considering they just protested their government in their game today.