If you look at that Argentine team, the supporting cast is there. They may not be on the level as a complete squad that Germany is, but they are loaded with talent. Not sure if the problem is coaching, squad cohesion, or style, but a team as stacked as that group is should be winning trophies.
The USMNT got a very good result at the Azteca, but the disorganization of the defense was worrisome. And as much as I love Beasley, he is really looking his age on the outside, but I don’t blame him for that goal, someone on the inside should have cut that run off better.
My summer fun will be watching Man City try to buy every player Pep feels may fit his system, and someone wrapping Vincent Kompany in bubble wrap and packaging foam so he can maybe, just maybe, stay healthy for the year. The back line is completely different with the captain on patrol.
I don’t think the US was lucky at all. Yeah, Mexico had way more possession (they always do), but they only really had 2 chances and scored on one. The US had at least 3 good chances. Gave me a lot of confidence in them actually. I feel much much better about Bradley and Arena than I did before the game as well as extra confident in Cameron.
My only real disappointment was Arriola, and a little bit with Pulisic. He tried to do a bit much with the ball at his feet and turned it over. More tempering my expectations than real disappointment though.
Big big Panama vs Honduras match tonight. Hoping for a tie or Honduras win.
Pulisic is 18 dudes. He was born around the time Beasley mad his debut for the Juniors. And when Tom Howard turned pro. I am looking forward to seeing him be one of the players of the Tournament at Qatar 2022.
I agree with both Snarky_Kong and AK84. There is reason for confidence. And I was wrong to believe that Klinsmam was the man to lead USMNT. Arena has done an excellent job thus far.
I’m also looking forward to sinday. Mex v Port and Chi v Cam.
Pulisic is no great special talent. He’s probably better than most of what the US has available at present, and that’s a pretty damning statistic for the USMNT. And if I sound bitter about that, I am; I’ve been watching USSF flail around in trying to develop soccer in the United States from 1989 til now. I thought for certain that we would slowly but surely improve our soccer ability as a nation following the 1994 World Cup (games of which I watched in person, including the excellent July 4 USA v Brazil matchup!). But that hasn’t happened. MLS went through a long period of being a bit of a farce; to the credit of the League, they at least have that on relatively strong footing now. But our continued insistence upon refusing to follow the normal calendar for soccer in the world, the weakness of the quality in the MLS (where any mid-30s EPL star past his prime can immediately slot in and star!), and the failure of the USSF to strongly integrate all aspects of soccer in the US have left us at a point where we haven’t grown at all. Heck, in 1994, admittedly with home-field advantage, we qualified out of the group stages, and had we not been matched against winners Brazil in the first knock-out game, might have won! Now, in 2018, although we will qualify, the likelihood we’ll get past the group stages is still at best 50-50, and we haven’t had a “deep” run in the tournament since 2002.
Go back to 11/11/16, and if Marquez doesn’t sneak an 89th minute header in for 2-1, and then the other day, the ball that was two inches too high is just a hair lower, and México wins that game 2-1, who would be saying that Arena is doing a great job compared to Klinsmann? The United States will not have progressed in soccer until we reach the point where our expectation going IN to the Hex is that we will win it, and anything less is a complete failure on our part. And I don’t think Arena, or any coach, would be capable of that right now.
Pulisic will be just the latest of our early hope flame-outs. Too much put on their shoulders, considering they are relatively average talents in the field of world soccer.
DS…ha I’m a DS too…your expectations are way too high.
Pulisic is EIGHTEEN.
ENGLAND wouldn’t go into the Mexican home stadium and absolutely expect a victory. The US will never be in a position to do so. To expect a good chance of winning? Sure.
I do agree that I was watching and thinking "is this 2006??? Same tactics, same coach, same shitty Beasley out there.
On a different note: Puerto Rico has a team??? And they held Malaysia to a draw? I know Malaysia is no great shakes but don’t they have 100 million people?
Fivethirtyeight has an article that details how Pulisic created more scoring chances than any other 18 year old in the world this last season. He’s preferred at Dortmund to Schurrle. I think he’s a bit more than just an ok talent.
The US is absolutely way ahead of where they were a decade or two ago. I find that a puzzling comment. 8 teams made it out of the group the past 2 world cups, the US is one of them. The 2006 roster had Chris Albright, Ben Olsen, and Brian Ching on it. 2018 will have 4 or more players on teams playing in the Champions league.
It hasn’t been a meteoric rise, but it never was going to be.
Pulisic has scored or assisted in 8 of the last 10 goals for the U.S. And drew the foul that led to another. It’s only Bradley’s wondergoal the other day that he had nothing to do with. At 18. And that’s ignoring his Bundesliga and Champions League accomplishments.
What’s with the hostility? Pulisic had the 8th highest G+A/90 of any midfielder in the Bundesliga last year. He had the 7th highest G+A/90 of any teenager in any league since 2010. He’s preferred at Dortmund over a WC winner 8 years his senior. Dortmund wouldn’t consider a $30 euro transfer to Liverpool.
He’s clearly not Messi or Robben, but nobody is claiming he is. What we are excited about is that he’s a legitimate great prospect, and an effective player in probably the second best league in the world at the age of 18. If you think he’s just slightly more talented than Alejandro Bedoya, well, I’ll agree with Jugen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel over you.
CR7 fans seem to have decided since 2016, that contrary to their earlier views, International Trophies really are the litmus test for greatness. I wonder why the change in view?
It was less than a minute after they play had been stopped. To reverse a ridiculously offside play. Incredibly exciting that we finally have it. Would rather pause the restart for 30sec to get the call right.
I agree in principle but I didn’t like the way it impacted the momentum of the game and it seems to be affecting the linemen; they werent as decisive as usual. Just my opinion and hopefully it will get better.
