World Cup and European leagues

Started by Jim Matson, June 11, 2006, 12:00:45 AM

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Domino1195

Quote from: jknezek on November 22, 2016, 12:27:59 PM
Quote from: 1970s NESCAC Player on November 22, 2016, 12:12:15 PM
Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on November 22, 2016, 11:54:17 AM
Other than the options mentioned, could they possibly have looked at the college level or would they not be good enough to lead a national team?

Arena, Sampson and Bradley all had D-1 college coaching experience before moving on to the professional level, but it would be unprecedented (I think) to pluck someone straight out of the college ranks.  Is there some present college coach that you think is qualified to manage the USMNT?

In this day and age, I can't imagine anyone making that leap. It's pretty difficult for college coaches to jump to MLS, though Caleb Porter has done OK. Most of the MLS coaches are MLS assistants first, though the recent preference for recently retired players is somewhat baffling to me.

I have to admit, I was tired of Klinsi, think the team was tired of him, and he needed to go. But I don't think there were any realistic and obvious replacements. Arena seems like the only logical stop gap while I'm sure Gulati will look for a bigger name after this cycle. I do think one thing is now absolutely obvious. One cycle is it for these guys. After that the message starts to get tuned out. Arena got 2 in a row and it wasn't pretty. Bradley couldn't get 2, neither could Klinsi. So no more of these stupid, money wasting, contract extensions. Hell, even the Spanish couldn't make it work.

Porter would have been the great choice - understands the US game and player - and looking at the players he recruited to Akron - he reads talent well.

Gray Fox

I'm a fan but not knowledgeable.
Any comments on the current status on the team.
Fierce When Roused

jknezek

#2807
Quote from: Gray Fox on June 13, 2017, 12:04:02 PM
I'm a fan but not knowledgeable.
Any comments on the current status on the team.

Looking better. They seem to be reacting better to Arena. The comments from players seem to indicate he is trying to provide more traditional roles and ties to U.S. historical strengths. I don't think the talent level has dramatically changed. Don't get me wrong, Pulisic is on track to be one of the best American players, but it is still early. And he is replacing one of the best American players in Landon Donovan. Dempsey is still working hard but aging, Altidore is a serviceable target forward and should have more impact now that we have a coach that is willing to let him play that role. The midfield has more creativity, but it seems like a bit less hustle.

American players are generally known for making up with their lack of tactical skill with great athleticism and desire. The current crop seems to have a bit more tactical skill, for example Nagbe, but less of someone like Zusi's dogged determinism to play both ends of the field.

Bradley is once again being played in the proper role, and you have to respect his beautiful goal against Mexico. But overall the defense seems somewhat in flux. I admire DeMarcus Beasley. I flat out love the heart the guy has always played with and was thrilled to see him in person in Chattanooga in January. But if he is needed as an outside back still, something is not right in the defense. We seem to have no end of towering, serviceable center backs, but outside backs are proving elusive.

Overall, there is no excuse for us not qualifying for Russia. With Panama and Costa Rica at home to go, and Honduras and T&T on the road, there is no reason we shouldn't pick up at least 7 to 9 more points. Since we have 8 right now, 15 to 17 points should be just enough for us to go through as the 2/3 qualifier in CONCACAF and avoid the two-leg fourth spot playoff.

15 points put Honduras through in 2014, Costa Rica finished second with 18, and we topped qualifying with 22. Mexico had 11 to make the home and home playoff.

Are we a better team than 2014 or 2010? It doesn't seem like it. We seem to have stalled out a bit after a long slow climb to the level we reached in 2010. We just don't have that quality that is needed to jump to the next level, clearly inside the top 20 teams in the world. I think we are pretty fairly inside the top 30, roughly, but we just lack the athletes, tactics, and individual talent across the field to push higher.

Gray Fox

Fierce When Roused

FCGrizzliesGrad

I'm expecting Costa Rica to handle T&T tonight which would put them solidly in the top 3 with Mexico in my mind.
Then there's Panama where maybe there'll be a goal at some point. If they beat Honduras that will put them 1 point ahead of the US for 3rd and pretty much take Honduras and T&T out of the picture.
I think the key game for how everything shakes out may be the penultimate game between Panama and US in Orlando. Could be Panama on 12 and US on 11 going into that and with the final opponents, I think a draw could be enough for the US to squeak through.
Really don't want to finish 4th because right now the possible opponents look like (South Korea/Uzbekistan) or (Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia) and any of those would be tough.
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FCGrizzliesGrad

#2810
Well ignore what I said. Panama with a needless foul when Honduras was just kicking it to the other end of the field. That leads to Honduras with a great free kick with an even better save but Honduras just keeps it in play and puts it in the goal only minutes into the game.

Edit: That was a more entertaining game than I was expecting... in 5 Panama games there had been a total of 4 goals... this game had 4 goals. I feel much better about the US after that 2-2 draw.
Football picker extraordinaire
5 titles: CCIW, NJAC
4x: ODAC:S
3x: ASC, IIAC, MIAA:S, NACC:S, NCAC, OAC:P, Nat'l
2x: HCAC, MIAC, ODAC:P, WIAC
1x: Bracket, OAC:S

Basketball
2013 WIAC Pickem Co-champ
2015 Nat'l Pickem
2017: LEC and MIAA Pickem
2019: MIAA and WIAC Pickem

Soccer
2023: Mens Pickem

Clotpoll

Don't feel better. Barely 25% possession against a cobbled-together Mexico side (seven regulars out) that had one eye on the Confed Cup. We went up 1-0, then Mexico got on their front foot and bossed the rest of the match.

We had no chance for meaningful possession because Guzan's feet are awful, as are his distribution and decision making. Pulisic isn't a player suited to chasing down 70 yard goal kicks for knockdowns and second balls. The couple of times in the 2nd half that balls were actually played to his feet, he looked a threat.

If you're going to concede possession, your defending had better be Mourinho-quality. Unfortunately, we parked a couple of Mini-Coopers in front of goal instead of a Greyhound bus. Our back four was the usual mess, with our 6/8 routinely caught too far forward to properly shield the back line. Two goals conceded in a bunkering situation is unacceptable at any level.

Goldenrj

Quote from: Clotpoll on June 25, 2017, 09:06:44 AM
Don't feel better. Barely 25% possession against a cobbled-together Mexico side (seven regulars out) that had one eye on the Confed Cup. We went up 1-0, then Mexico got on their front foot and bossed the rest of the match.

We had no chance for meaningful possession because Guzan's feet are awful, as are his distribution and decision making. Pulisic isn't a player suited to chasing down 70 yard goal kicks for knockdowns and second balls. The couple of times in the 2nd half that balls were actually played to his feet, he looked a threat.

If you're going to concede possession, your defending had better be Mourinho-quality. Unfortunately, we parked a couple of Mini-Coopers in front of goal instead of a Greyhound bus. Our back four was the usual mess, with our 6/8 routinely caught too far forward to properly shield the back line. Two goals conceded in a bunkering situation is unacceptable at any level.

I know that I am late responding, but I just read this and it is so off base that I have to respond.  First, Guzan is excellent with his feet, he is able to consistently able to find targets, with both feet.  Tim Howard may be good at throwing the ball, but using his feet is not his strong suit.  If you want proof, go to a USMNT game or training and watch the GKs warmup kicking balls.  Guzan consistently plays it right to his target, Howard sprays them all over with a poor Asst Coach chasing his kicks all over the field.

Second, Mexico has exactly 1 shot on Goal, at Azteca.  How is this bossing the game?  They had some half chances, but could not find the target.  They had possession without threat.  US had 7 shots, Mexico 10.  Considering that the US scored early (game states), and was content with a Draw at Azteca, that is a fairly even.  I think the US had a great game plan, executed it, and got the result.

It's not like the 0-0 draw in 2013 at Azteca in the Klinsi era where the US was outshot 19-1 and Guzan stood on his head with a great game, and the US rode its luck.  Then your description of "bossing the game" but being unlucky would have been accurate.

Clotpoll

JK and Arena get the same result, but JK takes the heat & Arena gets the praise. 25% possession against a weakened Mexico 11 isn't a 'great game plan'. Honestly, I couldn't detect evidence of a plan after MB scored.

I'd take Germany's 8th choice GK over Guzan. Comparing his feet to Howard's is damnation with faint praise. Howard is a scud missile launcher. To be fair, somebody must've told Guzan before last night's game to put the ball on the ground. When he does that, he becomes an asset.

Goldenrj

Results were not the same, I watched both games.  With JK we got lucky, outshot 19-1.  This year Mexico had 1 shot on goal (the one they scored).  So we will just have to disagree.

I talked about Brads ability with his feet to respond to you.  It is good.  I like his shot stopping ability and organization too.  I have liked Howard too, his Belgium game might have been the best single game performance by a keeper ever.  But that was 3 years ago, I think Howard and Guzan are 1a and 1b.  Don't focus on the past, watch Howard now for the Rapids and the USMNT compared to Guzan for ATL and USMNT.  I think Guzan will outplay Howard going forward.  We will see.

jknezek

Guzan was one of our few bright spots for the "B" Gold Cup squad in the Panama draw. That was a really bad effort for the U.S. They looked very disjointed and the goal Panama scored came while they were applying tremendous pressure and the U.S. could not figure out how to relieve it or even how to keep possession. The goal itself was an embarrassing defensive breakdown.

Goldenrj

Agreed, the game against Panama was disjointed and tough to watch.  I had higher hopes after the Ghana friendly, but Acosta and McCarty struggled in the middle and Corona disappeared at the 10.

Clotpoll

#2817
Quote from: Goldenrj on July 09, 2017, 10:56:12 PM
Results were not the same, I watched both games.  With JK we got lucky, outshot 19-1.  This year Mexico had 1 shot on goal (the one they scored).  So we will just have to disagree.

I talked about Brads ability with his feet to respond to you.  It is good.  I like his shot stopping ability and organization too.  I have liked Howard too, his Belgium game might have been the best single game performance by a keeper ever.  But that was 3 years ago, I think Howard and Guzan are 1a and 1b.  Don't focus on the past, watch Howard now for the Rapids and the USMNT compared to Guzan for ATL and USMNT.  I think Guzan will outplay Howard going forward.  We will see.

So there are different types of draw? Last I checked, all draws are one point. Understandable, though, that Arena fans have to latch on to whatever they can to offer a defense for his horrific management. In response to the parsing of match facts offered in Arena's defense, all I can say (again) is that Mexico were missing SEVEN regulars and had one foot out the door to the Confed Cup. If there were ever a time to steal three points at Azteca, that was it. Instead, the real wonder is what the result would've been had Mexico played just Tecatito.

GKs who are good with their feet are players like Neuer, Ter Stegen, Trapp, Lloris, Bravo, Casillas, Ochoa, Buffon. They are also vastly superior in every other skill the position demands. There are also a handful of 18-20 year old completely unheralded US keepers who can play rings around Guzan. I'd be happier to see a guy like Kevin Silva (now at UCLA)- who has tons of youth NT experience- pulled up to the men's team and given a chance. He's proactive, positive, a good leader and a player unafraid to put it on the ground and get involved in the buildup.

Goldenrj

This was a WQ qualifier, Mexico played their strongest available team.

Gotberg

I'm not really sure where this belongs, but just noting that Carthage rising junior left school and signed a 1 year professional contract with QPR's under-23's.

https://www.qpr.co.uk/squads/under-23s/giles-phillips/

I believe he even played in a friendly with the first team this past weekend against Reading.
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. - George Best