Holy crap! Berhalter is starting who should be starting. Reyna and McKennie at the 8 and 10, Adams at the 6. Ream and Richards at the the CBs, Haji Wright with the start at the 9. Also, we have an English speaking ref (Canadian). Always have said the US cannot get a fair shake with Spanish speaking referees in CONCACAF comps vs Mexico
USMNT Player Pool Discussion
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ADAMS!!!! Strike from 35 yds out that beat Ochoa. The US has looked like it's playing with a bit more urgency and focus than the other night but there have been some absolute stupid passes from Richards and Jedi. Dest shows why he is the starting RFB.
The US is playing that weird double pivot again except you're not sure who the 2nd one is as both Reyna and McKennie have dropped back to help in the role. Once we get past Mexico's first pressers it's game on and you can tell the Mexican outside backs want no part of Pulisic or Weah 1v1, every time it comes up they simply play the ball out for a throw, sort of like you see in a U13 game.
Ochoa made an absolute peach of a save on a really nice play from Jedi-Reyna- Pulisic. Mexico really only 1 shot on goal which was comfortably smothered by Turner.
Expect Mexico to force things forward in the 2nd half which should open up some space for Pulisic and Weah and perhaps Balogun coming in for Wright to force Mexico to really keep track of those runs.
The US is playing that weird double pivot again except you're not sure who the 2nd one is as both Reyna and McKennie have dropped back to help in the role. Once we get past Mexico's first pressers it's game on and you can tell the Mexican outside backs want no part of Pulisic or Weah 1v1, every time it comes up they simply play the ball out for a throw, sort of like you see in a U13 game.
Ochoa made an absolute peach of a save on a really nice play from Jedi-Reyna- Pulisic. Mexico really only 1 shot on goal which was comfortably smothered by Turner.
Expect Mexico to force things forward in the 2nd half which should open up some space for Pulisic and Weah and perhaps Balogun coming in for Wright to force Mexico to really keep track of those runs.
DOS A CERO!!! Reyna with a peach of a half volley. Beats Ochoa near post. Play all because the right back couldn't slow Pulisic down allowing him deep and working centrally forcing Mexico to drop, header only partially cleared to the top of the box where Reyna pounced.
To Dr Boobay's point, the US is way better than Mexico's backline which is a train wreck, worse than when we were running out Zimmerman and Aaron Long.
To Dr Boobay's point, the US is way better than Mexico's backline which is a train wreck, worse than when we were running out Zimmerman and Aaron Long.
And the US has better talent playing better competition worldwide. Mexico has players in Europe but they're not featuring in the top leagues like the US players. Maybe 1-2 in Italy, 1 in EPL. Heck, even their best player Lozano is playing in the Dutch League (and a teammate of Dest).
And now the Mexican fans have resorted to yelling "Puta" and they're about to stop the match. At this point, just abandon the match and don't let Mexico have fans at matches anymore.
And now the Mexican fans have resorted to yelling "Puta" and they're about to stop the match. At this point, just abandon the match and don't let Mexico have fans at matches anymore.
Sanctimonious Twitter at 4:59 pm: America is an imperialist nation that has a legacy of forcing its views on the world.
Sanctimonious Twitter at 10pm: America should force CONCACAF to have Mexico forfeit this match because Americans who I think are Mexican are saying abhorrent things that conflict with my values.
Sanctimonious Twitter at 10pm: America should force CONCACAF to have Mexico forfeit this match because Americans who I think are Mexican are saying abhorrent things that conflict with my values.
At some point CONCACAF and FIFA have to take real legit action right? Shoot, take all of the matches scheduled in Mexico for the WC 2026 away. There are more than enough stadiums in the US to take on the extra game load and I'm sure there would be cities bidding for more games. My solution is strip the WC 2026 games away from them, ban all fans from all Liga MX matches for a period of a year. The club owners and Mexican Futbol Federation will absolutely have to address the issue aggressively and start removing fans 1 by 1 when this crap happens. Again, ruin it for all fans and they will start policing themselves on it. (And it might also eliminate the bottle and can and battery tossing too....I swear Reyna got hit with something after he scored his goal last night...which was also a freaking great first time strike).
And let's talk about Pulisic and Dest just absolutely going Mortal Kombat on Mexican players and taking their souls in 1 v 1 situations. Dear God what Pulisic did to the defender to set up the play for the 2nd goal was just ridiculous. I thought he just got lucky and the ball came off the defender and right back to Pulisic but the high angle goal line replay showed Pulisic chip it over the defender when he went down for the tackle. Just ridiculous.
What they are saying is horrible and unnecessary. Still …
Americans need to stop trying to force their values on everyone else.
Americans need to start recognizing we can’t preach to the world we represent freedom, including freedom of speech and economic freedom, then turn around and try to restrict how and what people say and do.
If Americans who support Mexico want to be common, they need to be called common. It’s a football match. Common things happen. What it certainly isn’t is a freshmen dorm at a liberal arts college in CT.
The Federation should work with the Mexican authorities to address it, but I don’t hear or see Mexican players condemning it. Let’s start with that before we turn hall monitor on a group of people who feel that we have told them what to do, say and earn far too much over the last 200 years.
Americans need to stop trying to force their values on everyone else.
Americans need to start recognizing we can’t preach to the world we represent freedom, including freedom of speech and economic freedom, then turn around and try to restrict how and what people say and do.
If Americans who support Mexico want to be common, they need to be called common. It’s a football match. Common things happen. What it certainly isn’t is a freshmen dorm at a liberal arts college in CT.
The Federation should work with the Mexican authorities to address it, but I don’t hear or see Mexican players condemning it. Let’s start with that before we turn hall monitor on a group of people who feel that we have told them what to do, say and earn far too much over the last 200 years.
I agree with the 1st statement, but this is a FIFA initiative and CONCACAF is working to enforce it. Problem is there is no weight with any of the actions taken. I saw someone suggest where you stop the game the 1st time and warn the crowd the next instance it occurs a player from the offending team will be shown a red card. That's when the players and manager and federation will take it seriously. I know it doesn't matter for the next WC but if you started docking WC qualifying points or not allowing them any home games for WC qualifying, the Federation and players will absolutely do something about it. Yes, most of the fans for Mexico last night live in the US but you know they were fans of Mexico so it really doesn't matter if they live here or there.
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I am still shocked he took that shot from that distance. I think this is like 7 or 8 straight games vs Mexico that we haven't lost.
I agree this is not about American values. Most of the problems are unrelated to the US.
BTW to me the bigger issue is assaulting the players with projectiles. They need to remove all concessions from a match or two to see how that goes.
Basically the FIFA stance is one of anti-discrimination and they've deemed the "PUTA" (means calling someone a pu33y, it's the same in Portuguese) chant when the GK punts deep or takes a long goal kick instead of playing out of the back, can be construed or interpreted as a homophobic slur. They're trying to get rid of all of that nonsense.
ccc c
If you go to a game in Azteca, the players enter the pitch through a 25 yard inflatable tube to shield them from projectiles. Urine, feces, coins, batteries, belt buckles. Banning the sale of beer in a cup will do little to stop what you are talking about, especially on corner kicks. Though it couldn’t hurt anything except the bottom line.
Puta actually means prostitute (or a more crude word for it) but your definition could well be an idiomatic meaning.
They are yelling ¡Puto! which has the literal meaning of male prostitute and the idiomatic meaning of a gay slur similar to F$g!
Some academics in Mexico defend the use of the word as a cultural phrase meaning weak or unmanly. They claim it does not refer to homosexuality and isn’t a gay slur per se.
It needs to go. But not because ESPN is tired of the emails and tweets complaining or because a segment of USA fans say so. Because a majority of Mexico fans know and feel it is right for them to discontinue it. Let’s start with Rafa doing a commercial to stop it, shall we? We haven’t seen that, yet. My sense is you won’t for awhile.
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Yes, that is the literal definition of the word. But the slang meaning is "pu$$y". I grew up in a largely Portuguese community and this word was thrown around between kids all the time. Don't want to go pool hopping with us, you're a puta. Don't want to jump off the bridge with us, you're a puta.
So has Berhalter saved the proper lineups and better substituting for the games that matter. Has he been pulling the wool over the futbol world's eyes until recently? Or is that assuming he's got more coaching sense than a worn out pair of cleats put in a closet 10 years ago?
I think it kills him to include Reyna on he squad and then play him still because the thing that drives Gregg Berhalter most is his ego. But I also think he's extremely susceptible to outside opinions and the talking heads because Berhalter wants to be liked. I think he hates it when Alexei Lalas questions his sanity for not playing Reyna, I think it kills him when Cobi Jones and Taylor Twellman and Stu Holden all question whether or not he's the right coach for this group of players.
Well if u are right then let's hope the peer pressure wears him down, into making a few more proper decisions. We have players good enough to play around him if he gets out of their way a little more.
Who is in his head is Jesse Marsch. He ain’t getting fired because of Lalas. Jesse going on TV and saying “If he does this, he will lose and I would have done this” WILL get him fired and he knows it after such things happen regularly, and apparently it’s happened twice. Thats why he is answering questions in press conferences and back handily referring to Jesse.
I don't care how it gets accomplished. Bullying, job threatening, peer pressure, or all of the above, is fine by me. This is an opportunity of which we can't afford to not take advantage of it.
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There are people who would suggest that there are folks inside and outside of USSF that despite outwardly spoken platitudes are absolutely determined not to see the men’s game grow from the event. They want to collect every dollar possible but divert it to other things like youth programs.
I’ll never understand the folks that think the best striker gets on the field if six others are putting pressure on him, but somehow the same shouldn’t be true of the coach. The Bruce Arena routine of, I’m the coach and coach knows best and if you are against me, you are against not just US soccer, but soccer and America, got really old between 2004-06. JK did a similar version at the end too. If Berhalter gets a pass it’s that every coach before him was the best available. He and everyone else knows he isnt the best available, only the person willing to do it under the terms set that is acceptable to a narrow cadre of soccer elites. By definition he’s begun his second stint on the defensive and it will stay that way until we reach a semi final.
For those still wondering about Carrot Top as our #9 for the MNT, check this out: he's scored 16 times since back from ankle surgery and 9 times in the last 10 games. Not including twice before he got hurt with 8 or 9 games left in the season plus that EFL playoff for promotion to the Premier League.
Today, with his team playing lousy and behind 1-0 in the 2nd half, he scores the tying goal on a corner and Norwich City gets one more to win, 2-1. He keeps this up, big clubs all over Europe will be panting after him with big bucks in hand. Screw Burr?halter. Whether he gives him a real chance or not, Sarge's career will soon start to take off like a rocket.
Today, with his team playing lousy and behind 1-0 in the 2nd half, he scores the tying goal on a corner and Norwich City gets one more to win, 2-1. He keeps this up, big clubs all over Europe will be panting after him with big bucks in hand. Screw Burr?halter. Whether he gives him a real chance or not, Sarge's career will soon start to take off like a rocket.
He was called in for Nations League but withdrew because he left Norwich City's last game before the int'l break with a tweak of the ankle injury, but after he scored and he played 82' before being subbed off. I think it was more precautionary than anything. Haji Wright was the guy who replaced him on the roster. I think Pepi's days are numbered as are Ferreira's. The question will be is what Brandon Vazquez is doing in Liga MX enough to warrant him getting a chance?
No. He doesn’t have the physical metrics and has basically admitted as such in interviews. Much more so than club performance, the international game is about speed, quickness and recognition. He’s supposedly deficient in those departments in team workouts, which may explain why he is in Mexico and not Spain.
It’s not just what you are doing with your club, it’s how you play off and play with your teammates. Do you complement their game? Do they trust you? Do you have an understanding of each other in critical moments. Wright has been playing with CP and Weston since they were 15. Weah has his own talents and creates space. The only way Sargent sees the field I would think would be if Balogun falters. But even then, he can’t play back to goal which is critical to the GB system. If CP gets hurt, you would think JS would be the first called in but a substantial reorg of the offense would be necessary.
Sarge is 6'1" 195 and certainly could if Wagner required it, but does not. As far as Burr?halter requiring it, I haven't seen it lately with Pepe, Balogun, or Haji Wright. Do you really want Sargent on the left wing in place of CP if something happens? Might work, but as a player who has virtually single handed brought his club team back into EPL promo contention since returning from a 4-month injury by roaming the box and scoring in different ways, I'd still want him doing just that.
What's cool is that Haji & Sarge are both top 10 scoring in the EFL. Coventry is in 7th today while Norwich has a 4 point cushion over them in 6th
although Haji's Coventry has a game in hand over Norwich. One or the other will likely be in that playoff and a Yank will lead them there.
I’d put Weah on the right and Wright on the left. Red Dead would give us all redemption as a super sub.
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Burr?halter has on rare occasions played CP as a 10 with some success. Finally, Pioli his Milan coach tried him behind Olivier Giroud at the 10 & it only took Pulisic 6 minutes to score the game winner from 20 yards out. Bent it into the far corner where the goalie could only get a fingernail on it.
Sarge did not score at home today(although he drew the foul which resulted in the game winning free kick) against the local rival, Ipswitch, which is likely to win the Championship & is a lock for promotion to the Prem. He missed some chances which would have put him in the EFL record book for most consecutive goals scored in home games at 10.
Haji Wright and Coventry knocked off another big dog (Leeds) in the EFL with Haji getting their 2nd and the game winner. They are fighting for that EFL playoff but still have work to do while Sarge's Canaries have a 4 point cushion over them.
Sarge did not score at home today(although he drew the foul which resulted in the game winning free kick) against the local rival, Ipswitch, which is likely to win the Championship & is a lock for promotion to the Prem. He missed some chances which would have put him in the EFL record book for most consecutive goals scored in home games at 10.
Haji Wright and Coventry knocked off another big dog (Leeds) in the EFL with Haji getting their 2nd and the game winner. They are fighting for that EFL playoff but still have work to do while Sarge's Canaries have a 4 point cushion over them.
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Tim Weah gets the assist today on a goal that puts Juve in the final of the Italian Cup over those sob's from Lazio. He sends a ball across the goal mouth to a teammate who rushes up to tap it in. Will do wonders for his confidence as he mostly comes off the bench with an occasional start.
Our MNT starting right back is out of action for months to come with a torn ACL. Just really sucks for S. Dest.
Our MNT starting right back is out of action for months to come with a torn ACL. Just really sucks for S. Dest.
