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World Cup Qualifying

Well, it's Josh Sargent starting(his 1st) vs Watford on Peacock right now(0900). The perfect opportunity for Carrot-top to shine-for the Canaries & the USMNT. We'll see how he does in a couple hours & I'll report.
 
I thought J. Sargent played very, very well, but no points. And for CP, there's good news & bad news: he wasn't in the squad today vs Tottenham (3-0) win, but at least he's back in training after injury. More bad news, after 5 games in the new season, Chelsea is undefeated (4 W & 1 draw).

So why would Tuchel even start him, let alone come off the bench? I just don't know-but Pulisic better start impressing Tommy Tuchel in practice.
 
Chelsea is loaded and, as you said, playing very well, is there a possibility he could get loaned out?
 
There's been talk of a player swap with Bayern. I doubt a loan out since Chelsea's ownership paid $73 mill for him. They'll want some value for CP if anything ever happens.
 
I don’t know if Bayern would be a better spot with Lewondowski and Mueller up top. He could be used as an attacking midfielder to feed those beasts I guess.
 
I've heard some rumblings of a Dike move to Palace and/or Everton. Palace is a little out off that MLS is asking for £18M as a transfer fee. Dike move to CP would almost certainly mean the end of Benteke's time at CP.
 
He could be used as an attacking midfielder to feed those beasts I guess.
Eggzactly! The most success he's had in his career has been forward on the left side for goals & assists, but no one's played him there since Frankie Lampard, including Beer?halter.
 
That rumor Bla reported of a possible move to Crystal Palace for D. Dike is getting stronger. May not happen if
Orlando keeps insisting on an xfer fee of $20 mill. A transfer may pop for Pepi within a couple of weeks as teams from Italy, Germany & England are interested. I guess Dallas will ask upwards of $22 mill.

Then there's Christian Pulisic whose career is going nowhere fast. He hasn't had one minute in about 2 months. He might be on the bench vs Man City tomorrow but if so, will Tommy Tuchel use him? He might be able to come off the bench for Beer?halter in the 1st of 3 very important qualifiers coming soon. But unless CP starts to impress T.T. in practice & games & stays fit for crying out loud, my guess is that he'll be gone sometime this summer. The direction his career is taking just makes me want to puke.

Here's a late breaking update on CP vs Man City: "Pulisic is still out", said Tommy T. Just 4 stinkin words. I hope that he might get some minutes vs Wes McKinnie & Juventus in the Ch Lg group for Chelsea-but doubtful.
 
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That rumor Bla reported of a possible move to Crystal Palace for D. Dike is getting stronger. May not happen if
Orlando keeps insisting on an xfer fee of $20 mill. A transfer may pop for Pepi within a couple of weeks as teams from Italy, Germany & England are interested. I guess Dallas will ask upwards of $22 mill.

Then there's Christian Pulisic whose career is going nowhere fast. He hasn't had one minute in about 2 months. He might be on the bench vs Man City tomorrow but if so, will Tommy Tuchel use him? He might be able to come off the bench for Beer?halter in the 1st of 3 very important qualifiers coming soon. But unless CP starts to impress T.T. in practice & games & stays fit for crying out loud, my guess is that he'll be gone sometime this summer. The direction his career is taking just makes me want to puke.
Pepi may have a little bit more going for him than Dike does. Dike is like a bull in a china shop and can wreak havoc in the box. Pepi's technical skill, movement, ability in the air, and instincts will serve him well. Pepi's game fits with a more traditional style of play and allows for some flexibility in terms of where he can play in just about any formation. Dike is almost limited to playing in a 4-3-3- with him playing a little more forward and up top almost like a 4-3-2-1 and almost always with his back to goal. I think the next thing for Dike is to figure out those dynamic burst runs in the box to get to the right place at the right time. He is big and physical enough to create his own space...he just needs to be more subtle as he gets called for a lot of fouls trying to create that space whereas guys in similar molds have learned to do it and get away with it.

Disclaimer: I have seen limited game action of Pepi, but what I have has been impressive. Like a younger, more raw version of Kai Havertz with a good combo of size, speed, and skill and a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
 
So much for Pulisic vs McKennie(Chelsea vs Juventus) in the ChLg this Wednesday. CP is still out with an ankle injury he picked up with the MNT. Good Grief!!
 
And CP is out for our 3 qualifiers coming up. I just wonder how all the injuries plus the Covid thing are affecting his mental health?
 
We overused him. He needs rest. Also, if we are playing trash teams that don’t have anyone like him, we might as well let him heal. They will just knock him over again and again like Honduras and El Salvador did. It’s not soccer, but until they start enforcing rules properly, there’s no sense in risking further injury right now.
 
This should open the door for Hoppe to get some time. Just depending on what happens with McKennie too. Hopefully Berhalter's panties aren't in a wad still over the McKennie drama the last cycle.

I think you will see more Pepi for sure lining up with Gio Reyna and maybe Weah. Arriola may get a call in in place of Pulisic as well. The lineup for the last game vs Honduras seemed positive. Let's see more of that
 
I'm happy with Turner, Steffen & Sean Johnson in goal. Also with Brooks, Hoppe, T. Adams, Dest, Busio, McKennie, Musah, A. Robinson & Chris Richards.

Not so happy with Zardes(thought he was injured?), Bello, McKenzie, Moore, Miles Robinson, Roldan, Yedlin & TIM REAM! If any of these play much on the back line, we could be in trouble. But that's just Beer?halter, doing his personnel thing. More concerned about having MLS guys with little experience in very important games than calling up the best available.
 
We overused him. He needs rest
Beer?halter certainly did. He comes off a 10-day covid quarantine & 3 days later Beer/halter plays him the full 90 in one game & starts him in the other. The overuse might have contributed to his injury e.g. tired & unable to avoid some of those cheap shots. His ankle has him not in the team for Chelsea or the MNT now.
 
I'm happy with Turner, Steffen & Sean Johnson in goal. Also with Brooks, Hoppe, T. Adams, Dest, Busio, McKennie, Musah, A. Robinson & Chris Richards.

Not so happy with Zardes(thought he was injured?), Bello, McKenzie, Moore, Miles Robinson, Roldan, Yedlin & TIM REAM! If any of these play much on the back line, we could be in trouble. But that's just Beer?halter, doing his personnel thing. More concerned about having MLS guys with little experience in very important games than calling up the best available.
Miles Robinson was the best CB the US had in the last set of qualifiers. He's earned his spot. Brooks has been hurt and not playing at Wolfsburg and he got subbed off in the Honduras game so I can see Robinson getting the nod. I don't know about the beef with Roldan. Whenever he comes in he makes things happen and he's a true box to box player. I haven't seen the full call up list yet, so I'm. Only going by what's here.
 
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Miles Robinson was the best CB the US had in the last set of qualifiers. He's earned his spot. Brooks has been hurt and not playing at Wolfsburg and he got subbed off in the Honduras game so I can see Robinson getting the nod. I don't know about the beef with Roldan. Whenever he comes in he makes things happen and he's a true box to box player. I haven't seen the full call up list yet, so I'm. Only going by what's here.
 
Ream is out and Walker-Zimmerman has been named in his place. I did find it interesting that Sargent, Pefok, and de la Fuente were not called in as well.

If the US comes out with intensity, they should wipe the floor with Jamaica. The Reggae Boys have not been playing well at all and got drilled by Panama in Kingston 3-0 in the last set of games. I worry about Panama...they've been playing extremely well and grinded out a point va Mexico last month as well as beating Jamaica on the road, as well as earning a point vs Costa Rica. They seem to be solid at home. I'm more worried about that game than I am about the home game vs Costa Rica (who struggled to earn a draw against previously pointless Jamaica).

7 pts from this set of games should have the US easily in 2nd place barring Canada, El Salvador, or Honduras finding an upset of El Tri. Canada has a difficult 3 game stretch (Mexico, Jamaica, Panama).

My predicted standings after these 3 games:
1. Mexico 14 pts
2. US 12 pts
3. Panama 10 pts
4. Canada 9 pts
5. Costa Rica 6 pts
6. Honduras 6 pts
7. El Salvador 3 pts
8. Jamaica 1 pt
 
I'm anxious to see Tim Weah and Antonee Robinson feeding the likes of Pepi, Aaronson and Hoppe.
I hope to see a lot of Zimmerman, Dest, Chris Richards, Antonee &, yes, even Miles Robinson. I hope to not see a lot of Moore, Bello, McKenzie or Ream.
 
I'm anxious to see Tim Weah and Antonee Robinson feeding the likes of Pepi, Aaronson and Hoppe.
I hope to see a lot of Zimmerman, Dest, Chris Richards, Antonee &, yes, even Miles Robinson. I hope to not see a lot of Moore, Bello, McKenzie or Ream.
Ream is out. He was replaced by Walker Zimmerman. I agree on Moore and Bello as well. I think McKenzie has some promise. I think he was a little out of his element in the Gold Cup. He was much better vs Honduras when he got pushed inside after Brooks was subbed off at half. He and M Robinson seem to have some chemistry back there.

I like the idea of Pepi at the 7, Hoppe at the 11 and Aaronson at the 10 and maybe Zardes at the 9. I think there is some flexibility with the forward group. Zardes is the only true 9 without Sargent or Pefok being called in. Hoppe or Pepi may be able to fill that role or maybe Berhalter goes with more of a 4-4-2 with Hoppe and Pepi up top. With the wings we have there's no doubt they will get deep into the attack.
 
HOLY CRAP! Central African republican just scored vs Nigeria in the 90th minute. Nigeria is a huge favorite in this group and I'm not sure CTA had a shot on goal before they scored. 5 minutes of stoppage time to come.
 
After a lackluster first half we had a very good second half and could have had as many as three more goals. I would like to see more of Weah and Mousa, they both displayed a lot of quickness in the second half.
 
Mousa was terrific tonight. The US really had a lot of energy for 90 today despite few shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. There definitely should have been a red card 1 minute in as well.
 
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Canada and Mexico ties at 1 in the 58th minute. Mexico is lucky there is no VAR in CONCACAF because they'd have a player sent off right now.

And now the ref has stopped play because Mexican fans are being Mexican fans and using slurs and obscenities. PA announces the warning. Mexico just doesn't need to have fans if they keep this up. US should not allow any fan into the stadium who is wearing any Mexican attire. It happens every time and there are no consequences.
 
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Mousa was terrific tonight. The US really had a lot of energy for 90 today despite few shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. There definitely should have been a red card 1 minute in as well.
I only got to see the 2nd half and the US looked like they were in full control. Weah was excellent as were Dest and Antonee Robinson and I didn't see any WTF moments from our CBs so that's a positive. McKennie was also good. There were some noticeable lack of finishing on some of the good build up play. As it stands, I think the US goes to the top of the table if Canada can hold onto this result.
 
One more update...El Salvador is leading Panama 1-0 just into the 2nd half. FC Tulsa's Joaquin Rivas is the 9 for El Salvador. This would be an unexpected upset as Panama was one of 3 nations tied at 5 pts in the octagonal and was playing well coming into this set of qualifiers s. US plays Panama on Sunday.
 
After a lackluster first half we had a very good second half and could have had as many as three more goals. I would like to see more of Weah and Mousa, they both displayed a lot of quickness in the second half.
Berhalter seemed to think the 1st half was OK but we didn't cash in the opportunities. I don't know if things were different but the US had really good buildup and connection in the 2nd half. Musah, Aaronson, Weah, McKennieall had really good connection. And I can't say enough good things about Dest and Antonee Robinson. The half I saw Dest may have been the best player on the field for either time until he came off late (hope he's OK for Panama). Jamaica had no answers for him and because he's technically a wing defender, it forced Jamaica to have to commit more F's and MFs to defend which helped keep the pressure off the back line.

One more thing: Depth. This team has a ton of it. US played without Brooks, Pulisic, Reyna. Arguably our best central defender and our two most gifted MFs/Fs. We also played without Pefok and Sargent..pretty established 9's. Lletget and Roldan didn't see the field last night. Arriola was solid. The US has unprecedented depth for US soccer right now. This has got to scare Mexico a little. When the 2 meet next month, it's going to be one of those games that draws international attention.
 
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The thing that stood out to me with both of them is that they look like they can combine quickness with power. They’re both pretty solidly built guys, but had good bursts of speed.
The US had ridiculous amounts of speed on the field last night. The number of blow by's I saw in the 2nd half from Weah, McKennie, Musah, Dest, Arriola, etc. is cause for concern for a lot of countries. Mexico's backs have trouble dealing with pace. Had Canada been able to be a little more accurate with passes in the area they would have left Azteca with a win. Alphonso Davies & Tajon Buchanan created all sorts of problems for Mexico in the 2nd half.

You see a lot of players with multiple eligibilities selecting Mexico because Mexico is perceived to be the better team with the better prospects for trophies. I think you will see that start to shift in the next few years. Kids who grow up in LA with Hispanic family lines will start staying in the US (like Pepi) as our depth and quality take over. It's going to be the kids who can't make in roads in the US (like the last couple of players who have declared for Mexico), who choose Mexico.
 
The thing that stood out to me with both of them is that they look like they can combine quickness with power. They’re both pretty solidly built guys, but had good bursts of speed.
I agree, Mousa has legs like tree trunks. These guys might not have the long distance breakaway speed but they have that quick burst that can get them open at a crucial time.
 
Did anyone find it curious that Turner started over Steffen last night or is there something going on with Steffen I did not hear about b/c I missed the pregame stuff?
 
Did anyone find it curious that Turner started over Steffen last night or is there something going on with Steffen I did not hear about b/c I missed the pregame stuff?
I think it partly has to do with Steffen not getting regular minutes at City and partly with the fact that Turner has showed well in USMNT games over the summer/fall so far. They didn’t mention any specific issue or injury with Steffen. They did talk about the competition for the starting spot being good for him to be pressed to get even better.
 
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I think it partly has to do with Steffen not getting regular minutes at City and partly with the fact that Turner has showed well in USMNT games over the summer/fall so far. They didn’t mention any specific issue or injury with Steffen. They did talk about the competition for the starting spot being good for him to be pressed to get even better.
Good to know. I like Turner and it's good for my son to watch him play. I've mentioned it before that my son is a taller, lanky, freakishly long armed, somewhat unathletic looking, GK like Turner is. Turner was a late bloomer in the position and self-admittedly had no aspirations to play professionally. I think I read somewhere that his scholarship offer to Fairfield was somewhat surprising. It's good for kids who don't fit the eye test right away to see players at the highest level who were somewhat like them when they were younger.

I like Turner and his style of play. He's not flashy but makes the saves he is supposed to make and he has incredible reflexes. It's also well documented all 3 US GKs lack the technical skill with their feet to be the sweeper keeper type that is becoming more popular around the world.
 
Unless Turner has some major breakdowns I hope he stays in goal. The goals he has allowed are ones that no one would have stopped and his reflexes have kept a bunch out that a lot of keepers would have whiffed on.
 
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