World Cup Thread

[TU_BLA]

Yet they will both probably win, and things will be back to normal again.

I'm not 100% sure Germany is going to win that game. They pulled rabbit out of the hat to find a tying goal vs Spain the other day but they also gave up so many good chances to Spain it was a minor miracle they didn't lose 4-1. They did play better than they played against Japan. Germany just has so many aging players they are still turning to or using roster spots for. I think this is likely the last run for guys like Muller and Kimmich and possibly Neuer (although he looks in really good form). Sane hasn't impressed much. I like Gnabry but he is young and does some goofy things on the ball at times. Germans will point to Werner's injury but he hasn't been in good form in 2+ years...he never got on track at Chelsea and only when he returned to a slightly lower league did he find some goals but not nearly at the clip he built his name on.

Costa Rica is jekyll & hyde. They didn't even show up against Spain and they found some crazy magic against Japan who I pegged as a sleeper to make it deep. Navas, when he has just a token defense in front of him, is an outstanding and very underrated GK. It wouldn't have surprised me if a South American team inquired about possible shared lineage (i.e. Argentina) with him at one point because he's better than any of the South American GKs except for Ederson and Allison.

It will be a fun afternoon to watch.

 

[TU_BLA]

Morocco up 2-1 on Canada. Morocco has scored all 3 goals in that game. 😂 Belgium and Croatia are tied at 0-0 at the half. Croatia was awarded a PK that got wiped off because the player that initiated the play was ruled offside. As it stands, Morocco would finish 1st and Croatia would go through in 2nd and Belgium's golden generation will crash out without a major trophy. They won UEFA Nations League in the first year, and finished 3rd in the 2018 WC, but even that was disappointing considering the praise they were getting going in.

 

[TU_BLA]

Belgium are out after not finding a goal vs Croatia. And we lament the US' lack of clinical finishing. Belgium was worse than the US as they had several point blank chances and guys like Lukaku were just awful putting them away.

 

[nevadanatural]

Belgium are out after not finding a goal vs Croatia. And we lament the US' lack of clinical finishing. Belgium was worse than the US as they had several point blank chances and guys like Lukaku were just awful putting them away.

I have to agree, I thought Lukaku should have had two goals just in the last 10 minutes.

 

[TU_BLA]

I have to agree, I thought Lukaku should have had two goals just in the last 10 minutes.

They showed Lukaku after the game and he was distraught. Like, I'm worried for his mental and physical well being level of distraught. Sort of like Escobar from Colombia who scored the OG vs the US which knocked Colombia out of the WC in 1994 distraught.

Weird side bar: my son has recently acquired a German him jersey, a Spain away jersey, and a Belgium home jersey (with the flames on the sleeves). He was out of school the first day those teams all played on the same day, so he just changed for each match hour. We were driving for the 2nd day. Match day 3, he's in school so I wonder which jersey he selected. He doesn't have a US jersey...we're mean parents and making him wait for Christmas. He's becoming quite the jersey guy. It's sucks though that he's a GK and you can't really go out and buy your favorite GKs jerseys otherwise I'm pretty sure he'd have a DeGea and a Courtois and maybe a Matt Turner by now (US not Arsenal...I think an Arsenal jersey would force a gag reflex in him).

 

[TU_BLA]

BTW, Fox just did some of Tim Ream's highlights of his effectiveness in the group stage. He's been outstanding. Was he part of any of the WCQs for the US? He is arguably our best center defender right now and he's covered for a bunch of Zimmerman's gaffes. I like Ream and CCV to start vs The Netherlands on Saturday.

Also, Tyler Adams stat-wise has been a top 5 player in this World Cup. Leeds keeps posting about it. They better watch out because a club like United is gonna come calling because their 6's have been dreadful. Casemiro can help but I really think they'd prefer to have him at the 8 or the 10 where he's a more natural fit. I'd love to see him in Liverpool but it would be hard to unseat Fabinho who I think is stellar in that role.

I think you will see a lot of the US players playing on smaller teams in Europe will be getting interest from some of the bigger ones. And I'd have to think Turner might get a shot at being the everyday keeper at Arsenal. Ramsdale is good but I just think Turner has an instinct about him that is rare.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I'm not 100% sure Germany is going to win that game. They pulled rabbit out of the hat to find a tying goal vs Spain the other day but they also gave up so many good chances to Spain it was a minor miracle they didn't lose 4-1. They did play better than they played against Japan. Germany just has so many aging players they are still turning to or using roster spots for. I think this is likely the last run for guys like Muller and Kimmich and possibly Neuer (although he looks in really good form). Sane hasn't impressed much. I like Gnabry but he is young and does some goofy things on the ball at times. Germans will point to Werner's injury but he hasn't been in good form in 2+ years...he never got on track at Chelsea and only when he returned to a slightly lower league did he find some goals but not nearly at the clip he built his name on.

Costa Rica is jekyll & hyde. They didn't even show up against Spain and they found some crazy magic against Japan who I pegged as a sleeper to make it deep. Navas, when he has just a token defense in front of him, is an outstanding and very underrated GK. It wouldn't have surprised me if a South American team inquired about possible shared lineage (i.e. Argentina) with him at one point because he's better than any of the South American GKs except for Ederson and Allison.

It will be a fun afternoon to watch.

They scored plenty of goals to win, just not enough to catch a losing Spain in goal differential. Crazy weird group finish. Germany could have won it 5 or 6-2 with all the opportunities they barely missed.

 

[quincy101]

BTW, Fox just did some of Tim Ream's highlights of his effectiveness in the group stage. He's been outstanding. Was he part of any of the WCQs for the US

Yes, early on. But Beer?halter failed to call him up for well over a year in Quals, plus the 2 recent friendlies. Then, Beer?halter figures out where his WC bread is buttered and two weeks before the WC, calls him up. Once again, the coach has made only one great coaching decision ( and the most important) in the last 3 years: he has started our very best players from Europe in all 3 group stage games. 90% vs Wales & England and 100% of our Euro guys vs Iran. Gio Reyna & 7 minutes of pt remains a mystery.

Tyler Adams is getting the worldwide recognition that he so richly deserves. The WSJ even devoted a half page feature article on him in today's paper.

 

[drboobay]

BTW, Fox just did some of Tim Ream's highlights of his effectiveness in the group stage. He's been outstanding. Was he part of any of the WCQs for the US? He is arguably our best center defender right now and he's covered for a bunch of Zimmerman's gaffes. I like Ream and CCV to start vs The Netherlands on Saturday.

Also, Tyler Adams stat-wise has been a top 5 player in this World Cup. Leeds keeps posting about it. They better watch out because a club like United is gonna come calling because their 6's have been dreadful. Casemiro can help but I really think they'd prefer to have him at the 8 or the 10 where he's a more natural fit. I'd love to see him in Liverpool but it would be hard to unseat Fabinho who I think is stellar in that role.

I think you will see a lot of the US players playing on smaller teams in Europe will be getting interest from some of the bigger ones. And I'd have to think Turner might get a shot at being the everyday keeper at Arsenal. Ramsdale is good but I just think Turner has an instinct about him that is rare.

Ream's positioning is outstanding. He is in the right place, cuts down angles and keeps his head. Mitigates any speed issues from being 35.

 

[TU_BLA]

Weird end of the day games. Germany goes up and is in position to advance. Japan score to equal Spain and make things interesting. Japan score again making it necessary for Germany to get a big result. Costa Rica scores to knot the game with Germany on a spilled ball by Neuer (he had a poor game by his standards). Costa Rica then score again on a really weird scramble in the box to go up 2-1. Now Costa Rica is in position to advance if Spain can find a knotter. Germany then scores and scores again and then again to go up 4-2 over Costa Rica but at that point their fate was in Spain's hands. Spain had to knot the game with Japan. And they didn't. The last 2 days of games and the scenarios that could play out and how many different unexpected things happened to muddle things and put math into play we're really compelling to watch. Hoping tomorrow's last day of group matches has that same compelling stuff.

BTW, Morocco wins their group in a surprise and get rewarded by playing the group F 2nd place team: Spain. Japan will get group E 2nd place Croatia. So far by my count, 3 of the group winners have absolute beasts of games against the 2nd place teams they get. It just goes to show how little difference there really is between the top 20 teams and those advancing.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

The last 2 days of games and the scenarios that could play out and how many different unexpected things happened to muddle things and put math into play we're really compelling to watch. Hoping tomorrow's last day of group matches has that same compelling stuff.

Maybe in Group H. I think Group G is going to finish just like it is now.(Brazil/The Swiss)

 

[nevadanatural]

I’ve been busy all day so I haven’t been able to comment. The two late games had 9 goals scored and I got to see one live. I started out watching the CR/Germany game and saw the first goal there but when I saw it was 2-1 Japan I switched over then they started scoring like crazy in the other game. I had to leave when both games were in the 85th minute and catch final scores on my phone. I understand why they play the final group games at the same time but it makes it tough on a TV watching fan.

Ok, be honest, who had Japan and Morocco winning their groups on their FIFA bingo card. Japan beating both Germany and Spain was unbelievable. Maybe our 2-0 loss in the friendly wasn’t a bad omen like we thought.

 

[drboobay]

I’ve been busy all day so I haven’t been able to comment. The two late games had 9 goals scored and I got to see one live. I started out watching the CR/Germany game and saw the first goal there but when I saw it was 2-1 Japan I switched over then they started scoring like crazy in the other game. I had to leave when both games were in the 85th minute and catch final scores on my phone. I understand why they play the final group games at the same time but it makes it tough on a TV watching fan.

Ok, be honest, who had Japan and Morocco winning their groups on their FIFA bingo card. Japan beating both Germany and Spain was unbelievable. Maybe our 2-0 loss in the friendly wasn’t a bad omen like we thought.

Was in the 1982 or 1986 WC that made them change to simultaneous final matches? Wasn't it something like Germany and Austria (or maybe Switzerland) colluding on their strategies to help both go through? Watched both of them. I think 1982 was the first one where pretty much all the games were televised in the US, albeit 100% in Spanish except maybe the final.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I’ve been busy all day so I haven’t been able to comment. The two late games had 9 goals scored and I got to see one live. I started out watching the CR/Germany game and saw the first goal there but when I saw it was 2-1 Japan I switched over then they started scoring like crazy in the other game. I had to leave when both games were in the 85th minute and catch final scores on my phone. I understand why they play the final group games at the same time but it makes it tough on a TV watching fan.

Ok, be honest, who had Japan and Morocco winning their groups on their FIFA bingo card. Japan beating both Germany and Spain was unbelievable. Maybe our 2-0 loss in the friendly wasn’t a bad omen like we thought.

I got to see 3 goals live. I momentarily forgot about our friendly with Japan. Our 3-0 win over Morocco doesn't look too bad either. It was awhile back, but the 2-0 loss to Canada doesn't look great. We were not playing with even close to the same players though.

 

[nevadanatural]

South Korea beats Portugal on a late goal and advances over Uruguay. The cannibal goes home and another Asian team is in the knockout round. What federation is Australia in? Oceania? This is the most diverse round of 16 I can remember.

 

[drboobay]

Lots of fun drama for the unaffiliated.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

South Korea beats Portugal on a late goal and advances over Uruguay. The cannibal goes home and another Asian team is in the knockout round. What federation is Australia in? Oceania? This is the most diverse round of 16 I can remember.

And that only happened because Portugal had no stake in win/lose/draw.

 

[drboobay]

And that only happened because Portugal had no stake in win/lose/draw.

Maybe. They didn't quit playing though. Korea earned their goal with a breakaway and well timed run.

 

[HuffyCane]

Was in the 1982 or 1986 WC that made them change to simultaneous final matches? Wasn't it something like Germany and Austria (or maybe Switzerland) colluding on their strategies to help both go through? Watched both of them. I think 1982 was the first one where pretty much all the games were televised in the US, albeit 100% in Spanish except maybe the final.

SIAP The 82 Germany Austria game caused the rule change in 86. If you've ever watched that game on replay its absurd. Germany needed a goal to advance and Austria was through. They tapped danced for about 8 minutes, then Germany scored. The rest of the match players literally stood around for long periods of time and there was almost no progression on goal then soft dispossession.

 

[HuffyCane]

I haven't had a lot of time to watch the Dutch, but that right side for them looks like the soft underbelly. If we can get some good combo play from Jedi, CP and Aaronson as a false 9 that could really be productive.

 

[drboobay]

SIAP The 82 Germany Austria game caused the rule change in 86. If you've ever watched that game on replay its absurd. Germany needed a goal to advance and Austria was through. They tapped danced for about 8 minutes, then Germany scored. The rest of the match players literally stood around for long periods of time and there was almost no progression on goal then soft dispossession.

I watched it live in Spanish.

 

[HuffyCane]

The Dutch have the flu. Here’s to hoping it’s 100-6 tomorrow!

 

[drboobay]

The Dutch have the flu. Here’s to hoping it’s 100-6 tomorrow!

From "air conditioning." The AC flu.

 

[quincy101]

Frankie de Jong & Cody Gakpo, meet Tyler Adams & C. Pulisic. I'm pretty sure no friendships will be made. I'm not worried too much about winning, just please don't go to extra time. That extra 30 minutes may wreck some legs for the Q'finals.

Ferreira to start!. An um, er...bold move from Beer?halter. Man, let's hope it pays off. But if not in the 1st half, who replaces him?

 

[TUcandoit]

Why are we so scared to take a shot!?!?!?

 

[rusty-c]

Damn, that will be game over. NED is just going to pack it in and play keep away when they come out of halftime.

 

[GoldenCaneKC]

What a frustrating first half. We have played pretty well with some good attacking chances (one great one by Pulisic that was saved by the Dutch keeper), but can’t finish any of them. Netherlands has basically only two good attacking chances all half and finish’s both of them. Lack of clinical finishing has been this team’s Achilles heel, and it is showing up big time in this game.

 

[drboobay]

What a frustrating first half. We have played pretty well with some good attacking chances (one great one by Pulisic that was saved by the Dutch keeper), but can’t finish any of them. Netherlands has basically only two good attacking chances all half and finish’s both of them. Lack of clinical finishing has been this team’s Achilles heel, and it is showing up big time in this game.

Pulisic does not look as dangerous as usual.

 

[drboobay]

I hate to say it but this US team has done better than I expected considering how they came in. We are in bonus zone.

 

[drboobay]

We cannot take the next step until we find a more consistent goal scorer. It does not need to be a traditional #9 but someone who can convert the obvious chances. A hybrid player would do for example.

 

[Gold*]

Ouch. I enjoy this team. Lots to work on. We also just don’t finish. Netherlands took away a lot of our physicality.

 

[mcane]

Got excited At 2-1 for about 3 minutes
Enjoyed the ride

 

[tulsahurricane0530]

Pulisic and ream need to finish those 2 wide open chances. Not sure how no one decided to cover the guy on that last goal, both players in the area just stood there.
Dont think anyone expected too much from this years team though. It was fun while it lasted. Hoping a surprise team can keep their run going

 

[quincy101]

We cannot take the next step until we find a more consistent goal scorer.

Maybe we'll find a couple of strikers that know where to put it by 2026. I know the rest of the team will be world class & ready. Will the same coach be around then? The Dutch picked us apart with precision passes & superb finishing. We had too many poor passes & giveaways. Also, I think our back line just gave out from fatigue. Very proud of Turner who kept us in it in the 2nd half, and all the guys for that matter. Did better that anyone expected.

 

[drboobay]

Pulisic and ream need to finish those 2 wide open chances. Not sure how no one decided to cover the guy on that last goal, both players in the area just stood there.
Dont think anyone expected too much from this years team though. It was fun while it lasted. Hoping a surprise team can keep their run going

I don't think they saw him! He was unmarked for quite a while on the right wing.

 

[drboobay]

Maybe we'll find a couple of strikers that know where to put it by 2026. I know the rest of the team will be world class & ready. Will the same coach be around then? The Dutch picked us apart with precision passes & superb finishing. We had too many poor passes & giveaways. Also, I think our back line just gave out from fatigue. Very proud of Turner who kept us in it in the 2nd half, and all the guys for that matter. Did better that anyone expected.

They are also going to need to find new guys in the central defense.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Nice prep wc for when it comes here. We were outclassed. Swarming D.

 

[nevadanatural]

Frustrating game, we won the possession game but the Dutch put it in the net. This is an almost team, we almost stop it, we almost score and we’re almost good enough. Most of our shots look like passes to the goalkeeper. I’m hoping there are some youngsters in the under 20 team that can develop in 4 years to be decent backups because when we start subbing there is an immediate and noticeable drop off. When you play four games and score 3 goals you can’t expect to go very far against top competition, we have to find some way to finish our chances. Turner is #1 in the goal going forward, he didn’t have a chance of saving any of the goals today and did make a number of good saves even one off Zimmerman. Finally it would have been really nice to have had the team that took the field against Wales actually play together during qualifying or friendlies. Berhalter has to stop trotting out every Tom Dick and Harry from MLS for 4 years then fielding a team that hasn’t played together. These guys will be in their prime in ’26 let’s make the most of it.

 

[quincy101]

Finally it would have been really nice to have had the team that took the field against Wales actually play together during qualifying or friendlies. Berhalter has to stop trotting out every Tom Dick and Harry from MLS for 4 years then fielding a team that hasn’t played together. These guys will be in their prime in ’26 let’s make the most of it.

Eggs-actly!

 

[GoldenCaneKC]

Hopefully one message that gets sent to the player pool by this World Cup is that if you want to see the field for the USMNT, you need to get yourself to Europe and challenge yourself against the best in the world week in, week out. I could be wrong, but I think the only players from MLS who started in the tourney were Zimmerman and Ferreira.