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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 24, 2022 15:08:54 GMT -6
With stops next month in Mexico and Costa Rica and only hosting Panama, it becomes prominent in importance that team USA get as many points as possible in these next three World Cup qualifiers. The weather may be easier in March, but not the opponents so team USA needs to collect 6 points from this week's home games.
As was evident in the first qualifier, El Salvador is no push over and with their American soccer legend of a coach, they know more than most what they are up against when it comes to facing USA soccer. Again, we may see two brothers compete against each other in this game.
To come out victorious in this match, team USA's attack needs to get rolling and not suffer against a bunker defense, or even worse, a worthy possessive opponent. The crowd needs to be responsive and Columbus, OH has a long history of that. Hopefully, they can raise their game, get loud, and lead team USA to a good result.
I see our roster as being healthy, despite having no Gio Reyna and a hobbling Weah. We may start Arriola or Morris or Zardes against El Salvador in order to give a few more days healing time for Weah to start at Canada for the next match.
I do believe after experiencing these three game blocks that the second game needs to have a mostly new lineup to maintain fitness levels through all three matches. We cannot afford to be heavy legged for that second game. And you cannot burn your players preparing for that third game with Honduras. Hopefully, El Salvador and Honduras will show themselves to be the two bottom teams in the octagonal as it shows now.
Remember, CONCACAF qualifying is never easy. You may think it should be, but we are not a nation yet that has its game together where we produce a product like we know we can be or know where we want to be. These matches provide another hurdle and no matter the result, another hurdle will be coming up in the future. Your only option is to take each game one at a time and get the most you can from it. I hope Team USA can get enough for them to qualify very soon.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 25, 2022 13:31:13 GMT -6
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Post by JoshuaC on Jan 25, 2022 14:23:34 GMT -6
There is no excuse for the home games. They have to beat Honduras and El Salvador. A draw or win in Canada is expected especially now that Alphonso Davies is out for them with an injury.
7 points at the least. 9 points expected this round of qualifying.
Very excited to cheer the boys on again. Feels like ages since we've played a competitive game and it's only been two months.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 26, 2022 4:21:59 GMT -6
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 26, 2022 10:55:53 GMT -6
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Post by beasleyisbeastly on Jan 27, 2022 13:57:44 GMT -6
Gregg has once again shown he has a major MLS bias and is overall incompetent. No excuse for excluding John Brooks. If form is what he is basing his selections on then how are any of the MLS players in the squad at all? they've been out of season for two months. No, I don't count January camp or the match against Bosnia as in-season. That game was horrific and January camp is purely MLS players so they can't be compared to non-MLS players. who the hell even is Brooks Lennon!? I don't want to complain about the roaster anymore.... This is window is perfectly set up for 9 points. Two "easy" home games against ES and Honduras at home and away against an injured Canada. Anything but 9 points is unacceptable. I know I've said that before but this is the easiest possible window we've had yet. 9 points is especially necessary when we consider the next window: away @ Mexico and Costa Rica and home against Panama. That will be the most difficult window by far. I'd say 12 points from the next two windows should be enough to qualify comfortably. There's been a lot of hoopla about our matches being played in Columbus and Minnesota but I actually like it. The team will have trained in the cold all week and I think it will help them for the match in Canada as well. Also the players from ES and Honduras have probably never experienced temperatures below 70 degrees. This is an undeniable advantage. Tonight the lineup should be what everyone knows it should be (except maybe the guy who actually has to make it): Pulisic, Pepi, Weah, Musa, McKennie, Adams, Dest, Robinson, Richards, Robinson, Turner. I wouldn't be mad is Aaronson started over Weah given Tim's recent injury. Aaronson has by my unsung hero during qualifying so far.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 15:09:54 GMT -6
Gregg has once again shown he has a major MLS bias and is overall incompetent. No excuse for excluding John Brooks. If form is what he is basing his selections on then how are any of the MLS players in the squad at all? they've been out of season for two months. No, I don't count January camp or the match against Bosnia as in-season. That game was horrific and January camp is purely MLS players so they can't be compared to non-MLS players. who the hell even is Brooks Lennon!? I don't want to complain about the roaster anymore.... This is window is perfectly set up for 9 points. Two "easy" home games against ES and Honduras at home and away against an injured Canada. Anything but 9 points is unacceptable. I know I've said that before but this is the easiest possible window we've had yet. 9 points is especially necessary when we consider the next window: away @ Mexico and Costa Rica and home against Panama. That will be the most difficult window by far. I'd say 12 points from the next two windows should be enough to qualify comfortably. There's been a lot of hoopla about our matches being played in Columbus and Minnesota but I actually like it. The team will have trained in the cold all week and I think it will help them for the match in Canada as well. Also the players from ES and Honduras have probably never experienced temperatures below 70 degrees. This is an undeniable advantage. Tonight the lineup should be what everyone knows it should be (except maybe the guy who actually has to make it): Pulisic, Pepi, Weah, Musa, McKennie, Adams, Dest, Robinson, Richards, Robinson, Turner. I wouldn't be mad is Aaronson started over Weah given Tim's recent injury. Aaronson has by my unsung hero during qualifying so far. I agree with most of what you are saying. In pregame reports, Berhalter has been saying that he will start his top lineup against El Salvador. We need the points so it seems you always play your strongest lineup, but if history is teaching us anything is that you will pay for that choice in the 2nd game because your guys will be heavy legged. That is what happened in the last window with only two games. Good in the first match, lost our legs in the second match. I believe Brooks is now a backup player. Zimmerman has held down that central midfield along with Robinson. I have liked Zimmermans play since he started the Gold Cup and then got injured. He is a good organizer and communicator in that we do not look as out of place in the back like we have always have since we had the Balboa Lalas connection. I would like starting Brooks in a game like this and then start Zimmerman against Canada. I believe we can win 7-0 this game with our starters or our backups. I want us to be ready for Canada. This game does provide a good measuring stick to get ready for Sunday, but I do not want our starters leg weary like they have been throughout this Octagonal qualifying. We need to learn what has not only happened to us, but the entire field of qualifying as well. We need to risk our play by using what we have more than our opponents, our quality depth and bench, by playing the weaker teams without our best, but our second best (reminds me of Dr. Schulz talking to Calvin Candy in Django), so we can be ready for our top quality opponents, Canada now being that team. We can win all three games and we can get points in Costa Rica and Mexico next widow. It would be nice if we didn't have to. We need to run away with this and finish qualifying so we can use those last games as measuring sticks to evaluate fringe and new players in a quality match in order to get our team ready as if it was a regular cup starting in June. It would be nice to send guys like Hoppe, Morris, etc. to play at Costa Rica while most of our regulars finish out their club seasons in Europe. But that is too far down the line for me to really think about as it is all about tonight. I believe it will be Berhalters main lineup. Turner in goal. Dest and Robinson on the wings, the other Robinson and Zimmerman in the middle. MMA midfield - Musah, McKinney, Adams. Aaronson, Pulisic, Weah up top. I would save most of them and start a different lineup: Turner in goal. Pepi for Pulisic. paired with Morris...in a 442. Yedlin in for Dest, but I think Yedlin is not available tonight as he had travel problems leaving Turkey after he and his club agreed to mutually part ways last week. Play Acosta for Adams. Things like that. Evaluate where the weak trouble spots are in the game and sub your starters in as the game goes along if you need to. A starter playing 30 minutes will not jeopardize the health and fitness, not barring injury tonight, for that Canada game Sunday.
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Post by beasleyisbeastly on Jan 27, 2022 16:41:59 GMT -6
No no no. Have you forgotten what happened last time we played the MLS players? Our striker scored in the wrong net and we lost to Panama. These dudes are professional athletes in their 20s. They can handle the games. Play the best players. Win the game.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 16:55:20 GMT -6
Starting lineup for tonights match:
Turner S. Dest W. Zimmerman C. Richards A. Robinson T. Adams Y. Musah W. MNcKennie C. Pulisic J. Ferreira T. Weah
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Post by beasleyisbeastly on Jan 27, 2022 16:56:19 GMT -6
Lineup is out:
Turner Dest Zimmerman Richards Robinsin MMA Pulisic Ferreira weah
Interested to see how Ferreira does. No problem with that.
Miles > Walker for me. Not the best choice. Hopefully it doesn’t matter.
I hope Jordan Morris gets some time. I love a nice feel-good story
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 16:56:39 GMT -6
No no no. Have you forgotten what happened last time we played the MLS players? Our striker scored in the wrong net and we lost to Panama. These dudes are professional athletes in their 20s. They can handle the games. Play the best players. Win the game. We won the gold cup with mostly MLS players and MLS is our avenue to the big leagues. I am not a hater of MLS. I watch it and follow it.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 16:58:34 GMT -6
Pulisic playing Aaronson' left side...that seems right. I would have thought Pepi over Ferreira. We shall see what he brings. C. Richards is other surprise choice.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:03:48 GMT -6
30 mins. till coverage starts own ESPN2. ESPN talk shows all week have shown commercials for tonights game. Not enough sports writers are talking about this game. I say they are not true sports writers if you do not follow the USAMNT in qualifiers and World Cup.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:06:14 GMT -6
ESPN plus is trying to get me to subscribe for their monthly service. I have subscribed before and recently. It kind of irritates me though as the PARAMOUNT network provides more and better coverage than ESPN when it comes to the national team .
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:24:14 GMT -6
Twellman reporting from the field. No snow on the ground.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:27:45 GMT -6
Warmups I am not seeing clouds of breathed air coming out. Looks like it is cold, but manageable...hopefully.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:31:42 GMT -6
30 degrees F.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 17:47:48 GMT -6
Game crew highlighting USA's sideline preparation including having chicken broth, heated seats, and hot cider. Lot of discussions on the Dress of the teams and fans and the problems El Salvador is facing.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 18:02:37 GMT -6
Kickoff...Guatamalan referee group.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Jan 27, 2022 18:07:13 GMT -6
Anfernee Robinson almost takes out Pulisic after tripping over the ball trying to get forward. Lucky no injuries.... El Sal venture into USA box for the first time, 6 th min. El Salvador do not look like the cold is hurting them so far.
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