Cugalabanza Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 (edited) USA vs. Mexico Friday (11/11) night at 7:45 pm ET, on Fox Sports 1 Word is that Tim Howard has reclaimed the starting GK spot. 18 year old Christian Pulisic should start. He's been playing very well in the Bundesliga and is creating a ton of buzz. This should be a very good game. (and please, please, no political stuff in here. It's ok if you make fun of soccer, call me names, make jokes about my mother--just, please, no politics) Edited November 14, 2016 by Cugalabanza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewPort71 Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Dos a cero ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 If you are coming to CBUS for the game, dress warm!! Will be in the low 40s by game time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 If you are coming to CBUS for the game, dress warm!! Will be in the low 40s by game time. Good soccer weather! (especially for me as I watch from my living room with a nice drink in hand) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Our next great "football" player, Christian Pulisic: https://sports.vice.com/en_us/video/das-american-christian-pulisics-spectacular-rise FWIW - I really enjoyed watching this video about Pulisic with Men in Blazers Roger Bennett. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poblano Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 Dos a cero ! 😁 Mexico? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewPort71 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Ugh times 1000. to give up the goal on the corner in the 89th minute is inexcusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBeane Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 The formation that Jurgen sent out to start the game was baffling and was what directly led to the first goal in the 20th minute. Took him nearly 40 minutes to change to the 4-4-2 when we should have been in that formation from the start of the game. I'm still not a big fan of Altidore but he did make a good play on the goal. Same goes for Wood really. This American team is lacking a lot of technical ability and doesn't seem to have a ton of composure on the ball in tight spaces. Pulisic is the future of American soccer but he is only 18 right now and is still growing both physically and technically. Let's hope Jurgen doesn't try to out think the other team and puts the boys out there in the best position to succeed, as we really need to beat Costa Rica now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 12, 2016 Author Share Posted November 12, 2016 Ugh times 1000. to give up the goal on the corner in the 89th minute is inexcusable. . The formation that Jurgen sent out to start the game was baffling and was what directly led to the first goal in the 20th minute. Took him nearly 40 minutes to change to the 4-4-2 when we should have been in that formation from the start of the game. I'm still not a big fan of Altidore but he did make a good play on the goal. Same goes for Wood really. This American team is lacking a lot of technical ability and doesn't seem to have a ton of composure on the ball in tight spaces. Pulisic is the future of American soccer but he is only 18 right now and is still growing both physically and technically. Let's hope Jurgen doesn't try to out think the other team and puts the boys out there in the best position to succeed, as we really need to beat Costa Rica now. I agree with both of you. I also want to say that Bradley needs to be called out for his continued sloppy careless play. He's a turnover machine and a huge liability right now. He's a good player when he's on, but he needs to get his head fixed. He's holding this team back. Wood, Altidore and Pulisic were great. Unfortunate that their chances didn't result in a couple more goals. One more thing: !@#$ing Chandler? Again? Really? Klinsmann, Jesus Christ, man, this is becoming your Bornstein. Just !@#$ing stop it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBeane Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 . I agree with both of you. I also want to say that Bradley needs to be called out for his continued sloppy careless play. He's a turnover machine and a huge liability right now. He's a good player when he's on, but he needs to get his head fixed. He's holding this team back. Wood, Altidore and Pulisic were great. Unfortunate that their chances didn't result in a couple more goals. One more thing: !@#$ing Chandler? Again? Really? Klinsmann, Jesus Christ, man, this is becoming your Bornstein. Just !@#$ing stop it! I agree, Bradley is really holding us back. He's been too sloppy with the ball and in his role that is unacceptable. Also on board with the Chandler issue. Is Yedlin in Jurgen's doghouse or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 12, 2016 Author Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) I agree, Bradley is really holding us back. He's been too sloppy with the ball and in his role that is unacceptable. Also on board with the Chandler issue. Is Yedlin in Jurgen's doghouse or something? Not sure about Yedlin. I thought he was doing well at Newcastle. I don't understand why announcers, commentators & analysts are so reluctant to be critical of Bradley. He'll make three very costly turnovers in a row and nobody says anything. That guy, Fernando Fiore (who I like) was the only one who mentioned Bradley playing poorly. He also called out Klinsmann for inexplicably choosing Chandler again. The USA guys remained silent on those points. I don't get it. Edited November 12, 2016 by Cugalabanza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBeane Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Not sure about Yedlin. I thought he was doing well at Newcastle. I don't understand why announcers, commentators & analysts are so reluctant to be critical of Bradley. He'll make three very costly turnovers in a row and nobody says anything. That guy, Fernando Fiore (who I like) was the only one who mentioned Bradley playing poorly. He also called out Klinsmann for inexplicably choosing Chandler again. The USA guys remained silent on those points. I don't get it. Yeah I was wondering that myself. He's been mediocre at best since the last World Cup really. I'm a little more negative on him than most but it was pretty obvious how bad he was yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Next up: USA vs. Costa Rica, Tuesday (11/15) at 9pm ET. The game's in Costa Rica, so the TV network is beIN Sports, which almost nobody gets here in the States. Hopefully, I'll find it in HD on one of the Spanish channels. I think Klinsmann is feeling some heat right now. It will be very important to get a good result in this game. A win and things are back on track. A draw and things will be tense and it will be a long wait until March for the next round of Hex games. A loss and people will be panicking and calling for Klinsmann's head on a stick. Costa Rica is no joke. They are capable of winning against any team in the region. My hope is that Klinsmann stays out of his own way and let's them play with a ttraditional 4 man back line. Don't try to get clever with any experimental formations. Keep Tim Chandler on the bench where he belongs. I really like the Wood-Altidore-Pulisic connection as the creative heart of the attack. Don't mess with that at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 By the way, Christian Pulisic is great. Anyone who has been a fan of that national team has to be excited when they see this guy glide past defenders and consistently make good touches and decisions with the ball. He made one heavy touch against Mexico that I remember. Other than that, he was a positive influence the whole game. This is the next-level player that we've been waiting for as a creative attacking force. Here's to him staying healthy and getting comfortable as the USA's #10 for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 (edited) USA loses 4-0 One of the worst performances I've seen in a meaningful game. USA looked lethargic from the start and never really found a way into the game. John Brooks was so bad, I worry if he'll ever be good again. Yes, he was that bad. Bradley was crap again. Omar Gonzalez's lackadaisical effort on the first goal was embarrassing to the point that he should have been subbed out at that moment. There isn't much positive I can say about any of the USA players. Wood gave a nice effort at times. I'm not sure what is going through Sunil Gulati's head right now, but Klinsmann should be worried for his job. I would not be upset if they let him go tomorrow morning. This team has been awful for a while now. It's inexcusable--there are some very talented players whose skills are being wasted and who do not seem committed to their national team. Edited November 16, 2016 by Cugalabanza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 How many games do they have to lose before they are disqualified from the World Cup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 How many games do they have to lose before they are disqualified from the World Cup? Hard to say exactly. Six teams left in qualifying, the top three teams qualify for WC2018. The 4th place team goes into a playoff against a team from the Asia region. USA is currently in last place with zero points after two games. Eight games left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Franklin Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 How many games do they have to lose before they are disqualified from the World Cup? Still a long ways to go for that discussion but not a great start. Hopefully they will schedule Hondourous and Panama for Anchorage Field and get back on track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 Klinsmann will most likely remain through this cyle. Although if the U.S. fails to qualify, I'm sure he'll be out. I want Klinsmann to do well. I like his weird goofy optimism. But he seems lost to me as a coach. It's gotten to the point where all the words that come out of his mouth sound like bull **** to me. Last night he said, "I said to the players it won't be the only 4-0 defeat in their career." That pisses me off. He doesn't get it. I hate his defeatist attitude. You don't have to be Germany or Brazil to play well in big games. He downplays the talent of our own players. Costa Rica is a perfect example of a team who makes the most of what they have. Tiny nation, limited talent pool. They have a few very good players, but the key to their success is (shocker!) they play well as a team and give great effort. In Brazil 2014, Costa Rica had the world cup that American fans were dreaming of. They made it to the quarterfinals and almost beat (they lost in PK's) an excellent Netherlands team to make it to the semifinals. They didn't shrink from the challenge. USA has more talent than Costa Rica. They have better resources. But they've been playing like crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Franklin Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Klinsmann will most likely remain through this cyle. Although if the U.S. fails to qualify, I'm sure he'll be out. I want Klinsmann to do well. I like his weird goofy optimism. But he seems lost to me as a coach. It's gotten to the point where all the words that come out of his mouth sound like bull **** to me. Last night he said, "I said to the players it won't be the only 4-0 defeat in their career." That pisses me off. He doesn't get it. I hate his defeatist attitude. You don't have to be Germany or Brazil to play well in big games. He downplays the talent of our own players. Costa Rica is a perfect example of a team who makes the most of what they have. Tiny nation, limited talent pool. They have a few very good players, but the key to their success is (shocker!) they play well as a team and give great effort. In Brazil 2014, Costa Rica had the world cup that American fans were dreaming of. They made it to the quarterfinals and almost beat (they lost in PK's) an excellent Netherlands team to make it to the semifinals. They didn't shrink from the challenge. USA has more talent than Costa Rica. They have better resources. But they've been playing like crap. Costa Rica's advantage (And many smaller soccer-crazy countries have this especially in South America), is that they play together a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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