CONCACAF Gold Cup starts tonight

[RU848789]

I just can't believe that in all the United States, we can't find a better striker than Wondolowski. Hell, I've played pickup ball w/college players who seem better than Wondo. We don't need garbage men, we need some kids with speed, an impeccable first touch, an ability to break down defenses off the dribble and finishing ability.

Now that I said all that, watch him go on to score 10 goals in the next two matches. Well, if he does, I'm taking full karma credit. LOL

mild - c'mon, he's our Larry the Garbageman. He does have a respectable 10 goals in 28 appearances with the USMNT, although he did gak on the extra time gimme goal against Belgium in the round of 16 in the WC last year, which would've won the game.

demauroj - you really think Dempsey won't be there in 2018? He'll be 35 - on the old side, but as long as he's healthy, I see him on the team, especially as a sub or for the first 60 minutes, since he may still be our best scorer.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Fox Sports 2 is carrying other matches. Yesterday I saw a lot of Haiti v Panama, and right now El Salvador is playing Canada. Someone for El Salvador took a boot to the face in a freak accident and had to be sub ed out in the 11th minute or so.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

Let's not overuse the "group of death" moniker. It is only the gold cup after all. AND Mex/Costa Rica are on the other side. The only real test in the group stage is now behind the USMNT.

Dude you don't understand because you probably don't pay enough attention to these tournaments. Honduras, Haiti and Panama are known to give people fits. Whenever Haiti has the funds to get their European based players together they are known to give people fits because they are simply more technically gifted and more athletic than most. Yes this weeks game was the first time these Haitian players have played together in a little more then a year, but they have proven they can play with anyones A teams.

 

[tuffer76]

I think it's important to have a guy like Wondo on the roster. It would be better if he wasn't such a one-trick pony, but late in a game when you need a goal who else on the roster would you rather have on the field? Wondo isn't necessarily the problem, it's more that we don't have a ton of dynamic forward options to choose from. Johannsson is a nice player, but he's just good at a bunch of things and not really great at anything. Maybe Zardes would bring the type of late game threat to stretch a defense and maintain a lead, but Jurgen had him starting in the midfield. Problem is that on this roster we don't have the type of player that we need.

And it's not just faulty roster construction. I don't know that the US has a player of that ilk ready for full international competition. Who would be the options? Aguedelo might be closest to that kind of player but he's just finding himself as a player after all the early hype. Bobby Wood? Boyd? Morris is injured (if he was even an option).

 

[RUsojo]

@bammbammrubble

No. I follow MLS, CONCACAF, USMNT, EPL, BUNDESLIGA, and the TURKISH LEAGUE all closer than I follow Rutgers Football. Which says something about my life lol

I know that you know your shit, and always check up on your soccer posts, so I know you're just giving some further info to the masses to make sure Haiti and the rest of the group gets some credit for not being just a rollover CONCACAF side like years past. It's true. Even so, saying this is a group of death is going overboard. We both know it's not. Is it a tougher CONCACAF group than it would be in the past, especially for a group without Mexico or cost rica in it? Sure is. But let's not get carried away.

Going back to Wondo, there is no question he belongs in the player pool. He has a history of success that can't be argued. It still haunts me that John Terry paid him compliments after the MLS Allstar game, saying that his "movement is unreal". His performance in the WC was only frustrating because he repeatedly finished that chance time after time in the 12-18 months leading up to the WC. When it mattered most he didn't put it away.

I generally agree with Klinsman the way he calls guys in at certain times in the cycle, then they virtually disappear, and he then calls them back in. I think he has a good grasp on when to transition to a new player or when to call and an old player back. At this point, I'm just done with Wondo (never let go!) though it's probably the right decision to have him on the roster. I specifically praised Klinsy BEFORE the World Cup for how he juggled Brad Evans, Geoff Cameron, and Yedlin during qualifying and then made the decision to leave Evans behind. I believe he was always planning on leaving Evans behind from the beginning and knew both Cameron and Yedlin would play large roles in the tournament.

 

[Skull83]

If our group in the Gold Cup is the group of death, then our group in the last World Cup must have been the group of armageddon. Seriously, with Mexico, Costa Rica and the US seeded into different groups there can be no group of death in the Gold Cup. I do agree that Group A is the most difficult group.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

@bammbammrubble

No. I follow MLS, CONCACAF, USMNT, EPL, BUNDESLIGA, and the TURKISH LEAGUE all closer than I follow Rutgers Football. Which says something about my life lol

I know that you know your shit, and always check up on your soccer posts, so I know you're just giving some further info to the masses to make sure Haiti and the rest of the group gets some credit for not being just a rollover CONCACAF side like years past. It's true. Even so, saying this is a group of death is going overboard. We both know it's not. Is it a tougher CONCACAF group than it would be in the past, especially for a group without Mexico or cost rica in it? Sure is. But let's not get carried away.

Going back to Wondo, there is no question he belongs in the player pool. He has a history of success that can't be argued. It still haunts me that John Terry paid him compliments after the MLS Allstar game, saying that his "movement is unreal". His performance in the WC was only frustrating because he repeatedly finished that chance time after time in the 12-18 months leading up to the WC. When it mattered most he didn't put it away.

I generally agree with Klinsman the way he calls guys in at certain times in the cycle, then they virtually disappear, and he then calls them back in. I think he has a good grasp on when to transition to a new player or when to call and an old player back. At this point, I'm just done with Wondo (never let go!) though it's probably the right decision to have him on the roster. I specifically praised Klinsy BEFORE the World Cup for how he juggled Brad Evans, Geoff Cameron, and Yedlin during qualifying and then made the decision to leave Evans behind. I believe he was always planning on leaving Evans behind from the beginning and knew both Cameron and Yedlin would play large roles in the tournament.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

I know I over reacted a little but this team scares me. I just don't want to see anyone giving us a hard time if this team plays us tough or beats us RUsojo.

 

[RUsojo]

Umm wasn't that a friendly from like two years ago? Maybe I gave you more credit than necessary...just busting your chops. I get where you're coming from.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

I just hope our team doesn't take any of these 3 teams lite. It just seems that when ever that beer league of a federation of Haiti gets these European base players together they play everyone tuff. Panama always has great athlete and are well organize on the back line.

 

[lighty]

No excuse since both teams had to play in it, but going 90 minutes when the temperature is nearly 90 degrees will wear you down. Whose idea was it to put a match like this in Texas in the summer?

 

[Skull83]

At least it isn't in Qatar

 

[mildone]

No excuse since both teams had to play in it, but going 90 minutes when the temperature is nearly 90 degrees will wear you down. Whose idea was it to put a match like this in Texas in the summer?

Most, if not all, of those guys have played plenty of games in those conditions. And Honduras looked fine at the end of the game. We didn't. No excuse.

 

[Kbee3]

Game #2 vs. Haiti Friday night in Boston.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Ideal scenario would be a Panama-Honduras draw in the opener tonight and a victory over Haiti. We'd have 1st place in the group guaranteed prior to the Panama match and could rest some guys in that one. Winning the Gold Cup would mean six matches in 19 days or something like that, so a little rest couldn't hurt!

Trinidad and Tobago with a solid 1st half yesterday to beat Guatemala 3-1, and Mexico wiped up Cuba 6-0. One Cuban player defected prior to the match, and their head coach and six other players didn't make it to Chicago on time to participate.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Well, with a late penalty kick providing the opportunity, Honduras capitalized and finished with a 1-1 draw vs Panama. Excellent news for the USA! Win tonight and the group is ours.

Also, Panama's starting left back received two yellows in the match (the second half got very chippy both ways) and as a result won't play vs the US. But wait - there's more! Another of their starters was taken off with an injury of some sort, so he could be questionable for Monday too. (I didn't catch who that was.)

WOW that is a lot of lineup changes for our team tonight! Is that seven new starters? Johannsson, Zusi, Diskerud, Garza, Ream, Gonzalez, and Evans. I think the only carryovers are Dempsey, Altidore, Bradley, and Guzan.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Shaky first half of the first half. Haiti has had most of the good chances.

 

[RU848789]

We look horrible so far. Diskerud has given the ball away terribly, twice and the 2nd time he fouled the Haitian player 25 yards out and the guy hit a perfect ball over the wall that had Guzan beaten, but it hit the crossbar. Several other players have also given the ball away or have just been late to balls and our defense has been very shaky. A few seconds ago, Haiti made some really nice passes in our third, resulting in what could've easily been a goal, but their guy put the wrong spin on it and it just missed. Haiti will win if we don't wake up.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Agreed that Diskerud in particular is playing very poorly. This Haiti team would be fun to root for against a non-USA opponent.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

SHOOT, JOZY, SHOOT!!!

 

[RUtrumpet92]

We woke up the last 10+ minutes. Let's hope that continues in the 2nd half.

 

[mildone]

We woke up the last 10+ minutes. Let's hope that continues in the 2nd half.

We didn't so much wake up as Haiti went to sleep.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

Jeff Louis, one of Haitis 3 champion league player is missing from the game.

 

[mildone]

Positives in the first half:

1. Johannsson
2. Haiti can't put the ball on frame any better than Hoduras

Too many negatives to cite.

Let's hope for a much better second half.

 

[mildone]

This USMNT, so far, does not look like the enjoy playing together.

 

[RU848789]

We woke up the last 10+ minutes. Let's hope that continues in the 2nd half.

Yeah, we finally moved the ball into their zone and had some chances. Should've had a goal, but it was disallowed on a bad offsides call. Need to make some changes.

 

[RU848789]

I'd say I like that change of Zardes for Altidore, lol - goal right away on a great play by Zardes, making a perfect pass to Dempsey who fired it home easily. Nice.

 

[mildone]

Better in the second half. I wonder if Altidore and Dempsey cancel each other out. Seemed that way to me after Altidore came off at at the half for the much more mobile Zardes, pushing Dempsey up where he seems more comfortable, in this team at least.

Johannsson did well, I thought, but needs to gain confidence in the final third. He gave up the ball in situations he maybe could've done a bit more with it himself.

I wonder what people thought of Garza's game.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Mission accomplished! Zardes was a great sub tonight. I didn't notice a lot from him vs Honduras, but he brought it tonight. We just felt much more dangerous on offense with him and Johannsson in the lineup. If only Johannsson could've gotten to that bicycle kick!

I like Dempsey much more up top than when he plays back in the midfield more, like he did in the 1st half tonight.

Guzan played a strong match in goal. The back four need to play better if we are going to win the tournament, though.

 

[mildone]

Guzan played a strong match in goal. The back four need to play better if we are going to win the tournament, though.

I can't put my finger on it because I wasn't looking for it specifically, although I will in the next game. But I keep having the sense that we're conceding the middle of the field on transition. Seems to me our central midfielders are forever chasing the ball on defense rather than being on the attacking path waiting to disrupt and delay.

I think this is putting unnecessary stress on the defenders. But not sure. Let's see how things go on Monday. Although Monday may be, in effect, a training and evaluation game for us.

 

[Skull83]

I can't put my finger on it because I wasn't looking for it specifically, although I will in the next game. But I keep having the sense that we're conceding the middle of the field on transition. Seems to me our central midfielders are forever chasing the ball on defense rather than being on the attacking path waiting to disrupt and delay.

I think this is putting unnecessary stress on the defenders. But not sure. Let's see how things go on Monday. Although Monday may be, in effect, a training and evaluation game for us.

I got home late and missed a lot of the game. but it did seem as if they were running at our defense a lot. I think your observation is probably a good one.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

I may have been overly harsh on the back line, as it was counter after counter after counter tonight and I suspect you are right to put more of the blame on the midfield. I was surprised not just at the # of counter attacks, but at the seeming number advantage (or at least being even in numbers) Haiti had on a lot of those chances. The backs did a good job of covering a lot of crosses down the stretch.

Monday - hard to say what that match will show us. Expect major lineup adjustments again, and one last chance for guys to show they deserve PT once the bracket games start.

 

[mildone]

I think another high point of the second half was that Zardes defended well. He recovered quickly and on good angles. And he showed great positioning and early recognition as a third defender (cover player out wide, for the non-soccer folks). Always arriving on the ball early enough to prevent easy penetration on cross field passes.

I didn't see that so much from him against Honduras who were able to penetrate off switches. Maybe I missed it. But I wonder if the game film from the Honduras game was used to coach corrections for him for this game. Because he was really on it tonight and it made a big difference.

 

[mildone]

I may have been overly harsh on the back line, as it was counter after counter after counter tonight and I suspect you are right to put more of the blame on the midfield. I was surprised not just at the # of counter attacks, but at the seeming number advantage (or at least being even in numbers) Haiti had on a lot of those chances. The backs did a good job of covering a lot of crosses down the stretch.

Monday - hard to say what that match will show us. Expect major lineup adjustments again, and one last chance for guys to show they deserve PT once the bracket games start.

I agree that the back line still a bit worrisome. I think they were improved over the Honduras game, but still a lot of work to do. I thought Yedlin had a particularly poor showing against Honduras and he didn't play tonight. It will be interesting to see if he plays in game 3 and if he plays out wide on defense (his listed position) or possibly up at midfield.

 

[RUONTHERISE]

Nice job men

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

The Haitians didn't rely on switches and dribbled right at our defenders. They penetrated and created shots at will with typical Haitian style football dribbling, sophisticated passing and athleticism. 9 of 10 players has experience in the midfield or backline and because of this they were able to press our ball handler for turnovers. It's actually a shame we have no incentive to win the Panama game this week and a lost or tie will eliminate Haiti. I actually enjoy watching their craft when it isn't against The USA.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

Jozy should just call it a tournament and use time away and get healthy. The Gold Cup is ours to lose but I think we can do it with out our target stricker.

 

[Kbee3]

I can't imagine the USA team playing very inspired soccer this evening vs. Panama.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Yesterday Trinidad beat Cuba 2-0 and Mexico-Guatemala finished in a draw. Guatemala had a player sent off in the 76th minute but held on. That puts Trinidad on top of their group with 6 pts and Mexico in 2nd with 4.

Looking ahead to the bracket stage, I found the rules from CONCACAF. We will play a #3 ranked team from group B or C. (Opponent comes from group C if their 3rd place team advances, or from group B if not.) Based on goal differential to this point, it looks like the 3rd place C team will be Guatemala (if they beat or draw Cuba) or Cuba (if they upset Guatemala). Group B is too close to call right now, as any of the teams could finish 3rd if Canada beats Costa Rica tomorrow.

The semifinal opponent would be the winner of group B (Jamaica? Costa Rica? El Salvador?) vs 2nd place from A (Panama if they beat us tonight, or the winner of Honduras v Haiti).

 

[mildone]

I can't imagine the USA team playing very inspired soccer this evening vs. Panama.

Not sure what we'll see tonight. If it were up to me, I'd play my prospective starters for the first half and work on improving weak areas or maybe trialing various tactics. Then I'd use my subs early in the second half (or even at halftime) to get looks at players contending for playing time.