Single games in Qatar in June. Yuck!Sorry that was my AutoCorrect – meant the play in games for the last qualifying spots. Are they home and away or are they single games?
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Single games in Qatar in June. Yuck!Sorry that was my AutoCorrect – meant the play in games for the last qualifying spots. Are they home and away or are they single games?
June 7/8.What about Australia-UAE and Scotland-Ukraine? Been trying to find dates for those and haven't been able to. Obviously, the Ukraine circumstances make me wonder if that game will ever be played and they'll eventually have to forfeit which would be unfortunate.
I think the draw is manageable. A lot depends on who wins the Euro playoff. If it's Scotland, then I think the draw is favorable.for those who know much more then me how would you rate our draw?..I know England is always tough..I've been to 2 Super Bowls, A Final 4, 4 World Series games, NBA Finals and my favorite sporting event ever was attending Italy vs Ireland in 1994 at Giants Stadium in the World Cup.
* Not counting the 20+ NCAA Wrestling Tournaments
I was at that Italy vs Ireland game, what a blast!for those who know much more then me how would you rate our draw?..I know England is always tough..I've been to 2 Super Bowls, A Final 4, 4 World Series games, NBA Finals and my favorite sporting event ever was attending Italy vs Ireland in 1994 at Giants Stadium in the World Cup.
* Not counting the 20+ NCAA Wrestling Championships
I'd much much rather play Ghana than Wales. It's not the same Ghana team these days and they are more beatable in counters which is our strength. Wales also has a world class goal scorer in BaleI like this group. When it was down to the last 4 draws I thought for sure we were getting stuck with Ghana again. We are MUCH better suited to play European sides and Iran than be in a group with say Argentina, Ghana/Japan/South Korea type side and only 1 Euro.
A number of ukranian players play for club teams throughout Europe. Not sure how many.Oh boy that sucks… Will be curious to see how they manage the Ukraine situation there. Since they are keeping every male from leaving the country at the border I can’t imagine they would allow a soccer team to leave under the current circumstances.
Wales could suffer for 85 minutes, but, for as old and washed up as he is...Bale still has magic in that left foot. All it takes is one foul from our foul happy CBs inside 30 yards, and that could turn into a 1-0 loss.I'd much much rather play Ghana than Wales. It's not the same Ghana team these days and they are more beatable in counters which is our strength. Wales also has a world class goal scorer in Bale
Ghana is ranked 60th, Wales 18th
If I remember correctly it was 98/102 degrees that dayI was at that Italy vs Ireland game, what a blast!
I believe all are single elimination. Possible UAE v Australia is 2 legged since that an intra-Asia bout but not even sure they will be home & home.Sorry that was my AutoCorrect – meant the play in games for the last qualifying spots. Are they home and away or are they single games?
It's just one leg...UAE plays Australia on June 7th, and the winner plays Peru on June 13th.I believe all are single elimination. Possible UAE v Australia is 2 legged since that an intra-Asia bout but not even sure they will be home & home.
While the Euro dates are not firm, they will be in that international window which extends from May 30 to June 14. Probably Scotland/Ukraine (IF that game is played) somewhere around June 7, with the winner to play Wales on or before June 14.It's just one leg...UAE plays Australia on June 7th, and the winner plays Peru on June 13th.
Costa Rica plays New Zealand on June 14th.
The Euro dates are still up in the air.
Single games in Qatar in June. Yuck!
On paper that is correct. Of the eight teams in Pot 2, USA was ranked seventh.
This is correct. That said, if we can find some sort of answer at striker, we can get slabhead turned around and bag a goal or two.On paper that is correct. Of the eight teams in Pot 2, USA was ranked seventh.
We'll see how it plays out on the pitch.
England could have drawn Germany or Netherlands. You can't blame them for feeling delighted that they didn't.
Not only do we lack a clear #1 striker, we don't even have a striker who is a lock to make the team! Scary. I think Berhalter will put a lot of weight on who's in the best current form with their club. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.This is correct. That said, if we can find some sort of answer at striker, we can get slabhead turned around and bag a goal or two.
I liked what they suggested on FS1, using Weah as a false 9. It would allow Berhalter to get full use of Gio & Pulisic. I'd hate to have to sit either of those 3, but unless you start one of them as a #10 or even further back in the midfield, it's very likely to happen.Not only do we lack a clear #1 striker, we don't even have a striker who is a lock to make the team! Scary. I think Berhalter will put a lot of weight on who's in the best current form with their club. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.
So many names out there: Pepi, Ferreira, Pefok, Sargent, Dike, Hoppe, Goacchinni, Zardes, maybe even Altidore?
Or does Berhalter just say F-it? (In this context, F stands for FALSE 9.) If the objective is to get the best 11 players on the pitch, that would be how to do it.
While the Euro dates are not firm, they will be in that international window which extends from May 30 to June 14. Probably Scotland/Ukraine (IF that game is played) somewhere around June 7, with the winner to play Wales on or before June 14.
During that window, the US plans to play FOUR matches. Two of them are actually competitive matches - the opening round of the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League. One of the opponents will come from a four team pot of Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Honduras. The other opponent will come from a pot of Martinique, Curacao, Suriname, and Grenada. Not the type of competition you'd ideally like to face in World Cup prep, but it is what it is. The draw is Monday, so we'll know more then.
The other two matches will be friendlies yet to be scheduled, hopefully against stiffer competition.
It’s what the US always has lacked. We are athletic in the back, usually have great goaltending, midfielders that run all day, but have never had a clinical goal scorer like other nations do. We miss so many chances because of it.Not only do we lack a clear #1 striker, we don't even have a striker who is a lock to make the team! Scary. I think Berhalter will put a lot of weight on who's in the best current form with their club. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.
So many names out there: Pepi, Ferreira, Pefok, Sargent, Dike, Hoppe, Goacchinni, Zardes, maybe even Altidore?
Or does Berhalter just say F-it? (In this context, F stands for FALSE 9.) If the objective is to get the best 11 players on the pitch, that would be how to do it.
Deuce was the closest.It’s what the US always has lacked. We are athletic in the back, usually have great goaltending, midfielders that run all day, but have never had a clinical goal scorer like other nations do. We miss so many chances because of it.
Pulisic is the one guy I’ve seen in an American jersey who has that type of ability.
We also never had a super star number 10 or passer even from the 8 or 6. Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna were the closest we have had. For me Pulisic is no assassin either. He is good at making runs but not a world class 9.It’s what the US always has lacked. We are athletic in the back, usually have great goaltending, midfielders that run all day, but have never had a clinical goal scorer like other nations do. We miss so many chances because of it.
Pulisic is the one guy I’ve seen in an American jersey who has that type of ability.
Weah has traits to play as a striker even without a false 9. If it's a false 9 I actually think that Reyna makes more sense. I really want to see Reyna play more centrally as it is with his ability to break down the D and make slick passes. Keep pulisic and weah on the wings.I liked what they suggested on FS1, using Weah as a false 9. It would allow Berhalter to get full use of Gio & Pulisic. I'd hate to have to sit either of those 3, but unless you start one of them as a #10 or even further back in the midfield, it's very likely to happen.
Wouldn't mind that either. Allow Gio to play an almost #10 with Pulisic & Weah pinching in or pull wide as needed. Hope GB experiments, even in Nations LeagueWeah has traits to play as a striker even without a false 9. If it's a false 9 I actually think that Reyna makes more sense. I really want to see Reyna play more centrally as it is with his ability to break down the D and make slick passes. Keep pulisic and weah on the wings.
Either way, pulisic weah and Reyna all should start if we don't have a true 9 in form scoring goals. Might as well get our best players on the field
Only works if you have CBs that can cover a ton of ground and anticipate well, cuz the FBs will be required to provide the width when the wide fwds pinch in. See: Liverpool, Manchester city when Foden or KDB is the false 9.Wouldn't mind that either. Allow Gio to play an almost #10 with Pulisic & Weah pinching in or pull wide as needed. Hope GB experiments, even in Nations League
Same here, along with Poland, and Ireland if they are in any tournament. And since Gareth Bale is my favorite all time player it will be hard to root against Wales.England was the last team I wanted to be paired with, from a rooting perspective, as I always root for them in the WC (since we generally haven't been much of a factor). But the groups look pretty balanced and we'd have to play well to get to the next stage no matter what group we were in.
Weah has traits to play as a striker even without a false 9. If it's a false 9 I actually think that Reyna makes more sense. I really want to see Reyna play more centrally as it is with his ability to break down the D and make slick passes. Keep pulisic and weah on the wings.
Either way, pulisic weah and Reyna all should start if we don't have a true 9 in form scoring goals. Might as well get our best players on the field
Wouldn't mind that either. Allow Gio to play an almost #10 with Pulisic & Weah pinching in or pull wide as needed. Hope GB experiments, even in Nations League
Your comment on overloading is dead balls on. I was screaming for that in the last two matches. We have the talent to attack from that perspectiveI don't really see any of the US players as pure strikers, in the sense that they can be fed the ball and then everyone gets out of the way to let them score on their own. So, hopefully, GB will focus hard on small group attacking in the final third, basically scoring by committee.
I agree w/both of you that Weah, Puli, and Reyna would be my choice to start at the top, with Weah wide right, Puli wide left, and Reyna playing the middle in a hybrid attacking mid, holding forward type role.
However, I would emphasize a lot of shifting between the forwards. Especially in the first half. All three should rotate around pretty continuously. Always gravitating back to their starting points and spending the majority of their time there, but not remaining static in any one place, relative to the other two, either.
And, sometimes, when A. Robinson makes his runs up the left, I'd have the 3 forward shift a bit to overload the right. Robinson's forever sending crosses wide of the goal anyway. Might as well adapt the system to the player a little bit. And by keeping Reyna centered and behind the ball a little, Robinson can drive crosses wide to the Puli/Weah combo, or drop a short pass into Reyna who can distribute to the other forwards, slot it forward to a cutting Robinson, or break the D down on the dribble.
Combining all that off-the-ball movement up front with rapid combination play passing could prove to be pretty disruptive to opposing defenders, really test their shape discipline and communication.
Weah has elite speed and other teams may opt to place an elite speed defender to their left. But it's problematic for a defender, used to one side, to switch to playing the other. Often harder, and certainly more risky, than shifting a forward away from their preferred side now and then. So I think moving them around gets Weah lined up against the slower wing defender at times, with an also quick Robinson coming up behind which loads up the left side with speed.
From what I've seen, GB is organizing a pretty symmetrical attack, balancing the two sides of the field, somewhat. I'd experiment with making it much more asymmetrical. Create horizontally derived numbers up situations, or vertically derived speedsters up situations. To date I've only seen vertical numbers up - not much horizontal. Doing it horizontally can expose one side to counter-attacks, but I think we finally have a midfield and defense that can cope with that.
You can accomplish this with either weston or musah attacking the near post/ penalty spot from midfield and the two fwds going far post. Or have the Antonio Conte/Thomas Tuchel strategy of the wingbacks/fullbacks attacking the far post when the ball is on the other flank. Works best with early crosses in rather than taking it to the endline. We could also consider the overlapping center backs... but that might be too much to ask considering the short prep time at the national team level.I don't really see any of the US players as pure strikers, in the sense that they can be fed the ball and then everyone gets out of the way to let them score on their own. So, hopefully, GB will focus hard on small group attacking in the final third, basically scoring by committee.
I agree w/both of you that Weah, Puli, and Reyna would be my choice to start at the top, with Weah wide right, Puli wide left, and Reyna playing the middle in a hybrid attacking mid, holding forward type role.
However, I would emphasize a lot of shifting between the forwards. Especially in the first half. All three should rotate around pretty continuously. Always gravitating back to their starting points and spending the majority of their time there, but not remaining static in any one place, relative to the other two, either.
And, sometimes, when A. Robinson makes his runs up the left, I'd have the 3 forward shift a bit to overload the right. Robinson's forever sending crosses wide of the goal anyway. Might as well adapt the system to the player a little bit. And by keeping Reyna centered and behind the ball a little, Robinson can drive crosses wide to the Puli/Weah combo, or drop a short pass into Reyna who can distribute to the other forwards, slot it forward to a cutting Robinson, or break the D down on the dribble.
Combining all that off-the-ball movement up front with rapid combination play passing could prove to be pretty disruptive to opposing defenders, really test their shape discipline and communication.
Weah has elite speed and other teams may opt to place an elite speed defender to their left. But it's problematic for a defender, used to one side, to switch to playing the other. Often harder, and certainly more risky, than shifting a forward away from their preferred side now and then. So I think moving them around gets Weah lined up against the slower wing defender at times, with an also quick Robinson coming up behind which loads up the left side with speed.
From what I've seen, GB is organizing a pretty symmetrical attack, balancing the two sides of the field, somewhat. I'd experiment with making it much more asymmetrical. Create horizontally derived numbers up situations, or vertically derived speedsters up situations. To date I've only seen vertical numbers up - not much horizontal. Doing it horizontally can expose one side to counter-attacks, but I think we finally have a midfield and defense that can cope with that.
Day after Thanksgiving, no NFL happening that day, vs England? That will be one for the ages. I already can’t waitAll US first round games start at 2 PM eastern time including Black Friday game vs England which is really good for having a large viewership…
We kind of do it, but only vertically using overlapping runs, you know? And those sorts of overlapping runs are really pretty simple to prepare for and defend, because they're really common in soccer.Your comment on overloading is dead balls on. I was screaming for that in the last two matches. We have the talent to attack from that perspective
I kind of don't know that I get it. Is it: "it's a rainin' men"? And if so, to what cultural thing is it referencing? A movie quote?