Soccer thread (Champions League • PL • La Liga • Euros etc)

[FreeSpiritCat]

Somehow Berhalter figured out the best lineup to put on the field. Other than Zardes I was happy with the subs. When you add Pulisic and Reyna this team is formattable when coached correctly.

[AzCatFan2]

I didn't mind the Zardes sub. He's not creative, but he works hard, and runs all over the field. His work rate won a few balls, and Zardes' clearance ended the game. Last 15 minutes, CONCACAF opponent, with a lead, putting in Zardes to press and run is acceptable. All other instances? No.

And a big shout out to Dest. Dangerous every time he touched the ball. And the finish was world class spectacular. His D wasn't too bad either. Solid games by Adams, McKennie, and Weah too. Agreed when we add Pulisic and Reyna, we have a solid team.

[FreeSpiritCat]

[FreeSpiritCat]

Another 18 year old who should be on the USMNT yesterday. Joe Scally is special and he is a great sub for Dest or Jedi Antonee Robinson. Just like Musha, Reyna, and Pepi, this 18/19 year old is special. Instead Berhalter plays Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin. Although Yedlin deserves to be on the national team, Moore shouldn't be seen anywhere near the national team. Scally hasn't even been looked at for WCQ and that is the fault of Berhalter. Berhalther is conceited and would rather put MLS lifers on the USMNT. I believe the USMNT has a good chance to win the World Cup in 2026, but only with a coach who understands how to use the talent available.

[FreeSpiritCat]

GOALKEEPERS (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 24/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 12/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 22/1), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 8/0), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim/GER; 4/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 17/1), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 14/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 0/0), Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp/BEL; 8/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 69/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 20/2)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 42/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 20/1), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 7/0), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 33/8), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 27/7), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 9/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 29/0)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 13/5), Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 41/8), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 2/2), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas; 4/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 40/16), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 16/1)

Berhalter makes some head scratching decisions on the roster.

1. Dest and Reyna are injured.
2. John Brooks and Luca de la Torre are not on the roster???? Brooks over McKenzie or even Miazga.
3. What is up with Reggie Cannon on the team? He is coming back from injury, played his first game last weekend and not in form. He should not have been on this roster.
4. MLS lifers who should never see the field ("backwards passing" Lletget, Christian Roldan, Paul Arriola). Matt Turner and Walker Zimmerman are MLS lifers but I have no problem with them on this roster. Both may start and I have no problem with that. Christian Roldan has played 29 caps with the USMNT and has 0 goals and 1 assist. Acosta is serviceable. The USMNT really needs a better back up 6 and Acosta is the only option right now.
5. I don't know much about Jesus Ferreira. He is more of a 10 (attacking midfielder). That would leave one true striker in Pepi. Zardes is injured (thank goodness). I would rather see Pefok or Dike.
6. I like Joe Scally on the roster, and with Dest out I would love to see him as right fullback. But with Berhalter put him on the roster because of pressure.

I love watching quality YouTubers. "Tactical Manger TV" is my favorite channel. He just interviewed Chris Richards and Jonathon Gomez during the last week. Other good channels "FiFAmerica", "11 Yanks", "Yank Report", "Que Golazo", "The Straight Red Card".

Tactical Manager was born in Brazil and lives in the US. His passion is soccer and follows both nations. Twice a week he reports on how US players are doing in Europe.

FiFAmerica is a coach breaking down the USMNT. The guy knows his stuff. He is in school to be a top level coach.

11Yanks works with Tactical Manager a lot. He is a passionate USMNT soccer fan and can break down games. He has a lot of guests who represent other countries around the world.

Yank Report is from a person who is great in front of the mic. He also works with Tactical Manager and 11Yanks from time to time, has guests, and I find him as entertaining as the others I've mentioned.

The Straight Red Card is different. They are definitely more dirty and rated "R". Yet, they are passionate soccer fans, listen to their followers, and have a strong knowledge of the game. They can rub people the wrong way.

Que Golazo is probably my least favorite channel of this group. Yet, Jimmy Conrad knows his stuff and will read the posts of his followers. I value his opinion.

[AzCatFan2]

Can't argue with the results. Dos - a - Cero!

[FreeSpiritCat]

Wasn't that game incredible? The USMNT literally dominated Mexico the entire match. And it had to be Pulisic that scored the lead goal. And to think the USMNT isn't at full strength. No Dest or Reyna because of injuries. The midfield is incredible.

Steffen played great and should be the top GK.
Zimmerman played good at CB.

This puts the USMNT first place in WCQ.

[Frybry02]

Wasn't that game incredible? The USMNT literally dominated Mexico the entire match. And it had to be Pulisic that scored the lead goal. And to think the USMNT isn't at full strength. No Dest or Reyna because of injuries. The midfield is incredible.

Steffen played great and should be the top GK.
Zimmerman played good at CB.

This puts the USMNT first place in WCQ.

Other than a few shaky moments in the first half that gave Mexico some great opportunities, this is the most complete USA performance against legit competition in quite a while.

[legallykenny]

Wasn't that game incredible? The USMNT literally dominated Mexico the entire match. And it had to be Pulisic that scored the lead goal. And to think the USMNT isn't at full strength. No Dest or Reyna because of injuries. The midfield is incredible.

Steffen played great and should be the top GK.
Zimmerman played good at CB.

This puts the USMNT first place in WCQ.

Huh?

Mexico had the run of play for the entire first half.

I still don’t get the Weston McKennie thing. He’s a great athlete but a very mediocre soccer player.

I generally like Tyler Adams but he had an absolutely atrocious cross field pass on the ground in his own half that put Mexico in on goal.

But most importantly - what the fuck do we have to do to get Taylor Twellman off the air? I can’t stand listening to that fratty douche

[EastCoastCat]

Playing poorly in the first half is something this team still needs to work on.

[FreeSpiritCat]

Playing poorly in the first half is something this team still needs to work on.

It wasn't totally poor. The problem was they were playing up and it opened up the counter attack. There were some bad mistakes but there was also good recovery. Zimmerman played a great game as did Steffen.

[AzCatFan2]

Wasn't that game incredible? The USMNT literally dominated Mexico the entire match. And it had to be Pulisic that scored the lead goal. And to think the USMNT isn't at full strength. No Dest or Reyna because of injuries. The midfield is incredible.

Steffen played great and should be the top GK.
Zimmerman played good at CB.

This puts the USMNT first place in WCQ.

Huh?

Mexico had the run of play for the entire first half.

I still don’t get the Weston McKennie thing. He’s a great athlete but a very mediocre soccer player.

I generally like Tyler Adams but he had an absolutely atrocious cross field pass on the ground in his own half that put Mexico in on goal.

But most importantly - what the fuck do we have to do to get Taylor Twellman off the air? I can’t stand listening to that fratty douche

Not sure I'd say Mexico had the entire run of play in the first half. I saw it closer. More like 60/40.

With McKennie, if you watch him at Juventus, he's a different player. A box-to-box guy that controls the midfield. For whatever reason, for the National Team, he just doesn't look comfortable out there. Strange, but some players shine for their club teams, but struggle for their National Team. Others, are stars for their National Teams but never really find a club home they can shine for. McKennie could be one of the former, and it could just be a style or comfort thing.

I thought Weah played a great game. He looked dangerous most of the night and his cross on the goal was a thing of beauty. Weah and Pepi need more time together, but the potential is there. I hope Pepi finds a good transfer landing spot, because playing with top players in Europe will help him understand how to connect better with Weah, and a host of USMN Midfielders who all play in top Euro leagues like Pulisic, Reyna, McKennie, and Musah. Add in Dest, and that's a pretty good attacking team, which is something the USMNT has never really had. Now, we just need them to stay healthy.

[AzCatFan2]

Ugly 1-1 tie at Jamaica yesterday. But a point on the road is a point on the road. I'll take it.

Another interesting development is Canada beat Mexico 2-1 up in the Canadian Frozen Tundra yesterday. This puts Canada atop the World Cup Qualifying table at the moment, with the US 1 point behind, and Mexico and Panama 2 points behind. Top 3 are auto-qualifiers, and 4th goes to a playoff for a spot.

The next set of 3 games will tell us if the US advances easily, or if it will be a struggle. The three games are home against El Salvador (currently 7th out of 8 teams), away at Canada, and home against Honduras (currently in 8th place). Picking up at least 7 out of the possible 9 points puts the US in a very good position. Anything less, and it may be a struggle depending on other results.

[azgreg]

I've never seen soccer played in the snow before.

[FreeSpiritCat]

Ugly 1-1 tie at Jamaica yesterday. But a point on the road is a point on the road. I'll take it.

Another interesting development is Canada beat Mexico 2-1 up in the Canadian Frozen Tundra yesterday. This puts Canada atop the World Cup Qualifying table at the moment, with the US 1 point behind, and Mexico and Panama 2 points behind. Top 3 are auto-qualifiers, and 4th goes to a playoff for a spot.

The next set of 3 games will tell us if the US advances easily, or if it will be a struggle. The three games are home against El Salvador (currently 7th out of 8 teams), away at Canada, and home against Honduras (currently in 8th place). Picking up at least 7 out of the possible 9 points puts the US in a very good position. Anything less, and it may be a struggle depending on other results.

I didn't even watch the whole match. Uninspired soccer. Plus, I noticed Jamaica was watering the pitch right before the match. Terrible conditions that slows down the game. But that's CONCACAF for you.

[AzCatFan2]

I've never seen soccer played in the snow before.

The US played a qualifier in Denver against Costa Rica in 2014. The game is called the Snow Classico. US won 1-0 on a Clint Dempsey goal. It was wild, and game probably should have been suspended. But both teams and team coaches agreed to continue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Clasico

[AzCatFan2]

Boring friendly with Bosnia Herzegovina tonight. We played an all domestic lineup and already had the run of play the first 40 minutes until a BH player got a red card. BH went into a shell in the 2nd half, playing 9, sometimes 10 guys behind the ball. We broke through, finally, 89th minute for a 1-0 win.

BH is used to playing hunker, bunker and counter. It's what they do against the better Euro clubs. And we just didn't have enough creativity tonight with the B team to break it down. But that's OK. We still got the win, debutted a number of players, and got to see the guys play in a game.

[UAEebs86]

I have no idea what league this is in:

[Chicat]

Feels like they stole that from Ted Lasso.

[Chicat]

I’m a fledgling Tottenham fan, but I’m beginning to understand this Arsenal rivalry a little better.

Seems like Arsenal is ducking my Spurs asking for this bullshit postponement. And the Premiere League granting it even though they wouldn’t approve Tottenham’s earlier request for one against Leicester.

So fuck everyone. COYS

[EastCoastCat]

I’m a fledgling Tottenham fan, but I’m beginning to understand this Arsenal rivalry a little better.

Seems like Arsenal is ducking my Spurs asking for this bullshit postponement. And the Premiere League granting it even though they wouldn’t approve Tottenham’s earlier request for one against Leicester.

So fuck everyone. COYS

BTW, I am a big Arsenal fan so this should be fun....

It's not bullshit. Part of the league rules where you can submit a request to the league to postpone if you can't field 13 players and a goalie. Arsenal has 14 players out for various reasons - Covid, injuries, and players going to play on their international teams. That leaves them with 11 players and a goalie available tomorrow.

Other teams have postponed games per these rules (Liverpool did it to Arsenal recently) so fuck you and your whiney-ass Spurs.

[Chicat]

How many players are out with Covid? They can’t bring up some of their younger players?

This smells a whole lot like UCLA ducking Arizona, so fuck you too ya fuckin gooner.

[EastCoastCat]

Only 1, but It’s not a Covid rule. That’s the point you friggin yid.

And nobody is going into a London Darby with a bunch of academy kids. Not when there is a fierce battle for a Champion’s League bid going on.

[Chicat]

1 Covid case… heh…

Wankers!

[AzCatFan2]

USMNT with another ugly win today. Too many close calls and poor finishes in a 1-0 victory over El Salvador. Two open shots over the crossbar, and two open headers also over. I can hear my youth coach yelling, "Nobody ever missed a shot by shooting under the goal!"

Still, World Cup qualifying is a tournament where the results matter. And 3 points tonight gets us a step closer to Qatar.

[azcat49]

The absolute only reason I know just a little of what you all are saying is because of Ted Lasso.

[azgreg]

[Frybry02]

They have not looked good the past 2 matches. Lucky to still be 2nd in the table. 3 points Wednesday is a must.

[AzCatFan2]

Wed is an absolute must win. We play the team at the bottom at home. Meanwhile, Mexico hosts Panama. Mexico is currently tied with us in points, and Panama is 1 point behind. A win for us and we create a little separation depending on the outcome in Mexico.

[azgreg]

[UAEebs86]

Why the fuck are they playing outdoors in Minnesota in February?

[azgreg]

Why the fuck are they playing outdoors in Minnesota in January?

To get ready for Qatar.

[azgreg]

[FreeSpiritCat]

That was a good win. Adams injury is a reason for concern. I haven't been watching much soccer because my mind is focused elsewhere.

[AzCatFan2]

With our result and Mexico beating Panama yesterday, we are one, big step closer to Qatar. We play at Mexico next, and any result we can get would be huge, but it may not be necessary. We have a 4 point lead over Panama, and 5 point lead over Costa Rica for 3rd place, with the top 3 qualifying automatically. Canada plays CR next, and our second game of the last three is hosting Panama. If Canada can get any points against CR, and we beat Panama at home, that would give us minimum 4 point lead over Panama and CR with just 1 game to go. Would be nice not have to get a result in our last game at CR to qualify. Winning at home against Panama is another absolute must.

[FreeSpiritCat]

With our result and Mexico beating Panama yesterday, we are one, big step closer to Qatar. We play at Mexico next, and any result we can get would be huge, but it may not be necessary. We have a 4 point lead over Panama, and 5 point lead over Costa Rica for 3rd place, with the top 3 qualifying automatically. Canada plays CR next, and our second game of the last three is hosting Panama. If Canada can get any points against CR, and we beat Panama at home, that would give us minimum 4 point lead over Panama and CR with just 1 game to go. Would be nice not have to get a result in our last game at CR to qualify. Winning at home against Panama is another absolute must.

This should have never been this close. Berhalter has made some bizarre moves. We have never had the best roster possible. Lletget, Roldan, and Arriola shouldn't be near the field.

[AzCatFan2]

With our result and Mexico beating Panama yesterday, we are one, big step closer to Qatar. We play at Mexico next, and any result we can get would be huge, but it may not be necessary. We have a 4 point lead over Panama, and 5 point lead over Costa Rica for 3rd place, with the top 3 qualifying automatically. Canada plays CR next, and our second game of the last three is hosting Panama. If Canada can get any points against CR, and we beat Panama at home, that would give us minimum 4 point lead over Panama and CR with just 1 game to go. Would be nice not have to get a result in our last game at CR to qualify. Winning at home against Panama is another absolute must.

This should have never been this close. Berhalter has made some bizarre moves. We have never had the best roster possible. Lletget, Roldan, and Arriola shouldn't be near the field.

Don't forget Zardes. Don't mind him as the Captain of the "B" team. He does well in that role. But he just doesn't belong with the top "A" team. Maybe as the last member, and you bring him on late, with the lead, against the Honduras' of the world?

But WC qualifying in CONCACAF is always more difficult than it should be. We have players in the top leagues in Europe who should just roll over most of these teams, and generally do at home. But on the road, where it's hot, humid, and the pitch conditions leave a lot to be desired, it just isn't easy. A 10k seat stadium on a 90 degree day, 90% humidity is a long way from any game in the Premiere League or Budesliga. Strange things can, and often do happen.

If all we need in a win in the penultimate game in qualifying and we accomplish it, then that's fine with me. I'll take it.

[Chicat]

This Tottenham-Man City match has been insane!

COYS!!!

[MrBug708]

Fuck Mexican Soccer

[EastCoastCat]

Gunners looking very primed to get a Champions League spot next year. No trophy's this year but the future with this young team looks very bright.

[AzCatFan2]

Such cruel fate. The USA/Mexico WCQ starts at the same time our game with Houston today. I'll be watching the basketball game and keeping an eye on the soccer game. We lose today, and go home. USMNT has a guaranteed two more soccer qualifiers regardless of what happens in Azteca tonight. And the US doesn't need a point to advance onto Qatar, though it would help.

[FreeSpiritCat]

Such cruel fate. The USA/Mexico WCQ starts at the same time our game with Houston today. I'll be watching the basketball game and keeping an eye on the soccer game. We lose today, and go home. USMNT has a guaranteed two more soccer qualifiers regardless of what happens in Azteca tonight. And the US doesn't need a point to advance onto Qatar, though it would help.

Yep, it is a dilemma. However the basketball game trumps the soccer match in this case.

[AzCatFan2]

Kept my eye on the soccer score last night while trying not to throw anything at the TV during the basketball travesty. Would have told me 0-0 draw before the start, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. But we missed two great chances and could have put the game away. Still, 1 point puts us in a position that if we beat Panama, we're all but assured to punch our ticket to Qatar. I'll take it.

[UAEebs86]

[Chicat]

4-0 at halftime against Panama. Not too shabby…

[AzCatFan2]

5-1 victory for the US puts us on Qatar's doorstep. Worst case, we're in a 1 game playoff with likely New Zealand for a spot. But as long as we don't lose by 6 against Costa Rica by 6, we get an auto spot. Goal differential tonight helps.

[azgreg]

[Frybry02]

Solids performance tonight. Though the marking on the conceded goal was pretty bad.

Watching Tyler Adams is a thing of beauty. Just always seems to be in the right spot. His instincts and anticipation are incredible.

[FreeSpiritCat]

The starting lineup was solid. I like that John Brooks is back. Some players must have drank the water in Mexico game and are not playing. Imagine if the USMNT started Reyna and Dest.

[EastCoastCat]

If we lose by 6 to Costa Rica we don't deserve a 1 game playoff. Great effort by USMT in a very chippy game.

Palisic is a game changer - that 3rd goal of his was on a level with the greats.