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US Men's National Team (6 Viewers)

This is good because I have a feeling Wagner will be getting sacked at Schalke in the summer

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Brian Sciaretta

@BrianSciaretta

Today Sutttgart's American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo had his contract extended with through 2022. Today, 3rd place Stuttgart trailed 2nd place HSV 2-0 at HT. The game just ended with Stuttgart posting an epic 3-2 comeback win to move into 2nd (auto promotion). Big day for Matarazzo

 
[Rollins] Sources in Panama claiming that CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying will be three groups of four, based on the FIFA rankings (Mexico down to Antigua), with a Repechage tournament to determine who plays the fourth ranked team out of final round for the intercontinental spot

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I don't know how they would break the teams up, but it looks like Mexico, US and Costa Rica will likely be in separate groups as they are the three highest ranked countries.  We only got 1 point out 12 total against Mexico and CR last time so this should be good for the US but group size of 4 is so full of pitfalls.    One bad game and you could get ####ed.

 
These would be the 4 pots if they decide to seed into pots

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Pot 1 Mexico USA Costa Rica

Pot 2 Jamaica Honduras El Salvador

Pot 3 Canada Curacao Panama

Pot 4 Haiti Trinidad and Tobago Antigua and Barbuda

Best case:  US ELS Panama Antigua

Worst case: US Honduras Canada Haiti

 
El Floppo said:
Wouldn't we rather have curacao than Panama?
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Normally yes, but these are two countries going in complete opposite directions.  Since the 2018 WC Panama has been a mess.

Panama has a record of 4-1-12 (W-D-L) since the 2018 WC.  They even lost to Bermuda in Nations League play.

Meanwhile Curacao in the same time frame has a healthy record of 7-3-3.  This includes beating Honduras and drawing with CR at CR (you don't want to try and find the last time the US did this in the record books :( ).

We hammered Panama 4-0 at home in the Hex but barely beat Curacao at home in the Gold Cup 1-0.

 
El Floppo said:
His bundesliga coach must be a maroon. They should reach out and get some hot tips.
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And fwiw...I do wish he was more of a presence up top. Doesn't win air balls or foot races and isn't he most dynamic on the ball. But he is a smart player- understands where the seams are, understands team shape and does a fair number of little things to help his team- have seen him win two fouls in the opposing third where nothing was on and without help, won a couple of corners, tracked back we'll to defend. He is not the answer up top, but he's a solid complimentary piece

 
NewlyRetired said:
Roger Gonzalez

@RGonzalezCBS

Impressive first half for Josh Sargent. Not getting chances, but his work rate is great, playing smart and pressing well
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I can't see actual work rate on my screen...but it's definitely inferred. 

ETA...and yeah- kinda what I was getting at in my post above.

 
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El Floppo said:
And fwiw...I do wish he was more of a presence up top. Doesn't win air balls or foot races and isn't he most dynamic on the ball. But he is a smart player- understands where the seams are, understands team shape and does a fair number of little things to help his team- have seen him win two fouls in the opposing third where nothing was on and without help, won a couple of corners, tracked back we'll to defend. He is not the answer up top, but he's a solid complimentary piece
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When Sargent was a pup he had the tag of not doing the little things but since he was a goal scoring machine, it was never an issue.

Now things have flipped.  He has found the best way to playing time as a professional is to do all the little things.  Sadly his goal scoring has dried up but that may also just be the fact that he is a striker for a team in the relegation zone that creates only a couple of chances a game..

 
NewlyRetired said:
Here is the winner.

https://twitter.com/FutureUsmnt/status/1266731585501626372?s=20

this goal keeps Bayern 2 in the promotion hunt where it is crowded.  The teams in first and second have 47 points.   The next 4 teams are all level on 44 points (This is the group Bayern 2 is in).
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Just read on twitter that Bayern 2 can't be promoted to Bundie 2.  Must be something in the rules that Bundie 2 can't have reserved Bundeslia teams.  Makes sense I think.

 
Marco Fortunato Lauro

@GiallorossiYank

I’ve been critical of Sargent this season. Sometimes it just looks like he’s in 1st gear. But if you can’t appreciate his last few performances, especially today’s you have some type of agenda. He worked his ### off non-stop, regularly beat his midfielders back on counters

 
NewlyRetired said:
When Sargent was a pup he had the tag of not doing the little things but since he was a goal scoring machine, it was never an issue.

Now things have flipped.  He has found the best way to playing time as a professional is to do all the little things.  Sadly his goal scoring has dried up but that may also just be the fact that he is a striker for a team in the relegation zone that creates only a couple of chances a game..
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I wasn't really aware of him before that US yute team run where he scored some goals. Struck me even then as being a soccer smart guy.

Lots of physical/athletic goal scorers in youth play who lose that edge moving up against men and then just disappear. Hopefully Sarge can continue to extract the most he can out of a his middling athleticism, and can continue to grow into the adult game.

I've also noticed his chances limited by his team, and their tactics. They've been on the back foot a lot, leaving him isolated against 2 or 3 defenders. Have also noticed they lack cohesion going forward- whether that's on him, or his teammates, dunno. But for instance...bettincourt today had a few opportunities around the box and never once looked for a teammate, including Sarge who had made decent runs.

 
NewlyRetired said:
I’ve been critical of Sargent this season. Sometimes it just looks like he’s in 1st gear. But if you can’t appreciate his last few performances, especially today’s you have some type of agenda. He worked his ### off non-stop, regularly beat his midfielders back on counters
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No agenda, I just don’t think he’s lived up to the hype.

 
TripItUp said:
No agenda, I just don’t think he’s lived up to the hype.
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I hope you can appreciate the massive difference between these two takes, unless you are just continuing schtick where it is not really funny.

1) Sargent is not good at soccer.

2) I just don’t think he’s lived up to the hype.

 
The Z Machine said:
Most leagues have this requirement. If not you'd have 2 FC Barcelonas or Real Madrid squads in la liga top flight.
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I don't think you understood what I was saying.  Bayern 2 is not in Bundie 2, they are down in Bundie 3.

I am pretty sure the Segunda Division in Spain does allow for reserve teams as Real Madrid Castilla and Barca B have been in the second division many times I believe.  

Bundesliga 2 does not appear to allow reserve teams from what I can tell (which is what caused the confusion to begin with).

I was not referring to having a reserve team in the top flight, I was talking about a reserve team in the second division.   I know all leagues have a requirement that reserve teams can't be promoted to the top flight.  I just did not realize some also had the rule that you could not be promoted to the second division.

 
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NewlyRetired said:
I hope you can appreciate the massive difference between these two takes, unless you are just continuing schtick where it is not really funny.

1) Sargent is not good at soccer.

2) I just don’t think he’s lived up to the hype.
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Fair.  Just not a fan of his game. 

 
Future USMNT

@FutureUsmnt

In addition to Hertha Berlin, Ligue 1 clubs Monaco and Nice are interested in acquiring Konrad De La Fuente on loan from Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo. However, if Barcelona B are promoted to the Segunda Division, De La Fuente will stay with the club

 
El Floppo said:
swag vs sarge on right now FS1

eta: some crazy nightmarish shadows on the field here.
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I've never been in love with him, so maybe this is just me seeing what I already believed, but Sargent almost never impresses me.  He has some nice goals to his name, but he doesn't offer very much a lot of the time. 

I lost track of how many challenges and balls he lost yesterday.  I think he was out jumped, out muscled, or beaten to 50/50 balls like 8-10 times before getting subbed off.  It's not work rate or anything -- I'm just not sure he's very good.  At least by the standards of our top 5-10 players now.

 
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McBokonon said:
Reyna’s on the bench
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Looks like Sancho is finally healthy enough to start again.  It is strange to think I am a little disappointed Gio is not starting over brandt/Sancho., which is kind of ridiculous.

I am very much expecting a 16th straight sub appearance for Gio today, the consistency of which speaks a lot to him as a player at his age on a team so loaded with offensive talent.

 
El Floppo said:
I've also noticed his chances limited by his team, and their tactics. They've been on the back foot a lot, leaving him isolated against 2 or 3 defenders. Have also noticed they lack cohesion going forward- whether that's on him, or his teammates, dunno. But for instance...bettincourt today had a few opportunities around the box and never once looked for a teammate, including Sarge who had made decent runs.
Click to expand...
Maybe that's it -- he's being asked to play the Diego/Drogba role and isn't up to it?

 
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Dinsy Ejotuz said:
I've never been in love with him, so maybe this is just me seeing what I already believed, but Sargent almost never impresses me.  He has some nice goals to his name, but he doesn't offer very much a lot of the time. 

I lost track of how many challenges and balls he lost yesterday.  I think he was out jumped, out muscled, out hustled like 8-10 times before getting subbed off.  It's not work rate or anything -- I'm just not sure he's very good.  At least by the standards of our top 5-10 players now.
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I agree.  As Floppo said yesterday he is clearly not the answer at the void we have at center forward.

However, with the cub-bard so bare, he is actually the only striker we have playing in a big league and at just 20, I am thinking he is going to get plenty of chances to prove us wrong at the national team level.  Unless a miracle happens and Jozy finds a way to stay healthy even though he is on the wrong side of 30 now.

 
NewlyRetired said:
Looks like Sancho is finally healthy enough to start again.  It is strange to think I am a little disappointed Gio is not starting over brandt/Sancho., which is kind of ridiculous.
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You'll never convince me the "Reyna was going to start, but got hurt in warmups, but was healthy immediately, and has still never started" was ever anything other than a bone to US Soccer fans and a ratings play when the BL was the only game in town.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
You'll never convince me the "Reyna was going to start, but got hurt in warmups, but was healthy immediately, and has still never started" was ever anything other than a bone to US Soccer fans and a ratings play when the BL was the only game in town.
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FWIW , he was not healthy immediately.  He missed 3 straight practices where he was shown separate from the team in practice working with the trainers.

 
NewlyRetired said:
I agree.  As Floppo said yesterday he is clearly not the answer at the void we have at center forward.

However, with the cub-bard so bare, he is actually the only striker we have playing in a big league and at just 20, I am thinking he is going to get plenty of chances to prove us wrong at the national team level.  Unless a miracle happens and Jozy finds a way to stay healthy even though he is on the wrong side of 30 now.
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I didn't realize this had already been beaten to death when I posted.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Ok, I lied.  You convinced me.  I didn't see that.
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While I don't think any conspiracy happened on this occasion, I do think we all acknowledge that Reyna is a hugely valuable commodity to Dortmund knowing their business model and how much they made on Pulisic. 

I am hoping this translates to many chances for Gio over the next couple of seasons.  How long it goes and how many chances he gets will obviously depend on whether he can be effective or not.   The fact that they have already played him in Champions League play speaks very highly of Gio imo, as we know those are not games to experiment in.

 
NewlyRetired said:
While I don't think any conspiracy happened on this occasion, I do think we all acknowledge that Reyna is a hugely valuable commodity to Dortmund knowing their business model and how much they made on Pulisic. 

I am hoping this translates to many chances for Gio over the next couple of seasons.  How long it goes and how many chances he gets will obviously depend on whether he can be effective or not.   The fact that they have already played him in Champions League play speaks very highly of Gio imo, as we know those are not games to experiment in.
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Don't get me wrong -- I love his game.  Gun to head today I'd pick his eventual career over Pulisic's, Adams', McKennie's (maybe not Dest's though).  Still can't believe we have five legit young players and some others who seem to be knocking on the door already.

Actually, how would you rank them?  From POV looking back at the end of their careers as you expect them to unfold today?

Dest, Reyna, Adams/Pulisic (tie), McKennie for me.

 
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Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Don't get me wrong -- I love his game.  Gun to head today I'd pick his eventual career over Pulisic's, Adams', McKennie's (maybe not Dest's though).  Still can't believe we have five legit young players and some others who seem to be knocking on the door already.

Actually, how would you rank them?  From POV looking back at the end of their careers as you expect them to unfold today?

Dest, Reyna, Adams/Pulisic (tie), McKennie for me.
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Great question! 

Before I answer, am a looking at career in total or just effect on the national team?

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Club and country.
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Ok, I put Swag last in this group (and I say that thinking he will have a good long pro career and 80+ caps).

Pulisic is first for me, if and only if he finds a way to stay healthy.

Dest is the most fascinating player on the list for me because a lot will depend on his team/coach because he is kind of a specialty player (not similar in style but similar in use to Alphonso Davies).

Not ready to make a call on Reyna yet outside I love what I see but I need to see more.  Hopefully this time next year I will have a better feel.

Adams is going to have a quietly great career, some of the quiet due to his style and position.

 
This article is amazing: Cruyff in DC.  I was originally going to clip a few things, but then there were too many.  It's paywalled at The Athletic unfortunately.

This is like 1% of the article, but it's from 1979 -- with Cruyff explaining, I assume, Total Football for an American audience.  What's striking about it is how much Michels's ideas inform today's game.  It could almost be Pep or Klopp talking.

@Ramsay Hunt Experience

 
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