CGRdrJoe
Footballguy
430 pst so yes those timesJust as I'm leaving work. So the match is probably at 7:30 with pregame at 7 then right?
430 pst so yes those timesJust as I'm leaving work. So the match is probably at 7:30 with pregame at 7 then right?
Download the NBC sports app and you can watch it therei’d love to watch surfing but can’t find the channel
I think Lletget gives that consistent veteran presence that helps keep team shape in place, and usually decent offensive abilities and good positioning defensively. That's not sexy on tv, but it's important.I give GGG a good grade tonight. We can all quibble about the quality but he gets the top guys and the second tier guys to play for him hard.
He clearly has a bit of a blind spot for Lletget but other than him, he appears willing to give players their chance to claim a position.
NBCOlympics schedule live streams from NBC websitei’d love to watch surfing but can’t find the channel
UPDATED!! THE OFFICIAL WORLD CUP 23 is bolded.Three deep at every position (my taek/guess only):
- Sargent, Pefok, Zardes
- Pulisic, Aaronson, Hoppe
- Reyna, Weah, Clark
- McKennie, Lletget, Williamson
- Musah, LDLT, Busio
- Adams, Acosta, Sands
- Dest, Robinson, Vines
- Brooks, Robinson, Miazga
- Zimmerman, McKenzie, Richards
- Cannon, Moore, Reynolds/Yedlin
- Steffan, Horvath, Turner
I like this with the only change being Zardes, TBD, Someone We've Never Heard Of, Dike, Dempsey, SargentDinsy Ejotuz said:UPDATED!! THE OFFICIAL WORLD CUP 23 is bolded.Three deep at every position (my taek/guess only):
- Sargent, Pefok, Zardes
- Pulisic, Aaronson, Hoppe
- Reyna, Weah, Clark
- McKennie, Lletget, Williamson
- Musah, LDLT, Busio
- Adams, Acosta, Sands
- Dest, Robinson, Vines
- Brooks, Robinson, Miazga
- Zimmerman, McKenzie, Richards
- Cannon, Moore, Reynolds/Yedlin
- Steffan, Horvath, Turner
yeah, Sargent can't be 1I like this with the only change being Zardes, TBD, Someone We've Never Heard Of, Dike, Dempsey, Sargent
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/usmnt-player-ratings-kellyn-acosta-matthew-hoppe-lead-us-to-gold-cup-semifinalsLet me know if you guys find some player grades...
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/usmnt-gold-cup-semifinalist-jamaica-player-ratings/1oh4ecbh0av1e1u27s57ovycwnLet me know if you guys find some player grades...
I didn't attribute it to the pitch until reading this thread but then that's all I could see. Somewhat hard to grade any of the guys completely on their passing. It was that noticeable from the opening whistle.Busio's positioning wasn't bad. And in spite of my dislike of his passing accuracy on the night (stats aren't going to tell the story of passes that get to the man, but arent setting the man up for his next play), he was making the right pass.
Zardes did well and was a big contributor in the goal but my take is Jamaica ran themselves in to the ground in the first 45 trying to press us and get a goal. They were gassed - that with our possession and fresh legs from some subs made the difference.One thing I woke up thinking about... did the US dominance start as soon as Zardes came on? Was it that direct?
Agree.I think GGG has done just fine. Unless he trots out Yueill or does something crazy in the semis then I consider this Gold Cup pretty much a success at this point. We were at the point last night and now Thursday where it's go time to try and win this thing. He put out pretty much the best lineup available and they got a result.
Feels like he's already done that with the Canada and Jamaica games which seemed like the best options available. GGGs getting a better look at these guys so must have a reason for starting Dike over Zardes, the only role I'd want changed. Same must be true for Williamson absence over Busio or Lletget.so we'll see if GGG suspends the experimentation and puts a sensible lineup out there.
And Roldan. I keep saying it...he was the only guy who could hit a cross.One thing I woke up thinking about... did the US dominance start as soon as Zardes came on? Was it that direct?
If a month ago, some one had told me our two best wingers at the Gold Cup were going to be Roldan and Hoppe, I think I would have simply laughed.And Roldan. I keep saying it...he was the only guy who could hit a cross.
Agree on Zardes but I am not sure Nips did enough for me to warrant another start. I am no Roldan fan but he has played half way decent in the Gold Cup with his minutes. Maybe give Roldan 60 and Nips 30.We all agree Zardes gets the start, right? Same lineup as last night, but with Zardes in the middle? .
He makes me nervous any time the ball comes back to him. But maybe, as the nerdier nerds than me argue, that doesn't matter nearly as much as keeping the ball out of the net.I know many were not convinced about Turner but I am unsure what else we can expect.
Across 4 games, not a single drop, not a single misjudged cross, no rebounds, hands very clean, and mostly good enough with his feet even on that crap field last night. Outside of two nervy moments with his feet in the first game (neither of which resulted in a turn over), I think he has been very very solid.
I feel extremely confident that we have our top 3 keepers lined up now and honestly would be comfortable with any of the three starting.
Me too, but I am shell shocked because of the WPIOOTBGW twitter account.He makes me nervous any time the ball comes back to him. .
I wanted/hoped to get to the semi finals with this motley crew and they did it. It wasn't pretty but that was never going to happen.I know we probably get rolled by Mexico if we beat Qatar, especially since they brought the guys we beat a month ago, but I really want that game again.
Having said... Turner, Robinson, Sands, Vines, Acosta, Hoppe. We found the depth we were hoping for from this tournament.
Man for man I think we're probably as good as Qatar. But they've played together so much and it shows -- especially the front 4-5.I wanted/hoped to get to the semi finals with this motley crew and they did it. It wasn't pretty but that was never going to happen.
I want to see a real good fight against Qatar. Even if we lose, it would be nice to know this group gave the reigning Asian champs a run.
Confirmed this at another site. We're pretty heavy favorites.Per oddsmakers:
- USA - 48%
- Draw - 29%
- Qatar - 24%
Granted I wasn't fully watching for most of the first half, but Nips seemed to make a few key defensive plays and I didn't see anything otherwise untoward. What did I miss with him last night?Agree on Zardes but I am not sure Nips did enough for me to warrant another start. I am no Roldan fan but he has played half way decent in the Gold Cup with his minutes. Maybe give Roldan 60 and Nips 30.
He was just ok - nothing too bad but nothing that makes him a definite start in the semis. I will reiterate what others have said - no one was providing any service to Dike (he was poor anyways) but Nips did nothing to get the attack going. I think Roldan has looked better and I would start him and Hoppe on the wings with Zardes up top. I would also start just about anybody on the roster over Lleget - he was awful.Granted I wasn't fully watching for most of the first half, but Nips seemed to make a few key defensive plays and I didn't see anything otherwise untoward. What did I miss with him last night?
I also agree with Roldan. He's been making use of his time out there.
Steffen seems the most brainfart-prone of the three. I never saw him play at Dusseldorf, but at City and for the US it seems like he ends up in no-man's land once or twice every game.He makes me nervous any time the ball comes back to him. But maybe, as the nerdier nerds than me argue, that doesn't matter nearly as much as keeping the ball out of the net.I know many were not convinced about Turner but I am unsure what else we can expect.
Across 4 games, not a single drop, not a single misjudged cross, no rebounds, hands very clean, and mostly good enough with his feet even on that crap field last night. Outside of two nervy moments with his feet in the first game (neither of which resulted in a turn over), I think he has been very very solid.
I feel extremely confident that we have our top 3 keepers lined up now and honestly would be comfortable with any of the three starting.
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Certainly the save he made on the first minute offside shot was fantastic. They never showed it again, but at full speed it looked incredible.
FWIW, Roldan said that Dike/Arriola/Hoppe's job the first 60 minutes was to simply tire our Jamaica with runs behind and that once he came on they inverted the right side which gave him the space. If that's the strategy against Qatar you almost have to start Dike since Zardes strength is finding space in cluttered boxes; not necessarily making defenders run. Same with Roldan since he doesn't exactly exploit space himself physically.He was just ok - nothing too bad but nothing that makes him a definite start in the semis. I will reiterate what others have said - no one was providing any service to Dike (he was poor anyways) but Nips did nothing to get the attack going. I think Roldan has looked better and I would start him and Hoppe on the wings with Zardes up top. I would also start just about anybody on the roster over Lleget - he was awful.
He does. I almost never get to see him, but he's just in the wrong spot fairly often. It happens to everyone sometimes, but his instincts may be dicey. Which seems like it probably does matter more than whether you can hit a 40 yard ball to the sideline with your left.at City and for the US it seems like he ends up in no-man's land once or twice every game.
I think most would be fine making Steffen the backup. I don't think anybody believes he should be a starter based on his club's stature. The question becomes, will GGG have the balls?Steffen seems the most brainfart-prone of the three. I never saw him play at Dusseldorf, but at City and for the US it seems like he ends up in no-man's land once or twice every game.
Arriola didn't look quite like his usual hard-charging self - he made a couple nice plays but I agree with AAA he didn't provide much impact overall. Part of it was that no one could hit a decent long ball when he did get open, part of it might be him still working thru whatever his injury was from Haiti.Granted I wasn't fully watching for most of the first half, but Nips seemed to make a few key defensive plays and I didn't see anything otherwise untoward. What did I miss with him last night?
I also agree with Roldan. He's been making use of his time out there.
I've never been overly impressed by Nips. I put him in the GGG's blindspot group although he seems to be well liked in this forum. He gets run because GGG is familiar with him and Nips knows his system. The type of player that will look great against minnows but would be a liability in qualifying IMHO. Players like Nips and Lletget are a given to be outclassed on the WC stage.Arriola didn't look quite like his usual hard-charging self -
I suspect this will end up like like another Gold Cup I remember where a largely B/C team fought their way to the finals only to get annihilated by Mexico. And I'm OK with that. This team should not be able to beat the team that Mexico brought to the Gold Cup. And because good teams generally improve as tournaments go on, I'd expect Mexico to look very good in the final (it helps that Canada doesn't even really have a striker to play in the semis with Cavlini on yellow card suspension).I wanted/hoped to get to the semi finals with this motley crew and they did it. It wasn't pretty but that was never going to happen.
I want to see a real good fight against Qatar. Even if we lose, it would be nice to know this group gave the reigning Asian champs a run.
I thought John Strong made an excellent point last night.I'm not sure how much more I could expect going into qualifying. Which isn't to say it won't be a white knuckle experience. My sense is that CONCACAF is weaker at the top (with no team outside Mexico and the US as good as Costa Rica in the last ten years), but it's probably deeper. I think the compressed schedule helps the US because teams like Canada and the Central American teams lack depth in their rosters.
Arriola was coming off an injury, and I do think he was tasked with a lot of defensive work because they wanted to keep Shaq relatively high.Arriola didn't look quite like his usual hard-charging self - he made a couple nice plays but I agree with AAA he didn't provide much impact overall. Part of it was that no one could hit a decent long ball when he did get open, part of it might be him still working thru whatever his injury was from Haiti.
Roldan has played surprisingly well and looked a lot more active last night, so I wouldn't mind giving him the start Thursday night. Could also go with Gioacchini but he hasn't seen much time so far.
That's fair but can we really name a performance that stood out against meaningful competition?Arriola was coming off an injury, and I do think he was tasked with a lot of defensive work because they wanted to keep Shaq relatively high.
For Nips or Shaq?That's fair but can we really name a performance that stood out against meaningful competition?