***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (6 Viewers)

[Christo]

WTF would the Cubans struggle with the heat?

 

[TLEF316]

WTF would the Cubans struggle with the heat?

Maybe they're really Dominicans.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Is Cuba starting a 12 year old in goal? Turrible.

 

[Steve Tasker]

GB Nigerian soccer!

Police Machine is my new favorite team name.

Police Machine vs Joe Public - a rare matchup that can describe both an international club friendly and the Rodney King incident.

I love the Police Machine Facebook page.

"The Police machine fc highest goals scorer for this season has being a wiz kid in the person of Cletus Ogbole 7 gl , a prolific attacker and a master finisher in the front of goal. He was the highest goals scorer in the recent Police Games in Porthacourt ."

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

GB Nigerian soccer!

Police Machine is my new favorite team name.

Police Machine vs Joe Public - a rare matchup that can describe both an international club friendly and the Rodney King incident.

I love the Police Machine Facebook page.

"The Police machine fc highest goals scorer for this season has being a wiz kid in the person of Cletus Ogbole 7 gl , a prolific attacker and a master finisher in the front of goal. He was the highest goals scorer in the recent Police Games in Porthacourt ."

Spartans Rule is probably signing him in Football Manager as we speak.

 

[Steve Tasker]

GB Nigerian soccer!

Police Machine is my new favorite team name.

Police Machine vs Joe Public - a rare matchup that can describe both an international club friendly and the Rodney King incident.

I love the Police Machine Facebook page.

"The Police machine fc highest goals scorer for this season has being a wiz kid in the person of Cletus Ogbole 7 gl , a prolific attacker and a master finisher in the front of goal. He was the highest goals scorer in the recent Police Games in Porthacourt ."

Spartans Rule is probably signing him in Football Manager as we speak.

"I bought him for two sacks of rice and a half-dozen soccer balls, and I sold him to Chelsea for 60 million pounds in 2022!"

- Gator

 

[The Z Machine]

The Cuban goalie might be the worst player I've ever seen at this level.

I'd give him a 3/10. Pure ugly.

 

[Spartans Rule]

GB Nigerian soccer!

Police Machine is my new favorite team name.

Police Machine vs Joe Public - a rare matchup that can describe both an international club friendly and the Rodney King incident.

I love the Police Machine Facebook page.

"The Police machine fc highest goals scorer for this season has being a wiz kid in the person of Cletus Ogbole 7 gl , a prolific attacker and a master finisher in the front of goal. He was the highest goals scorer in the recent Police Games in Porthacourt ."

Spartans Rule is probably signing him in Football Manager as we speak.

He clearly knows how to respond to a "Don't get complacent out there" half time team talk.

 

[Christo]

Wondo!

 

[Ignoramus]

Gol.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Pippo Wondolowski

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Goodson trying to bring back the libero.

 

[TLEF316]

Wondo's name is spelled wrong on his jersey. Some dope threw in an extra w

 

[Ignoramus]

Wondo's name is spelled wrong on his jersey. Some dope threw in an extra w

 

[Christo]

Wondo!

 

[Ignoramus]

Uno mas.

 

[Christo]

 

[TLEF316]

Ugh. We gave up a goal to freaking Belize

 

[Christo]

Wondo!

 

[Ignoramus]

Wondo!

 

[TLEF316]

Now this is just stupid

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I have seen at least half of every game so far. My wife is not pleased to learn that the Gold Cup is an entirely different thing than the Confederations Cup. Add in the U-20 games I watched over the weekend and I'm pretty sure she's ready to force me to watch like 20 straight hours of Knitting Daily or Through the Wormhole.

Me to my wife tonight: "If I watch a game I only kind of care about right now, will it still be OK if I watch the game I really want to see later?"

The answer was no. I wish I'd gotten into soccer when I was single, at least for awhile.

 

[T Bell]

I have seen at least half of every game so far. My wife is not pleased to learn that the Gold Cup is an entirely different thing than the Confederations Cup. Add in the U-20 games I watched over the weekend and I'm pretty sure she's ready to force me to watch like 20 straight hours of Knitting Daily or Through the Wormhole.

Me to my wife tonight: "If I watch a game I only kind of care about right now, will it still be OK if I watch the game I really want to see later?"

The answer was no. I wish I'd gotten into soccer when I was single, at least for awhile.

You can always lose the wife.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I have seen at least half of every game so far. My wife is not pleased to learn that the Gold Cup is an entirely different thing than the Confederations Cup. Add in the U-20 games I watched over the weekend and I'm pretty sure she's ready to force me to watch like 20 straight hours of Knitting Daily or Through the Wormhole.

Me to my wife tonight: "If I watch a game I only kind of care about right now, will it still be OK if I watch the game I really want to see later?"

The answer was no. I wish I'd gotten into soccer when I was single, at least for awhile.

You can always lose the wife.

We just had a kid and her boobs look awesome.

 

[bentley]

"What's the key difference between Beckerman and Holden?"

"First off, Holden doesn't suck. Also he doesn't stink like a house built out of ####, stuffed with dead dogs, and then set on fire."

 

[dparker713]

Hated the marking on the Belize goal. Loved the response seconds later. Its time we started burying teams like this. I don't care if it's our A, B or C squad.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Was it Orozco who lost his mark?

 

[bentley]

Stuart Holden is better than everyone else on the field.

 

[Christo]

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Stuart Holden is better than everyone else on the field.

My niece is better than half the people on the field.

 

[ffldrew]

If I married a hooker in Belize could I play on the National squad?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

If I married a hooker in Belize could I play on the National squad?

Might be too taxing with only one kidney.

 

[dparker713]

Team is so much more dynamic when Holden is in the game.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Its time we started burying teams like this. I don't care if it's our A, B or C squad.

 

[The Z Machine]

How did LD look?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

How did LD look?

As good as anyone. He had two assists (and a PK goal). He pulled a lot of strings and got into great positions, but Belize was really, really bad. They were lucky in that their keeper was actually pretty good. With Cuba's keeper, it would have been something like 12-1. But even against the bad competition, Landon gives the team something entirely different as a striker. He's still incredibly mobile and pops up all over the place.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Didn't realize Holden's 27 already. Still think of him as one of the young guys.

Is he a straight backup for Bradley, or is there another way to get him on the field?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Didn't realize Holden's 27 already. Still think of him as one of the young guys.

Is he a straight backup for Bradley, or is there another way to get him on the field?

In his previous Nats stint, Holden was normally played on the wing. He seems to have regained his acceleration, so my sense is that Stu is one of the more versatile players on the team and could play either CM position, on the right flank, and possibly in the hole behind a loan striker (although I think Deuce and Landon are the clear first and second choices in that position).

 

[QuizGuy66]

So if Mexico loses to Martinique in the 3rd game this thread will instantly reach 2000 pages right?

-QG

Maybe, but I don't know if I can post if I'm laughing that hard.

Looked at Martinique's history in the Gold Cup and it's not half-bad. They can't play in the World Cup and are technically French nationals. A 1-0 victory over Mexico isn't an impossible thing.

-QG

 

[QuizGuy66]

GB Nigerian soccer!

Police Machine is my new favorite team name.

Police Machine vs Joe Public - a rare matchup that can describe both an international club friendly and the Rodney King incident.

I love the Police Machine Facebook page.

They are NOT writing my eulogy!

-QG

 

[The Z Machine]

I guess we'll know more about Holden and LD after a few more Gold Cup games, particularly in the knock-out stages. Overall the competition looks pretty weak though, so who knows if either will play their way into the USMNT for the next round of qualification. I have a feeling that Sacha and/or Davis will get the boot.

 

[JaxBill]

FWIW, it looks like the Jaguars owner Shad Khan is supposedly buying Fulham.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000217045/article/report-jaguars-shad-khan-in-talks-to-buy-fulham-fc

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I guess we'll know more about Holden and LD after a few more Gold Cup games, particularly in the knock-out stages. Overall the competition looks pretty weak though, so who knows if either will play their way into the USMNT for the next round of qualification. I have a feeling that Sacha and/or Davis will get the boot.

I would say that prior to last night, I had been pleasantly surprised by the quality of play. T&T and El Salvador both brought close to "A" sides. Haiti brought a side that played well in friendlies against Spain and Italy (lost 2-1 and drew 2-2) before the Confed Cup and they dominated large swathes of the game against Honduras. Haiti's winger, Geoff(?) Louis was extremely impressive. It was a hard luck 2-0 loss. Honduras' first goal came on a giveaway that was a clear foul. Haiti did have problems finishing.

I agree that both Cuba and Belize looked awful in the US's group. And I wasn't too impressed with the Tico's B team either. It's somewhat of a mystery to me how Cuba won the Caribbean Cup because they didn't look close to the same class as the other three Caribbean teams in the tourney.

I expect that Mexico will rebound well.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

It seems to me that the U.S. roster going forward into 2014 is beginning to take real shape. At this point, I would consider the following 21 to be expected to be on the roster:

GKs -- Howard, Guzan, Rimando

Defs -- Evans, Gonzo, Besler, Goodson, Beasley, Cameron, Timmy Chandler (maybe Dolo, depending on form and fitness)

MFs -- Bradley, Jones, Cameron, Holden, Fab Johnson, Donovan, Zusi

FWs -- Altidore, Deuce, Gomez,, Eddie Johnson

That leaves three spots relatively open where I think JK could go a number of ways. Cameron is already versatile enough to cover most of the back four and at the 6, but Edu might make sense as DM/CB emergency. Similarly, Castillo could play anywhere on the left as cover. Sacha and Mix could probably cover CM or one of the attacking MF slots. So there are lots of "versatile" choices. But then there are specialists that might make sense in their own way. Gooch or Boca if JK wants an experienced CB. Shea can pretty much only play on the left, but he has a dimension nobody else in the pool has. Wondo might be playing his way on as the last CF option. Even Brad Davis might make sense as a late game dead ball specialist.

In any case, I do think this is shaping up to be the deepest team I can remember.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

With all the good stuff around Holden the last couple weeks I had the same thought -- that this is a deep/good team, at least in the front six.

MFs -- Bradley, Jones, Cameron, Holden, Fab Johnson, Donovan, ZusiFWs -- Altidore, Deuce, Gomez, Eddie Johnson

You could want another high quality forward, but considering how rarely we've had two and the fact that Donovan can credibly fill in there behind a striker we're spoiled for choice by US standards.

Defense still worries me though.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

With all the good stuff around Holden the last couple weeks I had the same thought -- that this is a deep/good team, at least in the front six.

MFs -- Bradley, Jones, Cameron, Holden, Fab Johnson, Donovan, ZusiFWs -- Altidore, Deuce, Gomez, Eddie Johnson

You could want another high quality forward, but considering how rarely we've had two and the fact that Donovan can credibly fill in there behind a striker we're spoiled for choice by US standards.

Defense still worries me though.

I'd say that CB is probably the biggest achilles heel. No option seems as strong as in-prime Booch and Boca. With that said, I think Besler is very, very good. Possibly a better European prospect than Gonzo considering his speed and passing.

I'm not in love with the fullbacks, but nobody is bad as Bornstein or Heath Pierce.

 

[Moe.]

Not that there was any doubt regarding his future but Diskerud is officially cap-tied after last night. Suck it Norway.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I'm already excited about the WC next year.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Not that there was any doubt regarding his future but Diskerud is officially cap-tied after last night. Suck it Norway.

Also rocks a mean bathrobe.

https://twitter.com/MixDiskerud/status/353952929251741696/photo/1

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

With all the good stuff around Holden the last couple weeks I had the same thought -- that this is a deep/good team, at least in the front six.

MFs -- Bradley, Jones, Cameron, Holden, Fab Johnson, Donovan, ZusiFWs -- Altidore, Deuce, Gomez, Eddie Johnson

You could want another high quality forward, but considering how rarely we've had two and the fact that Donovan can credibly fill in there behind a striker we're spoiled for choice by US standards.

Defense still worries me though.

I'd say that CB is probably the biggest achilles heel. No option seems as strong as in-prime Booch and Boca. With that said, I think Besler is very, very good. Possibly a better European prospect than Gonzo considering his speed and passing.

I'm not in love with the fullbacks, but nobody is bad as Bornstein or Heath Pierce.

Tracking this 100%. Not in love with even our best options at outside back when F Johnson is in the midfield (and especially don't like the Evans/Beasley combo), and think Besler has been miles better than Gonzalez over the last half-dozen games.