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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (2 Viewers)

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Yeah, I don't care about trophy droughts. I certainly don't think winning the Oceania Cup means anything more than winning the dumb Emirates Cup in preseason.

In terms of the health of the club, Arsene is right. "Fourth place" is a more significant trophy than the F.A. Cup. And it's a lot more significant than the League Cup. Arsenal got over 40 million from being in the Champions League last year.

I want Arsenal to win, or at least to strongly compete in, the EPL and the CL. Which means not finishing 20 + points behind the champs. I don't care about anything else. Arsene can start Gedion Zelaylem against Bradford City in the League Cup. If it works, fine. If not, I won't lose any sleep.
It sure seems like the people most worried about the "trophy drought" are fans of other teams. :shrug:

 
I agree that SAF has always gotten a ton out of his players, but I'd be genuinely stunned if either Spurs or Arsenal (or any other team other than City/Chelsea) tops United this year. I suppose it could happen...look at Chelsea two years ago. But I guess it's just hard to envision a team that wins the league 11 points clear of the competition dropping so far so fast. I'm pretty sure I could manage United into the top 4-5 of the league.

 
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I agree that SAF has always gotten a ton out of his players, but I'd be genuinely stunned if either Spurs or Arsenal (or any other team other than City/Chelsea) tops United this year. I suppose it could happen...look at Chelsea two years ago. But I guess it's just hard to envision a team that wins the league 11 points clear of the competition dropping so far so fast. I'm pretty sure I could manage United into the top 4-5 of the league.
"Ahh c'mon ref, by my spreadsheet calculations we should have 6 minutes of Tasker Time instead of 2." /Tasker

That seems way less affective than pointing to your watch

 
Also, I was surprised to wake up and find out Mexico's coach still has a job. The Gold Cup proves the point that WCQ so far isn't a string of fluke results. The team just isn't playing well.

 
Also, some Gold Cup trivia:

The US has won four Gold Cups -- beating Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico in the finals.

Mexico has won six Gold Cups -- beating the US four times, and beating Brazil twice.

 
Also, I was surprised to wake up and find out Mexico's coach still has a job. The Gold Cup proves the point that WCQ so far isn't a string of fluke results. The team just isn't playing well.
The Gold Cup team is a completely different team. Other nations have various levels of B+ teams. Mexico is a complete B team. I'm not sure any of them have featured in the qualifiers.

 
Also, I was surprised to wake up and find out Mexico's coach still has a job. The Gold Cup proves the point that WCQ so far isn't a string of fluke results. The team just isn't playing well.
The Gold Cup team is a completely different team. Other nations have various levels of B+ teams. Mexico is a complete B team. I'm not sure any of them have featured in the qualifiers.
Nonetheless, it's undeniable that Mexico is underperforming. Whether it's the A team in qualifiers and the Confed Cup, or the B team in the Gold Cup, they are struggling. They aren't scoring nearly enough and they have no confidence. Their manager needed to go months ago and I am shocked that he's still around. If they don't qualify (a real possibility), that would be a shame especially given their current level of talent.

But props to Klinsy here. He's got the A and B teams firing on all cylinders. I don't think we've ever had it so good as USMNT fans. Impressive to say the least.

 
Also, I was surprised to wake up and find out Mexico's coach still has a job. The Gold Cup proves the point that WCQ so far isn't a string of fluke results. The team just isn't playing well.
The Gold Cup team is a completely different team. Other nations have various levels of B+ teams. Mexico is a complete B team. I'm not sure any of them have featured in the qualifiers.
Honestly, I'd never even heard of like 3/4 of their roster before the Cup. Per Wiki, every player plays in Mexico and no one had more than 14 caps coming into the tournament.

 
Also, I was surprised to wake up and find out Mexico's coach still has a job. The Gold Cup proves the point that WCQ so far isn't a string of fluke results. The team just isn't playing well.
The Gold Cup team is a completely different team. Other nations have various levels of B+ teams. Mexico is a complete B team. I'm not sure any of them have featured in the qualifiers.
Honestly, I'd never even heard of like 3/4 of their roster before the Cup. Per Wiki, every player plays in Mexico and no one had more than 14 caps coming into the tournament.
I feel like the US had been doing this too in recent years. This year is a pretty strong squad. Not sure if that was by decision or by virtue of the incredible depth the US has right now.

 
Normally, every other Gold Cup (the ones held in the non-qualifying year) gets A teams. The 2011 final had Chicharito and Gio, for instance. Sadly, when Bornstein was tortured, he was actually part of our A team.

This was a bit of a strange year for the US, because there were circumstances that led to some A team members being big parts of the team. Beasley still needs minutes as a left back, and Klinsmann wanted his leadership. Holden needed minutes off of injury. And of course, Donovan's inclusion makes it seem closer to an A team (even though when this tournament started it was far from assured that Donovan was a lock to make it back to the A team). Klinsmann also used it as an opportunity to give some of the fringe A team members like Torres and Goodson starts (and Goodson may have moved back ahead of Gonzo).

Then, when Klinsmann made the four changes and brought in Besler and EJ, we got two more starters. It's still a B+ team, but one where most of the team (except Mix and Corona and Besler, I guess) have had their share of caps.

 
Normally, every other Gold Cup (the ones held in the non-qualifying year) gets A teams. The 2011 final had Chicharito and Gio, for instance. Sadly, when Bornstein was tortured, he was actually part of our A team.

This was a bit of a strange year for the US, because there were circumstances that led to some A team members being big parts of the team. Beasley still needs minutes as a left back, and Klinsmann wanted his leadership. Holden needed minutes off of injury. And of course, Donovan's inclusion makes it seem closer to an A team (even though when this tournament started it was far from assured that Donovan was a lock to make it back to the A team). Klinsmann also used it as an opportunity to give some of the fringe A team members like Torres and Goodson starts (and Goodson may have moved back ahead of Gonzo).

Then, when Klinsmann made the four changes and brought in Besler and EJ, we got two more starters. It's still a B+ team, but one where most of the team (except Mix and Corona and Besler, I guess) have had their share of caps.
The non-qualifying years get A teams for 2 reasons. Because they aren't qualifying and have time but also because it qualifies them for Confederations Cup. 2 years ago, both Mexico and US sent their A squads and Mexico won. But 4 years ago was very similar to this but reversed. US was in Confederations Cup and sent their C or D team while Mexico sent something like their B+ team (b/c guys like Gio/Vela were young and needed experience) and Mexico laughed us off the field. That is similar to what the US is doing this year with guys like Landon/Holden needing PT. I can't blame Mexico (granted they didn't make the knockout stages) they still played/trained for another tournament and don't want to run their guys into the ground in the middle of qualifying a year before the World Cup.

There was some talk of getting rid of this Gold Cup since teams don't take it as serious and run it like Euros every 4 years but nothing has come of that. Also reminds me of 2007 when we won Gold Cup, then sent our C team to Copa America, got embarrassed and weren't invited back.

 
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Comment I saw on an article I read: "note to brek shea: you need to be good to have such hideous hair. get to work on one or the other."

:lol:

 
There was some talk of getting rid of this Gold Cup since teams don't take it as serious and run it like Euros every 4 years but nothing has come of that. Also reminds me of 2007 when we won Gold Cup, then sent our C team to Copa America, got embarrassed and weren't invited back.
My (limited) understanding is that the winner of the 2013 Cup plays the winner of the 2015 Cup for the right to play in the 2017 Confederations Cup. So while your point about the off-cycle Gold Cups being meaningless in the past is correct, I believe this one actually does matter for something, so to speak.

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?
Don't see how you could include Chandler even on the squad at this point. And I've really no idea who the starting XI would be. So many permutations at this point.

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?
Don't see how you could include Chandler even on the squad at this point. And I've really no idea who the starting XI would be. So many permutations at this point.
You don't think by next summer he's likely to be starting? I know it's forecasting, but what the hell, it's all for fun. Who plays that spot if not him - One of the old-schoolers like Bocanegra or Cherundolo? Evans? Beasley? Castillo?

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?
Howard

???-Besler-Gonzo-???

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-???

Dempsey-Altidore

Those eight are pretty much a lock, I think, as well as Fabian at one of the open positions. Given Klinsmann's style so far, I don't know that we'll necessarily have a real starting XI; the last couple spots will probably be determined on a game-by-game basis depending on our opponent and the tactics we want to use against them.

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?
Howard

???-Besler-Gonzo-???

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-???

Dempsey-Altidore

Those eight are pretty much a lock, I think, as well as Fabian at one of the open positions. Given Klinsmann's style so far, I don't know that we'll necessarily have a real starting XI; the last couple spots will probably be determined on a game-by-game basis depending on our opponent and the tactics we want to use against them.
Yeah, I agree. Wouldn't be at all stunned to see Fabian in the midfield, but it seems to me like we have way more options there than on the backline (at least options I'd like to see implemented.)

 
I wonder if there's room for LD playing behind Jozy (like he paired with EJ) instead of on the wing. I know people like Deuce there, but is there room for both of them? Sure LD can play on either wing, but he has been pretty effective moving into channels behind the CF. That would force Deuce to the wing. Getting those two guys to play effectively across the attacking midfield (and linking up with Jozy) will be key to the US attack. Couple Jones and Bradley making direct forays into the box and some overlapping runs by the fullbacks, and you have a pretty dynamic offense. Too bad those same fullbacks will get burnt like Andre Rison's house if they are out of position against good competition.

 
I wonder if there's room for LD playing behind Jozy (like he paired with EJ) instead of on the wing. I know people like Deuce there, but is there room for both of them? Sure LD can play on either wing, but he has been pretty effective moving into channels behind the CF. That would force Deuce to the wing. Getting those two guys to play effectively across the attacking midfield (and linking up with Jozy) will be key to the US attack. Couple Jones and Bradley making direct forays into the box and some overlapping runs by the fullbacks, and you have a pretty dynamic offense. Too bad those same fullbacks will get burnt like Andre Rison's house if they are out of position against good competition.
Probably better for LanDon to be on the wing than Dempsey.

You need to join the La Liga Fantasy league.

 
BTW, Bedoya had a heck of a game against Honduras. I'd definitely start him over Corona in the final. I'm not sure about Bedoya's defense, but his passing and vision was better than Corona against ELS.

 
I wonder if there's room for LD playing behind Jozy (like he paired with EJ) instead of on the wing. I know people like Deuce there, but is there room for both of them? Sure LD can play on either wing, but he has been pretty effective moving into channels behind the CF. That would force Deuce to the wing. Getting those two guys to play effectively across the attacking midfield (and linking up with Jozy) will be key to the US attack. Couple Jones and Bradley making direct forays into the box and some overlapping runs by the fullbacks, and you have a pretty dynamic offense. Too bad those same fullbacks will get burnt like Andre Rison's house if they are out of position against good competition.
I'm not sure what the overall goal is in the World Cup in terms of advancing, but I think this team needs to have two holding type midfielders in front of that Achilles heel of a back line.

 
So what's the US projected starting XI for Brazil at this juncture?

Howard

Chandler-Besler-Gonzalez-Johnson

Donovan-Bradley-Jones-Zusi/EJ

Dempsey-Altidore?
Don't see how you could include Chandler even on the squad at this point. And I've really no idea who the starting XI would be. So many permutations at this point.
You don't think by next summer he's likely to be starting? I know it's forecasting, but what the hell, it's all for fun. Who plays that spot if not him - One of the old-schoolers like Bocanegra or Cherundolo? Evans? Beasley? Castillo?
Maybe Geoff Cameron. We'll have to see how Stoke uses him.

 

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