US Men's National Team

[Premier 2,280]

cI had an idea for a separate USMNT thread apart from the massive soccer thread as I don't have as much of a taste for club soccer and it seems like the USMNT is at a point here where people want to actively discuss their future. From newlyretired:

Quote

The new 4 year international cycle starts in September.

For the friendly or qualifier games, the coach can change the team as he likes
For the tournaments, a set roster must be submitted to last the tournament.

Here is a rough sketch of the cycle

Friendlies - These will be played through out the 4 year cycle
2015 Gold Cup - Concacaf regional championship
2016 Copa America - Combo South and North America tournament
2016-2017 World Cup Qualifying, typically two full rounds for US
2017 Gold Cup - Concacaf regional championship
2017 Confed Cup - Winners of all regional championships*
2018 WC
 
* US has not qualified for this yet.

Last cycle the US played 70 games over the 4 years.

#ibelieve
 

On 7/14/2014 at 8:07 PM, Steve Tasker said:

I've been meaning to put this together for some time. For our newer US soccer fans, here is a little primer of things to know about the history of your team and some of the background of international soccer. Just some notes and tidbits to know as you get into the swing of things. I know most of this is common sense, but just in case it isn't, here's a little bit of a read for you. Maybe people can add to this and we can pin it in post #1.


- the US is often referred to as the "USMNT": "US Men's National Team". A common nickname is "The Yanks". The team is currently coached by ex-German star Jurgen Klinsmann, and is governed by the US Soccer Federation, or USSF.

- FIFA - the soccer world's governing body - breaks the soccer world down into six regional "confederations". The US plays in CONCACAF - the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. There are currently 41 teams in CONCACAF - the 3 North American teams, 7 Central American teams, and 31 Caribbean teams.

- CONCACAF World Cup qualification (WCQ) consists of 4 rounds (subject to change every 4 years). The USMNT gets a bye until the 3rd round. During 2015, the teams ranked 7th through 41st will play in the first two rounds, whittling down to 6 teams. Those 6 teams, plus the top 6 teams with byes, will combine for the 3rd round. The 3rd round consists of 3 round-robin groups of 4 teams. This will begin during the summer of 2016. The top 2 teams in each group advance to the final round of qualifying, commonly called "The Hex". The Hex is a 6-team round-robin and will run from approx. Feb 2017 through October 2017. At the end of the 10 games, the top 3 teams qualify automatically for the World Cup. The 4th place team qualifies for a playoff game. The bottom 2 teams are eliminated.

- Each confederation also has its own regional tournament for international teams. CONCACAF's tournament is called the Gold Cup, and is played in each odd year. The Gold Cup in the year immediately following the World Cup is often considered more important, as the winner qualifies for the next Confederations Cup (a smaller-scale World Cup style competition). The Gold Cup in the year immediately preceding a World Cup is generally much less regarded.

- Generally, the top CONCACAF teams in recent years have consisted of the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Panama. The USMNT's traditional rival is Mexico, as the two have been the "big boys" of CONCACAF since the mid/late 90s.

- "Dos a Cero" is a famous phrase and chant among USMNT fans. It refers to a string of 2-0 victories over Mexico over the past 20 years. Some famous "dos a cero" US wins over Mexico: WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2001; World Cup Round of 16, Korea, 2002; WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2009; WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2013

- The USMNT finished in 3rd place in the first World Cup (1930). This is the team's best ever result.

- In 1950, the USMNT famously upset England in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. England was widely considered a favorite and were arguably the best team in the world at the time. The US won 1-0 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, off a diving header scored by a Haitian immigrant, Joe Gaetjens. It was the USMNT's only win, and they did not make it out of the first round.

- The US did not qualify for any World Cups between 1950 and 1990.

- The "shot heard around the world", in US soccer parlance, refers to a goal scored by Paul Caligiuri in 1989 as part of the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. CONCACAF had only 2 World Cup spots at the time, and Mexico had been disqualified due to fielding overaged players in the 1988 Olympic qualifiers. Heading into the final game on November 19, 1989, the USMNT was 1 point behind Trinidad and Tobago, and had to face T&T in Port of Spain. Paul Caligiuri scored a

, and the US held on to win 1-0 and qualify for its first World Cup in 40 years.

- The US failed to get out of the group stage in 1990, 1998, and 2006.

- The US did, however, get out of the group stage in 1994, 2002, 2010, and 2014. The team's best result in the modern era was 2002 - this is the only time the USMNT has advanced to the final 8. In each of the other three, the team was eliminated in the round of 16.

- In 1994, the US defeated Colombia 2-1 partially thanks to an own goal by Andres Escobar....an own goal which may have contributed to his murder shortly after Colombia was eliminated. The US advanced to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Brazil.

- In 2002, the US

before defeating Mexico "dos a cero" in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, German midfielder Torsten Frings had a

(skip to 1:46) not called and the US lost 1-0 on a goal scored by now-ESPN-commentator Michael Ballack.

- In 2006, the US was highly regarded - having recently reached its highest-ever FIFA ranking, #4 in the world, in April 2006 - and proved to be horribly overrated, as they were eliminated with just 1 point in the group stage. An

was followed by a bloody draw against Italy, with the game featuring 3 red cards and ending 10-on-9 in Italy's favor. The US lost to Ghana in the final group stage game.

- In 2010....well, you've probably seen this by now. The US was mere seconds away from being eliminated in the group stage, until

and put the US into the round of 16. They lost to Ghana in that round.

- In 2014, the US beat Ghana on a late header from John Brooks (skip to 1:36), before drawing (and nearly beating Portugal) and losing to Germany. The US advanced to the round of 16, where they were defeated in extra time by Belgium.

- In recent non-World Cup events, US fans will always have a soft spot for midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who

. That win qualified the US for the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the US scored another shocking upset, this time

. Jozy Altidore, working with a healthy Charlie Davies, scored the first goal, and the aforementioned Feilhaber and Donovan helped set up the second (Dempsey), with help from a Sergio Ramos defensive flub. The US lost to Brazil in the final, despite going up 2-0.

- In more comical news, former US defender and frequent butt of FBG jokes Jonathan Bornstein is a hero in Honduras, as his

qualified Honduras for the 2010 World Cup. Similarly, Mexico were on the verge of being eliminated in 2013 at the expense of Panama, when Graham Zusi scored a last-minute goal to eliminate Panama,

Edited February 26, 2019 by Premier

[[icon] 10,245]

:subscribe:

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

Ok so for any newer fans, this is a great place to ask questions about the formats, the players, what happens next etc. fire away.

[gianmarco 29,794]

.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

Premier, you might want yo drop a note in the soccer thread since people are already deep into discussing what is next for the US in there.

Edited July 2, 2014 by NewlyRetired

[Premier 2,280]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

[Jobber 2,344]

Ok, so who from the current World Cup roster will we not be seeing again on the team?

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

[Premier 2,280]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

Ok, so who from the current World Cup roster will we not be seeing again on the team?

Not see again is tough because we don't know how fast JK will flip the roster, especially if he wants to keep some continuity in the team.

Not see in 2018 is easier. Lets do that

Howard, Beckerman, DMB, Davis, Jones, Wondo, Dempsey, Rimando,

Possibles not see will be Zusi and cameron

[Sammy3469 10,415]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

I'll be shocked if a 32 year old Cameron is on the roster as MF, much less starting. He might make the roster as a CB, but if it's a the DM, I'll be disappointed.

That's a full on attacking 4-3-3 which is nice to see though.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Sammy3469

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

He is a good young player with little pro experience. But when you are 16 and can make the squad for some games at a team as big as Arsenal, people are going to sit up and notice.

As for recruiting, who knows. He will have three choices, Germany, US, and Ethiopia. It is said he dad is pushing him to the US but that might just be conjecture.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

I'll be shocked if a 32 year old Cameron is on the roster as MF, much less starting. He might make the roster as a CB, but if it's a the DM, I'll be disappointed.

You realize that every single one of us said those EXACT words about Beckerman?

[Sammy3469 10,415]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

[Sammy3469 10,415]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

I'll be shocked if a 32 year old Cameron is on the roster as MF, much less starting. He might make the roster as a CB, but if it's a the DM, I'll be disappointed.

You realize that every single one of us said those EXACT words about Beckerman?

Meh...I saw yesterday that Cameron isn't a WC quality MF is terms of holding and passing ability. If he still playing MF for us in 2018, Jurgen hasn't done his job.

[Premier 2,280]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

Thanks. No way he commits to Ethiopia. Germany gonna be hard to beat out, I imagine. I wonder if they recruit as hard as we will though, considering their pipeline.

And by recruit I mean :moneybag:

[Spin 1,014]

I was really impressed with Yedlin yesterday and excited to see him moving forward.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

Thanks. No way he commits to Ethiopia. Germany gonna be hard to beat out, I imagine. I wonder if they recruit as hard as we will though, considering their pipeline.

And by recruit I mean :moneybag:

We have one huge advantage over Germany. Germany's pipeline works against them in a case like this. They have so many good players that it is easy to get crowded out.

[Premier 2,280]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

Thanks. No way he commits to Ethiopia. Germany gonna be hard to beat out, I imagine. I wonder if they recruit as hard as we will though, considering their pipeline.

And by recruit I mean :moneybag:

We have one huge advantage over Germany. Germany's pipeline works against them in a case like this. They have so many good players that it is easy to get crowded out.

Right. Kind of like a guy going to Tennessee for football instead of Alabama.

On the other side of that coin, if you go to Germany you have a much better shot of winning the World Cup.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

I'll be shocked if a 32 year old Cameron is on the roster as MF, much less starting. He might make the roster as a CB, but if it's a the DM, I'll be disappointed.

You realize that every single one of us said those EXACT words about Beckerman?

Meh...I saw yesterday that Cameron isn't a WC quality MF is terms of holding and passing ability. If he still playing MF for us in 2018, Jurgen hasn't done his job.

Again, you realize everyone of us said those exact words about Beckerman?

I am just kidding around obviously but Beckerman has taught me never to give up on any player. If you polled the soccer thread a while back, you would have got a 0% vote for anyone who thought Beckerman would have a meaningful part in the WC.

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

Thanks. No way he commits to Ethiopia. Germany gonna be hard to beat out, I imagine. I wonder if they recruit as hard as we will though, considering their pipeline.

And by recruit I mean :moneybag:

He already turned down a chance to play with the German youth team to "focus on his club career." This kid grew up in Olney. He identifies as American. I think that if he can play for us, he will.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

Assuming no injuries and assuming Zelalem commits to US almost all of those players will at least be on the roster. Cam is probably the only slight question mark as he will be 32.

Predicting the starting lineup 4 years from now is tough but Jozy amd Nagbe will both be in their primes and I would be surprised if neither started.

Just how good is Zelalem projected to be and hard will he be to recruit in? People on twitter make him sound like a soccer Jesus or something.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/24/gedion-zelalem-arsenal-next-fabregas

Thanks. No way he commits to Ethiopia. Germany gonna be hard to beat out, I imagine. I wonder if they recruit as hard as we will though, considering their pipeline.

And by recruit I mean :moneybag:

We have one huge advantage over Germany. Germany's pipeline works against them in a case like this. They have so many good players that it is easy to get crowded out.

Right. Kind of like a guy going to Tennessee for football instead of Alabama.

On the other side of that coin, if you go to Germany you have a much better shot of winning the World Cup.

Correct. If he is an uber talent, Germany is the easy choice.

If he is a good to great talent, US would be the better choice.

Deciding that at his age is beyond difficult

[BobbyLayne 11,585]

When will the "Bradley Sucks!" meme run its course?

Would it be fair to say he is a decent defensive midfielder who was asked to fulfill an attacking role that doesn't play to his strength?

Or does that get me labeled as an apologist?

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

When will the "Bradley Sucks!" meme run its course?

Would it be fair to say he is a decent defensive midfielder who was asked to fulfill an attacking role that doesn't play to his strength?

Or does that get me labeled as an apologist?

He did not play up to expectations, but people confusing that with sucking are just plain wrong.

Jozy getting hurt affected Bradley and Dempsey a ton. Jozy, for all his faults, is a hard worker. Since Dempsey barely moves on defense to save what little energy he had to take on Jozy's target role, Bradley assumed too much work imo.

This cycle, Bradley should be able to drop back to a deeper role and not have to run around like a chicken with head cut off.

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

I was in the middle of a huge post grading each player when my browser crashed. So I'll kind of give some cliff's notes.

Outstanding players: Howard, Besler for the first 360 minutes of the tournament

Pleasant surprises: DMB, Beckerman, Yedlin, Gonzo

Disappointments: Altidore's injury, Cameron, offensive contributions from the wings, set piece delivery save the corner against Ghana, Besler for the last 30 minutes of the tournament

Most overrated performance: Fab Johnson

Slightly overrated performance: Jermaine Jones

Underrated performance: Bradley (or more appropriately, most misunderstood performance, he could have played better, but was still one of the 2 or 3 most essential guys out there)

Gutsiest performances: Deuce, Jones, and Bradley (his ground covered stats are insane).

Team grade -- B

Coaching grade -- B

[gianmarco 29,794]

I was in the middle of a huge post grading each player when my browser crashed. So I'll kind of give some cliff's notes.

Outstanding players: Howard, Besler for the first 360 minutes of the tournament

Pleasant surprises: DMB, Beckerman, Yedlin, Gonzo

Disappointments: Altidore's injury, Cameron, offensive contributions from the wings, set piece delivery save the corner against Ghana, Besler for the last 30 minutes of the tournament

Most overrated performance: Fab Johnson

Slightly overrated performance: Jermaine Jones

Underrated performance: Bradley (or more appropriately, most misunderstood performance, he could have played better, but was still one of the 2 or 3 most essential guys out there)

Gutsiest performances: Deuce, Jones, and Bradley (his ground covered stats are insane).

Team grade -- B

Coaching grade -- B

Did you know this site actually autosaves drafts of a post if that happens? You might still have it saved.

Edited July 2, 2014 by gianmarco

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

When will the "Bradley Sucks!" meme run its course?

Would it be fair to say he is a decent defensive midfielder who was asked to fulfill an attacking role that doesn't play to his strength?

Or does that get me labeled as an apologist?

I think it's even more complicated than that. Bradley could have played better, but he had a hand in almost every good spell the US had. He covered acres of space. And he was being given very limited options in the form of attacking runs ahead of him. A big part of Bradley's struggles, IMO, had to do with Deuce having to play a lone striker role he wasn't terribly familiar with. There wasn't a lot of time to build the requisite chemistry. Still, if Bradley scores that goal he probably makes the all tourney team when you count his ground covered statistics and the pretty assist to Green. What pure CM has put together a better resume? I think Bradley had a better tournament that Vidal (who was injured, but still). I think he's probably had more impact than Kroos.

[Dinsy Ejotuz 13,764]

This cycle, Bradley should be able to drop back to a deeper role and not have to run around like a chicken with head cut off.

Yeah -- we answered the Q about how far forward Bradley can play at least.

As for Besler... a fresh Lukaku in the 100th+ minute with the team pressing forward... would have happened to almost anyone IMO. IIRC Besler even tried to foul and just wasn't strong enough to bring him down.

[Spin 1,014]

When will the "Bradley Sucks!" meme run its course?

Would it be fair to say he is a decent defensive midfielder who was asked to fulfill an attacking role that doesn't play to his strength?

Or does that get me labeled as an apologist?

I think it's even more complicated than that. Bradley could have played better, but he had a hand in almost every good spell the US had. He covered acres of space. And he was being given very limited options in the form of attacking runs ahead of him. A big part of Bradley's struggles, IMO, had to do with Deuce having to play a lone striker role he wasn't terribly familiar with. There wasn't a lot of time to build the requisite chemistry. Still, if Bradley scores that goal he probably makes the all tourney team when you count his ground covered statistics and the pretty assist to Green. What pure CM has put together a better resume? I think Bradley had a better tournament that Vidal (who was injured, but still). I think he's probably had more impact than Kroos.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/u-s--s-michael-bradley-the-hardest-working-player-of-the-world-cup-group-stage-163619986.html

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

This cycle, Bradley should be able to drop back to a deeper role and not have to run around like a chicken with head cut off.

Yeah -- we answered the Q about how far forward Bradley can play at least.

As for Besler... a fresh Lukaku in the 100th+ minute with the team pressing forward... would have happened to almost anyone IMO. IIRC Besler even tried to foul and just wasn't strong enough to bring him down.

I don't fault him for the physical failing. I question the decision to step out and try to stop the ball on a central striker who is 30 yards from goal and on the flank. Conversely, I fault Cam for NOT stepping up to stop the ball on the second Belgium goal, but that player (Hazard?) was in a much more dangerous position before slipping in Lukaku (and Besler was a step late tracking his run).

[Kal El 4,042]

What's the goaltender situation looking like for the US once Howard eventually leaves? He's pretty good, but obviously played out of his mind yesterday to keep it from being a blowout.

[cheese 1,054]

Ok, so who from the current World Cup roster will we not be seeing again on the team?

Not see again is tough because we don't know how fast JK will flip the roster, especially if he wants to keep some continuity in the team.

Not see in 2018 is easier. Lets do that

Howard, Beckerman, DMB, Davis, Jones, Wondo, Dempsey, Rimando,

Possibles not see will be Zusi and cameron

Great question and response. Was wondering the same thing, especially in regards to Dempsey/Howard for 2018.

On Bradley, it seemed like he was heading backwards immediately even on turnovers. Was it a tactical decision to intentionally not counter-attack? I'm FAR from an expect, but in the past I have seen our team play fairly conservative and then go aggressively with counter-attacks. Bradley had several times yesterday where he got possession in good situations and immediately slowed everything down and passed it backwards. It was driving me (as an amateur fan) nuts. I somewhat understand the idea of a holding MF to help control possession, but I felt like he was doing that at the expense of advantageous situations. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

What's the goaltender situation looking like for the US once Howard eventually leaves? He's pretty good, but obviously played out of his mind yesterday to keep it from being a blowout.

Guzan is a solid goaltender who could step in for the next cycle (and Howard isn't necessarily too old to play in 2018). Longer term, Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, and Cody Cropper all appear to have a lot of potential, but they're not at the level of a Howard, Freidel, or Keller yet.

[Kal El 4,042]

What's the goaltender situation looking like for the US once Howard eventually leaves? He's pretty good, but obviously played out of his mind yesterday to keep it from being a blowout.

Guzan is a solid goaltender who could step in for the next cycle (and Howard isn't necessarily too old to play in 2018). Longer term, Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, and Cody Cropper all appear to have a lot of potential, but they're not at the level of a Howard, Freidel, or Keller yet.

Ok, cool. I'm trying to get into following soccer,but I'm still a bit of a novice. Still, I heard on the radio that Colombia has a 43-year-old goalie, so Howard could certainly still play, just looking at options.

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

Ok, so who from the current World Cup roster will we not be seeing again on the team?

Not see again is tough because we don't know how fast JK will flip the roster, especially if he wants to keep some continuity in the team.

Not see in 2018 is easier. Lets do that

Howard, Beckerman, DMB, Davis, Jones, Wondo, Dempsey, Rimando,

Possibles not see will be Zusi and cameron

Great question and response. Was wondering the same thing, especially in regards to Dempsey/Howard for 2018.

On Bradley, it seemed like he was heading backwards immediately even on turnovers. Was it a tactical decision to intentionally not counter-attack? I'm FAR from an expect, but in the past I have seen our team play fairly conservative and then go aggressively with counter-attacks. Bradley had several times yesterday where he got possession in good situations and immediately slowed everything down and passed it backwards. It was driving me (as an amateur fan) nuts. I somewhat understand the idea of a holding MF to help control possession, but I felt like he was doing that at the expense of advantageous situations. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

The counter has to be on. If you look at the ground covered stats, Dempsey is surprisingly high on the list as well. What that tells me is that he was dropping back to provide defensive cover. That can be a good thing, but it leaves you without a quick outlet that stays high to start the counter. I'd have to watch the game again, but I just think Origi stayed higher than Dempsey in those situations.

[culdeus 7,656]

If you take this world cup at face value what exactly was accomplished?

It seems like most of the major contribution came from older players that will never be seen again. (Green, exception).

Also you could make a decent argument that from 1 minute in on ghana they never really had any momentum. Their main success this world cup was that Portugal took it in the ### versus Germany. If that doesn't happen wasn't this whole thing a failure?

The rest of the time it was just Howard and a good backline holding up against relentless pressure.

[roadkill1292 10,465]

Wasn't the Bradley fault finding in the WC thread just some Spock-type fishing/trolling schtick looking to get a rise out of USMNT fans?

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

It seems like most of the major contribution came from older players that will never be seen again. (Green, exception).

Gonzo, Besler, Brooks, Yedlin, Fab and Bradley are all going to be important parts of the next cycle.

[roadkill1292 10,465]

What's the goaltender situation looking like for the US once Howard eventually leaves? He's pretty good, but obviously played out of his mind yesterday to keep it from being a blowout.

Guzan is a solid goaltender who could step in for the next cycle (and Howard isn't necessarily too old to play in 2018). Longer term, Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, and Cody Cropper all appear to have a lot of potential, but they're not at the level of a Howard, Freidel, or Keller yet.

Ok, cool. I'm trying to get into following soccer,but I'm still a bit of a novice. Still, I heard on the radio that Colombia has a 43-year-old goalie, so Howard could certainly still play, just looking at options.

You can see Guzan periodically on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the Premier League when NBC has time to fill and none of the good teams are scheduled.

I kid, of course. Though Villa can really ugly up a pitch.

[Bronx Bomber 28]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

What teams are these guys on outside the USMNT?

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

Their main success this world cup was that Portugal took it in the ### versus Germany. If that doesn't happen wasn't this whole thing a failure?

From the minute the draw happened in December we came up with the following possibility to advance.

Beat Ghana

Draw Portugal

Lose to Germany less than Portugal did

We were long shots to get out of the group so I am unsure how not advancing would automatically made it a failure.

If the US went 0-3 with a -9 goal differential then it would have been considered a failure imo.

Everything needs to be taken into context. Getting out of this group was an incredible accomplishment for a team of average quality like the US.

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

Wasn't the Bradley fault finding in the WC thread just some Spock-type fishing/trolling schtick looking to get a rise out of USMNT fans?

At times. Not always. I think it was different things at different times.

1. Bradley had a legitimately bad game against Ghana. He still put in a ton of work and contributed to the defensive effort, but he had bad giveaways. Not just in the offensive third. People noticed it and justifiably brought it up.

2. Bradley was on the ball a lot against Portugal and was serving as the creative fulcrum. In that role he misplaced some passes in the offensive third. GM, who is a soccer novice, noticed that. He had just seen the Ghana game, and I think he was focused on every miscue. I don't think he was trolling (GM is a clique buddy of mine), but I do think that he didn't understand how much Bradley was doing right in that game. Bradley was less influential in the second half and then the equalizer happened and all hell broke loose. There was a lot of argument about how much Mikey was to blame for that goal. I was squarely in the "apologist" camp (I still think he's less culpable than Fab and Cameron at the least). Jones misplaced way more passes than Bradley in that game, but he had a wonder goal and Bradley failed to convert the best chance of the game (again, I think its ridiculous to think he could have picked a corner on that chance, but even some very experienced soccer writers believe otherwise).

3. By the Germany game, we obviously had Bradley trolls and Bradley apologist memes.

[gianmarco 29,794]

If you take this world cup at face value what exactly was accomplished?

It seems like most of the major contribution came from older players that will never be seen again. (Green, exception).

Also you could make a decent argument that from 1 minute in on ghana they never really had any momentum. Their main success this world cup was that Portugal took it in the ### versus Germany. If that doesn't happen wasn't this whole thing a failure?

The rest of the time it was just Howard and a good backline holding up against relentless pressure.

Not sure if this is fishing, but I couldn't disagree any more.

Yedlin isn't an older player. Fabian Johnson isn't an older player. Michael Bradley isn't an older player.

And there was very little about this run that was a failure. Not all teams play possession football. Playing defensively and looking for isolated counter attacks is very much a viable and winning strategy and best suited for our personnel. Also, there wasn't relentless pressure. In fact, US actually had more possession yesterday (53% vs. 47%) and similarly very even against Portugal (48% vs. 52%).

FIFA rankings are to be taken with a grain of salt, but:

Germany ranked #2 in the world. We lost 1-0.

Portugal ranked #4 in the world. We tied 2-2 (and had the win but for the last moment goal in a ridiculous 5 minutes of added time)

Belgium ranked #11 in the world. We brought it to extra time tied 0-0. We lost 2-1 and had 2 very real chances to outright win the game or tie it.

To call that accomplishment while losing arguable our most important player (in the sense that he had no true backup) a failure is just flat out off, IMO.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

What teams are these guys on outside the USMNT?

Guzan - Aston Villa (EPL)

Yedlin - Seattle Sounders (MLS)

Gonzo - LA Galaxy (MLS)

Besler - Sporting KC (MLS)

Johnson - Borussia Munchengladbach (Bundesliga)

Cameron - Stoke City (EPL)

Bradley - Toronto FC (MLS)

Mix - Rosenberg (Norway first division)

Zelalem - Arsenal (EPL)

Aron - AZ Alkmaar (Eredivisie (Holland First Division))

Green - Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Edited July 2, 2014 by NewlyRetired

[cheese 1,054]

Wasn't the Bradley fault finding in the WC thread just some Spock-type fishing/trolling schtick looking to get a rise out of USMNT fans?

Again, I'm a novice, but to my eyes he looked like a glaring weakness in those 4 games when I expected him to be one of our anchors. I'm not suggesting anything more or less than that about him as an overall player.

[Spin 1,014]

Wasn't the Bradley fault finding in the WC thread just some Spock-type fishing/trolling schtick looking to get a rise out of USMNT fans?

Again, I'm a novice, but to my eyes he looked like a glaring weakness in those 4 games when I expected him to be one of our anchors. I'm not suggesting anything more or less than that about him as an overall player.

I think the pre-WC Bradley hype did him in.

[Eephus 27,273]

I figure DaMarcus Beasley is nailed on until the 2023 Gold Cup at least.

[MattFancy 2,197]

How will the Olympics feed into the National team? The Olympics is only U23, correct? Will any of those guys have a shot at the 2018 WC roster?

[Ramsay Hunt Experience 19,724]

@MenInBlazers: Here's your 2018 WC starters America: Guzan Yedlin-Gonzalez-Besler-Johnson Cameron-Bradley-Mix Zelalem-Aron-Julian Green

Will be funny to see how off this ends up being.

What teams are these guys on outside the USMNT?

For now?

Guzan - Aston Villa (English Premiere League)

Yedlin -- Seattle Sounders (MLS)

Gonzalez -- LA Galaxy (MLS)

Besler -- Sporting KC (MLS)

Johnson -- Borussia Monchengladbach (German Bundesliga)

Cameron -- Stoke City (English Premiere League)

Bradley -- Toronto FC (MLS)

Mix -- Rosenborg BK (Norwegian League)

Zelalem - Arsenal (English Premiere League -- but he plays for their reserves, not the first team yet)

Aron - AZ Alkmaar (Holland)

Julian Green -- Bayern Munich (German Bundesliga -- he is also a reserves player, not a first team player)

For guys like Zelalem (who is not eligible for the US yet and might not even choose to be) and Green, it is highly likely they will be loaned out to other clubs for first team football in the next two year. For instance, I expect Green to be loaned to a team in the German second division this year. It just makes sense.

[NewlyRetired 18,051]

Wasn't the Bradley fault finding in the WC thread just some Spock-type fishing/trolling schtick looking to get a rise out of USMNT fans?

Again, I'm a novice, but to my eyes he looked like a glaring weakness in those 4 games when I expected him to be one of our anchors. I'm not suggesting anything more or less than that about him as an overall player.

He was very good against Germany imo. He played close to what we expected he would in that game.

He did not play as well as he could in the first three games but he was not a glaring weakness imo.

Edited July 2, 2014 by NewlyRetired