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US Men's National Team (8 Viewers)

NewlyRetired said:
does anyone have access to this story?  I am interested to see if we have a Benny-JK confrontation coming between Hoppe and GGG.....

https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/1423240235153072130?s=20
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You can read by opening in Incognito.  You can buy the shirt here if you're so inclined :lol:  https://dls-print.com/gregg-berhalter

Late in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal last week in Austin, with the U.S. men’s national soccer team locked in a scoreless draw with Qatar, Coach Gregg Berhalter made two substitutions.

Matthew Hoppe was one of the exiting players — and he was not happy about it. As he neared the sideline, he voiced his frustration. Berhalter responded.

It was a rare flash of ire directed at the coach, who, from all accounts, has fostered strong bonds and a family atmosphere in his young player pool. It was alarming coming from a 20-year-old forward in his first extended stay with the national team.

After the 1-0 victory, on a goal assisted by Hoppe’s replacement, they talked it out.

“As a player, you want to play, you want to stay on the field,” Hoppe said in an interview with The Washington Post this week. “Gregg played; he knows what it’s like. I let the emotions get the better of me. There is no hard feelings there.”

Hoppe, though, still felt bad about his behavior. So as the delegation moved to Las Vegas for the final against Mexico, he decided to make amends in a lighthearted way.

He enhanced a photo of Berhalter’s shaved head with an artistic touch and arranged for it to be plastered on a T-shirt.

Matthew Hoppe and U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter at team party after 1-0 victory over Mexico in Las Vegas. (Courtesy Matthew Hoppe)

To avoid distracting the championship preparations, Hoppe kept it under wraps until after the Americans upset their archrivals, 1-0, on Sunday.

At the postgame party, he wore it under a dark blazer. When Hoppe saw Berhalter, he opened his blazer. They shared a laugh and posed for photos.

“Gregg and I have a unique relationship,” Hoppe said. “It’s very positive. It’s unlike any other relationship I’ve had with a coach, the way he brings his players together. He has his ways to motivate and build bonds in the team. And it’s gotten us the Nations League trophy [in June] and the Gold Cup trophy.”

Through a team spokesman, Berhalter said Hoppe asked him what he thought of the shirt and he said “it was great.” Hoppe said he plans to present Berhalter a shirt next time they cross paths.

Hoppe’s contributions to the Gold Cup championship — starting assignments in each of the three knockout matches and the late winning goal against Jamaica in the quarterfinals — thrust him into the mix for the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. In the first of 14 matches over seven months, the United States will visit El Salvador on Sept. 2.

“Gregg was able to put trust in me even though he hadn’t seen me much with the team,” Hoppe said. “The Gold Cup was really positive for me, for my development and for my confidence.”

His confidence doesn’t seem to be lacking.

Hoppe hadn’t represented the United States at any level until this year but has endeared himself to the fan base with not only his menacing attacking qualities but his facial expressions and knack for irritating the opposition — qualities that elicited comparisons to former U.S. star Clint Dempsey.

After a breakout season with German club Schalke, Hoppe received his first U.S. call-up in May for a friendly against Switzerland. It was primarily an introduction to the program and the established players. He didn’t play, and he was not selected for the subsequent Nations League squad. He was, though, among four European-based players named to a young Gold Cup team.

Starting on the left wing in four of the six matches, he proved his worth with the ability to take on defenders, serve crosses and threaten in the penalty area.

Before the final, the Southern California native was also tasked with securing tickets for immediate family and relatives, friends and former coaches. Hoppe, Gyasi Zardes and Kellyn Acosta had the largest delegations. Some teammates donated their complimentary tickets to Hoppe’s cause.

“We were able to bond unlike any other team I’ve been on,” Hoppe said, reflecting on his first extended U.S. experience. “Gregg did a really good job bringing all the guys together and creating that sense of community, where no matter what is happening, we’re going to fight for each other. It showed in the tournament. It feels weird not being with them right now, you know?”

With the tournament over, Hoppe will pivot back to his club career, though there seems to be some question of whether he will return to Schalke, which was relegated to the second division from the Bundesliga for the first time in 30 years.

A young player with a high ceiling and rising market value, debt-ridden Schalke could end up selling him before European transfer windows close in a few weeks.

“I’m a Schalke player right now and I am a proud Schalke player,” Hoppe said from home in Orange County, Calif. “I love the fans. The club has been good to me. It’s been flattering to receive interest from other clubs, but my future is something my club and my agent will decide.”

That uncertainty comes just seven months after he became the first American to record a Bundesliga hat trick and six months after he signed his first pro contract.

The Gold Cup experience added another layer to a substantial year.

“It’s been crazy,” he said, “but it’s been good.”

 
Roger Gonzalez

@RGonzalezCBS

Sources tell CBS Sports that Premier League club Norwich City are in advanced talks to sign USMNT striker Josh Sargent from Werder Bremen. Talks ongoing and hearing it is close. Would be a big step up from German second division to English top flight.

 
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Dinsy Ejotuz said:
I remember my first NBA game watching... no idea.  Some scrub, warming up.  And he hit like 20 shots in a row.

We underestimate by a lot how good any professional athlete is.  The worst players are still so incredible.
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This reminds me of a small story I've told a few times over the years. At the last USMNT game I attended, I was watching Zardes warm-up pregame and he was extremely impressive with the ball.  In the pregame drills, his touch and ball skills were flawless. This was a few years ago at the peak of the "Zardes sucks" meme phase. It reminded me of the same thing you note here - these guys are all incredibly skilled athletes.

 
NewlyRetired said:
Roger Gonzalez

@RGonzalezCBS

Sources tell CBS Sports that Premier League club Norwich City are in advanced talks to sign USMNT striker Josh Sargent from Werder Bremen. Talks ongoing and hearing it is close. Would be a big step up from German second division to English top flight.
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I'm going to write a pilot episode of a buddy cop sitcom called "Pukki and the Sarge." Gonna pitch it to CBS and make millions.

 
NewlyRetired said:
Roger Gonzalez

@RGonzalezCBS

Sources tell CBS Sports that Premier League club Norwich City are in advanced talks to sign USMNT striker Josh Sargent from Werder Bremen. Talks ongoing and hearing it is close. Would be a big step up from German second division to English top flight.
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Would love love love this. Billy Gilmour will get him service, and Pukki can be beat out. 

 
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Brian Sciaretta

@BrianSciaretta

Scotland better get ready for Christian Ramirez. The American forward bags his second of the game to put Aberdeen up 3-2 in the 49th minute. He has 4 goals in 4 games since transferring from the Houston Dynamo

 
Chris Smith

@CJSmith91

Further to @tombogert's excellent reporting (if you're not following him, why?!), a source with knowledge of the situation has informed @90min_Football that Benfica are the Portuguese club in talks to sign Cole Bassett

 
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Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has transferred 19-year-old midfielder Gianluca Busio to Venezia FC in the Italian Serie A, pending a physical and personal terms. Busio has joined Venezia in a club-record deal after spending five seasons in Kansas City.

“Gianluca has embodied all of the core values we look for in a player,” Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes said. “He has consistently put the team first while demonstrating tremendous professionalism and an unwavering commitment to improving his game and helping the club win. Gianluca is a special talent with outstanding character, and we wish him nothing but the best at Venezia.”

“This is a very proud moment for me and my family,” Busio said. “I’d like to thank everyone who has made it possible, especially all the people at Sporting KC who have helped me become the player and person I am today. Sporting will always have a special place in my heart and I’m grateful to have started my career at such an amazing club. The people, the fans, the city—everything about Kansas City was perfect and it will always feel like home. This is the next step in my career and I’m really excited to join Venezia.”

 
NewlyRetired said:
Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has transferred 19-year-old midfielder Gianluca Busio to Venezia FC in the Italian Serie A, pending a physical and personal terms. Busio has joined Venezia in a club-record deal after spending five seasons in Kansas City.

“Gianluca has embodied all of the core values we look for in a player,” Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes said. “He has consistently put the team first while demonstrating tremendous professionalism and an unwavering commitment to improving his game and helping the club win. Gianluca is a special talent with outstanding character, and we wish him nothing but the best at Venezia.”

“This is a very proud moment for me and my family,” Busio said. “I’d like to thank everyone who has made it possible, especially all the people at Sporting KC who have helped me become the player and person I am today. Sporting will always have a special place in my heart and I’m grateful to have started my career at such an amazing club. The people, the fans, the city—everything about Kansas City was perfect and it will always feel like home. This is the next step in my career and I’m really excited to join Venezia.”
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Sad and proud. Great news for him and his future. ⚽

 
Over the 16 games since the Covid restart in November of 2020, the US has more trophies than losses.....

😎

 
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This should be good news for Weah if it happens.  He played almost twice as many minutes as Weah did last year in the league on the wing for Lille

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[Tom Bogert] A source confirms that agreements are in place between Atlanta United and Lille for winger Luiz Araujo for nearly $12 million, as first reported by L'Equipe. Don't have further info on paperwork/etc ahead of tonight's transfer deadline, so can't say it's 100% done yet.

 
nice!!!

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[Paul Tenorio] #SportingKC will get $6.5 million up front, per a source with knowledge of the deal, with another $4 million in “easily achievable” bonuses. SKC also keeps a 20% sell-on and there are other incentives that could drive the fee even higher.

 
NewlyRetired said:
This should be good news for Weah if it happens.  He played almost twice as many minutes as Weah did last year in the league on the wing for Lille

===============================

[Tom Bogert] A source confirms that agreements are in place between Atlanta United and Lille for winger Luiz Araujo for nearly $12 million, as first reported by L'Equipe. Don't have further info on paperwork/etc ahead of tonight's transfer deadline, so can't say it's 100% done yet.
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Wait.  Weah's main competition for minutes is leaving the club to go to...... the MLS?  That's some delicious irony.

 
The translation is a bit tricky but from what I can tell Werder tweeted today saying they have removed Sargent from training with the impetus seeming to be a transfer will be announced shortly.

 
Derek Rae

@RaeComm

Expect Josh Sargent to Norwich, first reported by@RGonzalezCBS, to go through although may take until early next week to be formally announced. Looking to be around 10 million Euro which was Bremen’s asking price. Others offered less. Good move for the player? Time will tell.

 
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Nashville are around the 30k mark for ticket sales for the Canada qualifying match.  The record in the state for a US game is 47k.   I bet they have a chance to beat that even with the very high ticket prices.

 
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Dinsy Ejotuz said:
I hate this move for him.  Norwich aren't likely to be any better in attack than Werder were.  And the EPL is a fair bit better than the BL overall.
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It is an interesting quandary.

Would it be better to stay in Bundie 2 and sharpen his offensive skills against weaker competition or go to EPL, and work his ### off again doing everything but scoring against significantly better players?

Obviously a mid table team in one of the big 5 would be a better fit but that does not look to be in the cards.   

 
hmm, the tweet reads worse that I expected when I found a different translation

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[SV Werder Bremen EN] Josh #Sargent will not be in the squad for #OSNSVW, due to ongoing transfer negotiations. #Baumann: “Josh has said that he is not in the right frame of mind to play. As a result, we’ve let him go home from training.” 

 
The pod cast was great!  I am definitely subscribing to this channel now.  Good stuff.

I enjoyed the part where the guys were making fun of Pulisic having to play RWB and while Pulisic was laughing he did say something like he was concerned enough that he actually had to sit down with Tuchel afterwards to see if this was something permanent.  I loved watching Pulisic grimace when the GOAT of US National Team fitness in DMB just kept repeating "that's a lot of running....that's a lot of running" LOL

=============

I know you guys mentioned it earlier but  it does feel like it will be patchy for Pulisic's minutes this year.   Best case scenario is Mount plays in the midfield and that Werner or Ziyech struggle.  He will get plenty of chances if that happens.   Worst case is the opposite where Mount plays on one of the wings and the other winger plays well.   He could turn into this years Tammy Abraham if that happens.

 
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Geez.  We could have lots to watch in the EPL this season if all these rumors come true

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Bayern & Germany

@iMiaSanMia

Following the serious injury of Wesley Fofana, Leicester City are now looking at a potential loan signing, with Bayern Munich’s Chris Richards a potential option [@Independent]

 
NewlyRetired said:
Some interesting observations from Pulisic here about the feeling with in the team itself starting to change back to the old days.

https://youtu.be/tnEpWuk--4k?t=2416
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I love hearing these guys say the same thing we did during the Summer.  It's obvious. 

2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa still had it, but not so much after that.  Not sure if it was physical -- we just got old -- or the mix of coach/players on the squad, but it was something you could feel.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
"Some of these away games in CONCACAF... the things you see in those games... I feel like I'm playing a different sport."
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Which is always the dilemma with the US.  That the style which is successful to thrive in the World Cup is not necessarily compatible with the style needed to get TO the World Cup through concacaf.  Depth and flexibility is so so important, and this summer was a humongous step forward in bridging that gap.  They may be starting to have enough players to do both.

 
Speaking of podcasts.  It doesn't have the former USMNT guys on it, but the 'Scuffed Soccer Podcast' is really good. Adam Belz and Greg Vlasquez breakdown all USMNT games, do timelines, and basic player ratings.  Part of the reason I like it is I mostly agree w/ their takes.  Greg is also a former goalie, which is a perspective I don't hear enough and really appreciate.  

@watke_ (on twitter) is also on there from time to time.  

 
NewlyRetired said:
It is an interesting quandary.

Would it be better to stay in Bundie 2 and sharpen his offensive skills against weaker competition or go to EPL, and work his ### off again doing everything but scoring against significantly better players?

Obviously a mid table team in one of the big 5 would be a better fit but that does not look to be in the cards.   
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Looks like the deal is done now.  

FWIW, for a relegation battling team Norwich does at least try to play on the front foot and play an attractive version of attacking football.  They are not a typical bunker in type of bottom dweller.  He should get PT and have chances to score.  

 
Poke_4_Life said:
Looks like the deal is done now.  

FWIW, for a relegation battling team Norwich does at least try to play on the front foot and play an attractive version of attacking football.  They are not a typical bunker in type of bottom dweller.  He should get PT and have chances to score.  
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Will he have to fight for minutes there? What is their typical formation? Who are his competitors?

 
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