U.S. Men's National Soccer (Official Thread)

[Dee-Liem]

Did someone throw a Coke on the field or something? I think I saw a cup fly when Brek grabbed his head.

 

[Smudger]

Yahtzee!

 

[scarletmike]

That should have been a red card!

Great match, the Gold Cup goes to the USA!

 

[Smudger]

Thought the bringing on of Omar Gonzalez and using him as a kamikaze at the end was great. He won virtually every ball sent into the area with reckless abandon for his own well being. Good few minutes of action for him.

Also really liked what I saw from Mix Diskerud coming on for Holden. He seemed to be everywhere & really stood out to me as someone who was playing his hardest. Was always in the middle of everything & got a lot of time on the ball, which I thought he did a great job distributing around too.

 

[TooTall]

Thought the bringing on of Omar Gonzalez and using him as a kamikaze at the end was great. He won virtually every ball sent into the area with reckless abandon for his own well being. Good few minutes of action for him.

Also really liked what I saw from Mix Diskerud coming on for Holden. He seemed to be everywhere & really stood out to me as someone who was playing his hardest. Was always in the middle of everything & got a lot of time on the ball, which I thought he did a great job distributing around too.

Really impressed with what I've seen from Diskerud. Was also impressed with Parkhurst. Not necessarily because he made great challenges. I'm more impressed they hardly called is name. Good thing if you are a defender.

 

[Dee-Liem]

Having a chuckle because I was watching old VHS tapes of the 1994 World Cup with USA against Switzerland and my kid was commenting on how short the shorts were.

He didn't realize they weren't even that short (think about 1990 and prior).

I blame the Fab Five for all the shorts getting longer (regardless of sport).

 

[Bulls-Eye]

Really impressed with what I've seen from Diskerud. Was also impressed with Parkhurst. Not necessarily because he made great challenges. I'm more impressed they hardly called is name. Good thing if you are a defender.

Agreed, especially because he was having to track Quintero, who was possibly the best player on the pitch for Panama in the semifinal against Mexico.

With most every other position now coming into clarity, the RB quandary is still there. Parkhurst, Chandler, Evans, Dolo...? Who is going to take hold of that right back position and cement the defense? Looks like Gonzalez and Goodson are still duking it out for a starting CB role as well.

This is the deepest pool of talent I think we've ever seen for the USMNT. What is amazing is just a few months ago, we were worried if they'd even qualify for Brazil '14, and what they would do once the Donovan, Beasley, Dempsey, Howard generation were no longer in their prime.

All hail Jurgen!

 

[AKAK]

This is the deepest pool of talent I think we've ever seen for the USMNT. What is amazing is just a few months ago, we were worried if they'd even qualify for Brazil '14, and what they would do once the Donovan, Beasley, Dempsey, Howard generation were no longer in their prime.

All hail Jurgen!

Well, I think the conventional wisdom was that Beasley was past, or never made it to the prime he was supposed to have.

And questions about if Donovan wanted to play at all. (And I think some folks are perplexed about how the Klinsmann/Donovan Dynamic, and I think both the coverage of it and maybe a bit is Klinsmann, but, its a little over done, but, he's going out of his way to be clear that he wants guys committed to the program and not just showing up in Rio and saying, "Hey, remember me? I want to play now.")

Dont' want to harp on Beasley, but, he's come from complete bust in the eyes of many to captain of the gold cup squad and winning the tournament.*

I don't know that anyone really felt that they wouldn't qualify, and certainly there were some players that didn't really "get it". But things are quite a bit better now, aren't they?

*I felt like the key moment in that match yesterday was in about the 10 minutes leading up to the goal, Donovan and Beasley just started exerting a huge amount of pressure on the right side of the Panamanian D... lot of energy and a lot of patience, and that eventually ground the Panamanians to defending around the top of the penalty area and they set up shop there. Big Time professionalism from those two, I thought. And I think that's what Klinsmann likes about Beasley along with the pressure he can exert from that position. Now... Its not gonna make us feel lot better when he's the one getting attacked rather than doing the attacking, but, he clearly wants to be there and is going along wtih the program, and I think playing very well right now when he could be on the scrap heap.

 

[Mac]

Was a littler nervous the first 20 or so minutes, but then they really turned it on. Dominated the 2nd part of the 1st half and the entire second half. This team is looking great. Donovan has been spectacular since he's been back.

 

[jlb1705]

Well, I think the conventional wisdom was that Beasley was past, or never made it to the prime he was supposed to have.

And questions about if Donovan wanted to play at all. (And I think some folks are perplexed about how the Klinsmann/Donovan Dynamic, and I think both the coverage of it and maybe a bit is Klinsmann, but, its a little over done, but, he's going out of his way to be clear that he wants guys committed to the program and not just showing up in Rio and saying, "Hey, remember me? I want to play now.")

Dont' want to harp on Beasley, but, he's come from complete bust in the eyes of many to captain of the gold cup squad and winning the tournament.*

I don't know that anyone really felt that they wouldn't qualify, and certainly there were some players that didn't really "get it". But things are quite a bit better now, aren't they?

*I felt like the key moment in that match yesterday was in about the 10 minutes leading up to the goal, Donovan and Beasley just started exerting a huge amount of pressure on the right side of the Panamanian D... lot of energy and a lot of patience, and that eventually ground the Panamanians to defending around the top of the penalty area and they set up shop there. Big Time professionalism from those two, I thought. And I think that's what Klinsmann likes about Beasley along with the pressure he can exert from that position. Now... Its not gonna make us feel lot better when he's the one getting attacked rather than doing the attacking, but, he clearly wants to be there and is going along wtih the program, and I think playing very well right now when he could be on the scrap heap.

I agree about Beasley. Actually, I think he acquitted himself quite well as a defender in this tournament. He had the one moment where his inexperience showed in giving up a penalty, but all in all he was better than anyone else we've seen in that position for the US in years. Before they shifted him to that spot, every team they played (even the crap ones) exploited that side of the pitch. In this tournament I saw teams still trying it, but having very little success.

That said, I don't think the LB position is settled at all. The competition in this tournament was not representative of what they are going to face in the next 12 months, and Beasley is still inexperienced as a LB. If he can continue to learn at the rate he has over the last several months though, he may be just fine for 2014.

 

[Bulls-Eye]

That said, I don't think the LB position is settled at all. The competition in this tournament was not representative of what they are going to face in the next 12 months, and Beasley is still inexperienced as a LB. If he can continue to learn at the rate he has over the last several months though, he may be just fine for 2014.

I should clarify - it is not so much that I believe Beasley has locked down the LB spot as much as I feel the US has two pretty quality options in Beasley and Fabian Johnson. I prefer Johnson, so that Donovan can fill in at that left midfield/wing position, but I feel like Klinsmann has at least shown dedication/trust in two guys there on the left. Comparatively, at the RB position it has been a constant revolving door. Stability in the back is key, or at least some good, healthy competition from several worthy candidates.

 

[AKAK]

I should clarify - it is not so much that I believe Beasley has locked down the LB spot as much as I feel the US has two pretty quality options in Beasley and Fabian Johnson. I prefer Johnson, so that Donovan can fill in at that left midfield/wing position, but I feel like Klinsmann has at least shown dedication/trust in two guys there on the left. Comparatively, at the RB position it has been a constant revolving door. Stability in the back is key, or at least some good, healthy competition from several worthy candidates.

Well, thing is, if jlb gets his way (and I'm assuming he will) and Dempsey is the primary off forward, that means you have to put Donovan somewere, and that's probably on the left wing... Either way, you need both Johnson and Beasely I think, they may end up being matchup guys, and well, if Beasley turns out being a liability we may need other options... but, having said that, for the Gold Cup, he was the Klinsmann designated captain of the USMNT.

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Realizing that we're still a year away and a lot can change in that time, here is a guess at what the WC 23 may be, with starters bolded:

GK: Howard, Guzan, Rimando

Defenders: Chandler (RB), Gonzalez (RCB), Besler (LCB), Beasley (LB), Cherundolo, Goodson, John Anthony Brooks, Fabian Johnson

Midfield: Donovan (LW), Bradley (CAM), Jones (CDM), Zusi (RW), Corona, Cameron, Beckerman, Bedoya, Diskerud

Forwards: Jozy (9), Dempsey (10), Eddie Johnson

Defense - I don't know if any of the starters are actually set at this point, Besler feels like the most likely of the 4 to be starting in Brazil. I think Gonzalez is still above Goodson but am not positive after the Gold Cup, RB is a huge question and LB I wouldn't be at all shocked if Fabian ended up there over Beasley. The 4th CB is also a question but with news today that Brooks is called up for the Bosnia friendly that may be a good sign for him committing, and if so he's talented enough to win that spot.

Mid - Bradley is a lock, Donovan is as well but position is the question, I'm assuming he plays on the wing with Deuce under Jozy here. I loved the way Cameron played off Bradley in the one game they started together but Klinsmann loves JJ for some reason, and RW is definitely a question but Zusi has played well there recently. Corona played well enough in the Gold Cup I think he has a spot, and I included Bedoya as the backup RW because frankly I don't know who else would play there and he also had a good Gold Cup. Beckerman backs up Bradley as the primary holding mid, with Mix also capable of playing that role.

Forwards - - seems pretty straightforward, only questions are if Dempsey or Donovan play as the second forward, my guess is that the nominal lineup will be Donovan as winger and Dempsey in the middle but that they'll move around and interchange a lot during the game. Only 3 forwards because Donovan is the nominal 4th if you need one.

 

[billmac91]

Realizing that we're still a year away and a lot can change in that time, here is a guess at what the WC 23 may be, with starters bolded:

GK: Howard, Guzan, Rimando

Defenders: Chandler (RB), Gonzalez (RCB), Besler (LCB), Beasley (LB), Cherundolo, Goodson, John Anthony Brooks, Fabian Johnson

Midfield: Donovan (LW), Bradley (CAM), Jones (CDM), Zusi (RW), Corona, Cameron, Beckerman, Bedoya, Diskerud

Forwards: Jozy (9), Dempsey (10), Eddie Johnson

Defense - I don't know if any of the starters are actually set at this point, Besler feels like the most likely of the 4 to be starting in Brazil. I think Gonzalez is still above Goodson but am not positive after the Gold Cup, RB is a huge question and LB I wouldn't be at all shocked if Fabian ended up there over Beasley. The 4th CB is also a question but with news today that Brooks is called up for the Bosnia friendly that may be a good sign for him committing, and if so he's talented enough to win that spot.

Mid - Bradley is a lock, Donovan is as well but position is the question, I'm assuming he plays on the wing with Deuce under Jozy here. I loved the way Cameron played off Bradley in the one game they started together but Klinsmann loves JJ for some reason, and RW is definitely a question but Zusi has played well there recently. Corona played well enough in the Gold Cup I think he has a spot, and I included Bedoya as the backup RW because frankly I don't know who else would play there and he also had a good Gold Cup. Beckerman backs up Bradley as the primary holding mid, with Mix also capable of playing that role.

Forwards - - seems pretty straightforward, only questions are if Dempsey or Donovan play as the second forward, my guess is that the nominal lineup will be Donovan as winger and Dempsey in the middle but that they'll move around and interchange a lot during the game. Only 3 forwards because Donovan is the nominal 4th if you need one.

If Holden is healthy I don't see how he isn't on the roster. I thought he looked like the best player on the squad during the Gold Cup. Obviously health is the major issue...

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Personally thought he was a bit hit or miss, but I left him off more based on the comments I've read today that Klinsmann made that it looks like it may be a pretty serious injury.