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The 2014-2015 Football Thread

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balamw

balamw

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pachyderm said:
we're better than we played in this cup for damn sure. the crew he took this time around clearly aren't our best.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the USMNT even this roster is better than what they showed in this Gold Cup, I believe the main problem was a lack of consistency in the 6 months up to the tournament where JK was "experimenting" with rosters and squads so the team simply wasn't fluid with each other.

The JAM keeper got extremely lucky. I counted four times he didn't control the ball (one leading to the U.S. goal) or was saved by the woodwork. Of course Guzan's mistake was the game changer...

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Lord Blackadder

Lord Blackadder

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Mexico really stumbled through this tournament. Someday they won't get that lucky dodgy penalty they need and they will lose. But I'm nearly 100% sure they will beat Jamaica, which means a USA-Mexico playoff to determine who goes to the Confederations Cup.

Very disappointed in USA - Jamaica are good and deserved their win, but USA are better than that. They played terribly and I think the Klinsmann shuffle may have played a role there.
 
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balamw

balamw

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My son the defender pointed out a major difference between the MNT and the WNT. Consistency on the back line.

The women have consistently played the same back four time and time again with only spot changes. For the men, we seem to have had a new back line every game for coming on six months or so. Midfielders playing back, backs playing up, fullbacks playing center back and vice versa. It's just weird.

Yes, certainly both JK and I would have preferred that Jones remain healthy and have continued in his new role with the MNT, but stuff happens.

I don't think it's enough to depose Klinsman just quite yet, but if we lose in October it might just be.

Sigh,

B
 
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Lord Blackadder

Lord Blackadder

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balamw said:
I don't think it's enough to depose Klinsman just quite yet, but if we lose in October it might just be.
Click to expand...

I'm going to defend Klinsmann here. How many nailed-on starters does the USA have? Not 11, for sure. Dempsey, Bradley, probably Guzan, Jones if you ignore the injury troubles. Other than that, it all comes down to individual form at any given moment, because nobody else strikes me as consistently good enough to merit being pencilled in without argument. Some, like Beckerman, are pretty close, but most of the rest are either prospects or career journeymen.

Yes, not having a consistent back four hurts USMNT. The USWNT has more than four world class defenders available. I would argue that the USMNT has zero world class defenders available, so Klinsmann has resorted to shuffling squad players to pick the hottest four or those best suited to that day's opponents.

I don't like the shuffling any more that you do, but I'm genuinely not sure Klinsmann has a good alternative. Nor do I think WE have a good alternative to Klinsmann...
 
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balamw

balamw

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What a miserable showing by the MNT in this Gold Cup game.

I really don't know what to make of Bradley. When he's on he's on, but in games like today it seems like he just can't complete a simple pass.

Sigh. Still probably going to watch the friendly game against Brazil in Sept.

B
 
pachyderm

pachyderm

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balamw said:
What a miserable showing by the MNT in this Gold Cup game.

I really don't know what to make of Bradley. When he's on he's on, but in games like today it seems like he just can't complete a simple pass.

Sigh. Still probably going to watch the friendly game against Brazil in Sept.

B
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yeah, it really was one of the worst cups/competitions i've seen us play in. but this is JK's style, he experiments when he can. this was a piddling cup when you consider we are already in a playoff spot for the confederations cup, right?

Lord Blackadder said:
I'm going to defend Klinsmann here. How many nailed-on starters does the USA have? Not 11, for sure. Dempsey, Bradley, probably Guzan, Jones if you ignore the injury troubles. Other than that, it all comes down to individual form at any given moment, because nobody else strikes me as consistently good enough to merit being pencilled in without argument. Some, like Beckerman, are pretty close, but most of the rest are either prospects or career journeymen.

Yes, not having a consistent back four hurts USMNT. The USWNT has more than four world class defenders available. I would argue that the USMNT has zero world class defenders available, so Klinsmann has resorted to shuffling squad players to pick the hottest four or those best suited to that day's opponents.

I don't like the shuffling any more that you do, but I'm genuinely not sure Klinsmann has a good alternative. Nor do I think WE have a good alternative to Klinsmann...
Click to expand...


i agree. and i think this is just his style. he shuffles, tinkers, and cajoles the roster a lot. but when it comes down to brass tax he gets a good roster for the comps that really matter. i still would have liked Landycakes on the 2014 WC roster but we did pretty well without him. moot point now. as i said before, we're already in a playoff spot for the confederations cup right? now he knows who to not to bring.
 
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balamw

balamw

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But we're not in the Confederations Cup! We have to play a playoff game in October agains the winner of today's game because of not winning the Gold Cup.

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pachyderm

pachyderm

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thre it is! i couldn't remember. if we'd won the gold cup we'd automatically be in... so we're in the play off spot.

i've fixed my earlier post.
 
Alphazoid

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Seems Di Maria to PSG for 45m is a formality at this point. Di Maria on the left Moura on the right Ibra/Cavani in front is quite a deadly combo. If it works out for Di Maria that is.
 
Silencio

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I'm surprisingly sanguine about AdM leaving, even though I was hoping he would get another season to prove himself in England. He's an incredibly talented player, but if he's not going to be happy or comfortable, best to sell him sooner than later and recoup as much as possible. The house break-in no doubt severely shook him and his wife, but he didn't seem to adjust well to the physicality of the league, either.

The question is, how do United replace him? That's one less difference-maker in attack. I'm not really excited about the notion of adding Pedro, but he's a good solid professional who can also defend and press the ball up high. Or it could mean more opportunity for Januzaj, who also looks more intriguing playing up top.
 
Lord Blackadder

Lord Blackadder

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I say this through gritted teeth, but the best team in the tournament won it. HOWEVER, they rode a MASSIVE amount of luck to do it (and cheated a bit along the way), and if there is such a thing as Karma they are due for some bad times ahead.

USA are capable of winning the playoff; they need to get their asses in gear and prepare themselves to do just that. Mexico will throw everything into that match, and Klinsmann & Co need to take it as seriously as any they've ever played in.
 
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Centaurr

Centaurr

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the Gold cup final should have been USA vs. Panama, mexico got lucky big time.

On that note, the new season starts in 3 weeks in europe and there were many good transfers. and the WC Eliminatories start in 2 months (oct) as well. this season will be great with all those new transfers
 
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pachyderm

pachyderm

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Lord Blackadder said:
I say this through gritted teeth, but the best team in the tournament won it. HOWEVER, they rode a MASSIVE amount of luck to do it (and cheated a bit along the way), and if there is such a thing as Karma they are due for some bad times ahead.

USA are capable of winning the playoff; they need to get their asses in gear and prepare themselves to do just that. Mexico will throw everything into that match, and Klinsmann & Co need to take it as seriously as any they've ever played in.
Click to expand...
exactly.
 
balamw

balamw

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balamw said:
Still probably going to watch the friendly game against Brazil in Sept.
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We decided not to go. It's a school night and we could almost get 2 season tickets to the Revs for the prices they want for decent seats for this friendly. >$300 for 4 GA tix with the American Outlaws?

Maybe we'll watch it at a nearby sports bar or something like that.

By comparison, the Gold cup group stage tix were incredibly cheap! We could have gone to those two games for half the price of this one!

B
 
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