The Official US Soccer thread

[Stout]

Disagree, losing to Mexico at home at the last minute and losing to Costa Rica on the road where we never play well isn't a dealbreaker at all. Even if it is 4-0. Losing to T&T is embarrassing.

Except he backed us into a position where losing both crushed us. Granted the T&T loss was embarrassing, but that's because we hired the wrong coach who did nothing to shake up the team. Firing JK and hiring the wrong coach was stupid; should have fired JK and brought in someone at least willing to change the status quo.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Except he backed us into a position where losing both crushed us. Granted the T&T loss was embarrassing, but that's because we hired the wrong coach who did nothing to shake up the team. Firing JK and hiring the wrong coach was stupid; should have fired JK and brought in someone at least willing to change the status quo.

Completely disagree. The Costa Rica should be have been seen as a loss as we have never performed well there. Also, losing to Mexico wasn't that big of a deal either. It was an overreaction to sack him, just like it was to hire Arena and Cordeiro.

 

[Stout]

Completely disagree. The Costa Rica should be have been seen as a loss as we have never performed well there. Also, losing to Mexico wasn't that big of a deal either. It was an overreaction to sack him, just like it was to hire Arena and Cordeiro.

As I recall it, we were backed into really needing something from them because of results earlier in qualifying. I could be wrong.

 

[Chaplin]

The best of the best in US Soccer barely squeaked out a win against a country with a population of 160,000 people.

 

[Stout]

The best of the best in US Soccer barely squeaked out a win against a country with a population of 160,000 people.

Yeah, this was a crapfest of a game. They had exactly ONE shot on goal, I think, after scoring in the 25th minute, I think it was. God have mercy, but that was a painful one to watch.

 

[gmabel830]

One down one to go.... Congrats USWNT!!


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[gmabel830]

Oh well, 1 out of 2 ain't bad


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[Stout]

I know it's cliche for a fan to say, but that ref has GOT to have been paid off, right? I mean, you have a ball kicked into a prone player's head, a Mexican player jumping down with a knee on a prone player's back, and a Mexican player choking a U.S. player, and the ref never even issues a YELLOW card? Not to mention that the ref illegally, with total disregard to the rules of the game, blows the whistle, stops the game, and GIFTS the Mexicans the ball with a drop ball when it hit the ref in the run of play? The U.S. players were FUMING.

All that bull crap aside--Mexico should have been down to 9 men with almost half the game to go--Berhalter came up well short. Our midfield had all the shape and spine of melting butter. Why did he keep switching captains, especially giving it to the youngsters? McKennie isn't a captain, nor is Pulisic, for all of his skill. Berhalter was sadly outcoached and we were totally outplayed in the 2nd half. I mean, we're never going to kick on and get world respect again if we can't manage to win a tournament on home soil again. We haven't won a Gold Cup since, I think they said, 2011? Pathetic. And we barely, barely squeaked by CURACAO to reach the semis. I mean, we had to hang in by our fingernails against CURACAO.

 

[Chaplin]

You know what's funny? Posts dedicated to this joke of a USMNT and nothing about the women, who just won the World Cup.

It's embarrassing. Just like the USMNT.

 

[Stout]

You know what's funny? Posts dedicated to this joke of a USMNT and nothing about the women, who just won the World Cup.

It's embarrassing. Just like the USMNT.

You know what, Chap? Well said. Well frickin' said. How is it possible we have the embarrassing pay gap between the two teams. There should be a pay gap--in FAVOR of the USWNT.

 

[Lorenzo]

Yes! Congrats to the USWNT! They are awesome. What they did to Thailand was amazing. They were running to the final whistle and I really felt like they set the tone in that game. How many times do we watch teams get a 1 or 2 goal lead and then step off the pedal?

The France and England victories they were very professional. The way they killed off the game against France was impressive especially with the momentum shift after France scored their goal.

 

[Lorenzo]

For the MNT, I missed the gold cup. I saw the highlights for the final and they should have had at least 2 or 3 goals early on. I don't know what to make of them at all because I have not watched in a long time. I am disturbed that some of the same characters are still being called. I feel like they need to be investing in the future not repeating the same failures of the past. Altidore and Bradley's careers should be over.

As far as where it went wrong in the last world cup? it was clearly the decision to fire JK (at least when they did). They should have fired him sooner if that was something that was on the table. Remember they had multiple stunning defeats before that point. Coaching a team through 2 world cup cycles is very difficult for any coach, but particular in America where AMAZINGLY there are limited resources with their player pool. When they fired JK... Something went wrong in the locker room, not sure if it was something to do Pulisic coming into the lineup as the top player before he was ready? I do recall Geoff Cameron calling out Bruce Arena in the media, so it may have just been that the players were just not accountable to anyone or respected authority.

 

[Stout]

For the MNT, I missed the gold cup. I saw the highlights for the final and they should have had at least 2 or 3 goals early on. I don't know what to make of them at all because I have not watched in a long time. I am disturbed that some of the same characters are still being called. I feel like they need to be investing in the future not repeating the same failures of the past. Altidore and Bradley's careers should be over.

As far as where it went wrong in the last world cup? it was clearly the decision to fire JK (at least when they did). They should have fired him sooner if that was something that was on the table. Remember they had multiple stunning defeats before that point. Coaching a team through 2 world cup cycles is very difficult for any coach, but particular in America where AMAZINGLY there are limited resources with their player pool. When they fired JK... Something went wrong in the locker room, not sure if it was something to do Pulisic coming into the lineup as the top player before he was ready? I do recall Geoff Cameron calling out Bruce Arena in the media, so it may have just been that the players were just not accountable to anyone or respected authority.

Oh, JK should have been gone before, but firing him when we (finally) did wasn't what did it. It was a toxic locker room full of whining players who thought they were stars that deserved star treatment. They weren't stars, and they weren't entitled to jack squat. I'm still leery of having Bradley in the lineup, but he seems to have learned his lesson. Pulisic is (and was) light years better than anyone on the team. They should have welcomed his talent.

 

[Stout]

We waited criminally late to hire a coach, we made what I thought at the time was a highly questionable hire, and...Jesus, is Berhalter not working out. 2-0 to Canada? CANADA? i don't care how much they're improved. We're now 4th best in the region behind Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada. Talk about freaking regressing. If we don't make a move, and soon, we will be dangerously close to missing a 2nd straight World Cup. You need to get the team settled and playing well, NOW, not when we're in the midst of qualifying.

Put it this way: If the US misses a 2nd straight WC, what interest there is in US Soccer will dwindle to almost nothing.

 

[Stout]

Oh, and can we make Bradley go away? He was one of the toxic members of the squad that failed to qualify for the WC, and he's done.

 

[Zeno]

From the hiring of Cordeiro to the hiring of Berhalter the Federation is a mess. I have no doubt the US has enough talent to qualify for the WC but talent alone doesn't get it done.

The sad thing is Berhalters brother, Jay, is a senior executive with US Soccer.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The look rudderless. Every player outside of Long, and maybe Steffen should be ashamed of the way that they played.

 

[Chaplin]

The look rudderless. Every player outside of Long, and maybe Steffen should be ashamed of the way that they played.

IMO, the reason they are playing so badly is because the AREN'T ashamed of how they're playing. They just don't care.

 

[Stout]

IMO, the reason they are playing so badly is because the AREN'T ashamed of how they're playing. They just don't care.

Yep. And that crappy culture was, like, the bare minimum the new coach had to change. Then again, why should the players care? The farcical way U.S. Soccer conducted--or rather, weren't fussed to get on with conducting--the coaching search, doesn't lend itself to confidence.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Still an active leader for the American Outlaws...... And I hate everything about the tactics and mindset of this new leadership team.


Feeling very sad about it all really.

 

[Zeno]

Still an active leader for the American Outlaws...... And I hate everything about the tactics and mindset of this new leadership team.


Feeling very sad about it all really.

It really is hard to get excited. I never used to miss a match on TV and made it a point to attend at least one match a year in person but the current state of US Soccer (outside of the womens game) is such a mess I don't bother anymore. The U17's just got embarrassed in the U17WC so our future there is looking bleak (I watched parts of 2 games and it was shocking how bad they were).

The US used to play with grit and toughness, and that made up for a lack of talent--there is probably more professional talent on this team than ever (most assuredly more than the teams of the 90's) but they are now soft physically and mentally.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

It really is hard to get excited. I never used to miss a match on TV and made it a point to attend at least one match a year in person but the current state of US Soccer (outside of the womens game) is such a mess I don't bother anymore. The U17's just got embarrassed in the U17WC so our future there is looking bleak (I watched parts of 2 games and it was shocking how bad they were).

The US used to play with grit and toughness, and that made up for a lack of talent--there is probably more professional talent on this team than ever (most assuredly more than the teams of the 90's) but they are now soft physically and mentally.

I feel the exact same way.

 

[Lorenzo]

ugh, I can't even watch the games because they almost always come on overnight and are not televised. hope that things get better. may as well go away from the Bradley's and Altidore's and go with the youth. that's our only chance moving forward, but until our team can be strong from the back and link up with the forwards like other top countries do, we will always have to count on grit defending which is something that we have not seen in a while.

 

[Stout]

ugh, I can't even watch the games because they almost always come on overnight and are not televised. hope that things get better. may as well go away from the Bradley's and Altidore's and go with the youth. that's our only chance moving forward, but until our team can be strong from the back and link up with the forwards like other top countries do, we will always have to count on grit defending which is something that we have not seen in a while.

Yeah, until our team stops acting like they're great and entitled little babies, and until they get back to the gritty us-against-the-world mentality the small fry have to adopt to succeed, we're going to do squat.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

This weekend we’ve seen...

Gio Reyna get three assists for Dortmund.
Chris Richards get his first Bundesliga start and an assist for Bayern Munich.
Antonee Robinson get his EPL debut.
And we might see Dest and/or Konrad become the first Americans to play for Barcelona.

This is not to mention the loads of guys like Weston Mckennie and Tyler Adams that have put themselves into good positions at quality clubs across Europe.

It isn’t just Pulisic anymore. The USMNT is on the cusp of having their best generation yet, despite US Soccer’s lack of meaningful leadership.