If CONCACAF/FIFA forced a replay it wouldn’t matter. Costa Rica would lay down.interesting they are admitting the screw up on the goal in the Panama game now..
interesting they are admitting the screw up on the goal in the Panama game now..
Whenever things go wrong MLS starts taking hits here. Its not MLS that is the problem, it is the US system in general. High School and college soccer are not a comparable to the European youth academy programs with players getting extensive training year round. Last I heard young promising US players are free to head to Europe and many do. ( Pulisic Sargent) Having been a season ticket holder and seeing what takes place in Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City and other towns is exciting and when the tight cap is lifted we should see the league jusmMLS is going to screw it all up and try to be like the NFL, where there are about 30 teams broken into conferences who eventually meet in a soccer Super Bowl of sorts. They've already devalued the regular season title by not having everyone play home and home, just like NCAA conferences over-expanded and hurt the product. They are trying to create playoffs at the end of the season, just because that's how we do it here. We don't do season long tournaments running in parallel to the regular season.
European and South American soccer is like the college football bowls used to be, back until the 1970s or 80s. Back then, going to a bowl (i.e. playing for a cup) was a big deal, not just a "performance trophy". And you had a bunch of teams who could consider their years successful, if they won the Peach Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl, and so on. Now, with the college football playoff and the BCS before it, and our winner-take-all society, those things have been devalued to American fans.
But the cups still matter, to a pretty decent extent, in a lot of these European and South American leagues. In Spain, if anyone other than Barca or Real wins the Copa del Rey, it's a memorable season for that team. The New Year's Day bowls were the last hold-outs, but now they have even been devalued by TV overexposure with other games.
No disrepect but Klinsmann was awful and the game at Costa Rica was one of the worst I have ever seen the US play. Klinsmann is about 80 % of the reason were not going to Russia.The US team was going to the World Cup in Russia with Klinnsmann at the helm. Everything pointed in that direction. His observations about US soccer offended some people, but he he had clear and accurate vision and those offended were blind for one reason or another.
With his vision he took a long-term approach. He tinkered with lineups for development reasons. He was comfortable with struggle on the journey. Unfortunately, the easily offended, blind to the truth about US soccer, and in some cases resentment filled people ended up getting their way. The results more than a year later speak for themselves.
The delusions about US soccer and the need to pretend that US soccer is something that it isn't (yet) continue to shock me. Watching Alexi Lalas trash talk Michael Ballack in the studio during World Cup and World Championship coverage is exhibit A. Using basketball as an example, Lalas' behavior with Ballack is like a European basketball pro who could never make it in the NBA sitting in the TNT studio talking smack to Charles Barkley. Doesn't make a bit of sense and would never happen. With US soccer the pretend world became the the default mindset-- a pretend universe initially designed for tv but eventually the people who should know better drank the Koolaide and lost their way. And the ship sank.
USA beating Paraguay 3-0 in U17 World Cup, will move on to the quarter finals.
Tim Weah, yes the Weahs son, with a beautiful strike to go up 2-0, look it up
By Weah, you mean George Weah?
Played for Milan in the mid-nineties. Tremendous striker...
Weah picked PSG over English clubs recently right?USA beating Paraguay 3-0 in U17 World Cup, will move on to the quarter finals.
Tim Weah, yes the Weahs son, with a beautiful strike to go up 2-0, look it up
Weah picked PSG over English clubs recently right?
Jones is right here that the young players need to take the challenge and go to Europe to develop, but I started thinking -- is it that our young players aren't taking the challenge or is it that no one really wanted our players who are in the 22-30 "prime" year ranges.
Morris obviously was a big mistake -- he's stagnated in the MLS. But I can't really think of many other players who are turning down reasonable (D1) Europe offers over the MLS. We've got 3 or 4 keepers that I believe could play in a top-5 Euro league, but I don't think there are any offers for them. Other than that -- am I missing a bunch of people? Our players who are in the 16-22 year range seem to be doing all right making moves or entering into agreements to head over at 18.
Really, the only players that come to mind that chose MLS over a legit chance in Europe during their prime years were Altidore, who was in a terrible run of form before coming to Toronto and needed a change in scenery, and Morris. I think Besler had some interest at the end of WC2014, but I think his form dipped more because of injuries and so much missed time in 2016 than anything.
Who else is there? I'm guessing Acosta will try to make a move from Dallas this winter. Christian Roldan could be a name to look for. EPB is already Man City bound. Tyler Adams doesn't have an offer...
It's kinda like saying all your kids should go to Ivy League schools, but if the Ivies won't accept them, then your best option may be SUNY.
He wouldn’t be the guy I would go for.Big Sam threw his hat into the ring.
He get results with less talented teams, but he is definitely not a protege of the 'beautiful game'.
I'm kind of indifferent.
He wouldn’t be the guy I would go for.
If we go outside of the box I would take a look at MLS Patrick Vieria.
He probably wants a bigger challenge.
Sam be the opposite style of Klinsmann wanted.
Rob Stone on Twitter is stirring the pot claiming Pep could be a candidate down the road.I would love (for the US) and hate (for NYCFC) to get Viera on the USMNT. He's already turned down the opportunity to coach in the first division in France. So he may either love the US or be waiting for a specific opportunity.
I think our midfield would excel in his styled 4-3-3. I would guess that Nagbe, Bradley, and Acosta would play very well together in the midfield. Then put Pulisic in the role that Harrison plays this year and it's almost orgasmic.
The biggest issue is his back line is excellent and calm with the ball at their feet. They are the ignition of his offense and he gives his fullbacks (three of whom I think are more skilled on the ball than anyone the USMNT is using) a lot of freedom to pick their spots moving forward. The biggest question would be if Bradley (or his replacement) could regain his defensive intensity while lying deep to provide sensible cover.
Add to that his calm play in possession keeps counterattacks at a minimum (his defense is among the best in the league even after losing the second best player on his team -- CB Chanot) and I think he would be great for us if he found the right player mix.
I wouldn't mind Sam because he's obviously a system guy and our biggest downfall this cycle was we had no team identity. I wouldn't be ecstatic about his style though.