The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

[hopstupid]

This will be the best assist you'll see in a long time.

https://streamable.com/bhs2

I don't like United, but can't root against Mata. Such a class act, Mourinho treated him like dirt, kicked him to the curb, bet they wish they had him now. A lot like Silva he makes everyone around him better.

 

[Talgrath]

US U-23 team got a 3-1 victory vs Canada last night, fantastic stuff to see, even if it is Canada. Jordan Morris scored a brace during the game, one in both halfs, and Luis Gil buried a penalty shot. The win puts the US atop the Group A standings.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-fifa-s-sepp-blatter-to-step-down-immediately

Money is talking, Sepp better have his bags packed.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

US U-23 team got a 3-1 victory vs Canada last night, fantastic stuff to see, even if it is Canada. Jordan Morris scored a brace during the game, one in both halfs, and Luis Gil buried a penalty shot. The win puts the US atop the Group A standings.

Watched the game on a Canadian stream on youtube, the color guy was beyond brutal. He was so sure Trapp's tackle was a yellow even though Trapp really barely committed a foul, but it took him 2 replays to admit the ref may have been right giving GIl's penalty when I could see it in the choppy youtube clip.

We looked the better side. Canada looked pretty good though. THey should make it pretty far in the tourney.

I'm really excited about a few guys on the team, watchign the game only solidified my excitement.

CCV looked like a machine most of the match. He made some bonkers smart plays. Miazga looked really good even if he got out of place once or twice. Steffan has mental game well beyond his years. Hyndman looked years more experienced in the MF. I think with him his worst case scenario is to be Mix Diskerud. Kiesewetter wasn't one I was really paying attention to before last night, he changed that. He was outstanding on the ball and a constant threat. His assist on the Morris goal was great and he had a few near chances himself.

 

[jspain3]

I can't believe I forgot to watch the U-23 game. I truly think the US will bigger fish internationally in the next 5-8 years.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-fifa-s-sepp-blatter-to-step-down-immediately

Money is talking, Sepp better have his bags packed.

Coke, Visa, Bud (am I missing somebody?) are all asking for his resignation. Sepps lawyers are saying he won't... what a ****bag. Sooo is he going to pay for Qatar with his own money?

Kiesewetter wasn't one I was really paying attention to before last night, he changed that. He was outstanding on the ball and a constant threat. His assist on the Morris goal was great and he had a few near chances himself.

I agree, Kiesewetter made me pay attention to him.

But that Morris kid... I see a bright future for him.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

I agree, Kiesewetter made me pay attention to him.

Kicker is I usually recognize US players who're in academies or on the team of a top flight bundesliga club. I don't know how he slipped past me, but his promise is insane.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Klinsmann named his 23 man vs Mexico

GK - Guzan, Howard, Rimando
DF - Alvarado, Beasley, Besler, Cameron, Evans, Johnson, Orozco, Ream, Spector
MF - Beckerman, Bedoya, Bradley, Jones, WIlliams, Yedlin, Zusi
FW - Jozy, Dempsey, Wondo, Gyasi

Just a guess at the lineup

GK - Howard
RB - Fabian
CB - Besler
CB - Cameron
LB - Beasley (maybe Evans)
CDM - Jones
RM - Yedlin
LM - Zardes
CAM - Bradley
ST - Dempsey
ST - Jozy

 

[Talgrath]

Ah 6-1 dominant win for the US U-23s against Cuba, sure it's a match you expect them to win but it's nice to see that scoreline.

 

[Talgrath]

Klinsmann named his 23 man vs Mexico

GK - Guzan, Howard, Rimando
DF - Alvarado, Beasley, Besler, Cameron, Evans, Johnson, Orozco, Ream, Spector
MF - Beckerman, Bedoya, Bradley, Jones, WIlliams, Yedlin, Zusi
FW - Jozy, Dempsey, Wondo, Gyasi

Just a guess at the lineup

GK - Howard
RB - Fabian
CB - Besler
CB - Cameron
LB - Beasley (maybe Evans)
CDM - Jones
RM - Yedlin
LM - Zardes
CAM - Bradley
ST - Dempsey
ST - Jozy

More or less the line up I would expect to see myself. Maybe a different center back pairing depending on what's going on in Klinsmann's head at the time.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Ah 6-1 dominant win for the US U-23s against Cuba, sure it's a match you expect them to win but it's nice to see that scoreline.

And it was a good team win too. Kiesewetter and Morris paired so damned well.

US also locked into the next round, They only need one point to lock up first place or Canada to draw Cuba. I want another thrashing of Panama and go through with 9 points.

Don't care who we face. I want you Mexico in the finals. Even though the win in the final doesn't matter I want to crush them. Even their U-23s I hate.

 

[Talgrath]

With a 3-1 loss today to Toronto, the Philadelphia Union are officially out of the MLS playoff hunt. Disclaimer: I like the Philadelphia Union, despite their continued failings, so this may be slightly biased. Let's assess their season, shall we?

Why does this matter to the USMNT?
One of the former "future" USMNT stars, Maurice Edu, plays for them and he could put in some minutes again at some point. Richie Marquez is a young (23 year old) centerback who could be good in a few years...though maybe not good enough to break in. Honestly, most of the Union's best players are foreign, however.

How are they out?
With two games left they are 8 points back.

What went wrong?
Well, let's start with the obvious, so obvious that it's basically a meme at this point: Rais Mbholi. For the second time in two seasons the Union horrifically bungled selection of a keeper, two years ago it was picking up a keeper as the first overall pick in Andre Blake, then having him sit for pretty much the whole season, they compounded the issue by bring in Mbholi for a huge (in MLS terms) pile of cash and then ditching him a mere third of the way through the season. Overall, the defense of Philadelphia has been horrible, outside of Edu (who has been injured frequently this year) and Marquez, they have a -11 goal differential! The Union were also plagued by injuries.

What went right?
Maidana was an excellent pick up, he's shown real promise and skill as a CAM, able to put the ball in the right place at the right time, he has 14 assists on the season behind only the atomic ant Giovinco. CJ Sapong continues to be a solid, if unspectacular left winger. Fernando Aristeguieta could be a great striker in MLS if he stays healthy.

What do they need to do improve?
Jim Curtin needs to hold the next GM's pet or child hostage and threaten to kill them in the Union pick up another goalkeeper, there's already 4(!) on their roster right now. Beyond that, much like Chicago, the Union are a team in a big market with a small fanbase, though unlike Chicago their fanbase is very loyal; the Union have already set up youth academies and from all I hear there's some real talent there, Jim Curtin (or whoever coaches at the time) needs to utilize those players. In the immediate future, the Union need to shore up their back line, when on the offensive they're great but the moment the ball turns around it's either a disaster or damn near one. With a high pick in the draft, the Union can pick up a high quality left or right back or a center back to pair with Marquiz. Beyond that, with their back up/sub strikers like Conor Casey and Sebastian Letoux beginning to show their age, they probably should pick up a young potential striker too. If the Union don't screw this up, they could be a dangerous eastern conference power.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Couple notes (even though the MLS night is not over):

- TFC still haven't clinched. Leave it to Montreal to ruin everything
- US U-23's down Cuba. Still liking Kiesewetter
- DC clinch in convincing fashion
- WHY THE ACTUAL F**K IS GONZALEZ NOT PLAY FOR THE YANKS AGAINST MEXICO?!

Holy ever-loving crap, does JK hate Omar? Is he a regular poster on /r/soccer and /r/ussoccer?! His excuse is that Gonzo's form is lacking at the moment. A) No it isn't, and even if it was, less than world-class is still pretty f**king good!, and B) ALVARADO PLAYED ONE FREAKING MATCH FOR CLUB AMERICA IN SEPTEMBER! ONE!

And where's the "proactive soccer"? Not a whole lot of playmakers in there. It's a good thing our rehearsal dinner is that night so I have an excuse to be drunk and emotional.

 

[Talgrath]

I kind of agree with him on Omar Gonzalez, actually, though I'm not so keen on Alvarado as he is. For me, it's more that Omar Gonzalez tends to have one or two moments per game where he simply makes the wrong decision in spectacular fashion. Overall Gonzalez is fantastic though. As for the proactive soccer, for this match at least, I think tinker time is over; the line up isn't what I'd like to see in the long term but it should be good enough to get us to the Confederations Cup as long as everyone plays well.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

I kind of agree with him on Omar Gonzalez, actually, though I'm not so keen on Alvarado as he is. For me, it's more that Omar Gonzalez tends to have one or two moments per game where he simply makes the wrong decision in spectacular fashion.

You know, I will absolutely give you that. But he hasn't done that for the G's in a long time... I think all he needs is some consistency on the national stage. His involvement has been so spotty.

 

[Qhrumphf]

More Premier League fun. Mourinho is classy as always. "Don't sack me, it's the officials' fault that we're losing, they're harder on us than the other teams". Brendan Rodgers may yet live to see another day (or at least, he's not guaranteed walking papers, who knows). Everything else went pretty much as expected, although a Gooner/Man U draw would have been helpful (or better yet, an asteroid). And Harry scores again. Just in the wrong goal. Oops. Eriksen proves his worth again, twice off of free kicks, and after a lot of back and forth and blown chances from both sides, I'll settle for the draw against Swansea.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Ok, maybe not. My Liverpool supporting friend was right, they'd keep Brendan Rodgers on until after Everton and then he was gone. Sure enough, sacked.

 

[Talgrath]

So, with the wild weekend of MLS action on Sunday, the Colorado Rapids became the first team in the west to go out, let's do a post mortem on this mess, shall we?

Why does this matter to the USMNT?
Dillon Powers was once some of the hottest USMNT young prospects and could be again under the right coach. Dillon Serna, Carlos Alvarez and Caleb Calvert could all be good attacking prospects in the not so distant future. Clint Irwin is a good US-born goalkeeper, and in a few years he could get a look from the USMNT. In short, lots of young talent.

How are they out?
With three games to go they need at least 10 points.

What went wrong?
In short, they implemented a system ten years too late. Under Pablo Mastroeni the Rapids implemented a system designed to defend first, primarily composed of veteran MLS players. Ten years ago, hell probably even five years ago, this could have won you an MLS cup if you got things right, but in the modern MLS there's too much offensive firepower and speed to play this sort of game and get positive results. The Rapids didn't lose by much, but they lost much more often than they won.

What went right?
Kevin Doyle is an excellent mid season pick up that is already scoring goals, often with his head. Clint Irwin continues to be a good keeper. Dillon Powers continues to play well, though not as well as he did when he won rookie of the year. Not a whole lot though.

What do they need to do improve?
Well, I'm tempted to just say fire Pablo Mastroeni, in the last two years the Rapids have slumped further and further down the table after all. But, it is possible that Mastroeni's hands are tied, the Rapids' ownership is notoriously difficult and controlling. Whoever it is that's really calling the shots, they need to wake up and realize that trotting out the old guys to try to bunker in and counter simply won't work anymore in the modern era. If you're going to be a small market team (and make no mistake, Colorado is the smallest of the small markets in MLS due to competition and lack of interest) you must utilize youth talent to the maximum and only sparingly put in some high quality veterans. If the Rapids want to see an example of how to do it right, all they have to do is look at where their old coach went, Dallas' roster is just slightly more expensive than the Rapids' roster but it's an example of how to do things right. Most of the players are young, and the handful of veterans are guys with great touches and great knowledge who do things to set the young players free so they can run at defenses and cause opposing defenders to panic. The most frustrating thing about Colorado is that they are sitting upon a gold mine of young talent, and utilize almost none of it. The draft will give Colorado more young talent, as they're almost certainly getting a top 3 pick, the Rapids need to get a coach who can and will utilize young talent and do so well if they want to get out of the basement.

 

[Talgrath]

Landon Donovan thinks that Jurgen Klinsmann should be fired if he loses the Confederations Cup playoff.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/10/06/landon-donovan-jurgen-klinsmann-usa-mexico

I'd have to say that I strongly disagree, if the US lose it's the culmination of a bad few months, but international soccer is a game measured in 4 year chunks and the the previous three years has been mostly positive. I think Klinsmann should get another World Cup cycle before being assessed, especially since there really isn't a better coach realistically available, I think.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Landon Donovan thinks that Jurgen Klinsmann should be fired if he loses the Confederations Cup playoff.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/10/06/landon-donovan-jurgen-klinsmann-usa-mexico

I'd have to say that I strongly disagree, if the US lose it's the culmination of a bad few months, but international soccer is a game measured in 4 year chunks and the the previous three years has been mostly positive. I think Klinsmann should get another World Cup cycle before being assessed, especially since there really isn't a better coach realistically available, I think.

Honestly my opinion of him, his tactics, and his PR has gone severely downhill since he released the lineup against Belgium. I would be okay with a fresh face to start the qualifying cycle. Petke, anybody?

 

[hopstupid]

More Premier League fun. Mourinho is classy as always. "Don't sack me, it's the officials' fault that we're losing, they're harder on us than the other teams". Brendan Rodgers may yet live to see another day (or at least, he's not guaranteed walking papers, who knows). Everything else went pretty much as expected, although a Gooner/Man U draw would have been helpful (or better yet, an asteroid). And Harry scores again. Just in the wrong goal. Oops. Eriksen proves his worth again, twice off of free kicks, and after a lot of back and forth and blown chances from both sides, I'll settle for the draw against Swansea.

oops

 

[Qhrumphf]

oops

I did have a laugh at Swans supporters singing either "He's one of our own" or "He scores when he wants" (depending on who's report you read, probably both).

That was unpleasant and his confidence obviously and understandably took a dive after that.

 

[Talgrath]

Honestly my opinion of him, his tactics, and his PR has gone severely downhill since he released the lineup against Belgium. I would be okay with a fresh face to start the qualifying cycle. Petke, anybody?

If we're talking about Klinsmann, we need a real upgrade, someone who can both bring in lots of young talent through reputation/personality and deploy excellent tactics. The problem is that there aren't a lot of coaches like that that will work for about $2 million per year.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

If we're talking about Klinsmann, we need a real upgrade, someone who can both bring in lots of young talent through reputation/personality and deploy excellent tactics. The problem is that there aren't a lot of coaches like that that will work for about $2 million per year.

Yeah, pfft. That's peasant money

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Landon Donovan thinks that Jurgen Klinsmann should be fired if he loses the Confederations Cup playoff.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/10/06/landon-donovan-jurgen-klinsmann-usa-mexico

I'd have to say that I strongly disagree, if the US lose it's the culmination of a bad few months, but international soccer is a game measured in 4 year chunks and the the previous three years has been mostly positive. I think Klinsmann should get another World Cup cycle before being assessed, especially since there really isn't a better coach realistically available, I think.

I have 0 respect for anything DOnovan has said about Klinsmann. He's clearly butthurt about not being picked, and was probably one of th eguys causing internal lockerroom strife. We basically know Bocanegra was one of them, Landycakes may have been too, but was too good to be left off the team.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Honestly my opinion of him, his tactics, and his PR has gone severely downhill since he released the lineup against Belgium. I would be okay with a fresh face to start the qualifying cycle. Petke, anybody?

Only negative PR with Klinsmann is involving MLS which has to do a lot with taking interviews out of context. Klinsmann is a challenging manager, he tries to make people feel uneasy, including MLS which is pretty much what has to improve if the USMNT improve their future prospects.

Tactics leave a lot to be desired, but I think they're massively overstated. What USMNT manager has amazing tactical ability? Arena doesn't. Bradley doesn't. People act like Klinsmann is say Marty "We'll take the Wind" Mornhinweg

 

[Talgrath]

Yeah, pfft. That's peasant money

Compare that to say, Mourinho, that is making $17 million per year and yeah, it is actually. In fact, pretty much all national team coaching positions are about passion more than they are about pay, Klinsmann is one of the highest paid national team coaches in the world, but that's peanuts compared to what most top level European teams pay their coaches.

 

[BrewSavage]

I think we might need two threads:

1. This thread for soccer, to include all things American.
2. Another thread for across the pond football; all things EPL and champions league.

 

[hopstupid]

I did have a laugh at Swans supporters singing either "He's one of our own" or "He scores when he wants" (depending on who's report you read, probably both).

That was unpleasant and his confidence obviously and understandably took a dive after that.

Did you see that Carrragher compared liverpool to the Spurs.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jamie-carragher-liverpool-theyre-becoming-6575160

I always wonder what would of happened had Chelsea not won the Uefa Championship in 2012 and kicked the spurs out of going to CL in 2013. They were the most exciting team to watch that year in the PL, then Redknapp got the boot.

 

[Talgrath]

I think we might need two threads:

1. This thread for soccer, to include all things American.
2. Another thread for across the pond football; all things EPL and champions league.

I tried starting an MLS thread...but nobody seemed interested.