World Cup 2022
- Thread starter QWERTYLICIOUS
- Start date
USA ended up playing a 4-4-2 with Weah and Wright up top against England. Moved McKennie over to the right in order to support Dest, who's creative, but a defensive liability and it almost worked. Was the better team.
The 9 position was and has been the weakest spot on the team. Sargent didn't do s**t against Wales and Wright was invisible against England. Would rather they play Aaronson up top. He's not a 9, but his energy would give opposing CBs issues. And he's big enough--certainly bigger than Ferreria.
I think Zimmerman has been especially poor. Gave up that stupid, unnecessary penalty against Bale and gave up two careless passes yesterday trying to break the line to Dest. Good idea. Bad execution. Need more quality. Really wish Chris Richards had been healthy this year. Same goes for John Brooks, who is still only 29.
Adams looks world class. If the tourney ended today, he'd be in the all tourney XI. Musah will be at a much bigger team within two years. McKennie's experience at Juventus shows. That midfield trio is the best part of this team and they're all young still (23, 19, 24).
GGG pulled McKennie and Dest at the 75 min mark, because both had yellows. Preserving them for Iran. Two yellows = red = ineligible for the next game. Thought the Dest substitution likely cost a goal when Shaq Moore was two ticks late on a pass in 80th min or so. Dest creates havoc in that same position. Really don't understand why Moore is on the squad. Ditto for Morris.
The 9 position was and has been the weakest spot on the team. Sargent didn't do s**t against Wales and Wright was invisible against England. Would rather they play Aaronson up top. He's not a 9, but his energy would give opposing CBs issues. And he's big enough--certainly bigger than Ferreria.
I think Zimmerman has been especially poor. Gave up that stupid, unnecessary penalty against Bale and gave up two careless passes yesterday trying to break the line to Dest. Good idea. Bad execution. Need more quality. Really wish Chris Richards had been healthy this year. Same goes for John Brooks, who is still only 29.
Adams looks world class. If the tourney ended today, he'd be in the all tourney XI. Musah will be at a much bigger team within two years. McKennie's experience at Juventus shows. That midfield trio is the best part of this team and they're all young still (23, 19, 24).
GGG pulled McKennie and Dest at the 75 min mark, because both had yellows. Preserving them for Iran. Two yellows = red = ineligible for the next game. Thought the Dest substitution likely cost a goal when Shaq Moore was two ticks late on a pass in 80th min or so. Dest creates havoc in that same position. Really don't understand why Moore is on the squad. Ditto for Morris.
The most impressive team, thus far to me, is Spain. Their passing has been a joy to watch. Tiki-Taka.
France is like the USA in hoops. Crazy talent. On their best day, no one beats them. If they play Spain, will be fun to see how frustrated they'll get against that style.
The Asian and African teams love to dribble. Japan can and should be elite, but they're always a few ticks late on their passes. It's frustrating af. Though they did get a result against Germany. I don't think they'll advance past the round of 16 unless they improve their passing.
Ecuador, to me, will be this year's Colombia/Belgium/Croatia from previous tournies...a darkhorse, who likey gets to the round of 8 (and maybe higher). Caiceida likely earning himself a $50m payday and Estupinan going to be moving on from Brighton soon.
France is like the USA in hoops. Crazy talent. On their best day, no one beats them. If they play Spain, will be fun to see how frustrated they'll get against that style.
The Asian and African teams love to dribble. Japan can and should be elite, but they're always a few ticks late on their passes. It's frustrating af. Though they did get a result against Germany. I don't think they'll advance past the round of 16 unless they improve their passing.
Ecuador, to me, will be this year's Colombia/Belgium/Croatia from previous tournies...a darkhorse, who likey gets to the round of 8 (and maybe higher). Caiceida likely earning himself a $50m payday and Estupinan going to be moving on from Brighton soon.
For people, who follow the sport? Probably not all that big though the ML for USA was +615 by kickoff. Basically, the USA program is a like a high mid major football program, in a big city, with a big hoops program, who has punched under its weight for three decades. With the population (big city), it's only a matter of time, before it becomes elite. It's recent, young talent, is performing in the best leagues in the world now and that next generation coming through after this current one, is likely going to be better and there's going to be much more of them. I wasn't surprised by the result yesterday. In 10 games, England wins 6/10.
For casuals? Big, but not earth shattering.
Edit: Apples to apples on the ML. In soccer, there are three outcomes--USA, England, or a draw. So +615 is a bit misleading. In a no draw situation, the ML would've been around +300. So the smart money was assigning around a 33% chance of a USA victory. Not earth shattering.
For casuals? Big, but not earth shattering.
Edit: Apples to apples on the ML. In soccer, there are three outcomes--USA, England, or a draw. So +615 is a bit misleading. In a no draw situation, the ML would've been around +300. So the smart money was assigning around a 33% chance of a USA victory. Not earth shattering.
Originally, I'd say it's the best result the US team probably expected going in under the assumption that they had beaten Wales coming in. Since they didn't, this draw against England isn't all that great but it's not the worst since that still gives the US another point in the group.
They must now beat Iran to advance.
They must now beat Iran to advance.
At one point late in both matches Costa Rica was up 2-1 on Germany and Spain was down 2-1. Had both results held, both Spain and Germany would have been knocked out with Japan and Costa Rica advancing out of the group. This would have been a MONUMENTAL upset. As is, with Japan defeating both Spain and Germany, they advance as the group winner which is a pretty huge upset in and of itself. But had both Germany and Spain been eliminated; good lord, the soccer world would have gone nuts.