2022 International Soccer

[Rockstar Matt]

Kinda weird that the World Cup draw will be held this Friday considering there will still be open qualifying spots (only 3), but it'll be nice to see what the groups will be.

 

I was thinking on the USMNT, and who should our starting XI be come November. I think Greg was fielding a ton of different line-up's this qualifying cycle to see what worked and what didn't. I'll give him credit with this last slate of games. I think he's gotten the line-up's absolutely correct in this international break. Unlucky to not get the full 6 points from these last two games, but I think he fielded the line-up's to get that (aside from his disastrous subs). 

 

I do believe that even Berhalter would have to acknowledge that this is our best XI and probably the group that should be starting in our opening match in Qatar:

 

           Pulisic -- Pepi  -- Weah

                 Reyna -- McKinnie

                              Adams 

Jedi -- Brooks -- Zimmerman -- Dest

                             Steffan

 

That's, IMO, the best combination of talent we possess and the best way to get everyone in their best positions. Obviously, we'll have Aaronson, LDLT, Musah, Myles, Arriola, Sargent, Acosta and others on the roster too. I think all of those guys have played their way onto a World Cup roster, (yes even Sargent who I still think is the most talented 9 we have, though he needs to show it and thus far hasn't). 

 

Overall, I'm just happy this is something we can discuss again and I'll definitely be cheering for Canada too. Last time the US was in the World Cup, I was 22 years old. I'll be 31 by the start of this next tournament. 

[Jer15]

3 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

Last time the US was in the World Cup, I was 22 years old. I'll be 31 by the start of this next tournament. 

Last time Canada was in the World Cup I was almost 1 (I turned 1 right after the tournament ended). 
I’ll be 37 during the tournament this time. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The 2014 World Cup was so fun. Yedlin broke out. Dempsey was heroic. Jon Brooks and Tim Howard were impenetrable.

 

If only Wondo knew how to :censored:ing aim.

[GDAWG]

Canadians right now:

 

 

[Digby]

9 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

The 2014 World Cup was so fun. Yedlin broke out. Dempsey was heroic. Jon Brooks and Tim Howard were impenetrable.

 

If only Wondo knew how to :censored:ing aim.

 

For an extra sad 2014 what-if, imagine having a partnership of Altidore and Davies up top, healthy and in their primes.

[Digby]

14 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

         Pulisic -- Pepi  -- Weah

                 Reyna -- McKinnie

                              Adams 

Jedi -- Brooks -- Zimmerman -- Dest

                             Steffan

 

That's, IMO, the best combination of talent we possess and the best way to get everyone in their best positions. Obviously, we'll have Aaronson, LDLT, Musah, Myles, Arriola, Sargent, Acosta and others on the roster too. I think all of those guys have played their way onto a World Cup roster, (yes even Sargent who I still think is the most talented 9 we have, though he needs to show it and thus far hasn't). 

 

I worry about Pepi here... hopefully by the time the World Cup rolls around he won't have gone a full year without scoring for club or country. This current US squad doesn't have any 9s that have made a great case for themselves, so short of one of the (many!) options playing their way into form in the coming months, I feel like it's just as likely we'll see Reyna as forward and Musah as the first-choice 10, lacking any better ways to fit the puzzle together. But hopefully I'm wrong and Pepi/Sargent/Dike/Hoppe/really anyone get hot in the summer and the start of next season.

 

Also feel like Miles Robinson has really taken that other CB position over from Brooks at this point.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

 

[Rockstar Matt]

2 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

 

That's some bull :censored:. I just watched those highlights and the laser pointers are obvious and abundant. 

 

Also, CAF's qualifying is bull :censored: too. How are you going to have Ghana and Nigeria face each other, eliminating one of the African powerhouses, but you have Morocco and DR Congo facing each other guaranteeing a spot for one those nations? I know it was a random draw, but that qualifying method is abysmal 

[Rockstar Matt]

9 hours ago, Digby said:

 

I worry about Pepi here... hopefully by the time the World Cup rolls around he won't have gone a full year without scoring for club or country. This current US squad doesn't have any 9s that have made a great case for themselves, so short of one of the (many!) options playing their way into form in the coming months, I feel like it's just as likely we'll see Reyna as forward and Musah as the first-choice 10, lacking any better ways to fit the puzzle together. But hopefully I'm wrong and Pepi/Sargent/Dike/Hoppe/really anyone get hot in the summer and the start of next season.

 

Also feel like Miles Robinson has really taken that other CB position over from Brooks at this point.

I feel that too. Nobody has really taken the 9. It’s still up for grabs. Pepi is only there for me because he’s scored the most for the US. Hopefully somebody steps up and clearly wins that spot. I feel like it’s the weakest for the US right now. 
 

I’d hate to see Reyna at anything other than the 10. He’s legitimately one of the most talented teenagers in the world, and a consensus top 20 young talent in the world. That dude is going to be a Ballon d'Or candidate one day while playing the 10. A gross misuse of talent if we play him as a false 9.

 

Miles certainly isn’t bad at all and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him start for us in the World Cup but it would be a mistake to leave the best CB in the pool at home. Something has to be going on between Berhalter and Brooks to explain this weird distance Brooks has from the team. 
 

I just have to hope they’ll get past whatever personal issues they have with each other for the betterment of the team. Brooks is way too good to not even include on the roster. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Wow - no Chile, no Colombia. And no Egypt, no Italy.

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Two in ten minutes...

 

Surely they can do four more in 30... Right??

[Rockstar Matt]

39 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Two in ten minutes...

 

Surely they can do four more in 30... Right??

No sir. We are going back to the World Cup! 
 

Definitely have some thoughts on the game. The US could have won this game, but they lacked the energy and the clinical finishing in the final third…

 

But we’re back in the World Cup. That’s all that matters. 

[Kevin W.]

42 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

The US could have won this game, but they lacked the energy and the clinical finishing in the final third…

They were also playing against a world-class goalie in Navas.

[Seadragon76]

With 29 of the 32 spots set, it's time for focus on the World Cup draw on Friday. Here's how that'll work...

 

Each of the teams will be split into four pots based on the upcoming FIFA World Rankings, which are set to be released tomorrow (for this example, the current ranking is used). Each pot has eight teams, so they go like this:

 

Pot 1: Qatar, Belgium, Brazil, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal

Pot 2: Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, United States, Switzerland, Croatia, Uruguay

Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Canada

Pot 4: Tunisia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, UEFA Playoff Route A winner (Wales/Scotland/Ukraine), Intercontinental Playoff A winner (Peru vs. UAE/Australia winner), Intercontinental Playoff B winner (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)

[officeglenn]

11 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

With 29 of the 32 spots set, it's time for focus on the World Cup draw on Friday. Here's how that'll work...

 

Each of the teams will be split into four pots based on the upcoming FIFA World Rankings, which are set to be released tomorrow (for this example, the current ranking is used). Each pot has eight teams, so they go like this:

 

Pot 1: Qatar, Belgium, Brazil, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal

Pot 2: Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, United States, Switzerland, Croatia, Uruguay

Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Canada

Pot 4: Tunisia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, UEFA Playoff Route A winner (Wales/Scotland/Ukraine), Intercontinental Playoff A winner (Peru vs. UAE/Australia winner), Intercontinental Playoff B winner (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)

 

You sure about this? There was a lot of talk in Canada about we needed to beat Panama tonight to get into Pot 3, and that didn't happen. The current pots according to SI.com have Tunisia in Pot 3 and Canada in Pot 4.

 

[nickp91]

It's been 3,123 days

[Rockstar Matt]

53 minutes ago, officeglenn said:

 

You sure about this? There was a lot of talk in Canada about we needed to beat Panama tonight to get into Pot 3, and that didn't happen. The current pots according to SI.com have Tunisia in Pot 3 and Canada in Pot 4.

 

 He's using the current rankings which were last updated in Feb. 10th. In those, Canada is ranked ahead of Tunisia, but you're correct. Everyone has Canada in Pot 4 but we won't know for sure until tomorrow's rankings are released. 

[DEAD!]

I guess it is more like this

http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/4628652/world-cup-finals-draw-pots-and-seedings-confirmed-for-fridays-ceremony

[BrySmalls]

Relieved for the USMNT to be back in the World Cup. Wouldn't be surprised if we're paired with our nemesis, Ghana, in Group Play or meeting in the Round of 16. To be honest, Ghana is a great litmus test.

[Digby]

I don't like the new draw setup, although I guess it was used in 2018 and I didn't realize. Makes it hard to have a real Group of Death, while also screwing over teams like Canada whose play has outperformed. Should we prioritize the famously BS FIFA rankings or prioritize how the qualifiers literally played out?