Qatar 2022 World Cup Discussion

[Cujo]

1 hour ago, nickp91 said:

I still have to turn off FOX because of Alexi Lalas

 

Non-Spanish speaking American here -- and I'll only watch the World Cup Telemundo (previously Univision). I'm not alone on this, am I?

[Kevin W.]

1 hour ago, Cujo said:

 

Non-Spanish speaking American here -- and I'll only watch the World Cup Telemundo (previously Univision). I'm not alone on this, am I?

Lalas isn't the problem during the games. If you don't watch the pregame, halftime or postgame shows, you don't have to listen to him. He's easy enough to avoid.

 

Stu Holden is the bigger problem.

[Rockstar Matt]

6 hours ago, Digby said:

 

Candidly, I've been lukewarm on Berhalter previously, but I think he's done well gameplanning this World Cup and I am failing to see the obvious egregious mistake he's made at all in the World Cup. They gave up zero goals from open play with a goalkeeper who was (gasp) MLS until 5 months ago and (double gasp) went to noted global football powerhouse Fairfield U. Three games against stout opposition, zero losses, the only goal was a penalty kick off an individual dumb decision. 

 

I think Berhalter has done an outstanding job with his starting lineup choices, the team's overall defense and general first half play in all 3 games. In the first half of every game, the US has looked tactically sound and confident. He's gotten that 100% right. Against England, I thought Gregg out coached Southgate and the US was a bit unlucky to not walk away with a win. Our defense has been remarkable for pretty much all 3 games, save for one mistake against Wales. Have to give Gregg a ton of props there. 

 

For me, Berhalter's subs have been atrocious and his ability to make in game adjustments to the other teams adjustments have been abysmal (which is, quite unbelievably, the reverse of what we saw from him in WCQ). Aside from the England game where he brought on the right subs, his substitutions and the timing of those substitutions have, or nearly, cost us the game against both Wales and Iran. Today, his hand was forced with some of the subs because of Pulisic and Sargent injuries, but what has Haji Wright or Shaq Moore shown so far in these 3 games to deserve more playing time especially with Reyna and Scally on the bench?

 

I felt like today was a repeat of sorts of the first game with Wales, except the US went into a more defensive shape to preserve the win and Iran still had a great chance to tie it up. This game should have been over early in the 2nd half, but with the changes Gregg made to go defensive nearly cost us. We had Iran on the ropes, just like we did with Wales. Had Iran scored, the US had essentially no ability to go back on the offensive and get another goal. That won't work against the Netherlands. I still hate that despite having talented attacking players who are fully capable of playing some fun and aggressive attacking football, our offense is really stagnant and too reliant on overlapping runs from our fullbacks/wingers and sending in crosses to the box. I feel it's a misuse of talent. We've scored just 2 goals. 

 

This team could be more dangerous and borderline or top 10 in the world, but we're held back by a coach with poor offensive tactics.

 

And I feel the need to go on record, I don't hate the MLS (LAFC is literally my favorite club) or MLS players on the NT, but what I don't like is playing MLS players who are clearly inferior to others on the roster.  I think more than half of our European guys, and particularly the majority of the players we consider our star young players, were developed in the MLS either through their academies or playing their way onto the first team. I just don't like playing players like Jordan Morris, Shaq Moore or Yedlin over vastly more talented players.

[MJWalker45]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11481261/World-Cup-FIFA-launch-probe-Croatian-fans-Canada-goalkeeper-subject-abusive-banners.html

Croatians making fun of a guy that had to leave the country during a civil war, when he was a kid.  they also leaked his phone number so he got even more abuse there as well. 

15 hours ago, Cujo said:

 

Non-Spanish speaking American here -- and I'll only watch the World Cup Telemundo (previously Univision). I'm not alone on this, am I?

Fortunately I speak Spanish. Unfortunately I tend to zone in and out of commentary so I'll miss snippets of information but I can still understand what the commentator is saying. 

14 hours ago, Kevin W. said:

Lalas isn't the problem during the games. If you don't watch the pregame, halftime or postgame shows, you don't have to listen to him. He's easy enough to avoid.

 

Stu Holden is the bigger problem.

I don't normally have issues with Stu Holden, but he does sometimes come down on the opposite side of what I think some calls should be. Alexi is just annoying. Carli Lloyd, I don't think she's really provided anything this tournament and that's bad news if Fox is leaning on her in the 2023 World Cup studio. 

9 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

I felt like today was a repeat of sorts of the first game with Wales, except the US went into a more defensive shape to preserve the win and Iran still had a great chance to tie it up. This game should have been over early in the 2nd half, but with the changes Gregg made to go defensive nearly cost us. We had Iran on the ropes, just like we did with Wales. Had Iran scored, the US had essentially no ability to go back on the offensive and get another goal. That won't work against the Netherlands. I still hate that despite having talented attacking players who are fully capable of playing some fun and aggressive attacking football, our offense is really stagnant and too reliant on overlapping runs from our fullbacks/wingers and sending in crosses to the box. I feel it's a misuse of talent. We've scored just 2 goals. 

 

This team could be more dangerous and borderline or top 10 in the world, but we're held back by a coach with poor offensive tactics.

 

And I feel the need to go on record, I don't hate the MLS (LAFC is literally my favorite club) or MLS players on the NT, but what I don't like is playing MLS players who are clearly inferior to others on the roster.  I think more than half of our European guys, and particularly the majority of the players we consider our star young players, were developed in the MLS either through their academies or playing their way onto the first team. I just don't like playing players like Jordan Morris, Shaq Moore or Yedlin over vastly more talented players.

I think yesterday, Weah whiffing on a couple close chances had more to do with the weak offensive output than Berhalter's tactics. but in that last bit of the game, if you can't go right down the middle, spread to the sides instead of just passing the ball up field so Iran can bring it back the other way. That's on the players as well. 

 

In reference to Yedlin and Shaq Moore, I agree. Moore was lost and the only reason he was in was to keep Dest from getting a yellow card or injured. Someone else could have done that job better. 

[TrueYankee26]

 

[Digby]

12 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

I felt like today was a repeat of sorts of the first game with Wales, except the US went into a more defensive shape to preserve the win and Iran still had a great chance to tie it up. This game should have been over early in the 2nd half, but with the changes Gregg made to go defensive nearly cost us. We had Iran on the ropes, just like we did with Wales. Had Iran scored, the US had essentially no ability to go back on the offensive and get another goal. That won't work against the Netherlands. I still hate that despite having talented attacking players who are fully capable of playing some fun and aggressive attacking football, our offense is really stagnant and too reliant on overlapping runs from our fullbacks/wingers and sending in crosses to the box. I feel it's a misuse of talent. We've scored just 2 goals. 

 

This team could be more dangerous and borderline or top 10 in the world, but we're held back by a coach with poor offensive tactics.

 

I guess I just question how much we can ultimately lay at Berhalter's feet and whether that really outweighs the positives. I definitely feel like they're too quick to bunker to preserve a one-goal lead, and I'd like to see Gio (though I can understand why he hasn't had his moment yet). But, I also think these are easy things to armchair quarterback, we're hamstrung by our top players having duplicative skillsets, and there's no obvious roster snub on the level of Donovan 2014. 

 

There is this thread of USMNT fandom I'm seeing -- not on this board, but elsewhere on social media -- that Gregg is a total fraud and holding the team back and there's some obvious answer waiting in the wings. I think he's been imperfect but also don't see some obvious solution waiting in the wings, or feel like these guys have underperformed outside of a few WCQ clunkers that are now old news. And I can't really argue the results... two Concacaf trophies and getting out of a tough WC group with a historically strong defense.

[MJWalker45]

41 minutes ago, Digby said:

There is this thread of USMNT fandom I'm seeing -- not on this board, but elsewhere on social media -- that Gregg is a total fraud and holding the team back and there's some obvious answer waiting in the wings. I think he's been imperfect but also don't see some obvious solution waiting in the wings, or feel like these guys have underperformed outside of a few WCQ clunkers that are now old news. And I can't really argue the results... two Concacaf trophies and getting out of a tough WC group with a historically strong defense.

It's pretty sad to see these guys too. They're all over Twitter the minute any game ends and are posting #Berhalterout and all sorts of other nonsense. These are probably the same guys that wanted Arena to still run the team even after he blew it at Trinidad and Tobago, or the guys that suggest Jose Mourinho to come in and run the team. 

[MJWalker45]

Argentina gets BS penalty because Messi flopped after Szczesny tries to paw the ball away. Glad it was saved, because that was even softer than Ronaldo's PK earlier in the tournament. 

[Digby]

16 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

It's pretty sad to see these guys too. They're all over Twitter the minute any game ends and are posting #Berhalterout and all sorts of other nonsense. These are probably the same guys that wanted Arena to still run the team even after he blew it at Trinidad and Tobago, or the guys that suggest Jose Mourinho to come in and run the team. 

 

My guess is a lot of overlap with the people who were convinced Klinsmann had a plan that he just wasn't allowed to execute. Dark times.

[MJWalker45]

2 minutes ago, Digby said:

 

My guess is a lot of overlap with the people who were convinced Klinsmann had a plan that he just wasn't allowed to execute. Dark times.

Apparently his plan was to piss off Queiroz this tournament. And apparently it worked, even if what he said was BS that can be applied to pretty much every Concacaf team. 

[TrueYankee26]

Szczesny putting Poland on his back.

 

Update: Argentina finally get one as well as fellow Latin Americans Mexico

 

Update: GOLAZO MEXICO! 2-1! What a strike by Chavez

[MJWalker45]

22 minutes ago, TrueYankee26 said:

Szczesny putting Poland on his back.

 

Update: Argentina finally get one as well as fellow Latin Americans Mexico

 

Update: GOLAZO MEXICO! 2-1! What a strike by Chavez

One more goal by Mexico and things get interesting. Currently Poland ahead by one goal. 

[TrueYankee26]

40 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

One more goal by Mexico and things get interesting. Currently Poland ahead by one goal. 

Saudi score. Adiós Mexico.

[MJWalker45]

3 minutes ago, TrueYankee26 said:

Saudi score. Adiós Mexico.

The only way that could have hurt Mexico anymore was if Argentina had scored that third goal.  Tata is going to get so much heat for not playing this type of game vs Argentina, and he deserves it.  I think if they brought in Vela and Chicharito, they could have done more. The other veterans that they ran with, other than Ochoa, brought nothing. If you're turning to Raul Jimenez to get you out of danger, you're too far behind the eight ball. 

[Digby]

Only upsetting thing was that the KSA goal at the end technically means the advancement wasn't determined by yellow cards. Would've taken great joy in that.

[PrimalCookie]

Look on the bright side, Mexico - you finally broke the round of 16 streak going back to 1994!

 

As for the US, that means if we get past the Dutch we'll play the winner of Argentina-Australia.

[Kramerica Industries]

On 11/29/2022 at 4:11 PM, Rockstar Matt said:

Don’t understand going into a 5-3-2 there at the end, but it worked. 

 

There's a mathematical problem here where so many managers think "sub off a forward for an extra defender, fortify the line" where this seems like such an obvious solution and it absolutely doesn't work out nearly as smoothly as you'd like, at least, not unless you have a team that's well-versed in playing with both 2CB and 3CB formations, both in general and also in situational soccer.

 

When you add an extra defender on that backline, that's now one extra player who needs to be in sync when trying to hold the line for offside. It's two more legs in the penalty box that can be at risk of giving away a penalty if you get a tackle wrong. It enables the other team to push an extra CB into the play to help provide outlets and support options because you don't pose as much of a threat on a quick counter and, related to that last one, you're making it harder to relieve pressure and present the risk of being able to break a counter attack with numbers. 

 

When he was managing Inter, I used to see Antonio Conte make these kinds of decisions all the time. Slightly different because 3CB is Conte's standard formation, but he would make moves in the name of "defensive fortification". I guess it worked out well enough in the 2020-'21 season, but Inter squandered lead after lead in '19-'20 and it's almost certainly cost them the Scudetto that season. Seeing that kind of managing in general just gives me the wrong kinds of flashbacks and reminds me of the countless times swearing at my TV or computer after the at-times inevitable backfire.

Edited December 1, 2022 by Kramerica Industries
removed some unnecessary, maybe even inflammatory context

[TrueYankee26]

3 hours ago, Magic Dynasty said:

Look on the bright side, Mexico - you finally broke the round of 16 streak going back to 1994!

 

As for the US, that means if we get past the Dutch we'll play the winner of Argentina-Australia.

US and Australia possibly facing each other  

 

The "It's Called Soccer" chants would be deafening

[MJWalker45]

Belgium possibly crashing out if they can't find a goal in the next four minutes. And did anyone pick Morocco to win the group? 

 

UPDATE: Good bye!

[GrayJ12]

Morocco, who only made the knockout stage in 1986, is advancing to the Round of 16. What a shocker...in other news, 61st ranked Ghana could become the lowest ranked team since Senegal in 2002 to advance to the knockout round if they have a good contest against Uruguay tomorrow.