OMG

3/24/2022 11:34:43 PM

Ugh. Missed two sitters and now will be missing Weah and Yedlin for Panama. Bello has Covid and word is that Shaq Moore is being called in. Not sure what Scally did to Gregg but anytime you can pass up a Bundesliga starter for a Ligue 2 bench player, you gotta do it.

What in the actual fuck were those subs by Gregg?

3/24/2022 11:58:52 PM

Costa Rica with a bitch move
https://twitter.com/MenInBlazers/status/1507189142949707776?t=Q3cLBLYVzSfKLriwVb5VrQ&s=19

3/25/2022 12:07:13 AM

Peak concacaf is right. Jesus Christ.

We needed Costa Rica to drop points there.

3/25/2022 12:16:38 AM

Jesus that’s terrible

What did any of the possible 3 officials seeing that action see that was yellow worthy

[Edited on March 25, 2022 at 12:26 AM. Reason : .]

3/25/2022 12:26:09 AM

While a draw is not the end of the world. Missing 2 sitters is unacceptable, Pefok's miss to me was more egregious than Pulisic's as his was just a tap in it looked like he was trying to be to cute and go far post.

Defending was good, but man all the US yellows were soft. And take into account Alvarez who was on a yellow had 2 second yellow card offenses that were unpunished. Chucky Lozano is a bitch constantly whining about cards. The Yedlin yellow is going to really hurt because Dest is out injured, Reggie Cannon who has deputized at that position has COVID and now Yedlin is out. Berhalter will probably have to go with a 3-4-3 against Panama.

Berhalter's subs made no sense. I understand freshening up attack but surely he knew Weah would miss Panama why not run him for 90 minutes, and take Pulisic off.

Peak CONCACAF in Can-CR match. Also this Ref working his 2nd Costa Rica game this year (he reffed their 0-0 draw with Mexico in January.

Regardless the result doesn't hurt magic number is 3 with Panama drawing. Win on Sunday and you will more than likely qualify with your at least +10 GD going into the CR game. Any other result and the CR game could be tricky and seeing what just happened there last night you know they will try it again.

3/25/2022 7:56:17 AM

Yeah, if you had told me we were getting a draw in Azteca before the game, I would have been happy with the result. But that game was there for the taking.

The bad:

- Pefok's miss was

This photo sums it up:



- Pulisic not really being effective AGAIN despite lighting up the champions league seems to be a symptom of the system rather than form. The reality is that Musah was our best playmaker in the middle tonight and that's not really his strong suit. Pulisic is not the type of wing that is gonna come back and win balls and start the build. He excels when he is arriving at the box with pace. I don't see any reason why Luca wouldn't get the start vs Panama over Acosta--and I didn't even think Acosta was bad last night.

- Yellows on Weah and Yedlin were brutal (don't get me started on yellow-worthy challenges from Mexico). Also, 2 yellows over 12 games for a suspension is retarded.

And this is why Gregg's depth callups around the edges matter (and have mattered for the last 3 windows). I was generally happy with the starting 11, but now due to injuries and covid we are about to start Shaq Moore in a must win WCQ against Panama. In what world is that ok given our talent and other options?

The good:

-Panama drawing against Honduras bodes well for us. Honduras has been flat out bad and I am not sure how that result happened.

- We still control our destiny. Beat Panama at home and we are in.

- Gio styling on the whole Mexican team was hilarious.




[Edited on March 25, 2022 at 9:14 AM. Reason : d]

3/25/2022 9:06:35 AM

yeah this Mexico team continues to not be very good. Honestly Tata's style doesn't favor the personnel he has.

Not sure why Berhalter wouldn't bring some added depth to RB, with Dest out you only bring in Yedlin, who was already on a yellow? This is where the Scally omission could and should cost Greg his job if we fail to qualify.

3/25/2022 10:29:58 AM

Hope we show up to play today.

Can’t wait to see what sort of lol worthy moment comes from concacaf officiating tonight

3/27/2022 1:30:38 PM

Quote :

"FS1 broadcast reveals a number of USMNT players, including Gio Reyna, caught a stomach bug after the 0-0 draw at Mexico. Reyna is available off the bench still."

3/27/2022 6:56:25 PM

Well damn!

3/27/2022 7:51:55 PM

Starting to think we're gonna pull this out

3/27/2022 8:19:42 PM

Hell yeah. I just hope the game doesn’t get too chippy and one of our players get hurt.

3/27/2022 8:20:40 PM

I was a little surprised Panama came at us so hard right out of the gate. I know they needed a win to stay in it, but it seems like a tactical error as our strength is in transition.

Even though Scally should have gotten the callup, Shaq Moore did well. Heck, Arriola even surprised a bit. It's a testament to our quality depth now that Berhalter isn't calling in half the MLS to camps.

Gio didn't score, but he is probably our most dangerous offensive player still. The combo of him and Pulisic will be something special going forward if they can stay healthy. And man what a third goal for Captain America. We still don't have a solid option at the 9 and it will be interesting who Gregg takes there to the WC but we still have the Nations League this summer to figure it out.

[Edited on March 28, 2022 at 9:30 AM. Reason : d]

3/28/2022 9:28:19 AM

Fuck yes!

3/28/2022 12:13:18 PM

A lot of positives from last night. I think it is no coincidence that this team looks better in transition with de la Torre is on the pitch.

Transition game was good last night and I think our speed will be a weapon against a CR team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain on Wednesday they will have to press, but their lack of pace may hurt them.

Happy none of our YC danger players picked one up and no one will be unavailable due to suspension. Hopefully the illness going through squad will work itself out. Obviously the only changes I would make to starting XI would be Yedlin for Moore and Weah for Arriola, otherwise roll this same lineup out again.

3/28/2022 12:49:48 PM

I wouldn't mind seeing what happens with Gio in a midfield role with DLT and Adams just to experiment. I think Gio distributing from the middle could be deadly. Bring in Musah or Acosta if it isn't working. I'm sure Gregg will probably roll with Musah, Acosta and Adams though since it is much more defensively minded.

3/28/2022 1:10:10 PM

Please don’t fuck this up LOL

3/30/2022 7:03:52 PM

And The fuckup begins

[Edited on March 30, 2022 at 10:14 PM. Reason : K]

3/30/2022 10:14:22 PM

^Side eye.gif

3/30/2022 10:17:44 PM

Team looks lots and frustrated.

3/30/2022 10:21:57 PM

Woot

3/30/2022 10:57:07 PM

Not sure why the team can’t play away. Stoked to go to the World Cup, but this game was . The way to beat us is to sit in on a low block. Doesn’t help that there are no home games in the World Cup.

A couple of thoughts from this qual campaign. 1) Pulisic should not be the set piece/corner taker. 2) A-Rob should not be a locked in starter. Too many defensive lapses and he has no consistency on the wing. Someone on twitter said it perfectly, he is like a super highly rated FIFA player controlled by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. 3) Musah should also not be a locked in starter. He is solid. That’s it. Defensively he isn’t going to make mistakes. But we can’t have two of our three midfielders at all times have no offensive creativity and be a complete non threat. I’d like to see Adams/Mckennie/Luca or Adams/Mckennie/Gio in the mid at the World Cup. 4) Shaq Moore should be higher on the depth chart than Yedlin. I’m not so sure Yedlin should even be on the squad much less the second option behind Dest. 5) Steffen was shaky af this window (especially this game). I hope he gets some club playing time over the next few months.

3/30/2022 11:12:30 PM

^Steffen isn't going to get enough playing time if he wants to stay in England or Europe he needs to push for a loan where he will be the first choice GK. I think Matt Turner is making same mistake going to Arsenal. He isn't going to get much time between sticks.

Our ST/CF options are way to inconsistent. Pepi had a hot streak early and it paid off in a transfer to the Bundesliga. Ferreira has decent hold up play but he really isn't a consistent goal scorer for the MNT. Pefok got maybe 25 minutes in these 3 qualifiers so Berhalter obviously doesn't trust him.

Jedi had a pretty bad game yesterday. CR figured out how to neutralize him and since a lot of our danger came from that side of pitch against Panama that was obviously their tactical plan last night.

3/31/2022 7:51:53 AM

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

3/31/2022 9:03:01 AM

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting he would start for City. He should push for a loan to somewhere he will get regular starts. It may be that Horvath has the most form going into the World Cup, but that doesn't seem to matter for Gregg.

I think Pefok is out for good this time. He was called in (probably reluctantly)because of his club goal track record. Berhalter likes to have that continual high pressure from his 9 and Pefok struggled to provide it against Mexico--Not to mention that ghastly miss.

Jedi had a weak window IMO. He gets beat with regularity on the side and luckily we have solid CBs and Adams who will shade over. He has incredible speed and ends up in space quite a bit, but for as often as he gets open looks, he rarely even has a service because his touch is unreliable--not that any of our 9s are ever there when he does get it in. I'm not saying we even have anyone who should start over him at the moment, but he has effectively been a locked-in starter throughout the qualifying campaign and all I am saying is I hope we try out some different options this summer to prep for the WC.

To me, aside from poor personnel decisions, this is the thing I get annoyed about the most about Gregg. We play defensively shaky wingbacks (and to cover for it, basically another forward CB with Adams) because he wants them up the field creating chances, but then outside of Dest, we just don't have the quality on the wings to take advantage of the numbers mismatch that strategy creates on the offensive end. In other words, it's trying to fit the players we have into his system rather than creating a system around the talent we have.

3/31/2022 9:28:50 AM

Drew England’s group not bad

4/1/2022 12:57:44 PM

Of course we get put in that group

4/1/2022 12:57:54 PM

Brazil is going to get Switzerland

4/1/2022 1:00:29 PM

Iran…not bad

4/1/2022 1:03:58 PM

Nice

4/1/2022 1:03:59 PM

Bye saudis

4/1/2022 1:14:25 PM

Good draw

4/1/2022 1:16:25 PM

Group F will be tough

Sucks we won't know our first opponent until June. Not sure how they are going to handle Ukraine.

4/1/2022 1:19:16 PM

fine with the group

England on Black Friday is pretty tasty

4/1/2022 1:23:40 PM

England
Iran
USA
Euro Playoff Winner (occurs in June)

4/1/2022 1:30:59 PM

Techincally I think Ukraine/Scotland and That winner/Wales was supposed to have been in this window. I only think the international playoffs were supposed to be in June. Is it confirmed that those matches will now take place in Qatar?

Just thinking the ratings for this group will be massive especially the Black Friday match between the US and England.

4/1/2022 1:43:45 PM

Love this group.

4/1/2022 4:24:18 PM

ATH said something yesterday on how the US doesn’t have to qualify next world cup since we are hosting it? Sounds like some bullshit to me

4/1/2022 5:05:31 PM

That's true. Host is automatic qualifier.

4/1/2022 8:37:27 PM

^^^^The ratings would be better, if it was on a summer weekend. There are a lot of football games on that day.

4/1/2022 10:38:33 PM

Steffan just made the type of mistake that haunts goalkeepers....

4/16/2022 10:51:48 AM

it was beautiful. but sucks for hi. wish it was last weekend lol

4/16/2022 11:13:02 AM

Yeah…having our #1 and 2 keepers riding the pine going into the World Cup ain’t great bob. I’d like to see steffen push for a loan to somewhere he can play—even if it’s the MLS. It’s hard to have form when you play once or twice a month.

4/16/2022 6:39:46 PM

Steffen is good enough to be a number 1 in the PL, FA Cup gaffe aside. But he is a mid to bottom half number 1. It reminds me of Tim Howard who was a backup at ManU and then he moved to Everton and had a good career. Surely Palace, Villa, or Southampton would take a chance on him

4/20/2022 7:58:19 AM

Quote :

"?? Sources tell CBS Sports that USMNT defender Miles Robinson will undergo surgery today. It is indeed a torn Achilles."

5/9/2022 10:46:55 AM

It's a big time bummer for miles. Although this may open the door to more Richards/Brooks or even some Cameron Carter Vickers--all of whom were better than Robinson IMO. It had seemed like Gregg had locked into the Zimmerman/Robinson combo.

5/9/2022 2:29:06 PM

He seemed pretty solid to me in our national team games. Sad to see him out.

5/9/2022 9:23:49 PM

It sucks thats 2 torn achilles for Atlanta for players in the last couple of games at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Will give Aaron Long, John Brooks, and Chris Richards a chance. Maybe even a Matt Miazga can jump start his career.

Probably means you can rule Atlanta and Charlotte out from hosting World Cup games in 4 years. As both use that turf field.

5/10/2022 9:16:09 AM

they still could host. they bring in dirt and put down sod depending. they did it in the Jets stadium,

5/20/2022 9:26:49 AM