OT: Gooooooal!! The Association Football Thread #124 - USMNT, PL, MLS, etc.

[Basement Cat]

The Red Bulls have serious potential to win some silverware this season. It might not be the ever elusive MLS Cup, but with the depth that this roster has, I make them an Open Cup favorite. No team is getting even half as much out of their reserve squad. No team is able to just flat out play their game the same way 100% of the time whether it's at home or on the road.
The biggest concern is still that a team can bunker on them and take advantage if their shooting boots are not on (see the Chivas home leg).

 

[Zippy316]

The Red Bulls have serious potential to win some silverware this season. It might not be the ever elusive MLS Cup, but with the depth that this roster has, I make them an Open Cup favorite. No team is getting even half as much out of their reserve squad. No team is able to just flat out play their game the same way 100% of the time whether it's at home or on the road.
The biggest concern is still that a team can bunker on them and take advantage if their shooting boots are not on (see the Chivas home leg).

I'm tempering my expectations, but this is easily the best team from forwards to defense they've had in a long time.

Only thing that worries me is the lack of reliable depth behind the starting back four. If Lawrence - Parker - Long - Murillo stay healthy, Red Bulls should do a lot of damage this year.

 

[New Jersey]

Anfield was beautiful.

The atmosphere, the football, everything.

It was everything I thought it would be and more, and seeing Salah collect his Golden Boot in person... Still buzzing.

Ireland has been quite nice, too. Doing all the tourist things.

 

[njdevil26]

I'm tempering my expectations, but this is easily the best team from forwards to defense they've had in a long time.

Only thing that worries me is the lack of reliable depth behind the starting back four. If Lawrence - Parker - Long - Murillo stay healthy, Red Bulls should do a lot of damage this year.

Yeah I also worry about the depth. It will be interesting to see how they cope with Murillo being at the World Cup. BWP looks like he's having his best year here which says a lot. Even though he scored 27 goals that year he and Henry tore up the league, he looks even better now because he's racking up assists as well. Kaku is the difference maker this team has needed. Valot is a revelation... Royer is just heating up... and Tim Parker is a freaking beast. Man I am excited about this team.

 

[Devils731]

Yeah I also worry about the depth. It will be interesting to see how they cope with Murillo being at the World Cup. BWP looks like he's having his best year here which says a lot. Even though he scored 27 goals that year he and Henry tore up the league, he looks even better now because he's racking up assists as well. Kaku is the difference maker this team has needed. Valot is a revelation... Royer is just heating up... and Tim Parker is a freaking beast. Man I am excited about this team.

A guy I know who is with the Red Bull’s every day told me, before the season started, that BWP was in the best shape they had ever seen him. Certainly looks true with the on field performance.

 

[njdevil26]

A guy I know who is with the Red Bull’s every day told me, before the season started, that BWP was in the best shape they had ever seen him. Certainly looks true with the on field performance.

Agreed. You can tell just by watching him.... And man.... trading Kljestan was addition by subtraction.

 

[Zippy316]

Agreed. You can tell just by watching him.... And man.... trading Kljestan was addition by subtraction.

Getting rid of both Kljestan and Felipe were smart moves. It still is mind boggling to me that they moved Dax first and kept Felipe. Dax actually fit with the way the Red Bulls wanted to play.

World Cup should be interesting losing both Escobar and Murillo. Any idea of the timeframe of when Allen Yanes joins the team to when Murillo has to leave? How long do they have to get him accustomed to the team before they're going to need him?

Duncan getting hurt sucks here. He looked like he would be a solid replacement for Murillo. Lade is probably going to be tasked with that job temporarily which sucks cause he seems to get exposed often.

 

[Basement Cat]

I think that for the month or so that Murillo is gone, we will see a lot of 3 man back line with Adams and Muyl taking turns at the wide right spot.
Then if we go with a traditional back 4, we'll see Lade get his shot - most likely in the home games.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Seems like it always rains when NYCFC plays a home game.

May explain their poor attendance

 

[sabremike]

Seems like it always rains when NYCFC plays a home game.

May explain their poor attendance

Nah, it's all the traffic on the Thruway from Westchester and Fairfield County that makes it tough for their fanbase to get to the games #914United

 

[Zippy316]

What a ridiculous game, I think that anything that could’ve possibly happened in that Red Bull’s game did.

And what a win.

 

[sabremike]

Motherf*** artificial turf in soccer. Thank God it sounds like Taxi is OK.

 

[njdevil26]

It just showed the double standard this league has. Don Garber states that to enter the league you need a soccer specific stadium.... but NYCFC and ATL show up with money and Garber throws the rules out the window. The turf is ridiculous and causes injuries. All MLS and US Soccer sees is $$$ which is why the women are treated like crap and forced to play on turf.

Thankfully Kemar seems okay... I wouldn't count on him playing on Saturday though. It will be pretty scary with Lawrence and Robles hurt and Murillo at the World Cup... also we need to pray to the soccer gods that Adams isn't seriously hurt.

Overall: WHAT A WIN. That was unbelievable. I had said that a draw would be a major victory and they went down there and got all three points. This team is seriously special. Best winning percentage in the league. If they win their games in hand they are top of the league table. Crazy.

 

[Basement Cat]

Kaku is an absurdly perfect #10 for this team. If we get Pusetto or another good winger and stay healthy, we are the Cup favorites.

 

[Zippy316]

Kaku is an absurdly perfect #10 for this team. If we get Pusetto or another good winger and stay healthy, we are the Cup favorites.

There isn't really much this team needs besides outside back depth. Yanes should help here as Lade looks brutal out there.

I'd rather give Etienne a shot at wing before splashing on a winger. Hate to see Adams get injured, but maybe even a brief injury could be the chance Etienne needs to carve out a spot on the wing.

 

[New Jersey]

I am sick to my f***ing stomach over Saturday.

Liverpool have an opportunity to return to past glories and cement the legend of Klopp among Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Kenny, and Rafa. It's right in front of them, and they can do it against the most successful club of all time.

They CAN beat Real Madrid. I believe in this side. They are genuinely good and play Klopp's heavy metal football well enough to sock Real right in the mouth if they start hot. They need to force Real to struggle with their intensity to pull this out.

Anything is possible.

 

[New Jersey]

up the f***ing reds

 

[OmNomNom]

up the ****ing reds

Teehee Bale is now an everton legend

But real talk, sucks your team lost. I hate admitting how good Liverpool is but hopefully they continue their success. Klopp is a fantastic manager and the results this year will only draw bigger talent

 

[New Jersey]

Teehee Bale is now an everton legend

But real talk, sucks your team lost. I hate admitting how good Liverpool is but hopefully they continue their success. Klopp is a fantastic manager and the results this year will only draw bigger talent

i know you talk real rn, but lol at evertonians taking solace in liverpool’s failures on a stage bigger than the blues will find themselves back on any time soon.

i’m f***ing devastated.

 

[New Jersey]

liverpool have given me reason to dream, and to see it coming crashing down yet again brought me back to reality.

i love you, liverpool. hopefully this is only the beginning of the new era of destiny reds the world over have been dreaming of.

 

[OmNomNom]

i know you talk real rn, but lol at evertonians taking solace in liverpool’s failures on a stage bigger than the blues will find themselves back on any time soon.

i’m ****ing devastated.

Lol it's not even close, all our fans know you're a bigger club, and we can only aspire to reach that level. Hopefully in my lifetime though.

I hope Salah sticks around for a while. That guy is really next level.

Opinions on your keeper karius? You prob wanted to kill him on the benzema goal

 

[sabremike]

The only highlight of an awful performance tonight at RBA was one of the all time horrible penalty attempts by Sapong. This was even worse than the Sasha one vs Montreal in the playoffs. Basically tonight Meara stole us a point we really didn't deserve. It blows my mind that some other team hasn't made us a solid offer for him because he could walk in and start for like 90% of the teams in this league. Also great to see the 30 or so Sons of Ben (who I always take glee in reminding them was a loyalist) make the trip. Yeah, they pretty much all gave up.

 

[New Jersey]

Opinions on your keeper karius? You prob wanted to kill him on the benzema goal

he essentially pissed away all the good will and faith he conjured up since the calendar turned to 2018 on that goal.

not good enough. we need to acquire a new #1 asap.

we can go on a run in the champions league again next year but for any team not named real madrid it’s hard as f*** to get to the final consecutive years. i have the same feeling of “holy f*** when are we gonna get back here?” i had after the 2012 stanley cup final right now. that’s why i’m gutted.

 

[njdevsfn95]

Karius' howlers were after Ramos elbowed him in the head.

 

[New Jersey]

i can sit here and scream in all caps about how sergio ramos is a f***ing cheat and a fraud but it won’t be productive.

he has his silverware so clearly i’m backing the wrong proverbial horse.