OT: Association Football Thread III (All Soccer Talk Here!)

[nyrmetros]

Ready for the Gold Cup?

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Man this Italy team has to be the most excited I’ve been for any sports since the 2017 Yankees. Magical stuff

 

[nyr2k2]

Man this Italy team has to be the most excited I’ve been for any sports since the 2017 Yankees. Magical stuff

Forza Azzurri.

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

England!

 

[Brief Candle]

So while my parents met here, they’re both from Argentina. Saturday was so joyous. The last time they won I was 16. All I’m saying is the next year we won the cup, so fingers crossed that history repeats itself! Dale campeón!

 

[nyr2k2]

Hey f***ing huge props to our guys for winning the Gold Cup tonight.

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

Uno a cero

Suck it Mexico.

 

[romba]

Did US have any of their top starters play? Mexico had most of them in it seemed.

 

[East Coast Bias]

Did US have any of their top starters play? Mexico had most of them in it seemed.

no. The US was missing a lot of starters. This was a B/C squad.

 

[Fitzy]

no. The US was missing a lot of starters. This was a B/C squad.

B yeah.

Hoppe, Acosta, and Turner made pretty big pitches to be on the bench for the A squad this tournament though.

 

[sbjnyc]

Hey f***ing huge props to our guys for winning the Gold Cup tonight.

USA won 7 times in the last 16 tourneys. I kind of feel like a Pats fan now.

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

B yeah.

Hoppe, Acosta, and Turner made pretty big pitches to be on the bench for the A squad this tournament though.

Zardes as well. Don't really have s target striker like him elsewhere.

 

[I Eat Crow]

B yeah.

Hoppe, Acosta, and Turner made pretty big pitches to be on the bench for the A squad this tournament though.

Acosta should be starting over that bum Bradley any day of the week. He was absolutely incredible last night and had a good overall tournament.

 

[nyr2k2]

Did US have any of their top starters play? Mexico had most of them in it seemed.

Zardes is probably the most prominent guy that was on the pitch in terms of USMNT caps. Arriola has gotten good reps for the team as well. Lletget and Acosta. It's not their "big guns" by any stretch, though. They were missing the guys like Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, Brooks, Sargent, Weah, Reyna, etc. Most of younger stars and their older, established rocks. Basically some regulars but also mainly guys far down the depth charts.

It would be like if we won a game with Kreider, Strome, Rooney, Lindgren, Georgiev and literally the rest AHL players.

 

[Fitzy]

Pulisic-???-Reyna

McKennie-Adams-Acosta

Robinson-Brooks-???-Dest


So yeah the big questions for World Cup qualifying and then the cup itself is who plays center forward, and how does the US fit a unique attacking talent like Dest into the lineup without him being a defensive trainwreck.

Sargent, Altidore, Zardes fight for center forward. Zimmerman, Miazga, Ream compete to partner with Brooks until Long is healthy.

Weah, Hoppe, Yedlin speed options off the bench.

 

[romba]

It would be like if we won a game with Kreider, Strome, Rooney, Lindgren, Georgiev and literally the rest AHL players.

You speak my language, thanks!

 

[I Eat Crow]

Pulisic-???-Reyna

McKennie-Adams-Acosta

Robinson-Brooks-???-Dest


So yeah the big questions for World Cup qualifying and then the cup itself is who plays center forward, and how does the US fit a unique attacking talent like Dest into the lineup without him being a defensive trainwreck.

Sargent, Altidore, Zardes fight for center forward. Zimmerman, Miazga, Ream compete to partner with Brooks until Long is healthy.

Weah, Hoppe, Yedlin speed options off the bench.

I know it may not be popular, but based on the personnel now, a 3-4-3 would work best. It's a very hard formation to play well and effectively on the defensive end though. For fun, I'd go:

Pulisic-Sargent-Arreola

Reyna
McKennie Dest (drifts right)
Adams

Robinson-Brooks- Zimmerman

 

[Fitzy]

I know it may not be popular, but based on the personnel now, a 3-4-3 would work best. It's a very hard formation to play well and effectively on the defensive end though. For fun, I'd go:

Pulisic-Sargent-Arreola

Reyna
McKennie Dest (drifts right)
Adams

Robinson-Brooks- Zimmerman

Maybe. Trick is most of the skill of this group is in the attacking wings and the central midfielders, which I think lends to a 4-3-3.

I think Pulisic-Reyna on the wings will be the US's Ribery-Robben for the next decade.

 

[nyr2k2]

Pulisic-???-Reyna

McKennie-Adams-Acosta

Robinson-Brooks-???-Dest


So yeah the big questions for World Cup qualifying and then the cup itself is who plays center forward, and how does the US fit a unique attacking talent like Dest into the lineup without him being a defensive trainwreck.

Sargent, Altidore, Zardes fight for center forward. Zimmerman, Miazga, Ream compete to partner with Brooks until Long is healthy.

Weah, Hoppe, Yedlin speed options off the bench.

You know who was a revelation for me was Shaq Moore. I really like his work rate and skill. Of course if you're already trying to figure out how to plug in Dest on that back line, there's no room for Moore. I like him as a deputy for someone on that back line, though. I don't know how he'd hold up in a more central role, though.

 

[Synergy27]

And as #10 comes on the pitch for perhaps his final time with Tottenham, the Spurs away supporters greet him with:

Harry Kane is looking for gold.

Classic.

 

[CasusBelli]

Cue Liquidator …

clap, clap, clap, clap … CHELSEA!

 

[Machinehead]

Wigan Athletic send 'Keith the duck' off in style

 

[Fitzy]

USMNT roster for world cup qualifying looks tailor made for a 4-3-3 formation.

Kind of disappointed Hoppe didn't make the team, but that's my only critique.

If Sargent has a rough start I wouldn't be surprised to see a false 9 like Weah in the center of the front 3.

Pulisic-Sargent-Reyna

McKennie-LLeget
Adams

Cannon-Brooks-Zimmerman-Dest

Still don't love Dest at right back, but the glut of wingers kind of makes it necessary.

 

[nyrmetros]

USA WCQ tonight!

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

God I hate the sept international break. It’s like the Rangers October “bye week”. Such a tease.