2026 World Cup - USA team thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Something to consider…the margins get razor thin when you reach this point. I’ve read a few mention that we’ve gone backwards in the past 20 years since our 2002 team made the quarters…that team doesn’t get the break of South Korea scoring late against Portugal and we go home in the group stage. Would that have made the 02 team that much worse (obviously all would feel differently about them, even though we had zero control over that aspect)?
Senegal holds a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute and we’re playing them tonight. Suddenly, Belgium is a huge disappointment and we’ve got a very manageable game.
Senegal holds a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute and we’re playing them tonight. Suddenly, Belgium is a huge disappointment and we’ve got a very manageable game.
We made them look so much better than they are.
The dude who scored their first two goals looks to be 150 pounds and has never seen a free weight. Yet he is a soccer player with instincts, savviness and ball skills that our players don't have.
This game is a huge setback. At least look remotely competitive but instead it was a dumpster fire out there. Weak, weak effort and poor coaching to have them so ill prepared both mentally and physically.
Soccer purists, loyal fans whatever want us to get behind the USMNT? Well freaking show up and show some heart and grit in these biggest matches against top 15 teams. Don't fold like a cheap tent in the biggest moments.
All in all it was a fun ride and the team put forth a good/excellent effort up to this game. However, our overall progress on the global soccer stage is painfully slow, disjointed and inconsistent. This game showed me we are not close to the top global teams and I don't know how we will ever get to a point where we even can crack the quarterfinals in the WC.
Yep tell it the way it is. Totally not ready to play and compete. Scared, timid, no confidence to make a play. Pulisic needs to be called out. Unacceptable effort and performance by a supposed elite player and supposed super star.
13 of 26 play in the big 5 leagues in Europe.
One should hope most of the players she mentions get surpassed by players that are not yet part of the discussion. Luna will be 27 and Tgar maintains that the team needs a pit bull to complement the country club style they so prefer.
That team looked overwhelmed without a clue as to how to fight back until late in the game.
The U.S. looked timid all night. They looked like sh|t. Terrible way to end it.
If we broaden it out to guys who are in the player pool for the USMNT, we have about 21 playing in the top-5 leagues of Europe. There are additional guys I did not count who are technically eligible for the U.S. but not committed to the U.S., or are coming up through the ranks at top-5 league clubs.
I thought the US defense was shaky at the end of the Australia match but AU couldn't take advantage. Belgium almost scored in the first minute and the US defense was shaky the entire match with the game Belgium played.
The first and third had a very similar theme (and get to me)...when the ball is in a danger area, do whatever is needed to get it out. They score that first one because we have multiple guys lay out for it and something fluky happens, and we can live with it. But inexcusable to be caught flat footed looking for another guy to make the play and all stand around. And the third one, Freese needs to just make the easy play and boot it 50 yards.
On that first goal, what should Freeman have done? Head it out and concede the corner? Or just head it to the sideline?
The Pulisic commercials for the rest of the WC are going to be extra cringy now. They were always bad when his name was thrown around with real legends like Ronaldinho to appeal to the domestic audience, but it’s just going to be more embarrassing.
He was a timid turnover machine last night.
He was a timid turnover machine last night.
I don't fault Freeman at all on that one...he deflected the ball, didn't have a lot of time, and heading it into a group of US players. One of them makes the easy play there and we're not talking about it today.