Is Balogun even playing?
Belgium certainly looks to be on a different level. Better energy. Better balls. Playing loose. Almost like something happened that galvanized their entire team.
2026 World Cup
- Thread starter Chamtrain
- Start date
Belgium certainly looks to be on a different level. Better energy. Better balls. Playing loose. Almost like something happened that galvanized their entire team.
This game is a reality check for a lot of bandwagon American soccer fans.
the Belgian keeper plays for Real Madrid and the American keeper plays for an 8th place MLS team.
Tonight was like watching UNC football. Sleeping giant that was never actually alive in the first place.
Such a bad note to go out on. I am glad we got to the elimination round but truly never felt the hype for this team. Hopefully we build on group stage success for next WC, but imho gotta continue to get more US players into high level leagues like EPL, La Liga, etc.
Last edited:
. They can’t use a slow motion replay to give a red card. They’ve made the right decision.
Had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome. Team USA was outclassed. A failure of both execution and coaching.
Really surprised at how soft we looked on defense. Just *looked* like we lacked intensity and some dumb mistakes.
Yup, the tentativeness and passivity we displayed are a failure of coaching. The coach has to know how to motivate and psychologically prepare players for the game, and to take the pulse of his team.
This guy's English is poor, it's hard to understand him, and as such he lacks the complex vocabulary and communication skills needed to properly motivate.
Hopefully he'll be gone shortly.
Karma for what? The USMNT had nothing to do with FIFA’s decision. That was all FIFA process ugliness and politics. The team itself deserved our support and played with class throughout the tourney. And we’ve hosted the tourney with class also. Just outmatched tonight, compounded by awful mistakes.
I thought we played scared, gave too much space defensively as if we were afraid of them off the dribble. Almost no ball pressure...and then when we'd gain possession we immediately turned it over. Freese's gaffe was the backbreaker, I thought we came out strong in the second half and that just sucked the life out of us.
All time stinkers from Pulisic and Dest. Liked what I saw from Reyna and Berhalter. Hard to believe a country with such a strong lineage of top tier keepers can't find someone better but here we are. Put Tim Howard in net and that was a game.
I know the U21 and U19 teams have had some promising international results, hope there is some high end talent there because this golden generation ain't it.
All time stinkers from Pulisic and Dest. Liked what I saw from Reyna and Berhalter. Hard to believe a country with such a strong lineage of top tier keepers can't find someone better but here we are. Put Tim Howard in net and that was a game.
I know the U21 and U19 teams have had some promising international results, hope there is some high end talent there because this golden generation ain't it.
You don’t think a politician sticking his beak in and pressuring FIFA to make an unprecedented change, completely changing the dynamic of the team and game plan for Belgium provided some extra motivation?
I agree that Belgium is a better program than us soccer but you could tell when the Belgium players were doing the jerking two dudes off trump dance at the end it certainly was on their minds
If the team was actually as good as they were hyped up to be, things wouldn't have resulted in the nonsense we saw last night. The president had nothing to do with any of it other than media and social media nonsense. FIFA was gonna do what FIFA does regardless and this team was always mentally fragile at best. Trump blowing smoke up his own rear end had nothing to do with the team looking last night exactly like they've looked for the last 10 years. It's all nonsense.
I agree the FIFA disciplinary committee was going to do whatever they wanted. What’s the president gonna do if they didn’t overturn the red card suspension? Rant on Truth? He already does that and both he and FIFA are already hated everywhere as is.
They could have just as easily arrived at their decision because they knew how bad it would make the president look.
And FIFA gets away with whatever it wants by leaning on football being the world’s favorite sport. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right? Far be it for anyone to suggest what might make people want to watch it even more.
They could have just as easily arrived at their decision because they knew how bad it would make the president look.
And FIFA gets away with whatever it wants by leaning on football being the world’s favorite sport. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right? Far be it for anyone to suggest what might make people want to watch it even more.
Trump pressured FIFA to make an unprecedented change to allow a player to play on a red card. That literally never happens. Maybe the fifa chair is in the files, wouldn’t surprise me.
Belgium is a better team than the usa, and they certainly used this fiasco as bulletin board material and it was obvious last night.
again, USA is not ready for big boy footy.
Belgium is a better team than the usa, and they certainly used this fiasco as bulletin board material and it was obvious last night.
again, USA is not ready for big boy footy.
This was a fun USMNT team to cheer for, and I hate that it produced the same old results in the same old round.
Pulisic is a brilliant and creative player when not injured, but he just can't seem to stay healthy. I don't think it's just my Tar Heel bias, but Berhalter will have extremely high upside in years to come. Need more depth in goal.
Pulisic is a brilliant and creative player when not injured, but he just can't seem to stay healthy. I don't think it's just my Tar Heel bias, but Berhalter will have extremely high upside in years to come. Need more depth in goal.
WTF? Trash? This USA team is pretty damn good but they aren’t top 10 in the world elite. Belgium was by far the best opponent they have played all World Cup. It was going to be tough sledding to somehow beat Belgium. We didn’t play great but in now way is this version of the USMNT not a really good team. They just aren’t elite.
Even crappy us teams have had legit keepers. Freese wasn’t good enough this year. I have no idea what they have in development but I hope they have someone better in the next WC. Freese is only 27 but he won’t get any better playing in MLS.
The GOAT did GOAT things yesterday late in the Argentina / Egypt match.
39 years old and still doing what he is does. That guy is an alien.
39 years old and still doing what he is does. That guy is an alien.
Lamine Yamal is impressive. Tough break for Belgium losing their goalie and the backup letting in a bit of a soft goal.
It did feel like a bit of karma for Belgium though. Don’t mock the leader of the country hosting you when you win, no matter how mockable he is.
I’m still rooting (or roo-ing?) for Norway. Haaland is a great guy and honorary Caniac.
It did feel like a bit of karma for Belgium though. Don’t mock the leader of the country hosting you when you win, no matter how mockable he is.
I’m still rooting (or roo-ing?) for Norway. Haaland is a great guy and honorary Caniac.
Remember when Sean May came back for that one game in the ACC tournament in 2003
, and the team turned in its worst performance against Duke that year when we'd added back maybe our best player? This felt kind of like that.
Last edited:
I don’t understand the angst over the Swiss striker 2nd yellow / red. It was a world class dive. HE barely touched the Argentine player and proceeded to writhe on the ground as if he had been shot by a sniper trying to draw a card against the Argentine
Exactly the scenario that FIFA was trying to clean up when they introduced the simulation rules. And his actions did initially draw an incorrect yellow and his theatrics gave VAR plenty of time to review it and buzz the referee for a “uhhhh, you may want to take a look at this”
I know it happens 30 times per game but again, this is why they have the rule
Exactly the scenario that FIFA was trying to clean up when they introduced the simulation rules. And his actions did initially draw an incorrect yellow and his theatrics gave VAR plenty of time to review it and buzz the referee for a “uhhhh, you may want to take a look at this”
I know it happens 30 times per game but again, this is why they have the rule
Damn...I'm not a huge soccer guy but I meant to have that game open in the background on my computer while working....and totally forgot.
Spain is obviously an incredible soccer team/country but I'm shocked they shut out the French. They seemed to be on an unstoppable roll to winning
By rule it was fine. If he hadn’t dove so hard it drew a card on the Argentine, there would have been no card. Nor if the ref had recognized it as a dive before VAR, and just motioned for him to get up. And then there’s just the perception that Argentina has been getting all the calls their way, whether that’s right or wrong.
Consistency is my issue. If you’re going to give cards for diving, don’t do it just in that case. You can start with the diving in the penalty box. I think it was later in that game when the English player dove in the box, and VAR said it wasn’t a penalty. He should’ve gotten a card there.
I agree 100% that there should be way more diving calls....ESPECIALLY in the box....or, even better....a whole lot more simply "play on"
I was disappointed in Landon Donovan continuing to try to excuse the dive. He eventually settled on a "mentally you prepare yourself for contact and head for the ground to lessen the possibility of injury" as the reasoning he stuck with. Disappointing.
I did find it comical after the game that the Swiss coach basically said: it was just a foul, it shouldn't have gotten a yellow on the Argentine player, it should have just been spot the ball and play. The referee overreacted." As opposed to his reaction live when it happened where he exploded like Krakatoa
Maybe it's because we know we won't get to see it much more....but watching Messi is such a treat. I know England is up 1-0 right now but it's so amazing to watch someone who already knows exactly where he is passing the ball before it's even half way to him....or simply decide that he is going to try to break down the defense and see that it takes three...even four defenders to congregate to get him off the ball. Guy is amazing.
I don’t get the feeling they are hated. Just a bitter rivalry between them and Argentina between Maradona’s hand of God and the political tensions between the countries.
I was hoping England would break through, but they went into prevent defense and Argentina smelled blood. Spain vs Argentina will be an interesting matchup.
Amazing to see what a true star team can do against a basically prevent defense in soccer.
2 goals. 2 posts. 3 or 4 huge saves from Pickford. Probably another 4 or 5 golden chances that just didn't connect. Spence for England with an absolutely perfect run down tackle to stop what was likely a goal from about 5 yards out.
All in the span of 25 minutes.
Argentina was like a machine gun in a knife fight
2 goals. 2 posts. 3 or 4 huge saves from Pickford. Probably another 4 or 5 golden chances that just didn't connect. Spence for England with an absolutely perfect run down tackle to stop what was likely a goal from about 5 yards out.
All in the span of 25 minutes.
Argentina was like a machine gun in a knife fight