Copa America

[kc78]

Parking the bus is our only real strategy if we want to win, the problem is that its a gamble that will probably blow up in our face. If we park the bus then over 80% of the game will played with the ball on our half of the field. With someone like Messi on the ball, he'll dice our back line to pieces. Unfortunately we don't have the midfield to try and keep posession on our side of the field. If we push forward at all, we're going to be caught with our pants down.

I'm not certain anyone has a right to be angry at us losing this match unless we lose like Mexico did. I'm expecting a 2-0 or 3-0 loss. If we don't play great defense, it could be worse. Like others said, if we can hold Argentina scoreless for the first 20 minutes of play and find a way to score first, then we've got a chance for a draw and if we're extremely lucky, a win. Anything else and we'll have a multi-goal loss.

 

[smurfdaddy]

I think the general consensus is we are overmatched and have little or no chance of victory. Assuming this is the case i would like to see us play with abandon and fire not "pack it in" and wait for our dutiful spanking to come. Hell I'll take a 7-3 score playing with fire over an 2-0 with us cowering in fear.

 

[rdbarks10]

We're not parking the bus or playing for draw; we come along way from those days. I believe that way is counter productive because it tires out you defenders and opens you up to more defending set pieces which is a huge weakness.

The Keyes to tonight:
1) defend the long through ball well. Brooks has been pretty good at this and Cameron stayed discipled as well. You want to beat Higuain to the ball, he's not fast but very skilled with his feet, use you athleticism.
2) play and move, Argentina WILL have let downs tonight defending and if you put them in the position to foul they will. They did against Venezuela.
3) Give Messi plenty of space force him to be a passer tonight and not come at you.
4) be smart with the ball in the middle third. A long through that results in a goal kick or a keeper kicking it is better then allow the attack to come at you. You want to avoid their counter because that's what they do a lot.
5) Dempsey, Bradley, Zardes need to bring their A game. Really Dempsey just needs to keep playing the way he has been but just stay on his feet more. Bradley needs to pass forward and carry the ball. Zardes need to do his best Bobby Wood impersonation and stretch the back line and possess the ball for the attack to come forward.

I would feel better if Bobby Wood was playing since every team has had problems with him. If we win, it'll be ugly like 1-0 but the realist in me thinks we lose 2-1 tonight.

 

[rdbarks10]

I think the general consensus is we are overmatched and have little or no chance of victory. Assuming this is the case i would like to see us play with abandon and fire not "pack it in" and wait for our dutiful spanking to come. Hell I'll take a 7-3 score playing with fire over an 2-0 with us cowering in fear.

Juergen only parks the bus when we have a lead. He never does it from the start.

 

[rdbarks10]

For those worried about a Mexico performance, ask yourself who have they beaten? They beat Chile back in early June when that team had 60% possession and 3 times as many shots as them and won off a very late goal. With the exception of Uruguay (who's in a downward spiral this year) who didn't have the goal scoring vampire on the field and played a man. El Tri' has feasted on a lot of lower Concacaf teams and best victory was against USA in extra time while we were experimenting with new roles. They are a very OVERRATED squad.

 

[smurfdaddy]

my keys would be first and foremost our midfield must play to the very least a draw hard to do with El Hefecito on the ball. Run at their wingers at every chance the only chance we have is to create gaps on their end.

 

[rdbarks10]

We have a chance, but I'm going in fully expecting to lose by 3 goals. If we can keep Argentina from scoring in the first 20mins, we'll start playing with more confidence. If we somehow score first, watch out...

I got give you credit for the hanging on 2014 comments with Juergen. He's got to see tonight or the next few games that Bradley and Beckerman need to be moved off the field and Chris Wondo is too old. I thought Nagbe did okay and Pulisic just made youthful mistakes. Zardes should have started up top from the get go.

 

[kc78]

Wondolowski was an embarrassment, I don't know why he keeps getting called up. I was happy to see him give Pulisic playing time in the 2nd half.

I'm not too upset with the outcome, although I would have preferred a loss of 2-0 and not give up those early goals. That free kick by Messi is one of the most perfect kicks I've ever seen from there. Either way, Argentina is really, really good and they're playing with a passion. They want this trophy very badly since Messi has never won anything for Argentina. I fully expect a Colombia vs Argentina Final. If we can win the 3rd place match I'm pretty happy with our only two losses coming to the #1 and #3 teams in the world.

 

[fsUTampa]

So can we now all realize Bradley shouldn't be playing anymore at this level, no matter the position? Even if he's "the best USA has", so what? He's proven he can't play at this level. Why not put someone else there and groom them from here on out? Can't be any worse.

 

[kc78]

I think every single player we had looked terrible against Argentina. Very few of our players can play at that level. There wasn't a single player who could hold possession all night. Argentina is #1 in the world for a reason. We're not even top 10. This would be like expecting a mid-level ACC team ranked about 35th to compete with Alabama or us evenly. Every now and then they'll get a game where we're off, but most of the time they get stomped into the ground. The talent disparity is simply too large.

 

[rdbarks10]

So can we now all realize Bradley shouldn't be playing anymore at this level, no matter the position? Even if he's "the best USA has", so what? He's proven he can't play at this level. Why not put someone else there and groom them from here on out? Can't be any worse.

It was like 10 vs 11 with him out there. He did nothing to influence the game. If I'm Juergen I tell him after the tournament that he's done as a starter. He can't pass, can't tackle, and has the other guys make the through ball pass.

 

[rdbarks10]

I think every single player we had looked terrible against Argentina. Very few of our players can play at that level. There wasn't a single player who could hold possession all night. Argentina is #1 in the world for a reason. We're not even top 10. This would be like expecting a mid-level ACC team ranked about 35th to compete with Alabama or us evenly. Every now and then they'll get a game where we're off, but most of the time they get stomped into the ground. The talent disparity is simply too large.

Having bad center mid play can make things look a lot worse then what they. Then game would have ended 2-0 if Guzan had play the way he has the whole tournament, Howard makes saves on 1st and 3rd goals. Zardes and Brooks looked decent. Tough to judge Dempsey because he was in the midfield trying to do Bradley role. Beckerman is too old, his time has passed. The US started playing around Bradley as in not giving him the ball in the second half and that wears you down as the game goes on.


We've got a big hole at center mid and that's the reason we had no shots on goal.

Juergen needs to realize that Beckerman, Bradley, Wondo, and Jones are too old and the first 3 should not be in the field. Jones steps it up for competition and can still be a physical presence even though his speed isn't good any more. Still Hyndman and Perry Kitchen needs to see action at holding midfielder going forward.

 

[fsUTampa]

Having bad center mid play can make things look a lot worse then what they. Then game would have ended 2-0 if Guzan had play the way he has the whole tournament, Howard makes saves on 1st and 3rd goals. Zardes and Brooks looked decent. Tough to judge Dempsey because he was in the midfield trying to do Bradley role. Beckerman is too old, his time has passed. The US started playing around Bradley as in not giving him the ball in the second half and that wears you down as the game goes on.


We've got a big hole at center mid and that's the reason we had no shots on goal.

Juergen needs to realize that Beckerman, Bradley, Wondo, and Jones are too old and the first 3 should not be in the field. Jones steps it up for competition and can still be a physical presence even though his speed isn't good any more. Still Hyndman and Perry Kitchen needs to see action at holding midfielder going forward.

Funny you mention them playing "around" Bradley. There was a moment (before we were out of the game) in which Yedlin had a throw-in deep in Argentina territory. Zardes was doubled up, Argentina didn't bother covering Bradley...Yedlin looks right at Bradley, shakes his head, and throws it towards Zardes. That moment right there showed what even his teammates think on the field.

As for the 3rd place game, this is what I want to see:

Horvath (23yr old with 0 caps...may as well start grooming a young keeper now)
Yedlin/Birnbaum/Brooks/Johnson (I can handle Cameron instead of Birnbaum, but again, looking for young starters, and I like the idea of getting the backline settled for years)
Pulisic/Nagbe/Kitchen/Zardes (time to give the youngsters the mid positions at an international level and see them grow).
Wood/Dempsey (only because we don't have Morris or Johannsson on the roster right now does Dempsey get the nod)

Who cares if we get destroyed by Colombia? Already got beat by them once in this tournament, and the old guys playing in this game is useless.

 

[rdbarks10]

Finally, the sub that I wanted!

 

[rdbarks10]

Gotta make a play. Had too many missed chances.

 

[fsUTampa]

Jurgen hates America

 

[rdbarks10]

Jurgen hates America

I think he hates a Spanish speaking ref more.

 

[seminoleed]

I think he hates a Spanish speaking ref more.

With good reason.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

All out brawl in second half?

 

[rdbarks10]

All out brawl in second half?

I'm calling 9 vs 9 by the 60th minute.

 

[seminoleed]

Truly bizarre first half. The cards have been so wrong that they can never be made right. Argentina misses an easy steal and score. With tempers flaring, I guarantee someone may be seriously injured in the second half--and it might be the center getting assaulted by both sides.

 

[rdbarks10]

I want to root for Argentina but if they're going to start doing Azzurri trickery tactics for cards then it's just too much to take.

 

[kc78]

Wow, So much for being the best player in the world.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Wow, So much for being the best player in the world.

I wasn't a fan of how he played today. A little too close to diving for me.

 

[rdbarks10]

Taft, need to see her more on soccer coverage.

 

[rdbarks10]

I wasn't a fan of how he played today. A little too close to diving for me.

Argentine going to Argentine, not a country for tough guys.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Taft, need to see her more on soccer coverage.

Agreed
Me likey