Back line needs to figure its crap out or we're cooked.

19 minutes ago, DEagle7 said:

Back line needs to figure its crap out or we're cooked.

We’re cooked. Ream shouldn’t be out there, he’s a scrub. He’s the Bryon Maxwell of our defense

6 minutes ago, Eriv20 said:

We’re cooked. Ream shouldn’t be out there, he’s a scrub. He’s the Bryon Maxwell of our defense

Yeah get him out. Go to a 4-3-3. Bring in Gio on the wing

Belgium is just at least a half step ahead all night. We are narrowly missing so many opportunities. Not getting to play a ball cleanly with Belgium pressure. Everything difficult.

welp... that absolutely sucked.

What a disaster

I dont understand why the US players have hesitated so many times tonight. Its costing them every time. What are they doing?

Well, it always looked like this was the furthest they could make it. So at least they maximized this team's potential. It was fun.

2 hours ago, HazletonEagle said:

We can use a backup nickel. Or, I wonder if he is interested in transitioning to safety since hes not a very good CB.

You don't put someone who is willing to do what he did in a locker room on the same side of the team with Jalen Carter. Terrible influence.

Just now, RememberTheKoy said:

You don't put someone who is willing to do what he did in a locker room on the same side of the team with Jalen Carter. Terrible influence.

But a guy who killed a woman, and her dog, and they burned alive is OK?

🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮

Time for Trump to put in another call and have this match be replayed

Far better team won

That’s what happens when you play not to lose against a better team. No chance.

Soft ass fu€kers

Giroux returning to Ottawa

I got tickets to the next game. Will send post some photos and stuff during the game.

Anyone else find that SKOLesque clap clap U clap clap S clap clap A chant pathetic? Best we could come up with?

So the real test for the USA is maintaining an interest in international soccer competition in between world cups after yet another round of 16 elimination.

Good enough to qualify every time, good enough to escape the group (especially in the new format), not good enough to win knockout games against upper echelon teams.

I’ll fail that test because I probably won’t watch another USMNT match until the next WC. It was fun, but it is what it is.

5 hours ago, Wentz_Era said:

Deep state lies! lol it was a hyperbolic statement. FIFA has enough to worry about, they need to figure out how to drive attendance for the women and make that more profitable (the last one was a great step forward) before they have to jump through hoops to do a losers bracket tourney, which will almost certainly result in a massive loss of money.

I know. I was just being petty. Its part of my charm

13 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Good enough to qualify every time

20 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

So the real test for the USA is maintaining an interest in international soccer competition in between world cups after yet another round of 16 elimination.

Good enough to qualify every time, good enough to escape the group (especially in the new format), not good enough to win knockout games against upper echelon teams.

I’ll fail that test because I probably won’t watch another USMNT match until the next WC. It was fun, but it is what it is.

Its a developing programme. And yeah, they will 100% get out of the group stage every single time in this new format.

This World Cup specifically, they were also aided by a relatively weak group as co-hosts always are going into the A pot (and then Turkey turning into the single biggest disappointment vs expectations of the group stages) and one of the weakest teams in the R32. This was the first good team they played against a good (but not great) side - and the gap was obvious. Senegal looked far more evenly matched to Belgium in the last round and should have beaten them.

But having said all that, you can see the improvement USMNT is making. They are developing a team where a number of the players are of a quality that can play for the biggest clubs in the world. Balagun really stood to me this world cup and he will get to move to an even bigger club on the back of this performance. Next WC, they still might not make it any further (depending on how the draw unfold - unlikely will be as favourable as this one) but I'd bet they are a better team which will show in how the compete against some of the better teams.

Comparing the US to other countries in soccer development has me reflecting on the inefficiency of college athletics.

I’m not some old school puritan who thinks NCAA athletes shouldn’t have some profit sharing privileges for the enormous revenue they generate for select programs. However, the combination of NCAA athletes getting paid and the transfer portal has rendered elite college athletes as mercenaries, not student-athletes that represent schools. State schools are basically just cities that own teams.

It’s a shame that athletic competition and school pride have been embedded so deeply in the DNA of American sports fans over the years…because now that they really are just professional teams who happen to be financed by universities……….the universities are just an inefficient third party that does not need to be involved at all.