Soccer: General Discussion

[Kel Varnsen]

Berhalter has been let go.

I guess you could say things have gotten stale. It is hard to go through more than one World Cup cycle for any coach. Bradley and Klinsmann never lasted more than one World Cup.

But I have never seen so many people who were genuinely overjoyed that a guy lost his job. Especially one that has done a perfectly respectable job. It's mob rule and it's psychotic.

Klopp turned us down. But we had about as much of a chance of getting him to manage as I did to date Megan Fox in college. The US job is not an easy one, international jobs are not as appealing, and if we hire a new coach who starts dropping some friendlies, we'll start hearing the same refrain from the same people who were frothing at the mouth to fire Berhalter. And I wouldn't feel sorry for them one bit.

I hope the next coach is good. He's more likely to be the same or worse than he is to be better than Berhalter was.

[Kung Wu]

Berhalter has been let go.

I guess you could say things have gotten stale. It is hard to go through more than one World Cup cycle for any coach. Bradley and Klinsmann never lasted more than one World Cup.

But I have never seen so many people who were genuinely overjoyed that a guy lost his job. Especially one that has done a perfectly respectable job. It's mob rule and it's psychotic.

Klopp turned us down. But we had about as much of a chance of getting him to manage as I did to date Megan Fox in college. The US job is not an easy one, international jobs are not as appealing, and if we hire a new coach who starts dropping some friendlies, we'll start hearing the same refrain from the same people who were frothing at the mouth to fire Berhalter. And I wouldn't feel sorry for them one bit.

I hope the next coach is good. He's more likely to be the same or worse than he is to be better than Berhalter was.

I hope the next coach is brave enough to pressure US Soccer into changing their adopted system. Our defense gets shredded a bit too easily. That's not a coaching problem so much as a system problem, but it will take a strong willed coach to be able to change the politics of it.

1) DON'T allow our lone stryker (a stupid facet of our system) to wander back near the defensive third. He should always be pressed as far forward as the opposing center defense will allow. This goofball concept of the entire team staying "connected" is dumb. That's great and important for the defense and mids, but not the stryker -- especially when you only have one. He will be connected by the attacking mid when it's time.

2) DON'T bring ALL 11 players into the penalty area on opponent corner kicks. At what point did some coach think that is a good idea?

3) DON'T allow our players to stutter step on PKs. That's not a joke. Mandate that anyone that does it has to kiss Kung Wu's hairy, bare, pimpled ass. That'll put a stop to it.

4) DON'T continue to half-assed high press.

5) DO continue to high press SELECTIVELY if all mids will commit to it and their shape is such that they can participate.

6) DO have a lower line of contention when the high press isn't there.

7) DO run the offense through-or-to Pulisic. He's world class. Use and abuse him.

Ramblings over.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I hope the next coach is brave enough to pressure US Soccer into changing their adopted system. Our defense gets shredded a bit too easily. That's not a coaching problem so much as a system problem, but it will take a strong willed coach to be able to change the politics of it.

1) DON'T allow our lone stryker (a stupid facet of our system) to wander back near the defensive third. He should always be pressed as far forward as the opposing center defense will allow. This goofball concept of the entire team staying "connected" is dumb. That's great and important for the defense and mids, but not the stryker -- especially when you only have one. He will be connected by the attacking mid when it's time.

2) DON'T bring ALL 11 players into the penalty area on opponent corner kicks. At what point did some coach think that is a good idea?

3) DON'T allow our players to stutter step on PKs. That's not a joke. Mandate that anyone that does it has to kiss Kung Wu's hairy, bare, pimpled ass. That'll put a stop to it.

4) DON'T continue to half-assed high press.

5) DO continue to high press SELECTIVELY if all mids will commit to it and their shape is such that they can participate.

6) DO have a lower line of contention when the high press isn't there.

7) DO run the offense through-or-to Pulisic. He's world class. Use and abuse him.

Ramblings over.

Some great points here. Some notes.

I played a 9 at times. My pet peeve is the 9 that stands in the center circle with the two center backs. “Well, that way they know they can clear the ball to him.” Well, they rarely do, and when they try, the defenders win it. He should be between the circle and touchline on the side the attack built from.

i would love to know the number of second attacks that we have given up off corners. Set pieces are important, but I prefer 2 up top adding pressure on opponents not to send up Center Backs.

We should high press every time the key 3 Mid’s are connected and our Center Back should be calling it. However I don’t think our Center Backs know what connected means.

Jaime Tart.

[Kung Wu]

Messi! Messi! Messi!

[Kung Wu]

Colombia's flopping giving Northern Iowa a run for the money.

[Kung Wu]

Nooooooo! Messi is down.

[Kung Wu]

Columbia is far stronger than most people think, but they _should_ have been very even with the US. Not sure if Columbia is even better than I thought or the US is worse, or both?

Going back several weeks ago, I think the answer to my question is clear now. I knew Colombia was really good and better than US fans realized, but they are even tougher than I thought. And I think the US is weaker than I originally thought too.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

No discussion on the delayed start due to fans storming the gates? Instead of clearing the stadium they allowed them to stay.

[Kung Wu]

Yeah man, insanity! Would be really pissed if I dropped $1500/ticket and couldn't get in or get my seat.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Yeah man, insanity! Would be really pissed if I dropped $1500/ticket and couldn't get in or get my seat.

It’s all the US Govt fault. No need to explain. IYKYK.

[BAShocker]

Nice effort by our USA Mens Soccer team today.

(sarcasm).

[Kel Varnsen]

Nice effort by our USA Mens Soccer team today.

(sarcasm).

We were actually playing pretty well and got some good chances. But France made some better plays and they have better players. *Although Schulte's boots looked stuck in concrete for the Lacazette goal.

Maybe if we try enough, we could blame Berhalter for this loss too.

[WuDrWu]

CONCACAF U20

Quarterfinal

Mexico

Diego Sanchez


You can thank me later.

[WuDrWu]

Total BS in Mexico with the added 7 minutes until Mexico scores to tie then wins in extra extra time.

[Kel Varnsen]

Total BS in Mexico with the added 7 minutes until Mexico scores to tie then wins in extra extra time.

Total BS.

How about the wonder goal from Nimfasha Berchimas? I had just tuned in when he hit it. (Yes, I realize I'm three days late).