Steve Videtich said:

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Let's go get 3!!!

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We controlled possession in 1h, but didn't challenge the goal til that final corner

Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Let's go get 3!!!

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We controlled possession in 1h, but didn't challenge the goal til that final corner

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Very bad game by the US! Controlled possession, but the final third was awful. Canada uglied the game up and the ref allowed them to. US had no answer for the physical play. The gameplan is out in the US. Better get 3 on Wednesday!

Horrendous showing. Way too much hero ball from guys like Mckennie, Pulisic, and Dest.

Personnel choices need to be looked at as well. Zardes starting over Pepi? Morris as a sub off the bench? Haven't we seen enough of them in the past to know they aren't the missing pieces to this team?

Once again, we lacked identity. Compared to Canada, who were clearly set up to counter. They stayed compact, defended well, and made the most of their counter opportunities.

Big game Wednesday night. Need to get a good 2/3/4 - 0 victory over the worst team in CONCACAF to right the ship. After Honduras, we have the 3 teams right behind us in qualifying. Long way to go to see out qualification.

mrcpack17 said:

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Horrendous showing. Way too much hero ball from guys like Mckennie, Pulisic, and Dest.

Personnel choices need to be looked at as well. Zardes starting over Pepi? Morris as a sub off the bench? Haven't we seen enough of them in the past to know they aren't the missing pieces to this team?

Once again, we lacked identity. Compared to Canada, who were clearly set up to counter. They stayed compact, defended well, and made the most of their counter opportunities.

Big game Wednesday night. Need to get a good 2/3/4 - 0 victory over the worst team in CONCACAF to right the ship. After Honduras, we have the 3 teams right behind us in qualifying. Long way to go to see out qualification.

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Agreed, all of it! Zardes is not a starter. Offense is not team oriented. Have to get 3 Wednesday. Depending on how Panama and Costa Rica do, will need 3 maybe 4 to qualify in the last leg.

Steve Videtich said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Let's go get 3!!!

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We controlled possession in 1h, but didn't challenge the goal til that final corner

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Very bad game by the US! Controlled possession, but the final third was awful. Canada uglied the game up and the ref allowed them to. US had no answer for the physical play. The gameplan is out in the US. Better get 3 on Wednesday!

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Could not believe some of the fouls that went uncalled. Both ways to a degree, but he should have had he cards flying much earlier in taht game to reign it in.
All that aside, weak performance from US. I'm sorry, staring Zardes in that game could be a fireable offense. Keeping him in beyond the half most surely is.
We just don't have anyone like David or Larin though.....the put such pressure on a d.


Yes, we have to win Wednesday -- surely our depth should show up to aid us to beat a bottom of table Honduras. Hopefully, Adams is back ok...he and McKennie have to be on the field for us.

https://www.espnfc.com/united-states-usa/story/4582448/usmnt-coach-gregg-berhalter-we-dominated-canada-despite-world-cup-qualifying-loss

Possession was about the only thing they dominated. That's a pretty arrogant statement to make after a game like that.

Steve Videtich said:

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https://www.espnfc.com/united-states-usa/story/4582448/usmnt-coach-gregg-berhalter-we-dominated-canada-despite-world-cup-qualifying-loss

Possession was about the only thing they dominated. That's a pretty arrogant statement to make after a game like that.

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Right...possession is great, but if you don't create any scoring chances, you may as well be running teh 4 corners.
Versus, Canada, which took advantage of a midfield turnover to break a guy free and a home run on a counter. Screw possession.

Think Zardes was a mistake. Pepi should have started and we could use more balls swung into the box. We are missing Reyna as well. I thought McKinnie had a decent game but we need more chances with the pack line D that Canada played. They really only had the counter and executed better with their strategy. Disappointing but the goal is to qualify so getting the 3 pts this week is crucial.

Who's asinine idea was it to schedule an outdoor game in MPLS in February for a WQ qualifier? I just assumed it was in the indoor FB game there, but its outside.
It is supposed to be below zero, with windchill way below. That is unsafe basically (no macho argument needed). And while the Hondurans will have no clue in how to play in that, none of our guys will either....and just seems any imagined "home field advantage" from playing in cold is more likely to be an unlucky bounce on a frozen field or a pulled muscle in the cold that hurts us.

We should beat Honduras at any home location....and while I get there are likely less Honduran fans in MPLS than Dallas or LA or Miami or many other places, I just can't fathom the mental gymnastics that it took to end up playing outdoors tonight.

Via @JeffreyCarlisle…

“And yes, Berhalter has considerable say as to where the U.S. ends up playing.

‘If we were the Senate, the manager would have 51% of the vote,’ U.S. Soccer's director of events, Paul Marstellar, said in October.”https://t.co/jUv7TRhy4r

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) February 2, 2022

Packchem91 said:

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I just can't fathom the mental gymnastics that it took to end up playing outdoors tonight.

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Don't get it either. Apparently the are trying to sell it as home field advantage. I guess our guys are all polar bear plunge veterans. Will really come in handy for the 120 degree games in Qatar later this year.

mrcpack17 said:

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Packchem91 said:

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I just can't fathom the mental gymnastics that it took to end up playing outdoors tonight.

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Don't get it either. Apparently the are trying to sell it as home field advantage. I guess our guys are all polar bear plunge veterans. Will really come in handy for the 120 degree games in Qatar later this year.

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Yeah I'm guessing most of our players coldest games have been in Europe at 30 degrees.
I'm wondering how the goalies will stay alert when just standing there 90% of the time

Good first half against a really bad Honduras team. Would like to see a goal or 2 from open play in the second half to feel better about things.

Not as much hero ball, interesting considering Dest and Pulisic are both on the pine tonight.

mrcpack17 said:

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Good first half against a really bad Honduras team. Would like to see a goal or 2 from open play in the second half to feel better about things.

Not as much hero ball, interesting considering Dest and Pulisic are both on the pine tonight.

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Yep, Pulisic has regressed to hero ball….amd had been hitting bad set play balls in general…but Acosta hit two beautiful ones tonight

Agree, Honduras is bad

Did not get to see the game last night, but it sounds like they took care of business and did what they should have done. Time to regroup and get ready for the last leg and qualify

U.S. Soccer ignorance endangers U.S., Honduras players
"The U.S. Soccer Federation would argue that these choices are more nationalistic than racist, but that begs the question that exposes the racism. Aren't #Latinos Americans too?"
#USMNT @OurEsquina
https://t.co/dVXyk5SUdZ

Wolfer79 said:

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U.S. Soccer ignorance endangers U.S., Honduras players
"The U.S. Soccer Federation would argue that these choices are more nationalistic than racist, but that begs the question that exposes the racism. Aren't #Latinos Americans too?"
#USMNT @OurEsquina
https://t.co/dVXyk5SUdZ

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So all teams should stop trying to create a homefield advantage for their soccer games?

Steve Videtich said:

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Wolfer79 said:

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U.S. Soccer ignorance endangers U.S., Honduras players
"The U.S. Soccer Federation would argue that these choices are more nationalistic than racist, but that begs the question that exposes the racism. Aren't #Latinos Americans too?"
#USMNT @OurEsquina
https://t.co/dVXyk5SUdZ

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So all teams should stop trying to create a homefield advantage for their soccer games?

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I agree that we should want a homefield advantage of some kind. That said though, if we have the team we think we have then we shouldn't be so desperate for an advantage that we play at near 0 to beat Honduras. Moves like that feel like when the Rams were briefly blocking anyone from outside of LA from getting a ticket to the NFC championship game on re-sale sites. To echo the saying of some on this board: if we are afraid of a few more away fans in the stands then we should get a dog.

Agreed ^. Felt like a chump move to have the game in those temps. Nobody likes playing in that. Mckennie is from Texas and plays in Italy. I'm sure he loved playing in that mess last night. Pepi is from El Paso. It's not like our dudes are eskimos.

I'm glad we got it done but wish we would've just played them in San Diego and whooped them. And scored from open play.

I don't like them playing in the cold temperatures either. But, The article is a stretch at best. Maybe they could have played in a northern city that had an indoor stadium and achieved the same idea. Many of the hardcore US Soccer fans travel from city to city. Is he saying that the Brown fans can't do that?

mrcpack17 said:

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Agreed ^. Felt like a chump move to have the game in those temps. Nobody likes playing in that. Mckennie is from Texas and plays in Italy. I'm sure he loved playing in that mess last night. Pepi is from El Paso. It's not like our dudes are eskimos.

I'm glad we got it done but wish we would've just played them in San Diego and whooped them. And scored from open play.

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What was bad was, the field looked in crap condition, as one would expect a grass field in MPLS to look on 2/2.

That said, credit to the crowd there last night -- that was more impressive than the on field result.

We need at least 6 pts in last 3 to feel really good for the WC. Tough last 3 games. @Mexico, Panama, @Costa Rica. Reyna is coming back for Dortmund this week so we hopefully will have a healthy roster for the last 3. I think our best lineup is Reyna, Pepi, Pulisic, Musa, McKinnie, Adams, Robinson, Richards, Zimmerman, Dest, Turner or Steffan.

SexualChocolate said:

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We need at least 6 pts in last 3 to feel really good for the WC. Tough last 3 games. @Mexico, Panama, @Costa Rica. Reyna is coming back for Dortmund this week so we hopefully will have a healthy roster for the last 3. I think our best lineup is Reyna, Pepi, Pulisic, Musa, McKinnie, Adams, Robinson, Richards, Zimmerman, Dest, Turner or Steffan.

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It's tough starting the last cycle at Mexico. So much depends on that game. If they could close out a draw, then a win over Panama could potentially clinch it. I don't want to have to go to CR for the last game needing points. That's a tall task!

Bad news for the US team. McKennie is going to miss the rest of WC qualifying.

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/weston-mckennie-injury-update-usmnt-star-to-miss-rest-of-world-cup-qualifying-and-juventus-season/amp/

SexualChocolate said:

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Bad news for the US team. McKennie is going to miss the rest of WC qualifying.

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/weston-mckennie-injury-update-usmnt-star-to-miss-rest-of-world-cup-qualifying-and-juventus-season/amp/

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The Turner kid who has been the predominant starter at keeper is also at risk of not being healthy enough to play. That would not be good.

Now Dest is injured! US depth is going to have to step up to finish off this qualifying effort.

Steve Videtich said:

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Now Dest is injured! US depth is going to have to step up to finish off this qualifying effort.

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Yeah thats bad. At least it seems Pulisic has found his mojo again. We're going to need him to elevate his game to its highest level. And for heaven's sake, put him in bubble wrap for the next week+ to keep him healthy.

Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Now Dest is injured! US depth is going to have to step up to finish off this qualifying effort.

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Yeah thats bad. At least it seems Pulisic has found his mojo again. We're going to need him to elevate his game to its highest level. And for heaven's sake, put him in bubble wrap for the next week+ to keep him healthy.

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The schedule is these last 3 games had me worried before. Having to play at Mexico first, then ending at Costa Rica.

Now with all the injuries...geez! Getting a result in Mexico would be huge, but it's looking harder and harder every day. I wouldn't want to have to go to Costa Rica needing a result. Tough setup right now.

Steve Videtich said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Now Dest is injured! US depth is going to have to step up to finish off this qualifying effort.

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Yeah thats bad. At least it seems Pulisic has found his mojo again. We're going to need him to elevate his game to its highest level. And for heaven's sake, put him in bubble wrap for the next week+ to keep him healthy.

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The schedule is these last 3 games had me worried before. Having to play at Mexico first, then ending at Costa Rica.

Now with all the injuries...geez! Getting a result in Mexico would be huge, but it's looking harder and harder every day. I wouldn't want to have to go to Costa Rica needing a result. Tough setup right now.

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Yep, we've been in that situation before. And we've struggled on the road throughout qualifying already. And we'll be playing 3 desperate teams, all of whom need wins, not getting a Jamaica or Honduras who've likely focused wholly on club teams now.

Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Steve Videtich said:

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Now Dest is injured! US depth is going to have to step up to finish off this qualifying effort.

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Yeah thats bad. At least it seems Pulisic has found his mojo again. We're going to need him to elevate his game to its highest level. And for heaven's sake, put him in bubble wrap for the next week+ to keep him healthy.

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The schedule is these last 3 games had me worried before. Having to play at Mexico first, then ending at Costa Rica.

Now with all the injuries...geez! Getting a result in Mexico would be huge, but it's looking harder and harder every day. I wouldn't want to have to go to Costa Rica needing a result. Tough setup right now.

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Yep, we've been in that situation before. And we've struggled on the road throughout qualifying already. And we'll be playing 3 desperate teams, all of whom need wins, not getting a Jamaica or Honduras who've likely focused wholly on club teams now.

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Looks like Reyna and Steffan were added to the roster. If they're 100% that will help.

Geez, the hits just keep coming!

https://www.espnfc.com/united-states-usa/story/4621811/usmnts-brenden-aaronson-a-doubt-for-world-cup-qualifiers-with-knee-injury

I like Aaronson a lot, total effort guy!

Listening to Sirrus XM, they suggested playing a B squad vs Mexico and put the A team against the last 2 to save their legs and also bc it was unlikely we would get a result in Mexico.

SexualChocolate said:

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Listening to Sirrus XM, they suggested playing a B squad vs Mexico and put the A team against the last 2 to save their legs and also bc it was unlikely we would get a result in Mexico.

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I like this honestly. If we get a result in 1 of of the other 2 then we've all but clinched a qualification spot. Don't like seeing us have to limp into the WC though.

mrcpack17 said:

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SexualChocolate said:

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Listening to Sirrus XM, they suggested playing a B squad vs Mexico and put the A team against the last 2 to save their legs and also bc it was unlikely we would get a result in Mexico.

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I like this honestly. If we get a result in 1 of of the other 2 then we've all but clinched a qualification spot. Don't like seeing us have to limp into the WC though.

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The key is the Panama game. A win there could be the clincher. A tie, and you go to Costa probably needing a result, maybe some help otherwise. But the best final 3 game schedule.

mrcpack17 said:

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SexualChocolate said:

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Listening to Sirrus XM, they suggested playing a B squad vs Mexico and put the A team against the last 2 to save their legs and also bc it was unlikely we would get a result in Mexico.

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I like this honestly. If we get a result in 1 of of the other 2 then we've all but clinched a qualification spot. Don't like seeing us have to limp into the WC though.

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I dont know....some years in past, maybe, but this is not a dominant Mexico side that is just going to win at home. I think we can beat them -- which would secure us and risk them, a double win.

I do get though....shoot your shot at altitude, already short handed and maybe you get a couple of your top players with cards in an emotional game......something fundamentally wrong with not putting your best foot forward.

The biggest issue is that we are even having to have this discussion.....frankly, I thought we would be an easy qualifier this cycle, but we have most certainly not played up to the hype (yet). I guess experience in these types of games really does matter, and we don't have much.