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MLS and Sporting KC - Official Thread

aphilso1

By aphilso1
in The Haymarket Hardwood

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HuskerFever
HuskerFever

I know some people hate this thread, but when a team secures their ticket to the championship match, there's no apologies for resurfacing this.    

49r
49r

Also congrats are in order for the Union Omaha boys. USL League 1 champs!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dean Smith
Dean Smith

Gio plays great game - goes into locker room afterwards and checks twitter

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hskr4life

hskr4life

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, cornfed24-7 said:

Had a few gift wrapped today and couldn't put them in the back of the net.

 

Yep-- and the one we did score was pretty flukey.  Our defensive rock broke today and there was no way we were going to score 3.  2 was going to be a stretch.  

cornfed24-7

cornfed24-7

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, hskr4life said:

 

Yep-- and the one we did score was pretty flukey.  Our defensive rock broke today and there was no way we were going to score 3.  2 was going to be a stretch.  

Not so sure it broke or it was surgically dismantled 😂

Dean Smith

Dean Smith

Posted
Posted
52 minutes ago, cornfed24-7 said:

Not so sure it broke or it was surgically dismantled 😂

It broke. They did nothing special. Last goal had 5 defenders guarding 3 and our FB was ball watching, had no idea what was behind him. That’s a U12 mistake. Pulisic and especially Wight missed sitters. 
 

Out managed. They knew we would struggle in possession to break them down so they allowed us to have the ball and hit on the counter. While our manager finally put Aaronson and Reyna on the field together but knows so little about his own team that he had them each playing the other’s position compared to what they do for their clubs? 
 

Need a 9 badly. Google Flo Balogun. He’s the obvious answer. Throw the kitchen sink at him to convince him to play for the US and remind him Harry Kane ain’t going anywhere.

cornfed24-7

cornfed24-7

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, Dean Smith said:

It broke. They did nothing special. Last goal had 5 defenders guarding 3 and our FB was ball watching, had no idea what was behind him. That’s a U12 mistake. Pulisic and especially Wight missed sitters. 
 

Out managed. They knew we would struggle in possession to break them down so they allowed us to have the ball and hit on the counter. While our manager finally put Aaronson and Reyna on the field together but knows so little about his own team that he had them each playing the other’s position compared to what they do for their clubs? 
 

Need a 9 badly. Google Flo Balogun. He’s the obvious answer. Throw the kitchen sink at him to convince him to play for the US and remind him Harry Kane ain’t going anywhere.

We see it different. I saw a Dutch team sit back and wait for the US to make a mistake and when they did promptly carve them up. But after rereading your post it feels like we're splitting hairs.

Edited by cornfed24-7
hskr4life

hskr4life

Posted
Posted

Also-- one thing that has to be mentioned is that our youth finally showed today.  Musah, for as good as he was in Qatar, struggled in possession and with first touch.  They will only get better, but unfortunately we saw what a veteran team looks like today.  Tough, calm, cool, collected.  I don't think we panicked per say, but I do believe we felt the heat after their first and especially 2nd goal.  

Dean Smith

Dean Smith

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, cornfed24-7 said:

We see it different. I saw a Dutch team sit back and wait for the US to make a mistake and when they did promptly carve them up. But after rereading your post it feels like we're splitting hairs.

That was Van Gaal’s strategy. That’s what I said.  I just don’t think we got carved up. For all three goals you can point to a very simple defensive mistake.

 

We didn’t take our best chances. If we were clinical we had at least three goals as well. Van Gaal is miles better than Gregg. (Not being disrespectful - can’t spell his last name) Blind is 30 something. Couldn’t run with Dest or Weah but we spend 90% of out time trying to go down the other side? 
 

 

cornfed24-7

cornfed24-7

Posted
Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Dean Smith said:

That was Van Gaal’s strategy. That’s what I said.  I just don’t think we got carved up. For all three goals you can point to a very simple defensive mistake.

 

We didn’t take our best chances. If we were clinical we had at least three goals as well. Van Gaal is miles better than Gregg. (Not being disrespectful - can’t spell his last name) Blind is 30 something. Couldn’t run with Dest or Weah but we spend 90% of out time trying to go down the other side? 
 

 

I totally agree. And it seemed to me the Dutch were just waiting for that mistake they knew would come. I just think its a matter of how one wants to characterize it. We definitely should of had those goals. But to your point their goals looked like something that was identified and then exploited. And once that mistake was made they carved us up. Our chances looked like opportunities, but not nessasarially a weakness identified we were trying to exploit.   

Edited by cornfed24-7
hskr4life

hskr4life

Posted
Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, nuhusker7 said:

I don’t think it was a pissed at USA for not getting called up. I believe (and hope) it was just a bet with his teammate as he said

 

He seemed pretty "ughhh this is dumb" about it I think too.  He also plays in the Netherlands, so it's not surprising or totally out there.  Just was shocked to come across it.

Edited by hskr4life
aphilso1

aphilso1

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Posted

aphilso1’s 2022 USMNT recap and 2026 lookahead.

 

G – Turner (28) was solid in the net and goalies age slowly.  He should still be in his prime, albeit the tail end of it, for 2026. Steffan and Horvath (both 27) should still be in the keeper pool as well.  Johnson (33) is likely done.

 

LB – Jedi (25) should still be the starter in 2026.  Antonee logged a full 90 minutes in every match, and the drop-off in performance by the end of the tournament was noticeable.  Finding a player that can give a 29 year-old Robinson a breather needs to be a priority for 2026.  I think Joe Scally (19) was technically the backup LB, but he is naturally a RB.

 

CB – Ream (35) was our rock on the backline but he is certainly aged out.  Zimm (29) had a hot-and-cold WC that exposed his weaknesses on the ball.  Miles Robinson (25) missed the WC due to injury, but is likely the frontrunner to anchor the backline in 2026.  CCV (24) played OK in his single WC appearance.  Brooks (29) would still be a potential option in 2026 despite not making the 2022 roster, but only if there is a change in management style (Gregg has gone on the record saying he doesn’t think Brooks is a good fit for the high press style that he prefers to run).  I’d assume Berhalter won’t make it all the way to 2026, so a reasonable expectation would M. Robinson/Brooks as starters and CCV/(insert young up-and-comer) their backups for the next roster.

 

RB – Dest (22) was himself.  Dangerous going forward but got trapped out of position a lot tracking back.  Thankfully we have the human eraser in Tyler Adams to cover most of those mistakes.  Yedlin (29) likely ages out but gave quality minutes in his two sub appearances.  Shaq (26) still has a shot at the next window but looked like the least talented player on the pitch for his two sub appearances.  I’d expect Scally and Reggie Cannon (24) to back up Dest in the next cycle.

 

DM – Tyler Adams (23) was our MVP.  So so good. Acosta (27) is technically his backup but there is no reason to pull Tyler off the pitch unless he is injured.  Would expect a young kid to replace Acosta as the backup for 2026.  Perhaps Busio (20), who prefers to play more forward but is also an excellent DM when needed there.

 

Mid (#8): Weston (24) looked really good in the first half of each match, but clearly was not fully fit coming off of his injury.  Plenty of options to be his backup moving forward – Aaronson (22) & LDLT (24) are both good options for a box-to-box player, while Reyna and Musah (both 20) can give you extra firepower if wanting a more offensive-minded player on the pitch.

 

Mid (#10): I still wish we would shuffle players around and put either Pulisic (24) or Reyna here, but Gregg seems to like having his best playmaker on the wing.  Musah was mostly good here but showed his youth at times.  Would like to see Musah develop that clinical service into the box that all great attacking mids have in their skillset. 

 

Wings: Pulisic is still our best offensive player, regardless of if he lines up on the wing or as an attacking mid.  He is somewhat of an enigma: wears our #10 shirt, but plays the #11 in this system, but tracks back as our outlet rather than pushing forward without the ball, but finds himself in the box a lot when others have the ball.  Much like Clint was a striker that didn’t always play like one, Pulisic is a wing that doesn’t always play like one.  As stated above, I’d prefer to have him more centrally located but I think Gregg realizes he needs goal scorers and Pulisic’s versatility means he can do anything on offense.  Weah (22) was very good and is a prototypical right winger for us for the foreseeable future.  Winger is also Aaronson’s most natural position, so he should be mentioned here (particularly if we have a change of coaching that shifts players into more traditional roles).  Gio figures into the depth here also, as a Pulisic-style winger.

 

Striker: Ugh.  Haji (24) technically scored but man he looked like he didn’t belong at this level of competition.  Ferreira (21) disappeared in his one appearance.  Sargent (22) looked the best of our #9s but only managed 4 shots and 0 goals in his three appearances.  Maybe Pefok (26) or Pepi (19) is the answer, but personally I am hoping that some kid not on my radar is going to develop into this role for us before 2026.  Clearly our biggest glaring hole on the roster

hskr4life

hskr4life

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

 

 

Striker: Ugh.  Haji (24) technically scored but man he looked like he didn’t belong at this level of competition.  Ferreira (21) disappeared in his one appearance.  Sargent (22) looked the best of our #9s but only managed 4 shots and 0 goals in his three appearances.  Maybe Pefok (26) or Pepi (19) is the answer, but personally I am hoping that some kid not on my radar is going to develop into this role for us before 2026.  Clearly our biggest glaring hole on the roster

 

Anything in the dual national pool that we could recruit to come over to our side of the pond?  I haven't looked/heard anything in a while.

aphilso1

aphilso1

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Posted
28 minutes ago, hskr4life said:

 

Anything in the dual national pool that we could recruit to come over to our side of the pond?  I haven't looked/heard anything in a while.

 

Brandon Vazquez of FC Cincinnati.  But I don't think he's what you meant.  24 years old, cut his teeth in the US Youth Academy, but has never even been called up to the senior side.  There has been some mutual flirting with Mexico (https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/usmnt-snub-brandon-vazquez-is-open-to-playing-for-mexico/blta2e292cd09d0a2c3) but thus far neither USMNT nor El Tri has found him worthy of a senior cap.  He's more like a player that both countries see as a backup plan, rather than someone we could poach.

Dean Smith

Dean Smith

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, hskr4life said:

 

Anything in the dual national pool that we could recruit to come over to our side of the pond?  I haven't looked/heard anything in a while.

Flo Balogun - 21 years old

Has played for both US and England youth teams. Also eligible to represent Nigeria. Currently playing for Reims in league 1. 8 goals in 15 appearances this season.  On loan from Arsenal. 
 

Good finisher, good techinical ability, can take people on off the dribble and has a very high work.

HuskerFever

HuskerFever

Posted
Posted (edited)

Confederation Round of 16 Performance:

100% CONMEBOL (2-0-0), 2 of 2 advance, 4GD

63% UEFA (5-0-3), 5 of 8 advance, 5GD

50% CAF (1-0-1), 1 of 2 advance, -3GD

0% AFC (0-0-3), 0 of 3 advance, -4GD

0% CONCACAF (0-0-1), 0 of 1 advance, -2GD

 

Teams Remaining:

UEFA: 5

CONMEBOL: 2

CAF: 1

AFC: 0

CONCACAF: 0

Edited by HuskerFever

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