aphilso1

Has Fred mentioned why we are employing this strategy?

The Dutch...wow! Down 2-0 in the 84th minute, and come back to force extra time!

I think my favorite part of WC is the third match, where all four teams from a group are playing simultaneously. I just love that crazy "looking over your shoulder aspect," like what made Uruguay push so hard to try to win 3-0 and then feel crushing defeat even though they won 2-0 (not to mention Ghana getting redemption even in a loss for Suarez' previous hand of god shenanigans). It's hard to top that. But I agree elimination games are also pretty great.

Only lost the final 30 minutes by 1 point. Too bad the first 10 minutes preceded it.

If you will allow a last second adjustment, I would like to revise my prediction based on seeing Sam is out tonight. Huskers 55 Hoosiers 75 6 threes 6 wins

I like the confidence.

Huskers 60 Hoosiers 75 6 threes 6 wins

I haven't seen enough of Oleg to have an opinion one way or the other, but I agree on Blaise. He seems to be very smart and teachable, and has a good baseline skillset to work from. How odd to think that after decades of struggling to find a servicable big, that center is the one position we have covered already next season.

Ubel's senior season was good but nowhere near on par with the other big men mentioned in this thread. Maybe if he had redshirted his freshman year, and had a fifth season of eligibility, we might have gotten a chance to see a special season. But that didn't happen and his senior was certainly not up there with DW's current year, Aleks' junior and senior years, or Venson's senior year (or heck, even Venson's sophomore and junior years).

Not "as good" 15 years ago. Better. Using career stats, Maric had a higher per game average for points, rebounds, FT%, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, and blocks. Walker leads in 2pt%. Maric was superior to Walker in 6 of the 7 stats that you want your center to dominate in. Using a best season vs best season comparison is more difficult, because Walker's current year clearly looks like it will be his best in many statistical categories but it is a tiny sample size thus far. Even still, the only stat that changes to Walker's favor using this method is offensive rebounds (Maric averaged 4.0 his senior year compared to Derrick's current pace of 4.3 through 4 games). Looking at more advanced metrics shades the analysis even further in Aleks' favor. His career Win Shares was 19.4 compared to Derrick's current 5.3. That is particularly impressive when considering Maric played with zero NBA teammates and Derrick has played with multiple. Lastly, one of my own personal favorite stats for a big man is # of free throws attempted. Why? Because a big man that is shooting free throws is putting the other team in constant foul trouble and helping his team win. Aleks averaged 5.6 FT attempts over the course of his career, with a career high of 7.2 his junior year. Derrick's career high was last year at 1.9 and his career average is 1.1. I like Walker a lot. But Maric >>>>> Walker.

I'd quibble and say that Maric was better than DW. DW is more efficient, but Aleks dealt with constant double teams as the team's sole focal point. Aleks also went off for 41 and 37 points on separate occasions, which I don't see Walker as capable of doing. Maric was also a far better rebounder. Saying you have to go back to Venson's senior year to find a better big man is short changing Aleks.

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.

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

On paper this should not have been possible. Omaha has been a house of horrors for us over the past 15+ years. This was supposed to be their best team in school history. This was supposed to be our worst team in school history. And yet… NEENER NEENER NEENER, SUCK IT CREIGHTON!!!

Huskers 58 Turdy McTurdfaces 80

Yeah, plenty of rolling resistance on those wider tires. Definitely a workout. But I actually think winter fat biking would be some of the best riding in the Omaha/Lincoln area. Would be pretty fun to hit a golf course that is snowed/iced over. I have hypothetically wondered what I would do if I ever moved back to Nebraska. I think I would probably sell my mountain bike but keep my fat bike.

I fat bike in the winter so I have sorted out all the various clothing needs to stay warm, but not so warm as to sweat too much. Merino wool is your best friend for winter biking, as are overshoes (basically scuba material to insulate and keep your feet dry). Worth keeping in mind if you ever want to keep pedaling longer into the cold months. Out of curiosity, what kind of biking do you do? Here's a picture of my winter bike...assuming I figured out how to attach correctly.

Gyms suck. Good on ya for doing what it takes to keep your ticker tickin'. I started having those conversations with my doc about 5 years ago, which was eye-opening. I was young (early 30's), and not overweight to the eye when fully clothed and walking down the street. Heck, by American standards I was still considered thin. But talking through family history and lack of activity level, the doc made it clear I needed to be doing more than my sedentary desk jockey life was giving me. I tried running (horrible) and gym (even worse). I landed on disc golf as a hobby that was pretty enjoyable, got me outside, and got the heart rate up a bit if I jogged between shots. That got me back in the habit of at least SOME form of aerobic activity 3-4 times per week. Fast forward a couple years and we moved to Utah and now I have a mountain trailhead 1/4 mile from my front door. Hiking and biking keeps me way more active than I ever dreamed of before, and it's incredibly enjoyable. I logged over 1,000 miles on my mountain bike this year with over 150,000' of elevation gain. And you know what? I love it. I will never step foot in a gym again because I have found the activity that keeps me healthy and happy at the same time. I guess my point in that is, good for you for doing the gym thing. But if you find yourself going less and less frequently because you hate it, then find some form of aerobic activity that you don't totally hate. Because if you actually like the activity, you are way more likely to go do it on a regular basis. Best of luck, Normy. Oh, and maybe tell Mr Hoodie "nice legs" next time you pass within earshot of him.

The infrequency of the WC makes it matter more. Back to the Golden Generation discussion -- that really just means you get three chance at glory: once when your core group is young, once when in prime, and once when slightly past prime. That makes each chance HUGE.

Dang it, I cursed them. German goal.

Today's four matches have all been incredible. Despite the host country's buffoonery, the competition on the pitch has been excellent. Although I am a bit torn when it comes to the Ticos. Would love to see a pair of CONCACAF teams punch through to the knockouts, but I actually really like this year's Spanish side. And Japan is easy to root for, too. Wish there was a way for three of these teams to advance...just not Germany. Never Germany haha

Echoing @cornfed24-7's thoughts, it's quite possible that the sleeping giant has awakened in American soccer. While this might simply be a golden generation, I think it is just as likely that we are witnessing the birth of a new sustainable world power. With Belgium, there is no crop of young 20-somethings waiting in the wings to replace their golden generation. But when our current stars are 8 years older, I do think there's a reasonable chance that equally talented players will be coming up through the ranks. Only time will tell, but I think this is the beginning of something really big for America.

I was trying to explain the significance of Belgium's failure to advance to my wife. They are the #2 ranked team in the world, so that alone makes the result shocking. But beyond that, this effectively closes the door on Belgium's golden generation and they were almost completely shut out on hardware. Zero finals appearances in the World Cup in '14, '18, and '22. Zero Euros and UEFA Nations Leagues finals. Other than their bronze medal in '18, this dream team was shut out of podium finishes for their entire decade-long run. Just incredible, but also heartbreaking for their fans. I can't imagine having only one sport you care about, and seeing a golden generation rise up completely against the odds and soar to #2 in the world. And then, for an entire decade, that team fails to provide results in tournaments. You could see the enormity of that failure written all over the players' faces after the match. Lukaku was absolutely balling his eyes out after the final whistle. And that is the component of international soccer that I don't think the average American fan understands. We get that a little bit with college football, particularly when a school has a once-in-a-lifetime run. But even then, there's optimism among the fanbase that the success can be sustained in future years. There's the hope that success will beget success, leading to better recruits and even higher heights reached. The World Cup is different, as when the window closes on a golden generation it closes for good. There is no hope of a quick rebound via recruiting or free agency. The highs and lows just mean more, and for that reason I can't look away. The World Cup is the best entertainment possible for a sports fan, and I wish the average American understood that.

Really wish Poland could have found a way to draw against Argentina. Had they done so and won the group, we'd be looking at this path to the semis and a top 4 finish: Netherlands Australia or Poland That's about as soft of a draw as you are going to see in a World Cup, but alas Argentina spoiled it. And making that hypothetical even more compelling if Argentina and Poland had tied, that would have put Argentina in the same part of the bracket as France and England. Hoooboy that would have been something to see.

We are doing a tremendous job of drawing ACC teams that appear somehow worse than us. Huskers 69 (nice) Eagles 63