TCNorthstars
Registered User
John probably isn’t home right now. He only wants to be there for a week.
I’m hanging with Rip, Walker, and Teeter though.
Speculation: And yet again...the Off-Topic Thread
- Thread starter Winger98
- Start date
John probably isn’t home right now. He only wants to be there for a week.
I’m hanging with Rip, Walker, and Teeter though.
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
- Jul 10, 2014
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Agreed. I need to find a Rip t-shirt. Some foul mouthed version of not being able to deal with all the nonsense. That could fit a lot of situations.
RabidBadger
Mazur detractors will look like dummies!
Run the Jewels
Make Detroit Great Again
Any USMNT fans on this forum? Not sure if this is the place to discuss the recent CONCACAF Nations League tournament. Feel free to move this to the appropriate thread. I saw on the Leafs forum the Nations League had its own thread but had very low engagement.
So at any rate, here goes.
Goalkeeper
Matt Turner - wasn't tested much but made some nice saves to maintain the clean sheet against Mexico. He's your clear starter and it's great he's facing elite talent in the Premier League as a backup.
Central Defense
There was a decent amount of rotation going on, so I don't know what to make of our pecking order at this point. Walker Zimmerman got the start last night and seemed fine. He's good at defending which is the most important part of his job, but I don't think he's going to add much as far as transitioning the ball. In general, I don't think we have the talent at this point to build out from the back, but that's fine with our transition game at midfield led by Gio Reyna.
Our most seasoned defenders in Zimmerman, Tim Ream and Aaron Long provide us with a good floor, but the hope for me is that some of our younger defenders can raise the ceiling. I watch Aaron Long play a decent amount in MLS and his game seems to be falling off, so I hope he's not going to be relied upon as a key contributor at the next World Cup. Chris Richards scored his first goal off a set piece last night, so it's nice to see some offensive flair in addition to solid defensive play. Richards just missed scoring a second goal off a header in the game against Canada. He's at Crystal Palace in the PL so hopefully that will help with his development.
Fullbacks / Wingbacks
Sergio Dest is locked in and is a key part of our transition / counter attack. He looked great in the Mexico game but sat out the Canada game due to being booked with a red card in the Mexico game. Joe Scally looked fine but suffers the same limitations as our central defenders: good defensive play but little in the way of ability to transition play to form an attack. He's young so perhaps there's more to his game.
Midfield
The Midfield is the one area where the US has quality throughout. Tyler Adams didn't play in the tournament, but the US has such quality that it made no difference. We saw the emergence of Gio Reyna, who assisted on both goals in the game against Canada. His quality as far as placing the ball in dangerous spots was on display throughout the first half and Canada had no one who could play him. Unfortunately Reyna was injured at the end of the first half on a challenge and didn't play in the second half. Weston McKennie looked good in the Mexico game but unfortunately retaliated when he was fouled by a Mexican player and was booked for a red card and missed the championship game. Yunus Musah played both games and looks solid, no real takeaways from me beyond that.
Forwards
The days of relying on Gyasi Zardes as a striker are mercifully over. Complain all you want about our central defense, at least those players are capable at their primary job. The USMNT has been wanting for a striker capable of converting quality scoring chances, but those days appear to be over. Folarin Balogun got his first starts as a member of the USMNT after committing to play for the USMNT over England as he has dual citizenship. He wasn’t particularly noticeable in the Mexico game, but that could have been due to the fact the USMNT was relying on the fact Christian Pulisic usually goes HAM on El Tri.
Pulisic registered the brace against Mexico and should have had a hat trick. Nevertheless Balogun opened his account as a member of the USMNT by playing a pass from Gio Reyna perfectly to score and put the USMNT up 2-0 on Canada. That was exactly the type of quality that has been sorely lacking for the USMNT and Balogun demonstrated the technical skill that should be able to cash in from passes sent to him by Reyna in particular. Ricardo Pepi subbed in for Balogun and scored late against El Tri to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead.
Tim Weah’s speed was problematic for both Mexico and Canada. He was great in transition and greatly frustrated Mexico.
Brenden Aaronson was used mostly to assist Scully in containing Alphonso Davies and did a nice job playing a shutdown role by using heavy contact to disrupt Davies, who is considered the best talent in the tournament. Canada seemed to try to build up an attack through Richie Laryea, but I don’t know if that was due to Davies perhaps not being fit.
Final thoughts
One thing this Nations League tournament showed is that when the USMNT can field their top selections at each position there is no team in CONCACAF who can match them. There are two important things to keep an eye on as we prepare for the World Cup in a few years:
Can the defense add a bit of transition without losing the solid defensive play? Our proven defenders are solid defenders, but add little if anything to the transition game. If we can add in a defender or two who can spring Balogun or Pulisic it will make a massive difference. While a high line, pressing style is less common in international play, it is an obvious way to attack our defense given our inability to hurt a team that is overly aggressive in our end of the pitch.
While we don't have any elite players in terms of being star players in the big European leagues, we are building out depth where many of our players are being developed in the Premier League, Bundesliga, and the top leagues across Europe. US Soccer is having a moment and our younger players are being scouted and signed to the best leagues in the world. The more guys who are being developed in Europe, the better overall quality of our side.
Fans of the USMNT like to argue over playing guys in MLS when there is so much talent being developed in Europe. I think that largely misses the point; having a viable MLS system to develop and identify youth talent is massive. My guess is we largely play guys like Zimmerman, Long, Gyasi Zardes, etc because we didn't have proven talent that European teams wanted. Zardes in particular has become a complete non-factor due to the fact we are finally developing or in the case of Balogun acquiring striker talent that Europe values. Guys on MLS rosters should mostly be viewed as the floor, with guys signed to European clubs should be viewed as the ceiling.
All of the core players at this time are playing in Europe: Turner, Dest, Adams, Reyna, McKennie, Weah, Pulisic and Balogun. Younger guys like Pepi, Richards and Scally are playing in Europe and it’s too early to say what their ceilings will be. At this point the only unit comprised mostly of MLS guys is the central defense. If that is no longer the case as we get closer to the World Cup this team could be pretty exciting.
So at any rate, here goes.
Goalkeeper
Matt Turner - wasn't tested much but made some nice saves to maintain the clean sheet against Mexico. He's your clear starter and it's great he's facing elite talent in the Premier League as a backup.
Central Defense
There was a decent amount of rotation going on, so I don't know what to make of our pecking order at this point. Walker Zimmerman got the start last night and seemed fine. He's good at defending which is the most important part of his job, but I don't think he's going to add much as far as transitioning the ball. In general, I don't think we have the talent at this point to build out from the back, but that's fine with our transition game at midfield led by Gio Reyna.
Our most seasoned defenders in Zimmerman, Tim Ream and Aaron Long provide us with a good floor, but the hope for me is that some of our younger defenders can raise the ceiling. I watch Aaron Long play a decent amount in MLS and his game seems to be falling off, so I hope he's not going to be relied upon as a key contributor at the next World Cup. Chris Richards scored his first goal off a set piece last night, so it's nice to see some offensive flair in addition to solid defensive play. Richards just missed scoring a second goal off a header in the game against Canada. He's at Crystal Palace in the PL so hopefully that will help with his development.
Fullbacks / Wingbacks
Sergio Dest is locked in and is a key part of our transition / counter attack. He looked great in the Mexico game but sat out the Canada game due to being booked with a red card in the Mexico game. Joe Scally looked fine but suffers the same limitations as our central defenders: good defensive play but little in the way of ability to transition play to form an attack. He's young so perhaps there's more to his game.
Midfield
The Midfield is the one area where the US has quality throughout. Tyler Adams didn't play in the tournament, but the US has such quality that it made no difference. We saw the emergence of Gio Reyna, who assisted on both goals in the game against Canada. His quality as far as placing the ball in dangerous spots was on display throughout the first half and Canada had no one who could play him. Unfortunately Reyna was injured at the end of the first half on a challenge and didn't play in the second half. Weston McKennie looked good in the Mexico game but unfortunately retaliated when he was fouled by a Mexican player and was booked for a red card and missed the championship game. Yunus Musah played both games and looks solid, no real takeaways from me beyond that.
Forwards
The days of relying on Gyasi Zardes as a striker are mercifully over. Complain all you want about our central defense, at least those players are capable at their primary job. The USMNT has been wanting for a striker capable of converting quality scoring chances, but those days appear to be over. Folarin Balogun got his first starts as a member of the USMNT after committing to play for the USMNT over England as he has dual citizenship. He wasn’t particularly noticeable in the Mexico game, but that could have been due to the fact the USMNT was relying on the fact Christian Pulisic usually goes HAM on El Tri.
Pulisic registered the brace against Mexico and should have had a hat trick. Nevertheless Balogun opened his account as a member of the USMNT by playing a pass from Gio Reyna perfectly to score and put the USMNT up 2-0 on Canada. That was exactly the type of quality that has been sorely lacking for the USMNT and Balogun demonstrated the technical skill that should be able to cash in from passes sent to him by Reyna in particular. Ricardo Pepi subbed in for Balogun and scored late against El Tri to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead.
Tim Weah’s speed was problematic for both Mexico and Canada. He was great in transition and greatly frustrated Mexico.
Brenden Aaronson was used mostly to assist Scully in containing Alphonso Davies and did a nice job playing a shutdown role by using heavy contact to disrupt Davies, who is considered the best talent in the tournament. Canada seemed to try to build up an attack through Richie Laryea, but I don’t know if that was due to Davies perhaps not being fit.
Final thoughts
One thing this Nations League tournament showed is that when the USMNT can field their top selections at each position there is no team in CONCACAF who can match them. There are two important things to keep an eye on as we prepare for the World Cup in a few years:
Can the defense add a bit of transition without losing the solid defensive play? Our proven defenders are solid defenders, but add little if anything to the transition game. If we can add in a defender or two who can spring Balogun or Pulisic it will make a massive difference. While a high line, pressing style is less common in international play, it is an obvious way to attack our defense given our inability to hurt a team that is overly aggressive in our end of the pitch.
While we don't have any elite players in terms of being star players in the big European leagues, we are building out depth where many of our players are being developed in the Premier League, Bundesliga, and the top leagues across Europe. US Soccer is having a moment and our younger players are being scouted and signed to the best leagues in the world. The more guys who are being developed in Europe, the better overall quality of our side.
Fans of the USMNT like to argue over playing guys in MLS when there is so much talent being developed in Europe. I think that largely misses the point; having a viable MLS system to develop and identify youth talent is massive. My guess is we largely play guys like Zimmerman, Long, Gyasi Zardes, etc because we didn't have proven talent that European teams wanted. Zardes in particular has become a complete non-factor due to the fact we are finally developing or in the case of Balogun acquiring striker talent that Europe values. Guys on MLS rosters should mostly be viewed as the floor, with guys signed to European clubs should be viewed as the ceiling.
All of the core players at this time are playing in Europe: Turner, Dest, Adams, Reyna, McKennie, Weah, Pulisic and Balogun. Younger guys like Pepi, Richards and Scally are playing in Europe and it’s too early to say what their ceilings will be. At this point the only unit comprised mostly of MLS guys is the central defense. If that is no longer the case as we get closer to the World Cup this team could be pretty exciting.
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FabricDetails
HF still in need of automated text analytics
- Mar 30, 2009
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So... What in the F is going on with that billionaire submersible? This some sort of death cult ritual?
norrisnick
The best...
- Apr 14, 2005
- 31,215
- 16,545
saska sault
Registered User
Enjoy. One of the states I'd love to visit when I can take my camper van on a long road trip. My first vacation in over a year is coming up and we are visiting the Swiss Alps for a few weeks to climb some mountains.
Electric Eric
#91 To the Rafters!
Ooo which mountains? Headed to Chamonix myself in Sep.
saska sault
Registered User
Mt Blanc, Matterhorn, Eiger and whatever else we can reach during our time. We wanted to complete the TMB but plans changed. Chamonix - Zermatt - Grindelwald and Geneva for flights. We are going July-August.
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If you've ever thought, "I could do better than those nerds!" now is your moment.
But keep in mind we only really want people who have an inflated sense of self-worth and want to control the flow of information with an iron fist. We often reference 1984 as less of a cautionary tale and more of a guidebook.
I kid, I kid. Or am I?
But for real, anyone who loves this community and thinks they can contribute to keeping it active and on point, we'd love to hear from you. Some of you have been here over a decade and you're integral to the discussions and what makes this forum still appealing after so many years.
This is a special little corner of the internet to me and I hope most of you guys feel the same way.
TCNorthstars
Registered User
SoupNazi
Gee Wally/SoupNazi 2024
- Feb 6, 2010
- 27,054
- 17,147
OgeeOgelthorpe
Riccis per 60 record holder
- Feb 29, 2020
- 18,235
- 19,908
If you've ever thought, "I could do better than those nerds!" now is your moment.
But keep in mind we only really want people who have an inflated sense of self-worth and want to control the flow of information with an iron fist. We often reference 1984 as less of a cautionary tale and more of a guidebook.
I kid, I kid. Or am I?
But for real, anyone who loves this community and thinks they can contribute to keeping it active and on point, we'd love to hear from you. Some of you have been here over a decade and you're integral to the discussions and what makes this forum still appealing after so many years.
This is a special little corner of the internet to me and I hope most of you guys feel the same way.
How much does it pay?
SoupNazi
Gee Wally/SoupNazi 2024
- Feb 6, 2010
- 27,054
- 17,147
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
- Jul 10, 2014
- 11,563
- 9,603
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
- Jul 10, 2014
- 11,563
- 9,603
Axel Sandy Pelikan
Sugar-free Rock Star
- May 11, 2023
- 1,529
- 1,734
It pays as much as Reddit pays their moderators.
Kramer takes the car past the "E"
Probably my favorite clip of Kramer. Honestly can't believe this hasn't been through the Sift yet!
videosift.com
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
- Jul 10, 2014
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And once again the city of Detroit is sold a bill of goods in a rendering, and then has the rug pulled out from under them.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61293041/New-Detroit-Arena-Concept-Aerial.0.1491595878.0.jpg)
Axel Sandy Pelikan
Sugar-free Rock Star
- May 11, 2023
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I’m still butthurt about that. That roof is f***in sick. And instead, they have the Little Caesars asshole who is, honestly, a bit racist.And once again the city of Detroit is sold a bill of goods in a rendering, and then has the rug pulled out from under them.
TCNorthstars
Registered User
No, that's generally left up to me to give you infractions.
I'd be like the Dave Lewis to your Mike Babcock!
FabricDetails
HF still in need of automated text analytics
- Mar 30, 2009
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I don't think I have the emotional maturity you guys do. If I see any comments about *a** *****y or **u** then immediately banned.
