World Cup: National Team threads #2

Wee Baby Seamus

Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Mar 15, 2011
16,266
7,334
Halifax/Toronto
He was pretty hyped here a few years ago.

They’re media and fans are always hyping themselves up. That’s why when they fail it’s more hilarious
the key words, right

it's wicked funny that the american media clings to him still being a blue chip prospect when he's self-evidently not

the vibes are great

reminds me of a really funny bit of commentary during the copa america when espn was talking about top players and one said "pulisic is coming up"

as if pulisic isn't 26 years old
 

Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,331
16,115
Montreal, QC
Argentines and French beefing again after the final whistle. These refs let the manage go on forever again and aggravated the French sideline. Not sure if that's related to the teams getting into a big tussle though.
 

Bringer of Jollity

Registered User
Oct 20, 2011
13,888
9,564
Fontana, CA
He was pretty hyped here a few years ago.

They’re media and fans are always hyping themselves up. That’s why when they fail it’s more hilarious
There's this blindness that has been created by having so many players over in European leagues (and huge swaths of US Fandom and the media have little brother syndrome with respect to Europe) that completely ignores increased globalization has made it significantly easier for US players to be scouted and make such a move compared to 10-20 years ago. They want it to be indicative of this significant closing of the talent gap but that's just not the reality. I think the current crop definitely has higher technical skill as a group, but the Dempsey/Donovan squads would roll them head to head.
 

Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,331
16,115
Montreal, QC
A staggering 8th goal for Rahimi and another team is getting annihilated by Morocco in the Bronze match. 4-0 Morocco with 30 minutes to go. I know it's Spain but I can't believe we're not in the finals. Rahimi is not an important player at the senior level with watching Akhomach, Ben Seghir, El Khannous, Richardson, El Azzouzi + the senior guys, the future looks bright.
 
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Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,331
16,115
Montreal, QC
Very happy for our back-up keeper, Munir. He's one of the overage guys, was the guy who backstopped us out of the abyss and got us to the 2018 World Cup where we tied Spain, had to give up his spot to Bono at the 2022 World Cup, gets told after the national anthem that he has to fill in for Bono against Belgium, gets an incredible 2-0 win in which he had a couple of great saves and then caps it off with our first medal at the Olympics. Hell of a career!
 

Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,331
16,115
Montreal, QC
Mateta...scores! France come back to tie 3-3! Nice pushback! They looked absolutely dead in the water in the first half, just brutal. Spain had chances to add a fourth but bottled them.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
61,489
19,731
w/ Renly's Peach
Curious to see who JN picks.

Havertz
Füllkrug
Undav
Beier
Moukoko
Kleindienst
Burkardt

Musiala
Wirtz
Gruda
Sane
Brandt
Führich
Adeyemi
Hoffmann

Groß
Goretzka
Stiller
Reitz
Ouedraogo

Pavlovic
Andrich
Can
Khedira
Martel

Kimmich
Henrichs
Mittelstädt
Raum
Gosens

Schlotterbeck
Chabot
Rüdiger
Tah
Thiaw
Anton
Süle
Jeltsch

ter Stegen
Trapp
Baumann
Ortega
 
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cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
61,489
19,731
w/ Renly's Peach



23 just isn’t enough players. They need to go back to 26 man rosters. Don’t love Koch over Chabot or Thiaw...and I think I’d replace Raum & Can with Brandt/Gruda & Goretzka.

Curious to see how JN lines them up. Could see arguments for switching to a 4-2-2-2, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3: depending on whether Nagelsmann wants that last guy to be a 2nd forward, 3rd creative, or 3rd midfielder.


Havertz/Beier - Füllkrug/Undav
Wirtz - Musiala
Andrich - Pavlovic
Mittelstädt - Schlotterbeck - Tah/Anton - Kimmich
ter Stegen

Havertz/Füllkrug
Führich - Wirtz - Musiala
Andrich - Pavlovic
Mittelstädt - Schlotterbeck - Tah/Anton - Kimmich
ter Stegen

Wirtz - Havertz/Füllkrug - Musiala
Pavlovic - Groß/Stiller
Andrich
Mittelstädt - Schlotterbeck - Tah/Anton - Kimmich
ter Stegen


Maybe:

Wirtz - Havertz/Füllkrug - Musiala
Pavlovic - Kimmich
Andrich
Mittelstädt - Schlotterbeck - Tah/Anton - Henrichs
ter Stegen​
 
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