2016 Centennial Copa America

Hats off to Argentina because that is an excellent team in all phases of the game. It's so easy to talk about their attack but the defensive pressure they apply is outstanding. There is no denying the US was poor last night but a lot of that should be credited to Argentina.

I'm going to try and focus on the positives:

1. Pulisic should get a start in the third place match after a decent showing last night. I'm not anointing him but I do hope he's in the next starting XI.

2. I'm still happy with the back four. With better midfield play they don't give up four goals.

3. Zardes was the lone bright spot offensively.

My biggest concern moving forward is central midfield. Until we can control the middle of the pitch against top teams it won't get any better.

 

To BW's comment "it won't get any better." I agree. I understand Jones is older but his presence was definitely missed. Why Nagbe is ignored in a first XI is puzzling. Why Bradley plays like me on the rec pitch in also baffling. put in pulsilic and nagbe - do it.

 

Crazy game last night. How long was that delay?? Looking forward to watching the final rematch between Chile and Argentina.

It will also be interesting to see how JK and Colombia handle the rematch of our first match. Like others, I'd like to see more Nagbe and Pulisic.

 

Tim Howard getting the call tonight, Fabian likely out, Brooks might be out as well. I would think Castillo comes in, and Besler for Brooks if he can't go. Hope at some point to see Perry Kitchen, he moved to Hearts and from all accounts has played well.

Where were you 6 years ago yesterday?

 

We beat teams we probably should have beaten. We lost to teams we probably should have lost to. Klinsmann is still maddening.

Yay Copa America 2016.

 

We've got a lot of work to do before Russia. I still wonder how many of these guys will be around for it. Pretty sure Jurgen's not going anywhere before then, so the question becomes, which players WILL be in the mix for '18. After this tournament, I'm just not sure. I do hope we've seen the last of Orozco, Wondolowski, Beckerman, Zusi, Shea, Mix and Chandler. Bradley's regression is troubling, but I'm not ready to give up on him.....yet.

 

I have nothing earth shattering to add. But takeaways for me...Brooks and Wood (if they continue to develop/improve) will be the next wave of USMNT stars. The center of midfield is a big concern. Is Nagbe the solution? Haven't seen enough of him in a US shirt to know. But at least up front and in the back, I have more confidence than I have in some time.

 

I'm deleting the taping without watching for a different reason. We were over at a friend's for a bbq and someone wanted to see who won and they were just going to extra time. In total agreement with the thoughts of South American football in terms of the theatrics and 'gamemenship' which is nice word for cheating, and can't comment on the first 90 minutes. However, the 30 minutes plus PKs I saw was 2 teams that know and hate each other too much. There was 3 or 4 legitimate straight red cards that weren't called because it looked like the ref said 'screw it, you guys want to kick the hell out of each other go ahead!'.

I'll respectfully disagree HD in that I hope we accept and even host it again. If Messi is indeed hanging up the cleats for Argentina it was great he brought his ability on US soil for real (yes he pulled a "Oh Nooo Baggio' PK, but in the first 15 of extra time Messi's perfect pass and Aguero's header was somehow finger tipped over the bar by the Chilean GK should of won it). Usually the best football is played before a Final anyways.

The US had a very respectable showing and we learned a few very important things:
• John Brooks & Bobby Wood have arrived
• Brad Guzan is not Tim Howard
• Whoever the best LB in MLS is needs to be invited to next camp
• Jones & Dempsey look like they want to make one last WCQ run
• May good fortune shine on Aron Johansson's health and he returns.

 

The first half was about the ref. The second half was about not screwing up. I hope Messi changes his mind. We don't get to see that much of him here, although I've never thought he was as effective for Argentina as he is for Barca. I think the club's passing philosophy better suits his style than the typical international game plan. And he's got some fair players around him at Camp Nou, although Argentina ain't exactly a pickup squad. CONMEBOL does need to clean up it's discipline and diving act. Apparently it's still SOP down there, and it's 2016. Stop it already (see Gareth Bale's yellows from Spurs).

 

One more observation, and I'll shut it for a bit. After watching a lot of this tourney and the Euros, it appears to me that we are lacking in a couple of basic skill sets, relative to our competitors: passing and dribbling. Just watching the elite countries proficiency at these skills relative to ours, well, it kind of starts jumping out at you after a while. It's especially noticeable when the pace picks up, or during a counterattack, or during a long spell of possession by one side. They're better under tighter marking and pressure, and in congested spaces. Until we get more kids who can dribble and hold onto the damn ball like they do, we'll stay right where we are...a second tier power with a scant chance of upsetting the best to win a major trophy.

 

Sounds plausible to me. Would also explain why our best player (still) was "developed" in a trailer park in East Texas.

 

I coached my son's U15 team a while back and everyone's ball handling was put to shame by a kid who had just move from Columbia. He was so fluid and fast with the ball that others barely had a chance to take it from him. I told him that he was pretty special but he replied that everyone played like that back in Columbia. He was a good kid and could have just been modest, but it made me want to visit a typical school in Columbia to see what their play looked like.

 

Montgomery Burns purchased the rights to McBride's camp and sold it to Outer Mongolia FC Developmental, Inc. A tax shelter, no doubt.