The Soccer Thread (Version 10)

Maybe we should have signed Mason Mount instead of Pulisic.

 

Some unforgivable shit there. Cornholed by Canada.

 

Is this a carryover from the Klinsman era, or is the U.S. now that bad? (sorry, Canuckistan).

 

Man, I don't know. It could be one or the other or both. Taking a full damn year to find a new head coach didn't help either.

But the biggest problem was a lack of fight and passion. Tactics can suck. Players can be overmatched. The formation can be all wrong. But the USMNT has always had grit and tenacity. It didn't last night.

 

The number of "Berhalter out" columns from the US soccer media today has been amazing.

 

Top six in the FIFA World Rankings as of June 2020 automatically advance to the hex for CONCACAF qualifying, so the U.S. will have to fall precipitously to not make it. Currently:
12 Mexico
21 USA
43 Costa Rica
47 Jamaica
67 Honduras
72 El Salvador
***
75 Canada, 76 Curacao, 77 Panama, 86 Haiti

That said, if you're going to make changes, you have to do it now. Hex play starts Aug. 31, and shit gets real then.

 

South Korean players talk about that weird WCQ match.

https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/10/17/south-korea-north-world-cup-qualifier-pyongyang-son-heung-min

 

I should very much be thrilled with Watford’s point at Spurs today, although I’d be fine if we shot Kiko Femenia straight into the sun. He’s the only reason Spurs managed that draw.

 

What's this shit about the stadium Jumbotron saying Spurs' goal should have been disallowed by VAR? Did that actually happen?

 

Kind of. VAR did not disallow the goal, but upstairs official pushed the wrong scoreboard button. Later apologized.

 

What Gee said. It was a goal. It hit Dele’s shoulder but was not a handball. Had Kiko Femenia not tackled Ben Foster, it would have never happened, thus my Kiko hate. Foster ripped into him immediately.

 

Foster needs to get that ball. He pulled out way before he made contact with his defender.