2015 Gold Cup

[Titans Bastard]

Against Honduras JK started two "vertical" wide midfield options in Zardes and Yedlin.  Then came two pinched-in possession options in Diskerud and Zusi against Haiti.  Tonight, we have two more pinched-in types in Morales and Bedoya.
 
I'd like to see a balance with one possession guy and another north-south player who can stretch defenses.  So to me that's either Yedlin or subbing in AJ for Morales or Bedoya (probably Ale b/c of fitness) and shifting Zardes over.

 

[McBride11]

Yep...they were offsides on the goal.

Both CB still got smoked and Alvarado had him lined up and got burned and Brooks just who knows.

Fun fact: Stu Holden was a competitive Counter Strike player before becomig a pro soccer player. Go figure.

 

[DJnVa]

Both CB still got smoked and Alvarado had him lined up and got burned and Brooks just who knows.

 
Granted. Not excusing the play, because the goal came after a few more seconds of play.
 
Yedlin and Dempsey in. Here we go.

 

[McBride11]

 
Granted. Not excusing the play, because the goal came after a few more seconds of play.
 
Yedlin and Dempsey in. Here we go.

Ya. Goin for it. Aggressive subs. Guess I wont be going to bed.

As long as Wondo went off I would have stayed up really.

 

[DJnVa]

Godoy needs to chill the fuck out.
 
EDIT: Oh come on. He pushed him, but he grabbed his face like he took an elbow.

 

[DJnVa]

Boo yeah.
 
Nice ball from Bedoya.
 
EDIT: And Dempsey with this touch over to Zardes.

 

[McBride11]

Look Bedoya pass!!! Magic.

Play setup by Zardes and Dempsey.

 

[Gunfighter 09]

God I love the way Yedlin plays.  I wish he had a little better idea what the fuck he was doing, but he is great to watch. 

 

[teddykgb]

That Yedlin play was hilarious

 

[DJnVa]

That Yedlin play was hilarious

 
He was like a 3rd down back catching a pass in the flat and a linebacker was right there waiting.

 

[teddykgb]

Holy shit Brooks. That was lunacy that worked!

 

[Titans Bastard]

The announcers on Univision seem to be referring to Bradley exclusively as "Captain America".

 

[McBride11]

That Yedlin play was hilarious

I want a gif.

 

[McBride11]

There is no possession it's just up and down. Slow it down US.

 

[teddykgb]

This has gotten so ugly. Looks like 120th minute

 

[LuckyBen]

The announcers on Univision seem to be referring to Bradley exclusively as "Captain America".

I don't watch a whole lot of futbol, but his vision on the field seems outstanding.

 

[Section30]

Dempsey shows them how to take care of an obstructing defender.

 

[DJnVa]

I don't watch a whole lot of futbol, but his vision on the field seems outstanding.

 
Check out his pass here against Germany: http://thebiglead.com/2015/06/10/video-mix-diskerud-scored-a-sweet-goal-against-germany/

 

[Titans Bastard]

https://twitter.com/jamiewatson77/status/620770494279733249

 

[dirtynine]

Kyle Martino has been buying beers all night, for the entire bar.

 

[teddykgb]

That makes me really like Kyle Martino. And I'm amazed by how much Brooks has improved. He's a monster in the box

 

[Section30]

Yedlin is going to have to nail one of these guys with a hard tackle ala Landon Donovan on Ashley Cole. If he keeps jumping into the air to avoid contact he will get the rep of being soft which will lead to even more hard tackles/fouls by the defenders.

 

[McBride11]

Finally figured it out, Beckerman looks like Travolta's character in Battlefield Earth.

Alvarado has been playing better since he got that bogus yellow.

 

[teddykgb]

Yedlin is going to have to nail one of these guys with a hard tackle ala Landon Donovan on Ashley Cole. If he keeps jumping into the air to avoid contact he will get the rep of being soft which will lead to even more hard tackles/fouls by the defenders.

Yedlin is going to have to learn to dribble with control or nobody is going to be afraid to close him out at pace

 

[BoredViewer]

Haha!
 
Panamanian wasting time when it's his team that needs to score.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Haha!
 
Panamanian wasting time when it's his team that needs to score.

 
Old habits die hard.  Panamanian clubs are THE worst offenders in CONCACAF when it comes to that stuff.

 

[McBride11]

The hell Guzan?? Slow down and punt it a mile.

Edit. There ya go

 

[teddykgb]

It's super amusing to me how often Dempsey is annoyed when his teammates over elaborate and lose an opportunity. It drives him nuts but it's so him

 

[minischwab]

Jozy won't be on roster for knockout stage: http://www.mlssoccer.com/goldcup/2015/news/article/2015/07/14/gold-cup-jozy-altidore-tweets-he-will-not-continue-usmnt-knockout-rounds
 
Some speculation his future with Team USA is in doubt, but it could be related to hamstring injury.  

 

[DJnVa]

He's 25, I can't imagine he's done on the national team, but we managed the WC without him, and guys like Zardes are stepping up.
 
He needs to be healthy, and if he's not, there's guys that can replace him.

 

[Cellar-Door]

He's 25, I can't imagine he's done on the national team, but we managed the WC without him, and guys like Zardes are stepping up.
 
He needs to be healthy, and if he's not, there's guys that can replace him.

I think he'll get more shots, but even before the Gold Cup it seems people are starting to wonder if he's being passed by guys like A.J., Morris, Wood, Zardes, etc. Jozy tended to make the team because he was good for his age and our striker options sucked. Now he's gotten older without improving and new options are emerging. I don't think he's out of the squad, but I do think we're approaching the point where he isn't the kind of lock for a starting spot that he has been.

 

[Titans Bastard]

I think he'll get more shots, but even before the Gold Cup it seems people are starting to wonder if he's being passed by guys like A.J., Morris, Wood, Zardes, etc. Jozy tended to make the team because he was good for his age and our striker options sucked. Now he's gotten older without improving and new options are emerging. I don't think he's out of the squad, but I do think we're approaching the point where he isn't the kind of lock for a starting spot that he has been.

 
Agreed.  Jozy has always been a streaky player and hopefully it will become easier and easier to hold him accountable when he's out of form.
 
 
Altidore, Garza, and Morales are officially out.  Beasley, Corona, and Gordon are in.
 
 
Beasley for Garza is a swap of players without much future in the program, but DMB is an upgrade at this point.  Corona and Morales are both fairly uninspiring to me.  Maybe Corona will benefit from playing in a pinched-in wide role.  I don't have high hopes that he has the quality to be effective at this level.
 
I like the Gordon pick.  He won't be a sexy pick, but he fills a specific role that could be useful.

 

[teddykgb]

Wonder how tempted JK was (if at all) to bring Besler back with Brooks suspended for the next match.

 

[Cellar-Door]

 
Agreed.  Jozy has always been a streaky player and hopefully it will become easier and easier to hold him accountable when he's out of form.
 
 
Altidore, Garza, and Morales are officially out.  Beasley, Corona, and Gordon are in.
 
 
Beasley for Garza is a swap of players without much future in the program, but DMB is an upgrade at this point.  Corona and Morales are both fairly uninspiring to me.  Maybe Corona will benefit from playing in a pinched-in wide role.  I don't have high hopes that he has the quality to be effective at this level.
 
I like the Gordon pick.  He won't be a sexy pick, but he fills a specific role that could be useful.

Beasley is an admission that FB is a disaster right now. Timmy Chandler has terrific potential, but he just isn't ready to be the main RB on this squad. I wonder if we see DMB or Fabian on the right, but you have to assume one of them moves over. Gordon like DMB is here to help win the spot in the Confed Cup before they both shuffle off into retirement. Given their ages neither will be in Russia, but they are two of the best options to help win this tournament.
 
Edit- DMB has been playing on the right for the USMNT, for some reason I remember him as being on the left.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Nah Beasleys a left back, if he plays it'll be on the left with Johnson on the right, like in the World Cup.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

20 minutes left in Jamaica against El Salvador, 0-0.  Significant implications in this one.  If El Salvador doesn't win, then Panama is through, and the U.S.'s likely opponent in the next round is Guatemala.  If Jamaica wins, then the US probably avoids Costa Rica in the semis if it advances to the semis.
 
Edit:  And as I'm typing, Jamaica scores pretty well against the entire flow of the game and right after El Salvador misses a good chance.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Reggae Boyz down to 10 men with 10 left.

 

[DJnVa]

Jamaica through and will be playing the late game in Baltimore in Saturday. 

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

On its face, it seems like a good result for the USA.  They can make the final without facing either Costa Rica or Mexico.  Jamaica, though, is in good form and has played well from the Copa America on, and has to be taken seriously.
 
USA's next opponent now probably turns on the Guatemala/Cuba game, although I think technically at this point the USA's opponent could be Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Cuba.
 
The tough scenario is this -- If Guatemala draws Cuba, and if Canada beats Cuba by one goal in Toronto, then I think if I'm figuring it out right, the USA would play Costa Rica next round.  But if either Guatemala or Cuba were to win, then the USA would get that team, regardless of the result between Costa Rica and Canada.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Three draws put Los Ticos through. USA will pay the winner of Guatemala/Cuba, or El Salvador if there is no winner, for the right to play the winner of Haiti versus Jamaica.

 

[triniSox]

Mexico tied 10 man Guatemala 0-0.  Ouch.
 
T&T beat Cuba and leads the group.  They'll have to hold Mexico to a draw to win the group, though, and they aren't going to do that.

Let's not forget that T&T held Mexico goalless deep into the 87th minute in the last Gold Cup and T&T has beaten Mexico in the past too. Let's not rule it out yet Yes I'm from Trinidad

 

[soxfan121]

Let's not forget that T&T held Mexico goalless deep into the 87th minute in the last Gold Cup and T&T has beaten Mexico in the past too. Let's not rule it out yet Yes I'm from Trinidad

 
Beat Mexico again and everyone gets a pony or bottle of rum, courtesy the Friends of Chuck Blazer.

 

[Bosoxen]

Congrats to Cuba. After all the defections and that awful start, they're through to the next round. That's awesome.

With that said, eat shit, Guatemala. Hope that point you got by parking the bus for 90 minutes keeps you warm on the plane ride home.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Congrats to Cuba. After all the defections and that awful start, they're through to the next round. That's awesome.

 
1 goal scored, 8 conceded, yet somehow in the Quarterfinals.
 
GOLD CUP!!!

 

[Bosoxen]

 
1 goal scored, 8 conceded, yet somehow in the Quarterfinals.
 
GOLD CUP!!!

That's how bad Guatemala and El Salvador were. Three points and two goals scored between the two of them (Guatemala's in garbage time against T&T). Taint gonna cut it.

 

[soxfan121]

Congrats to Cuba. After all the defections and that awful start, they're through to the next round. That's awesome.

With that said, eat shit, Guatemala. Hope that point you got by parking the bus for 90 minutes keeps you warm on the plane ride home.

 
OMG, that's funny. Well done, sir.

 

[Turrable]

As a ticketholder for Saturday this is a dream scenario. None of Guatemala's bitchmade fifa 15 tactics and no Salvadoran fans to laughably outnumber us. Haiti-Jamaica looks fun too.

 

[Bosoxen]

There it is!

 

[Bosoxen]

Didn't think I'd ever say this but I'm really glad they went with the five man back line. The fullbacks have been able to push up more and we've already seen more involvement by Layun and Aguilar than in the entire Guatemala game.

Granted, it helps that T&T's fullbacks are, let's say, lacking. And apparently the right back is playing out of position and is used to playing on the left.

 

[Bosoxen]

THAT'S what Mexico has been missing all along. Someone that can create AND finish. Fuck De la Torre for creating that rift with Vela.