USMNT: Hold My Beer
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
Fuck ya. I had little interest in this thing honestly. But beating Mexico in the final is amazing. Glorious
these kids are fantastic
these kids are fantastic
Wait until you see the bags of urine getting thrown at the games in Mexico City.
That was above and beyond. Something needs to happen to Mexico. Some qualifiers in empty stadiums. It's just a joke.
Even if they did, it would magically be the fixture against Curacao or something.
I would love to know what Concacaf thinks will push Mexico to Step 3 on that ladder. There has to be an example in a memo somewhere.
Their own players tore up the spot before a PK and nothing happened. The fans take that shit and run with it.
Their own players tore up the spot before a PK and nothing happened. The fans take that shit and run with it.
What a GAME. The game itself was incredible and it was a huge win for a young US team. But beyond that, this is IMO such a huge, huge gut-check game for the team. It wasn't the prettiest performance, some guys played poorly, and there are questions to be asked of some of Berhalter's lineup choices, but I feel so much better about the group heading into WCQ. This team showed toughness and grit that's been missing in recent years.
It had to be like this, didn't it? That goal went in after a minute and we were all in that place again. Then they took the lead late, and there we were, again. The ref was as awful as he could be. Mexico got the nonsense penalty, and again, there we were. We had to win a game like that to turn this shit around.
You were pretty quiet tonight! I'm very interested to hear what you thought about the tactics. I was pretty open in here about how badly I think Berhalter got it wrong in a couple different ways, and to me, I think right now the team is playing worse than the talent says it should.
We are so so close to never again having to panic start ancient vets just to be “safe.”
It's funny, at halftime I would've said this is a bit of a disaster for him. It's totally understandable since he just partied then flew across the world, but still, he'd been totally absent. But to not just convert that penalty, but absolutely crush it? Huge, huge moment for him. I didn't know how good he was at penalties, considering I've never seen him take one for his club, whether it be Chelsea or Dortmund.
Actually I feel like I saw him take one in a shootout once for Dortmund and have it saved.
I love Tim Ream, but he was hanging on for dear life tonight. I don't ever want to see him at LB again, unless it's against a minnow.
Still recovering from a back injury. Didn't play in either the friendly or the semi.
I think it's all nerves. His voice was shaking like crazy.
Edit: Maybe not. I can't pick up on it.
Maybe he’s developing the Belgi-Norwegian equivalent of transatlantic Brad Friedel voice.
I find it's easy for me to spend so much time posting stuff that I miss parts of the game!
I'd split the baby a bit. I think Berhalter is stubborn and sometimes sticks with failing experiments/ideas too long as a result, but I also think part of the less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts problem has been that the team is both young and doesn't have a lot of experience playing together.
Tonight, I didn't think there was a clear-cut choice between the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 given Adams was not available for 90 mins. With the 4-3-3, you are stuck with a dicey choice as a single pivot 6. With a 3-4-3, you are stuck starting at least one questionable CB (Ream, for me. Miazga would have more athletic but I also don't trust him to not make a big mental mistake or against the Mexico press. McKenzie made some serious mistakes, but I think he's a good player who will grow from this.)
Some of these issues will resolve themselves with better personnel. We missed having either Aaron Long (who is a great fireman of a CB who covers for others) or Chris Richards (who probably isn't quite as good a passer as Ream but would be way better defensively) out there at CB. At DM, who just need a serviceable backup. (Open tryouts at the Gold Cup this summer!).
I think it's easy to get really frustrated with the USMNT lately, especially in the Honduras game. I think in the big picture, it's important to keep in mind that the team and the player pool is a work in progress. We're super talented by historical US standards, but it takes time for players to learn how to consistently apply their skills in ways that maximize their effectiveness, and it takes time for them to do it together. Nobody crucially important other than Brooks will age out of the pool by 2026 and we'll have another wave of talent to integrate into the pool.
A few years ago I was telling people that the USMNT would finally be interesting again by 2021. It actually happened sooner, but it's not going to be totally smooth. I think this is a huge result to build on, though, and I think we have to feel better about how this team will hold up to the BS in WCQ starting in September.
That was one of the wildest, most exciting sporting events I've seen in a long, long time. Pulisic absolutely burying that penalty and then running to the Mexico end to shush their fans was amazing. He knew he would be absolutely showered with water, cups, beer, probably a lot worse, and was like "Fuck you, bring it on! Do your worst, assholes, we will beat you anyway!"
And then Horvath. What a hero. This team could have quit from the very first minute of the match, and they looked dead in the water late, but they fought back again and again and battled nonstop for the entire 130 or however many minutes it took.
And then Horvath. What a hero. This team could have quit from the very first minute of the match, and they looked dead in the water late, but they fought back again and again and battled nonstop for the entire 130 or however many minutes it took.
Yeah, bad look, but I also think it was supposed to just be some banter that ended up coming off really, really badly.
I've generally enjoyed this studio crew, but Gooch crossed a line and the apology, while seemingly heartfelt, doesn't mean that he should get a chance to make a similar mistake in the future. If you're hired to be a pre/postgame talking head, "not saying offensive shit in the spur of the moment, even as a joke" is pretty much the number one rule. I don't think he's a bad guy, and I don't think he meant it, but he needs to do better.
Of all the previous generations of players I think Deuce is the one I most wish could have been part of this group instead. The only one who has really had the mix of talent and swag.
Oh god, I feel like I’m coming out of a hibernation that started at the final whistle in Trinidad.
What a great game to just... watch. I’m normally all over Twitter and the thread here, second screen in full effect, but my stream was a little behind and I was getting spoiled on the early goals. So I just watched from about 30’ on and man, did this match reward that decision.
McKennie, Reyna, Pulisic began to forge something epic tonight. Weah looked outstanding. Horvath, incredible guts. And to have all the studio guys be the soul of the team the last time the team they looked like this (give or take a Howard / Donovan), basically handing them the baton, was so satisfying.
My only complaint, besides the predictable embarrassing crowd behavior, is that Musah didn’t get capped. I wanted to see what he could do. Maybe the forced injury subs scuttled that.
Bring on the octagon.
What a great game to just... watch. I’m normally all over Twitter and the thread here, second screen in full effect, but my stream was a little behind and I was getting spoiled on the early goals. So I just watched from about 30’ on and man, did this match reward that decision.
McKennie, Reyna, Pulisic began to forge something epic tonight. Weah looked outstanding. Horvath, incredible guts. And to have all the studio guys be the soul of the team the last time the team they looked like this (give or take a Howard / Donovan), basically handing them the baton, was so satisfying.
My only complaint, besides the predictable embarrassing crowd behavior, is that Musah didn’t get capped. I wanted to see what he could do. Maybe the forced injury subs scuttled that.
Bring on the octagon.
This was a major boss-battle needed to level up, some real Jedi-esque “face your biggest fears” type shit for the USMNT. There are more challenges ahead like winning in Azteca, qualifying for and then making it to the knockout rounds in Qatar, and slaying a major footballing national team or two...it’s going to be a helluva journey to 2026, but we have a generation of players who are up for the fight.
So impressed by all the subs tonight. As the game wore on and Mexico held possession more, Sargent would have been more helpful than Siebatcheu, so I would have rather seen a Robinson for Ream swap. But Acosta held his own with help against Lainez, which is very impressive.
Berhalter has grown considerably as a national team manager already. He has become more flexible and I see real effort to put players in roles where they are comfortable as opposed to his early experiments with Pep-esque formations.
Gregg still has to sort his backline problem - he needs 2 mobile, good passing CBs comfortable defending the flanks in order to allow Dest and Robinson/Cannon/Yedlin the freedom to get up the pitch. I hope a Richards-McKenzie tandem is the solution, but even still there needs to be better balance and more understanding between the defenders. Right now, teams are isolating our CBs and creating danger every time.
But for whatever weaknesses Berhalter still has, he has developed an amazing culture. McKennie and Pulisic have stepped up as vocal leaders well beyond their ages. Guys like Dest and Musah are choosing to play for us. Dudes on the bench are invested in the matches, going wild with each goal and pulling hard for each other - hell, Adams even got a yellow against Honduras. And the sight of Horvath and Steffen, arm in arm, approaching the Outlaws section post-match? This is a tough, bonded, and confident group. Credit to Gregg and his crew.
Where can I get this tattooed across my back?
So impressed by all the subs tonight. As the game wore on and Mexico held possession more, Sargent would have been more helpful than Siebatcheu, so I would have rather seen a Robinson for Ream swap. But Acosta held his own with help against Lainez, which is very impressive.
Berhalter has grown considerably as a national team manager already. He has become more flexible and I see real effort to put players in roles where they are comfortable as opposed to his early experiments with Pep-esque formations.
Gregg still has to sort his backline problem - he needs 2 mobile, good passing CBs comfortable defending the flanks in order to allow Dest and Robinson/Cannon/Yedlin the freedom to get up the pitch. I hope a Richards-McKenzie tandem is the solution, but even still there needs to be better balance and more understanding between the defenders. Right now, teams are isolating our CBs and creating danger every time.
But for whatever weaknesses Berhalter still has, he has developed an amazing culture. McKennie and Pulisic have stepped up as vocal leaders well beyond their ages. Guys like Dest and Musah are choosing to play for us. Dudes on the bench are invested in the matches, going wild with each goal and pulling hard for each other - hell, Adams even got a yellow against Honduras. And the sight of Horvath and Steffen, arm in arm, approaching the Outlaws section post-match? This is a tough, bonded, and confident group. Credit to Gregg and his crew.
Where can I get this tattooed across my back?