The biggest Paraguay supporter last night was the USA reserve goalkeeper Matt Turner. He should start the next game… but if it had been a game that meant something, I don’t think Matt Turner gets in a game for the whole World Cup.
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Is there value to having Freeze start? Feel like he could use the reps, but I guess risk of injury or a red card not worth it.
And for all the European-based guys, this is the end of an often long season, just looking at our key guys in terms of 90 minutes played equivalents for their clubs:
- McKennie: 43.5
- Balogun: 35.8
- Pulisic: 20.1
- Tillman: 25.9
- Adams: 19.9
- Robinson: 19.9
- Dest: 29.5
- Richards: 34.6
I think the guys on yellows don’t see the field at all, since there’s a card reset after the group stage. I could see giving other starters (minus Pulisic) 10-30 minute cameos to keep them in a little bit of a game rhythm, but being able to save legs here is really valuable. And it’s a nice rewards for the reserves to get some action.
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It would be very disappointing if @USSoccer13 wasn’t at the USA games in the US (not sure if already missed)
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I don’t know how anyone can rate the odds of which 3rd place team were most likely to play. It all depends on which of the 495 combinations of which 8 3rd place teams qualify.
I dont think there is any benefit in letting him play.
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They more or less gave each winner 2 most common groups in the potential matchups rather than evenly spacing the odds out. For our group those are B and E. So unless neither of those groups advances a 3rd place team we can pretty much focus on those 2 groups
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Thats a real coach right there.
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The other groups continue to break well for the USMNT. Egypt has a live chance to win Group G, which would be a theoretically easier matchup than Belgium, as well as opening the door for moren scenarios where the Group G winner loses their R32 game and then the USMNT’s R16 game is against a 3rd-placed team.
This site has the US at 52.7% to make the QF, what a world:
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I’m hoping the US makes the QF… but I’m still being realistic here. If they make the QF, they would most likely have to play a gauntlet of three world soccer powers in the QF, SF & Final. The likelihood of getting through that unscathed would be the equivalent of a 16-seed in the NCAA tournament making it to the Great 8… maybe that is hyperbole… more like an 8-seed beating three 1-seeds in row.
To me them making the QF is the USA far exceeding expectations and a win!
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That’s the same road that any team besides France-Spain-Argentina-England would have to take. Hell, somehow Germany-France is slated to be a round of 16 matchup.
I wouldn’t expect the US to beat any of those teams, much less 3 of them. The QF would be a phenomenal tournament result. We could even get there without beating a single team from Europe if the standings break just right for us and no one would remember the road we had.
The semifinals would be a complete miracle. I have no doubt that if we advance far enough, Mbappe or Messi or Yamal or Bellingham/Kane or another offensive wizard would carve us up.
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Back from Seattle and I must say that the trip exceeded expectations. We watched Mexico-South Korea at Pier 62. Very cool environment, even if it took a little while to get in. It was quite the shock when we turned around and saw how many people were watching behind us.
The U.S.-Australia game now ranks only behind the 2019 Final Four as favorite live sports events I’ve attended. Great performance from our guys and great atmosphere. I got something in my eye during both the national anthem and Country Roads post-game. Really, really cool stuff. With a good team and great crowds, why not us?
@zh00s – two more additional pieces of advice. First, FIFA has significantly changed entrance into “Seattle Stadium.” They’ve shut down all but two gates for general admission ticketholders. We left Victory Hall about 90 minutes before kickoff and got to our seats about 20 minutes before kickoff after getting through security, taking a leisurely tour around the stadium, and waiting through long drink lines. Second, if you are interested in any of the waterfront watch parties, give yourself plenty of time. For the Mexico game, we got there halfway through the Canada game. It was at capacity during the break between the two games. Enjoy!
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We’ve made the QF in the modern era and the bracket is breaking incredibly favorably for us. That is the bar for a successful tournament at this point. If we lose in the 16 to a team like Egypt it will set soccer back in this country. Needs to be quarterfinals to be a success
YESSSS. I fly out Thursday. arrive at noon, right to Seattle center to watch a match at one of the watch parties. Good intel on time from leaving the bar to stadium seats. Ready to rip.
What an awesome night for quite possibly the three best strikers in the world: Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland. Kane needs brace today just to keep pace!
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Mbappe is going to absolutely shatter the WC goals record. Only 2 behind Messi and has at least 2 more WC’s in him after this one. Could overtake the lead by the end of this one
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I saw a someone joking that Ronaldo should fake an injury to save face rather than putting up more zeroes.
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Seems more likely he is further behind Messi than he was at the start of the tournament. He’ll get it in 2030
Mbappe’s going to have the record before he retires. He has 1 more WC in him, I’m not sure about 2 though. France has a lot of young attacking talent that could/should be better than a 35 year old Mbappe in 8 years.
Also amazing that Messi has scored 12 of his 18 WC goals since he turned 35.
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I wonder if Messi is kind of the perfect storm in that he’s so good but also fits into a team well and Argentina is a deep enough player pool to support a superstar but not a deep enough player pool to push him out even as he ages, while a country with less depth (like Egypt, for example) produces a Salah but can’t support him enough OR a country with more depth (like France) produces enough stars that they might push Mbappe out before hits 6 world cups like Messi. We will see. I guess.
The build up to this world cup has been so frustrating, I was prepared to be checked out, but I am thoroughly enjoying the success of the US so far, but also the succession of star turns - so many unbelievable goals from so many talented players. Haaland’s mid air flick yesterday was a thing of beauty.
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