World Cup 2022

[Billy Dean]

Musah can't be a 6

Swap Weah for McKennie then there's more balance

 

[TheBigIguana]

Swap Weah for McKennie then there's more balance

Yes but to me that's a huge huge deal

 

[4 Eyes Better Than 2]

No one actually believes this

You’re relying on one player, Pulisic. Outside of him there is no other threat, which is why the USMNT is so poor and barely qualified from a group that contain teams ranked around 80 in the world.

A forward who is now in his 8th season, played for 2 of Europes top teams, playing with top players, but has yet to hit double figures, is a one goal in 6 games player and for the national team, from 50+ appearances, he’s yet to bag against decent opponents.

It’s like England relying on Demarai Gray

 

[Toffeeslam]

We have much more talent than in years' past, top to bottom, than at any time in our history. And those terrible teams we had in the past still found their way out of many a group stage. Almost all of our players play in Europe. And some have played real minutes for giants (Dest/McKinnie/Pulisic to name a few)

But we have a bad manager and system. I am not optimistic because of that.

Sorry I just can’t see it but it’s football and anything can happen.

Also a lot of those players you mentioned wouldn’t get into top line European teams and would barely make the squads.

How many are regular starters for those teams ? Look pulisic is good but inconsistent and Mckennie is decent. Dest struggles to get into the Milan starting lineup too.

Like I said we will see come game time

 

[wm02]

The US team has the same problem England used to have and that’s the problem of one or two good players and the rest are average.

I disagree with the top to bottom talent puts the US in the same ballpark as the top teams, the USA are much further away.

There are one or two decent players in the US starting 11 but not many of them would start in a top European team I’m afraid to say.

We will find out when serious game time starts as I wouldn’t trust friendly results, so to our American cousins but they should be well off it.

Apologies but it’s just my opinion

I think that’s fair.
Honestly, my expectations are quite low for this tournament. I just hope not to be get embarrassed by Iran again ?.
Getting out of the group would be a great accomplishment but I’m doubtful it will happen.
The core group of players is very young so 2026 (with home-field advantage) offers a much better opportunity to progress in a WC imo

 

[Toffeeslam]

I think that’s fair.
Honestly, my expectations are quite low for this tournament. I just hope not to be get embarrassed by Iran again ?.
Getting out of the group would be a great accomplishment but I’m doubtful it will happen.
The core group of players is very young so 2026 (with home-field advantage) offers a much better opportunity to progress in a WC imo

Thing is Iran are a wild card as I dunno how good they are. I think we will learn a lot about the potential of this US team when they play Wales who are decent and will cause anyone issues.

For the US it’s building towards the next WC on home soil that’s where the chance is to go fairly deep (quarter finals) with a young squad.

They will need to find more depth mind you

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

You’re relying on one player, Pulisic. Outside of him there is no other threat, which is why the USMNT is so poor and barely qualified from a group that contain teams ranked around 80 in the world.

A forward who is now in his 8th season, played for 2 of Europes top teams, playing with top players, but has yet to hit double figures, is a one goal in 6 games player and for the national team, from 50+ appearances, he’s yet to bag against decent opponents.

It’s like England relying on Demarai Gray

We definitely have no striker. Pulisic isn't a striker, but your characterization of him is way off. He's scored in a Champions League final. He's scored a decent amount of goals for Chelsea (1 in 4 PL apps, when a lot of those are off the bench) considering he's had a bunch of different managers and isn't a striker. He also walks into Everton's side. And most PL sides outside the Big 6.

All I'm saying is the US now actually has talent to play football - simply from an eye test perspective. That's it. In the past we tried harder than everyone and grinded out ugly results. Like a Burnley under Dyche. From a talent standpoint, we had no business getting out of group stages, or winning knockout rounds. Which we have in the past.

Now we are actually trying to play football because we have the players. When it's working it's much prettier to watch - in spite of the manager, not because of him. You can see actual talent, like watching a Big 4 European leagues game. But yeah we have no striker, our GKs are bad, and we also don't have great CBs. And a bad manager. So we aren't going anywhere this World Cup.

 

[4 Eyes Better Than 2]

We definitely have no striker. Pulisic isn't a striker, but your characterization of him is way off. He's scored in a Champions League final. He's scored a decent amount of goals for Chelsea (1 in 4 PL apps, when a lot of those are off the bench) considering he's had a bunch of different managers and isn't a striker. He also walks into Everton's side. And most PL sides outside the Big 6.

All I'm saying is the US now actually has talent to play football - simply from an eye test perspective. That's it. In the past we tried harder than everyone and grinded out ugly results. Like a Burnley under Dyche. From a talent standpoint, we had no business getting out of group stages, or winning knockout rounds. Which we have in the past.

Now we are actually trying to play football because we have the players. When it's working it's much prettier to watch - in spite of the manager, not because of him. You can see actual talent, like watching a Big 4 European leagues game. But yeah we have no striker, our GKs are bad, and we also don't have great CBs. And a bad manager. So we aren't going anywhere this World Cup.

I know he isn't a striker. I've said he is a forward and in the modern game we are regularly seeing wingers being amongst the top scorers. My characterization of him is not way off. Overall for Chelsea he has netted 26 goals in 4 seasons with 128 games, and has only scored 40 odd goals in his career to date. This is who the USA are relying on heavily.

Of course the football is going to be prettier to watch when most of your games are against the likes of Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

Maybe in 4 years or so when the younger talent are moving into their prime there could be a more solid outfit, who knows, but as things stand right now getting out of the group stage of this world cup will be a successful tournament in my opinion.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

as things stand right now getting out of the group stage of this world cup will be a successful tournament in my opinion.

I'd rather not if it gets our horrible manager sacked. He's not even a particularly good MLS manager, put him in against people who have won things and his lunch will be well and truly eaten.

 

[Yarrgh]

Bit harsh, I’ve watched Wales since we were properly shiz, as have many who are making the trip.

High points like having Bobby Gould as manager and Vinny Jones as captain, getting stuffed 7-1 in Holland. It was that bad, big Nev still got mom in that game.

Probably a bit different for us as it’s our first world cup since 1958, so the first in a lifetime for most fans.

There’s also the undeniable honour of Wales playing all our games at the awesome Ahmed bin Ali stadium, home of the famous Fierce, Al Rayyan. Hopefully their ultras stay away.

The camel will have its feast on sheep as the Qatari proverb goes.

 

[WA Toffee]

Hard to get hyped for this one but 2026 is going to be absolutely massive

I'm finding it hard to get excited about the next one. 48 qualifiers. Groups of 3. There is going to be some absolute dross. Having it in Canada and the US isn't really exciting either

 

[longers]

I'm finding it hard to get excited about the next one. 48 qualifiers. Groups of 3. There is going to be some absolute dross. Having it in Canada and the US isn't really exciting either

I think having it in the US, Canada and Mexico is great, that's the main reason im hyped for it lol.

 

[Haydn]

The camel will have its feast on sheep as the Qatari proverb goes.

Inshallah, may the camels eyes be preserved for nothing but weeping.

A herd of camels guided by a goat will not find the well of joy, where the shepherd plays a sweet song on his reed flute.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I know he isn't a striker. I've said he is a forward and in the modern game we are regularly seeing wingers being amongst the top scorers. My characterization of him is not way off. Overall for Chelsea he has netted 26 goals in 4 seasons with 128 games, and has only scored 40 odd goals in his career to date. This is who the USA are relying on heavily.

Of course the football is going to be prettier to watch when most of your games are against the likes of Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

Maybe in 4 years or so when the younger talent are moving into their prime there could be a more solid outfit, who knows, but as things stand right now getting out of the group stage of this world cup will be a successful tournament in my opinion.

I'm not sure it has to be heavily though. That feels like more of a choice to me.

Also Pulisic's record at Chelsea is far better than the appearances make it look because of the ungodly amount of sub appearances. He's closer to 1 in 3 than 1 in 5.

 

[4 Eyes Better Than 2]

I'm not sure it has to be heavily though. That feels like more of a choice to me.

Also Pulisic's record at Chelsea is far better than the appearances make it look because of the ungodly amount of sub appearances. He's closer to 1 in 3 than 1 in 5.

He’s roughly approaching the half way mark in his entire career and hasn’t reached 50 goals yet. He’s alright as a player but that’s about it. He’s equal to Demarai Gray in terms of ability; he’s certainly not any better than Gray. Is Gray worth 60 million? Hell no.

Pulisic is the USMNT best hope of doing anything currently and that’s why it’ll continue to be bang average.

We’ll revisit this in 4 years when these great midfielders and defenders you keep mentioning to us are in their prime and playing for top clubs in Europe.