Official Team USA Soccer Thread

[wco81]

Supposedly it was the Japanese B team.

Mitoma, Kamada and Sugawara were only subs and Endo didn't play.

[hermes]

draw against ecuador, but people seem pretty upbeat about it. played pretty good, things might be coming together

[wco81]

draw against ecuador, but people seem pretty upbeat about it. played pretty good, things might be coming together

No Pulisic in the starting lineup but Ecuador didn't have their best player, Caicedo, either.

Less than a year from the WC and it seems Pulisic isn't playing much for the MNT. The best players getting enough run to acclimate to Poch's system?

[hermes]

and now a nice win over australia. this was a good window i'd say

[wco81]

One thing that is immediately obvious, these players don't curl the ball when they pass like you see in the Euro leagues. Odd considering that many of these players play in the top leagues over there.

At one point, they had like 70% possession around the half and they don't press as aggressively as you see in the PL routinely. I wonder what their pass completion percentages were compared to the top teams.

It was a nice through pass on the first goal by Wright though.

[hermes]

One thing that is immediately obvious, these players don't curl the ball when they pass like you see in the Euro leagues. Odd considering that many of these players play in the top leagues over there.

At one point, they had like 70% possession around the half and they don't press as aggressively as you see in the PL routinely. I wonder what their pass completion percentages were compared to the top teams.

It was a nice through pass on the first goal by Wright though.

is that good or bad? (or just different?)

[wco81]

I guess we'll see next year.

If they can't make a high percentage of passes like the good teams and at least possess the ball enough to generate scoring chances, it might be telling.

Teams with low possession percentages still can be competitive by defending very well and then pouncing on counter attacks but you need great forwards who can sprint down almost the whole length of the pitch to get good shots at the goal and midfielders who can make great long passes to spring them up the pitch.

[magik9113]

McKennie has been a great passer for Juve and can curl his passes no problem

[hermes]

actually caught the last half hour of usa-paraguay

nice win, very strange fight broke out in stoppage time. over who gets to throw the ball in of all things
could have been 3-1 if pepi wouldn't have taken forever with the ball right in front of the open goal

[hermes]

smoked uruguay 5-1, pretty impressive