The Soccer Thread (Version 13) — Winter World Cup Edition

Whew.

 

Yeah. Good on the referee for hammering Jamaica for wasting time. Didn't matter after all.

 

I mean cmon this is like the C-minus lineup

 

Yeah. But, unlike the American women, the roster of talent beyond Pulisic isn't exactly deep. Never has been.

It seems to be improving ... but at a grow-MLS-pace-level slow. And not starting to catch the world's elite.

 

Alexi hammering the US. Not sure I disagree. Jamaica is better than much of the rest of the world thinks, but the Americans have to be better.

 

That's Aston Villa's Leon Bailey! I'm just glad he didn't hurt himself.

 

I think it's important to note just how few shits US Soccer appears to give about this tournament. I am not an expert, but I like to think I am fairly knowledgeable about the U.S. player pool and there are at least four guys (maybe as many as six) [Tolkin, Sonora, A. Morris, Zendejas] that that I've never heard of in my life.

 

Hard to ask players who went to a mid season WC to play for 12 months straight.

 

As a casual, what’s the functional difference in this tournament and the one just concluded?

 

The Gold Cup is traditionally more prestigious because it’s the continental tournament and the Nations League is a recent creation meant more as a money grab in order to replace certain friendlies with a tournament where TV rights can be packaged and sold. It’s also a way for lesser teams to improve their qualification for the Gold Cup/World Cup. The Gold Cup is a greater time commitment because it is played all at once while the Nations League is played during international windows.

I think we got the A team for the Nations League because the players didn’t want the time commitment of a Gold Cup after the long season with the World Cup.

 

I know he's a plodder, but I wish Jordan Morris would just stay out there, give them one more heavy foot.