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

We just had for years of Trump. America doesn’t have any karma.

 

Celebrate the anniversary with a win today.

 

Instead of karma and 1783, how about we just take some fucking shots on goal today?

 

I dunno. I'd say if there's one characteristic of this USMNT player pool it's that they tend to respond when they know their proverbial balls are to the wall. It's the other instances that they tend to screw up.

I have not seen anything but the score of the Iran-Wales game, but I think we can match up with Iran physically and have more technical ability. Wales catching us from behind seems a lot less likely since their keeper got sent off, and I don't think England is going to take their foot too far off the pedal against a Home Nation, whether they're already through or not.

Today, I'll take England 1-0 on a late, but not too late, winner. We'll see how things work out on Tuesday.

 

There is an element of the original tweet of how I feel as a fan. Why can't we just get to the point of expecting to freaking win and not drive ourselves crazy with scenarios? Regardless of who is in the pool? I know to an extent that's not how World Cups work for anyone, and definitely not this one so far, but still.

And the response tweet isn't how sports work. No team has ever had an average or bad performance and done well in the next contest.

All that said, not expecting much for a result today, but you never know. For me, the Iran win seems like a good thing, since we still play them and they still have a terrible GD, but who knows.

 

I love how USMNT fans have gone from "I Believe That We Will Win" to planning out scenarios after one match in group play.

 

Haji Wright in for Josh Sargent is Berhalter's lone change from the Wales match. See if or when Gio Reyna gets in today.

 

Haji has to be there just for speed on the counter, right?

 

0-0 at half. Positive thinking….

 

That Weston chance is a real opportunity missed.

 

Good first half. They're not scared and they're not wigging out. The events I predicted pre-game are still very much in play but the Americans didn't play themselves out of it, which is half the battle. The one bad thing that the Wales-Iran result did is take two or three draws as a means of advancing off the table. They're gonna need to win one, either today or Tuesday, so they might as well go for it.