World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

Mbappe has impressed in a fantastic team that won the league and brilliant national team. Be interesting to see the roles reversed with Rash in his shoes.

Right, and if you actually watch him play, you can see the individual qualities he has. Im not gonna argue with someone who thinks Rashford is on the same level, sorry.
 
I think it's fair to say Mbappe is better than Rashford. However, I think it's a bit pointless to compare Rashford with Mbappe. Rashford is a fantastic talent in his own right.
 
Tim Ream is garbage. He got destroyed by Urena.

Ruiz picked out a great pass past Bradley and with Ream and Cameron high up the pitch and leaving way too much space in the middle. Ruiz probably should have been sent off already with that early nasty tackle on Johnson (I think it was) that the ref missed, and picked up a yellow later for a cynical foul.
 
Jeff Cameron not covering. Could have prevented that goal. Watched him shoot and score. Pathetic. Stoke is his level.

True but Ream was playing like a left back with his positioning there. Cameron was slightly off to his right of where the RCB would be if the LCB was playing properly. Cameron should have identified the spacing and moved over but Ream hasn't looked confident all match; Cameron was marking another forward as well with Zusi out wide and slightly forward.
 
Halftime. USA 0-1 Costa Rica

Back to Bradley's passing, I counted 14 lateral, 12 forward (3 lead to shots/quality attacks), 7 backpasses, and 2 turnovers. He had two shots, one wide and one blocked. I've noticed he's played more box-to-box tonight often dropping into the backline with Cameron and Ream and sometimes further up the pitch. He is covering lots of ground tonight but if he's caught up the pitch CR have acres of space in the middle as Nagbe is up the pitch in the attacking half with Johnson and Pulisic out wide. Villafana and Zusi are seemingly playing as wingbacks versus traditional fullbacks.

Pulisic is clearly the only US player on the pitch capable of producing something from nothing.
 
Should be Deuce time soon. Move Pulisic into the 10 role. Take off Johnson - he's gassed and not match-fit.

Updated: Dropping Johnson to LB with Villafana off for Dempsey.

Wood moving to the left with Dempsey in the hole.
 
Costa Rican manager got his tactics spot on and the players have performed in their assigned roles.

Arena appears to have not got his team selection proper and I haven't a clue what his tactics were. The players have performed poorly overall.
 
The US match is on here...Pulisic is playing like a drunk Rooney, with less coordination.
 
I can honestly see the US not qualifying.

They'll qualify. They're third right now on goal differential (+1 to -6) over Honduras (if current Honduras 2-0 result holds true and anticipating a Panama loss in Mexico). Huge match will be Tuesday and it's quite likely the US will play much better in Honduras. Panama will likely be in a must win at home versus T&T (likely win) to have any shot at 3rd or 4th.

The last two US matches are very winnable matches hosting Panama and away to T&T, likely six points for the US. At worst, the US might find themselves in a playoff versus CONMEBOL 5th side, and that would be problematic looking at the possible candidates.

The US should slide in at 3rd with Honduras or Panama facing off in the playoff against CONMEBOL. T&T have practically no chance in the hex.
 
Mexico beating Panama should help USA, so they're still qualifying I reckon. Mexico just scored with a nice combination between Vela, Corona and Lozano.
 
The US fecked it up at home but they should still make it to the WC. If they don't then it's their own lookout.
 
Did anyone see the Norwegian player Tarik Elyounoussi signing for the Azerbadjan club Qarabag, while on the bench for Norway against Azarbadjan?

Thought that was pretty weird. Anyone signed for a club mid-match before? :lol:
 
Did you miss his backheel flick to set up Walker, his brilliant movement, his 40 yard shot and the fact he beat more players than every other player on the pitch combined?

When half the internet call you out for talking nonsense I think it's time to admit you were wrong pal.
Don't take any notice, he is probably just niggled that we have Rashford and they have Welbeck who only scores goal on his arse for England.
 
England game was yesterday? Glad that I missed it in a way. Just find it hard to get excited about an England team managed by Southgate and led by Henderson :boring:

Pity really, when we have some serious young talent up front like Ali, Kane and Rashford all playing together :drool:
 
Mbappe has impressed in a fantastic team that won the league and brilliant national team. Be interesting to see the roles reversed with Rash in his shoes.

Rashford would have been great for Monaco but I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't play for France.
 
Yeah, Rashford is a very good young player. The hype Mbappe gets is insane considering his age. I would definitely put Rashford up there with him. The only reason Mbappe MIGHT be ahead of Rashford is because he helped a Monaco team win the league and get far in CL as a fairly regular starter. As a rival fan, Utd can bring anybody off the bench and it doesn't worry me much, but when they bring on Rashford, there's always the chance he'll change the game. Utd are fortunate to have him tbh, and correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he one of Utd's less promising youth players?
 
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Did anyone see the Norwegian player Tarik Elyounoussi signing for the Azerbadjan club Qarabag, while on the bench for Norway against Azarbadjan?

Thought that was pretty weird. Anyone signed for a club mid-match before? :lol:

Should have started. Everybody knows you start the player in such a situation.

Jurgen-Klopp.jpg
 
I usually watch Germany and their style has always been the same under Low: a sort of tiki-taka. The problem is that it has become even slower in the last years.

Germany is getting older. The leaders have aged/disappeared: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Mertesacker Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Muller, Klose. Now they have a lot of very good players at the same level, but who is going to step up and lead tht team on and off the field. They could not get a grip of midfield at all yesterday. Who is the next team spine? Hummels, Kroos, Ozil, Draxler, Werner. Maybe they´ll grow into the roles.
 
Germany is getting older. The leaders have aged/disappeared: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Mertesacker Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Muller, Klose. Now they have a lot of very good players at the same level, but who is going to step up and lead tht team on and off the field. They could not get a grip of midfield at all yesterday. Who is the next team spine? Hummels, Kroos, Ozil, Draxler, Werner. Maybe they´ll grow into the roles.
Think they will be alright in the future, as they have many young players coming through their national team.