The USMNT has done well in Jax before. Hard to get people out for a Tuesday night game in a holiday week. Plus, Camping World has turf.
USMNT Talk
- Thread starter MyBoyVilla
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The USMNT has done well in Jax before. Hard to get people out for a Tuesday night game in a holiday week. Plus, Camping World has turf.
I saw the MNT play Nigeria before the last cup. Fun game and a packed house as a weekend match, but that stadium is severely dated. Not the best of venues. Although I believe they did replace the Jumbotron later that summer. Still, it's a poor location for a midweek game.
My best guess is that the MNT administration didn't want a long trip for the second match, pretty sure they had to take three regional jets to the first game on the island, and there probably weren't a lot of stadium options without a layover to change planes. Logistics drive so much of the planning. They've already installed a 40ton AC unit in the visitor's locker room & hired the artificial snow making company for the Mexico tilt in Columbus - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....
If anyone hasn't seen it, check out the Twitter war between Bedoya and Wynalda. It falls squarely into the category of people behaving badly on the internet which I generally abhor, but it is also fairly amusing to watch.
Rather amusing from a wall flower perspective.
Bedoya epitomizes the whiney segment of millennials when he takes to Twitter - the kid can't take any criticism and always turns to pointed attacks. Somebody advising him that he respects should really recommend he get off social media altogether.
He could have actually played well. That might help.
Didn't realize he also sent Wynalda a message about the 1998 wife swap. Dude has no chill.
I didn't realize that was the deleted tweet.... he really is a conniving little twit.
"Bedoya then sent a tweet directly to Wynalda referencing the controversy over the 1998 World Cup team (John Harkes was dropped from the squad, and Wynalda later revealed the decision came after Harkes had an affair with Wynalda's wife), and asking if Wynalda was bitter that Bedoya "played at better clubs." Bedoya quickly deleted the tweet and later admitted he stepped over the line."
I'm not a Wynalda fan by any stretch, but Bedoya should check his facts out first - Wynalda played on two Bundesliga teams back when Americans were persona non grata in Europe. That was a hell of an achievement and a pioneering effort. What's Bedoya done besides play for Rangers the year they went insolvent and a mid-table French team like Metz???
I could watch the replay of Pulisic's shot rattling *both* posts quite a few times indeed.
And never bothered to actually apologize for being a complete jackass.
When Bedoya came to MLS, I saw a few reporters praise his Twitter acumen. If this is an example, no thanks.
If volume/quantity being mistaken for acumen isn't the aptest comment on 2016, I don't know what is.
I've always said his game was severely lacking and did very little to influence the match - his starting role was always a nuanced version of the Emperor's New Clothes with him believing his self worth to be greater than reality. Pulisic has done more in two games than Bedoya has done in his MNT career. And borrowing Bedoya's line of thought, he's just jealous that he's played on inferior teams to Pulisic.
Yeah, I dislike the punk.
Well, he just got some new competition for his spot in midfield, although the new guy doesn't get along well with the coach.
I was thinking further about this while listening to the latest MIB podcast at work this morning. Who would be your starting XI and full 23 right now? I understand things will change as we get to the 2018 World Cup as form improves/regresses for some players, but we have so many different, interesting interchangeable pieces, its kind of a tough puzzle to figure out at this moment.
I do think the Hex (and hopefully we get some friendlies against some good competition on the calendar) will help shake things out as players get some exposure to better competition, but I'll take a crack at my top 23, followed by starting XI based on 3 different formations:
GK: Howard, Guzan, Horvath
DEF: Brooks, Cameron, Birnbaum, Besler, Yedlin, FabJohnson, Acosta
MID: Bradley, Pulisic, Gooch, Kljestan, Nagbe, Bedoya, Arriola, J. Green
FOR: Altidore, Dempsey, Wood, Morris, Rubin
There are a few players above I'm not completely sold on (Rubin), and some of them were included due to their positional flexibility (Acosta, Besler) off of the bench.
4-4-2
Altidore-Wood (They will figure out how to play with each other)
Kljestan
Pulisic-Gooch (assuming one of them can play on the right)
Bradley
FabJo-Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin
4-3-3
Pulisic-Altidore-Wood
Nagbe-Klejstan
Bradley
FabJo-Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin
4-2-3-1
Wood
Pulisic-Kljestan-Gooch
Bradley-Cameron
FabJo-Brooks-Birnbaum-Yedlin
A few thoughts on the above:
I do think the Hex (and hopefully we get some friendlies against some good competition on the calendar) will help shake things out as players get some exposure to better competition, but I'll take a crack at my top 23, followed by starting XI based on 3 different formations:
GK: Howard, Guzan, Horvath
DEF: Brooks, Cameron, Birnbaum, Besler, Yedlin, FabJohnson, Acosta
MID: Bradley, Pulisic, Gooch, Kljestan, Nagbe, Bedoya, Arriola, J. Green
FOR: Altidore, Dempsey, Wood, Morris, Rubin
There are a few players above I'm not completely sold on (Rubin), and some of them were included due to their positional flexibility (Acosta, Besler) off of the bench.
4-4-2
Altidore-Wood (They will figure out how to play with each other)
Kljestan
Pulisic-Gooch (assuming one of them can play on the right)
Bradley
FabJo-Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin
4-3-3
Pulisic-Altidore-Wood
Nagbe-Klejstan
Bradley
FabJo-Brooks-Cameron-Yedlin
4-2-3-1
Wood
Pulisic-Kljestan-Gooch
Bradley-Cameron
FabJo-Brooks-Birnbaum-Yedlin
A few thoughts on the above:
- I have yet to actually watch Gooch play yet, but have heard great things. I am therefore plugging him in there based on assumptions. I have also heard he's been playing on the left side. Can he play on the right? I think Pulisic is talented enough to switch sides, but until I see him do it (and since he's been very damn effective on the left), I'd like to keep him on the left.
- Kljestan - I know a lot of people here may not like my inclusion of him, (and as much as I love to hate him) he is very deserving here. He's great at freeing attackers making good runs and I think he has guys he can connect with on this team. The Hex games are going to be crucial in finding out whether or not he belongs in the starting XI over Nagbe.
- Altidore - everyone knows he's injury prone, but he has really been putting it together lately. I know him and Wood were not playing well together the last 2 games, but I'm assuming in a 4-4-2 that they eventually figure it out.
- Fabian Johnson - I would absolutely prefer him as a left mid but with Pulisic and Gooch preferring to play there, and a lack of other LB options, I think he's stuck playing back there
- Bradley - I know some people don't think he's all that great, but I think he's terrific at playing initial balls out to start the counter
- Dempsey - I really, really like Clint as a super sub off the bench. He had a great Copa but give me his fire off of the bench when we need a spark. (Also I realize he has some significant health concerns now, so maybe this doesn't fit my "right now" scenario, but fuck off)
Don't forget Aron Johanson. He's the best pure dribbling forward and getting back into form for his club
I like your 23 mostly. I think Villafana would get a spot if he could ever get a call up.
I'm going to throw in a prediction for Tillman and Julian Green, not based on current form of course. It's a prediction. I would project either of them over Johannsson. I think Aron has some incurable shit that you never know when it messes him up.
Also, think about this, we have a striker on Bayern that you left out of your squad. That's wild.
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