Garrick
Awesome, lid.
Before the tournament began, Jürgen Klinsmann stated that his goal for the team was semifinals.
Considering the USMNT was off its worst Gold Cup finish ever and struggled in a World Cup Qualifying group that included juggernauts such as Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala, the reaction to this stated goal was a mixture of laughter, confusion, and derision.
Smash cut to June 20th and here we are, it’s the Copa America Centenario Semifinals, United States vs Argentina. The number 1 ranked team in the world, according to both FIFA and Elo rankings, with the world’s best player, who’s hungry for international silverware to round out his impressive trophy collection, a side so good they’re able to bring Sergio Aguero in off the bench, Messi Messi Messi blah blah blah blah blah…
You know what? I don’t care. Remember 1995 in Uruguay when we spanked Ar-hen-tina harder than the Royal Navy and won our Copa group? Or 2009 when we booted the then-invincible Spain off their tiki taka high post with some good ol’ fashioned counterattacking SOCCAH? And do you know what other currently number 1 ranked side sure loves their possession footie?
I think we’re overdue for another one of our trademark “knock the top dogs off just for shits and giggles” matches. Sorry Funes Mori, you’ve been great for Everton and all but today you’re wearing the wrong color blue. For today and today only, you and the rest of that lot can do one. For all the talk of how great and wonderful “La Albiceleste” are, they’ve got surprisingly little to show for it in recent years. And now you get to play the USMNT in Texas, so come and take it.
Jones, Bedoya, and Wood will all be sidelined with suspensions. Beckerman is the likely replacement for Jones with his defensive ability, but the other two are in question. Personally, I’d go with Pulisic and Wondo and just whip crosses into the box all 90 minutes. Without two of our best passers, it’s going to be tough to get anything through the Argentine midfield.
And if we can grind them out to a draw, then it’s straight to a roll-the-dice shootout anyway. I don’t need pretty. I just want a result.
Murder these, America.
(but please only with proverbial AR-15’s and not the real thing.)
THE YANKS ARE COMING
Considering the USMNT was off its worst Gold Cup finish ever and struggled in a World Cup Qualifying group that included juggernauts such as Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala, the reaction to this stated goal was a mixture of laughter, confusion, and derision.
Smash cut to June 20th and here we are, it’s the Copa America Centenario Semifinals, United States vs Argentina. The number 1 ranked team in the world, according to both FIFA and Elo rankings, with the world’s best player, who’s hungry for international silverware to round out his impressive trophy collection, a side so good they’re able to bring Sergio Aguero in off the bench, Messi Messi Messi blah blah blah blah blah…
You know what? I don’t care. Remember 1995 in Uruguay when we spanked Ar-hen-tina harder than the Royal Navy and won our Copa group? Or 2009 when we booted the then-invincible Spain off their tiki taka high post with some good ol’ fashioned counterattacking SOCCAH? And do you know what other currently number 1 ranked side sure loves their possession footie?
I think we’re overdue for another one of our trademark “knock the top dogs off just for shits and giggles” matches. Sorry Funes Mori, you’ve been great for Everton and all but today you’re wearing the wrong color blue. For today and today only, you and the rest of that lot can do one. For all the talk of how great and wonderful “La Albiceleste” are, they’ve got surprisingly little to show for it in recent years. And now you get to play the USMNT in Texas, so come and take it.
Jones, Bedoya, and Wood will all be sidelined with suspensions. Beckerman is the likely replacement for Jones with his defensive ability, but the other two are in question. Personally, I’d go with Pulisic and Wondo and just whip crosses into the box all 90 minutes. Without two of our best passers, it’s going to be tough to get anything through the Argentine midfield.
And if we can grind them out to a draw, then it’s straight to a roll-the-dice shootout anyway. I don’t need pretty. I just want a result.
Murder these, America.
(but please only with proverbial AR-15’s and not the real thing.)
THE YANKS ARE COMING
