Bruce Arena Era 2: Electric Boogaloo. USMNT Super Thread

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Honduras is a decent side which tells you how well we played.

I actually thought we'd have a bit of trouble in this match. Shows you how much I know.

Sad part is that this match showed how Klinsmann was woefully out of touch as a manager and that we actually went backwards as a soccer nation under his watch than forward.
 
SerenityNigh said:
That kid Dempsey can still play the soccerballs (just watching it now this am)
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When Dempsey 1st came to Fulham he was a guy who had talent but often just used it to try a bunch of wacky stuff. It took over a year but I have to give Woy credit he was really remade into Fulham's version of Tim Cahill. He turned into a much more physical player there. Plus he can still a pull few tricks out of his behind with his feet. If he stays healthy he could be a starter and/or defo be an impact player off the bench.

Jozy, also making nice passes. Things might be looking up.

The back line was a tad shaky and would have gotten punished by a better squad but they are generally solid. We also need a midfield distrubutor because no one in the midfield can do it. Unfortunately our best one was stuck in the analyst's booth (Can't believe Holden is only 31).
 
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Rook said:
When Dempsey 1st came to Fulham he was a guy who had talent but often just used it to try a bunch of wacky stuff. It took over a year but I have to give Woy credit he was really remade into Fulham's version of Tim Cahill. He turned into a much more physical player there. Plus he can still a pull few tricks out of his behind with his feet. If he stays healthy he could be a starter and/or defo be an impact player off the bench.

Jozy, also making nice passes. Things might be looking up.

The back line was a tad shaky and would have gotten punished by a better squad but they are generally solid. We also need a midfield distrubutor because no one in the midfield can do it. Unfortunately our best one was stuck in the analyst's booth (Can't believe Holden is only 31).
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Damn you Phil Jones
 
Sad Donovan got railroaded by Klinsman and his stupidity. But on a positive note he did secure Brooks who has been a solid influence for us. Hope his injury isn't to bad.

Honduras made the last World Cup didn't they so they were no slouch.

Pulasic looks class he will only get better. Missed Bobby Wood.
 
verreauxi said:
Altidore (surprisingly) had a decent game. I don't have a high opinion of him. But despite having a good game he was still out-classed by the others in the front. We need better options up top.
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He does pretty well when he isn't the only guy. If you can pull a CB off him he can be quite good. Pulisic and Dempsey freed him up a little bit.
 
Tennessee Blue Mike said:
Sad Donovan got railroaded by Klinsman and his stupidity.
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I'd give Lando the fault. His long time off, seemed noncommital and all his public yapping about not being able to recover while nearing the biggest tourney in the world in which the team would have tough matches on a short calendar in varying and challenging climates.

Meanwhile, Clint, about the same age, just shows up and busts his ass. There is no doubting his commitment. Even this February he was mean-mugging FC Tucson (like a league 2 equivalent) side before a friendly in "Spring Training."

He's hungry.

Lando... notsomuch.

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Just maybe when playing a last tune-up match before WC selection against your hated rival you might want to look better in your kit than, say, I do when playing pick-up footie.
 
obc said:
I'd give Lando the fault. His long time off, seemed noncommital and all his public yapping about not being able to recover while nearing the biggest tourney in the world in which the team would have tough matches on a short calendar in varying and challenging climates.
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Donovan lost some points with me last night. His punditry was basically a two-hour subtweet of Jurgen Klinsmann. I understand he has complicated feelings about football and how it fits into his life, but he refuses to admit that was one reason (maybe the reason) he fell out of favor with Klinsmann.
 
obc said:
I'd give Lando the fault. His long time off, seemed noncommital and all his public yapping about not being able to recover while nearing the biggest tourney in the world in which the team would have tough matches on a short calendar in varying and challenging climates.

Meanwhile, Clint, about the same age, just shows up and busts his ass. There is no doubting his commitment. Even this February he was mean-mugging FC Tucson (like a league 2 equivalent) side before a friendly in "Spring Training."

He's hungry.

Lando... notsomuch.

Just maybe when playing a last tune-up match before WC selection against your hated rival you might want to look better in your kit than, say, I do when playing pick-up footie.
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From 2004-07 Landon was soft, and definitely not playing up to his ability. I even thought that he just hated football at the time. If someone left him off the 2006 squad he would have had no one to blame but himself. Which might have been to the 2006's team benefit because he was terrible at the WC, like one of the worst starting outfielders in the whole tourney bad. He didn't deserve to be shafted for the 2014 WC though.

However, I think he ended up seeing a little bit of himself in Beckham's 1st year at the Galaxy (with Beckham's I'd rather be anywhere but here attitude in his 1st year there) and rededicated himself. He was fantastic in 2009-12 and pretty much played all year round while becoming the leader of the USMNT. If you even watched the Bayern matches, he wasn't bad, it was Klinsmann who was a nincompoop who got a player on loan and decided to play him at a different position every single match then all but blamed Landon for getting fired.

Needless to say he got broken down a bit and needed a break before the WC. That was all the excuse that Klinsmann needed to tell the press (if he really believed this he wouldn't have brought Howard back). And yes he was kind of going through the motions at the Galaxy at the time but any idiot could see that he was taking it easy to save himself for the WC and his previous performances for the national team in the year up to the WC had been excellent. It would has been as dumb as Australia leaving Cahill off their own national team because he was a bit meh on the NYRBs.

Its a shame that he never played for us full time from say 2009-13. He would have been boss here. I mean we paid 25M for Bolasie and would be doing cartwheels if Bolasie had the initial impact that Landon immediately brought to us. For all of Moyes faults he was the perfect manager for him. Previous stints overseas were never kind to Donovan but Moyes did his homework before bringing him in and something as simple as you're playing RW, you are starting immediately, and everyone here is your friend was really the only coaching he needed.
 
verreauxi said:
Altidore (surprisingly) had a decent game. I don't have a high opinion of him. But despite having a good game he was still out-classed by the others in the front. We need better options up top.
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Think we already have a very good option when Bobby Wood is fit. Will be interesting to see who Bruce favors when he has a full stable to choose from.
 
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