SOCCER - SUMMER 2024

[Dolfan in NYC]

Nationwide tournaments are going on right now as Euro 2024 has kicked off and now Copa America starts tonight! 

Canada takes on Argentina in a match to determine who's polar regions are better!  Also to juice ratings because Messi will play for La Albiceste tonight.

The USMNT kicks off their tournament on Sunday vs. Bolivia. Can Coach Berhalter pull off the impossible... and get fired mid-tournament?   Let's see!

[odessasteps]

Espanyol return to La Liga after winning the second leg of the Segunda playoff final over Real Oviedo.

[benj]

US Soccer has arrived v7.0

[Dewar]

Found something worse than CONCACAF refs. CONCACAF and CONMEBOL referees being combined. Headbutts are no longer red cards.

[Dolfan in NYC]

Semi-surprise (but not really)... Alex Morgan has been left off the US Olympic team roster for the Paris games.

[Dolfan in NYC]

Mexico committed a very very stupid foul in the zone, so Venezuela scored and pulls a huge 1-0 upset in their Copa match. 

Also of note, Mexico was awarded a penalty kick of their own, but... *insert Price is Right losing horn*

[SirFozzie]

And speaking of very very stupid fouls, Tim Weah, take a bow! (also take a red card for punching a Panama player in the back of the head)

 

[Raziel]

Apparently, hitting a Cross Body Block on a Keeper playing the ball is now legal under CONMEBOL Rules.

Not disagreeing about Weah's foul, that was very very stupid.  But not even a "Hey, don't do that" on the Panama player (or players) straight up American Football tackling US players.

[The Natural]

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/wwe-manchester-city-fc-launch-new-merchandise-collaboration/

Pete.

[sabremike]

Here's an all time blunder:

https://x.com/wpiootbgw/status/1807230915304697887?t=J14vCzyPJTAlGk6pH0au4A&s=19

[Raziel]

I'd laugh about Mexico Down, but the US is gonna join them tomorrow so...

[SirFozzie]

Eh.

I was going to do my "Mexico in shambles" bit, but really, have they been UN-shambolic the last.. what.. three? four years?

And yeah, they could go out even if they win

[cubbymark]

2 hours ago, Raziel said:

I'd laugh about Mexico Down, but the US is gonna join them tomorrow so...

I'm going to laugh either way. Berhalter should have NEVER been brought back. The sooner he's shown the door for realsies, the better. The tears of the Mexican media who supported the lie that has been El Tri since at least 2014 are going to be glorious.

[SirFozzie]

I don't get the Berhalter hate for the Copa. It's really fucking hard to get a result when one of your players has a complete brain fart and leaves you down a man for SEVENTY minutes.

[Dolfan in NYC]

The theory is, and this is across any sport...   a good manager or coach knows how to control a guy like Weah and get him to see the bigger picture.  

In 1984 that would have been via benching and cutting his playing time.   In 2024, it's having a conversation or two or ten with him.  

Either way, losing to fucking Panama is unacceptable.  And recent results, like the Colombia obliteration, make Berhalter sit on an increasingly heated seat. 

[Chaos]

11 hours ago, SirFozzie said:

I don't get the Berhalter hate for the Copa. It's really fucking hard to get a result when one of your players has a complete brain fart and leaves you down a man for SEVENTY minutes.

It was a boneheaded play, and then you quickly go up 1-0. At that point, you should probably focus more on defense to secure the result. Instead, you concede the tying goal four minutes later and spend the rest of the game playing on your heels as your team increasingly tires. This was especially noticeable as commentary frequently highlighted the challenge of playing a man down and the resulting fatigue in tonight's game.

Not having Turner in the second half, due to poor play from Panama that caused him to take an ugly landing, did not help matters either.

The US mishandled the Berhalter situation after the World Cup, which forced their hand into giving him another shot. Otherwise, I'm not sure he would be the manager heading into the Copa, given the team's performances since then.

EDIT: My grammar was not great here, as I wrote it a bit stream of consciousness. 

Edited July 1, 2024 by Chaos

[Raziel]

The thing is, even with Weah getting carded, in this timeline there's no way the US should be losing to Panama.  Yes, the officiating was fucked, but that was their game plan and the US retaliated and it cost them.  There was no control.  There should have been.  Now, instead of just keeping tonight close, they HAVE to beat a team that's plain better than the US.  

[cubbymark]

And the US wasn't able to beat Uruguay. Mexico and USA out in the group stage. The hot seats should be on fire for both Berhalter and Jimmy Losano.

[odessasteps]

I hope we get Uruguay vs Canada for the Leeds Derby between Bielsa and Marsch. 

[Chaos]

9 hours ago, cubbymark said:

And the US wasn't able to beat Uruguay. Mexico and USA out in the group stage. The hot seats should be on fire for both Berhalter and Jimmy Losano.

It was such a frustrating game with brief glimpses of brilliance and inspiration from USMNT, but attacking third/around the box play just completely crumbled every time. Pulisic was getting openly frustrated about bad follow through on set pieces as well. 

[odessasteps]

So close, Ecuador. 

[odessasteps]

️

[Raziel]

Well the USSF finally fired Berhalter.  I'm guessing Canada making the Quarters was the final nail.

[sabremike]

2 hours ago, Raziel said:

Well the USSF finally fired Berhalter.  I'm guessing Canada making the Quarters was the final nail.

Ironic that in the end the the son of a legend got Berhalter sacked after all.

[Raziel]

Hold up, apparently they DIDN'T fire Berhalter yet, for some fucking reason...

 

Oh, wait, they're trying to KEEP HIM?????