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USMNT 2022


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On 1/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, alincoln said:

Sargent's lack of productivity (0 G/A in 19 PL games before his brace) is glaring but he did just tie Jozy's career EPL goal tally and did so in 50 less appearances.  

Glad he didn't get called up because he needs to focus on following up that performance and helping Norwich stay up.

 

Yeah but Jozy > Sargent because Sargent isn't a role model for young black kings. /s

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36 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

 

I'm reading that Steffen is still in Manchester and hasn't gone to the USMNT camp. That means that Matt Turner is likely to be the #1. A side note to this, Matt Turner's last competitive match was Nov 30 when New England was KO'd from the MLS Cup.

I hope Ethan Horvath is ready and available. At least he's been training and should be in better form.

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1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

🤪

I guess that NO ONE scores at Hull on a wet winter's day or yada-yada-yada... so it's not a bad place to be a defender.

At least he'll be able to go shopping and stuff when playing opposing teams in real cities.

I feel fairly confident that he's got a chance at being the only Hull player who could get picked to go to the World Cup.

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I think yahoo actually beat 'em to it. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/christian-pulisic-goal-vs-liverpool-144816222.html

Christian Pulisic has reflected on his big goal which grabbed Chelsea a point against Liverpool, plus his manager Thomas Tuchel challenged the USMNT star to keep improving.

Pulisic, 23, has played the full 90 minutes in each of Chelsea’s last five Premier League games and he’s played in a variety of positions as a false nine, wing-back and he was back to his natural position as a winger from the start in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

The American superstar did end up playing the last 20 minutes as a right wing-back once again and he’s showed off his versatility in recent weeks due to Chelsea’s long list of injuries and absentees through illness.

Asked about his own form in recent weeks after he returned from injury in November, here’s what Christian Pulisic had to say.

“It has been great to be back in a bit of a rhythm. I think I am happy with how far I’ve come, especially since my injury earlier this season,” Pulisic said. “I’m happy with my form and the way that I’m playing but I still have a lot to improve on so I’m just going to keep going.”

Pulisic took his goal really well but had a few other big chances and his confidence just seems to have taken a hit after he was asked to play out of position up front and then as a wing-back in recent weeks. After such a long time out he’s played the full 90 in five games over the last two weeks, four of which have been draws as Chelsea’s title push has faltered, and that is a lot of pressure for the USMNT star to take on board as he’s struggled to impact games.

But he did score against Liverpool (his third goal of the season) and he was asked about the strike which made it 2-2 right on half time.

“I remember [on his goal] that Toni [Rudiger] won a ball and I had a run to make and NG [Kante] slipped me in,” Pulisic. “My first touch was good and I knew I just needed to lift it a bit with my left and put it to the far post. When I hit it I actually thought it was going to hit the crossbar or go over, but luckily it dipped just in time.”

It was a classy finish from Christian Pulisic but he did rue missing a big chance early in the game as he was clean through on goal after a deflection fell his way but he delayed his finish and Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was able to smother the ball at his feet.

Reflecting on a wild clash, Pulisic said he was delighted to be out there in such a high-profile game but he knows his early chance was one that got away.

“Obviously a fantastic match of football, one with emotions flying all over the place and one where we would have loved to have got three points but in the end it was a good fight from the team,” Pulisic said. “Definitely back and forth. It felt like we were playing extremely well and they scored two goals, which is unfortunate. I had a chance early on which I wish I could have finished. That could have changed the game. Then they score two and we showed good fight to get back in the game. I was really happy with that.”

Tuchel challenges USMNT star to be sharper

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was also happy with the fighting spirit from his team as they battled back from 2-0 down to grab a point but they are now 10 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after a run of four draws and one defeat from their last seven games.

Asked specifically about Pulisic’s display and his recent form after being back to fitness, Tuchel challenged the USMNT star to keep improving.

“Still room for improvement,” Tuchel said of Pulisic. “I have the feeling I know him even better, I know him to be more and more clinical and more precise. How to fight out of this little hole with games like this, goals like this, this is it and he was strong. He helped in the end as a defender and was a huge step up front for him today.”

Tuchel may sound harsh here, but he’s right.

Pulisic scored a lovely goal but struggled in the flow of the game and you get the sense he’s still getting up to speed and regaining his confidence. To be going through that and still score an equalizer against Liverpool isn’t bad, like Tuchel said, and this display should give the USMNT plenty of confidence.

With Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner expected to return to the Chelsea team in the coming days and weeks, will Pulisic continue to play regularly? He’s shown Tuchel he can count on him but the USMNT star knows he has yet to hit his best form.

Christian Pulisic believes he and Chelsea just need a little more luck to get back in the title race this season.

“I think it should give us confidence [the draw against Liverpool] especially being 2-0 down, that we are able to score goals, we are able to compete with the best teams in the world,” Pulisic said. “We know that, we’ve seen that last season, we’ve done it this season and we are a confident team. We should go into any match with our heads high and to go out to win the game. That is what we did today but maybe we didn’t get that exact luck that I still feel like we are missing in the last couple of weeks, but that can chance quickly and we are hoping it will.”

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My guess at the lineup tonight, it pretty much a no brainer.

 

Turner

Dest-MRob-Richards/Zimmerman-Arob

M M A

Aaronson/Weah and Pulisic

Zardes.

The back line is easy, and I’m good with either of the 3 CBs.  I think the plan is to let each of MR/CR and MZ 2 games.  
 

midfield, that’s the obvious.  But if for rotation purposes, they decide to sit one of the Ms for LDLT, I could understand it

The three wingers, Pulisic, Aaronson, Weah.  I’d guess like the CBs the plan is each starts 2 games. If 1 does rest, I hope we see Morris over Paul A.

9, I don’t see Gregg starting PEPI all three matches, and with this match being in Columbus against The Salvador, this would be the one I expect GGG to give Zardes a nod.  

Edited by Ted Lange
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Forecast tonight show temp just under freezing, around 31 at kickoff and shouldn't move much, a degree or two across the game.

Hamilton on Sunday, likely around 22 for kickoff with the temp going up slightly (3 PM game).

St Paul next Tuesday is going to be the opposite, around 22 at kickoff and falling fast.

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51 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Hopefully Arsenal can teach Matt how to play using his feet better and improve his distribution, its the only thing holding him back.

THIS!

THIS!

A thousand times THIS!

Getting away from Bruce Arena is the best possible thing for his development.

Bruce was a keeper in the ‘70s and asks his keepers to play the same way. That is NOT what Turner needs. 

Worrying part is that if/when we qualify for the World Cup, our top 2 keepers will be guys that don’t play. So there’s that. 

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So sad for me to see the game on tv in Columbus.  I think I went to every US game in Columbus from about 2002 to 2016.  Just a few hours from Knoxville.

Oh, and Keller on the pregame.  Ge gave my daughter his jersey after one of those games.

Edited by Knoxtnhorn
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