Morris OR Arriola make sense as there are games you need their energy. I would have tried to get either Haji Wright or Pefok to see which fits in with the squad and provides the true #9 that we only have with Sargent on this roster.
One other player I would like to see more of is Brooks Lenon from Atlanta United. He has a lot of potential to play either as a FB or wingback (both roles he plays with Atlanta).
First, you are absolutely correct that in watching CONCACAF I have seen much worse as well. Not being on the field to feel the temperature of the game it's hard to say if that would have been enough to justify serious foul play. I did see it in real time and thought it was an ugly challenge (lunging in, late, studs up, etc...) that would have definitely made me consider it.
To give the referee credit there were some good no calls that he had a good view on and personally I thought the no call on the handling offense against McKenzie was the right one. What he saw or thought he saw in review is something he should answer.
I'll be very curious to see what if anything happens when the D&P panel reviews the altercations that occurred and see if there are fines, suspensions for what happened in the melee that the ref had no chance to see.
I agree with almost all of your points, but one that I do not agree with is credit to the referee. As a former soccer ref I found him very poor. The one thing you are taught as a referee is to be consistent, if it's a foul one way it's a foul the other. There was a total failure by the referee to make the right call when the Mexican captain lunged in with a studs up challenge on Weah. It was an EASY card, borderline red. However, the player was already on a yellow from an earlier altercation and as a result got a "talking to". Shortly after that player was subbed off since the Mexican coach was certain the player was only one more challenge away from being disqualified.
The question on "how long..." is really tough. The more better athletes see soccer as a potential future versus the NFL or NBA the better. it's really got to grow at the grassroots where you have kids playing pickup soccer at school instead of basketball or other sports.
I also live in Atlanta and the past five years have shown just how much you can change the perception with a team like Atlanta United. When you would talk with non-soccer fans when United started, they would talk about how the crowds would diminish (they have not) and how the games would be boring (wrong again).
Two things I think you should pay attention to with Pulisic's game.
First, every time he got on the ball he would have multiple players from El Tri working hard to win it back from him. This is a deliberate tactic by the Mexican coach, Tata Martino, to keep the ball out of Pulisic's possession.
Second, watch off the ball for how the players move to create space for Pulisic to pass. You could tell there is a lot of room for improvement. This also seemed like a problem for Gio Reyna & McKinnie as they often put passes where they expected teammates to be or head towards. Once the chemistry builds with these players it can take the US attack to a completely different level. There were some great moments last night in this regard, but there is the potential for so much more.
I always wondered how anyone can not simply enjoy what good comes instead of always complaining and wanting something better. I can see that when it's something you control that you want to improve on, but when it's completely out of your control just chill and enjoy what comes.
As someone who does live in GA here are some facts without bias.
Governor Kemp listened to the advice of Dr. Kathleen Toomey, an epidemiologist and board-certified family practitioner from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Governor Kemp shut down the state when she advised him to do so and is following her recommendation on how to reopen the state.
In confirmed ( including presumptive positive) case numbers Georgia doesn't have a single county in the top 50 of the country (as reported by Johns Hopkins).
Hopefully this provides some perspective and facts to draw conclusions from.
I agree with this...it’s great to have content from Craig Ross and Seth about the history, but I would like to know as much as we can about the current team/roster.
The other item I would find of interest adding is an interview with a former player to get a little further insight into what happened during their time with the team. I for one would love to hear from anyone on the 91 team about the reaction to Desmond’s catch against ND or when Desmond decided to strike the pose against OSU
Brendan Quinn and Austin Meek are excellent writers as well you will want to check out. If you liked the old M-Live Podcast with Nick & Brendan they are back together behind the Athletic firewall with some great stuff.
France has been the most complete and talented team. The only question has and still is how will Lloris play. Today, he played as good as a goalie can and got the clean sheet. One more good game and there will be another star on the French jersey.
Panama had to play the worst game in recent memory for that outcome. To say John Stones was wide open would be a massive understatement, plus neither PK in the first half was even questionable. Kane did a good job to bury both, but that's the two easiest goals he's ever going to score.
Neither Germany or Mexico want to finish 2nd in the group and get to face Brazil. Who, while they won 2-0 against Costa Rica, have not looked impressive yet. Expect that to change in the knockouts, especially if they have a change to avenge the 7-1 drubbing they received in 2014 on home soil from Germany.
The question is going to come with some of the venues listed above how they are going to make grass work in their stadiums. So far, it’s always been a challenge to have a decent pitch for the games when playing indoors. No one who was around for the Silverdome fiasco in 1994 wants a repeat of the horrible conditions.
At least we are past the Ides of March when he chooses Auburn after getting our hopes up. Wish the big guy all the best of luck wherever he goes that's not in Ohio.
This kind of list with no criteria, other than all the schools are public schools, has very little meaning. It's nice to see the service academies listed, but no idea what makes them better than Michigan or other AAU members.
As someone who lives in Georgia let me tell you that UGA fans are almost unsufferable as it is. You would think they have won every National Championship that the SEC took part in if you listen to some of them.
Bad as it is you still probably want another trophy in Satan's case. It's easy to point out that Bama didn't deserve to be there by their own coaches statement.
To most Bama fans if you aren't from LA (Lower Alabama) you are looked at like someone from another planet.
Plus, as someone who moved to the south years ago it does take some time to really understand the suthern' language, it only has a vague resemblence to English... :-))
you are absolutely correct that most Americans don't have any connection to "their" team in Europe. Personally I think there are many parrallels between Michigan and ManU. Both have a great tradition of winning, both have close bitter rivals (and O$U and LIverpool also have a lot in common) and both have recent experience with less than succesful head coaching changes.
Enjoy the soon to be heard chants for "21 times' as we leave L'Pool further behind.
Learning players, history of the club (like the tragedy that led to Busby's Babes), and enjoying watching some of the greatest homegrown players like the Class of 92 means that I enjoy my soccer experience every bit as much as my school. Now that my hometown has a club I will be fully supporting and rooting the Atlanta United FC as well. If you knew the history and tradition of the club you would understand more how United would feel very familiar to Michigan fans.
As someone who became a Premier League fan years ago there were only a few games available for viewing. As such, the team that I was able to watch the most and played very attractive soccer was Manchester United. The Red Devils have a lot in common with Michigan for tradition, northern location and a fiercely loyal and diverse fanbase.
Group H will have a ton of good game, but group G is really not good. Monaco, Porto, Besiktas and Leipzig as a champions league group? Celtic would love to replace any one of those teams.
Manchester United have to face an away trip to Moscow, a 5 (+) hour flight, and the Premier League is not noted for taking that into account when scheduling their fixtures. That could very welll mean a Sunday game in England followed by a Tuesday game in Russia. Man City has to go even further into Ukriane.
If you want excellent long form written content, it is worth the cost. As it currently comes with all of the areas they cover you can pick your favorite teams and enjoy. Being able to pick your favorite teams and only get that content is particually good since you don't have to sort through stories that do not matter to you.
Only slots that I would be interested to hear your rationale for are:
Graham Zusi - has not in my opinion showed defensive positioning necessary for a WC squad. While he does provide a lot of effort and some excellent crosses, there are better options like Garza or Lichaji.
Dax McCarty – Dax is a fantastic player in MLS, but seems to struggle with the higher pace of international games. At best he would be used at the end of games or as an emergency sub for Bradley in the #6 role. There are others who can provide what Dax can do, like Danny Williams, and don’t have the issue with faster games.
Should we include a youth player or two like Andrew Carlton (Atlanta United F) & Justen Glad (RSL D)? Giving younger players experience with the squad would be very helpful in the long term.
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Risk 1.0 bot
I had to do that as well, it's the ultimate in Sparty Noooo...
Morris OR Arriola make sense as there are games you need their energy. I would have tried to get either Haji Wright or Pefok to see which fits in with the squad and provides the true #9 that we only have with Sargent on this roster.
One other player I would like to see more of is Brooks Lenon from Atlanta United. He has a lot of potential to play either as a FB or wingback (both roles he plays with Atlanta).
“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."
thank you for sharing these words that express so much about the joys and sorrows that fill our lives.
double post error...sorry
Ditto!
well said...
Ditto!
First, you are absolutely correct that in watching CONCACAF I have seen much worse as well. Not being on the field to feel the temperature of the game it's hard to say if that would have been enough to justify serious foul play. I did see it in real time and thought it was an ugly challenge (lunging in, late, studs up, etc...) that would have definitely made me consider it.
To give the referee credit there were some good no calls that he had a good view on and personally I thought the no call on the handling offense against McKenzie was the right one. What he saw or thought he saw in review is something he should answer.
I'll be very curious to see what if anything happens when the D&P panel reviews the altercations that occurred and see if there are fines, suspensions for what happened in the melee that the ref had no chance to see.
I agree with almost all of your points, but one that I do not agree with is credit to the referee. As a former soccer ref I found him very poor. The one thing you are taught as a referee is to be consistent, if it's a foul one way it's a foul the other. There was a total failure by the referee to make the right call when the Mexican captain lunged in with a studs up challenge on Weah. It was an EASY card, borderline red. However, the player was already on a yellow from an earlier altercation and as a result got a "talking to". Shortly after that player was subbed off since the Mexican coach was certain the player was only one more challenge away from being disqualified.
The question on "how long..." is really tough. The more better athletes see soccer as a potential future versus the NFL or NBA the better. it's really got to grow at the grassroots where you have kids playing pickup soccer at school instead of basketball or other sports.
I also live in Atlanta and the past five years have shown just how much you can change the perception with a team like Atlanta United. When you would talk with non-soccer fans when United started, they would talk about how the crowds would diminish (they have not) and how the games would be boring (wrong again).
Two things I think you should pay attention to with Pulisic's game.
First, every time he got on the ball he would have multiple players from El Tri working hard to win it back from him. This is a deliberate tactic by the Mexican coach, Tata Martino, to keep the ball out of Pulisic's possession.
Second, watch off the ball for how the players move to create space for Pulisic to pass. You could tell there is a lot of room for improvement. This also seemed like a problem for Gio Reyna & McKinnie as they often put passes where they expected teammates to be or head towards. Once the chemistry builds with these players it can take the US attack to a completely different level. There were some great moments last night in this regard, but there is the potential for so much more.
I always wondered how anyone can not simply enjoy what good comes instead of always complaining and wanting something better. I can see that when it's something you control that you want to improve on, but when it's completely out of your control just chill and enjoy what comes.
Let’s go and get rid of the rest of the Gray...time to show who is the true Champions of the West.
Cannot wait for the day when the Gray of Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College is gone from the board for good.
I have to say I really appreciate your daily updates. I am curious about your view of the advances Nebraska has made recently, especially in the west.
As someone who does live in GA here are some facts without bias.
Governor Kemp listened to the advice of Dr. Kathleen Toomey, an epidemiologist and board-certified family practitioner from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Governor Kemp shut down the state when she advised him to do so and is following her recommendation on how to reopen the state.
The trend line for new infection cases is going down. Definitely open to debate if the line is going down enough to start reopening the state. For the data check out, Georgia Department of Public Health COVID-19 Daily Status Report
In confirmed ( including presumptive positive) case numbers Georgia doesn't have a single county in the top 50 of the country (as reported by Johns Hopkins).
Hopefully this provides some perspective and facts to draw conclusions from.
I agree with this...it’s great to have content from Craig Ross and Seth about the history, but I would like to know as much as we can about the current team/roster.
The other item I would find of interest adding is an interview with a former player to get a little further insight into what happened during their time with the team. I for one would love to hear from anyone on the 91 team about the reaction to Desmond’s catch against ND or when Desmond decided to strike the pose against OSU
Brendan Quinn and Austin Meek are excellent writers as well you will want to check out. If you liked the old M-Live Podcast with Nick & Brendan they are back together behind the Athletic firewall with some great stuff.
Good luck to Mr Herron, nothing but the best wishes to any young man who has that 40 year decision.
Congratulations to Duncan for his amazing journey.
France has been the most complete and talented team. The only question has and still is how will Lloris play. Today, he played as good as a goalie can and got the clean sheet. One more good game and there will be another star on the French jersey.
Panama had to play the worst game in recent memory for that outcome. To say John Stones was wide open would be a massive understatement, plus neither PK in the first half was even questionable. Kane did a good job to bury both, but that's the two easiest goals he's ever going to score.
Neither Germany or Mexico want to finish 2nd in the group and get to face Brazil. Who, while they won 2-0 against Costa Rica, have not looked impressive yet. Expect that to change in the knockouts, especially if they have a change to avenge the 7-1 drubbing they received in 2014 on home soil from Germany.
1) miss the…
So far..old
1) miss the Application on my phone, much worse experience on mobile devices with the new
2) the stories are harder to view if you miss a day
3) Pro for the new: being able to hide a troll’s comments so as not to see them anymore
The question is going to come with some of the venues listed above how they are going to make grass work in their stadiums. So far, it’s always been a challenge to have a decent pitch for the games when playing indoors. No one who was around for the Silverdome fiasco in 1994 wants a repeat of the horrible conditions.
Good luck Mo...we will miss you
Not sure how John Lithgow and Bryan Cranston don't make the list.
Lithgow was the father in Harry & the Hendersons and also a great serial killer in Dexter
Agreed...it's the only problem with an Audi
We are…
Touchdown Vulture...
We are going to miss you Mr. Hill
Best meme picture for how something just got run over by an irresistible force.
well done sir...
Branch walking away from the Penn St QB is always my favorite image
George sounds like someone who was more interested in getting into Graduate School rather than becoming the starting QB. Good for him..
At least we are past the Ides of March when he chooses Auburn after getting our hopes up. Wish the big guy all the best of luck wherever he goes that's not in Ohio.
Agreed that the slideshow sites suck...when you add to it that there is no criteria about what differentiates 1 from 25 it's a waste of time as well.
This kind of list with no criteria, other than all the schools are public schools, has very little meaning. It's nice to see the service academies listed, but no idea what makes them better than Michigan or other AAU members.
I have a lot of friends who were rooting for UGA and now have a different view on the complaints we've had over the years on this particular crew.
as long as Satan and his muppet sidekick Kirby get struck by lightening first that would be a perfect outcome for this game.
As someone who lives in Georgia let me tell you that UGA fans are almost unsufferable as it is. You would think they have won every National Championship that the SEC took part in if you listen to some of them.
Bad as it is you still probably want another trophy in Satan's case. It's easy to point out that Bama didn't deserve to be there by their own coaches statement.
UCF deserved to be there...SEC bias led to this matchup
UCF...
Bama didn't deseve to be there and UGA fans are unsufferable already.
To most Bama fans if you aren't from LA (Lower Alabama) you are looked at like someone from another planet.
Plus, as someone who moved to the south years ago it does take some time to really understand the suthern' language, it only has a vague resemblence to English... :-))
UGA - Athens is a lot like Ann Arbor
LSU - night game at Death Valley would be worth the trip
Stanford - Let JH visit his friends at the 9ers.
you are absolutely correct that most Americans don't have any connection to "their" team in Europe. Personally I think there are many parrallels between Michigan and ManU. Both have a great tradition of winning, both have close bitter rivals (and O$U and LIverpool also have a lot in common) and both have recent experience with less than succesful head coaching changes.
Enjoy the soon to be heard chants for "21 times' as we leave L'Pool further behind.
If you ever watched a Sir Alex team and understood their attacking you would understand why United fans love him like Brian loved the spread.
Learning players, history of the club (like the tragedy that led to Busby's Babes), and enjoying watching some of the greatest homegrown players like the Class of 92 means that I enjoy my soccer experience every bit as much as my school. Now that my hometown has a club I will be fully supporting and rooting the Atlanta United FC as well. If you knew the history and tradition of the club you would understand more how United would feel very familiar to Michigan fans.
As someone who became a Premier League fan years ago there were only a few games available for viewing. As such, the team that I was able to watch the most and played very attractive soccer was Manchester United. The Red Devils have a lot in common with Michigan for tradition, northern location and a fiercely loyal and diverse fanbase.
Group H will have a ton of good game, but group G is really not good. Monaco, Porto, Besiktas and Leipzig as a champions league group? Celtic would love to replace any one of those teams.
Manchester United have to face an away trip to Moscow, a 5 (+) hour flight, and the Premier League is not noted for taking that into account when scheduling their fixtures. That could very welll mean a Sunday game in England followed by a Tuesday game in Russia. Man City has to go even further into Ukriane.
If you want excellent long form written content, it is worth the cost. As it currently comes with all of the areas they cover you can pick your favorite teams and enjoy. Being able to pick your favorite teams and only get that content is particually good since you don't have to sort through stories that do not matter to you.
Only slots that I would be interested to hear your rationale for are:
Graham Zusi - has not in my opinion showed defensive positioning necessary for a WC squad. While he does provide a lot of effort and some excellent crosses, there are better options like Garza or Lichaji.
Dax McCarty – Dax is a fantastic player in MLS, but seems to struggle with the higher pace of international games. At best he would be used at the end of games or as an emergency sub for Bradley in the #6 role. There are others who can provide what Dax can do, like Danny Williams, and don’t have the issue with faster games.
Should we include a youth player or two like Andrew Carlton (Atlanta United F) & Justen Glad (RSL D)? Giving younger players experience with the squad would be very helpful in the long term.