Soccer

[dkst0426]

That was a huge result for United today. So happy to see Rashford perform so well and for Fosu-Mensah to start to get some run as well. Seeing youth like Rashford, Fosu-Mensah, and Borthwick-Jackson in the squad sort of makes up for what seems like the permanent banishment of Periera and Januzaj.

Don't forget Lingard coming up and becoming a regular. I also like how Varela has done in spot duty. Now, if Pereira can just get his chance to be a creative playmaker.....

The future is fairly bright, between the Academy products and the young signings.

 

[skins]

I like Lingard but I'm not really sure if he's anything more than a squad player, not that that's a bad thing. Oddly enough I think he's looked better when he's cut inside and played more as a number 10.

 

[dkst0426]

I like Lingard but I'm not really sure if he's anything more than a squad player, not that that's a bad thing. Oddly enough I think he's looked better when he's cut inside and played more as a number 10.

If Giggsy spends time nurturing both Memphis' and Lingard's ability to take on defenders and cut inside, that would be a great wrinkle in United's attacking options. As it is Martial does that very well, too, and with Rashford coming along to be the finisher, they can afford to let him drift wider a bit.

Next time you watch Varela play, watch his crossing form. I've brought this up in other United discussion groups as well - he has definitely been watching Beckham tape, and he is getting good at putting quality crosses in. Really needs to improve on his defending, though. Same with Borthwick-Jackson. This is why I am glad that they will/should spend a couple of years behind Darmian and Shaw. I honestly wouldn't even complain if Varela is converted into more of a winger - his tracking back is shit anyway. :P

 

[skins]

I agree. Varela has been solid going forward. At least in attack he's been everything I thought Darmian would become (not sure what's caused Darmian to seem so pedestrian after the first month or so).

 

[dkst0426]

9:15 pm: Woohoo, US doesn't suck so bad after all. Crisis averted.

11:30 pm: WTF, what is wrong with the US? We suck.

Definitely an evening of contrasting emotions.

 

[CK86]

Hope the US Womens team wins their lawsuit.

 

[dkst0426]

Hope the US Womens team wins their lawsuit.

And if it was a performance/incentive-based scale, the disparity would be even less conscionable.

 

[NCCUknow]

Don't think equal pay makes any sense whatsoever in this instance, but I hope they are paid fairly. If they generate more revenue, pay them more than the men so far as I'm concerned.

 

[dkst0426]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[dkst0426]

What a simply incredible story. Very little parallel to this in modern sports.

 

[skins]

United are shockingly horrible. They've gone full Liverpool.

 

[dkst0426]

United are shockingly horrible. They've gone full Liverpool.

Couple of months ago, I counseled patience for van Gaal. I've now reached the point where it's clear he's got to go. The teams that fought in the relegation zone in the late 80s played better and showed more heart than the current version. And worse than that, they have shown no tactical improvement since the beginning of his tenure.

 

[dkst0426]

http://theaosn.com/2016/06/28/the-icelandic-success-story/

There's something really special about this team, and the program that the Icelandic federation undertook. Shame it would be near impossible to replicate in the US, because we're really missing the boat on some important aspects of player development here.

 

[MrAntHux]

Jurgen was finally canned. These past couple of games where inexcusable.

 

[ZackM]

I'm bummed. I know it had to happen, but I really liked him.

 

[dkst0426]

Auf wiedersehen.

Now, if only the USSF had the balls to get Tata Martino for the job.

 

[CK86]

Bruce Arena is going to be coming back. I know nothing about soccer but it seems odd to re-hire a guy you canned.

 

[rhfarmer]

It is a little weird that Arena is coming back, but the bottom line is that USA soccer is never going to be competitive internationally without a cohesive system in place, a la USA basketball.

 

[dkst0426]

One of the best tweets in response to the firing that I read today said the problem is at the grassroots level, where the soccer hierarchy is set up for kids with resources and not necessarily talent. Agreed wholeheartedly. The club setup is not much more than a glorified good-ol-boy's network that is hard to break in to if you're a new face who doesn't know someone who knows someone else, etc.

And we also need to dispel the myth that player development in the MLS is sufficient to form a core of the national team.

 

[torontoduke]

Same as grassroots hockey in Canada.

One of the best tweets in response to the firing that I read today said the problem is at the grassroots level, where the soccer hierarchy is set up for kids with resources and not necessarily talent. Agreed wholeheartedly. The club setup is not much more than a glorified good-ol-boy's network that is hard to break in to if you're a new face who doesn't know someone who knows someone else, etc.

And we also need to dispel the myth that player development in the MLS is sufficient to form a core of the national team.