(08-17-2020 08:21 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(08-15-2020 05:01 PM)BrooklynRocket Wrote:  

(08-15-2020 01:46 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(08-15-2020 12:34 AM)Memphis Yankee Wrote:  Davies assist is as good as I've ever seen. Epic!

Shame he'll never see a WC competition without an expanded field.

I disagree. I don't think it's unreasonable for Canada to get 4th in Concacaf for 2022 and maybe even 3rd down the line.

Notice the "without an expanded field" part of my statement. When CONCACAF goes to 4 they have a shot...but they haven't even made the Hex in the last 5 qualifying draws, and he is one player, who at the moment plays LB. Ask Austria how having an elite LB and a below average rest of the roster helped them out for years.

I just noticed that the 2022 inter-continental WC play-off now includes a South American team, which likely guarantees CONMEBOL a 5th team. Nevertheless, even Canada getting 3rd in CONCACAF this cycle isn't a pipe dream. Davies can play up at LW as he did in the 2-0 win over USA and make Canada a much more threatening attacking team (even with him at LB they're still poor in defense). The talent gap between Costa Rica (the presumed 3rd CONCACAF team) and Canada is as small as its ever been.

Austria also has a much more talented squad than you give credit for. Sabitzer, Arnautovic, Hinteregger, and Laimer are all really good players. Qualifying in Europe is just much more competitive than any other continent and really good teams will get left out each cycle.

Speaking of World Cup Qualifying, the draw for the "Octagonal" or whatever the hell they are going to call that thing is out. The US opens World Cup Qualifying in June on the road against (assuming they survive the first 2 rounds of play)...Trinidad and Tobego

The Schedule
June 2021
@ T&T or ElSalvador
Home vs Canada or Hati
@ Honduras
Home vs Jamaica

September 2021
@ Panama/Guatemala/Curacao
Home vs Costa Rica

October 2021
Home vs Mexico
@ Jamaica

November 2021
Home vs T&T/El Salvador
@ Canada/Hati

January 2022
Home vs Honduras
@ Mexico

March 2022
Home vs Curacao/Guatemala/Panama
@ Costa Rica

Bayern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good match despite the lack of goals. PSG will be disappointed to have lost but should hold their heads high for the effort.

Both teams were close for sure. Refs were pretty bad in this one.

lol, Barca fuels Liverpool's CL win last year via the Coutinho purchase and then helps Bayern (to a lessor extent) win this year's CL by loaning Coutinho. Funniest part is Coutinho wanted to leave Liverpool to go to Barca to win CL and winds up winning the CL at the other FCB (Bayern).

(08-24-2020 08:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  lol, Barca fuels Liverpool's CL win last year via the Coutinho purchase and then helps Bayern (to a lessor extent) win this year's CL by loaning Coutinho. Funniest part is Coutinho wanted to leave Liverpool to go to Barca to win CL and winds up winning the CL at the other FCB (Bayern).

The funniest part is that Barca has to pay Liverpool 5 million euros because Coutinho won the champions league. The clause was player specific and not club specific. lol

I am no Liverpool fan but that's hilarious.

(08-24-2020 08:16 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-24-2020 08:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  lol, Barca fuels Liverpool's CL win last year via the Coutinho purchase and then helps Bayern (to a lessor extent) win this year's CL by loaning Coutinho. Funniest part is Coutinho wanted to leave Liverpool to go to Barca to win CL and winds up winning the CL at the other FCB (Bayern).

The funniest part is that Barca has to pay Liverpool 5 million euros because Coutinho won the champions league. The clause was player specific and not club specific. lol

I am no Liverpool fan but that's hilarious.

My son (major football fan) brought that up to me yesterday. haha

Barca might be the worst run major club in the world for the last 5 years. Even worse than Man U. They've been kept afloat by players they acquired years ago(Messi, Pique, Suarez, Ratkic, Vidal, and Ter Stegen). Every move they've made in the last 5 years has been awful and now those players are aging out.

(08-24-2020 08:26 PM)Memphis Yankee Wrote:  

(08-24-2020 08:16 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-24-2020 08:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  lol, Barca fuels Liverpool's CL win last year via the Coutinho purchase and then helps Bayern (to a lessor extent) win this year's CL by loaning Coutinho. Funniest part is Coutinho wanted to leave Liverpool to go to Barca to win CL and winds up winning the CL at the other FCB (Bayern).

The funniest part is that Barca has to pay Liverpool 5 million euros because Coutinho won the champions league. The clause was player specific and not club specific. lol

I am no Liverpool fan but that's hilarious.

My son (major football fan) brought that up to me yesterday. haha

Interesting. Everything I've read since the Final has said the exact opposite in that Barca does not have to pay Liverpool the 5 million Euros. I think if Coutinho plays x number of games at Barca Liverpool will get the remaining 5 million.

(08-24-2020 09:22 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  Barca might be the worst run major club in the world for the last 5 years. Even worse than Man U. They've been kept afloat by players they acquired years ago(Messi, Pique, Suarez, Ratkic, Vidal, and Ter Stegen). Every move they've made in the last 5 years has been awful and now those players are aging out.

Yep, club panicked when Neymar left and spent big on busts. Couple that with loss of income due to COVID and the club finds itself in a hole. Heck, the only reason,IMO, they sold Arthur to Juve was so that the board of directors wouldn't be personally liable for any finanial loss for the year. The new manager, Kouman, has already told Suerez, Umtiti, Vidal, & Rakitic they aren't in his plans for next season. No idea what Messi is going to do. Hope he stays, but not sure he wants to be, at 33, part of a rebuilding project.

If reports are correct, Messi has asked for his release from Barcelona. Stcking point is the clause in his contract that lets him leave at the end of each season if he wants, for free. However, Barca is saying that clause expired in June. Messi saying nope since the season was extended due to to COVID. Hope he's bluffing to get rid of that idiot President Bartomeu. If not, hope this doesn't become some drawn out legal battle. This sucks.

I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

I hope thisbywar doesn't kill McKennie's development. He goes from being a first choice midfielder to battling for a game day squad spot.

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

Can we find someone to develop our National team that compliments their talent and doesn't get trounced by the Mexicans?

(09-08-2020 11:05 AM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

Can we find someone to develop our National team that compliments their talent and doesn't get trounced by the Mexicans?

Mexico has three times the number of professional players in their system than we do. It's not really a fair comparison. They beat us at the macro game. Our only advantage is that our top guys have had to go to Europe in the past to get paid.

We are lucky that Wasserman is pushing so many kids to Europe. But those are really coin flips. Not everyone one with the talent is going to make it because of injuries.

(09-08-2020 11:05 AM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

Can we find someone to develop our National team that compliments their talent and doesn't get trounced by the Mexicans?

We need some nastiness in there somewhere for sure. If not, Mexico will be finding a way to win even if Pulisic is Ballon D’Or.

I think Reggie Cannon has it in him if he can secure a European transfer.

(09-08-2020 09:00 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(09-08-2020 11:05 AM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

Can we find someone to develop our National team that compliments their talent and doesn't get trounced by the Mexicans?

We need some nastiness in there somewhere for sure. If not, Mexico will be finding a way to win even if Pulisic is Ballon D’Or.

I think Reggie Cannon has it in him if he can secure a European transfer.

He did today. He's going to Boavista in Portugal. Good place if you ask me. He should do well there.

(09-08-2020 06:23 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

I hope thisbywar doesn't kill McKennie's development. He goes from being a first choice midfielder to battling for a game day squad spot.

Normally I would agree with you.

However....

With how truncated the European schedules are this season, he should be able to get chances to prove himself.

(09-09-2020 08:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(09-08-2020 09:00 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(09-08-2020 11:05 AM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(09-07-2020 03:08 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  I never would’ve thought we’d have candidates to win Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga on this national team.

I can only imagine what peak Pulisic, McKinney, Reyna, and Adams can be

Can we find someone to develop our National team that compliments their talent and doesn't get trounced by the Mexicans?

We need some nastiness in there somewhere for sure. If not, Mexico will be finding a way to win even if Pulisic is Ballon D’Or.

I think Reggie Cannon has it in him if he can secure a European transfer.

He did today. He's going to Boavista in Portugal. Good place if you ask me. He should do well there.

I remember last time a high profile American went to Portugal. Freddy Adu at Benfica . He just had to beat one other new signing at the time for the starting position. A young Argentinian named Angel Di Maria. The rest is history.

Portugal is a tough league.