• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
I’ve actually caught a couple of its games in the early to mid morning before moving on with the day. Even saw some of the US once. Pretty sure it was on one of the Fox Sports channels actually.

Edit: just checked my guide @dawg and @Purp. Games are on Fox Sports 2 usually. There is a game listed on Friday evening but no info as to the teams.
 
tcujsauce

tcujsauce

Active Member
US U20 defeated France 3-2 yesterday to advance to the U20 World Cup Quarterfinals, so that's something. That team features hopeful future Bayern first-teamer Chris Richards.
 
Eight

Eight

Member
tcujsauce said:
US U20 defeated France 3-2 yesterday to advance to the U20 World Cup Quarterfinals, so that's something. That team features hopeful future Bayern first-teamer Chris Richards.
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i think i read it is the third straight u20 world cup that us has advanced to the quarterfinals after only making quarters or better 4 of the previous 19 tournaments.

when does this translate to better play at the senior national team level?
 
tcujsauce

tcujsauce

Active Member
Eight said:
i think i read it is the third straight u20 world cup that us has advanced to the quarterfinals after only making quarters or better 4 of the previous 19 tournaments.

when does this translate to better play at the senior national team level?
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You would figure that the next senior WC cycle we should see some increased success. I think that the US team struggled in a similar way to Die Mannschaft this last cycle. Aging stars and some talented youth that didn't mesh well together and the team struggled as a result.
 
dawg

dawg

Active Member
Germany won the U-21 Euros in 2009 with a starting eleven that featured six players who lifted the WC in 2014 (and interestingly enough, Fabian Johnson who Klinsmann got to switch to the USMNT at the senior international level). That's a damn good translation of youth team success to senior national team success. Most often, though, the translation isn't that pronounced.

Past winners and semifinalists of recent U20 WC, for what it's worth....

2017- England d Venezuela. Italy d Uruguay for 3rd.
2015- Serbia d Brazil. Mali d Senegal for 3rd.
2013 - France d Uruguay (Pogba was the French captain). Ghana d Iraq for 3rd.
2011 - Brazil d Portugal. Mexico d France for 3rd.
2009 - Ghana d Brazil. Hungary d Costa Rica for 3rd.
2007 - Argentina d Czech Republic. Chile d Austria for 3rd.
2005 - Argentina d Nigeria (some kid named Messi was in the Argentina side). Brazil d Morocco for 3rd.

Just because I was curious, I looked to see how Spain U20s fared in the late 90s and early 00s. They won in 1999 with Xavi and came second to Brazil in 2003 with Iniesta.

So what does that all mean? Brazil a lot of talented young players. Beyond that, U-20 translates to senior level success sometimes (France, Spain) but more often does not.
 
Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
dawg said:
Germany won the U-21 Euros in 2009 with a starting eleven that featured six players who lifted the WC in 2014 (and interestingly enough, Fabian Johnson who Klinsmann got to switch to the USMNT at the senior international level). That's a damn good translation of youth team success to senior national team success. Most often, though, the translation isn't that pronounced.

Past winners and semifinalists of recent U20 WC, for what it's worth....

2017- England d Venezuela. Italy d Uruguay for 3rd.
2015- Serbia d Brazil. Mali d Senegal for 3rd.
2013 - France d Uruguay (Pogba was the French captain). Ghana d Iraq for 3rd.
2011 - Brazil d Portugal. Mexico d France for 3rd.
2009 - Ghana d Brazil. Hungary d Costa Rica for 3rd.
2007 - Argentina d Czech Republic. Chile d Austria for 3rd.
2005 - Argentina d Nigeria (some kid named Messi was in the Argentina side). Brazil d Morocco for 3rd.

Just because I was curious, I looked to see how Spain U20s fared in the late 90s and early 00s. They won in 1999 with Xavi and came second to Brazil in 2003 with Iniesta.

So what does that all mean? Brazil a lot of talented young players. Beyond that, U-20 translates to senior level success sometimes (France, Spain) but more often does not.
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Right, remember when Nigeria and some of those other African teams dominated the youth levels? Best that came out of it was usually a quarterfinal appearance, if that.
 
Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
Just consistent jackassery like this is why I really have given up hope on our national teams doing much of anything while I’m alive. I kinda get the reasoning but still just don’t like that one of our potential good players will get zero international experience this summer.

“The decision was easily the most perplexing that Berhalter made. Heading into late spring, the biggest decision surrounding Sargent was whether he would go to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, or stay with the senior team for the Gold Cup. The least likely scenario -- or so it appeared -- was one where he did neither.”

Sargent snub the biggest surprise from Berhalter's U.S. Gold Cup roster
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/soccer/club/united-states/660/blog/post/3869736/sargent-snub-the-biggest-surprise-from-berhalters-us-gold-cup-roster?platform=amp
 
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Eight

Eight

Member
i am not expecting that the us success at the u-20 level translates over to a similar level of success at the national level.

i don't believe however, that the us success at that level is purely because of fitness and training of the us players over that of the world's other teams.

what is happening that players who flash potential suddenly look pedestrian?

this isn't about the us not competing with the world's best, but instead not qualifying as there is no excuse for the us not to qualify out of their region.

the game against jamaica yesterday was uninspired and i am not sure exactly what the long term goals are but i look at the gold cup roster and find it hard to believe players such as altidore and bradley are on the mnt roster in 2022 so why play them in the gold cup?

not as if the media in the us will notice for the most part if this teams stumbles so use it for an opportunity to develop your young talent such as sargent
 
Portland Frog

Portland Frog

Full Member
Purp said:
Chelsea are surely going to make a huge splash signing his replacement. Will certainly be fun to watch.
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I wish. The transfer ban will likely keep CHE from doing anything until 2020 (unless it’s appealed, but there are risks to this presumably). They may have to rely on existing players in the system.
 
Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
Portland Frog said:
I wish. The transfer ban will likely keep CHE from doing anything until 2020 (unless it’s appealed, but there are risks to this presumably). They may have to rely on existing players in the system.
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I believe Purp was being facetious, Portland. Haha.

I am interested to see if Pulisic hasn’t run into another Sancho situation here with Hudson-Odoi. We’ll see what happens.
 
Purp

Purp

Active Member
Chongo94 said:
U-20s sure could’ve used Sargent today. Berhalter flubbed this royally.
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I thought they threatened well all game. just missed several chances and showed a lot of promise. Sargent would have been nice to have, but I don't think his absence is the reason we lost.

Honestly, I think the game winner should have been ruled offsides. I saw the VAR angle they used to rule he was behind the ball, but that blue line was drawn on the ground and you can't see if the scorer's arm is hanging over it. If they draw a plane along that blue line parallel to the plane of the goal mouth I think you'd see his arm breaking that plane. Another angle showed that quite clearly IMO.

That's not the reason we lost either, though. Lazy defending on both of their goals cost us the game.
 
Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
Purp said:
I thought they threatened well all game. just missed several chances and showed a lot of promise. Sargent would have been nice to have, but I don't think his absence is the reason we lost.

Honestly, I think the game winner should have been ruled offsides. I saw the VAR angle they used to rule he was behind the ball, but that blue line was drawn on the ground and you can't see if the scorer's arm is hanging over it. If they draw a plane along that blue line parallel to the plane of the goal mouth I think you'd see his arm breaking that plane. Another angle showed that quite clearly IMO.

That's not the reason we lost either, though. Lazy defending on both of their goals cost us the game.
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Agree to an extent but I felt his physicality up top would’ve been very useful and beneficial at times. I don’t think his absence is the reason we lost either, just wish he had played, and still annoyed that he isn’t getting any international experience this summer, especially when he’s arguably better than some of those supposedly ahead of him.

I saw it too and completely agree. I’m wondering if perhaps VAR viewed it as an own goal?

Was impressed by Dest a time or two. Thought as you alluded to, we moved into spaces well, and I’m pleased that they seemed to actually see those channels and opportunities better.
 
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Purp

Purp

Active Member
Chongo94 said:
Agree to an extent but I felt his physicality up top would’ve been very useful and beneficial at times. I don’t think his absence is the reason we lost either, just wish he had played, and still annoyed that he isn’t getting any international experience this summer, especially when he’s arguably better than some of those supposedly ahead of him.

I saw it too and completely agree. I’m wondering if perhaps VAR viewed it as an own goal?

Was impressed by Dest a time or two. Thought as you alluded to, we moved into spaces well, and I’m pleased that they seemed to actually see those channels and opportunities better.
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Dest was very good. Made some great recoveries and made several other great plays that might have required great recoveries if misplayed.

Even if VAR ruled it an own goal a player in offside position that close to the play would be ruled offside. They announced that he was behind the ball, though, which kept him on. I just think that ruling is likely incorrect. Truthfully, I think plays that close should always be onside, though. if the torso is level you should be on, regardless of whether or not your arm or head is off. But I think the way they call that rule this player should have been deemed off.
 
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Chongo94

Chongo94

Active Member
USA down 3-0 to Venezuela by the 36th minute ha. Just getting bossed. Show moments of capability and then just completely fall apart. What a joke!

You don’t continue to test and tweak at this point right before a tourney Berhalter! Ridiculous.
 
Purp

Purp

Active Member
Chongo94 said:
USA down 3-0 to Venezuela by the 36th minute ha. Just getting bossed. Show moments of capability and then just completely fall apart. What a joke!

You don’t continue to test and tweak at this point right before a tourney Berhalter! Ridiculous.
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Those were 3 really awful goals to give up. That first one was all on Steffen. Just clear the ball if you don't have an outlet. The last place you deposit it is right up the middle 25 yards from your goal. That's worse than a rookie mistake.

The 2nd one was a great shot by Rondon, but he never should have had the shot anyway. Lazy defending and absolutely no desire to close down a lane.

The last one was also a nice individual effort, but again it is an effort that never should have happened.

We were also very careless in transition. They countered quickly and our D was consistently out of position when the counter started. That's why we lost.

Other than those really egregious mistakes I thought we looked pretty good. We have to finish chances, though. We weren't completely subjugated. I felt we dictated most of the match and really showed a fun style to watch. That Steffen brain fart really killed a great start, though, and forced the group to rebuild momentum it shouldn't have had to capture again.
 

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