Pre-match: USA @ Costa Rica 3/30 9:05 pm ET

You try to go for the win with the knowledge that you're going to be playing New Zealand. I mean, I don't know that you act any differently going in than you would if a 1-0 win sent you through (with the exception that you don't pull back if you score the first goal). You definitely don't throw out some madcap craziness in the hopes of scoring 8 goals, because that lineup doesn't exist for Costa Rica anyway.

 

With CR's recent surge in good form, I doubt they're in that locker room waving the white flag right now.

Start the game by throwing the kitchen sink at the USMNT and see what happens. An early red card to the USMNT and its at least possible to overcome that GD. And Mexico isn't looking good at all.

If the situation is looking bleak at halftime (with one eye on the Mexico score as well), start protecting guys on yellow card suspension, carrying minor injuries, etc. Think ahead to New Zealand.

 

i think this is a really weird assumption (and this isnt specific to you/this post).

we didnt sit adams vs mexico even though many wanted to. with that result in hand we didnt sit him vs panama where even a draw would still give us a reasonable shot at qualifying- saving him for that tougher road match against cr.

or look at yedlin- who did pick up the yellow vs mex. without our 2nd/3rd rb we had to go to our 4th string (if that) rb and, as it turns out, it wasnt the disaster everyone worked themselves into a lather thinking it would be. regardless how acceptable-good you think moore played, it wasnt a huge deal regardless.

i dont have the first clue where youd find this sort of stat but i suspect people talk about managing around yellows far more than actually happens. its extremely rare. its a lot more common to intentionally take a second yellow (essentially choosing when you serve your suspension) than to sit a player to avoid it.

i think its just a stir-crazy, overthinking message board thing. cr saving those guys for a more "realistic", "winnable" game vs new zealand is the same ass backwards logic of emptying the bench vs mexico so everyones fresh for panama.

if youre going to pick a match to miss wouldnt it be the easiest one and not the hardest? back to test case adams- there was also a lot of talk that you play adams vs mex cause if you cant beat panama without him you dont deserve to qualify anyways.

i dont think much of anything has to do with "deserves", but again- this just seems like overthinking message board stuff to me.

i fully expect cr to put out the best team they possibly can and come right at us with everything they have. and i expect the same when/if they face nz.

 

So injury report for Wednesday?

Arriola day to day
Moore ?????
Anyone else?


My prediction: 3-1 we catch CR on the counter twice after we take a 1-0 lead.

 

Is there any hope that Cannon is available for Wednesday?

 

We should approach this as if it were the opening game of the world cup against the seeded team.

Given who is out, that line up works, except I would not fail to start Reyna. I dont' see Acosta and Adams on the field together as our top formation.

Steffen
Yedlin Zim Miles Jedi
Adam
Musah Reyna
Weah, Ferreira or Pepi, Pulisic

 

so what you are saying is we are 100% getting a panamanian ref on wednesday?

 

i thought it was a weird change too- i was shocked it (reyna) wasnt for puli (saving his legs in general plus he was pretty close to begging for a card as we were heading into the half).

 

Go for the quick attack -- if you get a quick goal or two, keep pressing.

If it's 0-0 at halftime or 60', start protecting guys.

 

The chances of direct qualification are so slim that I would not risk guys on yellow to chase that result. I would play the guys who are "safe" when it comes to cautions, and tell them to bust their asses to score goals. If, at halftime, they've scored multiple goals and/or the Mexico game is looking good, I would re-evaluate whether to throw some of the big guys in who may be able to close it out strongly.

 

Glad to hear Berhalter is going for the win. We haven't qualified yet. Also this will be an important competitive game to have Pulisic/Gio/Adams/Weah on the field together.

 

You can always count on Berhalter to do the right thing after he's tried everything else.

 

Is it he can't leave Mexico because of a positive test or he can't enter the US because of a positive test?

 

Aussie quit Oceania didn't they? I think they are now in Asian Fed

 

I think FIFA would step in and punish us. As they should.

 

Pulisic and Adams are injury prone.
Musah is still finding his feet as a young pro.
I'm not sure about starting Bello for Jedi, though.

 

Probably slightly more subtle; he will just have a Panamanian wife or boyfriend.

 

this may be semantic, but a counterattacking system suggests bunkering/playing primarily defensively.

in general i dont think its ever a great idea to drastically change what you do, regardless of matchup. and in this case its cr that are desperate, not us.

on the assumption they are going to come in hot i think we shouldnt press as hard as we usually do (conserving energy/legs while they expend more than usual), and obviously defensive discipline is paramount- counterattacking chances are always going to be there when one team is forced into all out attack.

our worst defensive performances have still be pretty freaking good relative to everyone else. i simply think its a huge overreaction to say we should go 3atb, sit back hope for counters here.

i think we go out how we go out, do our thing and while adjusting in small ways and recognizing the circumstances of this match know that its more likely they run themselves into the ground. if they dont manage to put 2 or 3 up fairly early the momentum starts to swing to us not only holding them off but coming out with a win against a team of walking zombies in the second half.

 

There is downside to playing guys who have already started 2 matches in a compressed schedule. Increased risk of ineffectiveness. Increased risk of injury.

There is upside to taking a look at Palmer-Brown, Sands, Bello and maybe a couple others. There is upside to looking at Reyna in midfield.

 

well, in that case can we get torsten frings hired as costa rican manager by wednesday? cause at that point we are talking made for tv movie stuff. gregg as american soccer legend

 

Ferreira was limping towards the end of that game and seemed to be cramping up. I won't be surprised if Pepi starts in CR.

And of course it has to be Pepi, because we must maintain a quota of FCD-connected players. Just like we lost Cannon for this window but gained Shaq Moore.

 

Jedi may seem bionic but he's not.

 

paging soccer genius matt doyle...

 

Dude they’re in their 20s. They’ll be fine. That’s so overrated and silly to talk about. We don’t baby players. That’s not the American way. It will never be the way. We have to be better than that. Guys like Gio Reyna, sure. You be careful with. But everyone else that’s fully 100% fit and back get to play. We think too much. What’s up thinking too much. Player best players in the last World Cup qualifier.

 

man, if we had live trending lines for "play your best players every match" and "you have to rotate" it would look like an audio visualizer when playing "smack my b up"...