USA-Panama (Spoiler)

[SirFozzie]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Throwing off the preview function so I can't be accused of spoiling it even inadvertently)


Most undeserved point EVER. We are the luckiest team in the world.

[JeffNights]

For those of us who missed it...Details?

[GoldenEagle]

Awful.

[SirFozzie]

US Completely outplayed on a wet, waterlogged pitch (from Ivan)

92nd minute goal off a fluky deflection and spray of water by Cobi Jones

[Wolfpack]

BTW, Foz, your spoiler block failed miserably. I think you need several lines of x's to do it.

Just a tip.

[GrantDawg]

Don't post anything but x's in the first post, then begin conversation in the second one. That would probably be the best way.

[DaddyTorgo]

Hey, ya gotta get some lucky points somewhere along the way.

[robbgmaier]

did anyone manage to see a definitive replay as to whether or not it was offside?

[RPI-Fan]

I didn't see a definitive replay, but I'm 99% sure he was off by about 1.5 steps (a pretty large amount). I know that if the situation were completely reversed, I'd be screaming bloody murder right now.

I also think I'm realizing why we've played so poorly on the road. The Bruce is taking the home/away thing WAYYYY too far, and overcompensating to a gross extent. He feels we need someone like Frankie Hejduk, who perhaps provides marginally stronger defensive play (and certainly much worse offensive ability) in there instead of Steve Cherundolo.

Ching had a god-awful game out there, but I don't blame The Bruce for playing him. You have to get him out on the pitch with his recent success with the nats. I strongly suspect we'll see McBride (who looked quite good in his limited action) and Conor Casey (or perhaps Mathis) against El Salvador, assuming no injuries or such.

~rpi-fan

[Chubby]

Some reporters I know described it as "Due to an all-day shower, 14500 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at Estadio Rommel Fernandez."

[RPI-Fan]

Yea', the pitch was shitty, which hurt us (a lot). Neither Donovan nor Beasley got a chance to run at people with the ball, which they absolutely need to do to be effective.

[rufusjonz]

Worst US performance i've seen in years -- they gotta get over this Central American road jinx

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

I didn't see a definitive replay, but I'm 99% sure he was off by about 1.5 steps (a pretty large amount). I know that if the situation were completely reversed, I'd be screaming bloody murder right now.

I also think I'm realizing why we've played so poorly on the road. The Bruce is taking the home/away thing WAYYYY too far, and overcompensating to a gross extent. He feels we need someone like Frankie Hejduk, who perhaps provides marginally stronger defensive play (and certainly much worse offensive ability) in there instead of Steve Cherundolo.

Ching had a god-awful game out there, but I don't blame The Bruce for playing him. You have to get him out on the pitch with his recent success with the nats. I strongly suspect we'll see McBride (who looked quite good in his limited action) and Conor Casey (or perhaps Mathis) against El Salvador, assuming no injuries or such.

~rpi-fan

Agree.

[MrBug708]

Central America is probably the toughest place to play for the US

[KevinNU7]

The US is currently in first with 3 matches reminaing, if they take care of business at home they finish Top 2 and advance to stage 3. That is all I care about

[condors]

did something happen with Pablo Mastroni ??? he was a savior in the last world cup playing in the midfield and defense and i thought he was going to be key in the qualifing for this cup but isn't even on the team

[rufusjonz]

I really think to go to the next level, we need to hire another coach -- some European with a really good grasp of advanced tactics and techniques -- Bobby Robson is avail, and even he would be much better than what we have.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by condors

did something happen with Pablo Mastroni ??? he was a savior in the last world cup playing in the midfield and defense and i thought he was going to be key in the qualifing for this cup but isn't even on the team

Currently injuried.

The United States play was just so static. Everything was a long ball right at the central defense. It was just, gross.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Central America is probably the toughest place to play for the US

See my comments above.

I'm pretty sure The Bruce is just blowing the "On the road" thing WAYY out of proportion, and even has his PLAYERS believing that they can't win on the road and have to nearly bunker.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

Currently injuried.

The United States play was just so static. Everything was a long ball right at the central defense. It was just, gross.

I think Pablo is back (caught a glimpse of him on the pitch during the Rapids match recently), but he isn't in form and probably isn't 100% healthy.

I do agree, though, Pablo is a great option to have at central defense at home (one of the few defenders in this country (in the world, even??) who can add a good amount to the offense from center defense), and at defensive midfield on the road.

THOSE are the kind of adjustments we should be making on the road - NOT playing an over-the-hill out-of-control short and clumsy right back who makes dumb plays all the time.

[Easy Mac]

Aren't McBride and Casey the same player, or has Casey evolved since his U-21 days? He used to be more of a target player, like McBride. I think we need to find a forward who can play off one or the other. I prefer Donovan, if only because he gets wasted in the midfield.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Aren't McBride and Casey the same player, or has Casey evolved since his U-21 days? He used to be more of a target player, like McBride. I think we need to find a forward who can play off one or the other. I prefer Donovan, if only because he gets wasted in the midfield.

I think McBride is actually the one who has changed. He now seems to be much more willing to play a technical game (and he's pretty good at it, too).

Casey is just a man among boys out there. You can't see it on the TV - I confirmed this when first watching the US-ES game live at Foxboro, and then watching it on TV later - Casey was so much more dominant when I saw in person. He's so much bigger, stronger, faster (well, maybe not faster) than McBride. If he can figure out how to knock a few goals in (which he did last season in the 2.Bundisliga with Karlsruhe), he's our target man for Germany - no questions asked.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

I think Pablo is back (caught a glimpse of him on the pitch during the Rapids match recently), but he isn't in form and probably isn't 100% healthy.

I do agree, though, Pablo is a great option to have at central defense at home (one of the few defenders in this country (in the world, even??) who can add a good amount to the offense from center defense), and at defensive midfield on the road.

THOSE are the kind of adjustments we should be making on the road - NOT playing an over-the-hill out-of-control short and clumsy right back who makes dumb plays all the time.

I agree. The US has better talent at this point, there's no reason to go conservative on the road. I think the age/experience thing is balony. Look at C. Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney. You'd never see a strong European side go into a 2nd rate country (no offense Panama or Jamaica) and play conservative long ball attack junk from ten years ago. The US has the slashing midfield/winger types to dice up any defense. That needs to be the focus of the offense.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

Currently injuried.

The United States play was just so static. Everything was a long ball right at the central defense. It was just, gross.

Eh. They also tried playing short passes up the gut, and failed miserably due to a combination of Panama dropping numbers behind the ball, errant passes, and occasional muggings by the Panamanamanamanian defenders.