Copa America Centenario Thread

[Shaka 228]

See you guys for the Olympics.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

12 hours ago, flyersfan1493 said:

Wondolowski...

Wondo should only ever be a sub, and even then only when you need a guy who's seen all situations and can use that. Never to start. I mean we don't really have a lot of options at true striker but even a false 9 has to be better than starting Wondo

[dlamb 1,327]

(not making a new thread)

 

nt  maybe next time

[diamond_ace 3,112]

This is a standard edition of Copa America, not the Centenario, but I certainly don't mind reusing the thread.

Having said that... WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS USMNT DOING? 

 

11 years ago, Berhalter was fired from fucking Hammarby. He had just come from a 5th place finish in the Superettan (yes, that's correct, he couldn't even win a promotion to the Allsvenskan - just upper midtable in the 2nd tier). He went to Columbus Crew from there. He did ok there, playoffs 4 years out of 5 (in a league where most teams get in) and one final appearance, but even then nothing amazing, especially because it's the MLS. Leaves Crew in 2018 and we all know where to from there.

Can't get promoted from the Swedish 2nd tier, can't win the MLS or even make more than one final, and what do we do? We decide this is somehow a great candidate to run a national team. 

 

He got us back to the WC in 2022, sure, but the round of 16 is something we'd accomplished before. Nothing spectacular. Better players, same result, that usually means worse management. Then his contract was up - with the whole Reynas thing, I can see the rainbow flavoured unicorns of getting rid of him then not being great, as he certainly wasn't in the wrong on that particular issue, but he's just not good enough. Especially considering there was another American manager (Jesse Marsch) between jobs, who had a much stronger resume (Salzburg/Leipzig/Leeds, admittedly without the best run at Leeds, but they're all miles better than Hammarby and Crew). When Berhalter was rehired, Marsch was not managing anywhere. 

 

Berhalter gets back in there, wins the Concacaf Nations League (which frankly isn't a great accomplishment), loses to Panama at home on pens in the semis of the Gold Cup after having only scraped through the quarters over Canada also on pens, none of this seems to be a concern for USMNT. 

 

We get to host the Copa America again, and on paper we should have been the 5th or 6th best team in the tournament (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, then either Ecuador or us - if you say you saw this Venezuela run coming, you're lying, and yes *on paper* we should be better than Canada, more on that in a minute). We get a slightly tougher than average group, one big team and two teams we should be beating, but look who it is again - our old poisoned chalice Panama. We lose to Panama of course, thanks Tim Weah, and get grouped when we should absolutely not have been grouped.

Panama becomes one of two Concacaf teams to get into the knockouts based on that result, and the other one is of course Canada (who I'll admit to enjoying a little, it's definitely a change of pace from the years where it was just US/Mexico). Who is managing Canada?

Jesse. Fucking. Marsch. 

 

I hope he's enjoying this. I hope he's savoring these results like a steak and a good bottle of wine. I hope he's equally as happy from schadenfreude seeing USMNT lose as he is with his own successes. It's just Copa America, it's not WC qualifying, this result isn't quite on the level of 2018 Trinidad and Tobago, but USMNT brass should be looking at it like it is. This team is packed with more talent than we've ever had, and it's all getting flushed down the drain by some guy named Gregg that couldn't even cut it at fucking Hammarby. 

I'm sorry to steal the "Fire X" thing from @Fire Tortorella and apply it to a completely different sport, but you know what, no I'm not. Berhalter out, not 2 years from now, not 2 months from now, do it now, USMNT. Berhalter out or we riot.

[Victor 11,009]

17 hours ago, Fire Berhalter said:

I can see the rainbow flavoured unicorns

glad I'm not the only one

[Phil 5,129]

Canada Fuck Ya

[sadie 936]

please get gregggggggggg out

[dlamb 1,327]

[rory 1,943]

USA! USA! USA!

[Phil 5,129]

Argentina ended up getting lucky hahah.

 

Can they pull off the 2008-2012 Spain????????

[dlamb 1,327]

 

for tajon

[rory 1,943]

WE’RE GONNA FUCK UP ARGENTINA

[Victor 11,009]

17 hours ago, Phil said:

Can they pull off the 2008-2012 Spain????????

Hardly the same thing doing it in copa America 

[Phil 5,129]

18 hours ago, Victor said:

Hardly the same thing doing it in copa America 

True. Way harder 

[dlamb 1,327]

Sources: Gregg Berhalter out as USMNT head coach following Copa América group stage exit | FOX Sports

[diamond_ace 3,112]

 

[rory 1,943]

4 hours ago, dlamb said:

Sources: Gregg Berhalter out as USMNT head coach following Copa América group stage exit | FOX Sports

Be mid coach

get fired for misconduct 

be rehired after team flounders around mangerless 

be bad coach 

get fired for incompetence 

[diamond_ace 3,112]

Pochettino in! Never in a million years thought that was a realistic option. He's not fantastic but he's miles better than anyone we had in the past. Definitely thought we were going to pull Cherundolo from his MLS side because that's what we do...