WCQ: Third Round - Window 4 (January 27- February 2, 2022)

[footballfreak]

5 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Enrico Dueñas =  Enrico Hernandez 

Yup. Fixed. I accidentally posted as I was still cross-checking names.

[DrunkOffPunch]

2 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Anyone know the card situations for USA and El Salvador? 

Adams, Brooks, and Yedlin are on yellows. We haven’t been carded much. Yedlin got his in the opening ES match and Adams/Brooks got theirs against Canada. Robinson and McKennie both served a suspension against Jamaica.

[Shway]

3 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

Adams, Brooks, and Yedlin are on yellows. We haven’t been carded much. Yedlin got his in the opening ES match and Adams/Brooks got theirs against Canada. Robinson and McKennie both served a suspension against Jamaica.

“We”….huh 🤔.

 

[Obinna]

11 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

Adams, Brooks, and Yedlin are on yellows. We haven’t been carded much. Yedlin got his in the opening ES match and Adams/Brooks got theirs against Canada. Robinson and McKennie both served a suspension against Jamaica.

I hope Brooks doesn't pick one up against ES.  He really struggled with Tajon's pace last time around. 

Millar too has the sort of pace to bother Brooks if he gets dragged out wide.  

[DrunkOffPunch]

15 minutes ago, Shway said:

“We”….huh 🤔.

 

I’m American.

6 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I hope Brooks doesn't pick one up against ES.  He really struggled with Tajon's pace last time around. 

Millar too has the sort of pace to bother Brooks if he gets dragged out wide.  

I doubt he plays against Canada regardless. He wasn’t even called in for the last window. Most likely this window we roll with some combination of Robinson/Zimmerman/Richards/McKenzie. 

[Kadenge]

1 hour ago, VinceA said:

No Romero or Perez and there's rumours some of these guys won't even be fully available for them.

care to elaborate?

[Xavier.]

21 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

I’m American.

I doubt he plays against Canada regardless. He wasn’t even called in for the last window. Most likely this window we roll with some combination of Robinson/Zimmerman/Richards/McKenzie. 

As an American how many points do you expect Canada to get this window?

[Obinna]

18 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

I’m American.

I doubt he plays against Canada regardless. He wasn’t even called in for the last window. Most likely this window we roll with some combination of Robinson/Zimmerman/Richards/McKenzie. 

Richards and Robinson would probably be the best combination against us if you play a back 4. Maybe one could argue for McKenzie, but Brooks and Zimmerman are too slow. You could play either in the middle of a back 3 though, just like we do with Vitoria and Henry, who are also slow. 

Do you think Long gets a call?

[DrunkOffPunch]

1 minute ago, Xavier. said:

As an American how many points do you expect Canada to get this window?

I’d expect at least 6. Tricky window with a lot of travel with a lot of travel and no Davies but Canada is way more talented than the CA teams. The Euro Canadians are coming in on good form. The US is likely without Weah and Reyna with Dest having not played in over a month due to injury/Covid/form. Realistically I could see anywhere between 4-9. As an American I’d be happy with a draw against Canada.

[narduch]

We need 6 points if we want to go into the final window sitting comfortably.

[DrunkOffPunch]

14 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Richards and Robinson would probably be the best combination against us if you play a back 4. Maybe one could argue for McKenzie, but Brooks and Zimmerman are too slow. You could play either in the middle of a back 3 though, just like we do with Vitoria and Henry, who are also slow. 

Do you think Long gets a call?

I don’t think Zimmerman is slow. Brooks 100% is slow.

 

I would imagine Long doesn’t get called in. Hasn’t played in over a year. Then again Berhalter does seem to have his favorites and he’s made some questionable additions/omissions in every window.

[theaub]

Weah playing today so guessing he gets called up.

 

[VinceA]

35 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

care to elaborate?

I'm seeing on ES twitter that some of these guys have tested positive and while they're on the roster they may not make the cut off. Jon Arnold mentioned Cristian Martinez will miss at least the US game but some fans are saying that there's others who the Salvadoran FA haven't announced who might miss some games.

 

[VinceA]

28 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

I’d expect at least 6. Tricky window with a lot of travel with a lot of travel and no Davies but Canada is way more talented than the CA teams. The Euro Canadians are coming in on good form. The US is likely without Weah and Reyna with Dest having not played in over a month due to injury/Covid/form. Realistically I could see anywhere between 4-9. As an American I’d be happy with a draw against Canada.

I don't trust us getting wins in CA only because its CA and historically we haven't been great there.

Even though we have so much more talent I can see both games turning into the Jamaica game where all that talent didn't matter we weren't able to consistently impose ourselves on the road.

[Obinna]

43 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

I don’t think Zimmerman is slow. Brooks 100% is slow.

 

I would imagine Long doesn’t get called in. Hasn’t played in over a year. Then again Berhalter does seem to have his favorites and he’s made some questionable additions/omissions in every window.

Fair enough on Long. The reason I asked is because he was part of the small training camp you guys just had, so considering Berhalter's propensity for playing favorites (especially from MLS) I figured he may be back on the table.

Zimmerman is not "Brooks" slow, but at times I have question his speed. The play in the Gold Cup where Laryea blows by him and subsequently dives/gets tackled comes to mind. I think Robinson and maybe Richards/McKenzie have enough pace to deal with the likes of David, Larin, Buchanan and Millar, but Zimmerman I don't think so.

David (and even Davies) had trouble getting around Long a few times during the nations league game at BMO, but he's coming off of a bad injury and may not even make the squad.

Appreciate the USMNT perspective by the way, thanks!

[Obinna]

34 minutes ago, VinceA said:

I'm seeing on ES twitter that some of these guys have tested positive and while they're on the roster they may not make the cut off. Jon Arnold mentioned Cristian Martinez will miss at least the US game but some fans are saying that there's others who the Salvadoran FA haven't announced who might miss some games.

 

This window is going to be get messy due to players missing out due with positive test results.

I still maintain the opinion that it's beyond ridiculous to rule asymptomatic players out just because they tested positive on jacked up molecular test with questionable accuracy, but let me say this:

This uncertainty around player availability comes at a good time for us, since we are already missing our best player. If one of the windows was going to be a chaotic shitstorm, might as well be this one!

[trc2014]

1 hour ago, narduch said:

We need 6 points if we want to go into the final window sitting comfortably.

I think 6 is realistically a best case scenario.   My call is 4-5 (away win, away draw, home draw/loss)

[Approve My Account Pls]

Having VAR introduced right before all our Central American matches could be huge for us. Anything to minimize the concacafing while we're on the road is essential

 

[Kadenge]

I get  CA has historically been our Bermuda triangle, but Honduras has played 4 home games lost 3 and tied 1. We play ES in game 3 after they  play the USA and Honduras. Our superior depth should prevail. There is a lot of travel and  we don't have Davies and possibly Atiba, but to date those are the only 2 missing players that saw the pitch last window where we got 6 points v CR and Mexico. While our MLS players are off season, Kennedy and Cornelius are playing and should be able to fill in for at least 1 of our back 3 while Millar and Theo are smoking hot. We played Jamaica  after a massive game v Mexico not only at altitude but using a high press. I wouldn't read too much from that performance. We need a min of  6 points this window and we gonna get it.

[Blackjack15]

 

 

[trc2014]

34 minutes ago, Blackjack15 said:

 

 

You get your ticket?  Someone show this man some love for the free content he provides us!!

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Having VAR introduced right before all our Central American matches could be huge for us. Anything to minimize the concacafing while we're on the road is essential

 

There are two sides of every coin. You may say this can help minimize the concacafing, but it could also maximize it. VAR is only as good as the officials who are utilizing it. When VAR goes wrong it can be horrific. I wouldn't assume this will necessarily work in our favor.

Can we depend on them to adhere to a clear and obvious standard? Will they apply this tool evenly? On the whole I would like to think it helps us, not hinders us, but you just never know.....

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 hours ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Having VAR introduced right before all our Central American matches could be huge for us. Anything to minimize the concacafing while we're on the road is essential

 

Speaking of which, I see Drew Fischer is the Concacaf VAR ref for the World Club Cup in mid February. 

[El Hombre]

15 hours ago, Obinna said:

There are two sides of every coin. You may say this can help minimize the concacafing, but it could also maximize it. VAR is only as good as the officials who are utilizing it. When VAR goes wrong it can be horrific. I wouldn't assume this will necessarily work in our favor.

Can we depend on them to adhere to a clear and obvious standard? Will they apply this tool evenly? On the whole I would like to think it helps us, not hinders us, but you just never know.....

One positive out of this is that the El Salvadoran Larin shouldn't be able to get away with the crap he gave Buchanan in Toronto.  So hopefully it will cut down on that.  But I do agree that it might raise other issues.

[Mattd97]

20 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

One positive out of this is that the El Salvadoran Larin shouldn't be able to get away with the crap he gave Buchanan in Toronto.  So hopefully it will cut down on that.  But I do agree that it might raise other issues.

I was deleting some old files on my phone to free up space and I came across a video i took of that play to show everyone what I thought was one of the dirtier plays youll see.  The ball was way over their heads when he kicked out buchanons legs midair.  Could not have been more purposeful.  Mindboggling its not called when it wasnt hidden or away from the play at all, in fact it could not have been more the central activity on the field in full sight.