2274 replies to this topic

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Even tougher match tonight against Japan. But it is in Columbus so should actually be a pro US crowd for a change. Lets see if we can at least score.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Starting 3-5-2....great!

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Very good performance against the top team in Asia. Freese came up big a couple of times. Japan keeper only reason they kept it close. He was terrific.

Maybe our best match under Poch.

[Mashed Potatoes]

Very good performance against the top team in Asia. Freese came up big a couple of times. Japan keeper only reason they kept it close. He was terrific.

Maybe our best match under Poch.

Definitely encouraging, though I think the top team in Asia framing is misleading since Japan didn't play a first choice lineup.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Definitely encouraging, though I think the top team in Asia framing is misleading since Japan didn't play a first choice lineup.

True. But neither did we. And Japan put half their top guys in at about 60 minutes including their top defender and Freeman still gave him all kinds of trouble.

Still surely wasnt Japan's A side but still a very good win and showed we are developing some solid depth.

For a team without Pepi, Robinson, McKennie, Musah, Johnny, and Tillman pretty stellar.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: USMNT 2026 World Cup roster projection: Mauricio Pochettino's vision starts taking form after friendlies

https://www.cbssport...ter-friendlies/

[BSLChrisStoner]

Top 50 USMNT players, ranked by club form: Which players has Pochettino missed?

[BSLSteveBirrer]

U20 first knockout match today against Italy!

[BSLSteveBirrer]

BSL: USMNT – Road to WC 2026 Ramps Up

https://baltimorespo...-2026-ramps-up/

 

 

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[BSLSteveBirrer]

U20s beat Italy 3-0. On to the quarterfinals on Sunday!!!!

[DuffMan]

Down 0-1 at the half, but all in all a solid first half from the team with several good opportunities.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

I could write a lengthy article about the match last night but I will keep it a bit short.

 

Guys, if you didn't watch last night you missed a masterpiece in coaching and play. Pochettino had the guys really prepared for Ecuador. Yes we drew but were clearly the better team especially in the midfield. We owned the middle 2/3 of the field.

 

And yes we only scored 1 goal. Here's some context to that. Ecuador just finished second in CONMEBOL WC qualifying. Behind only Argentina. They finished ahead of Brazil, Uruguay, and Columbia all three which are perennial WC sides. And get this. In their 18 qualifying matches guess how many goals they allowed? 5. No that's not a typo. Against all those terrific South American sides they allowed less than 0.33 goals/match. 

 

We played what most would call a 3-5-2 but according to Poch its more like a 3-4-2-1 morphing to a 3-5-2 once we build possession in the midfield. Anymore a lot of the formation discussion is a bit semantics because the play is so fluid. 

 

Man I am just stoked after last night. Bring on the Aussies (Tuesday night)!!!!

[DuffMan]

Balogun was a beast last night.

[DuffMan]

So, that international window couldn't have gone any better, Wow!

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Best I have seen our guys play in years. They were hungry, cohesive, and tough as nails.