US vs Iran

The knockout stage starts early w/this showdown on all kinds of levels. With a draw not being good enough, can we create enough chances? Bottom line is it’s time for our youngsters to grow up and find a way to create enough chances, deliver better balls in the final third. Score first and we’ll force Iran to attempt to find a goal which should leave more openings. I’d start Reyna up top (Weah has been so good on that side, wouldn’t move him) and let the kid roam around. Wouldn’t surprise me if GB starts Ferreira instead, and uses his pace (got a weird feeling he scores if he plays). Advance and this has to be regarded as a huge success, failing to get out of the group stage and it’s a failure (despite some pretty good performances).

 

I agree. To not advance at this point, considering how far we've come, will be a failure. We passed the point of just being happy to be back in the finals a long time ago. The fact is this generation doesn't have a proven, consistent goal scorer. Clint Dempsey isn't walking through that door. Can you win without one? Yeah, but not consistently, and not at a tournament, unless somebody's boots get en fuego. Hasn't happened so far, and you wouldn't expect it to, but there are some who are capable. When your best offensive player hasn't scored yet, well, it's tough to advance. I think we sink or swim on defense in the absence of an "X" factor scorer. The Iranians proved their character with the comeback effort against Wales after the shellacking they absorbed from the Three Lions. But the world is as it should be...win or go home. Cue Herm Edwards...

 

Hope we get that early goal. Hope Berhalter doesn't park the bus if that happens. Hope we can get a win outside the US for the first time since September 2021.

 

If you can't beat Iran you don't deserve to advance. I took the day off and hope to be rewarded for it.

 

I will second @stlouisbrad. If you can’t beat Iran, then you’re not likely to be able to beat any other of the final 16 teams so you shouldn’t be included.

For quite some time I’ve been asking (like @jumpkutz) where are the goals going to come from. I had always hoped, I guess, that one of the bunch of promising strikers would catch fire and take care of it. But no one has. So I’ll sweat through all the passing and possession hoping that some shots get mixed in.

Only two and a half more hours to go…

 

I loved the way the US played in the first half - they were on fire and a goal felt inevitable. I was disappointed they didn't get a second goal and the subs later in the second half seemed like a downgrade - some of those choices left me scratching my head. Fortunately, Iran couldn't finish the chances they were given. It's all gravy from here on out! The Netherlands are up next on Saturday.

 

Exactly!

Also very glad I drove to Collinsville to put a little wager on it. I climbed Monks Mound while I was waiting for the sportsbook to open. I should probably set an alarm on Saturday to do the same. Perhaps the ancient gods were with us.

 

2.9 out of 3 clean sheets! I think this is the biggest accomplishment of this team. Basically 3 clean sheets against teams ranked in FIFA's top 20.

 

Best thing I saw all day. (Ok, second best). Class from Jedi and the beauty of the beautiful game.

 

Elon Musk apparently still feels bound by copyright rules and the video was disabled, but I need to know... what was the best thing (or second best thing) you saw all day?!

 

Great team effort, some of the second half sub decisions notwithstanding. You gotta believe a better side would have converted one of those mistakes into a goal, so I’m really glad it was the Iranians. For me, the headlong, kamikaze attack on the Iran goal by the kid from Hershey, PA was a defining moment for this iteration of our USMNT and, perhaps, the future of the game in this country. That was the kind of play a born leader makes: a hell bent, screw everything else, I’m doing this myself come hell or high water because THIS bloody ball IS going into this goal….period. As our beloved local football hero Paul Hornung used to say to Lindsey Nelson on Notre Dame football telecasts back in the day “he was not to be denied!” Tyler Adams may be the captain, but #10 is this team’s leader now.