Ian already covered all of the basics of tonight's World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Costa Rica at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa. Here's how the US Soccer Twitter feed described the scene:
All that's left now is for you to leave your comments! Oh, but don't forget that the game was moved to ESPN2. The World Wide Leader hates you and your DVR machine.
U.S. starting lineup after the jump.
Howard, Wynne, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Beasley, Mastroeni, Bradley, Torres, Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore. Subs: Adu, Bornstein, Clark, Davies, DeMerit, Guzan, Kljestan.
Ching out with a tweaked hamstring.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
USMNT v. Costa Rica Open Thread
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225 comments:
1 – 200 of 225 Newer› Newest»RE: ESPN - I'll put this as politely as I can:
Dear ESPN: FUCK OFF. They've treated this whole thing as if its some kind of "last-minute" change. My local newspaper (which produces a weekly "TV Guide"), no later than SATURDAY night, knew that, hmm, the WCQ would be on ESPN2 at exactly 8:30 pm local time tonight. Surprise, fucking surprise...
OK, on to the team: Ching being out kind of screws us up-top. But Wynne and Beasley in at fullback? Seriously? No Spector? Spector better be getting 90 minutes this weekend.
I love Torres on the left, though I suspect he'll slide inside at times and give Landycakes the left wing.
I can't believe the game is still more than a half hour away - I'm recording it, cause there's a real good chance I won't remember the end of it...
Let's go Red Wings! Clap Clap Clapclapclap!
Oops. Wrong thread.
Hey look Chris Connelly is interviewing Timmy Howard. I remember when Connelly used to be on MTV.
I think someone put qualudes in Carrot-Top's drink tonight. Get some Red Bull, dude!
Also, my take on the USMNT's back four... going forward they should be good, but they would likely give up a dozen goals to most top-ranked national teams. We'll see how they fare against Costa Rica.
2-2.
I'm always wrong, so don't pay attention.
How is Domenech still France's manager?
u75: hope you are right this time - I put my $ on a draw at + 220 odds.
You do love the betting.
i try to emulate charles barkley in every way. personal life and professional life.
John Harkes talks too much.
Classy by the Costa Ricans to whistle through the national anthem. C'mon don't they know we elected Obama!!
J Harkes just compared a CONCACAF qualifier in Costa Rica to the movie Gladiator.
I think Russell Crowe deserves a little more credit than that.
Have you drilled a guy in the head with a tee shot yet?
whatever, numbnuts
No 15 on Costa Rica is Harold Wallace. Sounds Costa Rican.
Fun fact: Wallace is known as "El Rapero" (the raper) due to his ability with the ball and the way he runs.
Rape Ape, or possibly, Rapier Ape.
Is Timmy wearing butt pads?
Well, this is a great start.
Yep, great start.
To answer my own question: Costa Rica will do very well against this back four. What a clusterfuck.
Well, Torres bailed and Mastroeni fell. Great.
He shouldn't have gotten the chance to shoot, but to his credit it was a fantastic shot.
How badly do we need this win?
We will never see an attacking lineup from Bradley again.
well that was poor.
Well that didn't take long.
If it turns out that I woke up at 3 in the flipping morning just to watch Costa Rica win I will be mad.
That was too strong. I would be highly surprised if we ever saw anything but a 4-5-1 from Bradley again.
@Georger: Don't really need it. 3 of 6 teams. Fourth team has a play-in. Currently in first place. U.S. will make the WC barring something spectacular.
Sorry Sarah. At least your schooling is done? Right?
Does my stream deceive or is this astroturf? That should be illegal.
'Tis fake turf.
It has the classy Army green look of astroturf.
i hate getting those little rubber pellets in my boots.
@Teeknuts - please don't mention Domenech, I'm still digesting my dinner
This first seven minutes sucks.
At least we've slowed down their scoring pace.
the announcers are going to bitch about the turf all night. yuck.
i say get on with it and just play.
Nice Eurosport jerseys for CR.
And is Beasley playing leftback?
NYK, you can call me a pansy if you like, but there is no way I'm wearing short sleeves on this stuff like the CR keeper.
too bad USA's number 9 named torres isn't more like liverpool's number 9 named torres.
Yes, Beaz is left back. Not ideal, to be sure.
Goodnight, everyone.
Well, this is certainly looking bad.
wow this sucks big time.
bah, I wear short sleeves on FieldTurf all the time.
Also, our defense is complete pants.
Can we blame the Confederations Cup for moving this game up? I'm gonna.
u75 - the 2-2 draw is still alive. have some faith.
This back four is on pace to give up like 25 goals. Thank God I decided not to do a liveblog tonight.
Free Jay Demerit!!!
Also this team is supposed to compete with Brazil, Italy, and Egypt? LOL
Bradley should be canned NOW. His tactics suck. His preference for his kid is silly, and the formation and team choice for tonight reflected an ignorance of both the occasion the opponent. He is clearly not the man for the job. Fire him.
So, what;s the first sub? I say get DMB out of there and move Bocanegra over. I don't care who you put in, but just move to a 3-4-3.
yeah this does not bode well for the cup. we have zero chance. maybe against egypt. we need a new defense (obvious) and, as much as this pains me to say, mastroeni is playing like crap.
Because, IIRC, BlacMouth has been playing LB in France.
holy crap this backline has more holes in it than we've got stars on the flag.
Howard has every right to yell at the center backs.
Time to kick my "Hire Guus Hiddink" campaign into high gear.
I can't believe I sat through poker for this
SAT primer, kids....
Phil : Bradley
Georger : ?
Spec--I had the same one in 2006. Went nowhere.
Rafa! Rafa! Rafa!
I don't get it :(
I'd take the color bars right now ESPN.
Okay so let's see... Essentially giving Torres and Wynne their debuts, playing Jozy and Beasley after they've been inactive for months, and playing Howard after two days rest. Oh and trotting out a 4-3-3.
Granted the team has injury issues, but well done, Bradley.
Wynne's assets are his leaping and his speed. Got to get him in the box on a set piece.
Wynne's been out hurt too, I think.
@ Sven:
phil : bradley
Georger: rafa
And Gooch has been in court. What other excuses do we have?
@Spec i like the altidore choice, because he needs more time on the field. but beasley is a terrible one (especially at left back...you can't tell me there isn't a competent left back somewhere in the united states).
it's gonna be hard for me to cuss out Landon properly if the mids can't actually get him the ball.
Good job, Torres.
Nothing harsh, Georger. I just thought Phil's comment just had the same tone as one of your Rafa rants.
And Jozy blows it.
This is just plain brutal
If this were "World Soccer Manager", I'd make sure they all got the "Disappointed" team talk at halftime. Beasley may even get the "Angry" one.
Although I might spare Altidore and give him the "You Have Faith" one. It depends how the half unfolds.
Whatever happened to Bornstein? He was choice #1 two years ago.
Free kick 35 yards out... I'm guessing Landy kicks it into the stands.
Ah I didn't see his post.
He needs to suggest shooting someone, then it's dead on.
(just wait, if he sells Alonso ... it's on like proverbial Diddy Kong)
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO What the hell was that?
If this were WSM, I'd have quit the game after the 13th minute.
@MH: I'd go for the "you're letting the team down" or "you're embarrassing yourselves" even before the "disappointed"
I got it all wrong. Dempsey kicked it into the fence in front of the stands.
Hey, Sammy Sosa is retiring!
This is embarrassing. We deserve the WC like my Spurs deserve European play.
In the words of Homer Simpson: Yes! Default! Default! Default!
@ MG: Do you still think Rafa's selling Alonso?
if this were WSM, my assistant manager would have told me, "A few players, including Beasley and Torres, still appear to be trying to belnd into the squad" and "Beasley has been quite error prone today" and "we are misplacing too many passes" and "we'd do our chances the world of good by closing down all of the little costa ricans in their red and blue lotto brand jerseys at all times."
that is all.
We're giving a big goodbye to Sosa on the baseball blog tomorrow. Best Cubs player I've ever seen.
And you can take your steroids bullshit and shove it. They were all on it. Pitchers, hitter, everyone.
Georger, if Rafa sells Alonso I'll be yelling right with you.
Every DMB touch has been no better than mediocre right now. Drawing that foul has been the best thing he's done so far.
DMB's balding pate makes him look about 35 years old.
@ Spectator: I wish I could retitle those team talks to more accurately reflect what I'd say.
I'd never noticed Beasley's bald spot before.
Almost 20 scoreless minutes on the US streak now. Let's go boys! Keep it up!
"Do you still think Rafa's selling Alonso?"
With Barry going to City, less than I did a week ago, but you still never know. It depends on how badly he needs the money I guess. If he does though, you extort Real for no less than 30 million pounds.
I finally got a new computer and can run FM without games taking twenty minutes, I'm going to start with Tranmere and give them a fuckton of money. The Wirrals staying up!
Harkes sure is ever the optimist
Nor had I sven.
Dave Matthews Band rocks!
/me from 1994-2003
The way I see it there is no reason to sell Alonso now that Barry's off the table, he can raise most of the funds he would need through selling Babel and Dossena along with maybe some of the academy players. At least that's what I hope.
Dave Matthews Band rocks!
/me never
haha DMB. I saw them at Giants Stadium in 1997 or so.
Maybe eventually, but at least I'll go never having like that neo-hippie shit band.
great, already talking about the MLS.
i always thought DMB was a fratguy band?
Here comes 3
I bet the players on the pitch wish they were injured along with Ching
I'll never really figure out how Red Hot Chilli Peppers were my favorite band for about a year around 2002.
The only reason I can think of for leaving Jonathan Spector out of the lineup is that Spector is actually Philip Markoff the "Craigslist Killer" and that he is locked away somewhere in Boston. That is literally the only reason I can think of for his exclusion.
Almost.
And yeah, maybe for Dave Matthews, but if you've ever been around College of Charleston, it's all the same at some schools.
My current WSM/FM game involved trying to get Grasshoppers to win the Champions League. It's a pain in the ass, though, because it means I have to win the Swiss league every year, and fucking FC Basel is a point ahead of me and WON'T LOSE TO ANYONE.
Actually, my pretend soccer games might be more fulfilling than the real one I'm watching...
I can deal with people dissing Dave Matthews, I don't listen to it anymore myself. But the Peppers? Come on man, that's the most consistent American rockband over the past twenty years.
yeah, I suppose you're right umlaut.
mmmmmmm College of Charleston girls....
and damn you USMNT for denegrating this Open Thread into a conversation about DMB.
*shakes fist at the sky angrily*
No American band can hold a candle to CCR for greatness over a career. Just sayin'
I'm not saying they're bad, it's just that they're not really in line with the kind of stuff I listen to now. But what the hell do I know, I love eurobeat.
Thank God this half is almost over
Any band that I haven't seen playing before The Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway disagrees with that statement.
first good first touch of the night?
Yes, sven, the clean ones are great. Now stay away from my sister next year.
"I'm not saying they're bad, it's just that they're not really in line with the kind of stuff I listen to now. "
Ah, gotcha. Well I'm the same way with DMB I reckon. I never would have seen myself listening to Sigur Ros or Pelican when I was a freshman in college. I wouldn't have seen myself with Peanuts tattoos either.
First half oles. Embarrassing.
Umlaut, incoming freshman?
She's too far below the hard-deck.
(enter your own joke here)
We'll have to make a point of getting piss drunk when you come to visit her.
Right here, 2-1. do it
Yay Halftime!
"You don't want to give up goals early." Thanks Harkes.
Oh, good. Alexia Lalas is going to take me through this game.
Eh, I'll see her on holidays. That doesn't mean there aren't other reasons to get down there though.
I've lived in Charlotte since 1994 and not once have I been to Charleston. True story.
Lalas, we don't need you for anything.
And a scintillating one. Having lived in both, I like Charleston better than Charlotte. But I'd take Columbia over either one of them, as long as I can live near Five Points again.
On the plus side, Jon Stewart is on
Wait for it ... never been to Columbia either, BAM!
I'm kind of a homebody, I rarely leave Charlotte or Boone when I'm in NC.
Though Greer South Carolina can kiss my black ass, that's for sure.
What did Greer ever do to you? That's my backwoods backyard.
NERDY JOKE INCOMING
The USMNT came out as flat as the Wii Vitality Sensor did yesterday.
My brother lives there, just strikes me a dumpy cow pasture of a town, not a fan of visiting. Plus I'm pretty sure I hit a turtle on 85 outside of there a few weeks back.
@ Goat... Actually, I have a MLS team I need fucked-up.
@ Georger... I believe them kids might call refer to that as a 'FAIL'.
@ Umlaut... Having lived in both, I concur. Charleston, hands down. Especially now that Charlotte is fulfilling its destiny as Baby Atlanta.
Did Lalas just call Randy Johnson "The Big Eunich"?
Well, when you're from the big city...
Fun fact: Greer locals call their town Gurr. At least that was us civilized Greenville folks attributed to them.
Charlotte's city population is like fifteen percent bigger than Atlanta now, and our metro area doesn't include the same area Atlanta's does.
See what happens when you don't base your economy on an airport?
(fuck Atlanta)
Teek, Stoner just called Nate McClouth "McClooth".
But seriously, Columbia was a lot of fun for its nightlife. Great bars and a decent music scene.
Is USC in Columbia?
See none of my friends that I'd visit went to Charleston or USC, they were all at UNC, State, and ECU. Or at least the ones that put out were at ECU.
Oh, and the best Korean-Mexican restaurant in the state. Blue Cactus.
Well, the sweet release of halftime is over. Let's get back to the mauling.
@ussoccer Sasha Kljestan coming on for Jose Francisco Torres. He'll play right midfield with Dempsey moving left. Donovan and Altidore up top
ECU was my super-safety. If you had a pulse, they accepted you.
Oh no, I agree with Harkes. Torres, once settled, played pretty well.
Riverbanks is rather nice, if in need of updating. Some of those pens look pretty decrepit.
I don't get it, Torres, while making some mistakes seemed like the only one with any offensive competence and Kljestan has been shit lately.
Hey, the zoo is awesome. The best wedding reception I've ever been to was at the Brookfield Zoo. It helped that there were free Dippin Dots.
Yeah ECU is a bit of a sham, it's like that old Billy Crystal sketch on SNL where you just show up and get a diploma, under the condition you can't tell your parents there's actually no school.
I was just there this weekend. Zoos always depress me. Especially when the gorilla just sits with his back to you contemplating how he found himself in this shit hole.
Wow. A half chance.
Does the US have a shot on goal yet?
While I kind of want to stay up and see the third Costa Rican goal, methinks it's sleepy-time down south.
Why don't I recognize some of those subs? Of course, I would not recognize Torres either.
Shut up Harkes.
Bradley yellow. Fill in your bingo cards.
Does that count as a shot on goal?
I guess everyone has taken sven's lead and gone for a lie down.
I don't have a TV and couldn't sacrifice music for another 45 minutes to keep a stream going.
i'm here umlaut. just stunned into silence.
Yeah this game is pretty much unwatchable.
30 30 30 minutes to go, I wanna be sedated.
might be switching over to the red headed goofy guy in a minute though. the girlfriend is getting antsy.
Godammit Wynne.
Marvelllll Wynne... dribbles the ball out of bounds.
Understood, Steve. Believe me.
Freddy! He had better Adu something good.
Okay Freddy, go prove a point
That's puzzling. Mastroeni off for Adu? It's like Bradley is picking sub numbers out of a hat.
Ha, I like umlaut's better
Did this just turn into a 4-2-4 for the US?
Yeah, I could totally write tabloid headlines.
The beginning of Daily Show making fun of Morning Joe was the highlight of my night.
Meanwhile, Harkes is still talking about getting a goal back.
maybe Bradley thinks he is playing FM? curious subs and a late game 4-2-4 to win it?
How about this.... Klinsy for USMNT coach?
No thanks. The man, while excitable, has no fire.
Man, if DMB just had any kind of touch...
They're really not good at soccer.
who would you like to see for USMNT coach? any ideas?
Where's Harkes with his "U.S. just need to score a goal to get back into this game" now?
This game doesn't deserve to have this many comments.
I feel like beating my computer like the angry German kid.
glad we already switched.
At least the US went almost an hour without giving up a goal.
Harkes just said he was keeping it real. I shit you not.
Well, he could cover his near post, for one.
Bocanegra with a delayed yellow?
Altidore just pegged Donovan with a shot. I laughed.
Switched over to Conan
Alright, I'll keep up with the updates for anyone not watching but still online. No yellow after all for Carlos. He deserved one.
If the U.S. don't win this weekend, Bradley better be out the door. This team is heading toward another disaster at the 2010 WC.
so that was donovan's best play all night? i harped on this last time i was around UF during USMNT, but he is such a useless pile. time to move on.
Any idea about the number of Hondurans expected in Chicago?
Worse, they will possibly be in fourth after next midweek's matches.
I know a couple of Mexican emigres who are going up there.
I wouldn't be surprised to see large numbers of Mexicans sporting Honduras jerseys.
Adu is a set piece guy... Never mind
Conan's monologue actually might've been even worse than the USMNT. He used all the good jokes on the first two nights.
Deuce off, Charlie Davies on
Oh yeah, davies has a multi game suspension for elbowing somewhere in Scandinavia.
I can't believe I'm still watching this.
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