I'm not even going to pretend to know what a good (or bad) soccer gameplan looks like. But I do know what hesitancy and nerves look like. That's what we saw last night. Even just simple passes were tainted by a lack of confidence. There were countless passes that were softly hit short of the target (if there was a target) out of sheer uncertainty. The contrast with how Belgium played was stark. They moved the ball with a purpose. Every pass was struck with a purpose. There was no hesitancy.

It was like watching a basketball team that is stagnant on offense because there is seemingly no purpose to passes other than to pass because you don't want to hold on to the ball too long. Guys are hesitant to make cuts away from the ball. They get blasted on rebounds and loose balls because one team is REACTING with urgency while the other is looking at each other hoping the other will make a play.

I've told kids I coached in basketball that I would rather see two/three players collide with one another because they were all going after a loose ball/rebound than see three players all standing and watching the loose ball while the opponent swoops in and takes it. Mistakes that happen in conjunction will all-out effort are forgivable. "Mistakes" because of hesitancy/little effort aren't.

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Posted by SlowFlowPro

With populists, expect populism

Member since Jan 2004

480022 posts

Posted on 7/7/26 at 8:44 am to Alt26

Yeah there was no deliberateness or directness in their choices. It was all reactionary and panicked, which led to pressing and making even more mistakes.

You knew it was getting bad mentally when Pulisic took the crosses from Tillman. Tillman is much better at delivery than CP but Captain America was pressing and knew he couldn't contribute in the box so he started taking the corners from Tillman and giving inferior service.

I think coming out and butt fricking Paraguay gave a false sense of dominance, when it was really new tactics against a team who wasn't ready for them, and they aren't built to be down 2 goals. We didn't repeat that level and never really adjusted to a plan B, and Garcia had our plan A locked down, and we panicked, and Poch couldn't re-direct the ship. Then Freese just shite on everyone

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Posted by STLhog

Dallas, TX

Member since Jan 2015

19522 posts

Posted on 7/7/26 at 9:11 am to SlowFlowPro

quote:
Poch couldn't re-direct the ship

I'm not sure I understand this one. He took Dest off, brought Gio on, our shape looked much better after that.

Outside of Tillman, the guys were still moving super slow and tentative, not moving into space, standing around, losing every 50/50 challenge, ball watching and couldn't string together any type of meaningful ball movement.

Every single goal we gave up was just lazy, poor effort, ball watching hoping someone else steps up and terrible execution. It's not as if they sliced us up based on a tactical nuance.

I suppose the coach deserves the blame for not getting them "up" for it but these are grown as men in an elimination game on home soil. That game was all mental and culture last night which is hard to blame Poch given he hasn't the team for that long.

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Posted by Hondo Blacksheep

Member since Jul 2022

3301 posts

Posted on 7/7/26 at 9:55 am to tigerfan88

That turnaround goal Freese conceded was an absolute ballbuster.

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Posted by DallasTiger11

Los Angeles

Member since Mar 2004

13612 posts

Posted on 7/7/26 at 9:56 am to The Boat

I have watched every World Cup since 2002 and that was the worst night for US soccer I have ever seen. I still think the program is in a better position than it has ever been so I wouldn't characterize it as "going backwards" but I understand that sentiment after that complete disaster of a game that ruined everything about a promising World Cup.

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