ok look at minute 1:00 to minute 1:09...the Chilean player swipes at the ball in the usa goalies hand and the ball pops straight up. IT should have been a hand ball....this is like Henry's hand ball against Ireland in qualification. CHEATER!!!!
Why wasn't this called....well Chile is the host nation. The tournament need them to advance. I think is bull shit but this has happen for the USA nation team in past Gold Cups.
U-17 Program
The U-17 program lost to Honduras and only tied Jamaica in the group stage of the U-17 Championship. Needless to say they had to qualify through a CONCACAF playoff. They beat Jamaica again but it was on penalty kicks. This sent the young lads to 2015 FIFA World cup Chile.
The USA U-17 team was knocked out of the U-17 World Cup in the group stage. The have talent but our talent doesn't play well together. The cohesion is missing at all levels. I was hoping one of our national programs would go deep in an international tournament and we could have something to look forward to.
U-20 Program
2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica the USA placed second after tieing Guatemala and losing to Panama. This USA Jr team did not get a shot at the Championship. They did win the playoff game against El Salvador 2-0 earlier this year. This allowed them to play on the U-20 World cup in Chile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_CONCACAF_U-20_Championship
It this point I should think the USA, with the recourses, and the population they can draw from should be looking like Germany or Spain against the Central American countries.....it is not happening. In the FIFA 2015 U-20 World Cup they did beat Myanmar and the host New Zealand before facing reality and losing the Ukraine 0-3 in the group stage. This got them to the knock out stage where they did beat Colombia 1-0 and lost a penalty shoot out 5-6 to eventual winner of the tournament Serbia. This was a good showing to beat Colombia and playing Serbia to the end. Hopefully the national team will get some players from this group.
U-23 Olympic
My expectations must be high because I am pissed the USA lost AT HOME!!!yes I am yelling. They lost at home to on the 2015 concacaf men's Olympic qualifying tournament Championship. OK the USA placed 1st in their group of Canada, Panama and Cuba. They however lost in the knockout stage, the important game against Honduras 0-2. This was an extremely frustrating game to watch as a USA fan. The USa now has to qualify by beating Colombia. Colombia will be much more difficult to beat than lowly Honduras. The USA should beat Colombia since Colombia (all South American teams) use their U-20 team. This should be a huge advantage for the USA. I don't how this is considered fair but.......
This game is suppose to happen this month...no dates yet
USA MNT
Ok...the team I really am interested in the national team. Let's make no mistake the team is just not as good without Landon Donovan. I think you are whistling Dixie out your ass if you think so. Let not get into it...read another blog if you disagree.
The USA MNT has lost 3 of the last 4 Gold Cups. That right lost 3 out of 4 on home soil. BTY the only one they won was 2013....guess what Donovan didn't play in the 2009 Gold Cup...USA lost. He play in the 2013 Gold Cup and guess what, he was not only the best player for the USA he was best player in the tournament. He also was top scorer with C Wondo and Gabriel Torres. He assisted on the final goal in the final...a beautiful setup of B Shea's breakaway goal.
back to the national team....they just lost to Mexico...again on home soil (Rose Bowl) and now will not get the experience of playing in Russia the year before the World Cup.
Ok----what's next is qualifying for the World Cup 2018.
The are in a pathetically weak group of Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The USA has to find rythem in the midfield to get their strikers involved. I think Jermaine Jones is the best option presently however it is time to more to Lee Nguyen or a more creative midfielder. Nguyen can hold, dribble and attack with the ball at his feet. Something the USA just goes not do. If not Lee than someone like him the USA will have in the 2018 World cup. Yes I am assuming we reach the big tournament.
A huge bonus for the national team is the 2016 Copa America that will be played in America. The USA will be tested against these South American nations. They will not be tested against the T&T, St Vinny and Guatemala.
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