I like the way John Brooks is playing. Any chance he can help slowdown a Messi type player? USA needs to play aggressive to have a shot. Can't turtle this game. I think they have the athletes to make things interesting. Will need a big turn out in Houston to give them the true home-field edge.
Ok guys, if anybody wants to go to the game I have 7 tickets and I only need 3. Will sell 4.. Someone from CF might buy 2 so that leaves me with 2. I'm selling them on CL for a lot more but for my CF I'll sell them for you at face value plus a couple of beers at the game. They cost me $255 each. Section 103. Let me know if interested.
I think I might disagree with you a little here. Argentina's attack has a tendency to turn into hero ball and stagnate (it hasn't recently, but I digress). As a result, I think the best plan would be to clog the midfield as much as possible, put high, early pressure on Messi, and try to counter at lightning speed to exploit a defense prone to mistakes.
Ummm no, terrible idea. You go all out and attack Argentina is suicide. Need to clog the midfield and play counter attack.
Best way will always be dragging it out to the penalty shootout unless you can score one more than Argentina and Messi in regular time
You guys see the money the teams playing in the Euros get? 8M each just to participate. Winning team gets another 8m, what do teams in the Copa get? DD
Certainly less. I'm only able to find the prize money. Says nothing about what they get for participating... <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Prize money for Copa América Centenario has been revealed. <a href="https://t.co/zbKnl9hemX">pic.twitter.com/zbKnl9hemX</a></p>— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/732567709205024769">May 17, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While we should be a little more defensive minded, I think we can practically do both by playing Beckerman (I know...) in a role to guard Messi all over the field and try to free up one of our backs to guard him as a second line of defense when he beats Beckerman. Beckerman will obviously be outclassed but he does play a very controlled defense that doesn't dive and he can figure out ways to funnel Messi towards help defense. Even Bradley can help Beckerman out when the timing is right. We would need to make sure the other attacking players for Argentina are marked. Di Maria not playing would be huge and Gaitan being out will be nice but I am sure their sub will have just as much talent. It is annoying when someone marks you all over the pitch especially with hard challenges to let you know they are constantly there. Beckerman would have to stick with him the whole game or at least however long he can which that is how he wants to play anyways since he is super conservative but I think we will need that. This would free up Johnson a little bit to roam forward on a counter if we can win the ball and maintain possession. That will be another big key to the game would be maintaining possesion once it is won and not wasting efforts for an Argentinia counter. That is why I would play Nagbe as the attacking midfielder with Dempsey uptop and Zardes as a right winger/forward that will help out on defense when possible. Not sure who plays on the left with Bedoya out but I assume Graham Zusi or maybe even Pulisic. Either way I think both will see the field at some point. Not sure if Zusi can handle it but he did seem on point against Costa Rica but Argentina is a different story. Also, not sure Pulisic is ready for 90 minutes against them but should see some time in the final minutes if we need a goal or two.
This is where we will really miss Jones. He could really pester Messi all over the pitch. Beckerman will have to be that guy and I think he'll do as well as anyone else on the roster. Plus it needs to be one of the defensive mids covering him. You can't have a back following Messi deep into the midfield. It creates too many holes. You're never going to keep Messi completely covered for 90 minutes so there needs to be a back free to limit the damage and keep him marked tightly in the box.
Another reason why a mid needs to be tracking Messi. Need to leave the backs free to manage all of the other weapons Argentina brings. One reason I don't want Besler in there. He doesn't have the speed and puts himself in bad positions. He was the cause of the Ecuadorian goals and their near misses by letting his mark get behind him. Can't make those mistakes against a team like this. While Brooks has been playing some of the best ball of his career, he's going to have to take it to even another level tomorrow. Same with Cameron.
any tips for parking at NRG? I was thinking of finding a spot on Knight road or one of the lots nearby where they flag you down.
Guys, don't worry sources at USA Today are saying Leonardo is in the way of USA's historic run. Unsure what happened to Lionel. https://twitter.com/USATODAYsports/status/744926611166859264
