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The SBI Show: Episode 235 (Recapping the CONCACAF Cup, and more)

USA Mexico Dejection 2015 (Getty Images)

By IVES GALARCEP

It was a weekend to forget for American soccer fans, with the U.S. Men’s National Team suffering a heartbreaking loss to Mexico and the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team failing to secure an automatic berth into the Olympics after losing to Honduras.

Episode 235 of The SBI Show takes a look back at the USA-Mexico clash, as we break down what went wrong, and what lies ahead for the USMNT.

Co-host Garrett Cleverly and I also discuss the U.S. U-23s, the latest in MLS, and more.

Give Episode 235 of The SBI Show a listen after the jump:

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What did you think of the show? Are you on the “Fire Klinsmann” bandwagon? Where does CONCACAF Cup rank among your all-time USA-Mexico matches? Surprised to see the U.S. Under-23s stumble?

Share your thoughts below.

 

Comments

  1. So many people are filled with excuses but that great because it continues to reinforce how bad of a job Klinsmann is doing
    USA 1:1 Mexico, August 10, 2011
    Mexico 0:1 USA, August 15, 2012
    Mexico 0:0 USA, March 26, 2013
    USA 2:0 Mexico, September 10, 2013
    USA 2:2 Mexico, April 2, 2014
    USA 2:0 Mexico, April 15, 2015
    Now all of a sudden, because Klinsmann has lost insight, coached the team in the wrong direction, and we look absolutely clueless, Mexico is a far better team than US? Because of the players they have? Its never been an issue and I call BS. The USMNT stood up to Mexico with less than half the talent pool we have now and have been hold our own, even seen as the best in CONCACAF at one point. It just shows how far down Klinsmann has dragged this team when fans openly admit Mexico is better than the USMNT……wow

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  2. 60-70% Mexican fans?Close dude but US only had that section right behind the goal dude. 80% Mexican fans but US fans were heard at times but were quickly drowned out.

    This Golden Generation for Mexico is the original from the U-17 WC winners from 2005. We’ve actually been waiting for them to break out, and now a majority of them are actually settling with their European clubs. This has been coming for a while now, Ives hit it right on. US doesn’t have that type of a youth system foundation.

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  3. 60-70% Mexican fans?Close dude but US only had that section right behind the goal dude. 80% Mexican fans but US fans were heard at times but were quickly drowned out.

    This Golden Generation for Mexico is the original from the U-17 WC winners from 2005. We’ve actually been waiting for them to break out, and now a majority of them are actually settling with their European clubs. This has been coming for a while now, Ives hit it right on. US doesn’t have that time of a youth system foundation.

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  4. Ives,
    I could’ve sworn the second USMNT goal was scored by Dempsey too. Not until i checked the box score later on did I see that it was Bobby Wood. The two look and move A LOT alike. Weird

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  5. Less filling! Tastes great!

    That game was painful to watch. I know we’ve some offense as I just watched highlights of the Germany and Dutch matches early this year. But that sure as hell wasn’t this team.

    Hats off to Mexico.

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  6. Jozy Altidore should NEVER be chosen on USMNT again. Horrible striker, with no energy. US should try and develop newer, better strikers!

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  7. Thank you Ives for always being there in these times to keep it real. I always get annoyed when you say you are not a USMNT fan, after being through so much really?! but its times like these that all other fan-journalist are out crying and pointing fingers and the other independent ones just don’t know enough of the complex details. Excelent breakdown – looking forward to more; who comes into fix this program (players or coach)?, whats next for JJ, Clint and Fabian? Are “golden generations” purely cyclical, and what is the outlook for the region? I dont recall a time when we have even been in such a deep rebuild.

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  8. For how long did people say “why is Beckerman in the team” now we’re acting like we can’t replace him. Is Dax, Williams, Morales really such a drop off ? We just need to start building a team with an understanding of there roles.

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    • Be careful, people have been complaining about Williams, Morales even though they are now begging for Williams. You know, like the way the slammed JK for insisting on playing Wood, Shea, Morris among others.

      Listen, I have said a few times that I don’t think he is the best technical coach but he better than some give him credit for being. However, he has an excellent eye for talent. He also talked a good game about what he wanted to do (US has not produced a enough technical players to go open up against the elite (top 8 teams) without properly appraising the talent.

      That being said he was hired to transition the team (between generations) and push a proactive style (if we can do it). The issue is some players have started to take the reigns, but most have not. There is an obvious gap in talent with Jozy’s age group (Jozy, Brek, Michael) and he has been trying to fill it with recruiting some dual nationals (Fabian Johnson) and trying to convince those with talent to play in the most competitive environments where they can be regular players. They key is if he can identify new talent, qualify for World Cup, and put a competitive run in Copa America.

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  9. I enjoyed the show but Mexico is not some great team. Poor management lost this game. The US has given up possession to Mexico before and has won like in 2002. I guess if Mexico would have won that game, we would have said that they dominated too.

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    • Are you serious? If you are ignoring how much more talented and technically sound Mexico is, you are doing yourself a disservice. They are not Argentina, but they are significantly more talented.

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      • Yes, I am serious. Mexico is not that good as many posters have stated. The US is going through a transitional stage Mexico can’t crack an egg. Yes, they might be more techniical but so what. Poor management lost this game.

    • Are you for real? Mexico was on the front foot the entire match. Not to mention,…we want to get away from being dominated and trying to squeak out Wins against teams with more technical ability. That is the whole damn point. Dude,…you can’t see the forest through the trees.

      Reply
  10. Ok Onside. Let’s give you the keys to the kingdom for a hot second. Who should coach? Who are your top 23? What would you do differently (basing your choices on form and injuries).

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    • Marcelo. Bielsa.

      Responding to your questions, this is the only answer that really counts.

      Since I’m not being paid 3 mil-a-year to oversee USNT development + coach, the only thing I can do is just spitball: but a few things occur to me.

      1) Mexico’s formidable and potent offense can be offset/ counterbalanced with…..the offense of the opposing team. The best and most recent example of this would be the Mex/ T&T match from last summer’s Gold Cup. T&T went toe-to-toe with Mexico by bringing their own, much less prestigious and pedigreed, offense to bear. You don’t have to match Mexico man-for-man with marquee players like Chicharito, Guardado, Vela, Peralta, Corona, et al, you only have to make them defend. T&T had Kenwyne Jones. That was pretty much all they had.

      2) To that point, the US really has no business putting Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley on the same field at the same time. At this juncture in their respective careers, it should be Michael Bradley as a deep-lying mid playing with a Nguyen, Feilhaber, or Kljestan. Much as Klinsmann wishes it were true, Bradley is no playmaker. Therefore, give him a playmaker to coordinate with. That would do much to spark the attack, as well as maintain possession.

      Whatever Jones offers, Bradley is younger, healthier and better. Bradley needs a midfield partner who complements him; not one that duplicates him–and not as well.

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      • Jamaica, a better team, tried the same thing as T&T during the final and got shredded.
        This is not the same Mexico team as a few months ago.

      • Bielsa doesn’t speak english. At all.
        He’s a fantastic tactician (his 3-4-3 formations are brilliant) that relies on his teams being EXTREMELY fit, and I think we would fall right into place with his style. But I don’t see US Soccer hiring a guy who speaks zero english.

      • always funny to watch US fan comment on which global coach they would hire for the USMNT.

        70 year old and retired – Hiddink?
        coaches that would run our roster into the ground and drive fans crazy – Murinho, Bielsa
        and the ones that have no interest or connection to our player pool or team – Klopp, Ancelotti

        if its not Jurgen its going an insider like Ramos, Berhalter, Vermes, Kreis or Olsen – I would love to see any of these guys take the job, with a bit more experience in CCL or something beyond the MLS playoffs

  11. Gotta say that I’m disappointed with your analysis, Ives.

    Yes, the Mexican squad is phenomenally talented. And yes, chances are that even with a fully-prepared and best 11 selection, chances are the US would lose this match more times than not. Further, yes the US has some aging players that don’t match up to Mexico on paper, but Klinsmann deserves more blame than you’re willing to assign him.

    A coach’s job is to maximize the potential of his call-ups by providing them tactics and formations that not only suit their strengths, but address their opponents. Klinsmann was poorly prepared for Mexico last Saturday. JK’s response to Mexico’s wingbacks & 3 upfront was predictable and ineffective. He didn’t seem to have any fixed game-plan than to pack-’em-in in the US defensive half and pray.

    Ferreti’s tactics and game-plan were far superior to Klinsmann’s. Not only was Klinsmann poorly prepared, he made no real tactical adjustments during the course of the match–other than late substitutions in Woods and Yedlin, which paid some dividends, granted.

    USMNT fans are sophisticated enough (and have been for some time now) to realize that Klinsmann’s tactics of playing team-defense for 100+ minutes of the match is not only ugly and embarrassing, but it’s ultimately a losing strategic proposition.

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      • Sorry,…Pete. Ives got this right. This is more about a talent deficit than tactics for one game. As Ives pointed out,….Mexico has recently won (emphasis) the U-17 World Cup and the Olympic Tournament (U-23) and they are the current Gold Cup Champions. It disappoints me to say this,…but there is a huge talent gap between the USA and Mexico right now. Tactics in one match don’t mean sh!t. Name one player who you thought should have been playing for the USA and who would have made a difference? Name one player is the the caliber of a Donovan, Reyna, O’Brien in the midfield? For God’s sake our starting center forward scored one goal for Sunderland in 18 months! Blame Klinsman all you want,….but the cuppard is just about empty.

    • Klinsmann’s tactics took the game into overtime and almost to pks with a much less talented group of players. It wasn’t pretty but it almost worked. Mexico knows our weaknesses, as in not being able to string more than three passes in a row under pressure, and they exploited them. What else did you expect?
      His tactics were not much different than what Bradley used against better teams.
      You are not as sophisticated as you think.

      Reply
      • What game did you watch?
        The US was outplayed in every recorded metric of any significance. Possession Mex 65%, US 35% (how much of the US possession was in their own defensive half?) SOG Mex 23, US 12,
        Corners Mex 6, US 1.
        The scoreline flattered the US. That game was brutal to watch.
        All any USMNT fan wants is for the US to be competitive.
        PS Bradley also took a very competitive US squad to the finals of the 2009 Confed Cup where they ultimately lost, but showed well against Brazil. That squad competed, which is much much more than I can say for Klinsmann’s.

      • Stop bringing up the Confed Cup; they are essentially friendlies. Honestly, if you count Confed results, you have to count the friendlies (seriously) — and I am not a JK fanboy. In that same tournament, USMNT got manhandled by Italy and Brazil in the group phase. Brazil spanked USMNT 3-0 in the group phase and scored 3 goals to in 30mins in the 2nd half to win (and they could have scored more).

        Spain only beat South Africa by 1 goal at the Confed Cup, what did that say about Spain or South Africa (arguably the worst team at the World Cup).

        Some US fans put way,,,WAY too credence into that event.

      • *Brazil spanked USMNT 3-0 in the group phase and scored 3 goals to in 30mins in the 2nd half of the final to win (and they could have scored more).

    • Agreed. Ferreti outcoached Klinsmann from the very beginning of the game and Klinsmann did not adjust. It was a great game and I can’t wait for the rematch

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      • Sorry,…Pete. Ives got this right. This is more about a talent deficit than tactics for one game. As Ives pointed out,….Mexico has recently won (emphasis) the U-17 World Cup and the Olympic Tournament (U-23) and they are the current Gold Cup Champions. It disappoints me to say this,…but there is a huge talent gap between the USA and Mexico right now. Tactics in one match don’t mean sh!t. Name one player who you thought should have been playing for the USA and who would have made a difference? Name one player is the the caliber of a Donovan, Reyna, O’Brien in the midfield? For God’s sake our starting center forward scored one goal for Sunderland in 18 months!

  12. The funny thing is that if the US would have won on penalties or in extra time despite being out possessed, the podcast would state how the US are the kings of CONCACAF and Mexico can’t win the big games. Last Gold Cup, Mexico out possessed Panama 70 to 30 in both games and all we heard was how much better Panama played. I disagree that the Mexico outplayed the US the whole game. Rubbish. The first half was even. And these are not facts, These are opinions. The second half I concur that Mexico played the better possession game but they have such a hard time scoring. The only reason why they scored is because meathead Klinsmann did nit take out Beasley. If he makes changes earlier the US probably wins, but it is all academic because Klinsmann is a meathead. Klinsmann did put out the correct line up but did not manage the game well. You are correct . These same backs should have started in the Gold Cup. The US is not even close to slow ..not yet anyway. Dempsey should be done and Becks is definitely done. These old farts are good for another year and a half but getting new blood sooner is better than later. The US will qualify for the World Cup 2018. We will know what the US will be like about one year from the World Cup.

    Reply

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