Copa America Centenario

[AUDub 11,136]

Kicks off next week. We open with Colombia next Friday evening. My thoughts?

[AUDub 11,136]

Nice to get the win over Ecuador in tonight's warm up friendly. It was definitely a tale of two halves. Notes:

1. We were far better in the attack when we replaced the old guard up front with Bobby Wood and Darlington Nagbe. We did a good job keeping the ball in the Ecuador half and had some good opportunities before Nagbe scored his first USMNT goal in the 90th.

2. Birnbaum and Brooks were awesome in the back.

3. Yedlin was his usual slippery self.

4. Bradley was as consistent as ever. Did a good job recovering on Ecuador's breakouts.

5. Guzan wasn't asked to do much.

6. Pulisic is going to be special.

[mustache eagle 2,397]

That was the first game in a while by the usmnt, that I thought was a good game. Not the first 20 minutes ... But the second half was fun to watch.

Bradley looked more comfortable as a dcm

The combo of pullisic, wood, nagbe, zusi and bedoya was exciting, creative, active and had great movement and vision

I'll be honest ... Brooks and birnbaum scared me far too often. The first 20 minutes could have been a disaster

The last 11 on the field could be the future.

I love dempseys creativity ... He would be able to interact with these young guys

[AUDub 11,136]

That was the first game in a while by the usmnt, that I thought was a good game. Not the first 20 minutes ... But the second half was fun to watch.

Bradley looked more comfortable as a dcm

The combo of pullisic, wood, nagbe, zusi and bedoya was exciting, creative, active and had great movement and vision

I'll be honest ... Brooks and birnbaum scared me far too often. The first 20 minutes could have been a disaster

The last 11 on the field could be the future.

I love dempseys creativity ... He would be able to interact with these young guys

Bradley is best when he has a lot to work with in front of him. Solid as a rock back there. CDM is his ideal position IMO.

Birnbaum and Brooks eventually settled in nicely together. I'd rather have Cameron back there with Brooks, but he's still recovering from an injury.

I really hate that we're at the tail end of our time with Dempsey. He's been so good for so long for us.

I can't wait to see what Pulisic does as he grows. There are flashes of greatness in that kid.

[AUTUmike 79]

I didn't think Birnbaum played too well, but Brooks was solid. Wood starting over Altidore (injury or not) gives us a lot more of a spark. I was impressed with Yedlen's defense and the way he set up the eventual goal. I'd love to see Pulisic get a start on Saturday. Lots of energy and I loved his scrappy play after the goal

[AUDub 11,136]

Well we're straight up owning Bolivia. Up 2-0 at the half and with something like 65% of the possession. Scorers were Gyasi Zardez and John Brooks.

[AUDub 11,136]

So that was a nice win. Couldn't really glean much from it because it was a 4-0 blowout over an overmatched team, but fun to watch. Gyasi scored a second goal in the game and his fifth for the MNT and Pulisic scored his first.

[mustache eagle 2,397]

The usmnt has often struggled and underwhelmed in games like this. This was a well played game and they actually looked like they were having fun.

[AUDub 11,136]

Speaking of Pulisic, hopefully this will be the first of many in the course of a long and successful career:

Darlington made that goal though.

[AUTUmike 79]

Was it just me, or did Matt Besler play exceptionally bad?

[AUDub 11,136]

Was it just me, or did Matt Besler play exceptionally bad?

Middling performance in a position he's unfamiliar with. Klinsmann just being Klinsmann. He loves to experiment.

Better knock it off before the group stage though. You won't be able to get away with that against the competition in the cup.

[AUDub 11,136]

Dang. Cameron loses his mark on a corner and Colombia capitalizes. 1-0 8th minute.

[AUBwins 10,069]

US hasn't been able to get a consistent push near the goal so far. When they do, it doesn't take long for the ball to go the other way.

[AUDub 11,136]

And we surrender a penalty on a Yedlin handball. Too bad. Had his back to it and never saw it coming.

[AUBwins 10,069]

About to be 2-0 .... yep

[AUBwins 10,069]

It was unfortunate though. Just bad luck

[AUDub 11,136]

On comes the young guard of Pulisic and Nagbe.

[FoundationEagle 637]

Ugh. Klinnsman still having a job is beyond disturbing iyam. We are currently ranked 31st in Fifa standings and likely to drop even lower after this ugly tournament is over. Anyone see his presser earlier today where he blamed his failures on young players not being good enough? Hell, he even named a goalie that has a broken leg and said "where is he?" This charade has gone on long enough. I was praying he'd get canned before the last World Cup...now we have to watch him fumble through the olympics in the same town and same time of year? Olympics will be ugly. Hopefully it will be his last game coaching. I'm not sure who we could get better, but it surely can't get much worse. Hell, Bob Bradley was canned for letting the team slip to 29th just 2 years after having them at their highest ranking in us history at 9th. How the hell does Klinsmann have more stock than Bradley? You know it's gotten bad when you're hoping the other team can score a few more to increase the pressure on the coach. He's a buffoon and completely clueless on how to run a team. Time to go.

[AUBwins 10,069]

Klinnsman loves to experiment with lineups. While this has found a few bright spots, I also think this has been the problem. No consistency. It truly started at leaving Donovan off the roster for the Cup. I like some of the young guns, and the touch passing give-and-go has looked much better than years past, but personnel decisions have hurt more than help. Also we didn't qualify for the Olympics because we couldn't win 1 out of 2 games. Primarily because the key players were riding the bench for the senior team instead of helping the U23 squad qualify.

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Not positive but pretty sure klinsmann doesn't coach Olympic teams.

I've got my issues with klinsmann - personnel and positioning - but I've got a bigger problem with heartless players.

Klinsmann is trying to change the entire soccer culture of a nation. That takes time and is a painful process.

Unfortunately I think klinsmann HAS to stay on through the next World Cup. It will take that much time to make the needed cultural change. We will have a lot of disappointment and losses during that time. I also think this will be the foundation of enormous success in the future. If you add skill and soccer savvy to the American athlete - we will stay as a top 10 team.

The next coach will get the credit but klinsmann will have done the dirty work. It is what happened at Germany.

I hate how he plays guys out of position and the starting 11 (regardless of who they are) rarely play together.

Btw, I didn't think the team played all that poorly. We still lack a little in the attack. Nagbe/pullisic will help there. I'm not a huge fan of zardes yet.

[AUBwins 10,069]

He doesn't coach the Olympic team but decides who is called up and oversees all the teams, I think.

[FoundationEagle 637]

He doesn't coach the Olympic team but decides who is called up and oversees all the teams, I think.

Coach Andreas Herzog, a longtime Klinsmann confidant and former national team assistant was officially put in charge of the U-23 team in January. It is a Klinsmann guy that was out in charge of Olympic qualifying. We see the results. Good grief someone make it stop.

[AUTUmike 79]

Paraguay and Costa Rica drew 0-0 this afternoon. That's a huge boost for the US to get out of the group stage now.

Also, one of Costa Rica's starters got a last minute red card and will miss the game against the US on Tuesday.

[AUBwins 10,069]

Paraguay and Costa Rica drew 0-0 this afternoon. That's a huge boost for the US to get out of the group stage now.

Also, one of Costa Rica's starters got a last minute red card and will miss the game against the US on Tuesday.

That's good.

[ellitor 33,076]

Does this tournament have any bearing on Olympic or World Cup qualifying?