***USMNT Thread***

Definitely seemed like it deserved to be level after 90

 

There were also some predictions we wouldn't get out of the group or even finish last in the group

 

Not just not starting but I don't think he was really playing for Tijuana period

 

It gave us this and you know Jurgen deserves credit if he says it

 

Dicks has a big sale on all stuff before July 4th and all the USMNT stuff looks like it's 50% off.

Jerseys, training tops, shorts

http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=21318056&ab=COPA_Countries_USA

Damn the white track jacket is only in L or XXL. If they had an XL I might have to grab it

Edit: Free shipping right now also on all Copa stuff and all USA stuff (not just US soccer but all USA things like Olympic stuff also)

 

Grabbed a pair of the shorts and a polo

 

Went over to the local Dicks to check out the in store stuff but mostly gone. Did give me a chance to actually feel the shorts and polo and see them up close though. Pretty happy with the purchase.

Also forgot to mention and will add to the post that right now Copa stuff and USA stuff (even non US soccer stuff) is free shipping

 

I did not. They only had S and M and I wear XL so couldn't check

 

USMNT Copa roster audit: Sizing up each player's long-term outlook



The ESPN FC crew debate whether the evolution of the United States under Jurgen Klinsmann has lived up to expectations.
With the Copa America Centenario in the books, the attention of the U.S. men's national team returns to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

By guiding his team to a fourth-place finish at Copa America, coach Jurgen Klinsmann met the semifinal expectations he set for the team before the tournament but didn't exceed them. It's enough to suggest that the team might be getting back on track after a couple of underachieving years, while still leaving ample questions to be answered on the road to Russia.

So what exactly did this tournament tell us about the players who will be involved over the next two years? And where do they go from here? Here's an audit of the USMNT's Copa America roster as 2018 preparation begins in earnest. Players have been classified into four groups: those who are here to stay as starters; those whose starting spot is up in the air; those who are aging out; and those whose future is bright but uncertain.


Here to stay/likely starters
John Brooks (center-back, 23): Brooks was the USMNT's breakout star of the tournament. All too often the U.S. seemed to rely on last-ditch defending to keep it in games, and Brooks was more than equal to the task. Brooks led all regulars in the tournament (players with at least 180 minutes played) with 6.40 clearances per 90 minutes. Realistically, that number means he was put under fire too many times, and if the U.S. is to improve going forward, Brooks will have to be less busy. But it also means that Brooks faced an enormous test and passed it with flying colors. Brooks has been a regular in the team for a while, but this summer marks his evolution from exciting prospect to automatic starter. He's only 23 years old, already a regular with Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin and the USMNT's most exciting center-back prospect since Oguchi Onyewu. In terms of next steps, Brooks needs to continue playing at top level for club and country. He's a team leader for the long-term.

DeAndre Yedlin (defender/winger, 22): There never has been any doubt about Yedlin's physical abilities, as his speed and strength are superb. There were, however, significant questions about whether he had the defensive awareness to play as a full-back at the international level. It seems odd to say that this Copa America allayed those fears, since Yedlin ended up conceding a penalty with a handball and picked up a red card in the final group-stage match against Paraguay. But despite those moments, for the first time Yedlin looked at home manning the defensive side of his responsibilities for the USMNT. There's no doubt about his attacking contribution, as his 1.67 crosses per 90 minutes ranked second on the team. But now, thanks in part to playing the better part of a season under Sam Allardyce at Sunderland, Yedlin is less prone to getting caught up field and relying on his speed to make up for his mistakes. He's still not a finished product defensively, but his improvement is encouraging, and he's good enough that it's hard to see anybody unseating him from right back any time soon. For Yedlin's defensive growth to continue he needs to keep getting top-level minutes at full-back, whether that's at Sunderland where he was on loan, his parent club Tottenham or somewhere else.

Bobby Wood (forward, 23): After a slow start to the tournament, Wood thrived when he moved from the left wing to a more central striker role. He showed an ability to threaten defenses by getting behind their backlines and held the ball up well for teammates. Plus, he scored against Costa Rica and created several dangerous chances. The USMNT has struggled since 2010 to find a true center forward who could deputize for Jozy Altidore or push the inconsistent striker for minutes. Wood shows every indication of being that player, and with a move to Hamburg in Germany's top division already secured, everything seems set for Wood to play a major part for the USMNT in the coming years. That being said, this coming season is a crucial one for Wood. If he's a success in the Bundesliga and plays regularly, this will be only the start for him. But if he struggles, gets buried on the bench and his development stalls, there's still the chance this summer ends up as a flash in the pan.

Fabian Johnson (defender/midfielder, 28): Johnson continues to fly under the radar, especially since he might be the most talented player at Jurgen Klinsmann's disposal. He's also not a full-back despite being deployed there (he plays winger for club team Borussia Monchengladbach). Getting the most out of Johnson's attacking abilities will be key to the USMNT's success going forward -- though at 28 he might be slightly past his prime by the time Russia comes around. In terms of outlook, Johnson appears primed to continue being a dangerous wide midfielder for 'Gladbach. Hopefully the U.S. figures out a way to utilize those attacking skills.

The rest (here to stay/likely starters)

Gyasi Zardes (forward/winger, 24) has been one of the mainstays of the squad over the last two years. Klinsmann has consistently deployed him as a hybrid winger whose job is both to attack the opposition penalty box and track back and defend his flank. Zardes' technical abilities might leave a little to be desired, but he has matured into a smart player who knows how to work with his teammates. Zardes' ability to play at striker or on either wing means he'll be valuable even if he gets relegated to the bench in the lead up to 2018. ... Geoff Cameron (defender/defensive midfielder, 30) acquitted himself well at Copa America and appears to have locked down the center-back spot next to Brooks. Though he's getting up there in age, Cameron's place in Stoke City's lineup seems assured for the foreseeable future. Maintaining consistent form in the Premier League and further building his center-back chemistry with Brooks will be key. ... Despite a rocky 2015-16 club season, goalkeeper Brad Guzan (31) played well at the tournament, repaying Klinsmann's faith in handing him the starting job before the tourney. With Tim Howard on the downslope of his career and Ethan Horvath a ways from being ready, Guzan is the front-runner to start in 2018, though it will be important he finds consistent playing time in a top league (Aston Villa, where he has one year left on his contract, was relegated to the English Championship).


Gyasi Zardes' versatility will likely keep him in the U.S. lineup for the foreseeable future.

Important but no longer an automatic starter
Jozy Altidore (forward, 26): Wood's emergence means that Altidore's previously secure spot might not be so easy to hold onto over the next couple of years. He has struggled to maintain his place with the USMNT over the last couple of years due in large part to hamstring injuries. Now he'll have to not only be fit, but in form, to keep getting the nod. Bottom line: He'll need to get healthy and get back to putting up numbers for Toronto FC if he wants to maintain his place up top for the U.S. with the likes of Wood and Jordan Morris on the rise.

Michael Bradley (midfielder, 28): Bradley, whose struggles at Copa America have been well-documented, is still a valuable part of the picture. However, it's time to recognize he's never going to be a midfield superstar that the team can be built around. Ask him to do less and he'll do whatever is asked of him much better. In terms of next steps, the captain needs to maintain consistent form for Toronto FC and embrace whatever midfield role Klinsmann gives him leading up to and during Russia 2018.

Alejandro Bedoya (midfielder, 29): Bedoya, similar to Bradley, is a versatile, hard-working glue guy who consistently is assigned and competently fulfills various midfield roles for the U.S. -- as we again saw at Copa America. He also has become a consistently productive player for Nantes of Ligue 1 in France. Despite his versatility and non-stop motor, expecting a 31-year-old Bedoya to play a crucial attacking or holding midfield role in 2018 is a lot to ask, and in truth the team ideally will have one of its up-and-coming midfielders (more on that below) as the first option at that point.

Clint Dempsey (forward, 33): Dempsey still scores goals. His three goals led the team at Copa America. His 20 shots were a whopping 14 more than any of his teammates. Plus, he put seven shots on target (only one U.S. player, Johnson, put more than one on target). The U.S. still relies on Dempsey. He's also 33 years old. The fact that Dempsey spent this summer creating goals for himself at the heart of the USMNT attack was vital to its Copa America performance. The fact that Klinsmann either can't find or won't yet trust anybody else in that role is a problem that needs to be solved by the next World Cup. As far as Dempsey's outlook, he needs to maintain his health and goal-scoring form with the Seattle Sounders of MLS. But by 2018 it's likely he will be an occasional starter or an attacking super sub for the U.S.


Aging out or getting pushed out
Jermaine Jones (midfielder, 34): Jones is 34 and still plays midfield as if he were shot out of a cannon. His 3.08 tackles per 90 ranked sixth among all players at Copa America who logged at least 180 minutes. However, he can't keep doing it forever and the U.S. is completely unprepared for life after Jones. In terms of next steps, the Colorado Rapids midfielder needs to stay fit and in form in case he's counted on to produce in 2018. Regardless, whoever ends up eventually replacing him in defensive midfield will have large shoes to fill.

The rest (aging out or getting pushed out)

There's a contingent of guys who could very well make the Russia roster but would have limited-impact roles, including Graham Zusi (midfielder, 29), Matt Besler(defender, 29), Timmy Chandler (defender, 26) and Tim Howard (goalie, 37). And beyond that, there's a group of players not likely to be in the mix at all, including Michael Orozco (defender, 30), Edgar Castillo (winger, 29), Kyle Beckerman (midfielder, 34) and Chris Wondolowski (forward, 33).




Jermaine Jones impressed at Copa America. But will he still be a viable option in 2018?



Bright but uncertain future
Christian Pulisic (midfielder, 17): The fact that Pulisic made the team is more indicative of his future promise than anything he did on the field. At 17, Pulisic is a capped international and already has multiple starts under his belt at Borussia Dortmund, where he was a significant contributor over the second half of the 2015-16 season. He still won't be 20 years old when the next World Cup kicks off. It's hard to say whether Klinsmann's reluctance to use him at Copa America -- the manager gave the teenager only three brief substitute appearances -- says more about Pulisic's development or Klinsmann's. Was Pulisic not ready to help the team? Or was Klinsmann unwilling to trust such a young player?

Pulisic making the Copa roster is a bright sign, but since he didn't play much it's difficult to project how he'll contribute moving forward. Is he the prospect with the best chance of inheriting the Dempsey mantle? Or does Klinsmann see him as more of a true winger, terrorizing full-backs and tracking up and down the sideline? Copa America didn't give us any hint of an answer. But as long as he continues to earn minutes at Dortmund and make an impact, his time will come sooner than later for the U.S.

Darlington Nagbe (midfielder, 25): Along with Pulisic, Nagbe was the other new attacking piece that Klinsmann brought to Copa America. Unlike Pulisic, however, Nagbe is 25 years old and a fully formed professional with almost 200 appearances for the Portland Timbers. But similar to Pulisic, he made only three substitute appearances during the tournament. It's hard to see how the USMNT couldn't have benefited from an experienced attacking playmaker during some of the long stretches where it failed to hold the ball in the final third of the field and create chances.

While the questions with Pulisic revolve around whether he'll develop into a player that Klinsmann trusts, the questions surrounding Nagbe are simpler: Will Klinsmann change his mind and trust the player that Nagbe already is? Will Klinsmann ever see fit to give the Timbers man major minutes if Bradley is struggling at playmaking duties, or choose to utilize his skills on the wing ahead of the likes of Zusi? It's hard to know what Nagbe should be doing that he isn't already to earn more minutes with this team. He's consistently playing at a high level with the Timbers and looked good in his recent appearances with the USMNT; all that's really left to do is wait and hope that Klinsmann gives him the chance he deserves.

The rest (bright but uncertain future)

For Perry Kitchen (midfielder/defender, 24), who played zero minutes at Copa America, the upcoming turmoil in the USMNT midfield and his relatively secure role as a starter on Scottish club team Hearts means he'll probably have the chance to prove he deserves a more prominent role as an international. ... Steve Birnbaum (defender, 25) played very few minutes in two Copa America appearances -- most of them coming in a poor display against Argentina -- but he has continued to improve and impress at D.C. United and has the requisite size and skills to compete for the starting right center-back spot if Cameron struggles. ... Ethan Horvath (goalkeeper, 21), is in the early stages of his professional career but has already impressed with Norway club team Molde, where he has competed in both the Champions League and Europa League. The young keeper is one to watch in the post-2018 cycle.

 

Got my order in. The shorts are fantastic. Love them.

Shirt is nice. I did not go up a size and am not too worried about the sizing, it fits comfortably but I'll likely make sure to hang dry it to make sure it stays that way