YOUNG AMERICANS
The USMNT was by far the youngest team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, garnering valuable experience going through the rigors of World Cup qualifying. Through 14 qualifiers, the USA Starting XI came in at an average of 23.82, almost two years younger than the next closest team, Ghana at 25.67. Together, the other 31 participating teams averaged a Starting XI age of 27.5 through qualifying, nearly four full years older than the U.S. Sources say this is one of the youngest, but most talented teams the U.S. has ever fielded. While they may not win the world cup this year, they may garner the experience needed to make a serious run on home soil in the year 2026 when the World Cup comes back to North America.
2022 USA World Cup Roster
FORWARDS
Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas)
Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders)
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)
Josh Sargent (Norwich City)
Timothy Weah (Lille)
Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)
DEFENDERS
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic)
Sergiño Dest (AC Milan)
Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls)
Shaq Moore (Nashville SC)
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach)
DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami)
Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
GOALKEEPERS
Ethan Horvath (Luton Town)
Sean Johnson (NYCFC)
Matt Turner (Arsenal) [Reply]
Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger:
Are you kidding me? Messi has had several high level players with vast champions league experience around him. Arguero, DI Maria, Peredes just to name a few. People love to make excuses for Messi but the fact is he's rarely ever been the same player for Argentina as he was for Barcelona. And when you look at the resume the likes of Ronaldinho and the Brazilian Ronaldo were just as talented but at least won a world cup. If Mbappe beats Messi in the final that's a HUGE dent to Messi's legacy imo.
Messi
2006 WC Quarters (lost to WC winner)
2010 WC Quarters (lost to 3rd place team)
2014 WC Lost Final (lost to WC winner)
2018 WC Lost Round of 16 (lost to WC winner)
2022 WC Final*
Copa America
2007 Lost Final
2015 Lost Final
2016 Lost Final
2019 Lost Semi to CA Winner (got 3rd)
2021 Won
You can blame Higuain for multiple of those finals. (Especially 2014 WC)
Statistically he has been amazing in every tourney. The quality of the players for Argentina was not at the level of those other teams... While they might have had some good players... The Barcelona teams were better ...
Its like when you see England / Brazil do subs.. and you have Mount / Rashford / Foden / Grealish coming off the bench or Gabriel Jesus / Martinelli / Ederson / Fabinho
Tell me who Argentina subs in today, that you would be damn, he's on the bench.. Lautaro (who is having a terrible WC - Higuainesque) and no 35 year old Di Maria who is hurt doesn't count. (he would be starting) [Reply]
He was already fat a couple of years after moving to Real Madrid...maybe 2007ish time frame. The Madrid fans gave him a ton of crap about it. Then Madrid sold him to AC Milan where he ruptured his patellar tendon and got even fatter.
He was my favorite player and it makes me sad about his wasted potential. As great as he was, he could have been even greater. Instead, most people just remember him for his weird seizure thing before the world cup final, his knee injuries, getting caught with a tranny hooker, and getting fat. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Razaele:
The guy died after complaining of a long illness with a worsening course and there was no reason to suspect foul play, but people were still posting that their "gut" was telling them he was murdered by the government in Qatar for wearing a gay pride shirt.
I know. It's just that with some people, everything has to be blamed on someone/something. Random events don't just happen according to them. [Reply]
2006 WC Quarters (lost to WC winner)
2010 WC Quarters (lost to 3rd place team)
2014 WC Lost Final (lost to WC winner)
2018 WC Lost Round of 16 (lost to WC winner)
2022 WC Final*
Copa America
2007 Lost Final
2015 Lost Final
2016 Lost Final
2019 Lost Semi to CA Winner (got 3rd)
2021 Won
You can blame Higuain for multiple of those finals. (Especially 2014 WC)
Statistically he has been amazing in every tourney. The quality of the players for Argentina was not at the level of those other teams... While they might have had some good players... The Barcelona teams were better ...
Its like when you see England / Brazil do subs.. and you have Mount / Rashford / Foden / Grealish coming off the bench or Gabriel Jesus / Martinelli / Ederson / Fabinho
Tell me who Argentina subs in today, that you would be damn, he's on the bench.. Lautaro (who is having a terrible WC - Higuainesque) and no 35 year old Di Maria who is hurt doesn't count. (he would be starting)
Yeah, Messi played with great midfielders at the club level. Iniesta/Xavi/Fabregas/Busquets are some of the best ever feeding him the ball. At the International level, his midfield sucked. Aguero/Higuain were good strikers but you still need midfielders to move the ball up the pitch to these guys. The game is controlled in the middle.
Ronaldo had the same issue in his prime where the International midfielders he played with were awful compared to his midfield at Manchester United or Real Madrid. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Gary Cooper:
Yeah, Messi played with great midfielders at the club level. Iniesta/Xavi/Fabregas/Busquets are some of the best ever feeding him the ball. At the International level, his midfield sucked. Aguero/Higuain were good strikers but you still need midfielders to move the ball up the pitch to these guys. The game is controlled in the middle.
Ronaldo had the same issue in his prime where the International midfielders he played with were awful compared to his midfield at Manchester United or Real Madrid.
That "Barcelona / Real Madrid" national Spain team won the WC in 2010. They were sooo good. [Reply]
I’m not disagreeing with the penalty decision, but I fucking hate how easily he went down in the box from that little of contact. It’s no fun watching players embellish contact to draw penalties. These teams are too good to have that be a deciding goal in this match. Hopefully we get more action and that’s not it. [Reply]
