“I can’t stand the false marketing about this US squad being any good …”

Who’s marketing the U.S. as being good, bad, or otherwise. Just because people are excited about the USMNT doesn’t mean they have delusions about the team’s quality.

But yes, you do have a segment of any fan base that is going to be very optimistic. I’m not sure you see that here, which is why your comments are being met with such derision.

You’re very, disproportionately, negative. You’re arguing with somebody who thinks the U.S. is going to contend for a World Cup in two years. Nobody here is saying that.

Join CONMEBOL? `Nuff said.

You are off topic. However, why are you so concerned about ratings? Other than the fact that they affect seeding ratings are irrelevant. Let the world laugh at us. It does not matter.

What matters is that we finished as somewhere around the 16th best team in the last World Cup and we need to improve on that next time. Everythings else, as far as the USMNT goes, is BS.

Calm down. The USA isn’t much overrated. A second place finish in the last Confederations Cup (knocking out Spain 2-0, who had been unbeaten in 35 previous matches). Topped Group C in the last World Cup and made it to the round of 16 before an admittedly disappointing defeat against Ghana. By what metric are we overrated? Gooch screwed up…. again. Shit happens. Granted, we’re not top tier (Spain, Germany, Brazil, etc.), but I don’t really know anyone that thinks we’re top tier. But we’re doing pretty decently on the world stage, and we’re making progress.

I’m not making any claims as to Landon’s primacy or subserviency, Even if you think Landon’s the third best player for the U.S. (honestly, I don’t know – it could be lower or higher), he’s going to have a few more MotM performances in him. And, it was only three games ago that he previously won the honor.

You could say “again” for Bradley, Dempsey, Howard … and Landon.

Landon had a chance generated for him. It was from about 12-13 yards just to the right of goal. It was the type of chance any coach would love to see his team generate. And he passed on it.

What happened? He played a ball into the box that got intercepted by Gerard Pique (iirc). Sergio Ramos then gets caught off balance and Clint sources.

Landon took a scoring opportunity and, though unselfishness, nearly turned it over.

The reason he should have shot: The U.S. had a better chance of scoring a goal had he shot than he had done anything else. Of course, it’s a matter of opinion, but the way the movement played out (I believe) supports what I’m saying. It all worked out great for the U.S., but he didn’t make the right choice.

What if he shoots and it goes out of bounds? No rebound for Clint

How was what he did the wrong choice?

Who cares who is “better”?

Who played better tonight? US fans are so into the cult of personality and celebrity and who is number one. Don’t you care about the team winning? Would you happier if Dempsey had a better night than Donovan even if we lost?

Maybe.

That is always an interesting criticism in a backseat driving, 2020 hindsight kind of way.

On several of Donovan’s passed up shot opportunities it looked to me like passing was a reasonable option. More to the point, the US had the lead. If they were tied or behind maybe he takes those shots. I do know that forwards who don’t always take the obvious shot can be downright unnerving to defenders.

No one wants to hear that they won 3-1 and took the three points they needed but they did.