Class is class

[Assasin]

and horse is horse.

[HL]

and horse is horse.

Yes. ...I said the same thing.

Having Wood andJones out did not help either.

Congrats USA for taking CONCACAF to the semifina.... l

[Mosiah]

There you go again, accepting failure and mediocrity.

[Don1]

There you go again, accepting failure and mediocrity.

He's just "proud of the loss"

[Karl]

We were a step slow in all areas. Outclassed on pace, movement and passing by the current World #1 TEAM.

I cannot stop raving about the progress Messi has made. He is not yet in the class of Maradona or Pele on range of passes but he uses his dribbles and bruks v passing nearly as judiciously as both did. Granted he is still brukin more often than both gentlemen who used the pass to open up defenses more frequently in each match.

From the USA's vantage point: Just need to increase use of the pass 10 fold above dribbling. Our players may be swift enough across ground and with the ball for TEAMs below the top 20 but the current quickness on action will not cut it 11 through 20 although the USA will appear competitive...but 1 through 9 not a chance will that pace and movement, speed with which the ball is rotated cut it. At that World TOP 10 level the current USA quickness - pace, movement & passing - has as much chance as a snowball in hell has of surviving.

One positive - I liked the obvious progress shown in this tournament by the guy who played wide on the right up front! ...and the concept on "how the game is played" is bang on save for failure of the players to recognize that when they moved the ball faster among selves they created serious problems for Argentina. They just tried those quick movement and passing, passing and movement too infrequently. Pick up pace of passing - cut time on each player spends on ball - and they would take 'it' to another level.

[Mosiah]

If Messi played the way you want him to play, we wouldn't have a Messi. Messi's "unnecessary" dribbles create and open up spaces and passing lanes. As do Alexis Sanchez'.

How come yuh rated Tappa?!

[USAF]

Assasin!!! Maybe now some people will understand what I've been saying about the players Klinsmann selects to represent the U.S........Not saying we would have won, BUT select players who give us the best chance to be dynamic & competitive, and offer more than being physical & running around aimlessly.......Good as a TD but clueless as a head coach.

[Rockman]

Moderator, who is we?

[Peter R]

Like son, like father!

[HL]

Assasin!!! Maybe now some people will understand what I've been saying about the players Klinsmann selects to represent the U.S........Not saying we would have won, BUT select players who give us the best chance to be dynamic & competitive, and offer more than being physical & running around aimlessly.......Good as a TD but clueless as a head coach.

A third place finish on Saturday would be satisfactory.

[Assasin]

Can't agree with you there. There are sometimes when you meet class, you just have to accept it learn on move on. Can't see a current American team doing much better. The Argentina team gave them a lesson on closing down, pressure and forced a lot of errors in the US game. Then the class of Messi really created a problem. Look at the first two goals and you will see what I am saying. When Messi had the ball you didn't know if to fowl him, dive in or back off. One or two players maybe would have made a difference but as a team I don't see the US doing much better. Move on and learn from it, it show the US still have a long way to go.

[USAF]

"Can't agree with you there." - What don't you agree with???

"One or two players maybe would have made a difference" - Who are the players who maybe would have made a difference???

"it show the U.S. still have a long way to go." - That's stating the obvious.......In the last 2 years, has the U.S. impressed against a top team, in an important game???

[Assasin]

I can't agree that Klingsman could have found players to look much better. The US team was outplayed in all areas of the game. One or two player maybe would have made a few connected passes or make an individual dribble but overall there is a gulf.

The US did look good against Netherland and Germany although those were practice game. As I said sometimes in sports you buck up inna class and you have to learn and move forward. Like you though I don't know if Klingsman is the man.

[USAF]

"I can't agree that Klingsman could have found players to look much better." - Is this statement based on ASSUMPTION or FACT (you know the players in the USMNT pool & have seen them play)???

"The US did look good against Netherland and Germany although those were practice game." - Interesting that these are the 2 games you listed, because Wondolowski & Zusi weren't there, BUT 3 of the players I've wanted included, in the USMNT, in a meaningful way, since 2014, were there, played well & 1 scored.......For some unexplained reason, 2 weeks later, 2 weren't on the Gold Cup squad, but Wondolowski & Zusi were, and the other was used sparingly to cap tie him (Peru wanted him), but was replaced for the knockout stage, by a player who was struggling to get regular playing time in Liga MX.

I'll say it again - Wondolowski, Zusi & Beckerman has NO business being on a USMNT squad. They're OVERATED & offer NOTHING to the team, going forward (they offered very little before).......Stop guaranteeing Bradley a starting spot. Let him compete with Williams & Kitchen for the holding midfielder spot.......Zardes has improved a lot (hard to believe & props to Bruce Arena for believing in & working with him), BUT I think they're better players, for that STARTING spot.......They are players in the USMNT pool that deserver a REAL opportunity.

[Karl]

If Messi played the way you want him to play, we wouldn't have a Messi. Messi's "unnecessary" dribbles create and open up spaces and passing lanes. As do Alexis Sanchez'.

How come yuh rated Tappa?!

The question suggests I do not rate Messi or Sanchez. I do think Messi and Sanchez are respectively great and a very good player. Messi in my mind has attained greatness contrary to the 'taking heads' anointment previous to the last World Cup has just since that World Cup joined the greats. He now passes more and dribbles less. That has made his 'play' more difficult to predict and defend against, in a nutshell he now brings his TEAMMATES more into play and has made his national TEAM a TOP OF THE WORLD aggregation.

It is no coincidence that his last World Cup under his new improved TEAM style play advanced to the finals. His play was more 'cultured' and attuned to getting the best out of his TEAM. The mark of the greatest of players.

Sanchez has the potential to join Messi at the top but he has much further growth to undertake before he gets there.

Tappa was nowhere near Messi's or Alexis Sanchez's standards but he was among our Jamaica's greatest of players. The other 2 being Lindy and "Skill" who were each superior to Tappa on TEAM play.

Re: If Messi played like I wished.
He would be greater than the greatest of them all Edson Arantes do Nascimento!