I think it was as simple as Egypt potentially needed a result and Spain didn’t.
I guess hypothetically they could have been avoiding France, but when they played there would still have been a chance that Argentina was on that side of the bracket.
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my feeling is that the super-condensed nature of the schedule is leading to some janky player usage patterns that spit out some weird results when a team playing its third game has little to play for
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Yeah, rotating squads makes sense given the format. It’s also pretty random because it’s a youth tournament too.
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USWNT has very little at stake in its third game but rosters are so tight it is hard to see how they can rotate. Emma Hayes seems to have picked the right roster, but having Jaedyn Shaw on the roster but unavailable means they have only four subs for field players. Possibly only three w Davidson hurt in the last game.
Given the above, I can’t believe there weren’t earlier subs against Germany. Up 3-1, feels like a mistake to not have emptied the bench by 70th minute. Feels like the only wrong step taken to date.
Worked out about as well it could have for us after that 0-3 to start. Morocco is beatable.
The ref in the US-Morrocco game made one of the worst calls you could possibly make. I imagine VAR fixes it
wait what? Am I wrong here soccer people? He barely touched him
Didn’t he kick right through the guy’s calf? Seemed like a fine call to me. Sucks because Morocco weren’t in a very particularly threatening position
Was harsh. Was probably a foul outside of the box, but not sure it was enough for a pen if that makes sense. Got all ankle even though the guy snuck in from behind. Is why you want to stick to a header there if possible, just swinging a leg in the box is always left up to interpretation.
We look slow, scared and completely outclassed so far.
Tough call, but I’m not too upset about it. Morocco has been the much better team so a deserved lead S far as I’m concerned
One of those that wouldn’t be given by VAR, but probably won’t be overturned by VAR, IMO.
That’s game. Really could be like 4 or 5 to 0. Good to see the USMNT in any age group can’t handle a high press at all.
Schulte has zero positioning. That 3rd was so soft.
Bludgeoning through and through.
Backfoot and chasing this entire match from the 1st minute and that’s not hyperbole. Looked like a club team vs a Sunday eleven.
At least the U20’s showed some life today. What a hit.
Maybe Herve Renaud is not the right choice. Only team to lose in regular time today.
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He probably looked great doing it though.
It’s weird that France is not great. Last two Olympic/WC cycles their women were excellent and had some young players. What happened?
PELLEGRINO MATARAZZO is the rumor
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American-born so makes more sense. Took Hoffenheim from relegation zone to Europa quickly, I don’t know how tf we are going to find the functioning CB’s in this player pool to run a 3-5-2, but I’ve advocated for a coach with any kind of unique system so will get on board with it. Welcome back John Brooks.
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Brooks will be brought back into the fold, play great, then get injured right before the World Cup.
I’d prefer someone with international experience. And if I was Matarazzo, I’d be staying in club football. National team job with the US will always be an option in the future as long as he’s relatively successful in club football. A lot of pressure with less than two years before the WC. But coaching a host team (and your home country) in the WC is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity, so might be hard to turn down.