A to-do list with the World Cup coming to America: Find a new coach, find a center forward, find a way to beat European teams by playing them more often
If it’s progress in developing young players through some of Europe’s biggest clubs, yes. They are represented at Chelsea, Arsenal, Juventus, AC Milan, Valencia and Borussia Dortmund.
“I’m really proud of this team, how far we’ve come,” Christian Pulisic told Fox. “I hope we showed a lot of people what we can do. It really is a shame, I thought. You know, we deserved more from this tournament.”Because, exactly, why? This is a nation that has been past the round of 16 once since 1950 , tied a Wales team that hasn’t won a World Cup game since 1958 and hung on for dear life against an Iran team that has never advanced past the first round.
Some argue that the numbers are flawed, that there’s a natural regression to the mean, that teams retaining coaches generally do so because they exceeded expectations and the odds are stacked against them from doing it again. They also point to six of the eight quarterfinalists in Qatar being led by second-cycle coaches.
Bruce Arena got a new contract after leading the Yanks to the 2002 quarterfinals in South Korea … then went winless and finished last in his group in 2006. Bob Bradley was retained after reaching the second round in 2010 … and was fired a year later when the national team went flat. Jurgen Klinsmann was extended through 2018 six months before the 2014 World Cup … and was fired in 2016 amid a disastrous qualifying campaign, and we all know how that ended.
But the big hole is up top, at No. 9. The Yanks didn’t have a quality center forward and they tried three: Josh Sargent, Hagi Wright or Jesus Ferreira. Maybe Jordan Pefok from German club Union Berlin or 19-year-old Ricardo Pepi from FC Groningen of the Netherlands should have been included in the roster. Or maybe it’s someone who has yet to land on the national team radar.Give it two, maybe three years.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ranking the Four Quarterfinal Matchups in the 2022 FIFA World CupEight teams have punched their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, so let’s rank the four matchups.
Read more »
World Cup 2022: Ranking the 8 quarterfinalists from worst to bestThe 2022 World Cup began with some surprises. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. Teams like Belgium and Germany failed to make the knockout rounds.
Read more »
World Cup 2022: Portugal benches Cristiano Ronaldo, and his replacement propels them into the quarterfinalsLUSAIL, Qatar — For 18 years, society's unceasing obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo had lifted him onto an untouchable pedestal. It sucked media and brands into his orbit. It prompted squeals and selfies from fans wherever he went. It kept him in Portugal's starting lineup amid drama and alleged crimes, and even amid underwhelming soccer, until, on Tuesday night here at the Lusail Stadium, at long last, the pedestal crumbled and Ronaldo fell.
Read more »
Gianni Infantino, who helped kill World Cup group stage, said 2022 group stage was 'best ever'Gianni Infantino hailed the 2022 World Cup for having “the best group stage of a FIFA World Cup ever,” celebrating the final tournament in the current format before the World Cup expands to 48 teams in 2026.
Read more »