And I mean that in the bad way. USMNT advanced out of the quarters on kicks from the spot but failed to make the final, falling to Panama on...kicks from the spot. Somehow the Union come home from the two-game road trip with three points.
Canadian Standoff
We are somewhat bemused how the US-Canada rivalry has become nasty. For 88 minutes in their quarterfinal match, all we got was mostly fouls and yellow cards (the match ended with 33 fouls and six yellows). Arguably, the US were simply too conservative, though they did clearly have the run of play in the second half. Yet, late in the match it was still 0-0 and extra time was looming. To the rescue were DeJuan Jones and Brandon Vazquez; Jones put a great cross onto the run of Vazquez, who calmly put the header past St. Clair; seen here, it should have been the game winner. Except, then the US got called for handling in the box and Vittoria (with their regular PK taker on the bench) leveled the match in stoppage time.
The first 15 of extra time yielded nothing but when Shaffelburg slipped one past Turner (probably was slightly deflected) just four minutes into the second half of extra time, things didn't look so good. Fortunately, Ogee Scott Kennedy put one into the net to level things for the US. On to kicks-from-the-spot. Well not right away because neither team's players would move into the center circle. The US made it clear they would not move until the Canadians did. As Dennis noted, "this is the dumbest s***." Finally, Canada retreated so the US did too and the kicks began. Turner stopped two and one hit off the crossbar and the US advanced 3-2. Statistically, the US were all over this match; shots were 21-5, shots on target 8-2, possession 68-32 and xG 2.85-.95 (note that the .95 includes a PK worth about .8 so it tells you they didn't generate much offense).
Burnt the Second Time
Kind of the same script for the semi-final against Panama. Except, this time you can't say the US were the better side. First half was mostly Panama, although US did hit the post early. Some second half adjustments (more wide play?) made it feel a little more even. And indeed, regulation time ended at 0-0. As in the quarters with Canada, the US fell behind in extra time. Ferreira with a great volley from a Jordan Morris header (seen here as this week's YouTubeableMoment) leveled things near the end of the first half of extra time. So we were on to PKs again. This time Panama eventually won 5-4.
Statistically this one was much closer than the match with Canada; shots were 14-12, shots on target 3-5, possession 44-56 and xG 1.55-1.45. As in, it's not like they outplayed Panama and were unlucky not to advance. They played with fire twice and got burnt the second time.
I haven't read any post mortems yet but you start from the view that not making it at least to the Gold Cup final is a bad thing. Perhaps that position can be softened a touch when you consider the squad that they used. If it turns out that we've identified key personnel for the next World Cup cycle, maybe it will have proved useful.
Mexico handled Jamaica relatively easily in the second semi, 3-0 so it will be Panama - Mexico in the final. The good news for Union fans is that this means Blake should be back in goal Saturday night versus NYCFC.
What's In A Name?
I never really focused on this but Panama's nickname is Los Canaleros, or The Canal Men. So they go by a manmade feature that arguably was forced on them. I guess The Isthmus Men would be too hard to say.
Talking Union
Two more road matches without much improvement but somehow the Union are coming home with three points.
On Saturday, LAFC got the better of the Union 3-1; the score matches pretty well what I saw and what the stats say. What it also says is how much the Union miss Blake. The first goal was a howler from Bendik that really should be saved by most professional keepers. The second was an own goal off Mbaizo that, while well-delivered, should be taken care of, either by a defender or the keeper. The last was a fine shot that Bendik could not reach but Blake, with his experience, positioning, reactions and leaping ability, might have gotten to. With just two shots on goal, allowing three goals pretty much guarantees getting no points.
Tannenwald at The Inquirer gets this right - it was only the second consecutive loss but it felt like a lot more. Probably because it's three losses in last five, the draw was snatched on an improbable last minute screamer from Jose Martinez and their play in the 4-1 win over Miami wasn't all that great.
For Wednesday's match versus Nashville, I followed the first half by phone, then listened to the second half on WPEN 97.5 FM. This was clearly a case of it's better to be lucky than good. The final says 2-0 Union and both goals came courtesy of PKs by Daniel Gazdag, who is now 16-16 in his time with the Union and 8-8 this season. Both calls looked legit to me, both by Germantown Academy product Daniel Lovitz; Philly Soccer Now's Matthew Ralph suggested "the Union's best player Wednesday was arguably a guy from Wyndmoor wearing a yellow jersey." Ouch.
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| Besides Gazdag's PK, there was also this clearance off the line by Jack Elliott |
The win lifts the Union back into fourth, just one point behind Nashville with a game in hand. I haven't seen confirmation at press time but with Jamaica's departure from the Gold Cup, we should see Andre Blake back in goal Saturday night. On the other hand, Carranza is out due to his red card. Also, Olivier Mbaizo has requested a transfer because, the US has again denied his family a visa so they can be with him during the season. Wonderful.
A Threepeat for the USWNT?
So our lean times are just about over as the 2023 Women's World Cup starts next Thursday. Bottom line - I count 15 straight days with at least two group stage matches. Never mind that they start at times like 12:30 am, 3 am, 6 am or 7 am. This is why some genius invented DVR. The knockout stages play out from 8/5 to the final on 8/20. Every match is available on Fox or FS1.
The start times give you a hint that this one is not being held in the Western Hemisphere. Host sites are spread over Australia and New Zealand. With the expanded tournament, the format is basically what we see in the men's World Cup. There are 8 groups of 4 teams each. They'll play each other once and the top two teams will advance to the knockout rounds. Key tiebreakers in the group stage are goal differential and number of goals scored.
Recall the last time we saw the USWNT in big time play was the 2021 Olympics where they looked a bit old and overmatched, though they still came home with the bronze medal. The team has been substantially overhauled but is also beset by some key injuries. CHYSC alum Henry Bushnell provides a great overview of the team and their chances at this World Cup here. We also turn to Henry for the broader perspective on the tournament here. For those who want to get a head start programming their DVR here's the full TV schedule. The US schedule is listed below:
• Friday, July 21 vs. Vietnam (9 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Wednesday, July 26 vs. Netherlands (9 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Tuesday, Aug. 1 vs. Portugal (3 a.m. ET, Fox)
The more cynical among us might note how two of those matches happen to be prime time on the US East Coast. Wonder how that happened?
An American in Milan
The exodus at Chelsea continues, as Christian Pulisic is heading to AC Milan for what some would argue is a very modest $22 million. I would happily have seen Newcastle take him at that price. Hopefully this is a new start for him after he been featuring less and less at Stamford Bridge.
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| On paper anyway, this looks like a big upgrade for Aston Villa |
Really Light Weekend
We'll be at Subaru Park to see the Union take on NYCFC. Those without tickets will need their rotten Apple MLS Season Pass or can listen on WPEN. The U are serious favorites here, especially playing at home, so maybe this is a chance to start moving in the right direction. Of course, after that match, they then start play in the Leagues Cup, which means no more MLS games until August 20th. On the other hand, maybe the Leagues Cup will provide a chance to make the necessary tweaks to get ready for the final third of the season.
With the US departure, the Gold Cup final has lost much of its attraction but we will still watch. That's Sunday night at 7:30 on Fox.
And then Thursday we have the WWC tripleheader featuring:
I've listed the Friday schedule as well, as those early games will be before the next version of BFS is available. While none of these scream marquee matchup, it is a chance to see some of the favorites, including Australia, Canada, Spain and the US.
I'll probably watch way too many of them...
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