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usmnt lineup potential

6/30/2018

A USMNT lineup to consider with friendlies coming up against England and Italy next month.
With World Cup 2022 closer than we think, this is a solid lineup with potential to win the whole thing. Note the skillful back four.

Weah Wood Sargent
Pulisic Nagbe Nguyen
Amon Ream Bradley Shea
Guzan

Key Bench:
Feilhaber
Johannsson
Torres
Besler
Cameron
Yedlin
Acosta
Arriola
Adams

usmnt - the "could've, should've, would've" lineup for wc 2018

6/29/2018

The lineup that the USMNT could’ve, should’ve and would’ve beaten Panama with – “Panama” for God’s sake – to get into this World Cup with a strong chance to win this wide open tournament:

Wood Dempsey Nguyen
Pulisic Torres Nagbe
Shea Ream Bradley Yedlin
Howard

With, of course, a few simple, agreeable, common sense, friendly, conditions.,..Possession, possession, possession, with the defenders adding to the attack like Dan Marino to Duper and Clayton.
This lineup could've only been strengthened with bench support from up and coming talent, Sargent, Weah and a few others. But, this lineup is key as the center piece...and w/ a few alterations, including Dempsey, Yedlin, Bradley and Howard, for now, this lineup is prime and ready for Qatar 2022.
Hello. Yes, I'm fully aware of writing a blog post on a Saturday night, with nothing to do, and the obvious ramifications it has for my "social reputation." Oh no, not that. Bruce Arena just wrote a book, essentially with my title, claiming he has the answers...the guy who had 3 shots at the World Cup. One, two, three. That's like Sug Knight giving a tour of his favorite strip club showing off all the "upstanding, college-bound young women." And, in fact, some of them might be heading for college. Because not all strippers just strip; they have dreams; they have goals; and they have people like Sug Knight telling them how great they are. Hello, I feel like "guy calling radio station" from One Crazy Summer. Good movie btw. Probably in Arena's top five I'm guessing. Strong performance by Cusack and Demi Moore. Hoops. Bobcat Goldthwait. One Crazy Summer.

world cup 2018 bracket

6/29/2018

Bracket Update
7-4-18
My Bracket Predictions for World Cup 2018: 5.5 for 8. (See predictions from 6-29-18 below.)
It's a score of 5.5 since Spain was accurately predicted to have penalty kicks with Russia, though Spain lost. This is based on "Shane Math."

Shane Math
The .5 was added for the correct prediction of penalty kicks during the Spain vs Russia game. I had worked on similar mathematical formulas during my time at MIT.* This, of course, was after I turned down mathematical scholarships from Princeton and Harvard.** Eventually, when I switched from MIT to Stanford, which was due to the actual Dean of the school calling me relentlessly, I began work on Penrose tiling, the true nature of Planck time and gradually I solved Fermat’s Last Theorem one night during an online game of Zelda.*** It goes without saying, I’m still waiting for my recognition from the scientific community. Furthermore, I’d also like an apology letter from Andrew Wiles, and Ken Ribet while we’re at it, for claiming that I “stole their work” and “plagiarized years of research."**** And they call themselves geniuses. Really? Put the time in fella. All they do is yack-yack-yack-yack. Anyway, through all my mathematical travels, I’ve applied my knowledge and expertise to the application of .5 for my bracket prediction in the Spain vs Russia game.

* Complete fantasy.
** Pure fiction.
*** Total rubbish.
**** More rubbish. If you believe this, we should have a talk.

World Cup 2018 Bracket Predictions
6-29-18

With Germany out, this World Cup is literally unpredictable.
With that said, with great caution and intrigue, I lay out my guesses for the elimination rounds.

Uruguay
Portugal
“Toss a coin.”
I give it to Portugal only because Ronaldo is playing well. He’s scoring goals, and this may be his last World Cup tournament which may lead him to guide his team with an extra push. However, this game is a toss up. Despite being the defending European champions, Portugal is not the best team around the block. Without Ronaldo they’re super-average, and you cannot depend on them. Uruguay, another team that’s definitely not the best on the block is average as well, counting on Suarez for the majority of their scoring chances, with dull, predictable support from the midfield and defense.

France
Argentina
“Toss a coin.”
This should be a great game. This is more like a perfect semi-final or championship showdown. Unfortunately, they’re meeting in the second round. It could go either way, though, as with Portugal, I’m going with Messi and Argentina only because of Messi’s prowess on the field and his quest for the big title which may bring out the best in him during this match. Despite the hype, Pogba is not a big game player, and I don’t think he’ll bring in a magical performance against Argentina. However, he’s a good player, and along with Greizmann, who I believe is more of a threat up top, and one of the better players in the tournament, France should give Argentina a tough game.

Brazil
Mexico
“Go with Brazil.”
Poor Mexico. They’re desperately trying to defeat their “second round curse” and this just doesn’t seem like the tournament for them to accomplish it. If only they could’ve been paired against Sweden or Denmark. However, this is probably the best Mexican team in their history of teams so don’t be surprised to see Mexico surprise the world with a defeat over Brazil, and a somewhat injured Neymar. Though, I’m going with Brazil because they’re hitting a stride, they have a talented group with Willian and Coutinho, and I believe they’ll eventually find their way into the finals.

Belgium
Japan
“Go with Belgium.”
Belgium is just better than Japan, on paper and in reality of soccer. However, Japan is very technically sound and it wouldn’t be surprising to me at all if they knocked off the Belgians. Japan is likely going to improve their national team structure and eventually win the whole World Cup. But not this time around. Belgium yes, Japan no.

Spain
Russia
“Probably Spain.”
Going into this tournament I had my doubts about Spain, because members of their “Golden Generation” are slowly retiring from the team. They have a few left, but I thought it wasn’t going to be enough to hold onto that magic, and, as I’ve predicted, they’ll end up being one of the best teams never to win the World Cup “again.” They’re playing well and so is Russia. The Russians have the home crowd which has been of great help to this point. But, I think Spain still holds all the cards with their strong ability to out-possess their opponent. I think this will knock the Russians off their game, and the win should go Spain. Though, penalty kicks might be the end result, which, if that’s the case, the game could go either way.

Croatia
Denmark
“Toss a coin.”
Both teams are pretty equal and they both play a quality thoughtful game of soccer, though Croatia might have the edge based on the flow they’ve displayed so far in the tournament. Literally toss a coin for this one. But I’m going with Croatia.

Sweden
Switzerland
“Toss a coin.”
I chose Sweden only because it was going to be easier to write “Sweden” on my self-made bracket page. So there you go. Sweden, your winners! Go Sweden! Both teams are pretty equal and both play a boring style of soccer. It can go either way. Sweden can bring out a good game, defeating Italy in a playoff to reach this World Cup, and gaining a victory over Mexico in their group. Switzerland is steady, with experienced players. This game could go either way, and despite their mutually boring approach, it could be an exciting game to watch.

Colombia
England
“Probably, maybe England…but you never know.”
This should be a very intriguing game. I’m going with England only because this might be the year they do something big! Then again, it might not! They’ve been saying that since 1966. We’ll see. This might as well be a “toss a coin” game. Both teams are very talented and it literally could go either way. Don’t be surprised to see penalty kicks. To this point in the tournament, Colombia just hasn’t impressed me like I thought they would. England, well, it’s not as though we’re talking about Brazil 1970. But I’m going with England. For this game you should too.

wc 2018 update: germany is out! what the...

6/27/2018

Around the 600s AD, mathematicians from India including Brahmagupta were tinkering around with negative numbers. Negative zero is the amount of people that predicted Germany would be eliminated in group play during the World Cup in Russia. Somehow, today it happened. The four-time champs, the defending 2014 WC champs, the defending 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup champs are out. Moving on from their group are Sweden (go figure) and Mexico (the team with a dream…to get past the second round).
It’s the World Cup of surprises.
After all, Argentina – the two-time champs from 1978 and 1986 – lost their second game to Croatia, then pulled off a highly dramatic late 2-1 victory against Nigeria to earn a place in the second round.
Leading into Russia 2018 many surprises occurred including Panama getting to the World Cup over their more talented CONCACAF neighbors, Honduras and the United States. Holland, a very good side, didn’t qualify out of Europe. Italy – the four-time champs – didn’t qualify either. And then, low and behold, the best team from South America for the past few years, the 2015 and 2016 Copa America champs, Chile, did not qualify! And, btw, Argentina almost joined them as they barely qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
And, the Argentineans, along with other teams in Russia, who, to this point, have made for an extremely exciting World Cup, might offer up a few more surprises before it’s all said and done.
As for Germany, they’ll have time to regroup and set a strong course for World Cup 2022. Possibly, with the absence of reliable leaders including Schweinsteiger, Lahm and Klose, the Germans were destined for this result. Possibly, they finally submitted to the pressure, while for so long they've seemed to embrace it, and play above the grand stage. After all, they were expected to dominate the tournament, and to reach the finals yet again. Lahm always provided guidance, skill and a creative spark from his place on outside defense. Schweinsteiger provided wisdom and a steady hand, along with great confidence from the middle, and Klose, the all-time leading World Cup scorer, was always a threat around goal. Then, a few other names were unavailable, including Podolski and Schurrle. The weird thing is, despite completely outplaying South Korea during their inevitable 2-0 loss, the Germans just couldn’t get through the human wall that became their opponent’s best defense.
For now, the Germans, the defending champs, the grand old party of soccer, will return from Russia empty-handed, and a new champion will soon take their place.

how argentina lost: book excerpt predicted their fate

6/21/2018

How Argentina Lost to Croatia...
First off, Argentina changed coaches in 2017, right before the World Cup. Good timing Argentina. Way to go. Brilliant. Coach Edgardo Bauza was at the helm, then last minute they handed it over to the new guy, Jorge Sampaoli, with full-arm tattoos who paces the sidelines like a caged tiger.
Secondly, Croatia is a very good team. They're like the Brazil of Slovakian nations, with a little touch of Barcelona thrown in. They're a tough team and they affectively gave Argentina, the two-time World Cup champs, a resounding 3-0 defeat today.
In part, the following book excerpt explains what went wrong with Argentina today, and in general.

Book Excerpt from The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup

ARGENTINA

If having a temper is a strategy, they use it effectively at times, while other times it turns into their own worst enemy. If they get down a goal, and things aren’t going their way, it usually takes one guy—say, Mascherano—to throw a temper tantrum,* berating the referee (sometimes multiple referees), and the rest will follow.
Argentina will probably go with a 4-4-2 (however, they’ve previously used different variations). Though, from time to time, strategy is thrown out the window, and they rely, instead, on good old-fashioned soccer know-how—an elegant “tactic” they were accused of in 2010 under the guidance of Maradona.
Whether no strategy is a strategy or whether any such accusation is true, over time, Argentina has effectively gained two World Cups and a myriad of South American championships. As good as they are, with talent from wing to wing, this team’s approach, with a sound footing in soccer know-how, should be no different.

...Argentina brings a strong defense with aggressive tacklers and a pressing, relentless attack geared around Messi.
Though, as past performances have illustrated, constantly putting the ball at Messi’s feet, with the idea of carrying a nation, could be holding his talent back, keeping his team at bay. When he’s constantly getting the ball, with expectations of something magical looming in the air, it might just be a detriment to the team’s fluidity.
The best Argentinean attack could be to get the rest of the team to be the stars, allowing them the majority of possession (i.e., as many touches as possible). As with Barcelona, wherein all players are constantly touching the ball and Messi is benefitting from their masterful possession interplay, it might be in Argentina’s best interest to copy this approach (the best they can). After all, when a championship is on the line, a free-flowing, goal-hungry Argentina is a little different from a highly structured Barcelona.

*Which varies in severity, depending, of course, on the circumstances.

Clarification
The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup

“Ivan Perisic, who joined Manchester United in 2017, played his first game with Croatia in 2011.”
In 2017, Ivan Perisic had joined Manchester United in many respects, including conversations, contract negotiations, visits between his party and theirs, and he was all but wearing a uniform, though never played in a game. Many sources were leading to this assumption that he was all but a member of Manchester United. Wikipedia, likely following multiple sources, had outright put that Perisic was with Manchester United in 2017. The manuscript of this book, The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup, had been complete by the time Perisic’s decision with Manchester United had come to light.
It is with great pleasure to point out this clarification as many changes with players and teams occur frequently, including transfers and trades, and the book took every step to ensure accuracy and the highest quality. And this was delivered. Thank you and enjoy the World Cup!

world cup 2018 predictions

6/19/2018

World Cup 2018 is off and running with Russia, Portugal, Spain and Mexico doing very well.

Group Stage Predictions

Prediction. Germany has some ground to cover with a first-game loss to Mexico, though they should regroup, get out of their group, and make a strong push into the Elimination Rounds. This might be the easiest prediction available to mankind, but, it goes without saying, they were defeated by Mexico in game one.

I predict Brazil and Argentina will walk away with victories in their second games, edging them closer to winning their respective groups. This may seem like an easy prediction, and frankly it is, however, in their first games neither team showed the kind of flair they're known for. There is a ton of pressure on them, such pressure that affects their performance in a negative way.

I predict Denmark will either tie or lose their second game. England should do the same, which I hate but that's the way it goes.

Egypt will likely tie or lose their last group game, sending them home early. Though Mo Salah made an appearance in their second game, it was their second loss, and they played decently but just aren't ready for a consistent performance at the World Cup level.

Japan is in pretty good form. I predict they will win their next group game.

Much more to come, as World Cup 2018 is just getting started!

Clarification
The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup
“Ivan Perisic, who joined Manchester United in 2017, played his first game with Croatia in 2011," page 73.
The manuscript of this book, The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup, had been complete by the time Ivan Perisic’s decision with Manchester United had come to light.
In 2017, Perisic had joined Manchester United in many respects, including conversations, putting together contracts, visits between his party and theirs, and he was all but wearing a uniform, though never played in a game. Many sources were indicating that it was set in stone, that he was all but a member of Manchester United. Wikipedia, likely following multiple sources, had outright put that Perisic was with Manchester United in 2017. Wikipedia, a digital medium, has subsequently changed the information about Perisic being with Manchester United.
In addition, the Author’s Note section of The World Cup 2018 Book states, "Sometimes, teams change at the last minute or even during the World Cup." In this case, the teams in question include Manchester United, Inter Milan and Perisic's eventual decision to not suit up with Manchester United.
The World Cup 2018 Book made every effort to ensure that every player, team and every bit of information in the book was double-checked, triple-checked and sometimes quadruple-checked for accuracy.
It is a pleasure to point out this Clarification, as many changes with players and teams occur frequently, including transfers and trades. The book took every step to ensure accuracy and the highest quality. And this has been delivered.
Thank you and enjoy the World Cup!

united states-canada-mexico 2026, it's on

6/13/2018

The World Cup has arrived in the United States again. As reported by The New York Times and many other outlets around the world, today the big news arrived and the 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The information and circumstances surrounding this whirlwind of excitement was included in The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup, as was background on FIFA, the international organizing body of soccer, who will profit approximately $11 billion dollars from the 2026 World Cup. Some say more. It's a huge day for US soccer; the last World Cup hosted by the US was in 1994. The two previous World Cups hosted by Mexico were in 1986 and 1970. This will be the first men's World Cup hosted by Canada, the illustrious neighbors to the north.
Currently, the landscape for World Cup soccer is looking pretty good:

Russia 2018
Qatar 2022
United States-Canada-Mexico 2026

World Cup Russia 2018 begins tomorrow.
June 14-July 15, 2018

book excerpt: Argentina in wc 2018

6/10/2018

The following is an excerpt from The World Cup 2018 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup

ARGENTINA

A Brief Team History

World Cup titles: 2 (1978, 1986)

The Argentineans got off to a good start in their World Cup endeavors, placing second at the first ever tournament held in Uruguay in 1930. Goals from Carlos Peucelle and Guillermo Stabile were not enough to defeat the hosts, Uruguay, as Argentina lost in the final by a score of 4-2. Then things took an interesting turn for the worse.
Argentina lost early in 1934 and subsequently didn’t participate in 1938, 1950, or 1954. They braced for 1958 with more optimism; however, they finished dead last in their group, and left Sweden feeling utterly disappointed.
Things weren’t much better in Chile in 1962, as Argentina finished third in their group. Yet another early elimination for the team that had placed second in the very first World Cup.
Things would get better in 1966, as they finished second in their group behind West Germany. Yet, they lost in the quarterfinals to the hosts, and eventual champs, England, by a score of 1-0 in Wembley Stadium in front of over 90,000 people with a strong bias for the home team.
By 1970, it was back to the old story of not qualifying. In 1974, they had another idea, placing second in their group behind Poland. However, they lost in their second-round group, finishing last behind East Germany.
During these years, win or lose, Argentina fielded teams that showcased players that were individually a little better than others, such as Onega from the 1960s. They may not have been doing well in World Cups, but they had a certain craft about their touch with a little swagger to the way they dribbled—a hint of things to come. They were the type of players that, right away, caught your eye. But considering their somewhat unstable on-again, off-again relationship with the World Cup, there was something holding them back.
As hosts, 1978 would be Argentina’s year. They started things out by finishing second in their group behind Italy. In the second round, things were broken up into Groups A and B. There were concerns, particularly from Brazilian constituents, that Argentina—who, at the time, was under a strict dictatorship—rigged the all-important match with Peru. Some assert the referees were manipulated; others claim the Peruvian players were approached with bribes and threats beforehand; while still others insist both the referees and Peruvian players were instructed to give the game over to the hosts. The game ended in a 6-0 victory for Argentina as Kempes led the charge with two. Within the group, Argentina tied Brazil. Based on points and goal differential, Argentina advanced to the championship while Brazil was forced to play for the consolation. So when Argentina defeated the Netherlands for the final, many speculated it wasn’t the fairest of tournaments.
Making it to the second round in 1982, Argentina was quickly eliminated in Group C with defeats from superpowers Italy and Brazil. Argentina’s new star, Diego Maradona (who nearly made the 1978 squad), would have to wait four more years for his shot at glory.
By 1986, led by arguably the greatest player of all time, Maradona, Argentina had to their advantage a new era of refereeing. FIFA had listened to the calls for change at the last World Cup. There were many complaints about the game getting out of control with unnecessary rough play, leaving creative types like Maradona on the ground more often than they’d like to be. Thanks to many factors, including a well-rounded Argentinean side, along with the brilliance of Maradona and the hand of Maradona, Argentina would win the championship in stylish form, making it their second title. In 1990, Argentina, led by Maradona, received the runner-up award, losing to West Germany.
Over the course of 16 years, the tournaments of 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010 featured various talented players for their respective time, including Zanetti, Ortega, Veron, Crespo, Tevez, Riquelme, and Messi, and each was a decent showing for the two-time champs, yet Argentina failed to lift the trophy.
In 1994, they lost in the second round to Romania. In 1998, they lost in the quarterfinals to the Netherlands. The 2002 World Cup wasn’t very good for Argentina as they failed to get out of their group. At Germany in 2006, they lost to Germany in the quarterfinals. Yet again in South Africa in 2010, they lost to Germany in the quarterfinals.
In 2014, led by Messi and a talented group of players fit for a championship, Argentina made the finals, with a good showing against Germany, but it wasn’t enough. As for Russia 2018, seeing that it could likely be Messi’s last, the people of Argentina are looking forward to a third championship.