Key events
Oh, and the other thing to watch: Oh. As in Peter Oh and what witticism he will contribute.
We also must consider the Golden Boot race, in which Own Goal is the runaway leader. I understand Liverpool are now offering 100 million Euros but aren’t sure where to wire the money.
Preamble
Let’s begin with a quick look at what’s at stake …
…
…
OK, now that we’ve finished with that, let’s talk about some things to watch:
1. Is Christian Pulisic actually healthy now? That might not be answered in this game, but a good 45-60 minutes would reassure some fans.
2. Will we see the Great Gio Reyna Breakout Game? The controversies of years past seem far behind.
3. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to make his four players on yellow cards sit out. Those players are arguably the most important four players on the roster – left back Antonee Robinson, center back Chris Richards, midfield cornerstone Tyler Adams and striker Folarin Balogun. Those players will undoubtedly be back in the round of 32, but will anyone step up to claim a spot as the first person off the bench?
4. Will we get an angry Turkey determined to get something out of this Cup, or will we see a team that’s just ready to get to LAX and board the plane out of town?
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a briefing from Graham Ruthven’s daily watch guide on what to know about this Group D matchup:
What to watch for
Few teams have progressed through their opening two matches of this World Cup more comfortably than the USA. On paper, Thursday’s encounter with Turkey looked to be their biggest test when Group D was drawn. With Turkey already out, though, it’s unclear what this match will hold.
Turkey’s early elimination from the tournament was a shock, especially considering Vincenzo Montella’s team are ranked 11th out of 48 sides for expected goals (xG) and 10th for big chances created. They could take out some pent-up anger on the co-hosts in Los Angeles before heading home.
Player to watch: Ricardo Pepi, USA – Pochettino could rotate his lineup for a dead-rubber and start Ricardo Pepi, giving the PSV forward an opportunity to make his mark and prove why he should be ahead of Folarin Balogun in the pecking order.
Leave a Reply