Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow through Friday. Tics are $32-85. Let me know if you're going, I'll look out for you.

Now that we dropped round 1, Tuesday is a must win. Who's going?

I hate to say it, but I do not see the USMNT winning this match.

Obviously heads are down from last night's debacle, but I see us turning it around and winning. I hope so, the last time I drove to see the match the US had already qualified for the next round and tied the Reggae Boyz 1-1, so the game was meaningless for us. The tie, however, eliminated Jamaica. Goals were Eddie Johnson (US) and Andy Williams scored on a PK to equalize. I want to say it was November 2004.

Overall pleased with the result last night. Could have easily been 2 or 3-nil. Jamaica played for a tie and it showed.

Some video I took after Gomez goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzCfEvUwCQ4&feature=youtu.be

This game is available to watch again on ESPN3 over the internet.

The US did not play all that well, Jamaica let them play well.

I have watched the first 45 minutes three times and I swear if you watch closely it kinda looks as if Jamaica threw that game in Columbus...

In the first game they came out and used high pressure on the US and completely dominated the possession of the ball. When they had possession they kept the ball and passed with great accuracy. Then, in the second game it looks as if they we all instructed not to pressure any of the US players when the US had the ball. It is like night and day, hot and cold, black and white, right and left, up and down... I don't believe they were as bad as they defended on 9/11, just don't believe that after watching that game three times!

You see times in the first 45 of the second game where the Jamaican players could have been first to lose balls and they just kinda slow down to a trot close to the ball and wait for a US player to come past and get the ball... They left the passing lanes open (unlike the first game)... They played poor balls while in possession... They did not provide support to the player in possession...

If they were just parking the bus, then that was after smoking the whole damm thing down to burning their fingertips!

Even the goal was a fluke. The keeper had both hands on that shot and it went in... Yes, it was a well hit ball.

In the game of soccer when something smells fishy is usually is... This one stinks of CONCACAF Caribbean jumbo shrimp (flavored with US television fall midweek extra spice)!

I have been trying to explain/find the reason why the US team is such a roller coaster team, they play like crap and then the next game look like world champions... I started to think it was a psychological issue with the team... Then it accrued to me that maybe after a poor (real) game, we just buy the next one... Maybe we are just really bad right now? So bad that we have to buy our way out until something changes...??

Yes, I know that is a crazy idea (I do tend to exaggerate some things to make a point), but it would be one of the few plausible ways to explain how a team that looks so poor in some games (that should be average games) then all the sudden comes back (in what should be difficult games) and has a great performance.


Watch the game again (from this new perspective) and you will also see what I saw in Columbus...

Wow, now another 9-11 conspiracy theory? Who would have thought? We bought the game? Another inside job? Since the game is under FIFA, I suppose your conspiracy theory is at least possible.

I don't have time to watch the game another time or three but when I was there my feeling was that Jamaica made no bones about playing for a tie, no urgency at all...until Gomez US scored then they started getting a little more urgent. This is not uncommon in soccer for a team in their situation. If Jamaica leaves Crew Stadium with a tie, they lead the group with 8 points and pretty much go through to the next round, while US would be stuck on 5 points, making advancement a lot harder for the Nats. Not as exciting as your new 9-11 theory, Jeff, but I'll stick with that for now.

As Howard Cosell once said:

"This is Howard Cosell telling it like it is."



Stranger things have happened..

Ok, so lets just agree that after beating us for the first time on home soil their coach completely abandoned the style and tactics that gave them that win. The very tactics that would have put them clear of most everybody in our group and straight into the World Cup Hex tournament with a very good chance of then making it into the World Cup Final tournament in 2014.

We will just agree the Jamaican coach made another huge do nothing mistake after seeing us have 79% of the possession for the first 45, the US hitting the crossbar three times, and then having another 2-3 good scoring opportunities come close... We will just agree he made a lot of mistakes by not seeing any reason to change their style back to what had worked so well for them just four days before...

That sounds almost as crazy of a story Sir...



Watch the game again (without the normal clean as Snow White visions we all have of CONCACAF soccer games) and then tell me what you see... If these were all just simple stats looked at on paper then this would fall well outside the standard deviation for WC qualifying games....

So we can agree then, the Jamaican NT coach, and all 11 of his players are not the sharpest tools in the shed!

It is one thing to play for a tie, it is another thing completely to be playing for a tie, clearly see that it is not working but then not change your tactics at all and end up losing the game. The Jamaican's did not have any attacking chances untill we let them in to stay within our one goal lead...


By that same measure of just parking the bus with 35 minutes to go with only a one goal lead after so many attacking chances, then Klinsmann is also not the sharpest tool, but the wood "tool" is starting to fit him well!

It all smells kinda bad Sir!

Jeff, let me follow your thinking here.

1 - We 'bought' the game. Therefore...

2 - The Jamaica White Sox, tanked the game on purpose...only to make a token effort after they scored, you know, to make it look good. Okay which players? All of them? Were they only supposed to tank it only until they were losing? So...

3 - After buying off the White Sox and taking a narrow 1 goal lead, old Klinsmann tells them to bunker in to make it look good?

You have a little more time on your hands than I do for the new 9-11 theories, so you can respond and I'll leave it alone.

Obviously there is corruption everywhere and International Football has been quite a joke lately in this regard. So I am not dismissing this can't happen. Of course it can happen. I guess until I see clear evidence, I'll just enjoy the fact we won. If the game was a pay off, I will gladly concede and apologize for not listening to your theory. I guess I have just had the whole innocent until proven guilty driven in by my culture.

I have only been a football fan for about 30 years and you go much deeper than I do there. But in my short time of following the sport, it is not uncommon to see the same Nats team regularly look solid beat Mexico in the sweet confines of Crew Stadium (or any US venue) for the WC Qualifiers and then look like a team that couldn't beat a U-10 when they play down in cauldron known as Azteca (sorry a friendly doesn't change that). What you see as a conspiracy could just turn out to be home field advantage. Again, if it turns out your right, you will get a full blown apology from me.