There isn't any D.C. United news to start your day off, unfortunately. We should start hearing things about United later today as they prep for this weekend's game against Chicago, but I don't have a time machine. That's good, as I probably haven't watched Primer enough times to really make sure I'm not being outwitted by a supposed friend and/or my future self and/or my past self who has just taken up residence in the future.
Anyway, this all works out to more USMNT news. Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FT USA 0:1 Costa Rica. Fourth home loss in the last six games for USMNT.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) October 14, 2015
But hey, at least we (fortunately) beat Honduras and Haiti, right? All is well!
USMNT vs. Costa Rica: Final score 1-0, Americans lose again | Stars and Stripes FC
This is where we're at right now: Ryan Rosenblatt's match report includes a photo of his dog, and that is 100% the right decision.
Armchair Analyst: More problems, no solutions for US national team after loss to Costa Rica
Matt Doyle has taken on the brave task of sifting through the rubble looking for solutions. I agree with pretty much everything here, save including Matt Polster instead of Perry Kitchen as a possible defensive midfield choice. Kitchen is substantially better than Polster at the role being discussed, and let's not forget that PK23 is still only 23 years old (Polster is 22, and I'd argue that he looks closer to his ceiling than Kitchen does to boot).
Hunger and humility: It’s time USA, Klinsmann go back to the basics | Sports Illustrated
Grant Wahl - who also notes that Klinsmann was asked if he's going to resign, a question very rarely ever asked of USMNT bosses - is on to something here in calling for the entire national team program to enjoy some humble pie. It's thoughts like this that make me agree with what Wahl is saying:
Tim Howard: "We’ll get 2 wins against St. Vincent and Trinidad and everyone will be happy again." #usmnt
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) October 14, 2015
That is some detached-from-reality nonsense, Tim Howard. First of all, everyone knows wins over St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago are not big, cure-all wins. Secondly, will we get those wins? What makes you so sure? The time we weathered sustained pressure from Haiti? The zero moments of actual good soccer that happened during this international window?
USA vs. Canada, Olympics qualifying: Final score 2-0, Americans defeat 10-man Canada to advance to one-game playoff | Stars and Stripes FC
Let's move on to the slightly less aggravating under-23s, who pulled themselves up off the floor to deal with Canada in a more or less appropriate manner and keep their hopes of a spot in Rio alive. Following a red card to Canada's Giuliano Frano just before halftime, Marc Pelosi's 19 yard rip put the Americans up midway through the second half before Jerome Kiesewetter finished the job by winning and converting a late penalty kick. The US will now face Colombia in a one-game playoff next year for a spot in the 2016 Olympic tournament.
USWNT to finish Victory Tour vs. China on Dec. 16 in New Orleans | Soccerwire.com
Let's close this out with talk of a team that is actually good. Lauren Holiday, Shannon Boxx, and Lori Chalupny will end their USWNT careers in the Big Easy in roughly 2 months, as the USWNT victory tour ends with a game against China. They'll face Brazil next week, which should be fun. See folks? Soccer can still be fun.
