Honduras 1 - 4 USA

 I had to get up early today, so I turned off the game last night after Honduras scored.  To that point, the US looked pretty bad.  I figured we'd lose by a couple goals and be in a hole in qualifying.  When I got up, I checked the score and was delighted to see that there was a comprehensive comeback and the US is back on schedule with 5 points from their first three games.  They'll need to improve to assure qualification, and I think they can.  It was a young squad Berhalter put out there--the youngest ever for a qualifier--and they should play better together as the octagonal proceeds.  The Canada and El Salvador games, and the first half of this last one, showed the USMNT at their ineffective worst all over the field.  We were lucky not to lose to Canada, actually.  The players at Berhalter's disposal should make the team a juggernaut when almost all of them are healthy.  Let's hope that happens. Here's a pirate video.

Extended highlights.

USA 1 - 1 Canada

 When Greg Berhalter was a defender for the US national team, I dreaded it when he started.  Something bad usually happened, and he was often part of it.  When he was appointed head coach, I groaned.  But up to today, he was doing OK.  That went out the window with this discouraging draw.  Canada had the answers to the US's questions most of the game, and when we finally sliced them open for our goal, we didn't make any effort to keep the lead.  Canada's left winger got behind Yedlin and crossed to the sole Canadian in the box, unmarked by any of the three Americans lounging around in the vicinity.  We were lucky not to lose, actually, as their substitute right winger Buchanan smoked our tired defenders more than once to lay in perfect crosses that no Canadian felt like tapping in.

Yes, tired defenders, partly because Berhalter forgot he could substitute, until about the 82nd minute.  Herdman outcoached him by a wide margin.  Based on what I saw today, it doesn't much matter whether we qualify.  This squad is just not good enough, at least under Berhalter's leadership.  What an awful display.  The Nashville crowd booed lustily at game's end, and they were right to do so.

El Salvador 0 - 0 USA

 This was a fairly entertaining game.  El Salvador looked decent, and were well organized.  The US had the better chances, primarily from a couple of headers from close to goal, and looked more dangerous over the 90 minutes.  But the home side had their moments.  They say that a point on the road is good enough, but this was an opportunity missed.  The US is definitely not guaranteed to win all their home games, so they will need to get three points at a couple of their weaker opponents, and la Azul y Blanco can be classified that way.  We host Canada on Sunday and got to Honduras Wednesday.  Anything less than 5 points after three games would put the USMNT in a hole.

Transfer Moves

 I know nothing about this Tomiyasu guy we paid 16M pounds for today, except that he plays right back and can play center back, and he's 22 years old.  Getting Odegaard was very good.  Ramsdale is a good keeper, and we needed backup for Leno.  Lokonga has already shown himself to be one of our better players, and looks to be a bargain.  We've offloaded (read: paid to go away) Willian, sold Runarsson, and loaned out several other players.  We sold Willock for decent money.  We're keeping Maitland-Niles, which I like.  Bellerin is going to Spain.  I wish we'd called Saliba back from his loan spell, but instead we extended it, which I really don't like.  No one wants Kolasinac and Palace wouldn't pony up money for Nketiah.  Whatever else we fans can say about the Kroenkes, we can't say they didn't spend some money.  Now all Arteta has to do is manage a lot better than he has and win some football games.

The international break comes at a good time.  We can integrate the new boys into the squad and ideally the coaching staff can turn our defenders into players who can avoid giving up easy goals, our midfielders into players who can keep and move the ball, and our attackers into players who can actually score goals.  They're doing none of that now.  

 test 3

Manchester City 5 - 0 Arsenal

 I didn't even know what day Arsenal was playing this weekend, or whether it was televised.  So when I looked at LiveScore today while grocery shopping, it was a surprise to see that our game was already over, but it was not a surprise to find out we lost.  Xhaka did what Xhaka does best:  earn a straight red doing something stupid.  But we were already down by two goals.  We never had a shot on goal, despite having all our "creative" players on the pitch.  The three-man back line may as well have been two or one for all the good it did.  Five easy goals; from what I read it could have been eight had Leno not kept making good saves.

Bottom of the table.  With 105 points on offer the rest of the way, I'm sure we'll get at least 40 to avoid relegation, and may pick up 50 or 55.  But on the evidence so far, we'll do well to finish 8th again.  Unless there's a dramatic turnaround after the break, the only question is how long it takes to sack Arteta.  Shame, really--Sanllehi and Edu stuck him with some players he did not want and the club has finally backed him this season, perhaps too late.  I like the young players and I fear Kroenke will cash in on them and doom the club to mediocrity or worse.

WBA 0 - 6 Arsenal

 West Brom is off to a good start in the Championship (10 points from four games) so this looked to be a real test.  But their manager decided he'd rather see how his young players could do on the pitch than have the distraction of the EFL, so it was a mismatch with the strong lineup the Gunners put out there.  Kolasinac as a center back alongside Holding was a surprise.  Tavares was left and Chambers right in defense.  Xhaka and Elneny played in front of them, with Odegaard as the #10 and a superstrong front line of (from L-R) Saka, Aubameyang, and Pepe.  Ramsdale was in goal, and made some nice saves to keep a clean sheet.  Arsenal sliced through the Baggies' midfield and defense on numerous occasions with stylish attacks.  The final score did not flatter Arsenal; they really were that much better.

Man City will be a very different proposition this weekend.  But Auba's hat trick ought to boost his confidence (the third was very nice) and it can't hurt for the forwards to have been rewarded for making good runs.  The makeshift defense wasn't severely tested.

This was just the second round of the League Cup.  Arsenal got a bye to the third round for the last 25 years because they were playing in Europe.  With no European football, the domestic cups take on added importance, and Arteta should be able to put out a strong team every time.