The Red and Blue Soccer Chat - 11/29/23

The Red and Blue Soccer Chat

Welcome back, Reds and Blues! The USMNT limped into the next round of the CONCACAF Nations League, Chelsea continued to yo-yo, and United have quietly become the in-form team in the EPL. Can they replicate that recent form in the CL today? Let’s find out.

When last we saw Chelsea, they were coming off of a rousing 4-1 victory over a Spurs side that has begun to fall of their strong, early form. That was followed by an even crazier match with City that could have gone either way but ultimately finished at 4 apiece. 8 goals in 2 games gave the impression that they had finally found their form in front of goal. But 2 weeks off apparently made them forget that form and their common sense. Not to take anything away from a Newcastle side that is still exceeding expectations, but most of the damage to Chelsea was self-inflicted. Poor defending, decision-making, and self-control caused them to ship another 4 goals. Will the real Chelsea FC please stand up? They have a chance to do just that at the Bridge against Bright & Hove, but it will not be an easy task as the Albion sit 2 spots higher.

Manchester United seem to have found form on the back of some consistency and much-needed returning players. Despite things not going well in the Champions League, they have been the in-form team in the Premier League for several weeks now. Moving Rashford to the right has helped him get back on track thanks to the overlapping runs of Dalot/AWB; something that had been missing during Luke Shaw’s long absence on the left. It has also given Garnacho more game time, and he rewarded United fans (and impartial footy fans everywhere) with a spectacular bicycle kick against Everton. They head to Turkey, where the locals will surely “welcome them to Hell”. Can United produce their recent league form, or would an early exit be a potential blessing in disguise? We’ll find out today.

The USMNT played 2 matches over the break against Trinidad & Tobago. The first came with a flattering scoreline as they needed nearly 40 minutes playing against 10 men to finally break them down before it became comfortable. The 2nd should have a bit more straight-forward. And it began that way with the US taking a 4-0 lead on aggregate through a rocket from Antonee Robinson. But Sergino Dest went absolutely insane getting himself sent off, and things went downhill from there. T&T took full advantage and scored either side of halftime, but they US managed to hold on to advance. This team is winning almost in spite of themselves. That does not bode well for a long run in upcoming tournaments.

We’ll be wondering what actually qualifies as a handball and being completely wrong in every scenario. So, join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7pm, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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