USMNT vs Bosnia Round of 32 Preview | Morally Abhorrent
The Dan Le Batard Show
The Dan Le Batard Show previews the USMNT's knockout round clash against Bosnia, highlighting tactical challenges and key players. The U.S. is favored but must overcome a disciplined, counterattacking opponent with physi
Key takeaways
- USMNT faces a stingy, defensive Bosnia
Transcript preview
Thank you to everyone who hung on with us on the live lebitard show the post game today a little different we're gonna do a live morally abhorrent we're bringing on our good friend Tom Bogart of the athletic who by the way is doing outstanding coverage right now and Tom correct me if I'm wrong is he at athletic coverage for the world cup free to wall it is indeed free to all I don't want to hear anything about a paywall every link that I've shared has been free to open so you're welcome I love that in the middle of an B. A free agency you're out there tweeting about Rial Salt Lake acquisitions and trade. So good on you, Tom, but for this post-game show edition of Morley Abhorrent, I want to preview the upcoming US knockout round fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina. A tricky opponent because they're all tricky at this point. They play a stingy form of soccer and while the US is he is he is he is he is he is he is he's heading heavily favored. We're all in uncharted territory. The U.S. is a heavily favored side in a knockout stage. You still gotta play the game and this is an opponent that can frustrate you. So let me begin with the opponent as we preview them. Not overly athletic. The U.S. is very sneakily, I guess, to the rest of the world. One of the more athletic sides in this tournament, Salz make fights. They may grow frustrated with how stingy Bosnia is. Yeah. this Bosnia game is going to look more like the first two group stage games in terms of style Paraguay wanted to sit in deep hit on the counter Australia wanted to sit in deep hit on the counter that's how Bosnia's gonna play I think Australia is a little bit better defensively but Bosnia particularly after Australia bench their two most dangerous attackers against the US for reasons that remain unclear I think Bosnia can hurt you a little bit more in transition but in terms of the style it'll be the US having more of the ball and Bosnia daring the team to break them down key for the group stage beyond just how great the performances were early goals all three games the US scored within 11 minutes that's that makes it a whole lot easier to go against a team that wants to defend deep because they got to change up immediately so the two sides that the US ran into that play a similar style Australia who's really surprised me with their speed going forward on the counter by a why as world-class talent up top they have the speed to hurt you on the counter is that something that Bosnia can do in this match I feel like they're more limited there It depends. So like Enne Jeko, Mike, I think you could beat him in a race. Don't go anywhere near him for a fist fight. I think that that's just generally, I would say that to anybody if they ask. But he's not exactly going to hurt you in transition. But you know who will? As Mayor Baro-terovitch, who was actually born in Wisconsin, a kid who came through the US Youth National Team Systems, probably like seven or eight years old. Eisner Barakarovich gets contacted by Bosnia and he immediately says yes. And as Mayor Barak-terovitch scored the winning penalty in the shootout to qualify for the World Cup. And I think his family put up that photo of him wearing the Jekko jersey when he was a child and then right next to it was Jekko giving him a big hug after that game. So that kid can play, he's a ball, he's somebody who wants to embarrass you every time he touches the ball. first five times you get the ball you don't dribble you pass sideways you you low the defender because I know you can do it whenever you want if you do it a few times with double team you we want you to do it when it's most useful so that's the kind of kid that he is Ali Beggovich the other winger or the other wide forward that they play with I think is their best player he's this young kid that scored in their last game and those are the two danger players in transition but this team's got a bunch of giants hurts you on long throws. So I think that's going to be one of the keys of the game is limiting how many set-piece opportunities that Bosnia gets, which the US did really, really well against both Paraguay and Australia. We did see in the ramp up to the World Cup, the US led in a really bad goal to a taller player in Kya Havards. So Bosnia has those tall players, is that what you're worried about or we already in the territory where for the US to get through, they just don't need to beat themselves? The latter, honestly. I'm overlooking or disrespecting Bosnia. This isn't a fantastic story. They're in the knockout rounds on merit. This wasn't luck. Sure, the group could have been worse, but hey man, you play who you play and they don't have to apologize for being guitar and drawing Canada. But the US are I think the last I looked like minus one five ten favorites to advance. Like you said Mike, uncharged territory and