USMNT Summer 2023: Memo's Mirror Gets Sharp
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Great save by Turner, but I’m already getting 2007 Copa America vibes with this roster and even the royal blue kits. Are Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, and Drew Moore warming up on the touch line?
I remember watching a torturous youth match at one time because Miazga was potentially A Guy. Quite the fall.
(I remember thinking at the time “for a tall guy he sure isn’t physical”)
(I remember thinking at the time “for a tall guy he sure isn’t physical”)
Well, this team hasn't looked that good. It's a B team playing together for the first time; we see this every January, and at some Gold Cups, and the same stuff pretty much always happens.
The players will gel a bit more, and hopefully the staff can sort out who on the roster can improve on guys who are showing themselves to be weak links. I'd like to see some Djordje, since my Soñora skepticism remains.
The players will gel a bit more, and hopefully the staff can sort out who on the roster can improve on guys who are showing themselves to be weak links. I'd like to see some Djordje, since my Soñora skepticism remains.
Yeah but at least we have the telecast regularly insulting our intelligence by saying things like “it’s so weird how the US played great vs Mexico but is struggling against Jamaica”
Cowell looked very lively last night. He had some sick touches, but also a few touches that made me feel sick. I think he should start against SK&N. I’d probably start Djordje, too, in an effort to find a different dynamic. Hell, Busio and Reynolds, too.
I think they have to try a very different lineup on Weds against a minnow to see how things click as well as to send a message to last night’s starters.
I think they have to try a very different lineup on Weds against a minnow to see how things click as well as to send a message to last night’s starters.
This has been a constant issue. Happened last night on FS1 and during the Nations League on Paramount+. I don’t understand why.
Once again I switched over to Univision.
Agree, not too much to love about last night but Cowell did pop. Turner saved this from looking much worse. Vázquez looked like someone who will take advantage of opportunities. Neal looked to hold up ok, as ultimately did all the subs. Sonora had a couple decent touches but was mostly woof. Don’t know how to process Tolkin. Weird game, hope coaching learned something.
…edit b/c can’t spell names
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I was pretty disappointed with the starting 11 and with the performance in general. I’m cool with a double pivot, but when both of them are pure ball winning 6s it will hurt the attack a lot and opens the US up to being pressured with the ball. There are parts of Soñora’s game that I like, mostly because he player from a different era, but he’s probably not good enough to be so one dimensional and one footed. I liked what I saw from Djordje though. For Jesus, he played decently but I’m over playing him as a 9. Dropping him back as a secondary striker or maybe as a 10? I’d like to see that and it probably suits his skill set a bit better.
But rolling out a bunch of veterans and a dual 6 double pivot just stunk of “let’s just play conservative here”. I’d rather roll the dice and go for it against one of the better teams in the tournament. While I’m sure GGG might have some say in matters, I honestly don’t think he would have set the team up to play so negatively.
I’m sure there will be some squad rotation going into SK&N but I’m guessing we won’t learn too much about the young guys who play in that one. I would prefer to see what a player like Bryan Reynolds does against Jamaican attackers than against what will be a bunkering opponent. I get it, BJ is going to put guys out there that he trusts but I find more value in seeing who might push into the A/B squad in 2024-2026 than seeing Deandre Yedlin get another crack.
But rolling out a bunch of veterans and a dual 6 double pivot just stunk of “let’s just play conservative here”. I’d rather roll the dice and go for it against one of the better teams in the tournament. While I’m sure GGG might have some say in matters, I honestly don’t think he would have set the team up to play so negatively.
I’m sure there will be some squad rotation going into SK&N but I’m guessing we won’t learn too much about the young guys who play in that one. I would prefer to see what a player like Bryan Reynolds does against Jamaican attackers than against what will be a bunkering opponent. I get it, BJ is going to put guys out there that he trusts but I find more value in seeing who might push into the A/B squad in 2024-2026 than seeing Deandre Yedlin get another crack.
It looked to me as though Zendejas was charged with coming back and playing an 8 role to show for and receive the ball in the middle, and would progress it if given space. We functioned kinda more like a 4-4-2 with a midfield shape that shifted towards our right. Yedlin, not Zendejas, was relied on for overlaps and crosses, which thankfully he's still not bad at. Yedlin was damn near MOTM for me.
Sands was a defensive rock. He's basically a poor man's Geoff Cameron, CB defense but enough passing touch and vision that you can play him at DM.
Ferreira did his "#10 things as a striker" routine, created a bunch of opportunities through it, and maybe there's an argument to play him as the actual CAM behind Vazquez.
I took was disappointed by Soñora. I see the potential sometimes, but the decision making is just too slow for this level, and that's not a thing that a little coaching can fix.
I would start all the young prospects vs SKN. Neal, Slonina, Tolkin, Reynolds, Busio, Cowell, Djordje who isn't young but whatever, etc. Let them get out there and get some reps with each other, show out vs an opponent who's well below our level.
(Also, kinda can't believe we brought Busio but not Tessmann, who Venezia clearly regard more highly. He'd be useful at CM right now.)
My lineup for SKN (4-4-2, JF at SS):
Ferreira - Vazquez
Cowell - Busio - Sands - Djordje
Tolkin - Neal - Long - Reynolds
Slonina
Could also shape it as a 4-2-3-1, with AMs Cowell-Ferreira-Mihailovic, but then you're relying on Busio for primary ball progression and that makes me nervous.
Sands was a defensive rock. He's basically a poor man's Geoff Cameron, CB defense but enough passing touch and vision that you can play him at DM.
Ferreira did his "#10 things as a striker" routine, created a bunch of opportunities through it, and maybe there's an argument to play him as the actual CAM behind Vazquez.
I took was disappointed by Soñora. I see the potential sometimes, but the decision making is just too slow for this level, and that's not a thing that a little coaching can fix.
I would start all the young prospects vs SKN. Neal, Slonina, Tolkin, Reynolds, Busio, Cowell, Djordje who isn't young but whatever, etc. Let them get out there and get some reps with each other, show out vs an opponent who's well below our level.
(Also, kinda can't believe we brought Busio but not Tessmann, who Venezia clearly regard more highly. He'd be useful at CM right now.)
My lineup for SKN (4-4-2, JF at SS):
Ferreira - Vazquez
Cowell - Busio - Sands - Djordje
Tolkin - Neal - Long - Reynolds
Slonina
Could also shape it as a 4-2-3-1, with AMs Cowell-Ferreira-Mihailovic, but then you're relying on Busio for primary ball progression and that makes me nervous.
I thought Yedlin was good overlapping but pretty poor crossing. He defended very well though, my heart wants to see Reynolds who can do more offensively in combination but my head does understand the value of the guy who has defended all those EPL talents in his career in there. Did a job as “makeshift weird goal chasing formation LB” as well for 15min.
Jesus at the 10 with Vazquez at the 9 is definitely an experiment worth trying.
I’ll also note that Brian Gutierrez played the 10 for Chicago last night and effectively orchestrated things against KC. Guti played a lot of easy one touch passes to break the press, kept the ball circulating quickly, and then ran a few nice counters. The USMNT could have used a 10 like that last night.
I’ll also note that Brian Gutierrez played the 10 for Chicago last night and effectively orchestrated things against KC. Guti played a lot of easy one touch passes to break the press, kept the ball circulating quickly, and then ran a few nice counters. The USMNT could have used a 10 like that last night.
Are you saying that you didn’t like that they were the starting 11 or that you didn’t like specifically how the starting 11 played?Both are reasonable takes, just curious.
I could second guess which young talent is ready for the spotlight but Turner was keen to emphasize before the match that it needs to be a balance of veterans and kids. The Reggae Boys are grown Men and could have really taken it to a very young team.
Ferreira as 9 though…ok he is fast and occasionally displays skill offensively in space, but can we just not?
I agree Yedlin was potentially best non Turner division, and seemed to serve as settling force at times. Must be the calm eyes.
More Vázquez please.
Both. My initial reaction when I saw the lineup was “this looks like a team going for a 0-0 draw”. I was out for drinks and definitely didn’t feel like I would be missing anything special. The performance itself kind of lived up this the hype (or lack thereof).
There were some decent performances out there though so I don’t want to seem too negative. Overall it was pretty uninspired to me. The next two group games aren’t likely to pose any challenges, and I would guess that both the US and Jamaica will try to pour it on to win the group on goal differential, so that could be fun.
Oman is the other September friendly, in addition to Uzbekistan.
View: https://twitter.com/MicheleG3/status/1673021211377377281
View: https://twitter.com/MicheleG3/status/1673021211377377281
Ugh. Neither of those teams will be better than the one we played last night. If Jamaica can bring the thunder, with getting their EPL converts to a friendly, we should be down to play them in Europe (maybe just England) during an open window.
Joe Lowery offered in his recap pod today that they might have the best roster at the Gold Cup. We are certainly unlikely to again face the kind of skill that can put John Tolkin on his heinie or get a shot off against Yedlin 1v1, at least not before the semis.
Jamaica has Nations League games in September. USA, Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica have a bye to the QF in the new format. Everyone else in CONCACAF is busy.
Nope, Nations League QFs serving for Copa America qualifiers are in November, so that's an A-team window, and then semis / finals are in March.
Man, like nobody's available I guess. Just the other bye teams in CONCACAF. Wouldn't mind playing Canada in the September window, I suppose.
TSN published an article about Canada struggling to find opponents for the two early fall windows. The federation admitted they might not play any matches before Nations League. They hesitated on an offer that was snatched up by Mexico. CanMNT might end up playing Oman and Uzbekistan in the United States too.
View: https://twitter.com/sportscentre/status/1673333629764632577
wait, the Oman and Uzbekistan friendlies are state-side? And in September, not October? Just saw that now, boy was I confused. If they're intended as A-team warmups, I'd have thought they'd be at some nearly-empty European stadium that minimizes travel for everyone not named Gregg Berhalter and Miles Robinson. I have to imagine now that they're intended as B-team games with limited A-team participation, and that the October games vs Germany (Hartford) and Ghana (Nashville) will be A-team dress rehearsals taken very seriously.
Canada's probably not getting their A-teamers over from Europe just to play Oman and Uzbekistan in the USA, in front of what won't be a very big crowd. I'm not sure they'd even make money doing so. Oh well, at least one of their Gold Cup group-stage games (tomorrow) is in Toronto. (also how am I finding out just now that Phil Neville is an assistant coach for Canada?!)
Canada's probably not getting their A-teamers over from Europe just to play Oman and Uzbekistan in the USA, in front of what won't be a very big crowd. I'm not sure they'd even make money doing so. Oh well, at least one of their Gold Cup group-stage games (tomorrow) is in Toronto. (also how am I finding out just now that Phil Neville is an assistant coach for Canada?!)
Who else might've been available this September and October? Michele Giannone there claims the whole world is playing official games, but I was skeptical...
AFC:
- Japan (#15 Elo) is @ Germany on 9/9, with home friendly dates (But not opponents) announced for 10/13 and 10/17. Have at it, Canada, our dudes were never flying to Kobe. They'd probably also play another September game in Europe.
- Iran (#27) is doing a little friendly mini-tournament in October vs Jordan and then Iraq/Qatar, but was (is?) probably available in Eurasia for September
- Australia (#29) will play @ England on 10/13 in London, nothing else announced for Sept/Oct
- South Korea (#32) is @Wales on 9/7, nothing else announced for Sept/Oct
- Iraq (#57) will be @ Thailand in September for some sort of friendly mini-tournament called the King's Cup, so they're fully booked
- Uzbekistan (#64) is next in the rankings, and of course we've booked them for 9/9 in St Louis; they'll be coming straight from playing @ Bulgaria on 9/6, though, so pretty worn out regardless, and unavailable to Canada
- Saudi Arabia (#68) is probably better than the Uzbeks; they'll play Mexico in England in September, so Canada could perhaps piggyback on that, book the second September date, and keep their Euros overseas
- Qatar (#76, but #46 FIFA) is playing Russia in September, probably don't want to be on the flip side of that; in October they're in that Iran thing
CAF:
- Morocco (#20) has an AfCON qualifier vs Liberia on 9/4, nothing else that window (due to Zimbabwe's DQ), and nothing announced in October
- Senegal (#30) has an irrelevant AfCON qualifier vs Rwanda on 9/4, as they've already qualified, nothing announced past that
- Tunisia (#36) hosts Botswana for an AfCON qualifier in Sept, and then a friendly @ Egypt on 9/12; nothing in October
- Algeria (#40) hosts Tanzania for an irrelevant AfCON qualifier (they've qualified), nothing else on the calendar
- Egypt (#46) hosts Ethiopia for an irrelevant AfCON qualifier, on 9/3 and then Tunisia for a friendly, but nothing in October
- Cameroon (#52T) has a meaningful AfCON qualifier vs Burundi in September, but nothing else after that
- Ivory Coast (#52T) hosts Lesotho in an irrelevant qualifier 9/3, nothing else announced
- Nigeria (#55) hosts Sao Tomé in September, but have already qualified, nothing else announced
Perhaps CAF teams are all skipping the October window to stay with their clubs, in partial compensation for the mess of AfCON happening in January and February (except for, I suppose, Ghana). But even if so, that leaves open September dates for most of those guys.
UEFA:
- Scotland (#21) had had two open dates, but booked them with England (Sept) and France (Oct)
- Hungary (#24) had an open date in September, but booked a home friendly vs Czechia 9/10
- Austria (#28) does have an open date in September, prior to their Euro Q @Austria 9/12
- Russia (#31) is also a national football team
- Sweden (#35) had an open date in October, but booked a home friendly vs Moldova (!), Elo #140, for 10/12
- Turkey (#37) has an apparent open date in September following their 9/8 qually vs Armenia
- Norway (#38) had a September open date but booked a home friendly vs Jordan (!)
So that's two convenient UEFA teams in Austria and Turkey, a couple AFC teams some of whom might even want it to be in Europe, and plenty of CAF teams who will jump at anything that will clear a few bucks.
And here's the friendly-relevant section from the above article:
AFC:
- Japan (#15 Elo) is @ Germany on 9/9, with home friendly dates (But not opponents) announced for 10/13 and 10/17. Have at it, Canada, our dudes were never flying to Kobe. They'd probably also play another September game in Europe.
- Iran (#27) is doing a little friendly mini-tournament in October vs Jordan and then Iraq/Qatar, but was (is?) probably available in Eurasia for September
- Australia (#29) will play @ England on 10/13 in London, nothing else announced for Sept/Oct
- South Korea (#32) is @Wales on 9/7, nothing else announced for Sept/Oct
- Iraq (#57) will be @ Thailand in September for some sort of friendly mini-tournament called the King's Cup, so they're fully booked
- Uzbekistan (#64) is next in the rankings, and of course we've booked them for 9/9 in St Louis; they'll be coming straight from playing @ Bulgaria on 9/6, though, so pretty worn out regardless, and unavailable to Canada
- Saudi Arabia (#68) is probably better than the Uzbeks; they'll play Mexico in England in September, so Canada could perhaps piggyback on that, book the second September date, and keep their Euros overseas
- Qatar (#76, but #46 FIFA) is playing Russia in September, probably don't want to be on the flip side of that; in October they're in that Iran thing
CAF:
- Morocco (#20) has an AfCON qualifier vs Liberia on 9/4, nothing else that window (due to Zimbabwe's DQ), and nothing announced in October
- Senegal (#30) has an irrelevant AfCON qualifier vs Rwanda on 9/4, as they've already qualified, nothing announced past that
- Tunisia (#36) hosts Botswana for an AfCON qualifier in Sept, and then a friendly @ Egypt on 9/12; nothing in October
- Algeria (#40) hosts Tanzania for an irrelevant AfCON qualifier (they've qualified), nothing else on the calendar
- Egypt (#46) hosts Ethiopia for an irrelevant AfCON qualifier, on 9/3 and then Tunisia for a friendly, but nothing in October
- Cameroon (#52T) has a meaningful AfCON qualifier vs Burundi in September, but nothing else after that
- Ivory Coast (#52T) hosts Lesotho in an irrelevant qualifier 9/3, nothing else announced
- Nigeria (#55) hosts Sao Tomé in September, but have already qualified, nothing else announced
Perhaps CAF teams are all skipping the October window to stay with their clubs, in partial compensation for the mess of AfCON happening in January and February (except for, I suppose, Ghana). But even if so, that leaves open September dates for most of those guys.
UEFA:
- Scotland (#21) had had two open dates, but booked them with England (Sept) and France (Oct)
- Hungary (#24) had an open date in September, but booked a home friendly vs Czechia 9/10
- Austria (#28) does have an open date in September, prior to their Euro Q @Austria 9/12
- Russia (#31) is also a national football team
- Sweden (#35) had an open date in October, but booked a home friendly vs Moldova (!), Elo #140, for 10/12
- Turkey (#37) has an apparent open date in September following their 9/8 qually vs Armenia
- Norway (#38) had a September open date but booked a home friendly vs Jordan (!)
So that's two convenient UEFA teams in Austria and Turkey, a couple AFC teams some of whom might even want it to be in Europe, and plenty of CAF teams who will jump at anything that will clear a few bucks.
And here's the friendly-relevant section from the above article:
I guess it's time for the USWNT to book Canada's Womens Team for its post-World-Cup Victory Tour... as a charity fundraiser match for the Canadians.
I thought this was a really cool visualization.
View: https://twitter.com/NatFan9/status/1673734112383844358
View: https://twitter.com/NatFan9/status/1673734112383844358
El Salvador lost to Martinique, too. Those last three CONCACAF WC qualifying slots for '26 have a chance to be pretty dire.
And Guodalupe (sic) somehow coaxed Canada into an OG in the last minute of stoppage time, Canada drops points. They were stunned, players faces in disbelief.
I like the Guatemalan kits. I’m a sucker for a nice sash.
Was just about to observe that you really could bayonet your opposite number and carry their head away and not get a whistle, and the refs finally VARd a takedown of a GUA attacker in the box and awarded the pen
Fake edit ha ha haaa, off the post
Fake edit ha ha haaa, off the post
this has been the epitome of concacaf reffing jobs. There was a collision with players coming at a ball in the box from opposite directions and basically cleating each other in the leg at full speed, ref couldn't have been less interested. After they carted one guy off he finally produces a yellow and basically tells the VAR not to bother him about any review for a red.
I want no part of this ref, Oshane Nation.
I want no part of this ref, Oshane Nation.
10:00pm kickoff for the game with St Kitts and Nevis. Lineup is out:
View: https://twitter.com/usmntonly/status/1674218042669121538
Rotations from starters vs Jamaica are marked with *. 7 of them!
Cowell* - Ferreira - Zendejas
Busio* - Sands - Mihailovic*
DeJuan Jones* - Neal* - Miazga - Reynolds*
Johnson*
Also, dunno what Brandon Vazquez has to do to get a start, he came on at 82' on Sunday and by 88' he'd leveled it up.
View: https://twitter.com/usmntonly/status/1674218042669121538
Rotations from starters vs Jamaica are marked with *. 7 of them!
Cowell* - Ferreira - Zendejas
Busio* - Sands - Mihailovic*
DeJuan Jones* - Neal* - Miazga - Reynolds*
Johnson*
Also, dunno what Brandon Vazquez has to do to get a start, he came on at 82' on Sunday and by 88' he'd leveled it up.
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Classy finish by Mihailovic. That's easy to sky or scuff it, places it into the top corner with the inside of his foot. High percentage. Doesn't need the power.