Slonina's phone is blowing up from numbers with +48 country codes.Are there any non-capped duals on the bench?
Edit - bc uh put them in.
Feel like he showed in his limited minutes against Jamaica as wellVery nifty by Djordje.
He took a shot to the beansI am at this game and I can hear this poor SOB crying in pain from across the field. Oh mercy.
HahahSlonina's phone is blowing up from numbers with +48 country codes.
Thats about where I am on Sonora and Zendejas, both had flashes but not much that compelled me and a good chunk of what didn’t. I liked a lot of what Mihailović showed as well. Happy for Ferreira, he made the most of his opportunity and did have some cheeky touches. To this point I’ve felt he gets swallowed up in bigger matches with tough back lines, but still developing. Cowell showed enough to make me curious for more. A Vazquez start please. More Neal.I doubt anyone this side of Alexi Lalas is drawing too many conclusions from the great performances in the game last night. I do think it’s fair to look at players who could not shine against a team from a country roughly the population of Salem, MA though. I’m concerned about Soñora and Zendejas. Both players have aspects of their games that I like, but both were relatively invisible last night. To a lesser degree, I would’ve liked to have seen more from Cade Cowell too.
I admit to being very excited about the tools Jalen Neal has. I also admit to chuckling at someone nicknaming Jesus Ferreira “Pirate of the Caribbean”.
Interesting. I thought he was awful. A black hole whose first touches let him down most of the time. Very late before he was subbed he got in the flow a bit, but I think they could have had 9 goals in that game if they'd just decided to forget the left and send everything down the right.Cowell showed enough to make me curious for more.
I'm probably overreacting about Cowell. It's one of those things where you go into a game really anxious or excited to see how a particular player or two do, and you focus on them, and then get a distorted view that's different from if you'd just been watching the game more casually.It’s the inconsistency that’s killing Cowell. I’m trying to keep in perspective that he doesn’t turn 20 until October despite the fact that he looks like a fully matured professional. Ideally, he’s got a lot more growth ahead in term of first touch, decision making, technique, making runs…he shows incredible flashes in all these areas, but an equal (sometimes greater) number of mistakes.
Dude had some touches against Jamaica that made we say “wow” out loud. Cowell has the highest ceiling among all the attackers in this squad. My sense is that he needs to move out of San Jose and get to a strong youth development club in the Netherlands or Belgium to push him to another level.
Been happily surprised at Djordje’s progress. I didn’t think he could play as well centrally as he has been. Heitz did Djordje raw in Chicago. On the whole, it was probably time for Djordje to move on and for the Fire to cash in, but Heitz blindsided the kid immediately after the manager said they wanted to keep Djordje to build around. Bad form.
It's tough. The pessimistic case is that Cowell flew up through the youth ranks because he physically matured so quickly so he never had to grind away at his technical and mental abilities. Or maybe this just is his plateau? You just never know with kids.I'm probably overreacting about Cowell. It's one of those things where you go into a game really anxious or excited to see how a particular player or two do, and you focus on them, and then get a distorted view that's different from if you'd just been watching the game more casually.
I don't know about this. Neal is very promising, but we have pretty solid CB depth and very little non-Gio attacking midfielder depth. If Mihailovic finds his way at AZ I could see him as part of our main squads pretty quickly. Depends if you mean a 26-man roster or the starting 11 when you say A-team as well, I suppose.I'll agree Mihailovic has looked a class above the opposition in both these games, which considering the quality of Jamaica was very impressive. He's not the likeliest here to break into the A-team (Neal is, surely) but we very much need CM depth, and he has athleticism that a (say) Busio lacks.
Hope all’s well for them but ok not having either in tonight’s lineup.Morris departs & Sonora getting treatment for a hamstring.
kick was 7:10USA vs T&T tonight is earlier than the other games: 7:30ish ET kickoff.
Seems like we have an actual Gold Cup game thread: https://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/copa-oro-2023-better-than-a-non-league-summer-friendly-sort-of.39849/What a finish, pops it up to himself, turns and places it far corner.
Great entire play pushing the pace. Some great passing into space
Did you see the prices??Friendly vs Germany, Oct 14. Presale tomorrow. Rentchler field in E Hartford. Might have to get some tix…
just looked - ouch.Did you see the prices??
The interesting thing about this move is that it's been stated in a number of places that Pioli is looking at him as a 10 specifically, more so than a winger. Their starter for the past three seasons there was Brahim Diaz, but he was on a long term loan series from Real Madrid and he has gone back there, so the spot is pretty open. Main remaining competition for that spot is probably Charles De Ketelaere, who was disappointing for them last year. Assuming he doesn't stink up the joint in training and De Ketelaere doesn't appear to be putting all the pieces together, it really looks like Milan bought him to start him.View attachment 67351
What is Pulisic's path for playing time at AC Milan? Curious who he will be competing with and whether folks who watch that team regularly think he is stronger/weaker than those players who share his position(s).
Thanks- in googling around a bit, I see that Pioli has a reputation as a good coach for younger players (I guess Ketelaere is the exception). It would be such a huge positive step for Pulisic to get regular playing time moving forward.The interesting thing about this move is that it's been stated in a number of places that Pioli is looking at him as a 10 specifically, more so than a winger. Their starter for the past three seasons there was Brahim Diaz, but he was on a long term loan series from Real Madrid and he has gone back there, so the spot is pretty open. Main remaining competition for that spot is probably Charles De Ketelaere, who was disappointing for them last year. Assuming he doesn't stink up the joint in training and De Ketelaere doesn't appear to be putting all the pieces together, it really looks like Milan bought him to start him.
Following up on this, and unsurprisingly (to me) this appears to have been the case. At least per the guys on In Soccer We Trust, who have heard that "nobody" wanted the USMNT job. Disappointing, but is what it is.If that's the case that would be pretty disappointing, but I think it's more likely that no one who is "that type of manager" was interested, and they decided Gregg was the best of those who were.
Jimmy Conrad has been beating that drum for a while. I think I would add that “nobody” who fit the profile of manager that US Soccer was looking for wanted the job. They had a criteria that GGG apparently fit.Following up on this, and unsurprisingly (to me) this appears to have been the case. At least per the guys on In Soccer We Trust, who have heard that "nobody" wanted the USMNT job. Disappointing, but is what it is.
And who was willing to work for a reasonable national team salary…not the 8 figures the top clubs pay top managers.Jimmy Conrad has been beating that drum for a while. I think I would add that “nobody” who fit the profile of manager that US Soccer was looking for wanted the job. They had a criteria that GGG apparently fit.
That's not quite what it sounded like to me. What it sounded like to me is that no one remotely at the level people were dreaming about - Low, Enrique, etc., to say nothing of the even higher-level guys - was interested in the job. I don't think that's because those people weren't in USSF's profile, but rather that they didn't want it. Of those who did, USSF concluded Gregg was the best option, which I don't think is crazy.Jimmy Conrad has been beating that drum for a while. I think I would add that “nobody” who fit the profile of manager that US Soccer was looking for wanted the job. They had a criteria that GGG apparently fit.
I’m just basing things on what Matt Crocker said along with the presentation by US Soccer which cited Personality Profiles and Age Statistics. Just my reading between the lines, they seemed to prioritize age statistics (both working with younger players and manager age) and familiarity with soccer in the US. US Soccer listed Psychometric like Personality Profiles and Abstract Reasoning Testing in their presentation. Perhaps language was a factor as well. Crocker said that they had a profile in mind based on a specific criteria, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. It narrows the search, and it’s fair to assume that certain names we all dreamed about were eliminated based on this criteria.That's not quite what it sounded like to me. What it sounded like to me is that no one remotely at the level people were dreaming about - Low, Enrique, etc., to say nothing of the even higher-level guys - was interested in the job. I don't think that's because those people weren't in USSF's profile, but rather that they didn't want it. Of those who did, USSF concluded Gregg was the best option, which I don't think is crazy.