USMNT: Watching From Outside The Arena
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
Meh.
The next seven US games are against significantly better opponents. Should be...interesting.
The next seven US games are against significantly better opponents. Should be...interesting.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/sports/soccer/earnie-stewart-ussoccer.html
"In his new role, Stewart will have broad oversight over nearly every facet of the men’s national team, including: overseeing the hiring process for the national team coach and making a recommendation to U.S. Soccer’s board; consulting with the head coach and youth national team coaches to formulate a style of play for the national teams; and scouting, player pool management and the selection of players for each camp roster."
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It's as good a hire as USSF could have made, IMO. I hope that Stewart can use this platform to build the relationships that will allow the GM position to grow into something more broader and more influential. We shall see...
I've obviously been hoping for years for Stewart to get this gig. I think getting into the role in the biggest thing with Stewart. Now that he's hired, he has the leverage of leaving if they don't go along with his coach recommendation. On youth and player development a holistic approach might not be a bad thing, but the coach should mainly be his choice.
He has credibility with managers overseas, especially Dutch managers, that he could maybe bring one in. As a former player I think the players will take to him as a program leader. He should be great taking over relations with dual-national, he has an understanding of how those players can fit in (or not) with the system. They whole process of maintaining contact with dual-nationals needs an overhaul, and I'd rather someone besides the coach deal with that.
I wonder if Gertjan Verbeek, who Stewart hired at AZ, would be interested. Altidore and Johannsson were on his clubs. He's had an up-and-down career: overacheived at AZ; then poor at Nurnberg, then okay at 2nd division Bochum, fired after they failed to get promoted; and then he took over midseason at Twente last season and couldn't turn it around and was fired. (Twente has a lot of financial problems and they fired two managers last season). He's at least available.
He has credibility with managers overseas, especially Dutch managers, that he could maybe bring one in. As a former player I think the players will take to him as a program leader. He should be great taking over relations with dual-national, he has an understanding of how those players can fit in (or not) with the system. They whole process of maintaining contact with dual-nationals needs an overhaul, and I'd rather someone besides the coach deal with that.
I wonder if Gertjan Verbeek, who Stewart hired at AZ, would be interested. Altidore and Johannsson were on his clubs. He's had an up-and-down career: overacheived at AZ; then poor at Nurnberg, then okay at 2nd division Bochum, fired after they failed to get promoted; and then he took over midseason at Twente last season and couldn't turn it around and was fired. (Twente has a lot of financial problems and they fired two managers last season). He's at least available.
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It's a little surprising that Stewart would take such a watered-down job, but maybe he's (a) eager to get out of very low-spending Philly and/or (b) he has hope that the job will expand over time. For now, Stewart's job description will mostly be to give a managerial recommendation to the USSF board, then micromanage the manager.
Stewart's start date is August 1, which is worryingly late. If that's just when the managerial search process will begin, the US will probably miss out on some foreign talent that will be hired away earlier in the summer. If the search doesn't begin in earnest until that time, I'd say that increases the likelihood of an American (or at least MLS) manager.
I've read that Stewart is very tight with Gregg Berhalter. Berhalter is near the top of the list of American candidates anyway, so I guess it wouldn't be shocking if he turns out to be the pick. One problem with that hypothetical is that Gregg's brother Jay is probably the most powerful USSF official that nobody's ever heard of, so then we'd have years of acrimony about nepotism and lack of accountability, etc. Some of it will be legitimate, most of it will be axe-grinding, all of it would be extremely tedious.
Of course, I'm making a lot of assumptions in that hypothetical.
Stewart's start date is August 1, which is worryingly late. If that's just when the managerial search process will begin, the US will probably miss out on some foreign talent that will be hired away earlier in the summer. If the search doesn't begin in earnest until that time, I'd say that increases the likelihood of an American (or at least MLS) manager.
I've read that Stewart is very tight with Gregg Berhalter. Berhalter is near the top of the list of American candidates anyway, so I guess it wouldn't be shocking if he turns out to be the pick. One problem with that hypothetical is that Gregg's brother Jay is probably the most powerful USSF official that nobody's ever heard of, so then we'd have years of acrimony about nepotism and lack of accountability, etc. Some of it will be legitimate, most of it will be axe-grinding, all of it would be extremely tedious.
Of course, I'm making a lot of assumptions in that hypothetical.
fuckin' awesome!
I don't care if they lose 10-0, that's exactly the sort of experience we were hoping that Pulisic et al was going to get from actually being at the WCF.
(yes, I know CP himself won't be there, but the point remains)
3-5-2 that will probably look like a 5-3-2 against France.
Wood - Green
McKennie - Trapp (c) - Adams
Robinson -------------------------------Moore
Parker - Miazga - Carter-Vickers
Steffen
McKennie - Trapp (c) - Adams
Robinson -------------------------------Moore
Parker - Miazga - Carter-Vickers
Steffen
It's usually a combo of poor technical ability on the backline and a midfield that does a bad job of checking for the ball and making themselves available.
In this case, it's going to be especially tough not just because of the quality gap, but also because France can play what is functionally a 2-2-6 or whatever (knowing that they are facing two attackers....Bobby Wood and Julian Green) and crowd out space.
These kids are outclassed, but it doesn't look like they are playing scared, despite the bunker lineup.
Really terrible job by Wood there putting his head down and running into traffic with an outlet to his left.
I assume it's a matter of availability and whatever but it's funny to see this roster of super young and inexperienced guys and have Joe Corona be the elder statesman.
Saw most of it.
Thoughts:
1. Despite the result France obliterated us, could easily have been 6-0.
2. Steffen should be given every opportunity going forward, he's just better than Hamid.
3. We still have no left back
Thoughts:
1. Despite the result France obliterated us, could easily have been 6-0.
2. Steffen should be given every opportunity going forward, he's just better than Hamid.
3. We still have no left back
I wasn't able to watch today, but I thought Robinson looked really promising last match. ESPN (I know) ratings gave him a 6/10. What did you see to say otherwise?
Other than the goal, how did CCV look?
Caught part of game on radio, said CCV played well. Said he was not pretty but effective.
3 or 4 brilliant passes. His kind of match as the US was pretty overrun and were leaking balls to him in advanced positions. Not dominant by any means, kind of his normal good game where he flashes a few times if that makes any sense
The few recaps I've read made a point of saying Robinson played well today. I mean, he wasn't marking CONCACAF dudes here, so there's gonna be struggles, but all in all he's getting positive marks.
Robinson wasn't disastrous, but I didn't see anything that made me think he's an answer. He completely botched the Mbappe goal, and I remember a number of other misplays. He also couldn't get forward much. I felt Moore was better. However, maybe I'm just remembering the poor plays and forgetting the good ones, as a lot of people seem to have thought he did well. Wonder how that perception would have changed if France had buried their chances.