2017 Gold Cup: Our B team is better than your B team
- Thread starter AusTexSoxFan
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Yup, same. If you pinball the ball around the 18 long enough, eventually you're going to get good look. He put a nice ball in the corner.
I enjoy this team. I like the young players showing up, I like revitalized Jozy, I like Clint as a super sub.
Say what you will about the Gold Cup, but you play for the trophy in front of you. It was an enjoyable tournament.
Now we can get back to stressing about WC Qualifying...
Say what you will about the Gold Cup, but you play for the trophy in front of you. It was an enjoyable tournament.
Now we can get back to stressing about WC Qualifying...
In 25 years, European hipsters will be writing articles about how Bruce Arena deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with Helenio Herrera. I don't think they'll be right, but his resume now...fucking hell.
I thought he was done after 2006, but he's done a great job of resurrecting his career. Successfully managing Beckham's American vacation, while also making sure that Landon Donovan felt like he was the most respected player on the team, was an impressive balancing act. I couldn't be happier that he's back.
That was a fun game to go to. Score at the end of the half so I could enjoy halftime, concede early in the second half to raise the stress levels, then get the winner late.
Winning trophies is fun, even a CONCACAF one.
Winning trophies is fun, even a CONCACAF one.
Really ugly football last night, but hardware is hardware. Good for these guys to be favored and deliver the goods. With the return of Euro-based players, should be a solid XI.
Ugly? We dominated the midfield and dominated possession. Jamaica plays pretty honorably so there was no flopping or CONCACAF shenanigans. They're not as good as we are, so it wasn't end-to-end, but I thought it was really great watching.
And yeah, they only give out so many trophies that we can win. Until we go back to the Confed Cup, this is as good as it's gonna get.
And yeah, they only give out so many trophies that we can win. Until we go back to the Confed Cup, this is as good as it's gonna get.
Both teams were giving away possession easily. The linking play was few and far between. Yes the US played better and the field was partly at fault, but if you've been watching any of the International Cup, you can see the chasm is still vast.
Wildly successful tournament. The main goal was playing the maximum number of games, and winning the trophy was a nice bonus. Morris, Nagbe, Acosta, & Arriola really showed well. They should now all be in the mix for remaining qualifiers and Russia. Bradley looks comfortable again playing a deep, defensive role, and Clint seems to have embraced the supersub job with aplomb. I don't think Arena solved his full back problem here, but he does have a lot more information to work with in terms to setting up future squads.
This feels lightyears away from the day Klinsman was axed.
This feels lightyears away from the day Klinsman was axed.
With the emergence of several MFs, I feel like Bruce can play FJ and Yedlin as FB when he wants to be aggressive, or play one of those two in MF if he wants to be more balanced. The key to me is the second FW alongside Wood (who is my #1 option) and the 4th MF (along with Bradley, Pulisic, and Nagbe). Acosta, Arriola, and Zardes (and to a lesser extent Rowe) all made their case but none of them jump out to me as obvious choices. The other thing the US could consider would be playing Pulisic as a FW and use Bradley, Nagbe, and 2 other MF, but I don't get the impression that is the way things will develop.
Who is the other FB in this scenario? Villafana is a decent CONCACAF option but he's a massive liability if he plays in Russia. Zusi and Beasley should be sent to the glue factory. Chandler is a bum. Who else is there?
I generally agree with you that those two are far and away our best options and if it were me, I'd start them both at FB. But, Bruce will have make them understand that they both can't get caught up at the same time.
If Bruce wants one of them in MF for some reason, DMB is still serviceable and Lichaj maybe deserves a shot? Zusi has no business being in the back and Villafana is likely on the same level as Lichaj. Another tack would be pushing another defender wide. For instance, if Cameron isn't going to play DMF, then you could start Besler, Brooks, and Cameron in the back with one of FJ/DY playing the other FB.
I'd only consider Cameron at RB if the opponent were someone like Belgium with a player like Hazard to contain. Because Cameron is probably our 2nd best CB and our best DM and until we get cloning technology, he can only play in one spot.
Lichaj is probably the best of the bad options. I vehemently disagree that Beasley has anything to offer; he washed up on the short several years ago and there's nothing left but sun-bleached bones.
The "best" tactical set up for the current talent pool is some sort of 3-4-3, in which the back three of Cameron-Gonzalez-Brooks is supported by a deep dropping Bradley and FJ/Yedlin playing as wingbacks. But I highly doubt Arena has that in his bag.
Lichaj is probably the best of the bad options. I vehemently disagree that Beasley has anything to offer; he washed up on the short several years ago and there's nothing left but sun-bleached bones.
The "best" tactical set up for the current talent pool is some sort of 3-4-3, in which the back three of Cameron-Gonzalez-Brooks is supported by a deep dropping Bradley and FJ/Yedlin playing as wingbacks. But I highly doubt Arena has that in his bag.
Tim Ream is an every-week starter at LB and LCB for a playoff-quality Championship team (Fulham). He played 90 at Azteca, and 30 minutes of the friendly vs Venezuela. If you want to get Fabian Johnson into the midfield and aren't sold on Villafana, he's my hope. Not sure Arena sees it the same way, especially since he's 29. He saw only occasional action under Klinsmann. But while he might not get any better, once he practices more with the team, "what he is" may be good enough.
#TeamReam
#TeamReam
Arena basically used this setup with somewhat different personnel in Azteca earlier this year.
But whatever the formation, you're right about left back: Johnson and Villafana both have virtues going forward and are somewhat soft defensively.
At right back, an injury to Yedlin would be devastating.
Sad to say, there are no young guys on the doorstep at fullback. Maybe in a few years.