USMNT: Soccer's Coming Home

67YAZ

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Sad thing is that Grant Wahl would have had several locker room sources to provide more on this story.
 

67YAZ

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Gio’s agent implicitly confirms the story, though frames it as one sided and self-interested. No further comment forthcoming.

 
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Cellar-Door

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View: https://twitter.com/TaylorTwellman/status/1602155709201883136


Twellman says the 13-12 thing and player vote isn't true, BUT... Gregg put it to a vote of the full staff...

That's insane. You're the manager, you shouldn't be making player discipline decisions based on the trainer and the kit man's votes.

Either way, I see no way you bring Gregg back, he comes off as naive and bumbling at best, a snake at worst, and honestly... he's not that good a coach. You came of a cycle of mixed as expected (win gold cup in a very weak Mexico cycle) and below expected results (3rd in qualifying, not being able to score goals on good teams for close to a year)... you got a nice setup to slide into the 16, but even that is probably what should have been expected (and again... couldn't score at all against good teams) and involved some luck (getting England after a big win and only really looking for a draw was huge).
 

OCST

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Whatever he had to do to rein Gio in, he's the manager and if this young player is disrupting things he's got to address it. Gio is a talent but he's not Ronaldo, and even Portugal did not put up with Ronaldo's crap.

This isn't Klinsmann not taking Donovan in 2014, which was all about Klinsmann.

Now, for GGG to comment publicly doesn't look good.

This is one more reason to move on to a new manager. Whoever is "at fault," I'm happy to use the one-cycle rule of thumb to get someone new in.
 

cromulence

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Off the record or not, Gregg should never have said any of that stuff in a public setting. He's totally broken any trust he'd built in that room. Hopefully this leads to him not being renewed, because this seems like something that could fester.
 

Cellar-Door

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Off the record or not, Gregg should never have said any of that stuff in a public setting. He's totally broken any trust he'd built in that room. Hopefully this leads to him not being renewed, because this seems like something that could fester.
Honestly feels like that timed with the Athletic story (which seems heavily sourced pro-Gregg) that either he, or his supporters thought it would help him for people to see Reyna as a troublemaker, and that being a reason he wasn't used much in Qatar. Problem is... he comes out looking way worse on a much more important issue. I'm not virulently anti-Berhalter, but I'm not a fan... Reyna wasn't a particularly big reason to not bring him back, leaking and talking about the lockerroom... much bigger deal than not playing a guy. He comes off damaged from something that I think was supposed to be a boost for him.
 

singaporesoxfan

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This is a sign that the US is now a true footballing nation, the USMNT has actual drama and isn’t just a plucky team of 26 guys hoping to do their country proud
 

Titans Bastard

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This is a sign that the US is now a true footballing nation, the USMNT has actual drama and isn’t just a plucky team of 26 guys hoping to do their country proud
We would have made it so much earlier if social media had been around in John Harkes' day.
 

Cellar-Door

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This is a sign that the US is now a true footballing nation, the USMNT has actual drama and isn’t just a plucky team of 26 guys hoping to do their country proud
Truly haven't made it until the manager's people go after players in the press anonymously
 

rguilmar

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Ah yes, Luis Enrique, a stubborn manager who prioritized his 4-3-3 system over player strengths, leaving behind proven goal scorers in Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas in favor of better “system fits”, questionably bringing in and playing guys who aren't performing well at their clubs (most controversially Ferran Torres who is also dating Enrique’s daughter), using Marco Asensio as a false 9 often instead of going with a true striker even when the game screamed out for a true 9, managed a team that struggled to create goal scoring chances despite their talent*. Sound familiar? Of course, Enrique was already canned before he made that comment and it’s been widely criticized in Spain as a truly awful thing to say as most speculate that he’s referring to young Ansu Fati.

*I’m sure some will look at the Costa Rica game but that was an anomaly. Spain routinely dominate the ball but aren’t dangerous with it.
 

Zososoxfan

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Posting this here because I think it's my best shot. I'm trying to track down a 2011 USMNT Gold Cup shirt to buy. The red shirt with blue sash. If anyone has a lead, please let me know! TIA!!
 

Zososoxfan

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Thanks. I've found a few on EBay, but man people know they're a hot item. I may have to take the Altidore discount, since the Deuce Dempsey one is listed at over $200! The blue shirt with the white sash is considerably less, so I may just settle for that. It'll be my second USMNT shirt after picking up a waldo a few years ago!!
 

SocrManiac

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Thanks. I've found a few on EBay, but man people know they're a hot item. I may have to take the Altidore discount, since the Deuce Dempsey one is listed at over $200! The blue shirt with the white sash is considerably less, so I may just settle for that. It'll be my second USMNT shirt after picking up a waldo a few years ago!!
A few shops have been adding US replicas to their arsenal, but I can't find anything 2011. That's surprising, given it's one of the more unique looks.

There are a bunch of fantastic '94 replicas available. Those used to be utterly impossible to get. Now you can get a straight replica, a modern cut, custom name/number... Whatever you want. I got one of the direct replicas and ended up returning it for something cut a little less like a trash bag. The '95s are coming out (first year with Nike). I actually have an original of those that I distinctly remember buying cheap from Marshall's when I was in high school.
 

BrazilianSoxFan

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This guy is so annoying it makes me want to rehire Gregg, which I didn't want to do before!
I actually normally like him a lot. In this video, he has a very different tone than his normal upbeat style that you can see on his World Cup preview series of videos. He loves the USMNT.

As a longtime viewer, he sounds heartbroken and pissed off. And I tend to agree with him that Gregg probably shouldn't have been hired, it stank of nepotism, and that he bungled the Gio Reyna situation.
 

Titans Bastard

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I'm twenty seconds in and it already feels like clickbait. It's ridiculous that Berhalter is still in charge of the NT after the World Cup? I mean, his contract is about to expire. Let's wait for the USSF to extend him before we get mad.

"Joo-len Lop-te-gooey". This guy's a pro.

Skipped ahead because he's doing a boring rehash of Berhalter nepotism stuff that's already been done a million times. There are plenty of complaints about the USSF hiring process, but this doesn't have to do with Reyna.

Found a spot where he's "outraged" that a veteran like Aaron Long tried to talk to Reyna about his behavior, on the premise that a kid like Reyna shouldn't have to listen to a veteran player who is less talented. Good lord, spare me from this whiny nonsense. "I hate Berhalter so much that I'm willing to defend obvious poor behavior from Reyna" is not a good take.

My conclusion: Berhalter did not in fact "ruin" Gio Reyna.
 

BrazilianSoxFan

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Well, his argument is that Reyna's behavior after being told before the cup that he would not have a big role in the squad wasn't ideal, but should have been expected from a teenager who is clearly more talented than those who are playing in front of him. Nevertheless, he eventually apologized to his teammates, and then publicly.

But Gregg bungled the situation from the start bs then took this story outside the locker, wich is beyond the pale, it breaks the trust, and his "apology" was atrocious.
 

Titans Bastard

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Well, his argument is that Reyna's behavior after being told before the cup that he would not have a big role in the squad wasn't ideal, but should have been expected from a teenager who is clearly more talented than those who are playing in front of him. Nevertheless, he eventually apologized to his teammates, and then publicly.

But Gregg bungled the situation from the start bs then took this story outside the locker, wich is beyond the pale, it breaks the trust, and his "apology" was atrocious.
Sure, most of that tracks, but the reason why it is click-baity is the title, which is nonsense. "Ruined Reyna". Does the guy even address his thesis?

"Wasn't ideal" is such sugar-coating though. It seems pretty obvious that Reyna was a big problem, and the guy arguing that it "should have been expected" is silly stuff that's invented as a way to make the his criticism of Berhalter more sensational. Reyna's 20 years old. Be a professional. Reyna aggravated an injury shortly before the WC and was not fully fit. That Reyna claims he was ready to go does not mean he was fully fit — players fudge that all the time.

The bottom line for me is that Berhalter has managed the locker room quite well over the course of the cycle. The major mistake, and really the only mistake, came after the end of the WC run, which is the comments at the leadership symposium being made and leaking out. I think the risk of these comments getting published by a confused third party entity was small, but it was a pointless risk to take, especially doing it so soon after the WC. Gregg, just tell the Weston McKennie in Nashville story that's already public, ffs. It's not like the audience will already be familiar with it.

Anyway, I'm supportive of moving on to a new manager for the next cycle. Berhalter has faults, but I think he led a pretty productive and successful cycle, and the way the fanbase feels the need to exaggerate faults and be generally hysterical about the topic grates on me, especially clickbait/negativity merchants like the guy who did the video. We can reasonably look back at a cycle with a lot of positives and still move on.
 

Titans Bastard

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Gregg Berhalter's contract has expired, but the USSF has been totally silent on the subject of the USMNT manager position.
 

rguilmar

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These crickets are pretty damn loud. I was, and still am, expecting an interim manager announcement soon.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Unless Berhalter's statement is eliding things much worse than what it says, which is always possible, , this is a blackmail investigation story more than anything else.
 

Titans Bastard

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I don't want to say anything more, but my understanding is that the identity of the blackmailer will come out fairly soon, once all the sourcing for the story has been nailed down.
 

InstaFace

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I don't want to say anything more, but my understanding is that the identity of the blackmailer will come out fairly soon, once all the sourcing for the story has been nailed down.
John Brooks really would stop at nothing, huh?

Weird-ass story, but even weirder timing.

Smartest thing Gregg did here, other than deciding to go public in the first place, is disabling replies in his tweet about it.
 

67YAZ

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If Reyna was at all involved: see you man. File a one-time switch. Ugh.
Gregg and Claudio went to high school together. If a member of the Reyna family is is the blackmailer…this is just a disaster on so many fronts.
 

SocrManiac

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If we're taking bets I'd throw money down on Wynalda.
Feels like his kind of attention grab, but also feels like Reyna had the better access level and a recent dust-up with Gregg.

This sucks. The last thing the USMNT needed after the positivity of the World Cup was off the field garbage.
 

Cellar-Door

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Feels like his kind of attention grab, but also feels like Reyna had the better access level and a recent dust-up with Gregg.

This sucks. The last thing the USMNT needed after the positivity of the World Cup was off the field garbage.
Claudio and Wynalda are tight, and Wynalda has gone out and done dumb shit in support of Gio before (then backtracked) not wild to think he got the story from Claudio and decided to leverage it.
 

Titans Bastard

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Gregg and Claudio went to high school together. If a member of the Reyna family is is the blackmailer…this is just a disaster on so many fronts.
Their wives were teammates and roommates at UNC as well.