USMNT: To Rüssia With Love
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
Michael Bradley is having a truly awful game. Beyond just poor performance he isn't putting in much effort.
This game has shown us some important things though.
Jermaine Jones is too slow to play at this level anymore.
Jermaine Jones is too slow to play at this level anymore.
There is zero organization at the back. Brasil is just running at them.
What are GK options besides Guzan? Obviously Howard but is there a younger option in the wings? I understand Yarborough isnt anything special.
They need a CB who takes control. Alvarado seems to be in JK favor but is too inexperienced. Brooks, Gonzalez, Besler? Would Ream or Cameron actually get time there?
And what ever happened to Besler? He has been hurt?
What are GK options besides Guzan? Obviously Howard but is there a younger option in the wings? I understand Yarborough isnt anything special.
They need a CB who takes control. Alvarado seems to be in JK favor but is too inexperienced. Brooks, Gonzalez, Besler? Would Ream or Cameron actually get time there?
And what ever happened to Besler? He has been hurt?
Bill Hamid.McBride11 said:
I actually think if everyone is healthy CB could be decent, Brooks and Cameron would be my choice.
Besler got asked to go back to his club. I'd go with him and Cameron in the middle.
It would be really nice if JK would pick a team and stick with it, or at least pick a spine. This endless tinkering when there's a big game coming up is maddening.
It would be really nice if JK would pick a team and stick with it, or at least pick a spine. This endless tinkering when there's a big game coming up is maddening.
Well, that was a disaster. I know it's Brazil, but yeesh.
If Klinsmann starts "his guys" like Alvarado, Orozco, etc. against Mexico, they're gonna lose, plain and simple.
If Klinsmann starts "his guys" like Alvarado, Orozco, etc. against Mexico, they're gonna lose, plain and simple.
Where was Besler during the Gold Cup tho? I dont recall any injury discussion at the time. He was our best CB in the World Cup and has seemingly just fallen out of favor.Infield Infidel said:
I would love to have him back there and whichever of Gonzalez:BRooks:Cameron:Ream that is playing the best.
Anyone heard any updates on FJ injury? I heard 4-6 weeks from mid August. That would put him available but who knows about his fitness.
So if everyone is healthy who do you start against Mexico?
I'd probably go:
-- -- - -- -- -- Howard- - - - - - - -
Ream---Cameron----Brooks----Johnson
--------------Williams-------------
Yedlin-------Bradley-----Zardes
-------------Dempsey---------
----------Morris--------
Bench:
Guzan
Besler
Evans
Chandler
Johannsson
Wood
Diskerud
Gonzalez
Zusi
Jones
I'd probably go:
-- -- - -- -- -- Howard- - - - - - - -
Ream---Cameron----Brooks----Johnson
--------------Williams-------------
Yedlin-------Bradley-----Zardes
-------------Dempsey---------
----------Morris--------
Bench:
Guzan
Besler
Evans
Chandler
Johannsson
Wood
Diskerud
Gonzalez
Zusi
Jones
Sorry, wasn't able to post during the second half. I agree Bedoya may not be best for 2018 and giving Williams time is good. But Bedoya could be a useful player in the next CONCACAF group stages and potentially in the grueling 10-game hex. Plus you never know what the future holds. I just saw no reason to yank him that close to half in a friendly. Maybe I'm over emphasizing the stigma of getting yanked in the first half of a friendly game for non-injury reasons.McBride11 said:
Ya didnt miss much dont worry. Ok I see more now what ya meant. Waiting 10 min would probably have been fine. Bedoya I think will get some time in the WCQ and Hex games for sure. He is a pro and hopefully the maybe perceived slight doesnt impact his confidence long term.DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
He has always seemed to be a JK guy which we are seeing really seems to carry a lot of weight.
Id flip Morris for AJ and Besler for Brooks.Cellar-Door said:
Bedoya on bench instead of Zusi.
And while I pushed Williams tonight, I think Beckerman back there is the safer option. jJ doesnt seem fit yet (maybe he takes the role a month from now). Williams I think is the future but for now go with someone proven.
Anyone watching Mexico v. Argentina?
Huge chunks of sod coming up, ball skipping weirdly off displaced sod.
Embarrassingly poor job by Cowboys stadium on that field.
Huge chunks of sod coming up, ball skipping weirdly off displaced sod.
Embarrassingly poor job by Cowboys stadium on that field.
It's really awful.Cellar-Door said:
Of equal concern is that Mexico looks like it belongs and then some with one of the best teams in the world.
McBride11 said:
Beckerman has looked extra crispy the last few times out. Maybe this is just a personal issue but ever since Arena rolled with Agoos in '02 I'm generally terrified of making the "safe" roster choice favoring an older player.
Cellar-Door said:
I like this a lot and second McBride11's suggestions.
The other point I'd make: I like Yedlin and Zardes a lot individually, but I'm not too sure about having them on the field at the same time. They bring more or less the same key qualities, which is speed and athleticism down the wing. In a diamond midfield you usually have the side midfielders pinch in, so having two outright wingers would make me nervous. I'd bring in Bedoya for Yedlin.
Billy R Ford said:
Thinking down the road, this problem should solve itself as Dempsey ages out and Zardes is pushed up to fill his role. At full health you'll have Fab or Chandler to fly up the left side so you can make do with a Bedoya-type opposite Yedlin.
Excitement tonight in CONCACAF. Jamaica gets an 89 th minute goal to move on and avoid early elinination at the hands of Nicaragua. Guatemala gets a late goal to move on over Antigua and Barbuda.
Third round now over. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala, go through and join Trinidad and Tobago in the U.S.A.'s group.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines appear to play in a cricket ground in Kingstown, St. Vincent, which has a capacity around 2/3ds that of the entire town. So lock up your hotel reservations early. Matchday is September 2, 2016.
Third round now over. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala, go through and join Trinidad and Tobago in the U.S.A.'s group.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines appear to play in a cricket ground in Kingstown, St. Vincent, which has a capacity around 2/3ds that of the entire town. So lock up your hotel reservations early. Matchday is September 2, 2016.
Yeah on that lineup, I struggled with whether to start Yedlin and Zardes together, or put one on the bench and start on of the Zusi/Bedoya pair.
I think Williams has to start though, Beckerman and Jones have nothing left, watching Mexico tonight the idea on Chicharito and Jimenez running at either of them is terrifying.
I think Williams has to start though, Beckerman and Jones have nothing left, watching Mexico tonight the idea on Chicharito and Jimenez running at either of them is terrifying.
Infield Infidel said:
A-freaking-men.
There's no continuity at all, it seems like every game has a new CB and/or CM pairing. JK isn't doing much to allow the first XI (whoever that is) to gel, nor is it possible to learn all that much from experiments when you aren't controlling for one or two variables. What's the plan? What are we trying to learn? How is what we are doing preparing for Mexico?
This pretty much sums it up:
https://twitter.com/JeffreyCarlisle/status/641444150601195525
https://twitter.com/DougMacESPN/status/641447259482255360
DrewDawg said:
Loud. My sense from the people I follow on Twitter is that the natives are getting restless. A minority of media guys have been openly stating that the emperor has no clothes for a while. One gets the feeling that most of the rest think that, too, but don't want to get too hyperbolic until the Mexico game - which is reasonable. A win against Mexico would be huge for JK; it would take some pressure off and then the US has by far the easiest group in the WCQ semifinal round.
Between the putrid Gold Cup performance and the directionlessness nature of the friendlies, it's starting to feel like a case of the Second Term Blues. I wonder what the locker room morale is like. I'm sure Bedoya was thrilled about being used out of position, while he's on his way back from injury and probably not 100%, and then being thrown under the bus with the first half sub in a friendly.
Sunil is tied too deeply into JK's fate, though. If JK is ever to be declared a failure, Sunil must share in that condemnation as well.
Keeping aside for the moment the fact that JK's personality is so polarizing, with true believers in the pro- and anti- camps, the frustrating thing is the lack of linear progress.
It looked like the team was on a upward trajectory, starting with the snow game last year, through the WC, and a mostly favorable run of friendlies leading up to the Gold Cup. Then the loss to Jamaica, and the demolition by Brazil. Now, who knows. JK's endless screwing around with lineups and formations is maddening. A lot of mainstays are on the verge of aging out, and while there is some good young talent, it remains unclear how the pieces fit together. I'd feel a lot better about JK if a sensible plan could be discerned.
It looked like the team was on a upward trajectory, starting with the snow game last year, through the WC, and a mostly favorable run of friendlies leading up to the Gold Cup. Then the loss to Jamaica, and the demolition by Brazil. Now, who knows. JK's endless screwing around with lineups and formations is maddening. A lot of mainstays are on the verge of aging out, and while there is some good young talent, it remains unclear how the pieces fit together. I'd feel a lot better about JK if a sensible plan could be discerned.
The thing to me about Klinsmann is that he's least effective in tactics and player selection. However I think he's been very good in the rest of his role. He's been great at getting us dual nationals, he's gotten much better friendly competition, he has the personal power to give MLS the needling they need, he probably has more impact in pushing his desired strategies into player development.
As an on-field manager he's not great, but in the rest of his job I think he's very good.
The bigger question is who would replace him?
Bielsa is the best pure manager around, but he's headed to Mexico.
I don't see anyone else who is a good enough manager to offset what you lose from Klinsmann elsewhere,
I guess they could go with a dual replacement. One pure manager, and one technical director.
As an on-field manager he's not great, but in the rest of his job I think he's very good.
The bigger question is who would replace him?
Bielsa is the best pure manager around, but he's headed to Mexico.
I don't see anyone else who is a good enough manager to offset what you lose from Klinsmann elsewhere,
I guess they could go with a dual replacement. One pure manager, and one technical director.
DrewDawg said:
Only half serious....but thanks for giving me an excuse to post that pic again.
I do think that strong consideration would have to be given to a domestic manager. We'd be heading right into WCQ, so there wouldn't be a lot of time for a foreign manager to familiarize himself with the player pool. Also, I'm not sure how much good foreign managerial talent would be available in October or November. I'd certainly be open to a foreign manager, but it would have to be the right fit and I don't know who would available and interested.
If you go domestic, honestly Arena wouldn't be a bad short-term fix. Hiring him would cause some eye-rolling among some fans, but the guy is a good manager and he knows the player pool well. Peter Vermes would probably get consideration as well. Jason Kreis has been spoken of as a potential future NT guy, but his decision to jump to NYCFC is not looking too hot right now. Maybe you overlook that because I don't think NYCFC's struggles are his fault, but I prefer guys who have been successful with multiple cores of players. Kreis built a great team at RSL, but I want to see him replicate his success with another group or another team.
I've also been pretty impressed with Jesse Marsch at NYRB, but I think it's too soon for him.
Rumors....
https://twitter.com/EricGomez86/status/642130185932804097
https://twitter.com/EricGomez86/status/642132209005006848
https://twitter.com/EricGomez86/status/642130185932804097
https://twitter.com/EricGomez86/status/642132209005006848
Darlington Nagbe is a US Citizen.
https://twitter.com/MerrittPaulson/status/642148822806761472
Love to see him and Lletget get a look after the Mexico game.
https://twitter.com/MerrittPaulson/status/642148822806761472
Love to see him and Lletget get a look after the Mexico game.
Cellar-Door said:
Yes, please!
There are a few other domestic players who could possibly enter the USMNT picture this cycle if they get citizenship in a timely fashion:
- Kekuta Manneh (Aug 2016?) - has maintained residence in the US exclave of Point Roberts while playing for Vancouver
- Dom "Mr. Sydney Leroux" Dwyer (Feb 2017?) - he got a green card back in 2012, so marrying Leroux earlier this year didn't actually speed anything up for him.
- Kwadwo Poku (2017?) - American wife, married in 2014
Manneh in particular would be helpful considering how badly we need wingers.
Titans Bastard said:
Sike!!!
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/11/uk-soccer-copa-idUKKCN0RB20M20150911
Agreed, it would be a great opportunity for Americans to see the passion of South American fans up close and personal.
On another note:
??? I was talking with my boss earlier and I was saying that the one position we are not lacking is wingers. Yedlin, Johnson, and Zardes are all capable. We are really struggling with CBs and central attacking players not named Dempsey.
On another note:
Titans Bastard said:
??? I was talking with my boss earlier and I was saying that the one position we are not lacking is wingers. Yedlin, Johnson, and Zardes are all capable. We are really struggling with CBs and central attacking players not named Dempsey.
I'd say CAM, ST, FB and DM are the areas where we need talent. CB isn't bad if our best CBs aren't playing FB,and Alvarado isn't on the field.Zososoxfan said:
Zososoxfan said:
Yedlin is a right back, Zardes is a forward, and our other fullbacks suck enough that we pretty much have to use Johnson the back line. I view Yedlin and Zardes as temporary band-aids, not real solutions. Particularly Yedlin, whose best moments as a winger have usually been as a sparkplug off the bench and not as a starter (IIRC).
I'd think that Heaps should be on the radar too, although he also wouldn't fit your "built more than one team" criterion.Titans Bastard said:
Yeah I don't know if I would say I hate Heaps but I definitely wouldn't want him coaching the national team. Like Klinsmann, his tactics are pretty mediocre (he makes the same subs pretty much EVERY match, its mind-boggling) but unlike Klinsmann he doesn't have much of a reputation as a man-motivator. Maybe in a few years, but he's not the man for the job now.
CONCACAF is making the US and Mexico submit 35 man provisional rosters for the playoff, for some reason.
The US:
GK
Howard, Guzan, Rimando, Hamid
DF
Alvarado, Beasley, Besler, Brooks, Cameron, Evans, Garza, Gonzalez, Orozco, Ream, Spector, Yedlin
MF
Beckerman, Bedoya, Bradley, Corona, Diskerud, F. Johnson, Jones, Morales, Nguyen, Williams, Zardes, Zusi
FW
Altidore, Dempsey, Gordon, Johannsson, Morris, Wondolowski, Wood
Not really any surprises. Chandler is injured. I thought Brek Shea would have made it since he returned from injury, but whatever.
The US:
GK
Howard, Guzan, Rimando, Hamid
DF
Alvarado, Beasley, Besler, Brooks, Cameron, Evans, Garza, Gonzalez, Orozco, Ream, Spector, Yedlin
MF
Beckerman, Bedoya, Bradley, Corona, Diskerud, F. Johnson, Jones, Morales, Nguyen, Williams, Zardes, Zusi
FW
Altidore, Dempsey, Gordon, Johannsson, Morris, Wondolowski, Wood
Not really any surprises. Chandler is injured. I thought Brek Shea would have made it since he returned from injury, but whatever.
Titans Bastard said:
Reverse sike!
Looks like US may have no involvement whatsoever. That sucks on so many levels.
http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/copa-america-2016-centenario/2015/9/16/9340789/copa-america-hosts-us-soccer
The USSF announced the qualifying squad for the Olympics. It's U23, so only players born in 1993 or later are available for selection.
GK
Charlie Horton (Leeds United)
Ethan Horvath (Molde)
Zack Steffen (Freiburg)
DF
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur)
Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls)
Eric Miller (Montreal Impact)
Will Packwood (-)
Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids)
MF
Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes)
Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield)
Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake)
Emerson Hyndman (Fulham)
Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes)
Matt Polster (Chicago Fire)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew)
Gedion Zelalem (Rangers)
FW
Alonso Hernandez (Juarez)
Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart)
Jordan Morris (Stanford)
Maki Tall (Sion)
Eh....
It's worthing mentioning that Brooks and Yedlin are eligible for this, but they were never going to be here for qualifying with the Confed Cup playoff overlap. Yedlin would have been huge given the general suckage of the U23 fullbacks.
Julian Green is not here and I'm pretty sure it's because he was cut. He was not invited to either the senior team camp nor the U23 camp last month. The rumor that I have heard is that JK has been unhappy with his prima donna behavior over the last season. So Green goes from World Cup roster to cut from a short-handed Olympic team...
A few potential starters were not released. Shane O'Neill (CB), Rubio Rubin (FW/AM). Khiry Shelton and Jose Villarreal (both FW/wing) are coming back from injury and didn't make it.
At GK, Cody Cropper just had surgery, so the competition to start is down to Horvath and Steffen, with Horton coming in as the clear #3 now. I'm not sure Cropper is actually better than those guys, so I don't think it's a major loss.
Miazga and Carter-Vickers will be a young CB partnership, but both have real quality and they were exceptional together at the U-20 World Cup this past summer. Packwood is treading on his reputation now. Multiple MLS teams took a pass on him this year and he's still without a club. Walker Zimmerman or Tim Parker (who Herzog didn't even bother to look at in camp) would have been better choices. Alashe is probably the emergency CB; he's played a few games there recently for SJ.
The flanks are a weak spot. Eric Miller is the only real fullback in the entire squad, a RB who can also fill in at LB. Matt Polster can cover RB and Dillon Serna (who is a winger) will be LB cover. Maybe Pelosi will be used back there if we get desperate. Most of our fullback options at this level suck. The exceptions are Desevio Payne, who is just coming back from an injury now, and Amadou Dia, the only left back available who is actually playing in MLS - but Herzog never called in Dia.
CM is a strong area. Trapp, Polster, and Alashe provide good cover at DM. Hyndman, Gil, and Zelalem are quality at the #8 or #10, even though Gil has had a nightmare 2015. The problem is that there's no width. Even Pelosi has been used centrally by SJ, so the only actual winger listed in the midfield is Ariyibi. Serna and a bunch of the forwards may be used out wide as needed. Still, there better be a good reason why Paul Arriola wasn't called.
Outside of Morris, our forwards are highly mediocre and I'm not excited about them. Maybe Tall can provide a spark, but Hernandez is totally uninspiring.
I'm thinking 4-4-2 skinny diamond given all the CMs? That's a system that requires fullbacks to provide width which may be a bit of a struggle given their makeshift nature. However, that's hopefully something a converted winger like Serna could do, and Miller is at least better than the likes of Boyd Okwuonu.
Fingers crossed for this one...
GK
Charlie Horton (Leeds United)
Ethan Horvath (Molde)
Zack Steffen (Freiburg)
DF
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur)
Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls)
Eric Miller (Montreal Impact)
Will Packwood (-)
Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids)
MF
Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes)
Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield)
Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake)
Emerson Hyndman (Fulham)
Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes)
Matt Polster (Chicago Fire)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew)
Gedion Zelalem (Rangers)
FW
Alonso Hernandez (Juarez)
Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart)
Jordan Morris (Stanford)
Maki Tall (Sion)
Eh....
It's worthing mentioning that Brooks and Yedlin are eligible for this, but they were never going to be here for qualifying with the Confed Cup playoff overlap. Yedlin would have been huge given the general suckage of the U23 fullbacks.
Julian Green is not here and I'm pretty sure it's because he was cut. He was not invited to either the senior team camp nor the U23 camp last month. The rumor that I have heard is that JK has been unhappy with his prima donna behavior over the last season. So Green goes from World Cup roster to cut from a short-handed Olympic team...
A few potential starters were not released. Shane O'Neill (CB), Rubio Rubin (FW/AM). Khiry Shelton and Jose Villarreal (both FW/wing) are coming back from injury and didn't make it.
At GK, Cody Cropper just had surgery, so the competition to start is down to Horvath and Steffen, with Horton coming in as the clear #3 now. I'm not sure Cropper is actually better than those guys, so I don't think it's a major loss.
Miazga and Carter-Vickers will be a young CB partnership, but both have real quality and they were exceptional together at the U-20 World Cup this past summer. Packwood is treading on his reputation now. Multiple MLS teams took a pass on him this year and he's still without a club. Walker Zimmerman or Tim Parker (who Herzog didn't even bother to look at in camp) would have been better choices. Alashe is probably the emergency CB; he's played a few games there recently for SJ.
The flanks are a weak spot. Eric Miller is the only real fullback in the entire squad, a RB who can also fill in at LB. Matt Polster can cover RB and Dillon Serna (who is a winger) will be LB cover. Maybe Pelosi will be used back there if we get desperate. Most of our fullback options at this level suck. The exceptions are Desevio Payne, who is just coming back from an injury now, and Amadou Dia, the only left back available who is actually playing in MLS - but Herzog never called in Dia.
CM is a strong area. Trapp, Polster, and Alashe provide good cover at DM. Hyndman, Gil, and Zelalem are quality at the #8 or #10, even though Gil has had a nightmare 2015. The problem is that there's no width. Even Pelosi has been used centrally by SJ, so the only actual winger listed in the midfield is Ariyibi. Serna and a bunch of the forwards may be used out wide as needed. Still, there better be a good reason why Paul Arriola wasn't called.
Outside of Morris, our forwards are highly mediocre and I'm not excited about them. Maybe Tall can provide a spark, but Hernandez is totally uninspiring.
I'm thinking 4-4-2 skinny diamond given all the CMs? That's a system that requires fullbacks to provide width which may be a bit of a struggle given their makeshift nature. However, that's hopefully something a converted winger like Serna could do, and Miller is at least better than the likes of Boyd Okwuonu.
Fingers crossed for this one...
Anyone actually able to watch Yedlin's first Sunderland start? From what I can tell on Twitter, the Sunderland fullback who made an ass of himself so far is the other guy and Yedlin's been solid, but I'm mostly seeing stuff from Sunderland's account which is as objective as you'd expect.
Oof, letting in four in the first half probably says most of what I need to know here, regardless of specifics.
Jimy Hendrix said:
Didn't see the game, but a few (American, possibly rose-tinted-glasses-wearing) sources say he was a bright spot for Sunderland. A few highlights that have popped up:
https://twitter.com/beINSPORTSUSA/status/646401476680544256
His assist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxCV05qXgs8&feature=youtu.be
He also apparently cleared the ball off the line.
Yeah, looking at a few more reports it sounds like he was a bright spot attacking, but most of the goals came down the left side of the pitch.
Whether that's on him specifically, the Sunderland shambles generally, or just because Sterling is better than Navas, I have no idea.
He is apparently a Sunderland quality fullback, hopefully he can build on that and become EPL quality.
Whether that's on him specifically, the Sunderland shambles generally, or just because Sterling is better than Navas, I have no idea.
He is apparently a Sunderland quality fullback, hopefully he can build on that and become EPL quality.