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Gold Cup

Morris was not impressive the final two matches. Seemed a step behind mentally. Would have preferred Boyd and surprised he was not subbed in.

Obviously still a few important things to figure out. The team looked pretty good to qualify but needs a finisher up front and two fullbacks. Mexico really exploited us on both flanks.
 
Morris was not impressive the final two matches. Seemed a step behind mentally. Would have preferred Boyd and surprised he was not subbed in.

Obviously still a few important things to figure out. The team looked pretty good to qualify but needs a finisher up front and two fullbacks. Mexico really exploited us on both flanks.
I think Long and Miazga together can be the full backs. They seemed to communicate really well with one another and be on the same page with Steffen and those are huge keys. I think we will see Altidore for the next cycle. His fitness needs to improve but you can't deny his ability to hold the ball up and get it to Pulisic, McKennie, or Arriola.

Mexico exploited Ream on the left side. And Mexico had to make a major adjustment switching Antuna and Pizzarro with each other and utilizing Pizarro against a slower Ream. Pizzarro has A+ technical skill in tight spaces and Cannon pretty much locked him down when he was on the left side.

I don't know how easy it is for outside defenders to switch sides but between Cannon, Yedlin, and Adams, pick 2 and throw them on the outside. I think Ream gets a nod a lot because he seems to have a stronger left foot.

Morris-he has never been the same since his ACL injury. He seems hesitant because I think his knee popped when he was trying to accelerate with little to no contact. I know the feeling...it sucks. And it takes some time before you have the confidence to get back in there. He's also, IMO, playing out of position when he's playing on the left or right. I've always seen him as a middle striker type.

I guess Berhalter's big question will who can he get to commit to his style and the fitness level required. Some of the older players lose that hunger with the fitness side. You can see it with Bradley, you can see it a little with Altidore (who is still only 29 years old). When do Sargent and Weah get their call ups and stick? Have we seen the last of Kellen Acosta, Julian Green and Bobby Wood? The U20s have a ton of good talent...when is too early to bring them up? Are they mature enough for the qualifying cycle in CONCACAF? And who is the 6 going forward. Bradley's lost a step and some touch and I think we all agree that Trapp is a HARD NO as he simply doesn't have the game for this level of skill and pace of play.
 
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Will Beer?halter call up any of the U-20 talent besides Weah & (maybe, hopefully Carrott Top)? Don't count on it-since he has already stated that the final 23 for the GC will make up the "core" for the WC quals group. If Beer?halter wasn't such a (personnel) hard-head, I'd submit the following from the U-20's: Alex Mendez @ the 6 spot-better than Trapp right now! & can really score!; Sebastian Soto @ left mid who proved he can score in the WC & has size & speed for defense(as a back-up to McKennie); what's wrong with Chris Richards @ center-back? Played very well for the U-20's & Bayern Munich rather likes him! Dest & Pomykal as fullbacks who played well.

One assumes John Brooks & Tyler Adams will be called up. I like Ethan Horvath to back up Steffen-kid will be a star one day. Jozy will be 32 @ WC time. How will his fitness, health & attitude be at that age? Carter-vickers over Miazga(or both of them for the future).

My conspiracy theory is this: Greg Beer?halter(a mediocre coach who basically failed at every place he coached at) is under orders from his brother Jay(who now runs the US Soccer Fed) to play those aging MLS stars who failed so miserably in the last WC cycle. Can you say"Nepotism"? And he's just vain enough to believe that he can mold these guys into a real force in the next WC. The evidence so far leaves me queasy.
 
My conspiracy theory is this: Greg Beer?halter(a mediocre coach who basically failed at every place he coached at) is under orders from his brother Jay(who now runs the US Soccer Fed) to play those aging MLS stars who failed so miserably in the last WC cycle. Can you say"Nepotism"? And he's just vain enough to believe that he can mold these guys into a real force in the next WC. The evidence so far leaves me queasy.

The trouble with this conspiracy theory is that it (a) assumes MLS needs the help and (b) that it would make any difference even if they did.

The attendance for the first 2 knockout rounds was the same as an average Timbers match. And the number doesn’t change if Jorge Villafaña’s called up.

It’s not 1994 anymore. The national team doesn’t drive interest in MLS. It’s a thriving league completely separate from the USMNT at this point.

Now if they put Atlanta United’s accounting staff on the field against Jamaica in the Benz next time, then we can talk.
 
The success in the stands of MLS is fantastic. In my mind, though, I'm still trying to explain why 17 of 23 or 74% of the final GC group(from 40 initially) comes from MLS. It must be then, that Beer?halter believes that these guys are the very best the USA has to offer on the field & has stated that they will be the core group going forward.

If anyone watched the U-20 WC, you saw some excellent young talent do very well against extremely good competition. I mentioned six of them above that could give their counterparts in the current 23 a run for their $, if not beat them out. At the very least, they are the future of US Futbol(if given a chance).

Yes, Brooks, Adams & Yedlin were injured & you must assume they would have replaced 3 of the 23 if healthy. Let's add Fabian Johnson & Alfredo Morales from the Bundesliga, as well as Matt Hedges(a central defender with promise).

Finally, let's review the hiring of Greg Beer?halter-which stinks to high heaven: Earnie Stewart was hired(all hires, even staff, go through Jay Berhalter) to select a head coach soon after the WC qualifying debacle. Rumors that GB was the guy started immediately. Despite that, over 2 dozen applied, many with managerial success in Europe, England, So. America & the MLS. Only three were interviewed by Stewart, including GB. 13 months later, GB was formally announced as the coach. Over a full year wasted. Hell, even GB could have been vetting the best players, implementing his strategy & game plans & promoting the USMNT during that time. It's just inexplicable!

I'm still hurting from the 2018 WC failure(out of CONCACAF, no less). My beloved country became the laughingstock of the world in the world's most popular sport. And the start of the GB era still makes me queasy.
 
The success in the stands of MLS is fantastic. In my mind, though, I'm still trying to explain why 17 of 23 or 74% of the final GC group(from 40 initially) comes from MLS. It must be then, that Beer?halter believes that these guys are the very best the USA has to offer on the field & has stated that they will be the core group going forward.

If anyone watched the U-20 WC, you saw some excellent young talent do very well against extremely good competition. I mentioned six of them above that could give their counterparts in the current 23 a run for their $, if not beat them out. At the very least, they are the future of US Futbol(if given a chance).

Yes, Brooks, Adams & Yedlin were injured & you must assume they would have replaced 3 of the 23 if healthy. Let's add Fabian Johnson & Alfredo Morales from the Bundesliga, as well as Matt Hedges(a central defender with promise).

Finally, let's review the hiring of Greg Beer?halter-which stinks to high heaven: Earnie Stewart was hired(all hires, even staff, go through Jay Berhalter) to select a head coach soon after the WC qualifying debacle. Rumors that GB was the guy started immediately. Despite that, over 2 dozen applied, many with managerial success in Europe, England, So. America & the MLS. Only three were interviewed by Stewart, including GB. 13 months later, GB was formally announced as the coach. Over a full year wasted. Hell, even GB could have been vetting the best players, implementing his strategy & game plans & promoting the USMNT during that time. It's just inexplicable!

I'm still hurting from the 2018 WC failure(out of CONCACAF, no less). My beloved country became the laughingstock of the world in the world's most popular sport. And the start of the GB era still makes me queasy.
Actually Italy and the Netherlands also didn’t qualify and lost out to places like Wales and Iceland (combined pop. of about 3.5M). Italy’s populations is roughly 61M and The Netherlands is 17M. Those two countries and their programs probably felt a little more heat than the US. I’m not excusing the US’ failure.
 
Don't buy it Bla, with due respect. Sure, Italian & Dutch fans, in their respective countries, gave their teams hell & fired their coaches. But in Europe, where national team players come mostly from European club teams-the best of the best, it's difficult. Unless you draw Lichtenstein, Luxemburg or Monaco in your area, you're going to have a tough road to qualify. Hell, even little bitty Wales has Christian Bale & several others from the EPL who ain't chopped liver. The quals draw has a lot to do with it. When you're knocking heads with England, France, Spain, Germany, etc., some country is going to lose.

Since most of the planet hates the USA anyway, the world was thrilled when the Yanks couldn't beat a T&T team of mostly amateurs in failing to qualify. I recall
world press reports after that happened & it wasn't pretty.
 
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Don't buy it Bla, with due respect. Sure, Italian & Dutch fans, in their respective countries, gave their teams hell & fired their coaches. But in Europe, where national team players come mostly from European club teams-the best of the best, it's difficult. Unless you draw Lichtenstein, Luxemburg or Monaco in your area, you're going to have a tough road to qualify. Hell, even little bitty Wales has Christian Bale & several others from the EPL who ain't chopped liver. The quals draw has a lot to do with it. When you're knocking heads with England, France, Spain, Germany, etc., some country is going to lose.

Since most of the planet hates the USA anyway, the world was thrilled when the Yanks couldn't beat a T&T team of mostly amateurs in failing to qualify. I recall
world press reports after that happened & it wasn't pretty.
I get it, but the Euro qualifier draws almost always seemed rigged for the traditional countries and while you may end up with a Germany or Spain in your group rarely is it both and rarely do the groups have more than 2 traditional powerhouses and Europe gets almost half of the qualifying spots in the WC.

Correction: Italy lost in the playoff for the last 4 teams for European qualifiers. And Wales did not qualify for the WC last year. I kept seeing them but there run was in the Euro championships the year before where Wales and Iceland both made surprise runs.

Again, there was no excuse for the US not showing up to play T&T. I don't care if it's on the road. And it happened too many times under Klinsmann and Arena where they simply weren't ready to play.

At least Berhalter and his staff looked capable enough to have them prepared. He did get out coached and out maneuvered by Tata in the 2nd half though. There's not really any shame in that. But honestly, the US dominated who they should have and showed they were among the top 2 teams in the region and should qualify easily. (Save for Curacao where I think the US got caught looking ahead...happens to the best of them).
 
He did get out coached and out maneuvered by Tata in the 2nd half though.
Sadly, this is true. The only change I noticed in the 2nd half, not in tactics or game plan, was a substitution. Yup, we're down a goal in the 80th minute, & Beer?halter subs out a defenseman for another defenseman.(Lovitz for Ream). Oh my!
 
Sadly, this is true. The only change I noticed in the 2nd half, not in tactics or game plan, was a substitution. Yup, we're down a goal in the 80th minute, & Beer?halter subs out a defenseman for another defenseman.(Lovitz for Ream). Oh my!
Yeah, he should have been quicker on that trigger to counter the move to put Pizzarro on the right away from Cannon. I'm not sure why Lovitz and Trapp were on the team. They are not technically savvy enough nor do they have enough pure athletic talent to be playing at that level of international soccer. There are probably a couple of others but they don't look completely overwhelmed by the situation and/or competition when they're out there. Roldan and Lima fit those descriptions for me. They're good solid role players who will do everything you ask..not game changers but they're both savvy enough to keep things steady
 
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