USMNT Player Pool Discussion
- Thread starter TU_BLA
- Start date
Certainly interesting.
Zardes had an absurd youth highlight film against college and USL players though as well.
So Sargent and de la Torre had to WD from the squad because of injuries. Sargent was replaced by Haji Wright.
US played Jamaica tonight. Was losing almost the entire game (Jamaica scored in the 1st minute). I was half watching while at the women's bball game tonight. Turned it off at 90+2 thinking we were done, only to find out the US scored in 90+5 on an own goal by a Jamaican defender. Wright comes in and scored 2 in extra time both on feeds from Reyna and both on perfectly timed runs in space. Honestly Andre Blake should have done better on the 1v1 on the first one. 2nd goal Wright spun inside the box and hit a great curler to the far post. And the game was actually ridiculously lopsided in favor of the US. 78% possession, 25 shot attempts to 6 for Jamaica. 7 SOG to 3 for Jamaica. 12 corners to 3 for Jamaica. Jamaica committed a whopping 22 fouls so it appears the game plan was to hack the US into submission.
Adams can on for Musah and then was subbed off for Johnny Cardosa...and Adams was pretty damn pissed about coming out.
And it looks like we switched to 3 in the back late in the game as Reyna came on for Scally. Still not sure why Reyna isn't starting in the MF instead of Tillman. Some weird lineup choices from Berhalter. I wonder if he thought this game would be easy and was trying to save some legs for Sunday.
US played Jamaica tonight. Was losing almost the entire game (Jamaica scored in the 1st minute). I was half watching while at the women's bball game tonight. Turned it off at 90+2 thinking we were done, only to find out the US scored in 90+5 on an own goal by a Jamaican defender. Wright comes in and scored 2 in extra time both on feeds from Reyna and both on perfectly timed runs in space. Honestly Andre Blake should have done better on the 1v1 on the first one. 2nd goal Wright spun inside the box and hit a great curler to the far post. And the game was actually ridiculously lopsided in favor of the US. 78% possession, 25 shot attempts to 6 for Jamaica. 7 SOG to 3 for Jamaica. 12 corners to 3 for Jamaica. Jamaica committed a whopping 22 fouls so it appears the game plan was to hack the US into submission.
Adams can on for Musah and then was subbed off for Johnny Cardosa...and Adams was pretty damn pissed about coming out.
And it looks like we switched to 3 in the back late in the game as Reyna came on for Scally. Still not sure why Reyna isn't starting in the MF instead of Tillman. Some weird lineup choices from Berhalter. I wonder if he thought this game would be easy and was trying to save some legs for Sunday.
He needs to go. Bring back Callaghan or heck just have the players put their Dad’s name in a hat and draw one.
Seriously. There is so much damn talent in this team there isn't much for a coach to have to do, maybe some adjustments occasionally. Just put the right guys in the field and let them go...and Berhalter can't even do that. There is no earthly reason to not start Reyna and play him most of the game. None. How many plays in that highlight clip did Tillman screw up? The US clearly dominated pretty much the entire game except the 1st 30 seconds. And they generated that many chances going against a parked Amtrak train. The only thing other than the lineup choice to criticize is the lack of clinical finishing until Haji Wright got into the game.
Seriously, this team doesn't need a coach as much as just a caretaker.
Yeah, but Scally is probably the better overall defender of the 2. He just got lost and lost the late run. There were a ton of US players out of position on the goal as well. I think I counted 3 unmarked Jamaican players, the guy who scored, and 2 others who were closer to the top of the box, one of whom definitely had Scally's attention. I also think Turner needs to do more there to communicate. And he probably should have made that save. Went right through his hands.
He will screw up the most talented team we’ve had in decades when we have a shot in both the copa and World Cup at home.
The Confederations team would smoke this squad by four goals even if they had Ferguson coaching.
Before Davies went to the club we were a legitimate dark horse to win the whole thing. We might not sniff that again for 20 years if ever.
Well, I figured we lose which sucks but the good news is that Burr?halter catches hell from fans & the press. Poor Jamaica. Has a team ever lost in worse fashion? Zilch from Pepe & Balogun. How can you have 81% possession and still look like crap? Mex in the final will be tough with our pathetic back line.
Hopefully, Gio Reyna gets more minutes with Nottingham Forest (soon to be relegated, most likely) after his 2 superb assists for Wright.
Hopefully, Gio Reyna gets more minutes with Nottingham Forest (soon to be relegated, most likely) after his 2 superb assists for Wright.
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The backline is fine actually. Mexico's backline is their weakness as they do not have the speed or athleticism to deal with our front 3. Our weakness is the coach.
Mexico's game plan will literally be to hack Pulisic into submission and see if they can hurt him. It's been their game plan ever since he started featuring for the MNT.
And the US actually played fine, the finishing has to be better.
Prediction for Sunday: US Dos a Cero
Dang, Bla...did we watch the same game? Even Jedi sucked, along with M. Robinson..to slow, seen better days...should never see the pitch Tillman, merely OK, Scally hadn't awakened yet to play a game on their goal ... Few players passes were spot on, McKennie sucked, Pulisic was poor except that final corner kick that was spot on, wasn't too impressed with Weah, so on & so forth. The only guy worth a flip was Gio. I can't explain why we sucked in general....I'll blame Burr?halter.
Anyone else think we played fine? Better quit the MNT kool-aid, it's gone to your head. My guess for the Mex final...1-1 tie with the US, again, winning in extra time...2-1.
I thought Pepi and Aaronson did well with their minutes. Reyna of course.
Overall just a sluggish performance. Lucky to win.
How motivated would you be if the team’s emotional leader is moved from his natural midfield to right back?
At least Musah has an excuse for the lethargy - Ramadan. He was out there playing on water only since 10pm the previous day.
The rest of them, I think it’s coaching dynamics. Berhalter isn’t spit and vinegar and his message is the system works so work the system. Pure PM. Which is a fancy way of saying play not to lose even when you clearly have better talent. These guys are mostly kids, you have to turn them loose sometimes.
If they win, it will be against the run of play. Having Dest back will help. I like the 2-1 call. We concede early. Then penalty in the second half. Win it off a set piece.
The OG losing your soon to be clinched WC berth in stoppage to a USA header. They went from no worse than second and a berth to the losing the play in game to Uruguay in an instant. To the out of position and always terrible Jonathan Bornstein.
It does feel weird. To a degree, losing yesterday might have been a good thing. Maybe cause the program to reevaluate direction.
Yes, weird. It feels mildly traitorous to hope the US loses. Doc bb's comment of "reevaluate direction" means, to me, firing Burr?halter toute de suite.
So true. Our guys would romp over most opponents with the speed and skill of so many of our players. Burr?halter's game plan of possession, e.g. a dozen passes back & forth in our end, rarely works for us & diminishes our forward players advantage.
This team is the equivalent of the 1990-1991 UNLV team. Just let them freaking play and they'll be fine. Don't over coach them, especially against teams we should beat handily. The TU NIT team in 2001 finally decided to start ignoring Buzz and playing free and look what happened. John Phillips, for as terrible a coach and recruiter he was, he let the Self guys play in 2002-2003 to pretty good results. I feel like Berhalter just needs to let these guys play and create and be crazy out there. Doesn't mean Robinson and Ream and the defenders are going to completely abandon the defensive part of the game.
It also exposes a major weakness of the US. Our GKs are not very good playing with their feet and being that relief valve when trying to rag the ball around the back to create that space going forward. None of our GKs are going to be confused with even Ederson (let alone Neuer who may be the best ever at that style). Mexico knows this and why they have pressed the crap out of us in the back. The thing we have to keep Mexico at bay right now are Dest and Jedi who are among the best in the world at getting things moving forward from the FB spots. And now that we have some quick forwards, especially at the 9, Mexico hasn't been so willing to high press with 6-7 because leaving their CBs exposed 1 v 1 vs the likes of Pulisic and Weah scares the bejeezus out of them.
Maybe we can tank this game and Copa America to get rid of Berhalter. His ego is in the way of this team accomplishing great things.
Not to mention Musah bringing the ball forward. His problem is dribbling too much and not passing off to our forwards. If Burr?halter would threaten to bench him for losing the ball in opponents end, he would be so important in our attack. McKinnie can bring it forward. Tyler can bring it forward, although I want him playing in front of our back line where he is at his world class best.
I'm not sure there was much of a search. His brother, Jay Burr?halter, is still somewhere around the USSF. Thus, Gregg, IMO, is just as illegitimate this time as he was five years ago. Having said this, nevada's point remains...he prolly won't be fired unless we lose Sunday and get bounced early from the Copa America and maybe not then. Just don't think that the fix wasn't in.
The problem isn’t Mussah’s dribbling. It’s that he’s playing a low line 6 because Tyler is not 100%. He’s trying to connect up top starting in the box with intermediate passing. So he’s getting jammed up. Once Adams came in and Musah had the freedom to move up and exploit the space Reyna was creating he looked much better.
No way he is getting fired. You don’t respond in a press conference to podcasters who turned the job down before it was offered if a) you are in danger of losing your job and b) you have the mental strength to be a head coach,
This guy so needs to go.
I must have been confusing him with someone else late. It took a few beers to sit through this one. The comment stands. With Adams in, there was a double pivot and distribution and forward passing improved in the upper third. Musah was playing essentially a single and trying to dribble 70 yards and Jamaica knew it. Thats his game, break down the first man then head up to look deep or force the next two defenders to choose. Granted, they were trying to break down a low block, so you may not want a second man back, but we looked a lot better and more spread out with Adams directing traffic.
The line up makes no sense. Wright is a striker. Balogun is a striker. Play two or structure the passing and spacing so Wright can pinch in. This crap of him hugging the touch line to create space and mismatches makes no sense. As soon as he started pinching in during desperation time, we started scoring. I have no idea what Reyna didn’t start if you have Balogun in there and especially Wright. Both are off shoulder and over shoulder service strikers. The best passer on the team for that method of service is Reyna. Not just in technical terms of who can connect those passes and split the seams, but also in terms of strategy. He demands ball pressure with his ability to break down 1v1, which frees up runs as the defenders come forward to address the space left from the midfield pressure. Without Reyna, Balogun is just out there taking service at his feet back to goal and looking off CP and Weah. Let your best creator direct the traffic. If you play Balogun, you play Reyna. Period.
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If you believe the internet and several former players dancing around the subject, he was the only candidate who accepted the job for the compensation offered.
Droolz also suggested that this was the reason he was re-hired. I still don't buy it. What is the salary? Did the USSF low-ball it for what Gregg would work for? One wonders how many resumes did we get & were actually considered(unlike 7 years ago when 18 resumes were received & only 2 men got an interview including Burr?halter), What was the salary offered then? what position does Jay Burr?halter have? As an advisor to the USSF? Sorry, but I just don't trust those SOB's from the USSF, not to mention triple G.
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The salary this time was supposed to be around 1.6m w/ 300k in bonuses.
Top teams(Germany, Italy, Britain, France, Argentina, Brazil, etc) pay 2.5-8m per year.(most of them make around 2.8-3.8m)
Bonus fact. Saudia Arabia's salary for the Manager is 27m.
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Wow!! If true, do not tell me that no one else applied for that kind of money and USA personnel maybe the best ever to mold into a solid WC team.
Several MLS coaches makes more. And have better records in MLS than GB had.
The issue is equal pay. He makes the same as the women’s coach with the aspiration that the USA will lead the way with raising pay for other women’s coaches.
While admirable, it has led people to question whether we are really trying to win
The issue is equal pay. He makes the same as the women’s coach with the aspiration that the USA will lead the way with raising pay for other women’s coaches.
While admirable, it has led people to question whether we are really trying to win
USSF is committed to equal pay for the men and women. And the women's coach will have little time to prove if she's worth it or not. She's sort of the Pep Guardiola of women's soccer is my understanding.
