Everything Soccer

[NDohio]

Japan dominated the USMNT.

That was a complete disaster. There are too many US players making good contributions for their club teams for the US team to perform this poorly.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I thought that we had a large number of guys who could not adjust to the lousy quality of the pitch. Incessant screwing up of the proper pace on the passes. Even the impeccable Tyler Adams (in my view one of our three best players) had some problems with this.
Our starting front three also looked very poor as to physicality --- something that you should not expect in a USA vs Japan match. And, Japanese players resembled linebackers in their muscle dynamics as they blitzed around the pitch, while our guys seemed cruising like pick-up basketball players --- the change-of-direction-with-intent was dramatically different. Better athletes? or more Wanting-it?

 

[Old Man Mike]

Hopefully none of you wasted any time watching USMNT vs Saudi Arabia.
I'd like to be kind to the home team, but the team stinks.
Zero shots on goal vs Japan; two vs Saudi Arabia. (First half shot was pathetically weak, and I can't remember the second.) I can't even fantasize an eleven to get my interest up (Turner, Pulisic, Adams, and Aaronson would be on it; then I'm stumped --- I know that a few more HAVE to be on it, but ... ) Really disappointing --- even physically getting pushed around.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

It's very hard for me to judge these performances this close to the World Cup. There is literally nothing to gain and a ton to lose with injuries and whatnot.

 

[notredomer23]

It still baffles me that for the plethora of midfielders and wingers that the USMNT has that there isn't a stud ST in the player pool. Maybe Pepi, Ferriera, or Sargent can be that, but they've really shown no indication they will yet. If they had a McKennie equivalent talent at striker, I think this team would be ready to shake things up in the World Cup in 2022 rather than 2026.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

These two friendlies actually might be a blessing in disguise. Not too many people had final 8 hopes for this team, but if they blew out Japan and Saudi Arabia, people would have much higher expectations. Now they can go in and play without the weight of having to win a knockout game.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Just not liking the overall vibe, and I don't like International Breaks to begin with.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Very ugly, just get out of group play and I'll be content. But right now that seems like a Longshot.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Obviously Musah and Weah are very important to this team and it showed. Berhalter is going to screw up the striker position because he won't deviate from his system.

 

[CTIDANDREW]

Aaron Long has been a strong professional player for a long time, but since his Achilles injury he has looked like a shell of himself playing for the U.S.A.
If he plays meaningful mintues in Qatar, I just don't feel good about the USA chances to get out the group.
We just don't have a strong spine of the team as in years past, I hope I'm proven wrong.
I want to believe in Adams and McKinnie but they give the ball away so cheaply, and I fear that is going to be a huge problem in tight matches vs experienced international sides that have played a lot of meaningful matches together in Wales, Iran, and of course England.
Turner did look strong over the 180 mintues in goal, so hopefully he will be a huge strengthen for us in Qatar.

 

[notredomer23]

Aaron Long has been a strong professional player for a long time, but since his Achilles injury he has looked like a shell of himself playing for the U.S.A.
If he plays meaningful mintues in Qatar, I just don't feel good about the USA chances to get out the group.

I am still bummed about how Gregg has handled John Brooks. Besides the fact that he is still quality, he provides a veteran presence on a squad where the average age of the starting line up will probably be around 22. Unless he was a bad teammate, which by all accounts he wasn't, he shouldn't have been exiled over a couple poor outings.

 

[CTIDANDREW]

I am still bummed about how Gregg has handled John Brooks. Besides the fact that he is still quality, he provides a veteran presence on a squad where the average age of the starting line up will probably be around 22. Unless he was a bad teammate, which by all accounts he wasn't, he shouldn't have been exiled over a couple poor outings.

Yeah, I agree. I believe most U.S.A. fans would feel much better going into Qatar if we had John Brooks starting at LCB and Chris Richards starting at RCB. On paper that just seems like a way more talented duo then any other option. Of course Gregg never played them once together, over the past two-three years, so even if he had some crazy epiphany over the next 50 days they would have zero to little chemistry together.

Sadly nothing seems to be changing on that front, and we're going to see how the MLS stalwarts in Zimmerman & Long cope with high pressure World Cup tension. I don't feel confident in either.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Reyna going off and straight down the tunnel was not good.

Pulisic coming off and appearing rather salty wasn't good either. I had a feeling going to Chelsea was going to be a bad decision for him and to this point is appears like that might be the case. He's struggling all around and just needs to get out of there. He's young enough where a change of clubs could be just what he needs, but it has to happen soon and he has to go where he is going to play.

 

[NDohio]

I am so tired of the GGG experiment. I hope we move on from him after this World Cup. Even when the team is winning games I hate to watch. The style of play he promotes drives me bonkers.

This team also needs a Dempsey type attitude but I don't think GGG would allow it. There is no fire in this team at all. It's slow, boring soccer with no passion.

 

[CTIDANDREW]

Reyna going off and straight down the tunnel was not good.

Pulisic coming off and appearing rather salty wasn't good either. I had a feeling going to Chelsea was going to be a bad decision for him and to this point is appears like that might be the case. He's struggling all around and just needs to get out of there. He's young enough where a change of clubs could be just what he needs, but it has to happen soon and he has to go where he is going to play.

I think if you gave me an over / under on amount of mintues he plays in Qatar and set it at 200 mintues I would need to pound the under.

Kid is only 19, so hopefully he will get this figured out.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I am so tired of the GGG experiment. I hope we move on from him after this World Cup. Even when the team is winning games I hate to watch. The style of play he promotes drives me bonkers.

This team also needs a Dempsey type attitude but I don't think GGG would allow it. There is no fire in this team at all. It's slow, boring soccer with no passion.

Would you be content having a manager that isn't American?

 

[IHateMarkMay]

I am so tired of the GGG experiment. I hope we move on from him after this World Cup. Even when the team is winning games I hate to watch. The style of play he promotes drives me bonkers.

This team also needs a Dempsey type attitude but I don't think GGG would allow it. There is no fire in this team at all. It's slow, boring soccer with no passion.

Who would be your ideal front runners if they move on from him, that we have a legit shot at bringing?

 

[NDohio]

Would you be content having a manager that isn't American?

Absolutely!!

Give me a coach that takes advantage of the athleticism of this group of young, talented, athletic players. Play a high pressure system that doesn't rely on a stud ST but lets the strength of this talent shine.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Absolutely!!

Give me a coach that takes advantage of the athleticism of this group of young, talented, athletic players. Play a high pressure system that doesn't rely on a stud ST but lets the strength of this talent shine.

Me too.

How this World Cup goes could determine a change. I want to see them get into the knockout round at least. Less than that and I think it's up in the air, depending on context and nuance at that point.

 

[CTIDANDREW]

Who would be your ideal front runners if they move on from him, that we have a legit shot at bringing?

Roberto Martinez would be my choice. If he would even be interested.

He is a great cup manager (F.A. Cup with Wigan, Semi Final with Belgium)
He has worked for ESPN, which means he probably knows the U.S.A. soccer big wigs.

He also will likely be let go from Belgium after this World Cup cycle, unless they win it all.

 

[NDohio]

Who would be your ideal front runners if they move on from him, that we have a legit shot at bringing?

Give me anybody from the Ralph Rangnick coaching tree. That's the style of play that I think the US team could really be productive in.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Give me anybody from the Ralph Rangnick coaching tree. That's the style of play that I think the US team could really be productive in.

Tuchel is out of a job! lol

 

[NDohio]

Tuchel is out of a job! lol

Oh boy. Imagine that drama...

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Tuchel is out of a job! lol

I cringed when I read this.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Beyond our inability to find a striker, we also need someone in midfield to actually threaten the opponent in the final third with play-making/disruption. McKennie really isn't that guy in any system-oriented way. (He's a Wild Talent operating almost rogue close-to-red-card disruption, and he's good at that, but it's almost outside the run of play heroics when it happens). We need a carver/slasher/pass penetrator --- who's our DeBruyne, Iniesta, Modric, Thiago etc? I know we can't have THAT level of genius, but who vaguely resembles it? ... on a strange note: has there ever been any thought of playing Pulisic at a "10"?

I watch these games painfully and note near zero contribution from the "9's". The only one that I've seen even hold the ball up effectively to get it off to our more dangerous wings is Sargent, due to his strength. The other guys have been just space cloggers. I'd accept Sargent at "9" without goals if he could regularly hold the ball for the Pulisics, Aaronsons, McKennies, Musahs, to race around in their slashes and cuts to create their spaces. If Sargent can't do that, or if the coach won't allow it, then why have a true "9" at all? Put someone like Weah in with Pulisic and Aaronson and let them run loops around the opponents showing up where not expected? I don't know enough about big league soccer to understand the "false 9" concept, but I swear I've seen big teams acting this way.

... the ravings of The Depressed.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Hire Michael Sheen.

 

[nsisk157]

Would you be content having a manager that isn't American?

It needs to be for at least 2023-2026. My dream will always be Pep. He has flirted a bit, his style would lend itself to our side very well, and is instant cred. Wildly improbable. Pep will win the Prem again, pole position for his first CL since Messi. Go out on top and take some time off and be a national side manager. #2 Option, Poch. #3 A Yank

There issue is that with the WC being in the States, the internal pressure will be to select a yank. Marsch, Pellegrino? I think we need to throw that home bias aside and shoot for the moon.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

It needs to be for at least 2023-2026. My dream will always be Pep. He has flirted a bit, his style would lend itself to our side very well, and is instant cred. Wildly improbable. Pep will win the Prem again, pole position for his first CL since Messi. Go out on top and take some time off and be a national side manager. #2 Option, Poch. #3 A Yank

There issue is that with the WC being in the States, the internal pressure will be to select a yank. Marsch, Pellegrino? I think we need to throw that home bias aside and shoot for the moon.

If Guardiola won a World Cup with the USA Men but never won a Champions League without Messi, I'd build him a statue outside of the USSF HQ in Chicago.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

It needs to be for at least 2023-2026. My dream will always be Pep. He has flirted a bit, his style would lend itself to our side very well, and is instant cred. Wildly improbable. Pep will win the Prem again, pole position for his first CL since Messi. Go out on top and take some time off and be a national side manager. #2 Option, Poch. #3 A Yank

There issue is that with the WC being in the States, the internal pressure will be to select a yank. Marsch, Pellegrino? I think we need to throw that home bias aside and shoot for the moon.

To be fair, he's been in pole position for his first CL since Messi since 2018ish. However, sign me up.

 

[NDRock]

Pep seems like a terrible fit with the US. National coaches don’t get near the same time with the team as club coaches. Maybe he would adapt but he’s such a perfectionist that he’d probably lose his mind. Or he’d be great.