Not sure which match you are talking about but we did not play a diamond in either the Jamaica match or the recent Canada match. Jamaica on 9/11 we played a 4-2-3-1 with Zusi playing AMR. Canada we played a 4-1-3-2 with Zusi again playing AMR. In neither match did he create much of anything although v Jamaica he played very well.
His job isn't to create. We don't have anyone that plays decisive passes or take people off the dribble reliably. His job is to put balls in the box and play hard.
I disagree on Zusi forced the issue. Zusi picked up rolling balls in the box and did nothing with it. Hitting the post is just as good as sending it to the moon to me. I think he gets too much credit for that game and continually falls back on the reason he deserves call ups. Granted, no one else can take that spot from him that isn't named Donovan, so I don't know why I'm rumbling here again.
As some one noted earlier, it's hard for some one with the lack of speed and inability to take some one on 1v1 to put balls in the box on command.
Well, call Zusi a RM or RW makes little difference when JK said going into this match he wanted aggressiveness and crosses/opportunities created on the flanks, from his wings. The thing a Landon or a Shea or in the future a Gatt have is that even when the cross is shut down above the box, they have the pace and 1v1 ability to go at their defender and create another opportunity, which a Zusi or Davis don't have. You role it to Zusi in space and he has little pressure on him, he'll send in a good cross. But at the international level there is higher pressure and less time on the ball, so your 1v1 ability and pace down the touch line comes into play as in those scenarios it's on the wingers to create something. And Zusi has not shown the ability to create an opportunity when when that first cross is shut down, which is common at the international level. He did alright against Jamaica, although disappeared when they came out of their bunker. At Guatemala he had far less time on the ball and his crosses were inaccurate. Against Can the pressure was a little higher and he had less time on the ball, the windows closed quicker, so instead of using pace and breaking outside to create a cross/opportunity, he just passed back. So did Davis. And there goes our wing play, our wing play which JK said leading up to the game would be counted on to create crosses. Just because you're a RM in a diamond doesn't mean your responsibility becomes to simply pass back whenever you feel pressure. I huge question is does Zusi have the pace and 1v1 ability to survive against an Italy, a France, a Russia. If he doesn't against a Canadian c team, why would he against the France a team? So Gatt was the LM in that same diamond(his weaker side btw), yet he tried to beat his man with pace every opportunity and go at him, yet Zusi didn't? JK wants what Gatt did, whether or not Gatt ultimately executed. Problem is I don't think Zusi has that ability.
Yup, a much more eloquent and articulate post than mine. Zusi, to me, is a place holder in the RW/RM spot but sadly I don't see anyone taking it from him in the near future. It irks me that he never picks his head up to send in a cross. I get that he doesn't have the raw athleticism to afford the time but I wish we could progress past that point. Pipe dreams I suppose.
#USMNT @J_Klinsmann will announce the roster for #USAvHON Monday morning onhttp://ussoccer.com after the completion of weekend matches
What about Agudelo up front with Jozy, to maximize pressure up top? If Klinsi wants us to play on their end of the field, why not this? I think Agudelo could have a more consistent season as he is hungrier and work rate is getting better. This squad could make it hard to clear the ball and keep crosses coming in from both wings. Agudelo. Jozy Dempsey Davis. Bradley. Zusi FJ. Cameron. Gonzalez. Chandler Howard
It appears there is now a decent chance that JJ might be heading to Hondo: Steven Goff @SoccerInsider Jermaine Jones goes 82 minutes in return from suspension. Honduras bound? I'd think so. #usmnt
To qualify? I think so. I think we are knee deep in the hardest part of transitioning from one cycle to the next right now. We might not come in 1st or 2nd in the hex, but I do expect us to get our $hit together a little more and qualify.
Oh no, I THINK so too...but I don't know. This is certainly the most nervous I've been for qualifying since the '98 cycle. There's just something in the air.
Question: Where is the offense going to come from?? Concern: If we play 3 primarily defensive midfielders and expect someone like Eddie Johnson or Herculez Gomez on the wing to play-make, the offense isn't going to come from anywhere.
Agreed, and in reality the USMNT doesn't actually need to get their shit together in 2013. (Although I'd certainly prefer it if they did.) The Hex can be very forgiving, as a format. This is not to say that the 2013 Hex will be forgiving to the US (especially with 3 of the first 4 on the road), but there is a very real possibility that even just 9 or 10 "non-impressive" results individually and on the whole within the Hex (to include the requiste number of some "ugly/close" wins) could be enough for the US to finish Top3.
I'd imagine that JK's hope and reasonable expectation is that guys like Altidore, Dempsey and Bradley (and whomever else, or whoever may opt to come back from their own break) will be the source of (sufficient) offense to get the points the US needs to get out of the Hex.
Ordinarily, I would agree. We lost to Jamaica (the supposedly weakest team in the Hex) at Jamaica for the first time ever. We tied Guatemala (after defeating them in qualifying, previously) in Guatemala. We needed an heroic 90th minute goal from Eddie Johnson to defeat Antigua and Barbuda, 2-1. We just tied Canada 0-0 in a match most would have suspected we win by three. Don't even get me going on the Olympic Qualifying debacle.
I agree with everything you wrote there (except for perhaps I would opt not to put any weight in the suspicions of most ahead of the Canada friendly, or the result achieved in that "B/C" friendly). But I don't see how what you wrote (about some of the results within the last 12 months) would be in disagreement with (or all that relevant to) what I wrote/projected about JK's possible/likely expectations for the upcoming 9-10 months.
I think he's saying that the guys you mentioned didn't do very well having us get to the Hex' BARELY.... but it's probably the coaches fault, not the players. Right Deut' ?
Yeah totally not Klinsmann's fault. He's flawless, never makes mistakes. No CM's out wide, showed great tactical understanding going at a bunker with Evans-Beckerman. Great midfield at Jamaica last round. Send Gatt home, don't play Diskerud, they makes things happen in the attack. I know! Let's bring in more worker type CM's! Evans, Beckerman, Williams put them all on the same team! ******** width to hell! We don't need it! Torres sure is terrible now! I wonder if it has something to do with him being played out of position? Let's call Corona up for the 10th time but not play him. Seriously. Not you but a certain poster who was blaming MLS players for the result vs. Canada is now trying to defend Evans, Davis possibly being called up. Nothing says attacking soccer like Brad Evans, and no width. Pass sideways and backwards to death.
This is why I really want Corona to start as the R-AM. He's the closest thing we have to a true #10 right now without Donovan present. Most people seem to think Zusi>Coronoa but I pleasantly disagree.... especially vs a team like Honduras. I highly doubt he'll get the start, but we'll just have to wait and see.
I understand the scratching the head with teh Evans call, but like I said in another thread, same was once said about the Gordon and EJ call... we couldn't have ever predicted how that turned out..
I'd argue that if you keep leaning on players like Gordon, EJ, and Evans you're going to be disappointed in the long run. For the purposes of qualifying/short term results? Yes, they are wise choices. But let's not pretend that JK is some kind of genius for discovering the strengths of these types of players.
Qualifying in the Hex will be difficult, I believe we will get one of the four spots. We have never won a qualifier at Costa Rica or at Mexico. In the big picture, my friend, the Canada match means little. And as I noted, it would have been a great time for the coach to have made a difference. He would have been the most likely difference maker on the evening. I was disappointed with what I saw. And there is a new game Wednesday, a chance for redemption. I am hopeful.