Concerns re: Coaching [R]

[Li mu bei]

First, I'm relieved that we won, which is a little scary . . . .

I'm a little concerned about the coaching. I'm particularly concerned about the apparent lack of attention to the following:

1. Tactics--we knew going into the game that Guatemala would bunker. Despite our foreknowledge we didn't seem prepared to pick-up the pace of the game by playing balls quickly on the ground. A lot of the distribution was from the backline and a lot of that distribution was either square or long (hopeful). I reiterate the point that the best way to break a bunker down is to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, spread the field as much as possible, draw the defense out as much as possible, AND EITHER TAKE THE BALL INTO SPACE OR PLAY THE BALL QUICKLY.

2. Gooch--Gooch is a liability. Although he is often unfairly called for fouls, it has gone on for such a long time that none should be surprised. He needs either to present himself better or to play less physically, if that is what it takes to avoid repeatedly giving-up dangerous opportunities to our opponents. Enough is enough. Everyone knows there is a problem here, but we can't change the way refs ref. But, Gooch can control Gooch and Bradley can control Gooch. Gooch needs to play with more intelligence and Bradley needs to get on top of this ASAP, if Gooch figures to be in our plans for the future.

3. Hejduk--Hejduk is a liability. I admire Frankie's energy and comittment. However, he does not have the skill to play with our younger guys. We are becoming an increasingly skilled team and Frankie just doesn't fit. Frankie gives the ball up too often and he is constantly compensating for being out of position with ever diminishing speed. The situation is not going to improve here and this wasn't just a bad game. Bradley needs to replace him.

4. Donovan--Donovan should be told that he may not take set pieces. He is not even inconsistent, as that would require the existence of a fair amount of decent service to contrast with all the bad. It is ridiculous that this has gone on so long without correction.

5. Twellman--Twellman will never be international quality. Ching is better in the air and as skilled on the ground. Johnson has more speed and poaches as well as Twellman. The younger guys have way more skill and potential. Either play LD up top with Dempsey, pair Dempsey with someone else, or drop Dempsey out wide and pair LD with someone else. Quit wasting time with Taylor . . . he just doesn't have it.

6. Focus--it is upsetting that we can't seem to remember that most of the teams in COCA-CRAP are a bunch of diving, hacking, and cheating pansies who will do whatever it takes to throw us off of our game. It is upsetting that so many of our players appeared unprepared for this and played nervously and/or allowed frustration to master them.

[Bigrose30]

If you really want to talk about coaching, talk about coaching.

This is what I saw as the issues:

1. Tactics: We tried to go through a midfield with a solid 4x4 block packed in with two forwards chasing back...we've got good target men. This would have been a good game to bypass the midfield, establish possession deep in their half, then get it wide and get the crosses in.

2. Substitutions: It took way too long to get another CB on when Gooch went off. Someone should have been loose and ready to come on immediately. Hejduk spent five minutes at CB when he was on a yellow. Also, I felt the substitution should have been Demerit for Hejduk, sliding Ralston back to RB, keeping Feilhaber on in the midfield to help keep possession. Keeping Frankie out there while on a yellow the way he was diving in was risky. Also, it would have freed Donovan up to become more of a risk on the counter attack.

Other than that, it's the players who lost their cool. A coach can only do so much from the sidelines...it's got to be a leader out on the field who gets people to calm down...and there wasn't one...

[Martin Fischer]

I strongly disagreed with Bradley's decision to play two holding mids -- a target forward would have been far more useful than Bradley Junior. And we were struggling until Bradley finally got Demerit in there.

On the plus side, playing Donovan at right mid, which had never worked before, was a smart move.

[Cannons]

Bradley looks confused by the whole thing. Does anyone think he's an improvement over Arena or did new coaches 1-10 fall through and we were stuck with Bradley. He'll never hold this job for too long

[Onionsack]

I am amazed by all the neagtivity over the match last night, the game was never really in doubt, we created plenty of chances on goal, unfortunate just to get the one goal.

Game was mostly an even afair after the red...but still we never looked under pressure.


Are people just bitter because they expected a 3 or 4-0 scoreline?

[VTSoccerFan]

I like Bradley, but I think he had a case of the "Arenas" last night. Playing guys out of their natural positions in games that matter. I am thinking about Dempsey up top and Donovan at right midfield.

I know that Dempsey has played up top before for the Revs and maybe for Fulham in one of his appearances there, but I would have preferred going with either EJ or Ching up top in the opener instead of experimenting with Dempsey. I have no clear favorite for striker on this team outside of Donovan, but the first time in a few years that EJ deserved a start based on club production he gets the bench in an important tournament? Granted, EJ did not set the world on fire when he came in but things might have been different with a start.

Landon has clearly been our best forward this year and is not the answer to our right midfield issues. I think Landon would be better off for the long run if he was a forward for the national team and the majority of his appearances were as a forward to build his confidence at the position internationally. If he is not the answer when not try Dempsey or Mapp or go with Ralston since that is his best position. If Bradley wanted both Landon and Clint on the field last night then he should have started Landon up top and Clint on the right.

[El Steve]

This is what I saw as the issues:

1. Tactics: We tried to go through a midfield with a solid 4x4 block packed in with two forwards chasing back...we've got good target men. This would have been a good game to bypass the midfield, establish possession deep in their half, then get it wide and get the crosses in.



I thought they went wide often in the first half... all of the best chances were developed down the flank, particularly Dempsey's goal... Twellman had an excellent chance that developed via Donovan down the other flank...

I think that's why you didn't see much of Bradley and Feilhaber early on... they were either going over them or around them.

[JMoney418]

Frankly...we dominated possession and had a lot of chances we just could not convert. I think Twellman gets International jitters because he's horrible. Why play Dempsey at Forward? He's fast, attack minded, and has shown he can slip into holes in the defense, especially on crosses.

I see nothing wrong with the way we played last night. Some of you may want a more English style of kick and run against these smaller countries but that just wont work. In that style, you lose a lot more possession and it allows teams that hack to stay in the game. Thats why almost every team in the EPL and CCC use it. I like our "American" style we seem to be starting to develop. The only thing we should have done differently is have EJ in there instead of Twellman. As for Gooch...I think his bad experience at NUFC is haunting him. He needs to get games in this tourney to get back in stride.

[cc-atl]

I like Bradley, but I think he had a case of the "Arenas" last night. Playing guys out of their natural positions in games that matter. I am thinking about Dempsey up top and Donovan at right midfield.

I know that Dempsey has played up top before for the Revs and maybe for Fulham in one of his appearances there, but I would have preferred going with either EJ or Ching up top in the opener instead of experimenting with Dempsey. I have no clear favorite for striker on this team outside of Donovan, but the first time in a few years that EJ deserved a start based on club production he gets the bench in an important tournament? Granted, EJ did not set the world on fire when he came in but things might have been different with a start.

Landon has clearly been our best forward this year and is not the answer to our right midfield issues. I think Landon would be better off for the long run if he was a forward for the national team and the majority of his appearances were as a forward to build his confidence at the position internationally. If he is not the answer when not try Dempsey or Mapp or go with Ralston since that is his best position. If Bradley wanted both Landon and Clint on the field last night then he should have started Landon up top and Clint on the right.

I disagree. I think Landon on the right and Clint up top was the right move particularly against Guatemala. We needed to get the ball wide to attack the bunker. Donovan is our best player from the right side. He can run at defenders and cross. Dempsey and Mapp can run at defenders but crossing is weak and Ralston is the opposite.

We tried Donovan in up front and Dempsey wide last game against Guatemala when Donovan was overpowered and we could get no crosses with Beasley and Dempsey as our wide mids.

I thought this was a very good tactical adjustment. Just the type of thing want to see from Bradley.

[Cweedchop]

I am amazed by all the neagtivity over the match last night, the game was never really in doubt, we created plenty of chances on goal, unfortunate just to get the one goal.

Game was mostly an even afair after the red...but still we never looked under pressure.


Are people just bitter because they expected a 3 or 4-0 scoreline?

Bingo.

Expectations are great aren't they?

Let's face it, Guatemala plays horribly negative and outright disrespectful soccer because it's the only chance they have at keeping the game close against the US. Remember the 5-0 pasting we put on Guatemala in Dallas a few years back? That's the game where they tried to play us straight up. Now they have a coach (Gomez) who realizes that it is pure folly to play the US straight up and now resorts to these tactics to give his side a chance.

Honestly, I don't know what Bradley could have done any different to get a more managable result. Then again, we'd probably be bitching about a 3-0 win too.

[superdave]

BB was poor last night, and it was in expectation of exactly that kind of performance that I was dissatisfied with his selection.

I will say, Donovan did better than is his norm when asked to play wide...but against a bunker, Ralston should have started there. When your left wing is a poor crosser, you've GOT to have a good crosser on the right.

The decision to have Gooch mark Ruiz was borderline retarded. And it crossed the border when it became clear the ************ referee was buying all of Ruiz' dives. I don't know how in hell Gooch avoided a yellow for PI, and I would have been completely surprised if he had not gotten that 2nd yellow. You KNEW it was coming, so why not put in Demerit? Very poor job in two key areas.

And choosing Twellman over Ching was bad on two levels. First, Twellman is just not an international caliber striker, even in CONCACAF. I guess the good news is that last night should be the last nail in the coffin of that notion. Second, you KNEW Guatemala would bunker. So the obvious decision is to put in your best target, Ching.

I think the most disturbing thing about the mistakes is that they weren't questionable decisions that didn't work. They were decisions that BEFORE THE FACT I and most of bigsoccer KNEW were dumb. (It reminds me of some of the blasts leveled at Bruce in the Los Tecnicos thread...we were all right and Bruce was wrong.) That kind of incompetence is very dangerous for team chemistry. If the players don't believe in the coach, teams fail.

Finally, we took a giant step backward in demonstrating that we know how to play against a bunker. Our play was much, much too slow...and since it was pretty much a teamwide problem, you can't blame the players.

[StillKickin]

I disagree. I think Landon on the right and Clint up top was the right move particularly against Guatemala. We needed to get the ball wide to attack the bunker. Donovan is our best player from the right side. He can run at defenders and cross. Dempsey and Mapp can run at defenders but crossing is weak and Ralston is the opposite.

We tried Donovan in up front and Dempsey wide last game against Guatemala when Donovan was overpowered and we could get no crosses with Beasley and Dempsey as our wide mids.

I thought this was a very good tactical adjustment. Just the type of thing want to see from Bradley.

Amen. It was a great tactical adjustment and we created a lot of good chances. If we finish just some of those, it's 3-0 and no one complains. I think Donovan on the right, Dempsey up top worked. In fact, that's the best I've ever seen LD play on the right. His crossing in the run of play was really good.

[United20]

Bradley made some decisions that worked for and against the US vs. Guat last night. The US came moving the ball to the midfield line, and then did their usual pass-back to the defenders whom would either pass it back further to Howard or kick ball down the field. The US were the bigger of the 2 teams and won many headers, but Bradley can not allow the US to beome complacent with this weak tactic. In the second half the US controlled the ball better even down 10-11.

Using Donovan on the right proved to be a good move by Bradley, but this won't work every game unless Donovan can cross with consistency (his crosses were outstanding against the Guats). Playing Gooch is a must, and Bradley needs to address him to play with intelligence like Jaap Stam who was the same size as Gooch.

As for Bradley's decision at the forward position, neither Ching nor Twellman have proven to be EVEN GOOD finishers like they are in the MLS. The guys bottle up, choke, turtle head. I think we'll see Bradley start using Johnson more, hopefully, but Eddie needs to get back on track also.

Bradley did ok in the first game, but it's what he does the next 2 which will show how good of a tactician he will become. Because Copa America is going to be the real test.

[Red Card]

Dempsey up top, Landon on the right -- good. I want to see this again.

No outside shooting. They were like a basketball team that was only looking to score on layups, against a team that stood in front of the basket. Where was Rico Clark? Perhaps Mike would have to sit to make room for Rico. Now Mike was very good at what he did, but he does not have the long range shot to stretch the defenses and keep them from bunkering.

Where was Peter Nowak? Is he still the ass't coach? Maybe he was there but I was watching the Spanish feed, and they did not show him.

[Alex_1]

I am amazed by all the neagtivity over the match last night, the game was never really in doubt, we created plenty of chances on goal, unfortunate just to get the one goal.

Game was mostly an even afair after the red...but still we never looked under pressure.


Are people just bitter because they expected a 3 or 4-0 scoreline?

Actually, there were quite a few moments the USA could've given up the points in the second half. Thanks to some steup-up performances by Tim Howard and to na extent Bocanegra, they were averted.

The concern I think people should have is with some coachign decisoins this match because it took too long for Bradley to make adjustments. If he waits too long against better teams, it'll obviously be too late. Playing that long without another CB and down a man with the momentum against you, he should've had Demerit in the match sooner than he did. Maybe he has confidence in the players out there - which is good, but don't get burned by that. I also think he made a mistake with Johnson. Not that he hsould have started, but in that Ching might've been better given the opponent.

Onyewu played very stupid in the second half. I'm not sure what he did to get the foul in the first half but moping around about a call/non-call isn't going to win for him, and the second card was extremely dumb. He should know better than that. And for some of Bradley's errors i nthis game, he should've known just like anyone else that Guatemala specializes in theatrics - they're not that good, so all they can do is try to win by gamesmanship. Talk about dispicable... they'd fall to the ground and writhe in pain, but if they (Guatemala) didn't get the call, they'd shot up like rockets and be back in play. :rolleyes: I hate watching teams like that... but I digress. Onyewu lost the battle. It's not over for him, but he should've learned by now.

CM Bradley wasn't that impressive in the second half either - the USA needs Pablo Mastroeni. He and Feilhaber aren't bad, but they need someone a bit more assertive. But to Feilhaber's credit, he was definitely the better of the two in the match and Feilhaber's going to be a good two way midfielder.

What happened to Eddie Johnson? He supposedly was doing well in MLS, but looked lik ehe had absolutely no confidence at all in the game. Not a lot of aggression... not a lot of will... he looked sort of lost. Twellman didn't play too poorly, IMO. But I was surprised at Johnson's lack of, well, guts.

So the USA still has some things to work on. Bradley will need Jimmy Conrad and Bobby Convey too, although I thought Beasley looked okay and DeMerit was good against a tired forward line. One thing that's so interesting to watch with the USA is that they aren't too comfortable under pressure.. not the best of dribblers. Watching a team like Brasil, where some players are world class, of course, it's interesting to see how Ronaldinho Gaucho will be patient and how he can dribble through traffic or they can keep the ball in traffic, which is something the USA just doesn't have yet. Once they get that kind of skill (not Ronaldinho-esque) to be patient, to be confident in pressure and dribble, then they can more thoroughly dismantle teams like this. Bradley's got to find a way to better use Donovan too.

[andythemick]

I agree with the statement that the next two games will provide more trustworthy eveidence (on all fronts, not just coaching).

Some of the tactical analysis on here is ridiculous, though, because it ignores the fact that our two central midfielders and our left back have never been in this situation before, with a team blatantly bunkering on the international level. You really expect to have consistent, productive possession when you have two players making their competitve international debuts combing in central midfield? They had to get this game under their belts at some point.

Also, placing Donovan on the right was the correct move. You have to go around a bunkering defense, and he did that successfully on numerous occasions, and he and Beasley both hit some pretty good crosses.

When it comes down to it, the US had plenty of chances that just didn't go. Twellman hit a good snap header that went 2 inches over the bar, Dempsey missed or was denied on a couple of good chances, and that was that.

P.S. And how anybody can watch last night's game and say that Frankie Hejduk was a "liability" is beyond me. I'd still rather see Simek out there (Spector is just way too shaky), but Frankie played well.

[dsnipes1]

If you really want to talk about coaching, talk about coaching.

This is what I saw as the issues:

1. Tactics: We tried to go through a midfield with a solid 4x4 block packed in with two forwards chasing back...we've got good target men. This would have been a good game to bypass the midfield, establish possession deep in their half, then get it wide and get the crosses in.

2. Substitutions: It took way too long to get another CB on when Gooch went off. Someone should have been loose and ready to come on immediately. Hejduk spent five minutes at CB when he was on a yellow. Also, I felt the substitution should have been Demerit for Hejduk, sliding Ralston back to RB, keeping Feilhaber on in the midfield to help keep possession. Keeping Frankie out there while on a yellow the way he was diving in was risky. Also, it would have freed Donovan up to become more of a risk on the counter attack.

Other than that, it's the players who lost their cool. A coach can only do so much from the sidelines...it's got to be a leader out on the field who gets people to calm down...and there wasn't one...

li mu bei was talking about coaching. when he specifically referenced onyewu, hejduk, donovan, and twellman he wasn't criticizing them as players, just how bradley used them, or that they were used at all. i agree with the original post in that it wasn't just our tactics that were off, but the lineup left a lot to be desired too. why play hejduk against a team that bunkers when you could have spector or simek contributing much more to the attack? why have onyewu man mark ruiz after it was clear that ruiz was going to fall down as though he was shot at least once per minute, and it was obvious gooch was going to be in danger of getting carded? why let donovan take set pieces when he is so bad at them, and has always been bad at them? why have twellman play at all when he can't hack it at this level?

those are all coaching problems, not player problems. its not twellman's fault that he can't play at the international level, its bradley's fault for playing him. its not hejduk's fault he can't cross to save his life, its bradley's fault for playing against a team that everyone knew was going to bunker. etc.

less than impressive night for bradley.

[soccerfan]

First, I'm relieved that we won, which is a little scary . . . .

I'm a little concerned about the coaching. I'm particularly concerned about the apparent lack of attention to the following:

1. Tactics--we knew going into the game that Guatemala would bunker. Despite our foreknowledge we didn't seem prepared to pick-up the pace of the game by playing balls quickly on the ground. A lot of the distribution was from the backline and a lot of that distribution was either square or long (hopeful). I reiterate the point that the best way to break a bunker down is to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, spread the field as much as possible, draw the defense out as much as possible, AND EITHER TAKE THE BALL INTO SPACE OR PLAY THE BALL QUICKLY..

US Soccer made a decision, to stick with BB as full time coach.
After 3 years at the helm of the Metrostars and seeing him work with the team week after week, i realized BB sucks at tactics. He is a good teacher and perfect for a youth team but he will be a failure on the profesional level.

yeah i know he has his fans and belivers, but i stick to what i know first hand about the guy. When it comes to tactics he is clueless.

[andythemick]

li mu bei was talking about coaching. when he specifically referenced onyewu, hejduk, donovan, and twellman he wasn't criticizing them as players, just how bradley used them, or that they were used at all. i agree with the original post in that it wasn't just our tactics that were off, but the lineup left a lot to be desired too. why play hejduk against a team that bunkers when you could have spector or simek contributing much more to the attack? why have onyewu man mark ruiz after it was clear that ruiz was going to fall down as though he was shot at least once per minute, and it was obvious gooch was going to be in danger of getting carded? why let donovan take set pieces when he is so bad at them, and has always been bad at them? why have twellman play at all when he can't hack it at this level?

those are all coaching problems, not player problems. its not twellman's fault that he can't play at the international level, its bradley's fault for playing him. its not hejduk's fault he can't cross to save his life, its bradley's fault for playing against a team that everyone knew was going to bunker. etc.

less than impressive night for bradley.

How would Simek or Spector have been demonstrably better than Hejduk in the attack? Hejduk's offense has left a lot to be desired in the past, but he combined extremely well with Donovan on the right. What has Spector ever given to the attack at the senior level? All he's done is pump long balls and give up possession.

[soccerfan]

How would Simek or Spector have been demonstrably better than Hejduk in the attack? Hejduk's offense has left a lot to be desired in the past, but he combined extremely well with Donovan on the right. What has Spector ever given to the attack at the senior level? All he's done is pump long balls and give up possession.

BBradley is know for his teaching skills, if you can see this so should he.

Spector looks like a smart kid and great athlete. He been a professional for few years now and playes at the highest level. I am sure he would have adjusted his game to please his coach.