Pre-match: March Friendlies - Ecuador & Chile

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by AutoPenalti, Feb 3, 2019.

  1. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    Really hope Weah is seen as the forward he is
     
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  2. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I actually see him at nominal winger for the US with Sargent and Pulisic and there will be so much movement and interchanging it doesn't really matter what you categorize them as. Sargent and Weah are both getting minutes at CF and wing while Pulisic has played winger and attacking mid. No reason to be static.
     
  3. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    These are the guys I'd like to see in the camp. I know it's too many.

    GK Horvath, Klinsmann, Scott
    RB Yedlin, Moore, Lima
    CB Brooks, Miazga, Carter-Vickers, Alvarado, Zimmerman
    LB Johnson, Robinson
    DM Adams, Morales
    MF McKennie, , Saief, Corona, Bedoya
    RF , Holmes, Gooch , Arriola
    FW Wood, Novakovich, Altidore Sargent
    LF Weah, Pulisic Lewis,

    That's 27, to start with. If 27 is too many,

    ----------Yedlin------Brooks----Miazga
    --------------------------------------------------Robinson
    -----------Adams--------------Bedoya or Morales
    ----------------------McKennie
    ----Weah-------------------------------Puli (Lewis sub for Weah, Puli switches to rt side)
    --------------------Novakovic (Sargeant sub)


    I would have Yedlin in the stay at home Lovitz role, and Robinson in the overlap, attack Lima role (I know, Lima was right, Lovitz was left).

    I would like to see Nova get a look at CF.

    I think Jozy will be our A-Team CF in the Gold Cup, but we gotta have other's available.
     
  4. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    I like Weah as the forward leading the line, Pulisic as the winger moving off Weah's movement and Sargent as second striker (a la Dempsey) trailing the other two into gaps. The 4th guy in the relay should be Adams.
     
  5. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Warshaw more excited by Adams than Pulisic 1hr 4 m

    https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...-winner-and-losers-usmnt-camp-new-dp-forwards

    He wants Adams centrally defensively and wide offensively (applause please)

    Warshaw takes Lletget at start over McKennie (applause please)

    I was said to be outrageous over similar view.

    Warshaw: "I don't understand how anybody who watched Schalke team over the last 2 years was impressed with any of their players - yes McKennie hangs, I didn't see him do any more than that and even tho higher level, never seen anything from what he has shown...…."
     
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  6. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    you are outrageous. I've never seen you in the same room as Warshaw.
     
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  7. goussoccer

    goussoccer Member+

    May 23, 2001
    Avon, CT
    It will be interesting to see how Berhalter balances getting ready for WCQ with Gold Cup competition coming up. I'm kind of leaning towards the play folks with 2026 in mind side of the scales to be honest. A couple of considerations that are still up in the air (or are they? - help appreciated, following FIFA is a confusing thing):
    1. Confederations Cup is going be be replaced by a Club World Cup AND that competition won't even be held in Qatar anyways. It would be interesting to go to a Confederations Cup in front of a WC that we didn't qualify for, but the value is certainly a bit less. Still a chance to prove yourselves against the best, but only if there really is a Confederations Cup.
    2. Doubt that anything we do in the Gold Cup would get us a seed in the 2026 WC at least as a top eight...or is (are) the host nation(s) still going to get a seed?
    3. With an expanded 2026 WC, what seed do we need to get a 'first round bye', assuming hosting doesn't matter at all.
    Just saying - 'preparing for the 2026 WC' makes my head spin. Clearly a LOT is going to change in that timeframe.

    Ultimately though, there has to be something besides WCQ that GB gets evaluated against, beside pure opinion -- what results will you hold his feet to fire over him getting 'youngsters' into the mix?
     
  8. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    #33 #1 Feilhaber and Adu, Feb 5, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2019

    a.k.a. Bradley's competition sucks!


    Warshaw : Did i do good?

    Garber: yes, now get me my laundry at the cleaners after you clock-out.
     
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  9. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    I would like to see Sargeant in a Dempsey-like role, too. Don't know if it would work, but I'd like to see it tried.
     
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  10. Sombrerito

    Sombrerito Member

    Arsenal
    United States
    May 6, 2018
    Imo Lletget is the most like Dempsey since he retired from the game. Seb plays with a lot of skill the only part that’s missing is the ‘anger’ in his play that Clint had
     
  11. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    Well, I think I'd like to see Seba there too, and it looks like he'll get a chance. But, I don't think he's got the scoring knack that we would hope for from that position. (a la Demsp). I don't know if Sargeant has the passing knack that we would hope for from that position (a la Dempsey - I give him more credit for his passing than most do).

    I'm confident that Seba will get some kind of look there. If Sargeant could work there, that could be awesome.

    But, I like Seba and hope to see him on rosters.
     
  12. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    Lletget is one of the players I am most on the fence about. I remember before his injury when he got some time I really liked a lot of his game, but he always seemed to be a step slower than necessary to be at a really high level. I basically chalked that up as the reason he could never break through in England and a problem with his game translating to better competition. Against Costa Rica, that issue wasn't significant. But, I'm still not entirely convinced he's up for making the plays quickly enough against better competition. I hope to be proven wrong in this regard mind you, I'm just still a bit cautious.
     
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  13. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    So far this year Saief has played 7 minutes. Not because of injury, but because he's useless.

    If Duane Holmes is going to be part of the setup going forward, we're in deep trouble. Typical Championship midfielder who's only looked good against a crap team (Reading). And the guy is about to turn 25.

    Lovitz is not a defender, and I'd argue he's not an "international quality" anything.

    Timothy Chandler is yet to play a single game post-injury. We'll have to see if he's still good with his club, but it's a waste calling him IMO because the guy never seemed to care about the international game. How many times do we have to beat that dead horse to realize it's not happening?

    I wouldn't mind giving a new look at Ventura Alvarado, who's having a good season with Necaxa, and giving Alfredo Morales a shot, since he's been doing better with his terrible team in the Bundesliga.
     
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  14. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I would think there is no reason to look at Lovitz. Possibly Garza if he is healthy again. Maybe Shaq Moore.

    I doubt Long and Zimmerman will both be called and CCV left at home. Since Long was captain, I'd expect him there and Zimmerman not to be.

    You won't see Bradley AND Trapp. There was a competition and one of them won. That one will be in camp and probably start both games.

    I would think it more important to get a look at Holmes or Gall than to see Arriola again. Arriola didn't pick up the system that quickly and probably only started the CR game because Ebobisse got hurt.

    Zardes will not be called. Nothing can be learned from him playing. Altidore will be there.
     
  15. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    #40 Excellency, Feb 7, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
    Lovitz was fine. So was Sweat when he played. Goes to show how slim our options are. I always wanted Parker tried at the lb role next to Brooks in a 3 man back line. Anybody but Robinson, imo.
    I think most see Zim as good but inconsistent but so is Brooks. I think 3G calls Miazga, Brooks, Long and Zim.

    Trapp will be there because he is our best 6. It's no contest. It mite be someday but that day is not in March.

    Wild Paul started in line with the philosophy of start on one side finish on the other. He is in the Pulisic role where you make the opponent pay for double covering him by unbalancing the numbers. If they single cover you switch the field with passing from Trapp or Lima to Puli Arriola. Gall is too weak for that role and I've never seen Holmes. How many goals/assists does he have compared to Arriola or Pulisic? Ebobisse wasn't ahead of Paul. Panama was the weaker team and 3g played the lesser players like Bradley and Ebobisse v. Panama.
     
  16. Cynical US fan

    United States
    Mar 30, 2017
    Boston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There's no reason to have MLS players for the March friendlies: Novakovich scored his 5th goal this past weekend; McKennie played well at the 10 position although Dortmund lost; Pulisic (scored his last outing); Wood, Weah, Adams, Morales, Amon, Green, Saief, Gooch, Holmes, Sargent, Yedlin, Miazga, Brooks, Carter-Vickers, Alvarado, Robinson?, Horvath, and Yarbrough make 21.
    Admittedly one RB and LB are needed as well (maybe MLSers?).
     
  17. ebado

    ebado Member

    May 2, 2008
    Is Saief even playing?
     
  18. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    No, he's stuck on the bench at this point. He's played 7' so far this year.
     
  19. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He seems to me a player who spends more time on the ground than on his feet.
     
  20. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Depends on whether Berhalter wants to trial the players who couldn't do cupcake or whether he wants all the best (in his opinion) together to get ready for the Gold Cup.
     
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  21. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How does all that preclude using any MLS players. Many MLS players are better than some you listed, they'll be available, hasn't been enough of a sample for which to fully evaluate them still, and the games will be held in the States. I don't think we've ever seen no MLS players under that circumstance. It's cutting off your nose to spite your face.

    It should be best 23 approx., a mix of prospects and vets, or best prospects; regardless of league affiliation. That is if the goal is indeed to prepare for the Gold Cup or bigger competitions beyond.
     
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  22. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I agree that we should bring our Best 23.

    The argument the other way is that at this point in the cycle, we need to have a huge pool and the first two camps are primarily intended to serve as an initial gathering of as many players as possible in order to see how they looked relative to others as an initial benchmark. The first group was obviously a very broad look at MLS players and now we look at the long-shot European options as well.
     
  23. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I guess it depends if you think there were really players that GB wanted to see and couldn't. The March window is always at the beginning of the MLS season and any players brought in would probably not look great with players who are in season. I would think you would have the players who understood the system the best, to help
    That is one way to go. But the new coach has seen all the MLS players he wanted to see for a month. The thinking is he calls all the non-MLS players he wants to see. Then merges the two in June.

    But maybe there aren't 23-25 guys he wants to see, then bringing in the MLS guys most knowledgeable about what he wants makes sense. Bringing in new guys from MLS probably doesn't. The exceptions would be Altidore and Morris.

    I know people think Nagbe and Guzan were given a rest. I think they were dropped because they complained about having to play for the USMNT in November. If they were just rested, why didn't they get a day at camp to see how things are done like Altidore and Morris?
     
  24. Cynical US fan

    United States
    Mar 30, 2017
    Boston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The yanks abroad listed were not included in January camp. March friendlies provide an opportunity to test out these players, especially those you feel are inferior to MLS players like Bradley, Trapp, Arriola, et al.
    Then Berhalter can truly choose the most effective players for the Gold Cup.
     
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  25. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    So, using the Excellency formula of choosing an all MLS team then asking who in Europe improves the team, considering also age cut off should be 27 or so:

    Jan camp;
    -------------------zardes(ramirez)
    -----lewis(ebo)----lletget(mihai)-----arriola(baird)
    ------------roldan------trapp(bradley)---lima(cannon)
    --------------lovitz------long----zim
    --------------------gk: steffen
    Subs not used: Canouse, Delgado, Cannon, Trusty

    Add:
    Pulisic, Adams, Sargent, Brooks, Weah, Miazga

    Drop:
    Lewis, Mihailovich, Bradley, Ebo, Trusty.

    Team A
    ----------------------weah
    ------------sargent-------pulisic
    ---------adams----trapp---roldan
    ------long---brooks---miazga---lima

    Team B

    ------------------ramirez
    ------------zardes------baird
    -------delgado--canouse---lletget
    -----lovitz----zimmerman----cannon

    Room for one more: we need a left back. Bello?
     

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