This is a good observation. I suspect that you are correct. One thing that I have also noticed is that Bradley is taking a less-present role on the field. He is sticking to his play and is not really doing a lot of directing. I think that's by design too, and that Berrhalter has probably tried to allow for leaders to emerge in a vacuum rather than having them take the role from someone else. It seems to fit the nature of these young guys better. And lets be honest, this team now belongs to the young guys. Bradley is a participant but the team does not rise and fall on his play. It absolutely depends on the play of these young guys.
I mean......................we have a tailor made leader available. According to German paper WAZ, Weston McKennie is being considered for the captain's armband at Schalke next season.He's only 20. pic.twitter.com/3HlgPQd5he— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) July 12, 2019
He and Tyler Adams are both excellent leaders at young ages. I have optimism that they will at some point carry the USMNT to the semifinals of a world cup should their careers continue on current trajectories. Pulisic is the best player of the bunch, but he hasn't shown that level of leadership. Adams and McKennie are not only leaders, but they perform at high levels and raise the levels of their teammates. McKennie's distribution in the Gold Cup was very good and at times visionary (his game against Jamaica was one of the best passing performances I have seen from an individual US player in a long time). Those guys play with both joy and grit...it will be fun watching them take the program to new heights.
Sure but he shouldn't play for the USMNT if it doesn't fit the Egg's system.....especially since the men's team doesn't need a leader when they have the 'boss of the midfield'
Weston McKennie isn’t shying away from being named captain of Schalke. [Kicker] pic.twitter.com/pFZNtT4w8H— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 1, 2019
Today David Wagner called Weston a key player for Schalke as a 6 or 8 (no more defense) and also called him a key player in the bundesliga.
Apparently Schalke believes that Weston is ready for not just regular minutes, but a starring role in the Bundesliga...as a 20-year old. I can't remember ever hearing anything like that about another American player.
Sigh. Who is Tyler Adams? Also McKennie is turning 21 tomorrow. Another guy in this situation at just about the same age was.......Bradley. He had 26 starts for B'rusia in the 08/09 season having just turned 21. That said both McK and Adams are better prospects than Bradley at the same age. But Bradley was also a good youth prospect.
On Adams...I may be wrong, but I don't recall him having been given a shot at the captaincy and walked out as the bell cow of the program. Weston is in a unique circumstance in that regard. Bradley was a great prospect too, I remember that very well. Neither Adams nor Bradley became the face of their team though.
Yeah! Schalke finished below Morales' Fortuna Dusseldorf last year. Clearly, you all are just promoting him because of his league. We should send LAFC over there to show them how real soccer is played. /s In all seriousness, he's a great talent and has always had that intangible leadership ability even back in his Dallas academy days. I'd love to see him get a shot at the 6. His long-range passing is quite underrated and I suspect that's intentional because it hurts one of USSF's ever-diminishing pro-Bradley/Trapp arguments. But above all, I want to see him and Adams in a double pivot!