Pre-match: WCQ: USA vs. Panama (10/6/17)

I'm still dizzy. Plus the guy's name is immobile which is some kind of joke. He starts for Italy. Nice goal. The Vitesse midfielder seems happy to give the initial passer all day to pick out his pass which was the hockey assist.

 

Well, Suyuntuy was arguing that Delgado and Miazga would just stare at each other because they had never been in such a massive game before as the quali against Panama. Presumably he meant that Acosta had.

then Andy B chimed in with the nice clip Vitesse v Lazio.

It looks like Cameron might not make it for Panama and we played a little 3 cb with him against Honduras. One possibility is to play Miazga who you will recall was tuned up a little in the Gold Cup. Then there's the curious history of Acosta and the other u20 players. I just pointed out that it seems Delgado was ahead of Acosta, and he plays with Bradley every week since April and played with Miazga at u20's where they kept the clean sheet against Colombia and Serbia while Acosta warmed the bench etc. etc.....

My own feeling is that Miazga would be fine but as you can see from the Vitesse clip, the midfield kinda has to do its job, at least in countries outside America. So the question would be if Acosta and Nagbe are good enough to beat Panama and who would be better.

 

Acosta was in Azteca and in Panama. That counts for something.

I'm not sold on him, but I'd take him over Delgado for this coming Panama match.

 

---
-------------Wood-----Altidore---------
--------------------Pulisic-------
-------Arriola-------------------Bedoya----
-------------------Bradley
--Villafana----------------------------Yedlin
------------Besler--------Gonzo
-------------------Keeper

which morphs into

-------------------------Wood--------Altidore
----------------------------------Puli
Villafana-----Arriola-------------------Bedoya---------Yedlin
-------------------------------Bradley
----------------Besler--------------------Gonzo (I'd rather have Cam here)

Ale and Arriola pinch in, and cover back for Yedlin and Villafana. If Bradley drops deep again to pick up balls from the keeper (a stupid tactic, imo) they can pinch in and be good 1st passing options for Bradley.



If Bradley gets the 1st ball out of the back, he's got 2 options showing for the ball - Arriola and Ale. One of those guys should be open, if they're moving when Bradley receives the ball. Then, when that guy receives the ball, they should good options. 1st is Puli, 2nd is their FB coming up the wing, 3d is back pass to Bradley. 4th is the other pinched OM, 5th is slide one through to the forwards. If people are moving off the ball, we should be able to get it into the attack. Our problem is lack of movement.

If all else fails, and we're getting too pressured, have Jozy and Bobby split out wider when we're playing out of the back. Between the two of them and Puli playing high, there will be a channel for a through ball to one of those guys. No one likes long ball, but if the opponent is pressing high, they're going to leave a lot of space behind the D. You just need someone, even if it's Besler, to play a ball in behind the D for Jozy, Bobby, or preferably Puli (since his run would be least likely to be picked up, and since he'd be least likely to draw an offside) to run onto.

My mantra for Puli is that he can't be the 2nd pass out from the keeper. (e.g. keeper to CB to Puli). But, he has to be the 1st choice to be the 3rd pass from the keeper. Our strategy should be to work like hell to get him the the 3rd ball out of the back. Whether it's GK to CB to Bradley to Puli, or GK to Bradley to Arriola or Bedoya to Puli. Or, GK to Bradley to Yedlin/Villafana to Puli. We should be working our ass off to get him the 3rd ball out of the back. (or the equivalent when our possession starts with the back line).

 

Not enough bite in that midfield.

 

Are you talking about my midfield? If so, I disagree. Ale has bite. Puli has bite. Arriola may not be physical, but he'll work his @SS off covering. Who do you want in the mf? Jones? If you're looking for an intimidator, Jones is the only one in the pool. If you're looking for guys that will win the ball, I think all of those guys will.

 

Against a good team, Pulisic would be better placed closer to goal. He can track back but isn't a full-service CM. Arriola is more of a touchline player.

Given the injuries(Johnson, Cameron, Morris, Rowe, etc.):

----------------Wood-------
----Zardes---Pulisic---Altidore---
----------Nagbe----Bradley---
or
--------------------Wood-----
-------------Altidore----Pulisic-----
-------Acosta----------------Nagbe-----
-------------------Bradley-----

Prefer Roldan to Acosta, but now is not the time to change.

 

Well, the way I'd play it, Puli would be very much in an attacking role. What I'm proposing is just about a 433, but with the usual positioning inverted. Ale and Arriola would be dual b2b's, with the width coming from Yedlin and Villagana.

I'm not adamant about Arriola being in that spot. If you wanted to replace him with Acosta, that would be fine.

JMO. I don't think Bruce is going to consult me - so you don't have to worry about it too much.

 

Miazga needs to take Gonzalez's spot on the NT. He's a better version of Gonzalez, and just entering his prime. He's more mobile and is a slightly better passer, which are the main weaknesses of the players. Miazga's all around better and he's in form, he should take Gonzalez's place ASAP. Thats before we consider the other CB spots. Besler has a spot, and Brooks has one, as long as he's fit. Fourth CB spot could be giving Hedges another chance, but I think EPB has earned a shot as CB #4 for now. Until Brooks returns though, Hedges and EPB can both get a chance with Cameron playing CB in a big game instead of Miazga, if Miazga is deemed not ready, but I'd probably go with Miazga and Besler for the upcoming WCQ's.

 

Even if Arena sees that major changes are needed he won't do it before Panama/T&T
games. So no changes for #1- #2 keepers and nobody cares about #3. On defense Miazga is the only one that will be added. Roldan might be added. No Benny, Sascha, Lee as that would require changing formation. FJ might be told "LB or out". Forwards?
What forwards? Sapong instead of Wondo on the bench? That's like #3 keeper. Nobody cares. Zardes? Might be. I expect to see more Bedoya and Arriola as the team is too docile. And pray for Yedlin as he is a game changer here.

 

This.

I've always been a fan of Gonzo, but he's not in his best form. For the coming quals, I'd take Miazga.

 

Yup, I posted before the goal to Freisland that the midfield should do more to disrupt Lazio, as it would relieve some pressure on the defense. Coach Fraser didnot check my comment in the thread

 

agree that miazga is a like-for-like (almost certain) eventual replacement for gonzalez, but not in these two matches.

look- build a time machine, go back to jan and start genuinely working in some young players who are on the cusp (meaning theyve played more than a full match worth of first team minutes vs actual adults at the very least, guys)- miazga, hyndman, adams, etc and wed probably have at least a couple look up to it (and ideally taking some of those beasley/wondo "emeritis" spots) but its too late. klinsmann never showed any interest in turning the team over, and arena has literally no reason to care past a few months from now.

got to qualify. period.

from there we can only hope bruce hits his head and remembers hes that guy from 02. drop some of these security blankets and go with a few lletgets and miazgas. welcome back brooks and yedlin, get his head out of his ass and bring in danny williams- if not to replace acosta at LEAST hes better then dax, right? shore up the spine and unleash wood, pulisic and arriola.

but right now we cant mess around. way too many of us are looking at panama and just ignoring whats actually happened on the pitch over the last two or three years. we absolutely cannot afford to throw a mckennie out there and realize "you know what? maybe we SHOULD have waited till he had triple digit first team minutes...".

to feel safe about qualification in our position is grossly arrogant. i feel desperate for a point against panama and feel like even this (relatively) down honduras team has a better chance at a shocking result than we do.

 

some are driving from as far as Atlanta and SC, others flying down from NYC also. it's a big game for us, and the fans are motivated.

 

I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this game. It seems like more and more guys are either injured (Brooks, Morris, Cameron, maybe Altidore) or in runs of poor form (the Dallas guys, Johnson, O. Gonzalez). I'm hoping this weekend's slate of club games gives some reason for optimism.

 

No matter the injuries, we should have more than enough to win at home against Panama.

 

did Fab get hurt recently?

 

Exactly.

 

Posters and their silly, dated grafos.

 

Maybe in some people's time...but not mine. I enjoyed the Alfred E. Newman reference...loved the mag.

 

Good for you and the dated, silly references.

 

I've said before that Miazga is a stick-to-your-knitting, eat-your-peas type of personality. He does his job well but he's not going to play bus boy to a Brooks, say.( Which is why Jurgen didn't call Miazga.)

 

What I see from Miazga in, admittedly, a weaker league, is the consistence Brooks lacks.

For NT duty, consistency is vital.

 

Wood missed today's Hamburg vs Hannover match; knee injury was the culprit. Now is the time to worry.

 

The Europa League doesnot equal to Eredivisie level. Hedid well against a strong Lazio!