The Jamaican team is stronger than Trinidad, yet still pales in comparison to the talent level on the USMNT. Trinidad was the first game that we comprehensively beat a team that we should beat comprehensively. You can caveat all you want about them not caring, but we beat them by applying constant pressure all game long, with a better game than we had against Guyana. Did we take anything from Guyana? Sure, we saw that Pulisic and McKennie didn't influence the game enough, Boyd looked like he cared, and Zardes had a poor game. Do we take anything from Trinidad? Sure, we saw Pulisic and McKennie step their games up and break it open. We saw Zardes come back for the ball and engage in some hold-up play. We saw waves of American attacks down the flanks, coupled with defenders who pressured Trinidad and kept them in their own half more often than not. Will we take something from Panama? Probably. You just can't keep playing this game where we talk about certain expectations, including arguing about the US's ability to even get out of the group. Then, when those expectations are met-if-not-exceeded, claim that there was never anything to gain from these games in the first place! The refrain after Guyana was "Trinidad's going to give us trouble, they're better than Guyana". Then we crushed them comprehensively. Now it's "It was only Trinidad", a warranted response were it not for the fact that all of the predictions were for a much closer game, if not an upset. If we beat Panama, is the refrain "It's only Panama", or are we allowed to use it as evidence that we can beat Jamaica/El Salvador/Panama in the knockouts?
That isn't true. The post you were replying to is moronic for a thousand reasons, but there are a ton of dual-nationals on this Gold Cup roster. Boyd might be the only one born abroad, but like half the squad had other national team options. Johnson: Jamaica Miazga: Poland Gonzalez: Mexico Trapp: Greece Roldan: Guatemala Arriola: Mexico Mihailovic: Serbia Boyd: New Zealand (obviously) Pulisic: Croatia Altidore: Haiti Zardes: Ghana
Dual-national as in someone who would actually play for another country, not someone who happens to have another citizenship/passport. Trapp, for example, just got his Greek passport. Roldan's Guatemala and Mexican btw, but either way Guatemala and Mexico never made any overtures. Pulisic used his Croatian citizenship through his grandfather to go to Europe at 16 (similar w/ Miazga IIRC), but there was no chance he was going to play for them. Etcetera.
thats pretty contrary to conventional thought. theres a difference between sinew-y muscle and bulk, and the vast, VAST majority of soccer players are very lean. is that even arguable? with jozy ive always seen it as one of the ways sunderland "ruined" him (physically, at least). theres putting on muscle and theres becoming a damn hulk- jozy did the latter. i agee its silly to say hes in any way fat, but in adding pure bulk he lost a lot of the quickness (undoubtedly the speed) that made him so dangerous in the first half of his career. in fairness he developed into quite a good hold-up cf, but at this point hes extremely limited in terms of mobility. planting him in the box, playing balls in- he can win those balls, hold and layoff, hes better than he gets credit at one touch and combo play. thats why i prefer him so strongly over zardes- not because of goals score (i dont think either is going to score a ton regardless of system/style of play) but because of his ability to facilitate the attack, if you will.
I think his most comparable spot would be a strong backup to McKennie's current role (or starter, if McKennie moves to another position).
really? i didnt know that. i bet he got some reds for them too, he was crazy back then ...actually let me expound on that- thats part of why i like him. theres been a lot of talk of mckennie picking up that yellow as dumb/wrong/a mistake in some way and i completely disagree. we need players who are going to get in peoples faces, and put a knee up their ass if need be. in concacaf pulisic (and i can see boyd getting the same treatment) is going to get hammered every match, every possession and refs are going to let it happen. mckennie stepping in because of trinidads nonsense is a positive to me. miazga brings that too. theres an argument to be had if we want our best players having to fill that role (or use a spot on a less skilled "enforcer"), but i think its necessary. i wish captain "lion" would stand up for his teammates more...
This goal is a good example of where he still looks fast to me. Joevin. Jones is supposed to be a speedster and he couldn't best Jozy to the spot. The vast majority are very lean, but is that the ideal? Many CBs and Cfs carry quite a bit more bulk. I would be surprised if he lost much straight line speed while getting stronger. From 19-23 is when a lot of young athletes are getting bigger.
if you dont see a SIGNIFICANT difference in his open field pace pre-sunderland to post its time for us to both think about other things instead.
Where are you getting second tier? He played in Super Lig in Turkey on loan from top flight Vitória in Portugal. He’s 24, he has a US Passport, our winger cupboard is relatively bare. Objective analysis puts him at the front of the line. Tell his American mother his son is not American enough to play for us, Bruce.
You forgot Jamaica's most in-form starter, Orgill who is Tyler Boyd's team mate in Turkey. The Jamaica v US match up is the one I am most looking forward to seeing. It should be a good benchmark to test our current roster
Funny, much of the world said the same of a league closer to home until very recently. Oh, and Galatasaray, the “Conquerer of Europe”, is ranked one above RBL by UEFA coefficient. Welcome to BS, by the way.
I don't know how you come to that conclusion. Can you find examples where he is getting bested for speed by guys who are not notably fast?
I think he should be a lock starter. Below all touches against Toronto video. Watch his long passes that MB wasn't able to make when he still was young and in form. https://twitter.com/USMNTvideos?ref...vors-of-the-week-2019-edition.2091744/page-56
It's a major issue for Jozy. He was overpowering everyone without those extra 30 lbs. Everytime when he bulks up he's losing his game and gets injured eventually.
thanks for the link. it kinda reinforces my take hes solidly an 8 (and sorry, mckennie is my lock there). it showed a lot more offensive passing, though not 10 type final touch. i was impressed with his defensive work in the u20s so it helps flesh things out a bit. and it clarified my take (which could probably be worded better) on his field of vision, i think its just driving to the right hes a little janky. moving left he didnt show any limitations in seeing the field (wich isnt a huge detriment in that he would theoretically be that left central mid). i think pomykal shows more variety, but its not completely fair to dismiss bradleys passing as a younger, still class player. then again, im not in the defending bradley business thanks again.
This is such a weird take. The long throw was taken quickly. There was nobody to pass Rondon off to as Trapp was 10 yards up the field and mckennie was a step higher but 5 yards wide. Miazga didnt run up the field but took a step and then challenged the ball. When he challenged doe the ball he was deeper than every US player except long who was at least 5 yards deeper. He was the only US player that had a chance to challenge the ball It was Long who kept Savareso onside and completely lost him on his run. He was at least five yards behind him as he made his run inside. It was Long who over committed on his mark in a wide position and let him run into a dangerous space. It was along who got abused on the third goal. Yet for some reason Miazga had a bad game for reacting to a quick throw in?
You said he's notably slower. I said I don't remember it that way. I posted a goal I recall off the top of my head that showed a good burst in the open field. Where's your proof that he is notably slower? You may even be right but he's not a midfielder or full back, were guys speed is often on display.
What's the evidence that the hamstring problem is relative to weight? He is no bigger than many rugby players who are not blowing hamstrings left and right.
proof, huh? that jozy freaking altidore has lost a lot of pace and i either provide documentation or you, i dont know, win something? specifically you want examples of him being "bested" by guys who are not notably fast. lets see what ill need (in lieu of both eyesight and reality)... ill need clips of him in open space over say 15 yards from before and after his time at sunderland (the marker i foolishly laid down). theyll have to be against a guy whos not notably fast...and of course similar runs, ten years apart, against the same defender (so as to not skew results) whos not notably fast... wait, do i need a notary public to certify that that player is "not notably fast"? or do you decide that? this jackassery is juvenile and annoying. my next response is the ignore button.
1. I noticed the exact same thing...which to me is a huge downside for a midfielder...but everyone was just raving about him. I didn't see the creative attacking side of his game, especially against the better teams....he was putting on a back passing clinic mostly. I'm still high on him as a player and think he could play right now for USMNT...but vs France and Ecuador...he was more defensive minded than I thought he would be with a lot of backpassing....he was doing this even when he in fact had space to turn and attack....he showed that he didn't really have that "spidey sense" awareness of space that the best midfielers have...and what you want from an attacking midfielder. which is why i would olay him further from goal FOR NOW...doesnt have to be permanent...he can always pay there for now...and move up later.... 2. I think the #'s 6/8/10 should not be as distinctly separate as they are for a lot of people....to me there's not a big difference between a defensively sound 8 and a 6. Pomykal hasn't shown that he can be the driving force of creativity o team like pulisic has - not even close....so I wouldn't play him there. FOR NOW I would just try to get him on the field - he's not better than mckeennie or pulisic but he is potentially better than bradley or trapp - so thats where i'd put him. besides, if the player at the 6 has good attacking skills it is an upgrade to the 6 position...I'm tired of "6' players who literally cannot add anything to the attack or dribble around an orange cone if they had to.....why is that the pre-req?? 3. the 6/8/10s should be able to do all of the things that each position requires....limited players like trapp and bradley hamper the offense, big time. as soon as mckennie started dropping back vs TNT and OPENED ANOTHER OPTION FOR ADVANCING THE BALL the attack took off....so to extrapolate....I would want a 6 that CAN attack, as well as that from the 8 position...to me....all of the center mids need to be more dangerous than trapp/mb are in terms of driving the ball forward....so I wouldn't break it down into 6/8/10....I would just look for center mids and try to get the best of them onto the field together....In fact, I would play Mckennie as the 6 over bradley and trapp...and if it is such a big deal that pomykal not play the 6 then he can play the 8 while weston plays the 6.... to me it is all about getting the best players on the field who are the most dynamic and offer the biggest variety of threats - as Berhalter just said after the tnt blowout. diversity is the key to the attack...well duh....so get the one-dimensional players who wilt under a high press off the field.
4-0 in the 2016 semifinal-round WCQ is the only previous time that we had defeated Trinidad and Tobago by four or more goals. 4-1 in a 1987 Olympic qualifying match is the only other time that we had scored four or more goals against Trinidad and Tobago.