Nations League A, Camp 1, Cuba/Canada, Oct. 11/15

Here's your overlap (acknowledging that you said it was yours and not Berhalter's):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Zack Steffen (Fortuna Düsseldorf/GER; 16/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Matt Miazga (Reading/ENG; 17/1), 36/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 59/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 15/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 32/13),

FORWARDS (7): Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 35/6), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 9/2)

LOL

 

Main things I’ve learned about leadership.

1. Troop welfare (in/out of the workplace)

2. Simplify objectives and make sure everyone understands the mission (it’s the fault of the leader otherwise)

3. Put people in positions to succeed based on their strengths while maximizing their limitations. (I.e. find out who your experts are and let them take the lead in their field.)

4. Celebrate people’s accomplishments. (Everyone needs an attaboy).

5. Get the hell out of the way. (If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re doing it wrong).

The problem I see with Egg is that although it seems like he wants to be a good person... I don’t see where he possess innate leadership traits. He makes things overly complicated, he doesn’t put people in positions to succeed, and he’s too much in the way.

 

Truthfully, whose line up would you rather have?

 

Are you really asking me that question?

 

Here's your overlap (acknowledging that it wasn't a prediction):

GOALKEEPERS: Zack Steffen (Fortuna Düsseldorf/GER; 16/0)

DEFENDERS: Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 8/0), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 13/2), Matt Miazga (Reading/ENG; 17/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 36/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 59/0)

MIDFIELDERS: Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 11/2), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 15/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 32/13), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 16/0)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 115/42), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 35/6), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 9/2)

 

I think the question is whether you'd rather have a Pomykal play a handful of minutes for the USMNT or be a key contributor at the U23 camp. Actually, Pax hasn't been playing all that well in MLS recently. So that's not a particularly good example. I'd say Aaronson has actually been more deserving a USMNT callup than Pomykal based on MLS performance.

I just think that the recent failures of the U23s (failing to qualify in 3 of the last 4 events) has led the program to start preparations even earlier. So outside of the guys who've clearly advanced to the full USMNT (Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, Sargent, etc.)................we're going to see the others with the U23s for a few windows.

While the qualifying event isn't until March................that's not actually many FIFA windows from now.

 

Last year, a stats firm recorded him as having the 2nd fastest sprint speed in the world during a competitive match. The top spot went to Gareth Bale: https://us.as.com/us/2018/10/11/futbol/1539261745_676973.html?id_externo_rsoc=CM_US_TW

 

The roster selection is only part of the problem, even our lions would perform better with a simpler plan. However, even if GB implements one, I'm still not going to watch. If we're going to set ourselves up for failure. I'd rather see a failed youth movement, than the same older players that have had the time to prove they're not the solution.

 

Can’t believe I’m saying this but I pray we lose to Cuba and Canada.

 

Keep in mind there are 5 USYNT players on this roster. Two more may have been, but Adams and Weah are out injured.

I personally think the USSF is really prioritizing Olympic qualifying. We may actually be more excited by the U23 camp roster than this one!

 

If I had to put down money on the game, I'm going with Canada.

 

i think everyone is hoping for that ... and humiliated too

 

I share a lot of the frustrations with the roster that others are voicing, but here's my attempt at a glass half full analysis.

--I don't know why Johnson seemingly is a lock for either the 2nd or 3rd GK spot, but I can kinda see the rationale for Guzan. None of the younger guys have played in actual qualifiers before, and if Steffen goes down injured 40 minutes into a game in, say, Honduras, would you really want to throw in someone like Turner or Gonzalez? Maybe, but Guzan has played in and gotten results in plenty of difficult games for the US and is still playing reasonably well compared to others getting call ups.

--I'm glad Miazga is healthy enough and back on the roster. I still think he's better than Zimmerman and probably Long, with the form he's been in.

--I think Bradley, sadly, still deserves a spot on the roster. He's proven that he's still better than Trapp and Yueill. Of course, Adams should be starting there, but he's not healthy. It's really Trapp who's the problematic inclusion for me. At least Yueill is a couple years younger and has some upside.

--It seems like Sargent might have worked his way up to regular status? Maybe the days of Zardes and his hilarious, accidental goals/assists are finally numbered. (Though I'm sure Altidore won't still healthy regularly, and Zardes will still get plenty of call-ups.)

 

I mean, I get it. We don’t have Kylian mbappe in our player pool. But, damn, seriously some of these selections...

Daniel Lovitz
Michael Bradley
Wil Trapp
Corey Baird
Gyasi Zardes

Maybe even add...
Cristian Roldan
Tim Ream

I’ll concede Yuiell because we really don’t have clearly better options at CDM.

I mean, damn, dude... this roster isn’t going to cut in the long run. And not one single cap-tying player? I get it with Dest. At some point... things are outside your control. But, no Soto, Llanez, Ferreira, Ledezma, or Mendez??? Come on, man. All of those guys project to be top level players. Sure, some won’t make it to the top. But, at a minimum, I would guess they are already hitting above Daniel Lovitz weight class.Look, if we can’t beat Cuba with those guys in the line up then we have a lot bigger problems. And they should go ahead and be made clear now instead of later.

Furthermore, okay, good, you called in Brendan Aaronson. But, that’s really the only new face of the whole group. That’s it? This team is struggling badly, and there’s no pressure on guys to say, hey, you’re not meeting the standard, and you need to know there are other guys waiting to take your place?

I just can’t see this team going anywhere under Berhalter. Maybe we sneak in and qualify anyways. Although, I think it’s going to be as dicey as 2018. Sadly though, if we do qualify, we’re going to get blown out of the water in the World Cup. Which, from the USSF, it doesn’t seem like they give a shit.

In all, it’s just disgusting.

 

I am far more excited about what the U23 roster is going to look like. I am meh about roughly half the roster that has been called up for nations league.

As an aside, are those hoping for embarrassing losses in this window thinking that it would result in GB getting the hook? I guess if that was the case then I could stomach another snafu from the USMNT... but I have a hard time believing that there is even a glimmer of a chance. Unfortunately, I think we are stuck w/ the Egg.

 

I love your point about cap-tying... Mexico is on the prowl as we speak. Why are we not giving the U20s their chance? They showed so much more promise than some of these other scrubs. It is all just so mind boggling. The problem goes to the very top... They just have no clue.

 

I hope so as well. But the bigger question is - what is the tipping point for USSF? I've never seen a fanbase so disenchanted/disinterested, but there is ZERO talk anywhere about a change.

So he'll keep picking the same Lions and below average players, and get to take us through a few games in the Hex? Maybe gets canned like Klinsy if he gets off to a bad start? Maybe not even, though.

The fact we are 2 years officially from Couva and still rolling out a bunch of the same guys, and adding in an even worse crew behind them, is so patently ridiculous it hardly even deserves a conversation.

 

I won't disagree with you that Trapp isn't good enough but as a fanbase we need to accept reality here. With Morales and Adams out injured Trapp is the best we currently have available.

At the end of the day it really feels like people are making a big deal out of a backup/backup defensive mid and some back-up attacking players that are at best good players in weaker leagues than MLS.

 

trapp is not nearly as good defensively as pomykal, who looks closer to tyler adams in work rate than anyone else in the pool rn

 

the challenge with Bradley is that once he’s on the field, the entire makeup of the team has to be changed to offset his weakness. That’s a terrible player to have in your roster unless you’re building around him. He’s not a player you can simply drop in and expect him to take care of business at this point.

 

This post has aged poorly. And it misses the mark besides.

Berhalter calls bad players. The fact is, he's wasting time playing them against Cuba. As if that weren't bad enough, the fact that he's wasting these NL minutes means that, when we're playing TOUGH opponents, he can call the same guys who don't cut it, with the excuse that "we don't know if the younger, more talented, less-experienced guys can play against Mexico/CR, etc,".

If it guaranteed that GB were fired immediately, I'd lose 10-0 to both.

But, in reality, it doesn't, and he would still be coach even if it did happen. He is a Good Ol Boy hire, firmly entrenched with family and professional connections throughout the USSF board tasked with actually firing him.

 

Hmmmm, where have I heard this before?

This is absolutely correct, and it is the exact same issue we had last cycle. But last cycle, at least you had the "well, we have no time to integrate new players, we need to qualify."

Now, we are calling in mostly the same average players. Nobody feels any pressure. The US setup is basically one big sinecure. Everyone has jobs, and there is little, if any, reason to fear losing it. We even have some people now shouting to the heavens "trapp isn't good enough, that's why we need to start Bradley!" like these are the only two 6s in the pool (or that we need to even play a 6 with so many good 8s).

It's all so pathetic. But it's not like I didn't see this coming, as I have refused to watch them since Couva.

 

I’m reaching the point where I’m done with the USMNT for a while. I’d be laughing if I weren’t crying.

 

one thing i didn't like when they described the GM position was that in addition to hiring and firing, he would help the coach select players. i like the idea of a scouting/analytics bureau that reports to and serves the coach. but in this scenario the coach reports to someone who helps him do his job, eg, pick people.

one can think of reasons this would work out bad in our basic scenario. we are all critical of the selection. but if the GM and HC sat down and hammered this atrocity out, well, he's not going to be fired for how dumb the roster looks. because the GM helped him do it.

similarly, if the Fed is both nepotistic and on some sort of a missionary kick in terms of team tactics, you wouldn't get accountability there, either. the coach might even feel pressure to stick to his original sales pitch.

as i have said before, a value hire would normally be on a short leash but we have set up incentives exactly the opposite.

i say this because in a normal boss situation a sustained pattern of poor selection by itself would be termination grounds. the HC would be delegated more selection power and in turn be judged by who got called.

put differently, we are in the neighborhood of what got bradley canned, but the fact it is even more intertwined is changing the outcome. go look at 2010-11. he had ok results. he lost the pre GC friendlies. the GC was underwhelming but they made the final. they lost to mexico. the selection had gotten weird.

response: out the door. the fed had independent expectations and standards.

to me we have actually set up a system that removes the executive power play and makes it more likely we will fart around til too late just like last cycle. if the GM is basically helping the coach do his job how does he objectively? harshly? judge what is happening? this becomes his plan too. odds are until it's obvious we're screwed they will be handcuffed together by fate even as the raft goes over the waterfall. we will then fire both. what's the point.

 

Trapp is not the best available. He has been benched on a non-playoff MLS team. Even just from MLS pomykal and Parks are better options, among others. Outside of MLS There is Duane Holmes.

Tired of hearing that these nobodies are the best we have

 

I could see the coach pushing back and saying, hey, we’re not going to just become hyenas and only use this to hold players careers hostage by cap-tying them.

But damn... c’mon man!!! Most of these guys are already in the US system. There’s no shame in the game then. More so, there’s also the point of just integrating new, young, more promising players into the pool.