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

I've said before that I don't really care about club form if a guy performs at a high level for the Nats, but this article does a good job pointing out that at least a handful of the call-ups are neither good at club level nor good for the Nats.

 

Yes but at least they know the system and know exactly how to be bad in it

 

It's pretty clear that Earnie is placing a ton of emphasis on the Olympics from these rosters.

 

Yeah, there is absolutely nothing “Dutch” about how we are playing. Let’s please not let Jay’s brother get away with this BS by just saying it’s one thing while doing another.

Total football is an entire system predicated on aggressive pressing, the opposite of what we do, half asses low block, no pressure “defending”.The interchanging of positions and short, fast passing on the ground, the opposite of what We are doing with long diagonal switches and rigid player movement with repetitive patterns of play. Ultimately the Dutch manipulate space wherever it can be found, we force ourselves to play out of the back for example even when that is specifically where the space is constrained.

They have never and will never play their 4-3-3 with static roles, specifically one including a defensive midfielder at the base of midfield who can’t defend or move and who is specifically dedicated to long diagonal switches.

if we resemble any other system at all, we are a destitute mans Italy during the last throes of Pirlo’s career, a cluster ********.

 

Who is the coach? Is it Earnie or is it Berhalter? Is it really the Sporting Director's job to decide U23 rosters? Isn't that Kreis's?

 

What's with the call-up of this 18 yr old Aaronson? Does his Dad own the league? Or maybe the TV network that's broadcasting the match? Something is rotten in Soccer House.

 

Probably has something to do with the fact that he's had a good season for the Union...…………………….

Aaronson may have been a last minute replacement for Pomykal, who is now listed as questionable for FCD's game this weekend. A continuation of the hamstring problems that have hounded him for half of this season. From even before the U20WC.

just DIRTY 😲#DOOP | @aaronsonbrenden pic.twitter.com/6gcO7X08PO

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) September 1, 2019

 

Remember Beckhap's Law on feminine beauty? "Beauty times brains equals a constant" (yes, the 70s were much more sexist, which is lamentable).

With US players we can have a new version of it: "Skill times health equals a constant."

 

FYI. I appear to have misspoken here.THe scuttlebutt is that Pomykal has a hip flexor problem now, and its not a continuation of the hamstring problems. [Although I guess they could be related.] Servania, their promising #8/6, has been in the concussion protocol. Although perhaps has come out the other side...……………….

 

I'm not sure its Earnie doing so...…………………..

There really aren't that many windows between now and when the CONCACAF U23 Championships occur in which Kreis can bring in his whole squad to work with.

Young players are really attracted to the Olympics as an opportunity. Richie Ledezma in particular mentioned that he really wanted to go to the U23 camp in October. Others have as well.

[Just as an aside, we have 6 Olympics eligible players with the senior USMNT as well: Pulisic, McKennie, Cannon, Yueill, Sargent, Aaronson. Adams and Weah are also eligible, but are out injured.]

Having a vibrant and active U23 team will be a big plus for the USSF program. Berhalter has talked about wanting to have the "culture of winning" build from the youth teams. From the U17s to the U20s to the U23s to the USMNT. I don't agree with much that Berhalter does, but I do agree with that.

Klinsmann, it should be noted, really tried to stress the Olympics as an opportunity. To him it was a huge gap in the program. He started preparations really early and named his assistant Herzog as the coach. They had many camps, but the player pool really wasn't there. It was weak, weak, weak. Zero depth. Klinsmann called it the "lost generation." Few of them were getting first team opportunities. He foresaw the problems we were going to have down the road. The 2018WCQing problems partly came down to the failures of that Olympic qualifying group. Very little talent coming thru that level to replace the aging veterans on the USMNT team. Even now we're feeling the effects, because these should be the 25/26 year old players "in their primes." Instead the USMNT is aging veterans and young prospects. Not many 26 year old studs.

By the way, I have a little theory that the U23 camp was set. Due to the depth in that group, Aaronson wasn't actually included. So Berhalter called him up to the senior USMNT instead when Pomykal became unavailable (Pax also of course eligible for the U23s)! I know that's bass-ackwards but we did that recently as well. Jonathan Amon wasn't named to the U20WC squad, so Berhalter included him in a senior USMNT camp instead. Amon's also out injured, BTW. He seems to be out injured a lot.

 

I don't know exactly how the decision making is done, but if I had to guess, there's definitely some coordination being done between the two teams, and Earnie definitely has input (I think that has actually been stated).

One of the things I was thinking was likely to happen -- and was pre-annoyed by -- was that I expected that less young players would get USMNT call ups this fall when U23 was in place because I think Earnie -- and Kreis and Berhalter going along -- wants to create to this pipeline of U17 to U20 to U23 to phasing into the senior team. And they want it to be orderly and a regular flow of talent.

The problem they have is that that senior team isn't very good. So there isn't this backup where 20 year olds get seasoned before they are called in. Their talent is overcoming their lack of experience. Which is why most people want to try more youth, and Berhalter has done that in fits and spurts though not to everyone's want.

And then I think they *REALLY* want to be at the Olympics -- where a lot of casuals watch and can get involved. Especially while players like Pulisic WANT to go (and he really does, I bet) and are young enough to not be part of the overaged crew.

Whether they are assigning right value (I think probably not), I'd bet that they really wanted to keep the U23 camp pretty intact this time around because they view the Olympics as really important and maybe Olympic quals more important than Nations League.

I think fans are generally too panicked and too rushing, but Earnie and Gregg seem to be a bit too far on the other spectrum -- I think they are too conservative on these things. There's a plan, there's time is probably their internal mantra.

 

Aaronson has been very good for the Union. He's been starting much of the season, starting at CAM and now moving more to the wing. He's basically put Marco Fabian, who was a big money transfer for the Union, to the bench.

He also crushed it at the last U20/U23 camp (can't remember which one).

I think he's here because of his winger play -- with Pulisic pretty clearly playing 10 in this camp, and Weah still hurt, there was a chance to pull someone in at winger.

 

Feels like it could be a cascade.

I'm kind of hoping that Dallas loses this weekend (sorry!) just so that Pomykal gets shut down and can get healthy.

 

And women were much Sexier, which is far more lamentable. Seems there were clear winners in that social engineering scheme and it weren't heterosexual Males. From the Marlboro Man to the Metrosexual Snowflake...

 

You hear that sound?

It’s the world’s smallest violin playing for white heterosexual males as they get triggered by the changing times.

 

It's the normal thing to move players along the conveyor belt:

U-15 >>> U-17 >>> U-20 >>> U-23 >>> NT

It's the way things are done most everywhere (the Dutch are a notable exception) and what in Latin America is called "el proceso" (and fans often rage against it, but you have to be truly gifted to skip steps).

The basic idea is while a kid may be technically ready, his psyche may be not, and by jumping him too quickly into the real deal (and real money, too, usually), you're basically going to ruin him.

It's not a baseless fear.

 

I continue to see some claim to not have a problem with the roster. The contune to claim there are no better alternative to Berhalters crap MLS players. I've put together a lineup from Berhalter's camp and players he has mostly ignored. If the two teams played, I would expect the crap MLS team would get over run and lose by multiple goals.

The MLS back line isnt comfortable on the ball and lack speed/quickness with exception of Long. The midfield is just plain soft. I dont see who is going to play a final that Zardes missed hit.

I struggled a bit on the wing, striker and right back, but ok given their matchup. I put Ledezma so he would be a direct comparison to Aaronson. I went with Wright at forward, but could have gone with Novakovic or Soto. I havent gotten to see either recently, so no idea who to pick. I had no idea for right back and ended up picking Gooch as he has put in some good shifts for the USMNT, is a decent athlete, and hard working. Yeah, I think he can shut down Baird.

I personally would take the whole eleven of the second team over the first, but I would guess there arent very many that would bet on the first team outside a few MLS homers.

-------------------Johnson-------------------
Lima--Zimmerman--Long--Lovitz
----------------Wily Franchise------------
------------Roldan-----------Yueill---------
Aaronson------Zardes-----------Baird

vs

Ledezma--------Wright------Holmes
--------Hyndman--------Green------------
--------------------Morales---------------------
ARob----Alvarado----CCV----Gooch
---------------------Horvath-------------------

 

let’s hope morales is now an auto call up but you can replace him with Williams and I think your point still stands.

I’d also replace hyndman with one of the young kid midfielders in the Dutch juniors as well.

 

Altidore looks to have sustained an ankle injury, and he walked off the field slowly and was subbed off for Toronto.

He may have to sit out both the Cuba and Canada matches.

 

Both those teams are depressingly mediocre.

We're in trouble. Our best hope is that Canada and Panama get excluded from the Hex by the FIFA ranking, and Jamaica doesn't improve. C-CAF did us a solid.

 

It is hard to argue with that. I've said elsewhere that I would have at least 3 guys from u20 WC pn each roster. So I would just add Mendez and Llainez.

 

Yep, the second team is mediocre, but is young and has upside. The first one is just horrible.

Keep in mind that swapping these players out would just be strengthening the bench. I know I would have rather had this bench when we needed a goal in the GC final. Imagine subbing on Sargent instead of Zardes, Green instead of Roldan, and Antonee Robinson instead of Lovitz. Those players would have given us better hold up play, a guy who has shown he can come and make a difference at this level including being a threat from distance, and an outside back that actually does get forward and serve a good ball. Oh yeah, Morales showed he was a better alternative to Bradley.

 

There's a lot of classic Euro fairy dust logic and ignoring who's actually playing and who's injured in this post.

Holmes and Morales are both coming off injuries. Both are trying to cement themselves as starters. We have a long history of leaving players in situations like this with their club teams and it's a smart move on Gregg's part to do so here. Both will get their chances moving forward.

I personally like Hyndman but he's a part time starter for Atlanta. He probably should be there but I don't get overly bothered by part time starters in MLS being left home.

Wright is a part time starter for a team that's worse than any team in MLS. So is Gooch. Ledezma has yet to actually play for PSV.

Alvardo is an average player in Mexico. Average Mexican league players have a long history of not being Nats level. There is no Mexican league fairy dust, it's a myth.

Horvath probably should be on the team but he isn't playing either. So you're big argument here is Gregg is making big mistakes by not causing a club/country issue with players coming off injury and a bunch of mediocre or part time starters in MLS caliber leagues or players who are out of form.

 

mid it fair to assume that you have no problem with 59% of all minutes played since CUpcake going to MLS and now 69% of this roster is MLS? We have never had numbers like these (except for “we have people who play that position in MLS” Arena).

that’s within the bounds of what you think is our pool?