USMNT: The Berhalter Era pt. 1/ World Cup 2022 /Controversy

Right now what would you do differently than GB ?

whst would your starting XI and 18 best players look like because the World Cup is 2 years away and we look like a borderline WC team . We need to qualify and have a decent showing but depending on draw we could have a early exit if we even make it

 

Pulisic Sargent Weah
Adams Pomykal Mckennie
Dest Long ? Cannon/Yedlin

Medium pressing on defense, trying to force play into the middle where we have guys that love to gobble that stuff up.

In attack looking to get Dest on the underlap to get either he or Pulisic in 1v1 spots. Or working to get the right back free for crosses into 3+ players attacking the box.

 

Dest is gonna play for The Netherlands.

 

I wouldn't want to bet on it either way. He's basically guaranteed a starting spot for the USA right now. The Dutch can't offer him that. They can offer a better overall team, program, regional championship and travel ease. I don't think it's a simple choice.

 

I think the Back line needs to get sorted out and work with Zack . I think LB is the hardest to say I’m not sure what GB is thinking but we have plenty of good CB : Brooks , Long,,Ream , Zimmerman etc... RB looks like Cannon /Yedlin for sure.

LB: please no more Ream it won’t work vrs the better teams. Our options are limited so hopefully someone steps up like Robinson. Garza and others all seem average . If so we do need a RB to play LB and hopefully Dest never switches over

also i have no problem with sometimes moving Pulisic around to different spots but we need all our strikers to step up and i think Zardes and Altidore will be on the bench but Sargent is not able to compete physically sometimes which worries me. Which means Altidore will start sometimes

 

Quite frankly, Cannon/Yedlin at RB works perfectly, since there are almost always 2 games in every international window, they can split the playing time 50/50 so neither gets overworked.

 

I do. He's a starter for Ajax. He's a regular starter for a Champions League team that will probably make the knockout stage. He's what, 18 or 19? He can play on the right of left, yeah, the Dutch will come for him. US is a joke, no idea why he would want to play for us.

 

He plays RB for Ajax ?

i wonder if Yedlin or Cannon would be better suited at LB ???

 

wrong.

All in for the 🔴, ⚪️ & 🔵❗️

After featuring for the @USYNT at the #U17WC and #U20WC, Sergiño Dest will continue in our colors with the #USMNT. 🇺🇸⚽️

MORE >> https://t.co/aj6rDj8n6X pic.twitter.com/aX4nZs2CVB

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 28, 2019

 

Our resident Nostradamus.

 

I wonder how @Nostradumass feels about your statement.

 

He's about as 2 footed as a player can be. As I mentioned in how I would line up our team now, I think he's just fine defensively (and likely to get better with experience) at either left or right. He has played both for Ajax too. But with the USA, I like him on the same side as Pulisic. When Pulisic is out wide Dest can underlap to great effect. Good shot, good interplay ability and nice 1v1 skills. Being right footed he gets an additional advantage moving towards his strong foot.

We have 2 good right backs. I'd say Dest might be better now than either of them as far as pure soccer skill. But there is no one in the pipeline for left back, so he kind of has that spot. I'm sure that's a good part of why he chose the USA. He's the presumptive starter for this cycle.

 

Isn't there some deal where players can make a one time switch so he could possibly still end up with the Netherlands? I'm not sure how all that works.

 

Well Dest just announced he is all in for USA and killed any speculation

 

Yes, he can still switch until he plays in a non-friendly with the US. Once he plays in a qualifier, Gold Cup, World Cup, Nations League, whatever, he's cap-locked.

I'll take Dest, that's cool. I mean, goodbye Reggie Cannon I guess, shame. Unless Dest plays on the left.

 

Looking forward to Berhalter beating any improvisation and instinct out of Dest in order to make him "fit the system." Here's hoping his learnings at Ajax and other clubs outlast the reign of Gregg and Jay at USSF and and we can find out if this kid can actually contribute to a program with competent people in charge.

 

Correct, FIFA allows the “one-time switch” for cap-tied players at the youth level. Since Dest played for the USYNT in a World Cup, he would’ve had to file a switch with FIFA to compete for the Netherlands, IIRC.

 

Steffan is out for the next two US games with knee tendinitis, that sucks.

 

Still listed as starting for Duesseldorf on the weekend.

 

And he did start lol. Not even Zack wants to play for the US and GB right now.

 

Just guessing here but since basically the only thing that you can do with tendonitis is rest, it was necessary for him to limit his assignments a bit.

And frankly, the next 2 US games are against useless weak sisters, Canada and Cuba. They'd be good games to miss.

And then theres the issue of just who actually pays his salary.

Bottom line, if he needs some rest, then crap US games would seem to be the better choice. There are plenty of guys who can handle Cuba.