The semi-finals are set, after a lackluster group phase. The winning team from Group B is: @GiallorossiYank & @truefan420 The 2nd Place team in Group A is: @Mr Martin @ @deuteronomy Both teams must submit lineups and make a case for why their team would win the Semi-Final. Then any and all posters may vote for the winning team. Voting last 14 days from today.
Friends, fellow travelers, I'm here at the Miami airport waiting for my flight to Panama City when I got an urgent message from my friend Mr. Martin who requested I do our team format for our semi final match up. Do not vote for our team for this reason. Here's our draft a team we think it's the best team overall, but we particularly think it matches up very well against our opponent in this round now. Starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 or maybe more 4-1-4-1: --------------------Altidore----------------- --Nagbe---------Nguyen--------McNamara-- ----------------------Muyl------------- ----------------Kitchen----------------- -Bornstein----CCV----Birnbaum----Beltran-- ----------------- Howard(c)---------- We have the top strike with United States pull in Jozy Altidore, and A great group of play makers behind him. Lee Nguyen is our central creator.. Nagbe was one of the best US players in Bruce Arena's recent January camp and will play left Midfield which is perhaps,his best role. McNamara is a high-energy goal creator. Muyl has a work rate unseen in MLS , at this point. Kitchen is a solid DM to keep things tight and under control for the play-makers. Defensively we have One of the best USA players, ever, goalkeeper, Tim Howard, its #1 young CB prospect in Cameron Carter-Vickers, and three highly experienced, veterans all starting for their clubs in the same roles we have them in. Birnbaum is a proven MLS starter and recent US mens player who started both January Friendlies. Beltran is a solid, experienced MLS RB, while Bornstein has been the only reliable US left back starting in the Mexican League and boasts 38 US caps, including several starts at the 2010 World Cup. Everyone is in a role they have proven themselves capable of playing. Subs: ---------------Bruin-------Bunbury------------ ----Wenger-----------------------------Diskerud--- ---------------Warner----Stanko--------------- Burch------Woodberry----Steres-----Fossey --------------------Johnson---------------------- ---------------------(Miller)-------------------- We definitely feel we have the bench best bench in the entire tournament many players in this group would be starting on other teams . Anyway, my plane is boarding and I must go.
Neagle-------Wondo------Finlay ----------Benny---Delgado-------- --------------Bradley(C)------------- Kemp--Parkhurst--Miazga---Lichaj --------------Robles------------------ Bench: Brooks Lennon - ST Erik Hurtado - ST Shea Salinas - RW/LW Dilly Duka - CAM Brad Evans - CM/RB Scott Caldwell - DM/CM Maurice Edu - CB/DM Nick Hagglund - CB Venture Alvarado - CB/RB Connor Lade - LB Evan Bush - GK/Bartender Zac MacMath -GK We're going to start from the bottom up... In goal we feel we have a very good keeper in Robles. At outside back we have two backs, in Kemp and Lichaj, that can get forward and contribute in the attacking 3. All while remaining strong defensively. In the middle we have two center backs that complement each other perfectly in Miazga and Parkhurst. One big strong and physical and getting great reviews in Holland and the other a heady vet who is good on the ball and organizing the back. In the midfield we have our captain Bradley. While he's taken flack lately he's still one of the best in our pool. We pair him with a worker bee in Delgado and arguably our best creative CM in Benny. This midfield can do it all. Up top we have two wingers who are both capable at either putting the ball in the net or setting up another. Both provide good pace to press and stretch the field for the still lethal Wondo. While he isn't the best striker in the pool he can score with the best of them and has more creative players around him than he's ever had to play with before. We also feel we have great depth in the midfield and the backline. As well as some young exciting attacking options off the bench.
In the construct of my team? I think it's a great blend. Wondo is the fox in the box striker that can find ways to score. He also will see a lot of great chances with the players around him in this team. His movement is great and while he might not be able to press for a full 90 anymore he can still do it longer than Jozy. Neagle and Finlay are two different types of wingers that should give me a little of everything up front. Finlay has great speed and presses well. He has a surprising knack for goal for traditional winger. And a fantastic cross. Neagle is going to cut in more to take shots which is perfect in my set up for two reasons. One any deflections or balls put back into the box are wondos bread and butter. Two Kemp will get up and provide crosses and operate in the space wide when Neagle cuts in. Neagle also has good speed to make up for Wondo. Meaning both he and Finlay can stretch the field. For the national team (which isn't revelvant outside of that's the player pool for the draft)? Wondo wouldn't be one of my 4 strikers but i like to go young with spots that won't see the field. Wondo also still puts up numbers with the best of the Americans in the MLS and because of it he will find the 23 over inconsistent players (won't name them here). Finlay should get more a chance but he didn't fit what JK did or what I think Bruce wants to do. Neagle wasn't US team par but no team can field 11 that are and I think we may have come the closest too it.
It's 3 to 1 can the people that actually voted state why? Can I know who voted and why or is that too much to ask for?
I'll come forward and say I voted for Deportivo Vejete. Ultimately, group A was totally lopsided on the board. For instance, Joe Cleats vs AutoPenalti??? I would expect a 4-0 win for JC. That said, to the point... Some of the players aren't "bad" selections for the draft as they are personal players I rate very low but expect to be drafted high: Robles, Wondolowski. So, I wouldn't say that you picked badly, but if I compare Howard to Robles then Altidore to Wondolowski there's no contest. Next, Benny and Bradley is a GREAT midfield combo, but Delgado is in the way. You need to bench Delgado and expect him to be a sub. That forces you to start one of your bench players... which it seems like the team runs out of ideas on formation and tactics, as again, with benny and Bradley, your team is good enough to try other ideas. Personally, I would have recommended you to have gone with a 442 as soon as you had these two. Next, Neagle is a bench player... I could forgive if he was covering for an injured player. I like Finlay... just that other side is weak. Honestly, Lennon might have been a better selection - but still, you're going to have to wait to see if that blooms or not. Lastly, your defense is solid but not enough to compensate for the rest. Ultimately, the line up is good, but some holes in the XI that could be exploited. For DV though, Diskerud should have been a great steal, but it's sadly been a complete bust. That said, Muyl and McNamara are solid but not going to set the world on fire either. Moreover, I think Muyl is out of position. Nagbe needs to prove he's worth the hype... he had a horrible 2016... which leaves Altidore isolated. With Kitchen, you have a solid player, who is going to hold his own but at the same time, he's not to be a difference maker. His fullbacks though are extremely weak. Beltran and Bornstein are probably the easiest to exploit, for fullbacks who are first round quality. You can forgive one, but the both of them, and it screams that a team with technique is going to murder that backline. And ultimately, CCV is too raw to make up for their deficiencies. In the end, DV and you have good teams. But, with gun to the head, I decided on DV for the aforementioned reasons. I expect a close score line, 1-0. Altidore, with Wondolowski missing an opportunity to equalize late.
I thought about dropping Delgado for Scott Caldwell and moving Bradley from 6 to 8. Neagle is used as a super sub but could easily start. He's not old on last legs.
Our boy Mix, who we moved to the bench in the space of his club uncertainty, might just be getting another look at a starting berth on our squad. He just got his first start for his new Swedish side, IFK Göteborg Mindre än en timme kvar till avspark. Här är den blåvita premiärelva som ska ta tre poäng idag. #Matchen #ifkgbg pic.twitter.com/z53TloUoFt— IFK Göteborg (@IFKGoteborg) April 1, 2017
Mr Martin & Deuteronomy win 6-3. Congratulations on making the Final. I will set up the Final Poll next week.
hope the Bruce area is looking at more skill full talented players not just mindless kick and run guys and look so dumb when they get play out and please if ur player cant move froward with the ball have them become defense!
The Finals link is set: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2017-usa-mens-draft-poll-the-final.2046236/ 21 days for voting.