Pre-match: 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage: USA vs Panama

I don't really carewho we play next, we should be able to win that, so I'd look to rest a few guys and try a few things out. This is kind of me coaching as Berhalter, not really me as me.

----------------------Altidore---------------------
-----Pulisic--------------------------Morris-----
------------McKennie-----Roldan-------------
-----------------------Trapp----------------------
Lima---------Long------Miazga------Cannon
----------------------Steffen----------------------

Altidore - Needs to shake the rust off a bit, so he has to play at least 45 and hopefully look good. We need him to displace Zardes for the knockouts, so have to see it here.

Pulisic - After the 1st half last night my biggest thought was worry for Cristian. I was thinking he's not getting minutes at Chelsea at all like this. Then the 2nd half happened. I still want GGG to have him wide, here's a chance to see it.

Morris - Earned a game with what he did last night. This is just as much about giving Boyd and Arriola a bit of a break as well. If either were to play instead of Morris I'm fine.

McKennie - Would like to rest him, just this CM depth is terrible. Weird that some didn't like him last night. I thought his touch on his passes was next level.

Roldan - ???? If we move CP wide, someone else has to play in the middle. I still have hope for Roldan. Maybe this is the game he finally shows up?

Trapp - This is just being a realist. He or Bradley is gonna play there. I can't stand Trapp, but I'll give MB90 a day off.

Lima - He's been pretty good at LB for Quakes (better than he was on the right), let's see it. Ream & Lovitz are not good, now or looking forward. Possible Lima is viable there going forward.

Long and Steffen stay in for continuity.

Miazga is probably better than Zimmerman (though I like Walker), so he gets a game here, if nothing else to stay sharp.

With Lima at LB, somebody has to play RB unless we are going to go with a 3 man back line (which I do recommend, but don't see GGG doing it here), so Cannon gets a chance.

Expected subs assuming things go to plan:

'60 - Boyd for Altidore, Morris goes to CF
'70 - Arriola for Pulisic (if we are up by 3, then Lewis)
'80 - Someone for McKennie.

 

Curaçao is no joke? Lol come on man

 

Na, we should not trot out the same tired legs, some with cautions, threatening their effectiveness or availability for the KO rounds.

Not rotating has been a contributing factor in bowing out of the last 2 youth tourneys when they did. And those are kids not men with more wear and tear.

We don't need to win this match. A draw leads us to be victorious in the group. And even if they don't earn a draw they still advance. The goal should be winning the Cup and they'd have to get thru the bigger guns eventually anyway.

If they're in trouble in the first half they could bring out bigger guns in the 2nd. It is Panama not even in a golden generation. I don't think they're as good as Jamaica or Canada. It shouldn't take much to get a result.

 

The diamond helped the U.S. obliterate Panama in that final wc qualifying camp. Maybe reprise the strategy here.

---------Lewis---Morris---------
---------------Boyd--------
------Mihailovic--Roldan-----
Lovitz-----Trapp-----Cannon
---------Long--Miazga-------
------------Steffen--------------

The lack of athleticism in cm is a concern. I'm working with what Gregg supplied me. Hopefully the #'s advantage would compensate, as well as telling Mihailovic to stay back to help defensively and play longer balls to the speed fw's, with Roldan being the one roaming forward, playing crosses and combos with his bff Morris.

Sub in early in the 2nd half if it's not working. Hope they can salvage the result. If we get beat we advance and play a tougher team earlier. I'd kind of prefer not playing an El Salvador in the ko's but having a Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada/Jamaica run. We'd learn something about the team then.

 

There’s pros/cons with going with the same group. But, some of those decisions are going to have to come from Berhalter’s POV because we’re not privy to the fatigue of these players.

That said, our back ups

Lewis———Altidore———Morris
———Mihailovic—Roldan———
——————Trapp——————
Lovitz——————————Cannon
———-Miazga—Gonzalez———
——————Johnson—————

 

If you are going to rest Pulisic, this is the match.

The issue, of course, is resting Pulisic and McKennie.

Three full days between not and Matchday 3, and three more for the Quarterfinal. Then two days until the Semi and three more for the final if we make it to those.

If McKennie is going to get another yellow, you'd prefer it against Panama and not in the Quarterfinal (you can't be suspended for yellow card accumulation for the final).

So maybe rest Pulisic against Panama (ugh) and McKennie in the QF if we need to rest them?

 

Unless I'm incorrect about the rules, playing McKennie in the next match would expose him to yellow card accumulation suspension possibly, but not if they hold him out until the QF because if his second caution occurred there it would have been buffered by an official match in between. Normally the rule is you need to have picked up a yellow card in back-to-back official matches for your team whether you appeared in both or not.

If that's not the case, and they require you to play, bring him in during stoppage time of the next match to give him a clean slate for the ko's. I think he may be the team's MVP right now for as much as what others on the roster don't do as he does.

 

No matter the lineup, whether it's resting players or going with more of the same, I expect this team to win against Panama. They're in between generations, they aren't playing particularly well, they aren't very talented.

We should expect to win this game. I expect to win this game. Anything less is a disappointment.

 

After seeing Jozy last night not sure he is ready. Now perhaps he was playing the way he was due to the scoreline. But he showed not much energy. I think you need to rest some guys in this game especially since the result doesn't much matter other than momentum.

Johnson

Miazga Zimmerman Long

Lima Roldan Trapp McKennie Arriola

Morris Altidore

 

...Why? Our backups should be able to beat this Panama team (which may, itself, be made up of Panamanian backups).

Jozy needs to remember what it feels like to lead the line from minute 1. And I don't want to be missing McKennie in the knockouts.

I think we'll see a lot of rotation, and we should. We've earned the rest. Not only that, but I want to see how the backups do, because if we lose someone, I want to know who we can count on. Is Lovitz a good backup to Ream? Is Cannon a good backup for Lima? Who replaces WM if he gets a yellow, Roldan or Mihailovic?

 

I didn't catch that, but I'm no expert in the rules.

Either way, there's a lot of incentive to rest a lot of the team against Panama, but I understand why you'd also want this team to keep building together.

Also, the drop-off to our reserves is pretty massive.

 

Didn't say Curacao were the second coming of Brazil '70, only that they are one of the improving Caribbean teams. There are some--Guyana--that are total doormats and will likely exit the tournament with zero points and a raggedy goal differential. Then there are some lesser known teams that could be competitive, get some points or even make a dark horse run in the tournament. Haiti is the leader in this category for me, they are already in the quarters after two games. I'd put Curacao in this category, which means only that I think they'll play competitively v Jamaica and might even get a point--not a guaranteed win for the Reggae Boyz. Hence, "no joke". In any event, Honduras didn't find playing against them very funny.

 

Why don't you ask Honduras about Curacao?

 

This game against Panama matters. We want 1to win the group and play the second place group C team, likely El Salvador. Otherwise we play probably Jamaica, and have a tougher game than we'd like at this stage.

 

Yes but the question is can we rest some legs and still beat Panama? I think we can and think its a risk worth taking since ultimately we are moving on one way or the other.

Couple of ways to look at it.

1. Play the strongest lineup you can and then rest the players in the first knockout stage betting that it will be an easier game than Panama and we'd have then rested some players before things get tougher.

2. Rest a good number of players against Panama since its low risk, good to see what others may offer in a less pressure filled match, and believe that you win anyway. And if some other players do get well then you have some options as the tournament goes on.

I am taking approach #2.

 

I think the only Gold Cup I can recall where we didn't heavily rotate players at any point during the group stage's three matches was in 2011, and that's likely because we lost our second game and needed to win the last one. So, just based on that, I think I'd expect to see a decent bit of rotation in this one.
.

 

El Salvador or Jamaica, six or a half dozen.

I would rotate them all

 

As far as the tournament goes, there is no real point in bringing out the first string against Panama

 

Would hate to see McKennie get baited into a suspension. Tough match from the standpoint of wanting to come out without cards or injury yet still put in a strong performance.

 

We also used to play every third day instead of every fourth, so there was that to consider too.

 

Yes, that is the difficult question facing Berhalter. I think you keep the same starting lineup in defense. Continuity is very important with defenders. You start Altidore against Panama and rest Zardes, obviously. In midfield, Bradley played 62 minutes and 90 in the first 2 games. He should get some rest and you insert Trapp. The other tweaks I'm not sure about. I think you start Pulisic and then pull him at 60'. I think you play conservatively for the first 60 minutes and then you play hard and go for the win in the final 30 minutes. If you fall behind, get serious and fight to get the equalizer. All we need is a draw. Of course anyone with yellow card accumulation should sit, and that means Wes McKinney

 

Bolded for truth. Panama did not impress me seeing them live in St. Paul. We should win by two.

 

Which is the best way for an opponent to unleash Pulisic sprinting right at a flatfooted defender 1v1. Better chance at creating a turnover chance for a goal, but I'd argue increases your chances of conceding by even more.

 

Personally, I say squad rotation.

Play Johnson or Miller in goal.

Along the back, I don't need Omar to get minutes, but I think Miazga should have a game replacing Long or Zimmerman. Lovitz has yet to play; could be a benefit to play him and rest Ream. At least Cannon has played, but I'm pretty 50/50 on playing either him or Lima.

Sit McKennie, only player on a yellow and had isn't physically 100%. Rest Bradley. Yes, that has me playing Roldan and Trapp in the midfield, probably, but as a worse version of the Bradley/McKennie from last game, I think it will be OK if not great.

Probably still want Pulisic to start but not go 90. Let Lewis have a chance to show something on one wing, Zardes up top (Altidore still not 100%) with Boyd on the other side. Morris, Altidore and Arriola as the subs for the attack if a goal is needed; if we can get a lead, pull Pulisic instead for Mihailovic.

 

Doesn't Steffen need the caps for the WP?