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

FS1 talked to Ream at halftime of Honduras-El Salvador. Ream talked about how close USA-Panama matches have been in the Gold Cup and said (basically) that the U.S. needs to keep doing what it's been doing.

Generic Q&A; most significant is the fact that Ream took the question. I expect him to play even if Berhalter rotates a ton of players.

 

Yeah, I think the back line won't see a lot of rotation. Important to work on consistency in the back and at least with the CB's and Ream, they aren't putting in the kind of miles the other field players are.

 

I'd rather played Curacao than rested Jamaica. We should have minor changes against Panama, then massive changes against Curacao, and play the first team in the remaining game(s).

 

And Honduras does them a solid.

 

Ream would know.

 

Deadspin's basically a sports meme site. Occasionally, they write a funny The Onion-style piece, but nobody goes there for actual news.

 

Other Gold Cup Results (open) Other Gold Cup Results (close)

Jamaica wins group C, Curaçao advances in second place. With a win or draw against Panama, USA plays Curaçao in the quarterfinal; with a loss against Panama, USA plays Jamaica in the quarterfinal.

 

Based on the few minutes we saw last game, I say =start him and play him back into shape (if that is the issue). If the form he showed against T and T holds, the only thing we would be saving him for is "the pasture"

 

Maybe.
But if we respond appropriately, Mckennie comes deeper and we play long out of the back, like we did second half of T and T.

 

I might be 30 min late in posting the PBP thread instead of posting it on the hour.

Boxing class happens to end at 8:30

 

This is the first big test for Berhalter.

GB should win this game to avoid Jamaica. Or at least get a result. Curacao pretty much fluked the last 2 results and looked vulnerable defensively. Nicholson should have had 2 or more vs them. GB should make every effort to make sure we win this game. We can beat Curacao with a rotated squad. I imagine Panama will try to get the win for similar reason.

 

We beat Panama at home in the last Hex 4-0 so I'd say that a 2 or 3 to nil is the baseline here.

Same focus as last game:

- no goals allowed
- good communication and maintaining shape
- win well over 50% of loose balls
- no injuries to Wes and Pulisic
- lots of outside shots

 

I want Jamaica.

 

Patience, young grasshopper.

 

They are just a well dressed speed bump.

 

Name G A (mins/G, mins/A)
Ramirez 1 0 (18, –)
Lewis 0 2 (–, 32)
Morris 0 2 (–, 68)
Boyd 2 0 (106, –)
Pulisic 2 2 (125, 125)
Lletget 1 1 (137, 137)
Zardes 3 1 (180, 540)
Arriola 3 1 (196, 590)
Baird 0 1 (–, 201)
Mihailovic 1 0 (231, --)
Long 2 0 (248, --)
McKennie 0 1 (–, 294)
Bradley 0 1 (–, 357)
Zimmerman 1 0 (405, –)
Lima 0 1 (–, 475)
Ream 0 1 (–, 497)

from the people with at least one goal or assist this year

puts some things in context

for example, why is pulisic playing behind arriola. when he produces more goals and assists faster, or how often do the DMs chip in on offense, ie, about as much as the backs do.

 

This is the first time Berhalter needs a result against a Top 4 Hex team. It's a fairly easy test, but a test nonetheless.

I don't think Panama is as tough as Jamaica or Canada.

 

Full squad rotation. They should still win this game 3-0. A loss or draw is embarrassing. Panama at home,

Panama's player's aren't as good as ours, it's not even close. Don't make excuses.

 

I am all for resting players tonight. BUT you also have to be a bit careful with going wholesale changes. Don't want to totally turn any momentum and cohesion on its ear.

I'd make a handful of changes tonight. Then the opposite handful of changes in the next match against Curacao.

 

I remember a time where we lost to Panama at home.

That was a sad day indeed.

 

Dude, you already saw Lovitz v Panama once this year and people have developed amnesia how shaky that went.

That being said, we have to rotate the team at least some places or it will start to tell.

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/06/24/gregg-berhalter-cagey-about-lineup-choices-usmnt-vs-panama

I don't mind cagey but squad rotation is common sense that even my old youth club team used to do in tournaments.

 

He started the same 11 twice so you're talking 180 minutes on 5 players in a week plus another 6 with no less than 150 minutes, since different players were subbed each game. We apparently don't give a darn about the Arena Lesson on squad rotation and are looking to do him one better.

Why would they be starting? To win a different quarter matchup? That would come up Sunday??? Do they have to play that one too because you're too scared we might lose?

Also bears noting that the sequence of games towards the final, starting tonight, would be BABA and get you the first team for the final. And if you risk the first team tonight they better win because otherwise you have set up a rematch of our B side against Jamaica. Unless you run out the first team 4 games in a row without rest.

I'd rather have fresh players for the quarters, against whomever, than make a symbolic coach-affirming push to win the group and only then worry about rest. In the knockout rounds.

 

Also, Panama knows there's a minimal amount on the line. They've shown a tendency to not fully commit in that situation. When the U.S. went up a couple goals in the penultimate world cup qualifying match, Panama bunkered and subbed out key players to try and limit the damage. So one figures they'll rotate in this one to rest players and those on the field won't be fully motivated to win.

The first real test is in the semifinals when it's a better opponent and they know something is on the line. Hell, the quarterfinals game may be a bigger test even if it's Curacao because it'll be a big game for them, they have a pulse, and for all we know they're better than Panama at this point. Many are still working off what's typically a fluid pecking order below the top few in CONCACAF. I agree that I'm inclined to believe Jamaica and Canada are better than Panama at this point. And a couple of the island nations punching above their weight like Haiti and Curacao may have eclipsed them now that Panama's golden generation is in their golden years.

 

People don't have amnesia about it. They don't particularly care given your acknowledgement that rotation isn't important and the reality this game means so little. Either way the U.S. ends up on the easy side of the bracket, Jamaica still isn't a world beater, and to have another mini test in a tourney that is far from the World Cup could be viewed as a positive.