This appears to be Tab’s ceiling. Another good run but out in a winnable match. I said ECU would fight to the bitter end.
Congrats on a QF appearance again. Saw some great things from Weah, Pomykal, Dest, Richards, Ochoa, Soto. Some of the team struggled and was out of their depth, but can see a couple of these guys eventually playing for the senior team.
Pomykal recovery run in extra time was amazing. Please please please let him find some more end product
Another hyped team crashes out in the QF. MNT-level players: Weah. MNT potential looks for the fall: Pomykal. MNT potential for the future: Dest, Richards, Future expansion draft player for St. Louis United: More or less the rest. Oh well, fun tournament again.
There's the L. Nice tournament for the U20's. Ecuador should be favorites to win...bigger/stronger/faster, which at this level means a lot. Good games from Weah, Pomykal, and Dest.
There are technically impressive players on this roster, so it's not all bleak. But my god is the lack of ideas (or toughness, frankly) in the final third the continued bane of this program's existence.
Tab's team have consistently been beaten by more physical, well coordinated sides. That appears to be his blindspot in roster construction, and he hasn't addressed it 3 world cups in a row.
Considering that Weah has a present worth the national team, your estimate may be a touch pessimistic. But we’ll see. Tough for me to see Pomykal and Richards and Soto not getting chances relatively soon. And some other guys should improve.
I guess this is Tab's peak. He's a solid coach tactically and motivates players. But he makes too many individual personnel decisions and in terms of complements to get over the hump. The U.S. doesn't have that kind of margin for error. And looking at the senior team, obviously things could get a lot worse. So there's not some major impetus for a change, and I do think he'd be an upgrade up a level. But in terms of both jobs they are leaving potential on the football field. So you have to figure out if being consistently competitive is satisfactory or if you want to gamble for more.
Ecuador deserved the result. Congrats to them. Not quite enough from the U.S. who, however, weren't massively outplayed.
No, he wasn't up to even this level. He's MLS roster fodder, he's not a USMNT barring major growth in the next few years. As depressed as I am right now, seeing how fantastic Dest played in the final two games was the best yo-yo result possible considering where he stood for me, and I imagine most of us after the first two matches or so of the tournament. At this point he looks like a legit long term RB for us. A nice replacement for Yedlin w/continued growth, and a way to end the absurdist obsession with starting Adams out of position for the sake of some MLS lifer, and a past it Bradley in central midfield. At this point, stock up, stock down? What do you guys think (Im making an 8 hour pork shoulder, so I'll post mine in a bit).
This wasn't on Tab. This was on the talent being coached up long before these kids reach camp for better or worse.
Yes. That's my take, too. Really, really enjoyed watching our guys and can't wait to follow their individual progress into the full Nats team. Good luck to all of them and may they fill the void left by the '90-'95 birth group.