Not a good showing from our team. In the first half, I didn't think many played well. Carter-Vickers and Mihailovic weren't bad. Pines and Sabbi struggled. Jones is not a #6. He doesn't have the first touch to receive the ball near his own goal. He should play as a #8. The rest were mediocre. In the second half, I thought Miles Robinson and Araujo were the two best players. Robinson's passing wasn't great and he needs to continue to work on it, but its not bad anymore, more in the average category. Araujo was one of our better players in this game, and that was as the youngest player and only player eligible for next U-23 cycle. The kid can play. I don't think he's a traditional RB, but his game will play somewhere. He played as a RB/CM hybrid in this game, like Adams is playing as for the senior team, and I thought Araujo did well in that role. That might be his best role with the NT. In a team without that role, I think he's a central player. The players who I thought were bad in the second half were the three CM's and Ebobisse. Ebobisse was playing out of position, so its hard to fault him too much. He did play a part in Egypt's second goal by not tracking back, something he's not expected to do in his regular role.
In our NT setup, #8 means "he's not precise/smart for a #10, nor positionally aware/strong enough for a $6" --in short, it's the default for all our midfielders who fail to show well in attack and in defense. We don't have a glut of #8s, we have a glut of midfielders lacking skills to be directly useful in attack or defense.
Except that Pomykal has proven himself to be useful in both for FCD. Whether that translates with the NT remains to he seen
You just added a fourth unnecessary squeeze to your triple squeeze. There should be a full time B/u23-24 team that these guys should have graduated to after the 2017 u20 world cup. The top players should be included immediately and the rest should included over time as players age out each year. This team should be run by an extension of the head coaches staff and camps should be held in the same location as the full team when possible. The point is to create continuity and help prepare for the Olympics and help young players transition from youth team to the full national team.
You will trash a euro based player anywhere. My interest him increased for after the Brazil game. I thought the rest of the game far outweighed taking a wrong angle Costa (an over age player in the 2016 Olympics).
Alineaciones Holanda 🇳🇱 - 🇺🇸 USA@KNVB - @USYNT pic.twitter.com/CGodB4q2ha— Pinatar Arena (@PinatarArena) March 24, 2019 Several changes in the starting lineup. Looks like a stronger squad to me.
That's seven players who have been capped by the senior team. If there isn't a better showing and they've had more time to train together. If they don't have a better showing, it will be somewhat disappointing.
Would rather see Jones and Olosunde but Jones whiff probably relegated his ass to the bench. Fair enough. Hopefully not playing on same bandbox field as more painful to watch than NYCFC matches.
Been watching for a little and I agree that everyone looks out of sync on offense. Guys don't know where to pass, so a lot of guys are are overdribbling a lot. I'd point out Robinson and Lindley mostly. I don't really like the insistence on playing a 4-4-2 when none of these guys seem comfortable with it, and all of these guys have played in our youth teams before in a 4-3-3.
Watched the last 25 minutes of the first half, Lindley (yes, one nice pass) and Araujo looked in over their heads. Araujo is a central player (CB/CDM) or not at all imho, doesn't have the pace to play fullback. Lindley sticks out like a sore thumb, total traffic cone at CDM.
Yeah he was by far the weakest player on the pitch in first half. He did dial up a nice over the top through ball to Josh though late in the half. Araujo isn't a RB as he just doesn't have the pace. In any case that half was million times better than the Egypt game. Robinson made nice dribbling run and was inches wide with his shot. Weah was active on the right flank, Parks was quality on the ball as you would expect and Josh had his moments.
Araujo is playing RB strictly. Did try to come inside for a few minutes as that Berhalter inverted DM next to Lindley, but that didn't last for long.
This is a 433. The Egypt game was 442. Today's lineup: Ebobisse Sargent Weah ----------Parks Mihailovic ---------------Lindley Robinson--CCV--Robinson--Araujo I think they've looked pretty good, and I don't think the Egypt game was nearly as bad as most people reported. Lindley has really struggled, but that half was not bad at all.
Gotcha, but what I'm saying is that he has zero senior national team future at RB. If the Galaxy are insistent on making him a fullback then he is an MLS lifer. I get it, he doesn't have ideal height for a CB but I would try him at CDM before I would shunt him out wide, he doesn't have the tools there.
I hope we stick with this lineup to begin the 2nd half. It's 1000x better than the showing vs. Egypt, so far. This Netherlands squad has some really good players in it, and the US was more than holding their own.
Good first half. Outplaying Holland. Sargent had a clear penalty with a nice pass over the top centrally by Lindley (his only real good pass) chested it down and CD ran up his backside. Mihavolic had free shot at the top of the box he should have buried. A. Robinson walked in on goal and pulled a shot wide from about 8 yds out. Frustrating. Weah, Parks, Sargent, Mihavolic all looking good. Aruajo is good but struggling on the counter with Kliuvert. Ebobisse isn't a wide player and struggling with Robinson who is so stiff legged. Good overall first half. Lindley only one who is just not of this level. Never been a big fan of Robinson but he's been decent and Ebobisse is only a #9. Need a better left side winger.
I don't know enough about Araujo to know how fast he is, but he's not the only guy Kluivert will run past. Kid is fast.
The matchup is tough for him for sure, but I've seen enough beyond just today to think he isn't cut out for that role at the highest levels.
What's his game these days? I thought he was supposed to be a target man with solid hold-up play, but he gets knocked off the ball so easily by defenders who have been playing 70' more than him...
It's ridiculous. If I were a fan of a club he was on, his lackadaisical, low-energy play would do my head in.
We really deserved to win. Better for 65/70 minutes. Open header by Ebobisse right at GK. Then our subs came in and it all fell apart. Hollands subs were better than ours. Pos at RB was poor. D. Jones at DM slow movement of ball. Go figure Lindley WAS better. H. Wright doesn't want to hustle. Pines was scared shitless every time a ball came near him. Sabbi doesn't know how to play the game of soccer. At least we got to see Tommy Chong's love child.
He is a young Jozy Altidore. A really big guy who plays soft. Usually goes down on contact looking for a foul. Problem is, refs rarely give that call when you have 6" and 50 lbs on the guy who is probably fouling you. Still time to learn to put his size to use.