It seems like I say this every friendly. I saw some things I liked. I saw some things I did not like at all. The result does not matter as long as Berhalter learned from this game who he can trust and who he should leave off the field. Venezuela will be more of a real dress rehearsal as we all know so I think we should be more critical about that match. And even then the result won't mean that much in the grand scheme.
I know this game was more about GB assessing who should fill out the remaining slots on the GC squad... but I am shocked at how bad they were. I am also very upset that GB seems to be relatively OK with the performance. That comment he made about their effort level was a joke. The U20 Team just knocked off France in their WC... the MNT players from last night would have lost to that team... and at a minimum our men from last night should have tried to match the intensity I saw on Tuesday. Maybe they should have picked Tab Ramos as the NT coach. He is getting a ton out of his boys. In the end, it is only a friendly.... GB will be judged based on how he does in the GC and WCQ... but if last night didn't light a fire in the hearts of the players/coaches then we a re in trouble... because that was embarrassing.
Still just don't understand. We have a young, athletic, not particularly technical, but not useless roster of early 20 somethings. So naturally we want to play the slowest back line on earth and possess the ball? We need Ranieri in here. The rain man has his team press in own half, then in 2 seconds ball is from one end of the pitch to the other. But no. We want to 'disrupt' the other team with our stylish possession play and RB-CM-Striker and non existent defensive midfield and let the 'system' do the rest. Pathetic. Just play the fast, tenacious kids, rotate 3 more in and disrupt the other team with relentless lightning quick counters. What is so difficult?
Don't be daft. He proved through his analysis that his 'system' will make money. Soccer? virtually irrelevant.
This is the style we chose when Berhalter was the selection. We all knew it. Again, its why I pushed for Marsch if we were going to have an American coach. We blundered picking a guy who is soo rigid about his system to the point that he disregards the strength of his player pool.
^This^ He is like Sarri w/o the pedigree/success. The best coaches play their best players and play them in the style/positions that best suit them. The two words that best describe GB? Stubborn and arrogant.
I think style never entered the picture. The discussion was this. BigEars: Has to be from MLS. Beerholder II: I've got just the guy. Cordeiro: Where's the tequila? BigEars: Can we sell him to everyone? Beerholder II: If not him, then his system. Cordeiro: Limes? BigEars: Is it a soccer system? Beerholder II: Does it matter? Cordeiro: Ofcourse, limes make all the difference.
the technical standard of the front 6 was not up to snuff...especially the midfield....they were missing wide open passes, often pitifully.... not seeing it from djorje, trapp, roldan arriola AT ALL. like not even close. of course he think sbradley is good if he thinks those four are good. yikes. holmes was MOTM for US, imo.
To me it was set up. Sargent had to walk on water to make this team. Nevermind he didn't get any service from the mids. I wonder if GB would have excluded from the team Zardes or Jozy if they would have had the same performance with this patched up mids.
that isn't the set up at all you completely missed it he played trapp against jamaica and bradley will play against a much much more dangerous venezuela leaving only one obvious conclusion...trapp must start.(now of course did his best to destroy that by playing terrible against jamaica but still)
This is a giant issue... Only one of those two (Trapp/Bradley) should have made the team as a backup to Adams. It just seems like they are GB's "guys" and he had to make up some lame hybrid position because no one would have accepted the absence of Adams from the team. This is the height of stupidity. Everyone accept GB seems to understand this.