Stewart and Berhalter are not only doubling down on Klinsmanns "proactive" style of play in terms of dictating the matches, they are even more aggressive in mandating the attacking constructs. Well done! I am getting excited about the future of the USMNT as far as continuing to move the program forward.
Awesome. Now we’re a less skilled Mexico. Hurray. That being said, I hope he’s highly successful and we beat Mexico at home and at least tie in Azteca with our “proactive” style.
Still more athletic and physical. It could work. Just can't go the Ramos route of selecting an entire team of small, technical players. That ends poorly.
Ramos, like others, learned from the mistake and adjusted. He's had more than a few large and physical players the last few cycles.
I will take a less-skilled, faster, higher work-rate version of Mexico any day. In fact 2018 Mexico was a less-skilled, faster, higher work-rate version of traditional Mexico which is how they beat Germany at WC2018.. US 2006 and US 2014 were also less-skilled, faster, higher work-rate versions of Mexico. HEXMatchesWLDGFGAGDPtsFinish 1998104151798172nd 2002105321183173rd 20061072116610221st 20101062219136201st 2014107211587221st 20181034317134125th
I've grown to like Ramos quite a bit from the 2015 WC onwards. Aside from a disastrous 2013 WC cycle, he's gotten a lot of good results and a lot of pros out of his teams. He's not perfect, but he's done better than any other YNT coach at any level.
I don't think "just go out there and express yourself" ever counted as "aggressive in mandating the attacking constructs", but I am also glad that Berhalter has what appears to be a clear plan to play proactive soccer. The few things that have come out of this camp make it seem like his ideas are easily digested by the players, and therefore clear on how to put them into practice.
Ramos did what a lot of us talked about for years in his first U20 cycle and that was having as many technical Hispanic players as possible. He learned that's not enough and any technical players have to have muscle or speed too. Pulisic was in that second group. Now he's added a few less technical physical specimens and learned it's a lot about balance. Can't have just one type of player and each game may need a different mix of players.
I'm very interested in how 3G changes his tactics in-game. I've heard a ton about how Berhalter has a system and how his system will translate. Is he really going to try to shoehorn players into his system? And if his system isn't working, will he adjust his team?
I read a piece, I think in the Athletic (Tenorio?) saying there was one starter in defense nobody would second guess: John Brooks. I wonder. Look at Caliguri's goal off Weston's assist: Here's the McKennie assist today. It's Caligiuri again! His second of the game gives Schalke a 2-1 lead after fantastic work from McKennie, who gets the assist. 🇺🇸 #S04WOB pic.twitter.com/WMYG29kAT4— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) January 20, 2019 If I were managing a game against Costa Rica tomorrow I think I would start Miazga and Long.
Do you honestly believe that "just go out there and express yourself" was the tactical plan during Klinsmann's tenure or are you just trying to get a laugh?
Yeah, I think that's really the big question for me too. I respect that he has a plan and appears to be able to get players to buy in and learn their roles, but will he be willing/able to change things up if it's not working or doesn't work against certain opponents?
No, I think it was "we're playing you out of position now just go out there and express yourself". Couldn't resist.
I like getting laughs, but I also honestly believe that "just go out there and express yourself" was the tactical game plan, given that I watched all the games and further read that players didn't know what was expected of them. I'm glad Berhalter appears to have a clear vision that's readily understood by players in each position.
Wait a minute, what style or what mandating the buildup, they haven’t played a single game. My team does great at practice being proactive, and taking it to their teammates, but then we actually have to play a game and it all goes to sh*t. At least wait until games 3-4 and playing a team superior to us not Panama and Costa Rica(they are probably better than us).
Wow, you are serious! I don't know what you read or even expect to change your beliefs but ponder this from Brad Evans: A day later, in front of 40,000 friendly fans, they showed that Mr. Klinsmann's lessons were sinking in. In the 36th minute, midfielder Geoff Cameron corralled a loose ball 30 yards in front of the U.S. goal. Instantly, he pushed it ahead to Mr. Bradley, who carried it up the middle into the gut of Panama's defense. Fabian Johnson, one of Mr. Klinsmann's German-American imports, sprinting up the left side, took a pass from Mr. Bradley and fired the ball toward the far goal post. Jozy Altidore volleyed it into the net. All told, six U.S. players were either in, or about to enter, the penalty area in front of the goal when Mr. Altidore scored. To Mr. Evans, the goal looked like one of a half-dozen pattern plays Mr. Klinsmann had been running in practice for a year and a half. "It was almost like there were cones on the field," he says. https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-h...urgen-klinsmann-overhauls-team-usa-1401899734 Nothing like video evidence, At 0:24 of the video we see typical 1 on 1 tactical reinforcement meetings that happens before every match. Folks who actually followed the team will recall that for much of JK's first cycle Vasquez was the defense coach, Andi handled the midfield, and Klinsmann the forwards.
I love the style of play that they are attempting to deliver. Will they fully deliver it this cycle, well we have to wait and see. Can the current pool execute it? We will also have to wait and see but I am fully on board with their style of play. As to why I think they are doubling down as opposed to moving backwards. Check out some details from the article on Klinsmanns style of play which is similar to what GGG espouses. Most important, he implored them to keep the ball moving around the field, and the only way to do that, he explained, was to stay in near perpetual motion, to search constantly for the open space where they can receive a pass. Kyle Beckerman, the U.S. midfielder, says that differed from former coach Bob Bradley's philosophy, which stressed every player staying in an organized block of space. https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-h...urgen-klinsmann-overhauls-team-usa-1401899734
The bolded simply did not happen, regardless whether Klinsy implored them to do so. Again, I'm hopeful because it sounds like Berhalter is indeed capable of communicating his tactics to his players. However, I think Berhalter is between what you said about Klinsy's tactics and Bob's tactics, based on several recent articles and interviews I've read. Several players have spoken about GGG's specifics regarding the areas of the field each position is expected to move in, the runs they are to make, etc. That sounds to me like splitting the difference between the "perpetual motion" (which is less structured) and the "organized block" (which is rigid).
If I had to characterize Berhalter's coaching in a sentence I would say that his interpersonal style is American while his playing style is European. Is this a good thing? We will see.
Brooks is a much better fit in Germany due to his physicality than he's in CONCACAF against dribbling/short-passing teams. At this point it shouldn't even be a matter of discussion.