From Bruce's interviews today, courtesy of @Andy_B in the US N&A Thread (thanks!): He sees Bradley as a 6, but wishes the team had a natural 10. He thinks Jermaine Jones "still has something to offer." He sees 50-60 players in the National Team pool with about 30 coming to January camp, primarily from MLS Says that the biggest weakness he'd like to shore up is finding a better passer in midfield. Says he expects Benny will get called into camp in January. Guzan is not set in stone as the #1 GK with Howard injured. Bruce hopes to have his staff in place by third week of December. Few notes based on that: 1) Definitely still expect Zardes, Lletget and Rogers to be invited to January camp. All three in positions of need, in particular Lletget. 2) Matt Doyle tweeted this based on the above and I agree: likely a Bradley/[Feilhaber/Kljestan] combo in the middle with Lletget, Nguyen, Nagbe (etc) as outside shots. 3) I see Jones as a super sub based on Bruce's comments (contrary to what ESPN wrote in the article title, when you look at the article you'll see that Jones "has a role" - whereas Bradley is picked as the 6). 4) If Landon plays in 2017 and plays well, I definitely can see Bruce calling him based on the above commentary. If he doesn't play, I also could see Bruce using him as a #10 coach. Bruce has identified this as the biggest problem, and basically says the team has a #10 shaped hole. We all know who played that role for Bruce. 5) Benny has got to be excited. 6) So curious about that staff. 7) So glad Bruce is being practical and understandable. There are zero guessing games with his commentary. We get it, he's not beating around the bush, and he's clear. Classic Bruce, and SO NEEDED.
Oh, and based on the comments I really see him looking to recreate the 2014 Galaxy. Bradley = Juninho Kljestan/Feilhaber = Sarvas Pulisic = LD Zardes on the wing Altidore/Wood = Keane/Zardes (with apologies to Keane who Altidore wishes he could be) Consistent back 4 GK
Bruce says his staff should be selected by the third week of December We will have 2 friendlies at the end of January Bruce has recommended some stadiums to play the qualifiers at
I'm curious why you would think this as well? The guy has an amazing track record, is experienced in getting teams through Concacaf qualifying which is a specialized skill, and players love to play for him. Sure he has had a couple hiccups but overall his teams are successful a very high percentage of the time. I know some younger fans think little of Bruce - he's from the past and from the US and so on. But the role of a national team coach during WC qualifying isn't teaching advanced tactics, teaching individual techniques or skill or any of that stuff. And at this particular point in the cycle its not about bringing in new young talent (that had to be done in 2014->early 2016). It's about getting the right players on the field and getting them feeling comfortable, confident and working together and playing hard. Bruce is one of the best in the world at those tasks.
Just this past week Bruce has spoke with a lot more clarity of the direction of the program than Klinsmann did in his whole tenure
Unfortunately only 1, but I repped it and repped yours as well. Bruce may not speak the truth to reporters if it doesn't help what he is trying to do, but in either case, he won't use pyscho-babble either. And if things go wrong, he will point the finger at himself first and foremost.
^THIS. And not only has he been clear with fans, he'll be clear with players. He's already been very 2x4 on roles with the media as @Dr.Phil mentioned - I imagine it'll continue in the locker room. The biggest benefit he'll give the players is: "This is your job. And let me be clear on what your job is: [insert]" This will be the anti-Jurgen of: "get out there an express yourself while you're out of your comfort zone"
I am so looking forward to whatever exhibition game follows the Jan. camp. It has been way too long since I have been able to go to a Nats game. Interesting point about how clear Bruce has been. I have heard a couple of his interviews and he was very direct and forthcoming in his responses. Those interviews stand in stark contrast to the steady stream of snark he was peddling in post-game interviews the last few months, Maybe he just didn't like the local media, but I think it was more another sign of burnout at the club level. He sounds re-invigorated by the Nats appointment. I hope so, at least.
He has a vested interest in fixing his legacy from 2006. And showing what he can do relative to the previous coach.
To reply why I feel this way, I am a bit nervous about Bruce's stubbornness with younger players. We have a few older players that need to be phased out and some younger players should be getting their minutes. Bruce has never been one to rely on youth. It took a ridiculous season with Los Dos from Zardes to even get considered for the main club. McBean had a great season, and yet still wasn't given a chance. That worries me because we have a lot of talented younger players. I worry Bruce will continue with the likes of Jones, Zusi, and maybe even Wondo. Also has any manager ever had a successful 2nd spell in charge? I can't think of any successes, but numerous failures. These are just my thoughts. I'd obviously love to be proven wrong, but I worry that Bruce is a bit stubborn and worn out from managing us for over half a decade with zero break.
Not to pile on you Skevin, but I'm not sure I understand the stubborness on young players comment. It's been debunked a few places (I think Matt Doyle did an analysis on this). I think the issue that everyone is talking about now is Bruce's tendency to hold on to players too long, players he's loyal to. Those have tended to be veterans because they have history, but it's not because I think he's necessarily averse to young players. I've read with young players that he tends to give them very clear directions on their 1 job. And I can see that - it was the case with the younger players he's tried to incorporate into the Galaxy line up. Once they earn his trust, then their roles get expanded. Zardes was brought along at the appropriate time, we saw his struggles in his first season. Mendiola is getting ample playing time. Honestly I haven't seen much from McBean that gets me excited. So I don't miss him. Villarreal is a question mark, but with his being shuttled around I wonder if he has issues we don't hear about. AJ and Omar were incorporated as rookies. Rowe earned his starting job. Lletget is a find. Bruce mixes in the younger players with veterans, which is crucial in MLS. And I think will be crucial in a transition time for the USMNT. He's already talked about Jones being a piece, but he's making very limited noise about him being a starter. Jones should be in camp as a veteran, but he's going to be missing any way from the first game due to YC accumulation. So Bruce has to go on without him. Bruce may be considering Zusi and Wondo in the 50-60 player pool, but he's also given them zero mention. You have a point about him going stale here in LA. But I think that could be due to a whole host of reasons and not just because he wants to play the older guys. The stability he provides and the ability to mix youth and veterans - which we see on our own team - is highly needed on the Nats right now. And honestly looking at the lineup, which youngsters are going to get displaced? Pulisic will still be there. Wood will still be there. Morris will definitely get a shot, if not an increased one. Gyasi will be there. I expect Lletget to be called. The questionmarks are around players like Gooch, Green, Miazga, CCV etc. And frankly, those guys need to get playing time at clubs before they sniff the national team. We need to win games NOW, not worry about these players' development. Just a thought. Do I think Bruce is the best coach ever? No. But I think he's a glorious match for a team that is badly in need of confidence, clarity and trust. Those are things that Bruce excels at. We can worry about youth development later. And yes, this partially a result of being 6 points in the hole. It's interesting to me that Sunil finally saw the light at this point. US Soccer cannot afford to have the national team miss the World Cup. I'm sure the Board of Directors saw that too. Ultimately that fear won the day. US Soccer is being realistic about it's priorities. I know there are folks that want us to be a part of CONMEBOL to make the team better. I'm not one of them at this stage in our development. I fundamentally believe going to the World Cup every 4 years is more crucial to the development of the game in the US than making our XI better and missing out on a World Cup. That said, I'm heavily biased because of my other national team. Turkey doesn't take World Cups for granted. And they haven't been to one since 2002. And that's a tragedy.
I just want to say that one of my goals in life is to sit next to Berks when the USA plays Turkey at the World Cup. Well, the paramedics and EMT's (along with a defibrillator) would sit directly next to Berks, then I would sit next to them....
I'm with Berks on this one. I think it's easy to fall into a "grass is greener" viewpoint with young players because we all hope to find that exciting young talent to give our first team a boost. But with maybe the exception of Villarreal most of the younger players who currently aren't getting minutes (Sorto, BJIV, Lassiter, McBean, Mendiola, etc.) had their limitations exposed when they did get first team minutes. For example McBean's strength and finishing ability stood out in USL and allowed him to put up 15 goals and 2 assists in only 17 games for GII. But at the GI level his physical abilities are nothing special and it showed. He actually played in 19 LAG games with 9 starts and over that span only got off a total of 9 shots on goal. He was relatively efficient scoring twice and getting 2 assists but still those are rather mediocre stats for a forward. You can argue that he would improve with more playing time but there is also the possibility that he will become even less effective as defenses figure him out. That is what happened to Villarreal - he came in and was carving up defenses right off the bat but as soon as defenders figured out that he was a go left, shoot left player he struggled to even get off a dangerous shot. Similarly BJIV was going to be the 2nd coming - until he actually got first team minutes and was overwhelmed. Sorto and Mendiola were shining at GII level and but often looked like kids among men when they played for the first team. The young players who do make the transition successfully tend to be extremely good athletes - Zardes and Morris are prime examples. They superior athleticism was not just impressive at the USL level, they were among the best athletes on the field at the highest levels of US soccer. And even those players struggled at first. Long winded way of saying that I don't think Bruce missed a lot of untapped youth talent, at least not Los Dos talent. Now young South American talent? That's another story and I don't think he has tapped that well sufficiently.
I'm with Berks on this one. I think it's easy to fall into a "grass is greener" viewpoint with young players because we all hope to find that exciting young talent to give our first team a boost. But with maybe the exception of Villarreal most of the younger players who currently aren't getting minutes (Sorto, BJIV, Lassiter, McBean, Mendiola, etc.) had their limitations exposed when they did get first team minutes. For example McBean's strength and finishing ability stood out in USL and allowed him to put up 15 goals and 2 assists in only 17 games for GII. But at the GI level his physical abilities are nothing special and it showed. He actually played in 19 LAG games with 9 starts and over that span only got off a total of 9 shots on goal. He was relatively efficient scoring twice and getting 2 assists but still those are rather mediocre stats for a forward. You can argue that he would improve with more playing time but there is also the possibility that he will become even less effective as defenses figure him out. That is what happened to Villarreal - he came in and was carving up defenses right off the bat but as soon as defenders figured out that he was a go left, shoot left player he struggled to even get off a dangerous shot. Similarly BJIV was going to be the 2nd coming - until he actually got first team minutes and was overwhelmed. Sorto and Mendiola were shining at GII level and but often looked like kids among men when they played for the first team. The young players who do make the transition successfully tend to be extremely good athletes - Zardes and Morris are prime examples. They superior athleticism was not just impressive at the USL level, they were among the best athletes on the field at the highest levels of US soccer. And even those players struggled at first. Long winded way of saying that I don't think Bruce missed a lot of untapped youth talent, at least not Los Dos talent. Now young South American talent? That's another story and I don't think he has tapped that well sufficiently.
Sophie's choice. SOPHIE'S CHOICE! (They played against one another in 2010 World Cup prep in New Jersey. I'm sad I didn't fly out and see it. Didn't matter for Turkey though, only a friendly since Turkey wasn't going to the World Cup.)
It's been covered, but I also think the whole "integrating youth" thing is another way Jurgen distorted the role of NT coach. I've heard, even among his detractors, begrudging praise for the way Jurgen's ushered guys like Morris along or given minutes to players like Green. IMO, it's not really the role of a NT coach to integrate youth or build a pipeline -- merely to call in the best players for the team. Obviously this means integrating and grooming young/new players, but I'm not a fan of using the NT to give young players intl experience they haven't yet earn or the general way Jurgen treated the NT like a club squad.
I agree completely with your first sentence. However, with respect to the Galaxy, I think you have stated your facts in a way that misrepresents the actual situation about some of the younger players. Take McBean as an example. He signed with the Galaxy when he was 17. AT that point, he frankly lacked the physical strength to play the target forward position. However, by 2013, he had gained some strength and had a string of strong games before Borchers broke his collar bone ending his 2013 season in May. That set him back substantially and he seemed to gain some bad weight. This year with the Galaxy II, he was 21 and had a very good season. He only played 2 games with the Galaxy and was in many ways surplus with Gordon filling the same role, thus his loan to Coventry City. I think you might also be wrong about BJIV, as he is only 20. The thing that has held him back was not his play but his history of concussions.