Sorta. He failed Olympic qualification and was the anointed starter under the blessedly short-lived Sarachan era. Aside from a few switches, he hasn't done much despite being used throughout 2018.
Where do the goals come from in this lineup? I have no confidence in Zardes as an international level goal scorer, nor in Yedlin or Arriola. Is Pulisic supposed to carry the team in scoring every game as Mckennie is not going to put in many either? Surely this is all experimental and guessing at the lineups but we need someone else to score other than Pulisic.
Austria moved Alaba from LB to LW and played Arnautović centrally when he use to play wide for Stoke (West Ham moved him central tho so not sure it counts). I wouldn’t call Adams the best or most talented player in our pool tho his potential is up there that honor will likely still hold to Pulisic. He could be the most influential in the same way Jones could be even when Dempsey or LD were considered the better players. I’m also against the move so not trying to argue for or against just answering a question.
Own goals! You left out og's. But, seriously ... let's face it, Puli is not a scorer either. Sure, he got one against a TnT B side. But ......
A front 3 of Baird, Zardes and Yedlin would be the worst in many years. Robinson should be with the senior team. As should Weah and Sargent.
If Adams is coming back to consistently cover that spot, then he's wayyyyy too tethered to the outside back line to do what Berhalter has been talking about. He'd be a conventional right back. And, if he's not, then that spot is not a "CB in a three man back line." It is a hybrid CB/FB with a *lot* of FB style defensive duties.
my memory is that he was always a #10 as he worked his way up through the youth system and at least to me, he always played it quite well. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but that's my memory, and it was just Dortmund that choose to move him out to the wing. Doesn't surprise me at all, especially with our deficit in terms of #10 prospects anywhere near First XI status. He's not a perfect match for it, but he's certainly much better than any other option I've seen. I suppose McKennie might be able to fill the role in a pinch but he doesn't offer as much going forward as Pulisic.
I agree that it is not laziness. I think the fans are too hard on him with that complaint. He is just a player who is getting older, suffered some leg injuries, and simply doesn't have the athleticism he used to possess. Not everyone ages in the same way.
That's going to become in possession: -------------------------Zardes--------------------------- ------------Arriola-----------------Pulisic--------------- Ream-------McKennie------Adams--------Yedlin --------Brooks--------Bradley-------Miazga-------- ---------------------------GK-------------------------------- Because we know Mike likes retreating all the way to the CB land.
So what would count as a good result tonight? What’s a bad one? I think Equador is about Panama’s level. We beat them 4-0 at home IIRC but given it’s a new system and coach, I’d expect a 3-1 victory as a reasonable result. NFW we lose to Equador. Thoughts?
Since I quoted you to start, I will reply to your post. I do though want to acknowledge the other posters who took time to reply in detail. Glad to better understand others' arguments. If nothing is learned from it, none obviously. Totally. It sucks that the USSF has done so many stupid things with echoes-of-the-recent-past regularity that it makes this almost believable. To return to your original graphic about "if the WC was today" -- that last word is the reason. This is the line-up today. It's a 3-year process. If past is prologue your prediction / analysis / educated guess / instinct / cynicism will be proven right, and I will look like the polyanna (sp?) that I seem to several posters to be. I didn't want Bradley back after 2010. I had an open mind for at least the first handful of JK matches, maybe a dozen. I was no fan of the Arena hire. Sarachan is whatevs but that was dead man walking.... We'll see. EDIT: reduced length
FWIW while I was writing my long post above the Doyle suggested line-up got posted here. Yedlin over Morris in that RF role (or whatever) seems crazy. Fraught with peril, even.
Hmm... I don't think we've ever beaten Ecuador 4-0. The max is 3-1 back in 2007, with a Donovan hat-trick. Otherwise, the last results against them have been 1-1 in a Friendly in 2014, 1-0 in a Friendly before the Centenario, and 2-1 in the Centenario itself. Post-WC Ecuador has beaten Jamaica (2-0) and Guatemala (2-0) in the USA, lost to Qatar in Doha 4-3 (they got two reds, IIRC, and the ref was very pro-locals), a tie in Doha too 0-0 to Oman, and beat Peru in Lima 0-2 and Panama in Panama City 1-2. They're stronger than Panama.
Interesting. FIFA rankings had the following rankings: US - 25th Equador - 58th Honduras - 63rd Panama - 76th Why do you think that we’re equal with Equador even though we pounded both Honduras and Equador at home (like this match)?
So what are your expectations for this match? What’s a good/bad result? I notice that the pro-GB system appear highly reticent to post what a simple baseline should be.
Starting XI: Johnson; Adams, Long, Brooks, Ream (c); Trapp; McKennie, Pulisic; Morris, Zardes, Arriola
Apologies if I missed it. What’s a good/bad result in your opinion? I think it would be bad if we gave up anything other than a fluky goal.