I'm pretty sure Roldan will be called up in March. Berhalter has to call McKennie because the pressure is so intense. Roldan looked pretty good in Jan. Agree? Next question, can you show me a game where McKennie looked good for USA? b.t.w. - that free 8 role is really Adams'. It's no contest.
And at any other point of his career as well... He was a fringe National Team player for God's sake. Nat starter Altidore struggled mightily against Premier league teams at the peak of his career.
Roldan looked good against Panama. Panama was starting guys who failed USL tryouts and then subbed in even worse players. Roldan looked ok against Costa Rica. Not great, just ok. McKennie was poorly deployed by Sarachan, imo. But the one time he was given the keys, he was excellent. That was against Bolivia. I'd take the Bolivia team over that Panama or CR team. But at worst, it was equal competition. McKennie was excellent against Mexico until he got hurt. That has really been a problem for him. He has picked up knocks in many games. It seems like when the adrenaline is really going for him, he tends to pick up some kind of injury. Happened yesterday for instance. Something to watch. I like Roldan. I wish he challenged himself to a higher level of competition. I think he would improve if he had too quite easily. But if he stays in his comfort zone, he is going to stay the player that was ok versus Costa Rica and ok most other times he has run out against lesser CONCACAF teams for the NT. I think Roldan was criminally underused by Sarachan too. Sarachan's time was really a long waste for most players. He had no shot under Arena, because at 21, he was too young for Bruce. He is better than Acosta at all the little things. Roldan can play many positions and is therefore very useful in a 23 man roster.
I'm really looking forward to the March friendlies so we can get a look at what Berhalter will do with the Euro guys when they show up. I feel like we are arguing now about a theoretical world in which Berhalter plays the exact same setup that was used against Panama and Costa Rica for every game moving forward. Personally, I'm not so sure this world actually exists. Before his first two games, all the talk around here was which players would be slotted in where using his Columbus setup as the model. Well, the games rolled around and he played with dual playmakers rather than a single 10 and had Lima cutting inside from his right back spot. He did not in fact just slot players into a template from Columbus. He modified the template to meet the needs of the players he had. And I think we are jumping the gun to assume he won't alter the system again when new crop of players come in…or even revert to something closer to what he did in Columbus. When people are adamant that a player isn't a fit for Berhalter's system, I have to ask what system? Because what we saw against Panama and Costa Rica shared some ideas with what they were doing in Columbus, but it wasn't a copy. And I don't think we can necessarily assume the system he rolls out with the full squad against a different opponent will be exactly what we saw against Panama and Costa Rica. The US doesn't have enough top level players to be so beholden to a system that we have to jettison players who are perfect fits for this or that position. I can't imagine Berhalter doesn't realize this.
Neither has a big enough portfolio of USMNT games to make any sort of decision like that. But club level, etc is out there for comparison. Schalke's management sees Wes as a 6, btw. Destroyer with a complete game. And Adams and Wes must be out there together if we're even trying to put the best lineup out there. Roldan is a fine substitute for the right times.
The media has reported that the system in January was the system GB thinks fits the full team. MLS players were chosen to fit that system so that the coaching staff could learn which methods led to the best teaching gains. Those methods will be used in the shorter March window to get the full team up to speed. Each player will come to camp with a role in that system picked out and a dossier of print and video to help them understand what is being asked. So, for now, that is the system and it was chosen not for the Camp Cupcake pool but the whole pool. I'd be disappointed if that is the only tactical look the team comes up with over the next 3.5 years. The player pool is also evolving so quickly, I doubt you can pick an 11 and a system that fits the best 3-4 of them now and ride it for 3.5 years.
Guess it's possible nothing changes, I'm just skeptical based on how the first camp was rolled out after reading how much it was o be a clone of Columbus. Even coaches who use the same basic systems in team after team alter things due to personnel and opponents at least somewhat.
The Columbus stuff was speculation. But we all watched the January friendlies. Also, Berhalter never said he was going to play like he did in Columbus. He has said the way they played in January was the way. I agree with you about altering things with new personnel. But it is a strange thing to have a coach's first camp be with such a small and unimportant sliver of the players he will have. It would be meaningless if he hasn't said, and players repeated, that it was a system with the full team in mind. I do think it was a system he came up with last Summer and it obviously is built with a WT/MB player in the #6. I can't imagine something better will not be obvious soon. But the focus is on seeing players and learning how to coach internationally. Then the GC, then we will see what he comes up with.
He'll keep it simple and go with 433 that has width - so, Pulisic, Arriola, etc. cf is a question mark - Wood doesn't fit the GB player profile - but midfield will be Adams and McKennie in front of Trapp. Yedlin will be rolled out again with Brooks + Miazga at cb. I would prefer Weah as cf and Sarge at left forward with Pulisic on rw but that wouldn't be Berhalter's style so I think we see Sarge at cf. I'll bet the call-ups is close to the foll: ---puli--------sarge----arriola ---------adams------wes ----------------trapp ---?----brooks--miazga---yedlin --------------gk: steffen subs -----zardes-----ramirez----weah ------------roldan----lletget ----------------------? ----?------long------------zim----lima -----------------gk: horvath
Unfortunately, McKennie and Pulisic are out injured again... both seem to becoming very injury prone. My revised group: GK Horvath, Klinsmann, Scott RB Yedlin, Moore CB Brooks, Miazga, Carter-Vickers, Alvarado LB Johnson, Robinson DM Morales, Friede/Corona MF Adams, Holmes, Green, Saief RF Gall, Gooch FW Sargent, Novakovich LF Weah, Amon Vs Ecuador Weah———Sargent———Gall ———Holmes——Adams——— ——————Fredo—————- Johnson————————-Yedlin ——(C)Brooks—-Miazga—— ——————-Horvath————- Subs: Green (Holmes) 60 Gooch (Gall) 60 Novakovich (Sargent) 80 Amon (Weah) 80 Moore (Yedlin) 80 Alvarado (Brooks) 90 Vs Chile Weah——-Novakovich——-Sargent ———Morales———Green——- ——————-Adams—————— Robinson—————————Yedlin ——(C)Brooks———Miazga——— ——————-Horvath—————— Subs: Carter-Vickers (Miazga) 46 Saief (Green) 60 Holmes (Novakovich) 60... Sargent to FW Amon (Weah) 70 Friede (Morales) 80 Gall (Sargent) 80
I hope Chile & Ecuador bring their A-team or something close. They should, considering this is their prep for Copa, but they're likely to call a mixed roster with A-team plus younger players (preparing for the South American pre-Olimpico). Chile plays Mexico before playing us, and Ecuador plays Honduras after.
Just got my tickets for Chile ....just hope to see some more good stuff. And by that I mean a group of players who are working together in a system. Not how well they do in the end as much as are "they getting it."
Still, I think we need focus on YA call-ups this go round. Let’s let 3G see what he’s got there and then before the Gold Cup; let’s call in the best 23. With the two friendlies before, and the three group stage games, we should have enough time to build a coherent group by the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup.
Would like to see: MLS/LigaMx players in Gold Cup. All available age-eligible players in the U20 WC. The full team in the 2020 Copa.
Using that formula. March: YAs May/Gold Cup: Full team August: Mix of full team with some new faces (mindful of club commitments) Sept-Nov: Full team (sprinkled with some new faces) January: MLS Copa: Full Minus all u20 senior regulars players at u20 cup and Olympics... ie no McKennie, Pulisic, Adams, etc.
Mckennie will be back. Here's my lineup. Seargent (CF) Weah (WF) Pulisic (ACM) Adams (holding) Mckennie (CM) Roldan (holding) Robinson Brooks Miazga Yedlin Horvath
I hear you, man. But I'd rather see Fabian Johnson at LB with Antonee Robinson as his sub. It's about time that we see whether a seasoned LB makes a difference before the Gold Cup/qualifiers. Fabian is playing RB for BMG but has shown how well he plays at LB for the USMNT. Yedlin never plays LB. Maybe Morales as holding MF?