I saw this the other day. I generally agree with the analysis. Green was a huge upgrade over nobody else providing what he did, but it wasn't an outstanding performance. It was the type of performance that gets a player more looks and is asked to do much better. Robinson still has a lot of work to do, but relative to what we have been seeing there for the last few years, he is an upgrade today. Us fans dont have much to go on in terms of a players mentality, but his reacation to the Brazil game is small evidence of a guy doesnt get overly rattled and wants to learn to get better. Ive been following him for a few years and has seemed very resilient through injuries and making his way from youth teams to professional football.
Brooks and MIazga's distribution!!!! With two CBs who do this, we dont need a #6 to drop back and get the ball. We should drop TA & WM deeper and play with Delgado/Roldan/Parks/Hyndman higher. When we have the ball instead of having the CBs spread wide, have TA and WM push out, outside backs go forward and that amid drop into the hole. I think MIazga's personality is a perfect match for Brooks more subdued demeanor. I dont recall seeing clips of the their defending, but both of them were sound over the course of both games. 1038259836184670210 is not a valid tweet id I'd be lying if I said that I didn't love John Brooks a little bit more now because of this play. pic.twitter.com/VCaSsqxDI2— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 9, 2018 I'll just be here, watching this Matt Miazga pass over and over and over again. pic.twitter.com/DFkD8PZzLu— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 8, 2018
I've been a huge fan of Steffen since the first time I saw him with the u20s.... the word floating around at the time is that he was special. His play in MLS and in these last few games has reinforced my view that he has the potential to be the best we've ever had. I dont see any glaring holes in his game (please point out if you do). He fundamentally/technically very sound, has great footwork and hands, athletically is as close to Howard as any we have had, and is mentally tough (he dealt very well with mistakes early at Columbus and provides such a calming presence back there). These aren't the best clips of him but show the footwork, positioning and reactions. The first clip is nothing special, but he doesnt do anything wrong through the whole sequence. Perfectly positioned, set for shots, quick reaction on first shot, and decisive with second. Inspired by @MattPyzdrowski's recent goalkeeping piece for @TheAthleticSCCR, I wanted to go back through and take a look at Zack Steffen. Look at how Steffen is on the balls of his feet, leaning slightly forward, and his arms ready to react. pic.twitter.com/Oa4IfLsZRt— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 14, 2018
Weah is still raw, but has all the tools. Reads the game well, makes great runs, combines with teamates and is willing and able to shoot inside 40 yards. Imagine him in a year tucked in or up top with Pulisic and Altidore/Wood/Sargent. This is my favorite Weah play of the night. He is first to collect the loose ball, shows great strength and close control, and combines really well with Green and Zardes. Plus, all of this happens while Weah is moving aggressively forward. pic.twitter.com/TmOs0ICWzg— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 12, 2018
The progress Adams has made in the last year is amazing!!! Props to TA and NYRB. I'll track down more clips, but these three showed a lot of his versatility... and they were vs Brazil. Check out Weah's run on the first clip!!! Best passage of play from the USMNT last night came in the 88th minute with McKennie and Trapp off the pitch. Adams keys it from the 6. Solid stuff from Acosta and Yedlin. Notice the simple little glue pass from Delgado, and the good cross from Robinson. pic.twitter.com/W0JY4sW2pr— scuffed (@scuffedpod) September 8, 2018
I found what I was looking for... this internet thing is great. After watching this, I am upgrading my view of Robinson. Besides three plays where he took a poor angle or got caught to tight on attacker (oddly at the 10th, 30th and 50th min... I was thinking the 70th min too, but more likely to be Brooks man and he still recovered) and a missed clearance in the 9th min, he was very solid defensively against Brazil. A turnover in the 7th min was his only offensive miscue where he made sound decisions, didnt force things, combined well with teammates and some nice service. He still has a little to sort out in terms of dealing with world class attackers with pace, but should be fine for now against everyone else. I'd give him the 2015 Zardes treatment unless someone else makes a strong case, which i dont see happening until Bello matures.
Wil F****** Trapp!!! I'm not sure what consensus @away_goals is referring to other than a handful of posters here and our media. Here is a very balanced representation of his game vs Brazil. Trapp is a fringe player at best. Too many turnovers, turned in circles many times, and gonna be abused if isolated 1v1 (I didnt see in these clips but was easily beaten and allowed cross in 47th min and of course see below for the embarassment vs that short mexican guy). I know trapp is likely to start vs mexico and the consensus seems to be he was good vs brazil, but man I just did not see it. So I put together a bunch of clips— ol velasquez (@away_goals) September 11, 2018 It looks like the Crew's twitter is turning on him as well.... Sheesh 🤒 pic.twitter.com/0Afy8HiNeq— DMV Soccer (@DMVSoccer96) September 12, 2018 1️⃣st #USMNT shutout over 🇲🇽 since 2015... CC: @zackstef_23 😬 #CrewSC pic.twitter.com/LDy0tzlIcO— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) September 12, 2018
Big Flops: McKennie. No idea what's wrong with him. Moore. I expected more. Big Winners: Green. The progeria seems to suit him. Weah. I doubted this kid at first, now I believe he has potential. I doubt PSG is the ideal situation for Weah though.
I've always been curious what the issues were that kind of slightly saw him stunted from the fall of '15 to the summer of '17. Since last fall things have just sky rocketed up, and after the U-20's I felt the same way, so much poise, superb shot stopper. Not experienced obviously, but damn impressive. Saw the bit about him and his family and it did make me wonder a bit whether like Landon, he just can't handle being that far away from his family (was it Freiberg?). Anyway, for me, he's my #1 keeper period. I've watched enough of Guzan over the years to view him as competent, but prone to bad, inexplicable days too, and nothing special over all. Whathisface in Belgium puked up a chance to take the gig, Hamid was a disaster in a small showcase the past 8 months before coming back to MLS (also a superb shot stopper, he just seems to lack poise under pressure), so to my mind, it's Steffen's job, period. I hope he goes off to Europe in a year or two so he can play against the very best, but he'll be great regardless based upon what I've seen thus far.
I dont think he was stunted at all or at least not much. My recollection was some form of being homesick/missing family and friends that brought him back. As far as I can tell, he spent a year in Germany where he went from a starter for Freiburg II to getting an odd game here and there for the 15/16 season. He then transferred in the summer for free to Colombus and went out on loan to Pittsburg. He went 90 for the riverhounds for the 9 games he was there and was very solid. I forget who he beat out in 2017, but recall the Columbus coaching staff speaking very positively about how he handled the growing pains early in that season. He wasnt personally happy, but he spent a year with a Bundesliga side played a half a season wither of games with their second team. Came home, got games at a lower level and then became one of the top goalkeepers in the league in about a year. That is a lot of professional and personal growth in three years. https://www.transfermarkt.com/zack-...15&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=
Steffen has that 'it" quality. With the U20's I saw it in him and not in Horvath. Keepers are odd though so with them both so young I wondered whether "it" would matter as they got older. I now think "it" is a charisma, calmness and occasional ferocity that good to great keepers have. When they are back there I as a fan don't worry as much. Guzan and Horvath are sort of the opposite. They are good but I always find myself worrying with them and feel the defense does to.
But also, to me it seems like Lichaj is getting caps he should have gotten long ago. I don't think he's the player he was.
I thought Lichaj was the worst player out there against Mexico but it seems versatile players get screwed by being versatile sometimes. Lichaj, Acosta and Roldan (while right mids) should not be rated until they get to play the position(s) they are best at. Lichaj has looked better at right back and Acosta instantly looked better at central mid than right mid.
Eric is past his prime, which means he's also past the window in which he could be useful. At his best he was a good Championship guy, good enough for a backup role with the NT. But not now.
He's one year older than Altidore. So same rule applies? He's needed short term IMO to challenge Yedlin on the right side where he belongs.
To be clear I am very high on Weston in a Schalke shirt. Despite the fact that Schalke bought in 3 CMs including Rudy who started for Germany at WC2018, I still believe that Weston will play more BuLi matches than last year, especially if Bentaleb leaves as rumored. I don't believe that the Sarachan's scheme (or lack thereof) or personell (Trapp needs protection by other CMs) benefits McKennie. The Portugal match was Weston's best outing and he has gone downhill since.
Except that Lichaj has never been near the Altidore line. Time to move on from the Lichaj thing. Cannon is perfectly good enough to be Yedlin's understudy at the moment.
Not so sure that Altidore's ceiling isn't right around EL's (Championship rather than major league). Both also play positions that we are quite weak in so let's keep them around as options.
Well, we simply disagree. Altidore is a more useful player at the international level. Full stop. And there are several right backs in the pipeline, who are younger than Lichaj, who will give us as much as he does. Hell, I am not even a Moore fan, but I dont see what advantages Lichaj brings over him. Altidore can stay around because we well and truly have a dearth at the position right now. But in another 2 years we will need to re-evaluate that.
I am far from an Altidore hater as he's a guy that has had and will continue to have value for the USMNT. I just don't think he's a major league player. YMMV.
This season so far McKennie has looked like a far-below-average Bundesliga player in a far-below-average Bundesliga club. There's a reason why Schalke stands at 0/-4 in the relegation zone after three games. So I don't think Wes's lackluster performance is to blame on the coaching, or not on the coaching only.
Fair enough. But to make clear, my position isn't based on me believing that Altidore is more than what he is. We just need some forwards to take a step 'forward.'
Even if Altidore isn't major league, the list of players who are clearly above him as a striker is as short as can be.
Precisely the issue. And that's not Jozy's fault. These other players need to step up. Unfortunately, at this set of friendlies, we did not see Nova, and Wood looked pedestrian. Green had his moments, but I don't think most of us are sold that he is ever going to be a game-changer. So maybe in 2019 we will see a friendly in which Weah/Sargent/Soto (or some other upstart) really make us believers and put this debate to relative rest.