I wonder how Bruce is going to handle the strikers tomorrow. I heard Robles and Walker Zimmerman are locks to start vs Jamaica.
Not much in here that you probably don't already know, but I though I'd throw Grant a few bones... http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/02/02/bruce-arena-usmnt-manager-us-soccer
In his first competitive match in his reboot with the US, Bruce Arena totally outmanaged the only other manager that has take a CONCACAF country to a World Cup quarterfinal in the last 30 years.
feels good man. Feels good. Right man for the job at the right time. Looks like the undoing of damage is complete
while true, and i know Panama away is a tough ask. Im confident. Bruce seems to be a man with a plan and does his homework and gets his guys ready. I think the guys know what they gotta do and I feel confident (fort the first time in years) that we can go and get a result away.
and they beat us at home in the Gold Cup with theirs. Respectfully, it aint gonna be a cakewalk. But like i said, i am certainly bullish going into this one. I think we are going to pin them back with our attack.
beat us in a shootout 3rd place game, but its not really a big deal. The point im trying to display is while it will be a tough tame, a bruce-led USMNT will handle it
American Soccer Now with a glowing review of Arena http://americansoccernow.com/articles/arena-dempsey-pulisic-earn-highest-scores-for-u-s THE COACH Bruce Arena: The players were focused, motivated, and played with an aggression that startled and ultimately overwhelmed Honduras. Arena called this a must-win match, and then he won it in decisive fashion. Faced with a depleted squad, he made all of the right personnel decisions and got the best from his players. This is what good coaches do. He's a good coach, possibly even a great one. Rating: 10
It was a home win against what FIFA rankings tell us is the 5th best team in CONCACAF. If we ignore the games that came before it under Klinsmann, it really isn't that special of a result. We should expect to beat Honduras handily at home. A 1-0 win over Panama on the road will be an even better result. Bruce Arena understands the player pool, the American player (motivations, skill sets, etc.), and our soccer infrastructure more than anybody. He's not going to try to fit square pegs into round holes. We're going to be proud of our national team again. Its going to once again be a reflection of us and what our domestic game is about.
I'm trying to rewatch this game and figure it out tactically. Honduras set up in that 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 or whatever and we're in a 4-4-2, but really kind of a 4-3-2-1 in that Pulisic and Dempsey played so close together. Nagbe and Lletget/Bedoya played VERY wide and stayed back. And Villafaña and Cameron stayed home 100% of the time. All this left TONS of space all around Michael Bradley. And I can't figure out why it worked. Bradley ran everywhere of course. But a good team would have pulled Omar up from the back more and exposed that space. Any thoughts on why Bruce had our diamond was so wide and why it somehow worked so well?
One thing that stuck out to me is how organized the center of the field was...I'm so excited for tomorrow. From GK to striker there was an understanding.
How Bruce Arena’s tactics tore Honduras apart http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/20.../how-bruce-arenas-tactics-tore-honduras-apart In summation, Bruce Arena created a game plan that put his players in a position to succeed. With players given simplified and clear roles in a game plan that put players in natural positions, the team was able to come together and work as a functioning unit. The well-organized game plan essentially created a domino-effect that completely undid the Hondurans. While this particularly performance will only happen once, the successes can be applied going. Under Arena, there’s a lot of hope for the future.
I felt from the beginning that Arena was a good choice but I don't think we should over react either. Bottom line is that we accomplished what we should have accomplished and it was only one game. We are still in a hole but it is much shallower. That being said, there are a few huge positives: 1. we are no longer in the same hole we had dug ourselves. (this bears repeating!) 2. We looked like we had a plan. It looked like the players knew what the plan was. The plan worked. 3. We won in a way that showed confidence and should improve confidence in the team and in Arena. (Belief is more than half the battle) 4. We won in a way (with many of our first choice players out) that proves that our depth is a huge strength. 5. It is fun again to watch eh team.
"It is fun again to watch the team" is perhaps the biggest thing... I don't know if it's I'm getting up there in age but I started to be an only dutiful fan under Klinsmann. This team has been a part of my identity for 20+ years as a hardcore US soccer fan, but I found myself often disinterested. It seems like finally there is a spark of life in this team.
Q: "Is the US Team having more fun now?" Arena: "Sure. We're bringing in a clown for lunch. He'll make balloons for the players." Seriously, how can you not love this guy?