I didn't say Delgado is a bad player, but he's a linking player. A McKennie-Delgado double 8 doesn't have the needed creativity. Who will create the attacking chances centrally in that team? Being able to play a diagonal ball doesn't make you a #10. McKennie is a good diagonal passer, as is Durkin, as is Trapp. Not every good diagonal passer is suited to play as a #10. McKennie contributed 0 goals and 0 assists for Schalke last season. The season before in the academy he had 4 goals and 4 assists. Thats not a #10. He has never been a #10. I actually don't think I've ever seen him play as a #10, but maybe I'm remembering incorrectly. He should be in the lineup, but not as a #10. Gressel is also not eligible yet, and he has limited technical ability. I'm not saying he'd be a terrible option, but I don't think he comes first, in terms of options. We have so many full-back/wing-back options. On Adams, I understand your point and think it makes sense, but wouldn't the competition dictate he should play on the right? You think Gressel is a better option than Acosta/Robinson? I certainly don't. I'd like to hear further the point you are making about a re-invention of the FB role. As for Parker, I agree he did a good job, but I don't think the NT should be picked based on 1-2 friendly matches. I think he has a lot more to prove to be a NT regular. He's just now entering his prime. Lets see him be the best defender in MLS before we start penciling him in with Miazga, EPB, Brooks, And frankly, I'm not convinced he's a better (or more than marginally better) player now than younger guys like Glad, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, etc. He's 4-5 years older than these players. My point is that we have so much young talent at CB, and we are just throwing in the yearly MLS flavor at CB? Why? Let him prove himself as a Besler type-performer, and then maybe he'll deserve a spot over those guys. Until then? I don't see the point. CB is a position where being the yearly MLS CB flavor shouldn't be enough to get you into a consistent NT role.
A Pogba, Matuidi double 8 doesn't have much creativity but it works. Neither one is good on the ball. But Matuidi is a destroyer and Pogba is lethal in the final third. As for Delgado and McKennie, the reason I use the diagonal ball of McKennie is that I use wide players like Weah, Puiisic, Gressel, Adams and when I go to an extra forward in the 2nd half I drop McKennie into dmid. Don't judge Delgado by his play in Toronto. He doesn't have a speed type lineup there like Adams, Pulisic, Weah, Gressel. He has Vazquez, Giovinco, Altidore. If you noticed you will see Delgado said after the Paraguay game "I knew Adams could reach that pass". Think about that. Look at how Paraguay thinks that pass is going to Wood Why is it that Parker has to prove himself (after shutting down Mbappe) but Trusty is his equal after playing crap for Philly? Do you want me to post the U20 hi-lites of EPB again? CCV gets beat in midfield. Honestly, if somebody takes the job from Parker then more power to them. If we play with 2 cb's I would not start him. But he is far and away the best 3rd cb in a 3 cb set up. You don't like 3cb set ups. Fine. We have a difference. I like the 3cb set up for us. You are underestimating Wes in the final third and overestimating him in the middle third, in possession, that is.. He had some excellent passes in the final third which should have gone for assists but Schalke doesn thave much of an offense.
So Parker gets an automatic spot because he "shut down" Mbappe? Mbappe actually scored a goal, lest we forget. A 25 year old unproven CB is not a player I'm handing a spot, given our CB depth. Maybe we could do that 5 years ago, not now. We have a lot of talent at that position. Its our most talented position. I don't think yearly domestic league flavors entering their prime are the types of players we should start naming as starters at CB, unless they can show that their level of play can equal the younger, more talented players. Parker is unproven. One good match against France doesn't prove himself. He has two caps, he plays in a relatively weak league. Some of these other CB's are advancing towards better leagues or they are considerably younger than him, despite being somewhat comparable in current ability. I never said they are proven, but neither is Parker.
Scored a good goal in PSG's friendly against Bayern. Future of our attack with Pulisic. Exciting to think we could have a 2 world class players up top.
Wow, this is like when the line in inglorious bastards where Christop Waltz’ character says black people would make good film projectionists...
Amen. There's some names there I hope don't make the 23, let alone start. Thankfully I'm not seeing Guzan over Steffen much anymore.
This provided some comic relief. France were playing at 50% and trying not to get injured. I wouldnt place too much stock into the performance. I do think Parker earned more run though. Pogba lacking creativity is rich. Matuidi played as a lm for most the whole tournament. Maybe you were referring to Kante?
I can't quite figure out the link between a film projectionist and a football star in the Bundesliga. I suppose people see what they want to see. Can you believe this? http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/ozil...-due-to-racism-and/1oux78esi514x1q82fn70rdzxu
Where exactly did Weah line up for PSG? Center forward, or more of a winger? I could definitely see a front 3 of Pulisic, Sargent, Weah in the future. If its actually a serious suggestion, I'll take a strong pass on making Pulisic sit so we can line up with Delgado and four other defensive/holding mids.
The Weah + CF + Pulisic combo seems obvious at first glance but the defense wouldn't be adequate against really good teams at this stage. Eventually, Pulisic and Weah will be asked to defend more by their managers and they may/may not respond. At the world cup we saw teams like --------------lukaku --hazard---de Bruyne and -----------------giroud ----------------griezman--------mbappe I don't see either Weah or Pulisic filling a Griezman/DeBruyne role, at this stage. I think a lot of the combo's going forward will be wishful thinking much like Arena's 4132 with two immobile CF's (Wood and Jozy)playing together and Pulisic at 10 mid. Just trying to cram people on the pitch because they are our "best players' doesn't always work. Nobody would say Giroud is a "best player" but the combination worked and I saw Giroud work for Arsenal as well.
Pretty harsh. You'd be better off pointing out I'm prejudiced because I don't know anything about Soto so how would I even know he was "latino". But I don't think that's what triggered you.
If you played a 3-4-3 you could maybe turn them loose. ——Miazga—Brooks—EPB Yedlin—Adams—McKennie—AR ——Pulisic—Sargent—Weah Though if I had to play an important game this year I’d probably start Cameron for EPB, Chandler for Yedlin, Johnson for Robinson and Altidore for Sargent. I can hear the boos as I type that but it’s what I’d do.
It's popular which is the start to the rest of the answer you were looking for. It looks like you are in NY. Do rastafarians still kick a ball around in Washington Square park? Haven't been there in a while.
No boos but I am shaking my head, 'no!'. There are no important games this year IMO. There is an end game in 4 years that requires us to try as hard as we can to let that generation go.
I find that 343's tend to turn into 352's when the whistle blows, which means one of Pulisic or Weah would have to play midefield so you are back to square 1.
I watched the game Saturday where Pulisic came in at the half. I thought he came back to support the defense plenty. I'll look closer at that in the game tonight but not starting Weah and Pulisic together because 'they don't support the defense enough" is weak sauce IMO. Shoot we started guys up top for too many games that didn't even support the attack well enough!
Agree. He gets better going backwards on D every year. He's no defender but he makes his mark work for everything.
[QUOTE="ussoccer97531, post: 36919272, member: 214277" . I'd like to hear further the point you are making about a re-invention of the FB role. As for Parker, I agree he did a good job, but I don't think the NT should be picked based on 1-2 friendly matches. I think he has a lot more to prove to be a NT regular. He's just now entering his prime. Lets see him be the best defender in MLS before we start penciling him in with Miazga, EPB, Brooks, And frankly, I'm not convinced he's a better (or more than marginally better) player now than younger guys like Glad, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, etc. He's 4-5 years older than these players. My point is that we have so much young talent at CB, and we are just throwing in the yearly MLS flavor at CB? Why? Let him prove himself as a Besler type-performer, and then maybe he'll a spot over those guys. Until then? I don't see the point. CB is a position where being the yearly MLS CB flavor shouldn't be enough to get you into a consistent NT role.[/QUOTE] I"m working on it but Parker would be a fb/cb behind a "strong side fb" who goes forward into the attack a lot llike a Ronaldo type winger and therefore needs a cb who can play midfield defense behind him and Yedlin would be a weak side fb who plays behind a cmid like Delgado who plays more central defense/offense in the middle third and needs wide/winger defense. So, you have --------------------Sargent-----------Weah -----------------------------Wes -----------Adams ------------------------------------Delgado -------------------------Trapp-------------------Yedlin ----------Parker-- ------------------------------CCV----Miazga --------------------------gk:Steffen