Post-match: United States vs Cuba; 11/19

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by AutoPenalti, Nov 19, 2019.

  1. USA-Zebuel

    USA-Zebuel Member+

    Mar 26, 2013
    Club:
    Colón de Santa Fe
    Bradley has been outplayed for quite sometime, that is why many bemoan his auto-start status.
     
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  2. lmorin

    lmorin Member+

    Mar 29, 2000
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That such an excellent way to look at the situation, I think I will adopt it!

    Despite Berhalter's best efforts to omit the injured and presently too young and/or inexperienced players floating around the world, some will accidentally show up and play, because of odd circumstances or the overpowering force of the team assistant coaches. These young guys will completely sabotage Jay Berhalter's efforts to transfer all of the USSF financial support to the the established glory embodied by the USWNT, thereby allowing the USMNT to slide (led by the on-field player-coach, CP, using the Lampard model) into the WC22 despite the inept substitution pattern in the WC Quals. With a spot clinched, BS posters are between a rock and a hard place as fans. They are relieved of their angst by a government decision to boycott the the Qatar Cup. Instead, the team is sent on a "friendship tour" to the Nations League loser countries in Concacaf and UEFA. The USMNT generates a whopping $3,500 in income for USSF on the tour and goes 27-0-0. As a result, GBerhalter signs an 8 yr contract extension and there are 10 reported suicides among registered BS posters. The world continues to turn.
     
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  3. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Literally how I feel.

    Good for them, honestly I'm kind of down on Sargent, maybe if he ever gets to play with creative players he'll look better, but he always looks a step slow with the NT. Good for Morris, he had a nice year.

    Go to Europe!

    Roldan and Lovitz are nowhere near the level, and its not even close.
     
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  4. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yuell looked like he could play a bit in the center of the park. I agree with the other posters that for some reason Berhalter doesn't seem to want a 6. I can only hope that Yueill grows, gets stronger and better over the next 3-4 months so he can supplant MB.

    Roldan was either awful in the first half or being played in such a way that his touches were going to be limited because the only time I saw him on the ball was that microsecond his head directed the shot on goal directly at the keeper. Powerful header, defender's accuracy.

    Interesting that they picked Cuba against whom to play directly. Wouldn't one think that this would be the ideal opponent to play the build from the back model that Berhalter wants to perfect? I might suggest that Mexico may be the opponent one would want to play direct against, not f'ing Cuba.
     
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  5. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was very surprised to see Yueill out there instead of Morales against Canada as well, but it seems that Berhalter doesn't want a destroyer. Others have said he wants a "regista", and that's not Morales game.

    I don't see Yueill being ready to be that player against tougher opponents.

    I also don't see how we can play against tougher opponents with MB playing as a regista and no 6 playing next to him. Our midfield will get overrun. Playing with MB as a regista gets killed with high press, which all teams will do. That would push MB playing as a string puller back to his 18, which just fails on every level.

    The tactic is sound, the execution will be flawed as we don't have the personnel.
     
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  6. AutoPenalti

    AutoPenalti Am I famous yet?

    Sep 26, 2011
    Coconut Creek
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I’m happy we won. We all are. I’m just upset we won the way we did. Playing Beerholder ball.
     
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  7. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    All that being said, I went and watched some videos on how a regista should play and what is needed to have a regista on the field, and with our players, there is no way on God's green earth that we should play with a regista. First, we have no regista. Second, we have no guys who can cover for the defensive liabilities in midfield to cover for having the regista. Third, We.Have.No.Regista.
     
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  8. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    [Well done] sarcasm aside, is this where we're at? It appears that certain posters (not accusing you) are using a pair of convincing victories over Canada and Cuba to set aside the narrative that our program is on the wrong track.

    More concerning is that some are now moving the expectation to "we may even qualify for Qatar". I do think that even a terribly managed USMNT team has a reasonable chance of qualifying but that's due to the lack of established CONCACAF competition: I certainly do think that Berhalter is materially lowering our odds of qualifying, even if the preponderance of probability is that we make it through. The Canada game shows that our competition is stiffening which is probably an unintended consequence of MLS*. You've been around a long time - shouldn't we expect a lot more from our program?



    * Note: I believe that MLS is a good thing for USMNT but the conflict of interest issue needs to be managed far better.
     
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  9. Master O

    Master O Member+

    Jul 7, 2006
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Personally speaking, I can't see how anyone would conclude the US is going to qualify for Qatar. The US has been playing poorly since the Trinidad debacle.

    US Soccer refuses to learn from its mistakes and when someone refuses to learn from their mistakes, they will repeat them.
     
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  10. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    During the game I had the epiphany that of all the USMNT games ever to attend, this game should have been in my top 5. There were about 10 people at the game and it was in the Cayman Islands. Stupid me.
     
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  11. Cannons

    Cannons Member+

    May 16, 2005
    Yes we won ... and we should have. That team has not scored a goal but Lovitz almost fixed that. This being said, Ill move on

    Look at the big picture. Are we showing any signs of being a WC level team? Ans - NO. This is my biggest fear. GB is NOT moving us forward and the reason is, he's locked in on too many players that should not be wearing a USA jersey and shows NO sign that this will change. The names are mentioned in almost every post. Roldan, Lovitz, Trapp, add to that Yedlin, Bradley, Jozy, Ream, and Arriola. These people are not the best we can field and I dont like the fact that GB is not looking more. We won't qualify with this pool. The fact that he views Bradley as the starter is scary.

    So GB has bought himself some time but we are the losers because of that. Insuring GB remains coach until we start screwing up qualifying will only move us one step closer to failing ... again. Plus, Ernie will not want to fire him during qualifying. Bottom line... were screwed!
     
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  12. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    In one of the most interesting, hopeful times for the US Soccer program, there is a contingent of people so upset about lineup choices and this and that that they develop into curmudgeons. I think we're all on their lawns.
     
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  13. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    Morales has been better than he used to be, but he has yet to really show himself as capable as a deep-lying passer. Yueill is a better passer of the ball and I'm not sure he isn't a better player overall than Morales. Morales is competing with McKennie and Roldan. I'd like to see Morales over Roldan, but he doesn't move Yueill or Bradley aside for me.

    If you're constantly trying to fit square pegs into round holes, you're going to be frustrated.
     
  14. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I'm much happier after we beat up on a team we should beat up on rather than getting beaten by Canada and starting to feel like practically any team in CONCACAF can give us a game. At least now we're clawing back to where we should be where these types of games are more of a formality than something to fear and that's a good thing. We did what we were supposed to do on a crappy field against a poor opponent. No one got hurt, a few guys got some more game time. I'm happy enough and pleased to see us going back in a good direction. And I'm very happy to see the guys playing with more intensity. But, let's not pretend that game had anything to do with what we will face in the Hex. Still plenty to prove.
     
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  15. Eighteen Alpha

    Eighteen Alpha Member+

    Aug 17, 2016
    Club:
    Stoke City FC
    In the last two years, the USA has played 29 games, and other than wins over "B" teams from Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica it has yet to beat a team that played in the 2018 World Cup.


    https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...-be-ready-for-hexagonal-st.html?edition=22686
     
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  16. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    Yup, and that's what's concerning with the Hex around the corner. What happens in the semi and final if we make it of Nations League is going to be a big part of how ready this team looks in my eyes. Can't complain when we roll over teams we should, but we have to still be looking for how they fair against better competition, which hasn't been good thus far.
     
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  17. Casper

    Casper Member+

    Mar 30, 2001
    New York
    10/10/17
     
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  18. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's good to start beating teams we should but can't forget losing to Canada on the road. They pointed out in the broadcast that the road losing streak had actually started under Klinsman,and continued under Arena and Berhalter so it was good to break that last night no matter who the opponent was. I think berhalter would do himself an enormous favor to just let go of Roldan and Lovitz. So many better players and by continually calling them up and playing them he brings the wrath of many fans for zero good reason. Some things he does I can see some sort of logic even when it doesn't work but no one can provide any reasoning for those two to keep getting chances.
     
  19. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Sure. 10/10/2017.
     
  20. juvechelsea

    juvechelsea Member+

    Feb 15, 2006
    lighting issue. you either have lights up to spec or not. they do the same nitpick regs in ccl and it's just as silly.
     
  21. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    USSF has, for a few years now, had the philosophy of playing direct against Caribbean teams. It seems the more the talent disparity, the more the teams do it. On bad fields, they do it more. The USWNT in CONCACAF WQQ did it. The U20s, maybe a more technical team than the senior team currently, did it in the Group Stage. Remember all those 7-1 wins where people were upset we were playing direct?
     
  22. juvechelsea

    juvechelsea Member+

    Feb 15, 2006
    i see now that we got literally the worst of the League A qualifiers, 6th place, with a qualifying loss to haiti. and then they had the defections, although that's their political problem.
     
  23. juvechelsea

    juvechelsea Member+

    Feb 15, 2006
    they kept saying 4 games before quali and that would only be true in a particular, literal sense and if we don't do something off calendar before LoN and/or quali.

    strictly speaking, before september, there is only a march international date. no may date. plus the 2 LoN which is another date/thing we have secured, semi and final/third. that's the math for 4.

    but there will be 1-2 camp cupcake games with a qatar rumor. and then i would be curious if we don't arrange something before LoN and/or quali. for LoN that is european offseason and then work something out with MLS. for september quali that wouldn't work.
     
  24. lmorin

    lmorin Member+

    Mar 29, 2000
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The ability of the USMNT to defeat other teams depends on the availability of quality players, not on wishful thinking or a grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-fence point of view. My worry, which is far, far, far greater than anything about Berhalter (not that you mentioned him), is that the US has a great future, but may never get there if injuries continue to impede progress. IMHO, the current team is a bit better than what is was during the last qualifying round, and would probably have qualified under similar circumstance, if only because of McKennie, Morris and Brooks being present. The team is better, but still seriously lacking in terms of being competitive against teams that qualify for the WC. If Adams and other projected young players do not arrive in good health and good skill, the US will retain the same problems for Berhalter that it it had during the Arena and Klinsman eras. The numbers you cite will undoubtedly become worse.
     
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  25. juvechelsea

    juvechelsea Member+

    Feb 15, 2006
    the way 2020 quali is set up it's going to be

    sept 3-11
    oct 8-16
    nov 12-20

    the remaining 4 2021 games in march and then labor day

    if they bet on the wrong horse it will be unrelenting and hard to change initially
     

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