Here's one: With respect to managers, tactics are not unimportant but they are over rated. Other characteristics (man management, communication skills, knowing and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your players etc) are more important than given credit. Also important is to not overthink. The game is really very simple.I think Bradley's major fault is that he sometimes over complicates things and over thinks things. "Keep it simple stupid" is a good mantra.
I'll take it a step further. I don't think he's a lock for the best 23. I think he's in the pack of strikers where form matters whether he should get called up or not.
You make a good point. I too think it will be a top league before it is recognized as such. Right now the benchmark is Liga MX. Though FC Dallas lost to Pachuca this year, I think that Dallas looked the better team. Dallas/Pachuca was more squarely matched then Pachuca/Tigres. I think that MLS is right there and once the breakthrough happens and a team wins the CCL, it will happen regularly. Unfortunately we won't really get to see MLS test itself against Europe. US teams will be shut out of the Champions League until the real market opportunity happens here. IMO, forget Europe. Let them have their thing. A tournament featuring the best clubs in North, Central, South America would be incredible.
That was quick! How so? I'd say we've "leveled off" from our rise to prominence. But I don't think you can have a soccer history of ~25 years (realistically, I'm not going to count the 1930 team), a high water mark of a WC QF, and say that R16 exits are under-achieving. We're in a bit of a dip, and Costa Rica's on a high, but I don't think we're an underachiever yet.
This kind of tournaments would be good, if new passenger aircraft with speed matching, or exceeding Concorde, at fraction of its costs, are developed. Only then regular intercontinental games could take place. Let's say, flight from Chicago to London or Berlin in 3 hours... We may still wait like 30 to 50 years before this happens.
Clint Mathis was arguably the most talented US player I have ever seen, pre-Pulisic at least. If he could have put it all together/stayed healthy, I think he could have made an impact in a big league
OK. How's this? The real measure of a league's strength is top-to-bottom competitiveness, not the international successes of its superclubs.
Yep. Baby steps. I won't be surprised if we start consistently contesting Liga MX for the CCL within 5-10 years (maybe even slightly less). That doesn't mean winning each time but at least playing them even like Dallas did this year and winning some. Until it happens consistently and with multiple teams it doesn't count but I do think the day is not too far off. It will depend a great deal upon the success of MLS academies. Right now Dallas has Acosta who may be in Europe five years from now but if they can have multiple players of similar caliber from their academy between 18-22 yrs old they should be in a better position than now. Other teams are playing catch up but in five years there should be several teams with high quality 18-22 year old talent.
No it is not. Polish Ekstraklasa, for example, is top to bottom much more competitive than La Liga or Bundesliga, yet it cannot compete with these on International level. It may make the league more unpredictable, and have more surprising outcomes, but only comparing it to other leagues in head to head matches and competitions can show how good it really is. Or, you are telling me that Ekstraklasa is stronger than La Liga?
I'm telling you that long term MLS will be stronger economically and more competitive than any league in the world because it will not have a feudal structure.
Outside of a nice Copa America last summer and an amazing game at our win in The Azteca 5 years ago, Geoff Cameron has been an extremely mediocre center back career for the national team. Now, I will say his versatility is extremely valuable and he usually makes my 23 because of it, but I seem him as more of jack of all trades but master of none type. I really don't mind if he comes off bench and I find both him and Gonzalez (who I think fans greatly underrate) to be fairly interchangeable. In fact pre Copa America I strongly leaned towards Gonzo starting.
Geoff Cameron is one of our most important players. The team is just better when he is on the field. Much like Steve Cherundolo in a previous era. He should be captain as he is the leader out there. Since this time last year: W/ Cameron the USMNT is 10-2-0 (+22 GD) W/O Cameron the USMNT is 1-2-3 (-4 GD)
Many of those games were against pretty meh competition and they weren't exactly won on stellar CB performances. His turned in a lot of mediocre CB shifts in a USMNT shirt, though I will acknowledge he has been better this cycle than last
Cameron is not a CB. I think his European status has some overrate him for the sake of a European flag next to his club team name on wikipedia, but he is a very good player, and should be a starter for us at DM with the capability to fill in at RB and CB.
I see how MLS could grow to be top to bottom competitive, with most clubs having similar potential, and being more or less equal challengers for the title. I can see it being run on sound financial and economic principles, because this what MLS mainly is - business. Yes, it will grow stronger based on the above. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of `feudalism` in MLS, like salary caps, some sort of weird drafts etc. However, it would be interesting to see, how it would directly compare in quality of play to other leagues in Pan American competitions. Finally, this is the most important for European clubs to win CL or EL, and other titles are just addition to these. Real Madrid is glamorous, because it has 11 Champions Cups, and not because it has 38 (or whatever I do not even know,,,) La Liga Titles. Celtic is still a respected club, because it was first British team to win Champions Cup, and not because of 40 something SPL titles. Simply, MLS title, will never be regarded as the most important trophy by any soccer player, so MLS clubs ultimately must compete against the best in CONCAF or COMNEBOL.
I'd guess some combo of Klinsmann out, arena favoring MLS players, and some positives in the league (expansion going well, younger and quality DPs, signs of the possibility that they might be developing some players, etc).
I don't rate him at all. He's is too slow and clumsy. He was the worst CB at the Gold Cup out of a group that didn't play well. His play on the first goal at Costa Rica was worse than anything Brooks did in worst game for us. I don't think we struggle as badly against Mexico with a back three if Cameron is in that role. We obviously rate Gonzo differently, but in no way see him and Cameron interchangeable.
I may be mistaken but I don't think anyone even mentioned Champions League? Maybe I missed it? CCL was mentioned (that is CONCACAF Champions League right?). i said that I think MLS will be competitive in CCL soon (certainly within 10 years and possibly much sooner). I would define competitive as having at least one team perform at least as well as Dallas did this year on a regular basis. Dallas doing well one year does not make us competitive and we need multiple teams to do well if we are to say the league is competitive.