Looks like we hired the wrong MLS coach and Mexico hired the right one. Subbing out a defender for a defender late in the game when your down? Criminal. But boy oh boy did Tata adjust in the second half. We were completely outplayed in the second half and Greg let us down by not adjusting as well and making bad subs. But we should have finished those chances in the first half against a team like Mexico would of been a different game had one of those opportunities went in.
Thats not true at all. There a tons better players than Daniel Lovitz, and way better players than Roldan at RM/RW and much better players than Zardes. He picked the wrong roster and then picked the wrong 3 players simple as that. Maybe he learns and maybe he doesn't. But this is squarely on Berhalter.
Berhalter seems to script his substitutions before the game. All we needed was an adjustment to match Pizarro flipping to the other wing, and instead he burned three subs on fresh legs. Lovitz on for Ream with about 10 or 15 minutes left in a tournament final in which we're trailing by a goal? Unbelievable. Absolutely, positively unbelievable. We fired Bob Bradley in 2011 for a lot less. There's absolutely no reason to allow this to continue a minute longer. There are managers that would like to take on this job. Pulisic, Adams, and McKennie good core trio of 20 year-olds (plus a cadre of solid CBs that are all under 26) that most managers that don't have an ideal club job would love to have and build around.
In fairness I thought we needed to get Ream off earlier. His lack of ability going forward was a huge issue today.
Those are 3 mistakes, I agree. but are there many real difference makers that didn't make the team? The differences would be around the edges, not huge changes.
Im fairly certain about 90 percent of posters here would pick better rosters than Gregg at this point.
Uh, no. Any lineup with MB90 is not "pretty good". Shades of WC qualifying where MB90 played the full game even when it was obvious he was outplayed/outworked as the backpassing pylon. Oddly the Mexicans were tentative in the 1st half (rope a dope?), but then focused on MB90/midfield in the 2nd half, taking hold of a 50/50 game. Again obvious MB90 was little more than a pylon, yet Berhalter stays with the sub plan, acceding midfield to the Mexicans. An AYSO coach could see MB90 was being worked and he was losing the midfield. WC qualifying, Gold Cup, rinse, repeat...
Stupid take. GGG outcoached him when they met in the playoffs. somewhere between 60 and 65, should have been a double sub; Boyd for Morris and Roldan for Bradley, who was clearly out of it the 2nd half. i dunno. Jozy scuffed a pretty easy chance. McKennie stunk, and surely you don’t think starting him was a mistake? I liked how we defended; surely GGG gets some credit for that.
Im not sure if they would be difference makers at the top levels of the international game, but against this Mexican team I do believe 5 or 6 changes and this team wins this game played this way.
How does Boyd go from starter to behind Lovitz? Will any of our journalists ask Gregg? Yeah ********ing right.
Honestly the biggest issue for Berhalter was player selection and that should be criticized. Going into toe Gold Cup planning to use Tim Ream as a LB was a bad idea. Only having Zardes and Jozy was bad. Now in defense of Zardes I do think he has his use at times, but the game needs to be opened. He just cant create. Djordie has potential but clearly was not ready for this tournament and Trapp basically was outclassed too gotta get better there
The change of instructions for Steffen was really confusing me. Steffen was sending them long all game and we were winning those aerial duels effectively. As soon as the second half starts, Steffen starts playing it on the ground and inviting pressure. A few turnovers and about 10-15 minutes later we revert back, but it really changed the rhythm of the game beyond the adjustments by Tata.
I forgot to add that Lovitz wouldn’t even have been included as an option in the poll. Berhalter chose E. Other and gave Lovitz the write-in vote. Clown show.
I mentioned in another thread but I think Steffen had a poor game too. He needs to take control of the box and he doesnt. I was watching the game with my uncle and said that if Mexico is gonna score it will be from a shot at the edge or outside of the box because Steffen is not leaving the net. He has to improve on that