While I agree with your first statement, I disagree with the second. The next, permanent coach will certainly utilize many of the same players Sarachan calls in. Benefits to be gained regardless of who's currently at the helm.
I’ll take the bait. Benefits? Players getting experience in higher-level, “faster” international matches against talented international opponents. (Of the 6 fall friendlies, only Italy didn’t play in the WC.) Players also get off-the-field experience with the additional travel and training sessions that differ from that of their club teams. Helps with adaptability. Players learn to integrate with different teammates on the fly. Coaches—current assistants and potential permanents—can evaluate players’ abilities for implementations down the line. (Don’t think Ggg for instance does NOT watch these friendlies.) (Why do I feel like I’m putting together a resume?) There are risks of injuries, sure. There are risks, for instance, when Pulisic plays extra, non Bundesliga matches in the CL. But he gains further experience and confidence. All this stands to benefit the individual, and the club for which they play, in addition to the NT. I know you are diametrically opposed to this position, and I anticipate your picking it apart (thanks, Timon for the proper grammar on that). I think it comes down to opinion, and I don’t expect to change yours. Just hope you’ll see the other perspective.
The first three points are somewhat valid until you get to four. There is nothing a coach will see in these games they don't already know and there is no way in hell Sarachan can teach them something new. This is a guy who washed out of MLS a decade ago and hasn't learned anything since. He's absolutely atrocious. I have read we played more games than anyone else in the world last cycle. Maybe that's our problem. We don't need to play just because. Until we have some direction, I don't see how our players or team is benefitting. It just burns players out and pisses off club coaches. Don't even get me started with the Bradley call up. I guess I just see this as the same, failed program again led by an incompetent dolt. Fans and players deserve better. Thanks for the response and I agree with it in principle but not what the reality is at this time.
The Fed has really caused a weird situation here. I understand DS rationale for thinking its time to start to bring in some older players to mentor/integrate into the team. Even though he won’t be the coach he is trying to do his best to build a team for the Gold Cup. I think generally fans underestimate the value of familiarity with teammates on and off the field. Having someone like Amon come into the team and start to form relationships off the field with his teammates makes sense to me.
My friend summed it up well. He said it's like telling Jeff Ruby his chefs will improve if they work at Subway for a week.
USSF spokesperson confirms that #Crew96 assistant Josh Wolff will be with the #usmnt during the upcoming int'l window as a guest coach. USSF insists this has nothing to do with the ongoing search for a permanent manager. (1/x)— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 4, 2018 LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOL Take them all!!!!!!!
Ok so @hangthadj and @chr1st, we all know you want 3G out of Columbus, but I can't reconcile how you both also seem ok with him taking the Nats job. Please to explain.
I care more about my club than the national team. Pedro Santos doesn’t have US citizenship. I can only be disappointed by my national team a maximum of a dozen or so games a year as opposed to 40. It’s been 5 years, that’s a long damn time. I’m just ready to move on.
I won't be jumping for joy if he gets the USMNT gig (other than it'll mean that Berhalter is gone from Columbus and Guille can rightfully take the throne). It'll be fine. Just fine. If we're going off the shortlist, I'd prefer Pareja or Marsch. They've both shown they can do a lot with a little, and they aren't afraid to give younger guys a chance to prove themselves. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe they were/are key figures in youth development at their clubs, which is something we desperately need to address at the national level. HOWEVA... if Gigi is tapped to be the next USMNT manager, I could see him succeeding. He'll have a better talent pool to play with. I believe his system could translate well to the NT (maybe need some help at LB and the #10 spot). He has a knack for getting the most out of his strikers. His players, for the most part, seem to respect him. He understands the mentality of American players, knows what it's like to play for the NT, and has experienced the rigors of CONCACAF and the World Cup. All good stuff on the résumé. And, I want to make this crystal clear, I don't hate Berhalter. I loved the excitement (and winning) he brought to the club after Warzycha. He changed the culture for the better. I believe he wants to win. Plus, Gregg seems like a genuinely good, funny guy, and I'd love to scoot up to the bar with him and enjoy a few beers. Every week, I hope that he proves me wrong. Hell, I hope he wins MLS Cup and all the trophies for the Crew forever so y'all can rub it in my face. I would love that. But I just don't think he has it, at least not with this club. And he has had his opportunity. So it's time to say "Thank ya for yer service!", shake his hand, and send him on his merry way.
Marsch simply isn't happening, so that's out. I wanted Pareja for a while as well, but I've cooled on him considerably. Couple reasons: 1) he fails spectacularly in the playoffs every single year, 2) after last years clusterfvck of denying people transfers and it wrecking the team (Acosta, Barrios, Urruti) I have questions about his man management, and 3) he likes to play with wingers and pacey attackers, and we have exactly 1 that is ready to go, which is Pulisic. I just don't know if he can play another way. It's really down to Vermes and Berhalter I think, if we're keeping in American.
In regards to #2, why wouldn't 2016 stand as a black mark against Berhalter. The Crew was coming off an MLS Cup appearance. They returned virtually all their starters, and proceeded to have one of the worst seasons in club history. Now, I know the default Columbus fan and Berhalter apologist line is to blame that completely and entirely on Kei Kamara and give Berhalter the benefit of the doubt. But, why wouldn't Pareja get the similar benefit of the doubt for 2017 when you have much more complicated machinations at work when looking at transfers abroad especially since you are working with the league and not just the club? Why wouldn't we blame the Dallas players in this situation, the way so many blame Kei Kamara for Columbus's 2016?
I think that is all wonderful. Playing for the NT is an honor and a vital part of the process to prepare for the next World Cup cycle. I love seeing our Crew Dudes representing their countries. But. But. But. While I don't completely share the same view on call-ups as the esteemed and handsome Mr. @puttputtfc, I do take issue with these games being played right now. Our guys are nearing the end of a long season. We're ramping up for a playoff run. If we make the playoffs (we could still get bounced), our schedule becomes much more congested. Having six guys, most of whom are starters, go around the country or the globe (!!) to pick up more minutes in meaningless friendlies is the opposite of helpful (different situation for Afful and Mensah, so I'm less unhappy about them). Here's our upcoming schedule: 10/6 - @ Montreal 10/21 - @ Orlando 10/28 - v Minnesota Doesn't look bad. But we're sandwiching two extra games in there for national team duty. Then, add in playoffs. Now we're looking at this: 10/6 - Crew @ Montreal 10/11 - USMNT v Colombia, Iraq v Argentina 10/12 - Ghana v Sierra Leone, Panama @ Japan 10/15 - Iraq @ Saudi Arabia 10/16 - USMNT v Peru, Ghana @ Sierra Leone, Panama @ South Korea 10/21 - Crew @ Orlando 10/28 - Crew v Minnesota 10/31 or 11/1 - MLS Playoffs Knockout Round 11/4 - MLS Playoffs Conference Semifinal Game 1 11/11- MLS Playoffs Conference Semifinal Game 2 That's a lot of games and travelling for the lads, and then you've got to consider the possibility of injury. To me, right now, the risks outweigh the benefits. We should have these guys at home, getting prepared and resting up for the playoffs. Let them focus on bringing glory to Columbus. Get them back in the NT mix after the season is over.
I agree. I think another thing that i forgot to mention is that people always point to pareja's work with youth players. I think thats overplayed though. Honestly, other than Kellyn Acosta (who Pareja never played in his correct position and ultimately drove out of the club) what youth player has he brought through that was good? Cannon looks good, I'll give you that. Ulloa is meh at best (why Pareja chose him over Acosta I have no idea) and Gonzalez is meh as well. That leaves..... I think the shine has left Pareja. GB has reached a final, and almost a second. Pareja has been nothing but a dumpster fire in the playoffs.
FC Dallas consistently has one of the top-rated academies in the US, they've won national championships recently at multiple levels, and they consistently challenge for titles. The U-15, U-16 and U-18 team were all ranked in the top four of the country as of May 2018 (not sure where they stand now). FC Dallas has signed 23 players to homegrown contracts, more than any other MLS team. While only a handful of those guys have any name recognition, many of those players have contributed minutes to the first team. Add to that a guy like Chris Richards who was loaned out to Bayern Munich this season (and is getting PT with their U-19s). How much of that is Pareja? I don't know, but I'd assume he has some hand in it. Are you say making it to MLS Cup puts Gigi above Pareja? Really? Pareja won the Supporters' Shield in 2016. That's a far more impressive/difficult achievement. He won the Open Cup that season, too. Winning in the playoffs? That's a crapshoot. Ask Colorado or RSL or Portland. EDIT: Gigi's record in the postseason: 3W - 7L - 2D Pareja's record in the postseason: 3W - 3L - 3D ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm not saying Pareja is a bum. What I am saying though is that his stock is down from a couple of years ago. He's just as tactically inflexible as GB as well. He only plays 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. His only tactic is bunker and counter.
Now that I'm on my computer... If you wanna breakdown Berhalter v Pareja: Regular Season Record (both been coach since 2014): Coach GP / W / L / D / W% / W+D% Berhalter 167 / 66 / 56 / 45 / 39.5% / 66.5% Pareja 166 / 77 / 46 / 43 / 46.4% / 72.3% Regular Season Finish in Conference: Coach 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 Berhalter 3 / 2 / 9 / 5 / 4 Pareja 4 / 1 / 1 / 7 / 1 Playoffs Record Total: Coach GP / W / L / D / GD Berhalter 12 / 3 / 7 / 2 / -3 Pareja 9 / 3 / 3 / 3 / -3 Playoff Finishes*: Coach 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 Berhalter QF / F / X / SF Pareja QF / SF / SF / X *Definitions - Knockout Round / Quarter Finals / Semi-Finals / Final / Champion So what are we saying here? That Berhalter has equaled and surpassed Pareja in the playoffs (which in MLS, matters more) with a worse team? Sure, Berhalter has more losses, but he's also coached 3 more games. No shit he has more losses. I'm not gonna sit here and say Berhalter is the best coach ever, I've jumped on and off the GB hypetrain multiple times. What I am saying though is that Pareja isn't some messiah of a coach. He does well in the regular season bunkering and countering with super fast attackers (like he's playing FIFA on Playstation) and finishes first regularly, but then shits the bed year in year out in the playoffs. And 23 homegrown players sounds great and all but only 6 have had prolonged careers in MLS: Acosta, Ulloa, Richard Sanchez (Chicago's current clown 'keeper), Cannon, London Woodbury, and Jesse Gonzalez. All the rest are either still kids getting little to no gametime with Dallas or out of the league completely. Note: McKennie came through there, but left for Schalke. Richards was signed as a homegrown, but he really isn't. He was there for like 6 months, and then when Bayern sniffed around, Dallas signed him, though he wasn't allowed to play in MLS for another 6 months because he hadn't actually met the HG standards yet, it was a preemptive signing. And what is the point of a youth academy, if you just continue to sign foreign players instead of playing your youth products? Acosta was shipped out and 35 or however year old Abel Aguilar was signed to replace him. Dallas signs winger after winger, playmaker after playmaker instead of giving guys like Paxton Pomykal or Jesus Ferreira a consistent run of games. Second note: Columbus has played 3 of the youngest 12 starting lineups in the league this year, including the youngest. Dallas has 1 of the top 12. https://www.transfermarkt.com/major-league-soccer/durchschnittsalter/wettbewerb/MLS1
Kyle, how the heck do you keep up/keep track of all this stuff? I mean, you can look up the numbers, but you spout names and positions and backgrounds like it’s common knowledge. It’s remarkable.