Pre-match: USA-Trinidad and Tobago, World Cup Qualifier, 8 June 2017

A lull in the action, I see. Setting the table for T&T ...

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...nidad-tobago-world-cup-qualifying-final-round

Training at altitude ...

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...e-training-ahead-of-june-world-cup-qualifiers

And a Mexico preview ...

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...nt-mexico-estadio-azteca-world-cup-qualifying

Do we have a Mexico thread? If not, the link above would provide a nice starting point.

 

Is the Mexico game going to be on BeIn? I know last cycle since ESPN had the Mexico games, they were able to show that game despite it being an away game for us. Does anyone currently have The English rights for El Tri?

 

Fox Sports: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/114/...quires-english-rights-to-mexico-national-team

 

Fwiw, what I would do.

I think you've got to take your best shot against TNT. The best 11 you have. And, 3 days after playing at RSL, the TNT starters are going to be toast. There has to be heavy rotation, and hope for the best.

TnT

------------------Dempsey
------------------------------Jozy
--Fab--------------------------------------------Nagbe
------------------------Puli
----------------------------------Bradley
Villafana------Cameron-----Brooks-----Yedlin

Mex

-----------------------Wood
--------------------------------Puli*

Arriola?---------------------------------------Bedoya
---------------------Jones
-----------------------------Dax

-Villafana------Cameron --------Brooks---------Chandler

* I wouldn't plan on Puli going 90. I'd figure that he'll have to be subbed at 60. Bring Nagbe in.


Left mid is tough. Can Arriola play on the left? Maybe put Chandler there and play Lichaj at RB?

Or, dare I say, Beasley at left mid? Is he even playing right now?

 

If he's not playing, he'll be particularly well-rested by then.

 

-----------Altidore---Dempsey-----------
------Johnson----------------Pulisic-------
------------Acosta----Bradley-----
--Villafana---------------------------Yedlin---
-------------Brooks---Cameron----
------------------Howard----

Given WCQing isn't quite out of the woods, a reasonable sturdy and safe lineup should be used.

Altidore doesn't have the lungs for Azteca, so Wood should be saved for there.

I prefer Roldan, but Acosta is more integrated into the group. Jones has been weak in the past two Qualifiers.

 

One other cm option would be Nagbe. He did win an MLS Cup while playing the position.

 

crap, we need to keep our eye on Brooks again.

He has been suffering from back pain and they traced it to a muscle problem in his hip. He is being given an unspecified amount of time off to see if it can be rectified with rest.

 

He should take the whole summer off.

 

(Credit to IE for posting the NT TotW roster in the MLS FotW thread)



WS NT MLS Team of the Week 8
(player score)team avg
* = Man of the Match

---------------------------Agudelo(8.2)6.9*---------
-----Nagbe(7.8)6.9---Dempsey(9.4)7.4*---Muyl(7.7)7.1
--------------Jeffrey(7.8)6.8---EAlexander(7.5)7.1
--Beasley(7.6)7.1------------------------------------ Lima(7.2)6.9
--------------Long(7.7)7.1*----Zimmerman(7.7)7.0---
---------------------------Bingham(8.1)6.9*-------------

Looks like Beasley is playing. Given that Nagbe, Puli, Fab, will probably all have played 3 days earlier in SLC. I think we could do worse than to have Beaz as a stopgap LM in Mex.

 

Bump... T minus one month.

Any thoughts? I have not been following closely enough to have an opinion.

 

This is only my opinion, but........

GK: Howard, Hamid, Horvath
Defenders: Yedlin, Chandler, Besler, Miazga, Hedges, Zimmerman, Villafana, Rowe
Midfielders: Bradley, Cameron, Acosta, Trapp, Pulisic, Nagbe, Feilhaber, Johnson
Forwards: Altidore, Dempsey, Agudelo, Wood

 

I havent seen much of the Crew this season. How has Trapp looked?

 

So the Euro guys are mostly healthy again right? Yedlin, Brooks, Cameron, and Fab?

 

Columbus fans seem very happy with his play. WhoScored has him with an overall higher rating than last season, along with completing the highest passing percentage and most per game of his career. 4th in the league in pass percentage, 2nd in passes per game. I've only watched a few games, looks pretty good to me. Lined up as a #8 a few days ago instead of a auxiliary CB like usual, and was playing players in with ease.

 

Brooks, probably not. The others, yeah. Last I saw, Cameron was completely fit, Yedlin and Johnson weren't dealing with injuries that will keep them out another month.

 

I thought I saw a Tweet that showed Brooks was back to training, but granted that might not mean a whole lot in terms of game fitness

 

I had written an explanation saying I thought I saw it was 6 weeks, which would probably rule him out, and then I saw that he played over the weekend lol. So yeah, he replaces Miazga in my team. Good that he's back, thats so odd though. I swear I saw 6 weeks.

 

In no way do Trapp and Rowe deserve consideration in a do or die qualifier situation. At best they'd come through the Gold Cup. They aren't even a-list prospects. This is not the time to take flyers.

And Hedges, Zimmerman, + Miazga; that certainly is a heck of a lot of experimental players at one position when our backs are against the wall. No way we should do that. Like it or not, someone like Gonzalez needs to be there.

You're skipping steps that could end up leading to a lot of regret. This is not the situation in which to mess around. That's what Gold Cup and friendlies are for. Unfortunately, this camp is ahead of both. We do have a friendly against Venezuela immediately before. But you're not going to achieve much more than prepping 1 player per position set at max, who then probably could be called upon if the first option goes down.

We should feel relieved that there are no shortage of players available and in form, at least as of this juncture. Cameron, Yedlin, Altidore, Benny, Besler, Lichaj (needs to be there), etc.; are rock(stars) for their clubs. Paramount are the availability of Howard, Cameron (at dm), and Pulisic. I think we could withstand attrition, bar a catastrophic amount, at all other positions. But those I think are the irreplaceable ones for the most part. Whether Bruce uses Cameron at dm I think will be a major factor as to whether we get favorable results during the camp.

 

I don't understand the mindset that its experimental to call in experienced professional footballers. It would be experimental to call in a very young team without a lot of professional games under their belt. I don't think anyone would suggest to call in less than what they think is the best squad. If you think the best squad includes players without NT caps or without many, then I think you should call those players in. Why go down with less than your best because of some expectation that a player needs to have a minimum amount of NT caps to make a WCQ roster? Doesn't that leave you in a position where you are more likely to lose because you are playing worse players who are badly out of form and past it?

I'd rather call in a team without a lot of NT caps than the same retreads like Jones, Zardes, Zusi, Wondo, Bedoya, Rimando who don't belong and have proven that, regardless of what competition we are talking about. And if you are going to make a transition, it has to happen eventually. Arena hasn't yet done that.

 

It's a false dilemma/appeal to extremes/straw man. I'm not a proponent of calling in any of the players listed, bar maybe one of Zardes/Bedoya as a utility/emergency option. I can achieve the balance of an experienced enough roster, with good talent for the U.S., and a little back door integration without them.

Clearly you do understand the difference between international experience/proof and out of MLS or any other league. Wondo, Morales, and Chandler say hi. You may have had different theories, but they are just that until it's virtually proven, and they prove to be inaccurate plenty of the time, I don't care who you are.

Arena has only been around 4 games, two out of season friendlies where only half the pool was available, and 2 do-or-die qualifiers, which by that standard he did a good job integrating for. That's a grossly insufficient amount of time for a transition. But there's ample opportunity in the Gold Cup where we play 6 official but b-team games. Then we'll have more friendlies later in the year into January camp. It's natural that's where the transition would take place. What happens the next camp is a bonus. He doesn't deserve flack if he does next to none and it doesn't portend the future. I'd maybe have 1 guy at every level - gk, backs, midfield, and forwards; that wasn't integrated. And they could be worked in a little as needed. Maybe start or get a half in the friendly, come off the bench vs. T&T, and then if we're desperate vs. Mexico. Then it's more that they'd be ready going forward, not to be leaned on for that camp.

And Trapp is a b-teamer at best until he proves otherwise. He really hasn't shown anything in u-23's or for the senior nt in his limited opportunities to have confidence in him when it counts, more so the opposite.

 

Can you share what your roster would be?

 

Jermaine Jones out 2-4 weeks. MCL sprain. Yay. Woo. So happy he'll be back and stuff.

 

It's a clear sign to move on without JJ. Love him, heart of gold, great skill with lots left in the tank....but it's time..

 

LA Galaxy have announced that Jones will be out for 3-4 weeks.

https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/05/08/jermaine-jones-out-three-four-weeks-mcl-sprain-insider

Thus, I think that Jones is still possible for this match.