We should not have this thread at all. With all due respect to topic started, and to Guyana, even with our shitty coach and shitty players we will win. We might have Post-match thread just for a feel-good camaraderie, but no Pre-match, no.
Anything less than a dominating performance is a failure in this game. I dont care about the scoreline really but it should be a multi goal win with them being shut out unless they grab a fluke. If they legitimately create chances then the other two games will be loses.
What I’d throw out from the crap player selection I’d have available... ————Altidore————- Pulisic———————Boyd ——Holmes—-Wes———- ———(C)Adams————— Lima——————-—Arriola ——-Miazga—Zimmerman— ————-Johnson———— Bench: Steffen, Long, Ream, Bradley, Roldan, Morris, Zardes Ultimately, that’s the best anyone can do with the 23 we’ve got. I’d run that formation into the ground for the whole tournament. I get that Berhalter refuses to play his best player in the best position, but the dude needs to play in the midfield.
Was I the only person that heard Stuart Holden say on multiple occasions during the Venezuela match that Tyler Adams would not start until at least the 2nd match of the Gold Cup? IIRC, Holden also emphasized that Berhalter would rotate the squad heavily during the group stage of the tournament. We'll see how accurate this information is. A lot of the pre-Venezuela information put out in the media turned out to be inaccurate or misleading.
I expect at least 6-0, with the bozo-heads on the telly assuring us that Genius Gregg is Back! [and Mikey should be Captain for Life]. Now keep in mind that Guyana is ranked 175 in the world, think about that. To put that into perspective, the Solomon Islands are 139th and Eswatini--yes, Eswatini, the happening place once known as Swaziland-- is 143. Honestly, we should be able to beat them 10-0.... but we won't. Our first real match will not be until we play the one against TnT [93rd in rank..... lest we forget just how awful a failure it was to be eliminated by them last time], and finally we hit the high powered big time with mighty Panama [possessing a heady rank of 74]. If we were a team playing up to our potential we'd win all three group matches, with a goal differential of at least 12. But we'll be celebrating getting out of the group round in "The Group of Death" .........
I heard that as well. I thought he was arriving tomorrow, which would give him a week. Unless I am wrong about that, or he's still working back from his injury, I find it hard to believe a week won't get him incorporated enough. I know all these coaches talk about negotiations with clubs, etc., but isn't this during an international break? Are we doing all this to get Pulisic and Adams for the Olympics -- having them less now so their clubs release them?
The Gold Cup is poorly timed this year - I would have scheduled it to start a full week earlier in June. Maybe Leipzig and Chelsea want Adams and Pulisic to take time off solely before the Gold Cup, and then jump right into their preseasons? That shouldn't be an issue for Adams, because the Bundesliga takes a winter break, but it may become more of a problem for Pulisic if he jumps right into a preseason. (BTW - this doesn't excuse the past two shit US performances.)
Prediction: Guyana wins 1-0. The USMNT is in total disarray and Guyana will find a way to take advantage. This match has upset written all over it.
We might lose to Panama or T&T, but we've beaten CR and Panama in January. Guyana is much worse than both those teams. We'll win by multiple goals. Hopefully we build momentum to get 9 points.
Yeah, Adams isn't slated to play until the second game, against T&T. I imagine partly as an agreement to let him get some rest and partly so he can be "built up" like Gregg said Pulisic needed to be "built up." Whatever that means.
I would imagine this was an agreement with the player and their club. I've seen significant online criticism of Berhalter for "letting" Pulisic and Adams come in late. What do they expect him to do? Force them to come in? Do people think Pulisic's vacation was something Berhalter insisted on?
What’s the source on this? I thought roster had been finalized. What a disaster if Adams flakes out on GC. Certainly makes a terrible situation much worse.