Pre-match: USA vs Jamaica -- Gold Cup Semi-Finals Wed 7/1

Anyone playing a 4-1-4-1, with MB as the 1 in front of the defense, against a team like Curacao or tonight against Jamaica, is asking for problems.

Especially when you combine it with an ineffective, unaggressive, half-hearted, confused and individualistic forward press.

Ye Gawds.

We don't have a left back!

This is not a revelation. We haven't had one in a coons age. We are effectively playing a 3 man backline with Ream in there, so why not just play one and forget the overly complicated RB as also a CM that our resident genius on our bench has come up with!

No need to overcomplicate this. Just play a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 and forget about it.

Or, heck, even pull out Klinsi's old 4-4-2 Diamond if you have to play MB. He MAY be able to play as a deep lying regista spraying diagonal balls from deep - at least when he has some time - IF you surround him with a couple of box to boxers or one of them and a winger who will defend. If you want to play Zardes, he will do that work!

I am afraid our brain trust is overly fond of its own genius. But if we trot out the formation we played against Curacao with MB as the sole windshield wiper in front of our back-whatever-it-is, we are gonna get worked - unless that press has improved about 200% in the last couple of days.

 

Klinsmann got a bronze in 'o6. Coaches are hired to be fired unless they're "Sir" Alex. Most leagues are like musical chairs.

 

If we want a slow, skilled left footed player who is basically a third CB, could try Brooks there.

 

Or...if you're going to insist on playing a CB out of position at FB....why not put Long at RB who has decent pace and then just switch Lima to left back (where he plays for his club)? You'd still have Zimmerman and Miazga at CB in that scenario so no matter how you slice it, it's a better back 4.

I could come up with a million different combinations that are all better than having Tim Ream on the field, at any of the 4 defensive positions.

 

I'd be willing to bet a healthy Brooks beats Ream in a foot race

 

I get it...but he's not a good enough coach that his decisions can't be questioned.

For the love of all things holy in this world, the man left Landon Donovan home out of spite because the two didn't get along. Good luck trying to convince anyone with a brain that follows the USMNT closely that Landon Donovan wasn't one of the best 23 US players available in the pool. Even if you didn't view him as a starter (which he was still good enough to be at that point), he was definitely good enough to be your super sub.

You're talking THE most prestigious event in international soccer that only comes along once every 4 years. A "good" coach with a limited player pool would never allow his roster construction to be determined by something so petty.

 

I was thinking about this today. The diff between GGG/Klinsi and Arena/Bradley is A/B never played. Not sure, really about Bradley, but I know Arena never played. He coached lax. These guys who played, our choices of course, seem to have a little pig headedness about them. Klinsi was like "just go out there and play" and GGG is like "this guy is good for this and that guy is good for that and that is what I want". I was bored, but "that is what I thought".

 

In the long term, it didn't.

 

People dont want Ream, Berhalter makes him captain!!!

 

Altidore, Morris, Miazga, and Cannon for Zardes, Boyd, Zimmerman, and Lima.

 

He also benched Zimmerman and Lima.....all in the name of keeping Ream on the field.

Ream is due for one of his WTF moments. Let's all hold hands and pray it isn't in these next 2 matches.

 

LIneup is out

-------arriola ----jozy-----morris
------pulisic-----Bradley--wes
--ream---miazga-----long---cannon
-----------------------steffen

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...ineup-schedule-tv-channels-start-time-bracket

 

This... is a stretch.

 

Arena played. He actually has one cap with the USMNT (He was a GK). But yes, he was more a LAX guy.

Bob played at Princeton, but not after that.

 

And your USMNT Captain...

TIM REAM

 

Really weird time to start Reggie Cannon.

Maybe he is faster than Lima and GGG is worried about Lawrence?

 

Well, I was right about Jozy. Glad to see 4 guys get rest, without much drop off (if any). Cannon is kind of a surprise.

 

If I don’t make it before 9pm, I nominate @Sebsasour to start the PBP

 

Too late, but my pre match thread was stolen from me

 

I mean, there were at least a half dozen screaming ever since Berhalter was named that Bradley would be captain every game, yet it seems that everyone on the pitch has gotten the chance except Bradley. (ok, maybe I recall he wore the band once? As a sub for Trapp?)

 

Do you (or anyone) have a good mobile friendly stream link you could pm me? I’m over international waters, so I’m getting the IP heisman.

 

MB90 at CM...a sure ticket to watch the championship game. Jamaica will make him look even slower than he actually is. Did they learn anything from WC qualifying?...that a big, ponderous midfielder doesn't work against even average teams.

 

Cannon and Morris together on right is weird in a knockout game.

IF he's trying to do this 3-2-2-3 attack, it can't work. Cannon can't be the guy going central as we've never seen that. So Wes has to dropback. So then morris is the guy going central with CP? Yuck.

I can't remember the Panama game that well but I know we stunk.

 

Cannon is a solid defender on the right side in US's half.

 

Fine.

So if cannon is there to defend, then what? Captain LB isn't bombing down the wing.