Review: 2019 GC in retrospect

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by manfromgallifrey91, Jul 8, 2019.

  1. manfromgallifrey91

    Swansea City
    United States
    Jul 24, 2015
    Wyoming, USA
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What are your thoughts of the GC this year? Best and worst surprise?

    Personally I think expectations were met, getting to the final should have been a little easier and Mexico was weak but pre-tourney I was certain Mexico was going to win. That said the knockout rounds were disappointing in the way they were played and the Final being so winnable leaves an even worse end note.

    Players who improved their stock:
    Cannon
    Adams
    Any CM not named Bradley or Trapp
    Long
    Miazga
    Arriola
    Lima
    Zimmerman
    Cannon really broke through, and Adams absence in the Midfield really hurt even if the plan was to play him wide. Miazga played better and better and should be in contention for a CB spot, Long and Zimmerman are solid depth. Lima looks decent enough to fill in if need be.

    Players who hurt their stock:
    Djorde
    Roldan
    Ream
    Trapp
    Bradley
    Zardes
    Lovitz
    Lewis
    Gonzales
    Boyd(apparently)
    With the exception of Boyd all the above players in this category should be left off future rosters for now, and in some cases retired from the Nats.

    Players who stayed the same:
    Pulisic
    Altidore
    Steffen
    Miller
    Johnson
    McKinnie

    Most of these guys were up and down which is why they just stayed the same. Tough to win when nearly half the roster has to be propped up, need at least 10 changes to this team to really be competitive against a good Mexico.

    Berhalter continues to hurt his own honeymoon period with baffling subs and bad game management, hopefully he improves, he needs to.

    Do we see a roster turnover in September or is it more of the same?

    Is Berhalter able to make changes when things arent working or recognize to change when the opponent makes changes at this level?

    Do any of the U20 get a callup?

    Overall a disappointing tournament even though expectations were met, so its weird for me. Lots of questions going forward.
     
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  2. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #2 Eleven Bravo, Jul 8, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2019
    Overall, the tournament was a net positive for the US, in my opinion.

    The primary goal was to win the Gold Cup; which we unfortunately came just shy of doing.

    However, the secondary goal was to establish a core group to proceed into 2022. I believe we started that well.

    Players ratings for the tournament:
    Steffen (A-) seemed to improve as the tournament went on. His confidence has been shaky but that was improved against Mexico. Also distribution will be an area for improvement.

    Johnson (A) got the nod in a mostly meaningless game and had little to do, but earned another call up at least.

    Cannon (A+) the breakout player of the tournament. He and Yedlin should go at it for the RB spot, and let Adams take DM.

    Lima (B+) I was mostly impressed with Lima in the tournament so I don’t know how he worked himself off the roster. So, he gets knocked down to a B+ for that. Nonetheless, if Berhalter has any sense, he will see that Lima’s future is at LB where he is playing for his club team so that Yedlin and Cannon can contest it out for RB.

    Long (A) Improved as the tournament went on. Was our most reliable defender. Has earned my trust for now.

    Miazga (A-) the story with Miazga has always been really good and then a bonehead play here or there. If he could tighten those things down then he should be a consistent EPL level defender.

    Zimmerman (B+) I was really impressed with Zimmerman this tournament so I don’t know why he got dropped. So he gets bumped down to a B+ for that.

    Gonzalez (F) Gonzalez’s performance was more equal to a high C, but with his age and depth in the position, he really needed to stand out. He should be dropped for good.

    Ream (B) There was a lot I liked and a lot I didn’t like from Ream. But when you add in his age, he gets dropped to a B. He earned enough to be an emergency call-up, but we need to quickly find a replacement.

    Lovitz (D) He’s simply not good enough for this level. I hate it for him too because he had to believe too that he was the wrong sub for that game and has unfortunately become the symbol of Berhalter’s poor game management. Either way, he should be an only in case of emergency defender for the US ever again. Let’s see what Lima and A. Robinson offer, and then let’s go with Gloster before we return to Lovitz.

    Bradley (B) okay, here’s my honest impression from Bradley, as someone who called for his head after TNT. He worked really hard, he offered good distribution, he seemed like a leader, but it’s clear he’s getting old and can’t be relied on as a mainstay. There’s no shame in that. Hell, Eddie Pope was past his prime too and kept getting call ups just because of his name. What I gathered about Bradley is that he could serve the US in an “oh shit” situation, but he’s clearly standing in the way of the vastly superior Tyler Adams. Thus, it should be interpreted that I am complimenting Bradley’s performance, but I’m rightfully worried that he’s going to be a weak link in next three years. Hopefully, Berhalter sees it.

    Trapp (D) Trapp played himself out of this squad in this tournament. He’s clearly not CONCACAF level, and never will be. At this point, just try some young player as the 6 if we get so desperate. I would never call him up again.

    Mihailovic (D) I don’t know what the hell has happened to Djordje but he went from promising player to he needs to try and make it work in MLS and maybe the u23’s before he ever receives a call up again. He was way too slow and sloppy for even this level.

    Roldan (B-) I’d say this... Roldan wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t my cup of tea. In other words, if we are relying on Roldan in the future, despite the fact he works hard, etc. we are in a world of hurt.

    McKennie (A) he was poor against Mexico which downgrades him from an A+ but it’s clear, he’s the future.

    Pulisic (A) like McKennie, he gets downgraded for his performance against Mexico, even though he wasn’t terrible. But it’s clear, this team can’t function without him.

    Zardes (C+) Only reason Gyasi isn’t an F is because he did score a couple goals. That said, it’s pretty damn clear that Gyasi should only ever be our “oh shit” player. He really came up limp against Mexico when we needed him to be strong. Let’s all pray Sargent and Soto make him irrelevant because truthfully, there’s not much out there better than him unfortunately.

    Morris (C+) Like Gyasi, he did a few things here or there to prevent him from the group who should never see the light of day again. But, we should clearly try to find a superior player.

    Lewis (D) I know Lewis has pace, but the man can’t even start regularly for Colorado Rapids... why did Berhalter think he was the answer? He needs to focus on the u-23’s and becoming a consistent threat inside of MLS. Besides, Amon is clearly superior to Lewis.

    Arriola (B+) Arriola was far and away the MOTM against Mexico last night. Although, I’m not quite ready to give him an A performance. He’s a guy who’s right at the Ralston line, and jury is still out if he’ll ever be more than that. Still, he did enough to continue to be in the picture with his tireless work rate.

    Boyd (B+) I have no earthly clue why Berhalter dumped Boyd like a bad habit, but I believe it cost us the Gold Cup. Boyd was on his way to be an easy A+ but gets downgraded due to getting dropped for some reason. Still, I hope Berhalter comes to his senses and realize that Boyd needs to be a regular with this team.

    Altidore (A-) Jozy could have easily made his case for A+ last night but gets downgraded for the miss when we needed him to finish that chance. Still, it’s evident that he doesn’t normally miss sitters, and his energy, work rate, and holding the ball up was significantly better than Gyasi. For the time being, he will provide competition for who should eventually replace him with Sargent and Soto.

    Berhalter (C) So, he does get some credit for scoring 10+ goals and only allowing 2 goals in the tournament. Also, the play did improve throughout the tournament. He still gets praise for that. And, I respect him for rotating the roster throughout the tournament. But, his initial roster management was atrocious and got him in trouble against Mexico. We came out flat against Curaçao and were not extremely impressive against Guyana. And he was clearly out coached against Mexico.

    It should also be mentioned that we didn’t play anybody of real caliber until the final.... which, we lost. Berhalter has to recognize that we need to win some games against top quality teams and quit banking on minnows to pad his resume. And yes, Panama, Trinidad, and Jamaica, are all still minnows in the global sense.

    That said, I came away believing he did some things right, the team is showing some promise that it hasn’t since 2014, but that he’s in over his head and we’re going to be very disappointed again with 2022 due to the fact that USSF corruption is so strong that they won’t fire him because of nepotism.
     
  3. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Next camp, I want to see, if we have everyone healthy

    GK Steffen, Horvath, Johnson
    RB Yedlin, Cannon
    CB Brooks, Long, Miazga, Zimmerman, ...CCV
    LB Lima, A. Robinson, ...Gloster
    DM Adams, Morales
    M8 McKennie, Nagbe, ...Mendez
    10 Pulisic, Pomykal
    RW Boyd, Arriola
    FW Sargent, Soto
    LW Weah, Amon
     
  4. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I’d replace Nagbe and Mendez with Williams and Holmes. I’d also give Wood a shot too.

    Weak points where I’d experiment broadly: LB, back up 8 and all three attacking spots.
     
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  5. dougtee

    dougtee Member+

    Feb 7, 2007
    love it. you need to build a roster that has difference makers on the bench and that can be players that only defend as well as only attack.
     
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  6. UxSxAxfooty

    UxSxAxfooty Member+

    Jan 23, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just for fun... The USMNT forums right now:

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. SoccerMan94043

    SoccerMan94043 Member+

    May 29, 2003
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I really don't understand the Arriola love. His lack of touch let us down so often in the tournament. We can do better.

    Morris and Roldan are also not even close to the quality we need.
     
  8. dougtee

    dougtee Member+

    Feb 7, 2007
    arriola is a great sub when you went to get weah off and kill a match youre leading with dogged running and defense
     
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  9. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    The best part was that Altidore and McKennie stood up for their teammates.

    Our defense had pretty good communication and kept their shape. If/when we replace Bradley with Adams, I really like our chances to be an elite defensive team
     
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  10. manfromgallifrey91

    Swansea City
    United States
    Jul 24, 2015
    Wyoming, USA
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I cant speak for everyone, but I think given our lack of options at LB currently his work rate and willingness to tackle make him a solid option there where his final third game isnt as big of a deal. If we are talking RM/LM, yeah not my cup of tea either.
     
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  11. PacmanJr_00

    PacmanJr_00 Member

    Aug 29, 2010
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  12. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I should have included Holmes but I still would leave out Wood and Williams.

    Also, I’d bring in Mendez for training fodder.

    And, I think Nagbe still has something to add to the USMNT. I rate him over Roldan, IMO.
     
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  13. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
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  14. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I literally laughed out loud to this photo haha.
     
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  15. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Respectfully disagree in Nagbe. He doesn’t have the workrate a CM needs and is a bad partner for McKennie and/or Adams.

    Why leave out Williams, when healthy? He was MoTM under sarachan.
     
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  16. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nagbe’s problem is consistency and killer instinct... as it seems like all USMNT players seem to have.

    But, his ball control and dribbling are probably the best game of any American player. He offers something in that department. I would like to see if we surround him with players he can link with, if he could be at least a good rotational player for us.

    Danny Williams? Is he even alive?
     
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  17. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I believe you did say, if everyone was healthy.....
     
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  18. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I agree that he rarely get dispossessed but I don’t see him using that skills to break lines and launch an attack, which is where our pool strength lies. I haven’t seen him play with ATL this year so you may have a better perspective as I think you’re a fan.
     
  19. harttbeat

    harttbeat Member

    Dec 29, 1998
    New York
    Mckennie was MOTM against Jamica...didnt he score two goals and had to track his butt playing next to Bradley.
     
  20. ChicagoVT

    ChicagoVT Member

    United States
    Jun 26, 2019
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  21. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wasn't Bradley listed in the Concacaf best XI for 2018 as well? Honestly, it's just shocking. Let's you know that this is not an MLS or SUM or USSF conspiracy. Somehow, the entire confederation is all-in on Michael Bradley, and I simply don't understand it.
     
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  22. An Unpaved Road

    An Unpaved Road Member+

    Mar 22, 2006
    Club:
    --other--
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  23. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    And this will keep him in the picture through the rest of 2019..."nobody is better, he was Best XI in the Gold Cup. Nobody else is stepping up!"
     
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  24. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    True...

    I should have clarified, if no one is carrying a minor/moderate knock
     
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  25. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, they’re my team... as frustrating they have been and absolutely dumpster fire that Pity Martinez has been.

    But, Nagbe has been solid for Atlanta. In my opinion, he’s been the most reliable and consistent player we’ve had all season. Every now and again, he’ll do his fade into oblivion, but he seems to bring it more with every match.

    That said, he is the best player in the league, IMO, in bringing the ball up the field and maintaining possession. He’s like a bootleg Kante in that way; except Kante can defend and is obviously a better and more reliable player... which to be honest, Nagbe has actually improved defensively too.

    In short, he’s not a lot of flash anymore, but he does an excellent job of holding onto the ball.
     
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