Review: 2019 GC in retrospect

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

  1. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    What? Mexico was missing their best 5 or 6 players.
     
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  2. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    When the USMNT has used its A team, I have expected the USMNT to beat Mexico in every game not played in Mexico since 1991 when I saw them beat Mexico 2-0 in the first Gold Cup semifinal at the L.A. Coliseum. I had the same expectation for the 2002 WC R16 game in South Korea, which I also attended.
     
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  3. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Expecting us to beat Mexico every time isn't rational. Anytime any team in any sport plays against another top team, it's a crapshoot as to who will win on the day. In a sport where total scoring is counted, usually, on the fingers of one hand, even more so.

    If we're splitting hairs about "A" teams, we were missing Yedlin, Adams, Brooks, Lletget and Holmes, all of whom legitimately would have been on the roster instead of others.
     
  4. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    Expecting, as in the favorite. The USMNT had a clear psychological advantage over Mexico for years.

    It appears that Egg had pretty much what he believed was his A team, with the exception of his starting RB (Adams) and probably Brooks and Yedlin + Holmes as subs. I agree with you that the real A team was missing a bunch of guys, some injured, some not selected. But Egg's A team appears to be different from what most of us would select.
     
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  5. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well Lletget and Holmes would not have both been on the roster, neither would Cannon if Adams was there.
     
  6. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From August 2011 to October 2015 the US did not lose a single match to Mexico.

    We played build-out-the-back, possession approach for that entire period. If you watched the GC matches every single team tried to build out the back. Even a minnow like Curacao was better at it than we were.

    That is the modern game.
     
  7. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's a talking point, but I'm not convinced all of those additions are clear cut upgrades. Mexico's B Team > USA's B team
     
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  8. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, yeah, expectations get lowered when you keep losing to bad teams, as this one had a trend of doing when Berhalter took over.

    The US can beat Mexico, but it is not a poor result to lose to them.
     
  9. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    It is always a poor result to lose to them. It is not 1985 anymore. The USMNT should be beyond that. It is even worse because Mexico was missing several of their best players.
     
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  10. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #110 MPNumber9, Jul 18, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2019
    I'm making a point; it has nothing to do with being a "huge fan" of Donovan: he was a key part of any relative dominance we enjoyed over Mexico for a period. Particularly, his speed and the directness it facilitated is an antidote to Mexico's style of play.

    What are you talking about? When we were most dangerous, we were fairly direct in this match. The chance that everyone blames Jozy for not finishing was him running into space onto a ball booted out of the back. In fact, at several times in this tournament, the US was very direct. Bradley's long passing is part of why he's there. It has been attacking soccer, but more run&gun than "patient build-up from the back".
     
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  11. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Even missing players, what midfield do we have that can expect to outplay even this B-level Mexico squad? Maybe you didn't see Jonathan Dos Santos, an exceptional MLS midfielder, receive the ball in midfield, totally shrug off a challenge from Weston McKennie, turn him, then run 50 yards to score a golazo. And I'm not sure JDS is a starter for Mexico in a must-win match.

    We need some guys to mature first before we have that expectation. We have good talent coming thru, but they've done jack so far against Mexico.
     
  12. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    Jona dos Santos, good MLS player, meet Alfredo Morales, 1.Bundesliga player.

    And McKennie was again covering for Michael Bradley, who is done.
     
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  13. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Agree but it seems that USSF is as obsessed with Couva as anybody.

    The correct way to get over Couva is with a blank sheet while ignoring the fact that Couva ever happened.
     
  14. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Actually, if you look at the goal, it is Bradley who steps up to cover for McKennie who has lost his man.
     
  15. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    What sticks out to me is our inability to score with a scheme which, supposedly:cautious:, should provide goals while giving up some. We play with double 10's :unsure:of which one is pulisic who is our best goal scorer.

    Instead, it was our defense which shined and our offense sputtered over the finish line with not a single goal in the final after just managing to eke out a 1-0 win over Curacao.

    Thinking you are going to bowl the other guy over was typically arrogant Arena posture with his single 6 in the 4132 formation with Nagbe and Arriola flanking Pulisic in midfield with 2 big clods in front of them in Altidore and Wood.

    Arena and Berhalter, in retrospect, share the belief that you defend in one half and attack in the other, without regard for the middle third. That's how they got beat.

    The first step for me is to find somebody other than McKennie for the middle third . Bradley is too old and I don't see Adams as somebody who will show up every time so we need a very good player to fill in for him as well.

    In retrospect, there's no fear of our right side with Wes and Cannon playing there. Mexico overloaded our left side to stop the outlet cb-ream-puli/arriola. I'd like to see Tommy Thompson get a shot at rb. He's had experience with our u20's, albeit as a midfielder. The question is then who we play ahead of TT in midfield at the 8 position.
     
  16. ChambersWI

    ChambersWI Member+

    Nov 10, 2010
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Maybe I'm naive but I think he player selection will be better going forward. With different players emerging/getting healthy and Greg having more than 2 camps with the team should help.
     
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  17. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    We need someone for the middle 3rd because adams won't show up every time? So we need a backup? How about Pomykal, canouse, morales, Roldan? There's 4 backups.

    But I think adams is #1. Not sure why he's not going to show up? But aren't you the guy who wants to bench a 20 year old Bundesliga starter in McKennie?
     
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  18. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Why didn't he show up in Jan Camp? Why didn't he show up for both friendlies in March? Why didn't he show up for a single one of our 8 games over the summer?

    He just failed to show for 11 out of 12 games we've played in 2019 and you ask "Not sure why he's not going to show up?"
     
  19. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Erm, I dunno about January, but he has been injured and not played in red bull preseason. So that's at least 6, probably 8 games missed?

    So your point is you think he'll be injury prone and won't be around 75 percent of the games?
     
  20. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    I would plan for it.
     
  21. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I am a big believer that direct play has been and currently is the best way for the USMNT to play.

    We looked best against Mexico and Venezuela when we played Route 1.

    We look terrible when we deliberately play out of the back, particularly when the other team is pressing us - look at our strategy in the second half vs. Mexico when we moved away from direct play.
     
  22. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    He was playing in the Bundesliga during January camp. Gregg only wanted him for one game in March. He was hurt for the Gold Cup, his first significant injury.
     

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