Pre-match: International Friendly: USA vs Mexico; September 6th

I'm not digging his choices so far as manager but that was a pretty benign statement by him. He didn't really say anything other than we'll have some familiar faces and some new faces. My guess is that every poster on BS would select some familiar faces and some new faces if they had the power to do so. Obviously, he has had some players in his core group who don't deserve to be in it by any reasonable standard. My hope is that when he speaks of guys from the core he's talking about Pulisic, McKennie, Steffen, etc., instead of Bradley, Zardes, Trapp, etc.

 

B..b..but we took over a year to find the best! We even hired a general manager to marshal the search!

 

The qualifying opposition isn't any better than Gold Cup.

 

it certainly is. we only faced two of the five, six capable teams in the gold cup. we get all of them in the hex.
theres no guyanas in the hex.

 

The hex is no more goal dangerous.

 

I think that the ideal situation for a series of friendlies like this is to bring in some of your core leadership and bring in ancillary players to see how well they mesh with your core.

However, our core leadership are establishing themselves in Europe. Wes, Adams, Steffen, and Pulisic...there's your core. The ancillary leadership guys are Jozy, Arriola, Bradley, and Zardes. So, I would expect to see some combination of the aforementioned.

Personally, I'd prefer to see the U23 team, however it sounds like that will not happen this time. It sounds like Berrhalter is trying to establish a cultural continuity and to move the teams' functional knowledge base forward. His coaching requires a lot of information digestion, so this may be part of that process.

Here's who I expect:

Forwards: Altidore, Sargent, Zardes, Morris, Soto
Midfielders: McKennie, Bradley, Arriola, Boyd, Lleget, Holmes, Morales, Yedlin, Pomykal
Backs: Long, Brooks, Cannon, Hollingshead, Zimmerman, Dest
GK: Horvath, Hamid, Johnson

What I'd prefer:

Forwards: Altidore, Sargent, Soto, Akinola, Llanez
Midfielders: Sabbi, Arriola, Boyd, Lleget, Holmes, Morales, Mendez, Servania, Pomykal
Backs: Long, Brooks, Cannon, Hollingshead, Zimmerman, Dest
GK: Horvath, Hamid, Johnson

What I expect to see run out:

Boyd-----Altidore----Morris
Arriola----Bradley----Holmes
Dest--Brooks---Long--Cannon
--------------Hamid-------------------

What I'd prefer to see run out:

Boyd-----Altidore-----Sabbi
Arriola---Pomykal---Holmes
Dest--Brooks--Zimmerman--Cannon
---------------Horvath-----------------

 

Hard to see them pulling both Altidore and Bradley away from Toronto when they have two matches during these friendlies and they are on the cut line for the playoffs.

 

What exactly is the argument in favor of calling either of these guys up for completely meaningless friendlies at this point? Even if you adopt the viewpoint that they are crucial, core, lock starters ahead of everyone else at their respective positions, etc. Wouldn't that be all the more reason to audition and test others?

I just don't see the logic from any angle.

 

He's been playing RB FWIW

 

Some teams play players out of position to round out their game. Not sure that's what's happening here but who knows?

 

I know. But it's only been a game or two at the development level and I'm stubborn.

 

There is zero reason to call in Bradley. Zero. In fact I don't care if he never gets called in again but for this set of matches is makes no sense at all.

There is some logic to calling in Altidore but I wouldn't. I'd rather see Soto, Sargent, and Weah although sounds like Weah is hurt now too and I suspect Sargent is going to the U23 camp??

 

Agreed with this.

BUT, I was the first on here to hypothesize about the caps record for MB. If he is called into meaningless friendlies, 2 years after Couvo, while being an average/below average MLS performer, I don't think it'll be a hypothesis anymore...

 

Egg needs to get his nose out of his recipe book
We've seen, more than once, that Egg tends to do well til opponents adjust to his game, at the half, say. As he gets deeper into his run he'll need to be much more flexible, disguised, complex. Otherwise, there will be a "book" on playing Egg and he'll lose more than win.

 

I believe Pulisic and Sargent have played together only once? (v. Italy)

They were playing without a good cf because we were in a 532.

------------sarge---puli
--Delgado--adams--acosta
-moore--long-miazga-ccv-cannon
----------gk:---horvath

The following will be out or not called up, imo: Bradley, Jozy, Delgado, Acosta, Moore, Miazga, CCV, Adams, Weah.

I think Trapp and Zardes will be called up because they don't have Crew games in the window.

Assuming Egg goes with that hybrid 3cb set that uses Ream as a lb/lcb hybrid, I wouldn't mind seeing

-------------zardes/soto
--------puli--------------sarge
-----pomykal--trapp--servania/roldan
----ream---long---robinson/glad--lima/cannon/tt/dest
---------------gk:Horvath

Let's not disturb Steffen situation at Dusseldorf while Horvath sits benched in need of some reps. Soto can use some reps. If Sarge had more minutes in Germany I wouldn't disturb him but I think he needs a good workout.

 

"So you're saying there's a chance?"

 

Well, if we’re focused on giving Bradley the cap record, I’d rather these games than meaningful ones....

 

But.....we have posters who vehemently argue that Berhalter has been tactically astute throughout his tenure. Just look at the coaching philosophy thread.....

 

I thought you wanted Weston as a defender since he played a couple of games there last year.....

Secondly, guess who Pulisic really likes playing with? I’ll give you a hint and point out that they combined for a nice goal at the gold cup.

 

Wes is playing mid for Schalke at the mom.

 

Dest, Sargent, Robinson, Pomykal. Are all expected to be on the roster. ESPN+ now #USOC2019 https://t.co/tTq2sBFZwt

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) August 28, 2019

 

The fact I'm so pleased with that shows how badly Egg has messed up his first year in charge.

But seeing Dest with the team is tremendous. Thought for sure he'd defer and wait a bit on Holland.

 

weve got two robinsons, man...