Best 11 Right Now

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by LuckofLichaj, Oct 19, 2018.

  1. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    McKennie and Morales are just RCM and LCM in the formation.
     
  2. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What ever you want to call it... they could each play CDM... just not as good as Adams. The skills they bring to the table should make the midfield tough defensively and I expect a ton of 50/50 wins and legit outlet passes to start the counter.
     
  3. Flipstar508

    Flipstar508 Member+

    Sep 7, 2006
    Worcester, MA
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My 11 right now:

    —————Sargent——————
    Pulisic—————————-Boyd
    ——————Holmes—————
    ——-Weston————Morales—
    A.Rob—————————Yedlin
    ———Brooks——-Miazga——-
    ——————Steffen—————
     
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  4. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    I think it's the right idea but …….

    Morales and Wes in cmid would be jambalaya. We just saw that, actually,in the 0-3 pasting we suffered courtesy of Mexico team which went on to get hammered 0-4 v. Argentina.

    Yedlin has no attacking nous. Put Dest/Lima there because with that narrow midfield the fb's would have to provide some effective width.

    CCV can't pass - Ream fits for now.

    Brooks is usually injured whereas Miazga always played well for us and has a good injury record.
     
  5. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    The setup against Mexico was 4411 or 4231 with Morales and Trapp in CM and McKennie in a 'plunger role' at AM. This has nothing to do with what I've suggested.

    Yedlin was quite the weapon when used almost as a deep-lying winger, though a nominal fullback. He had 5 assists in '15.

    Passing is a statistical strength of CCV.

    Cameron Carter-Vickers Characteristics
    Strengths
    Passing----------Very Strong
    https://www.whoscored.com/Players/301029/Show/Cameron-Carter-Vickers
     
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  6. bsky22

    bsky22 Member+

    Dec 8, 2003
    Sargent drifts wide often at Bremen. Weah has done more than enough to be in this sorry side.

    Altidore is best checking back to the ball leaving room for the two wings to make runs into that space.
     
  7. bsky22

    bsky22 Member+

    Dec 8, 2003
    CCV connected on all of his passes in the few minutes Berhalter gave him. Long is uncomfortable on the ball and only knows how to pass to Steffen.
     
  8. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You have 4 players in your lineup that are not on the current squad so I am wondering why Adams was left out?
     
  9. Flipstar508

    Flipstar508 Member+

    Sep 7, 2006
    Worcester, MA
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He won’t be available till the November qualifiers. Adams is obviously the best 6 we have and I’m sure he’s in everyone’s 11 when available
     
  10. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    That's the weirdest fact I've seen cited in a while. All I can figure is that he has improved.
     
  11. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It’s whoscored... they say Bradley is strong in defensive contribution. Might as well use FIFA ratings.
     
  12. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Bradley is a strong defensive contributor. As recently as last season, he led MLS in recoveries.

    That being said, he is also a weak 1v1 defender.
     
  13. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Out of curiosity, what is a recovery?
     
  14. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kind of like a rebound in basketball. Gaining possession of a loose ball. Positioning and anticipation help in recoveries.
     
  15. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
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  16. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    That's odd. Why would a ball be 'on the loose' so to speak or why would a seasoned pro send a ball right at an opponent and give him a recovery. Not exactly something people work on in practice - or is it? How would you practice something like that? Bradley is apparently tops at it.
     
  17. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are you serious?
     
  18. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I think it is a catchall category for when a change in possession happens. If it wasn't a tackle or interception, then it becomes a recovery. Easy missed passes, miss- controls, guy slips. Bradley rarely over commits, so he is there to pick up these things. Especially, since he doesn't intercept or tackle.
     
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  19. CeltTexan

    CeltTexan Member+

    Sep 21, 2000
    Houston, TX USA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #1044 CeltTexan, Oct 14, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2019


    ———---Jozy—————Sargent
    ---------------------Pulisic
    ——-Weston—Morales—Pomykal
    A.Rob——----Brooks——-Miazga——-Yedlin

    ———-----———Steffen—————
    I still go with Jozy up top with another striker to pair with. Play CP centrally for any U.S. set up.
    I gotta get Pomykal in there down the spine of our team as well. Tough to leave Adams out but Berhalter finds a way to tinker with the #6 role as it is.

    Bradley doesn't do several core soccer tasks very well which is just f'n confusing to watch over his career more so since we all know he is a soccer coach's son. He will chip from 45 yards against El Tri in Azteca, yet struggles to slide tackle as an American midfielder.
     
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  20. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Tks.
    So, basically when the opponent makes a mistake and Bradley is just tops at capitalizing on it. Maybe that's why Egg likes him so much ?
     
  21. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Lets take a realistic example;
    Mexico is on the attack with Guardado dribbling down our gut. Trapp protecting zone 14 steps up and pokes the ball away from Guardado. The ball falls to JDS who immediately tries a 1 touch pass to Tecatito. That pass is intercepted by Cannon who steps in front, dribbles and attempts a pass to McKennie but the pass goes straight to Herrera.

    Guardado gets an Unsuccessful Dribble and a Duel Lost.
    Trapp gets a Tackle (Lost) and a Duel Won.
    JDS gets a Recovery and a Missed Pass.
    Cannon gets an Interception and a Missed Pass.
    Herrera gets a Recovery.

    OK, maybe not realistic since Trapp could not protect zone 14 against my grandmother even without her walker!
     
  22. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    That does seem realistic.

    Not to worry, Earnie Stewart has a new title at USSF and is putting his considerable brainpower to work on a 'quant' system for US Soccer.
     
  23. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    I actually think this is a really good lineup but I'd probably have Adams in the middle of the line of 3 with McKennie and Morales flanking him. I would throw in a creative midfielder (maybe Pom) in place of Morales against easier opponents. Yedlin and Robinson can both provide width. Morris also fits in well as part of a front 2 so hopefully between Morris, Sargent, and Altidore, we always have a competent pair up front.

    I appreciate a different look being thrown into the mix.
     
  24. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    __________steffen__________
    ______miazga___brooks______
    yedlin_____________robinson
    ___________adams___________
    ____mckennie___lletget_____
    weah________________pulisic
    __________sargent__________


    im not factoring in fitness or berhalters nonsense. this is my current evaluation of the best 11/roster.

    steffen is 1, horvath is 2 and i couldnt care less about a third keeper. theres no difference to me between johnson, guzan, gonzalez, miller, etc re how theyll sit on the bench.

    yedlin is 1, cannon is 2.

    miazga and brooks are 1. ream best replicates brooks so hes 2 in that spot. i have long as 2 on the right. i see zimmerman and ccv as capable depth- i dont see what everyone else seems to in miles robinson but put him in that mix as well in you want.

    antonee robinson is 1, and ill give my reasoning- if theres no clear option take a promising young player and freaking commit. THATS where i say "take your lumps"- not using safe, average players trying to learn a system that isnt going to make them any better than safe and average players. play your talent, thats a growing pain that is worth it to me.

    lichaj (my 2) or hollingshead as placeholder backups are fine. i have zero interest in lima, lovitz, ream outside in a gimmicky backline- i dont think any of that is any better than villafana, garza, etc.

    i honestly dont know about dest- my strong first inclination (always) is play players in their best spot, period, and he is a right back, period. currently thats something im going to spend time on.

    adams is our six. singular. minus him i go 2 8s with a more attacking/fascilitating mid ahead. a 6 who cant shield the backline is moronic outside of a system around that (ie pirlo with two ball winners "ahead" of him). bradley, trapp, yueill arent REMOTELY close to even altering one other position imo, much less the entire shape of the midfield.

    so assuming adams as our 6, i see the other two cms as 8s- if for no reason other than we have less 10s than we do 6s...which is, again, 1.

    mckennie is one, obviously. the other will come from a pool berhalter seemingly has little interest in really diving in to. my options are lletget, holmes, roldan, morales and pomykal, in that order currently.

    ideally pomykal will be my answer next fall, though. he hasnt had a chance to show he can handle the intl level (even concacaf) and/or he isnt CLEARLY better to other options to the degree an adams is- but mostly he will (rightly) be with the olympic qualifying team so even by my standards hes not current.

    lletget is the best current fit, but holmes is close for me. he just hasnt gotten to make his case- i badly want to see more of him. roldan is similar to my cb list- hes solid depth. morales is only an option, for me, if we play with two deeper lying 8s (as opposed to the 8s being above adams).

    on the wings im dead set on pulisic/weah. talk amongst yourselves about weah if you want, but youre going to get nowhere with me so dont even bother.

    while hes injured, though, its one of arriola or morris partnering pulisic. im not ready to jump on the morris hype train just yet though- arriola brings a much more rounded game and morris still isnt consistently better than average-arriola.

    just sort of a side note- i like boyd a LOT, but hes got the yips hardcore. he doesnt look like he knows how to play soccer right now. in the gold cup i did see a better technical player than either arriola or morris (by a clear, if not huge, margin). but for now man...i guess id rather him keep training with the team as the fourth winger (especially over a baird or a lewis non-factor), but it would take at least two pretty serious injuries for him to see the pitch for me.

    up top i think jozy and sarge are- at this time, fitness aside- roughly equaly. but considering altidores regular fitness issues ill use the same reasoning i did with robinson- commit to sarge. thats where we take our lumps.

    he is a better forward, right now, full stop than zardes. more "established" options like sapong, wood or novakovich are no better. rotate them backing up sarge when jozys out if you want. soto or ferreira are a ways away.

    i give him the 9, say this is our guy and roll out the ball.

    in the middle we have a lot of ok-ish options (some with a lot of room to grow, huge upside kids down the road) to slot in with adams/mckennie. at cb we have a lot of good-very good options. weve got at least 4 very usable rbs, a couple of plus keepers. pulisic and solid options on the wings. lb and st are the two spots we have to fill.

    my argument is simply you can plug in a lichaj and an altidore and cross your fingers they make it through the cycle. without clear, high level alternatives who arent OBVIOUSLY ready right now, today, you can use a zardes or a lovitz- just keep kicking the can down the road.

    i say take robinson and sargent and dig in. we have good-very good options in every other spot (certainly in concacaf at the very least) so take those two "fliers". for ONCE in our mediocre, inbred history take a chance on players who can potentially (in sargents case currently) be better than that. just freaking decide to.

    heres the downside- robinson never tightens up defensively. heres my question- is he any worse defensively, now, than lovitz? his attacking is already miles ahead.

    maybe sarge never gets to the point he is even consistently on jozys level- is there any way he scores LESS than zardes, given the chances? he already contributes more in other areas...

    im not indescrimenently "play the kids". i AM wholeheartedly "stop settling for safe, average, zero upside". and i think we have a more than adequete pool right now to be 1b (at the very least) to mexico in concacaf. its ridiculous that we are content solidifying/regaining our spot with the costa ricas and panamas- thats our utter lack in management/ambition as a fed.

    its messed up how scared everyone is of freaking canada- for good reason. our range is "pretty good" to "getting rolled at home vs jamaica abysmal" under berhalter.

    i fully reject the notion that its our player pool not having enough quality.
     
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  25. SamsArmySam

    SamsArmySam Member+

    Apr 13, 2001
    Minneapolis, MN
    Damn fine analysis.

    This right here is why I keep coming back to BigSoccer.
     
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