Pre-match: January/February 2022 WCQ Roster

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by schrutebuck, Jan 9, 2022.

  1. QuakeAttack

    QuakeAttack Member+

    Apr 10, 2002
    California - Bay Area
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed. I will add that I don't see Long in this WC cycle. Unless they are one of top, proven players, I would be reluctant to add anyone to the WC roster unless they are part of the January cycle.
     
  2. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Same for Weah. A guy with a history of muscle injuries currently out with a quad injury.

    I just don't see any way that Reyna or Weah can be selected.

    Dortmund will be like "Let's get this straight. Gio Reyna injured himself on USMNT duty in September. He's been out all of this time for us, and now you want to call him back up before he's actually played another game for us. You want him to call him up to play against the very Central American team he injured himself against in the first place. Yeaaaaaaaaah right."

    At least Berhalter has trained with Long every day for a while now. He'll know Long's status. Its unlikely he'll be picked, but there's some knowledge there.
     
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  3. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From someone who had two Achilles operations back in the day, rest assured that a patient's idea of when he's ready to play is not always shared by the doctor.

    That plus you'd have to be a really exceptional player for your first game back to be a WCQ.
     
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  4. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    No question. I totally agree.

    But Berhalter has said he's going to select a bigger group just in case there's a COVID outbreak and guys are out.

    Richards, Zimmerman, Robinson, and McKenzie were the guys picked in November for the last set of qualifiers. We can see those 4 plus one additional guy as emergency cover.

    CCV and Miazga deserve to be there based on performance. But neither has been with this team for quite some time. Long has been for the Dec. and Jan. camps.

    This board will flip the eff out, but he'll just be there in case literally three of those guys can't go. As unlikely as that is.

    IF, IF, IF, IF Berhalter thinks he's shown full fitness. A big if.
     
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  5. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't believe it changes the equation regarding Reyna but Berhalter said awhile ago that most clubs share fitness data with USMNT. Stuff from, the sports bras, etc... Reyna has to get back on the pitch for his club and show he is game sharp. It has been quite some time.
     
  6. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Member+

    Real Madrid, DC United, anywhere Pulisic plays
    Aug 3, 2000
    Proxima Centauri
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He's probably not going to play in the March 24,27,30 matches, but I don't think we can exclude him from the WC roster just yet. He will play for the NYRB starting in March. If he has a good March, April, and May, I don't see why you would exclude him from consideration. He'll have to compete with the others, but I don't think we can know where he will be in June. He was among the best MLS defenders before the injury. If he is again, then why would he not get a chance?
     
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  7. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Long will get looked at, there's no doubt.

    Like Morris, he should have earn his place through play.

    Like Morris, players who play his role (fast CB) have really started to progress in his absence (Robinson, Richards, etc) though more spots are open because good-passing CB has fallen apart.
     
  8. dspence2311

    dspence2311 Member+

    Oct 14, 2007
    Aside from the selective use of the “in form” criterion, Long is a third big fast athletic CB. But he is not the distributor that Brooks and Richards are. I think Zimmerman is weak in that department, and Robinson just ok.
     
  9. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I was feeling in favor of Reyna coming in not too long ago as I kept reading how he was training with the team and expected to play. But his not even making the bench the last couple weeks for BVB has me thinking differently. I strongly feel if he is healthy and able he should come in, but a guy not even making his club's bench a couple weeks out isn't healthy and able. Sucks how much of qualifying we've had to do without him but if he's not healthy he's not healthy, can't wish it so. I also agree the extreme cold will be difficult for guys who have had muscle injuries, like Reyna and Weah. I will be pretty shocked if we see either of them at this point. We're gonna hafta lock up qualification without two of our biggest offensive threats. Good thing we've been solid defensively thus far. I expect another tight, low scoring window.
     
  10. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  11. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    dont you think theres an assumed starting point, though? in terms of "earning" a spot? cause its not only that, its winning back a spot they (each) had and only lost due to injury. and to be clear im saying either should or will reclaim their pre-injury spots as soon as they are fit- just that they arent starting from scratch.

    im not sure where i am with that yet, its just something ive thinking about. but i dont think i buy that they have to completely win it back- cause frankly they cant. not in terms of this window. all they can do is show they are fit to play.

    i look at morris and the wing "depth chart"- roughly pulisic, reyna, weah, aaronson then probably arriola (according to berhalter) and/or konrad (according to goofy bs posters). does jordan really have to beat out arriola/konrad/anbody below that line to get into the team? i mean, those minutes have to roll over to some degree, right?

    for long id say robinson, brooks, richards and zim are safely in the team (though brooks is just a weird situation). i think mckenzie- like arriola- has enough capital, if you will, with gregg that hed err on their side (or in addition to more likely), but i cant imagine miazga or ccv or kessler is would get in before a physically able to play long.

    and expanded rosters allow for that- you can take them and have another player at that spot for cover.

    but at cb- assuming brooks- its hard to see carrying 6 cbs so id be mildly surprised if long is in. morris, though, its hard to see him not making the roster. most likely missing reyna and weah the wings will probably be something close to pulisic, aaronson and arriola with ferreira and roldan able to play that spot. i think morris is way more likely than konrad, or gioacchini or whoever. and whos to say how many guys we being in due to this freaking neverending plague, but i also dont see a morris and one of those guys below the arriola line. i think wed (gregg would) just go morris (which i would as well).

    point being it just seems to be they dont have to earn or win their spots back, their resting position is just different based on guys who have emerged in their absence. i think robinson and richards have moved past long- hes not passing them. brooks- again- who knows? but i think hes ahead of mckenzie so its really a matter of brooks or no brooks (in its own, weird little vacuum) and long vs zim (big picture).

    in morris' case i think hes the clear #5 on the winger chart (ahead of arriola), but thats assuming reyna says in that spot and the fact that injury has more say in our wing selection than anything else.

    my attention is pretty split at this point between qualifying and the fact that the wc is freaking 9 months away. i think all this rambling is more in the scope of the wc than this qualifying window, but i also think theyre pretty comparable situations (with morris being in a better spot than long).
     
  12. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    With all the attention in this thread on Reyna, does anybody know the status of Tim Weah? Lille play Marseille on Sunday, and I expect that we would know if Weah is back in training by now if he was in contention.

    I probably don't pick either Reyna or Weah at this point.
     
  13. EXALIFTIN

    EXALIFTIN Member+

    Nov 23, 2010
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  14. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  15. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It is crazy talk to discuss Reyna for this window -- full stop. The guy's last game was SEPTEMBER 2. That's right, he already has not played a game of any type, for 4 and a half months, due to injury. And yet we have people on the various threads here talking about starting Reyna in qualifiers if he manages to get a sub appearance for Dortmund on the weekend before the qualifiers begin. I mean, the madness here is palpable. Get well and allow your club to get you up to speed, Reyna. See you in March.
     
  16. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Awful news for Canada. But that's life -- we have been missing major pieces of our puzzle as well. Plus, Canada is good even without Davies. But his loss is a loss, and the US needs to take advantage of that as best they can.
     
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  17. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    The only assumed starting spot I think they get is they were always going to get an in person shot to impress.

    But if Long or Morris are outperformed in this camp, I don't expect them to keep their roster spot or to get a start to prove anything. They'll have to take those minutes in camp..

    The injuries are keeping Berhalter from hard decisions. Morris is competing with a number of guys for "more direct winger" role and possibly for "emergency third striker" or possibly even striker at this point.

    Healthy, Reyna and Pulisic are beyond locks, though perhaps the winger depth is what pushes a Reyna stint at CM. Is Morris really coming in ahead of Aaronson and Tim Weah? I doubt it. I think he has to fight for it.

    The most likely case is someone isn't healthy for Qatar. But second most likely might be Morris getting time at striker.

    I think Long has an easier route. Robinson is a lock, but I don't think anyone else is. I don't know if Brooks is coming back -- I went back and watched some of his WCQ, and the reality is that if you want to put that first window on someone ... it's Brooks. He's been bad defensively for the US, and while he was amazing offensively in Nations League, he was pretty useless there in WCQ.

    We've given up a Zardes OG, a banger from Michel Antonio, a freak first minute goal against Costa Rica ... and then some real questionable work from Brooks.

    So yeah, he might not be back. I'm not sure it's the wrong decision.

    I think Richards grows into the role, but he hasn't seized a US role yet. Zimmerman has played well but has more questions.

    So yeah, I think Long is less talented than Morris but also has more uncertain comp. Whereas Morris is our deepest position by FAR.

    So I'm kind of opposite but could see it going any way.
     
  18. dspence2311

    dspence2311 Member+

    Oct 14, 2007
    Why not move Reyna central and play Weah and Pulisic at wings, backed by Aaronson and Morris, respectively? Better to bring the best players. They are not puzzle pieces.
     
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  19. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    It's an option, which I think I mentioned.

    But roles and skills do need to intersect. It's far more a puzzle piece than just jamming talent on the field. Luckily, Reyna's very versatile, skill-wise.
     
  20. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Member+

    Real Madrid, DC United, anywhere Pulisic plays
    Aug 3, 2000
    Proxima Centauri
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #95 MarioKempes, Jan 14, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2022
    You can't do that. It won't work. Unless a player has been doing special endurance training for that, and almost no player does, it will only lead to underperformance and/or injury. This question has already been answered over the history of football.

    Jan 27 | 2 rest days | Jan 30 | 2 rest days | Feb 2
     
  21. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Member+

    Real Madrid, DC United, anywhere Pulisic plays
    Aug 3, 2000
    Proxima Centauri
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll take it.
     
  22. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    McKennie, Pulisic, Aaronson, and Adams have all played 270 minutes in a 7 day period this season. Pulisic just did it a few weeks ago, and McKennie is literally doing this at this exact moment.

    Hopefully the team is 2-3 goals up against El Salvador and can rotate, but of course the US should be playing its best players for all 3 matches.
     
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  23. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    It's pretty obvious this team is not a meritocracy when people are twisting themselves in pretzels arguing that it makes sense for Aaron long to stroll straight into a qualifying camp despite being average and out for 9 months.

    I certainly hope it doesn't happen, and frankly don't think it will, but seeing some preemptively argue that it might make sense is just the most recent illustration that the best players aren't being selected. Which most of us already understand, but it never ceases to amaze me.
     
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  24. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    None travelled across the Atlantic to start the set of matches.
     
  25. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Member+

    Real Madrid, DC United, anywhere Pulisic plays
    Aug 3, 2000
    Proxima Centauri
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    McKennie
    90 minutes vs Napoli 1/6 (League)
    90 minutes @roma (League) 1/9
    120 minutes @Inter (SuperCopa) 1/12
    ? minutes vs Udinese 1/15

    That is insane, but he did do it. Let's also mention that Juventus got 2 draws and a loss from this. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

    Let's see if/how many minutes he plays tomorrow. Fatigued players become injured players. They pull hamstrings, calves, and groins. Prayers.

    You also have to mention travel to Cincinnati, then travel to Hamilton, Ontario, then travel to St. Paul.
     

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