I came to say this. He played in that weird Bosnia game and looked fine. He is 31 but I'd still rather see him than Lovitz. For that matter, I went and watched extended highlights of that US-Portugal friendly in 2017 and especially Lichaj but also Villafana did a pretty nice job of bottling up the Portugal right winger who plays for Atletico.
You play the team in front of you. On the one side, this team has produced the best Gold Cup group stage numbers in the history of the program. On the other, we have played some weak teams and the most difficult game had little significance. I say, fine, we take the opportunity to build momentum and cement cohesion. I also say that we haven't seen a true test yet. In this game, Berhalter took the opportunity to run out the second string for the third time this month. They looked better in that they competed physically and kept the Panama offense quite. They still looked disjointed and the chemistry doesn't quite work. Still, improvement is improvement and a win is a win. The starters are well rested and the bench got some confidence. Overall job competently done if not well done.
He's literally had Adams for one game, correct? My comment on rigid formation wasn't that Berhalter has one -- I don't think he does. My comment more was that people intrepret formations as much more rigid than they are. There's a reason a ton of coaches don't like to use formational terms -- there's so much more to how a team plays than just "4-2-3-1" and the formations blur together.
What he does have is a rigid allegiance to only Bradley or Trapp in that position. Again, most of the criticism here (but not all because it’s BS) would fade if he would consider alternatives to those two. Adams is the best alternative IMO but there are others as well including Weston who deserve a look. Was our possession in the last two games substantially above that when we played the same opponents at home in the Hex? We’re we significantly more dangerous? We are using a defensively poor DM because it is supposed to make us much better in attacking/unbalancing our opponents but I don’t see much different upon one viewing. We primarily scored via direct play/dead balls and held possession like we usually do at home.
The problem with that statement is several fold: 1. First off the "best 23" is subjective but even then what most would assume were the best 23 were not all even available (Brooks and Adams as examples.) 2. The end objective - qualifying and doing well at the WC is (to me anyway) paramount. Every thing done should be with that in mind. And camps and Gold Cups are to build toward that. The best thing for the Nats may NOT be to have a certain player on the team for the Gold Cup. There are lots of factors here such as things like U20 WC, Olympics, fit and health and need to rest, stature with their club team, trying other players, etc. Now as to your coaching girls competitive teams - almost zero to do with how you would coach a national program. You coach a competitive team with a much shorter time frame end goal such are winning state and going to regionals for example. its done for the current season with little look to the next season. So certainly the focus is much more on getting your best and most talented group out there. Just a way different thing since the focus is on a short time frame. And I am in no way knocking coaching youth competitive teams. Its a fantastic thing to do and I had a blast coaching up to U18. But its a different animal that what we are talking about here.
Lewis, omar, trapp, roldan, lovitz are all not USMNT caliber (or at least the caliber we view as future national team players). there are literally 10 other CB's that should be in this team over Omar. cristian roldan seems like another nice kid, but he isn't to this level as a CM. he's just like acosta and delgado, nice MLS players, but they won't increase your level of a national team.
i thought it was bush league to send in pulisic. we technically needed nothing, could only have felt we needed a tie, and had a goal lead. i could get an elimination game, but you don't risk the meal ticket in a chippy group game where you don't need the result (and already pretty well have it anyway).
I'm aware. Why is this criticism being brough up in a post game thread in which Tyler Adams is not on the roster and Michael Bradley didn't even play? I've seen a lot to like about Berhalter so far. I don't love the Bradley/Trapp situation (although I'm not against seeing what Tyler can do a hybrid role), but I don't really see the point of turning every single discussion into it. I also don't see the point of harping on other things as giant negatives just because I don't like that decision. This was a 1-0 by B team over another B team ... and half of our B team won't be near this team in 2 years. I just can't drop the connection to "Tyler Adams needs to play DM!" especially when Wil Trapp was far from the problem yesterday. And no, I don't want Wil Trapp on the roster.
Lewis has 2 NT assists in about 2.5 games worth of work. I grant that he often hit poor balls across but it's a Zardes type situation where if they make enough chances and due to some clumsiness convert some, they should make at least the back end of the team. He should be a tactical speed sub on the wing. You play someone else for 90 or for defense. But if I need someone to beat them to the endline and pump balls in the box, he should be an option. The rest I agree, but on Lewis even if his touch is lacking, that speed......
I’m happy with the win and I’m not one to throw shade on the results of the Gold Cup - what more can we expect than 9 points and no goals allowed. if Berhalter leads the USMNT to victory over Mexico, his backers earn the right to crow and say STFU to critics like myself. You seem to think that it’s only about Bradley vs Adams when it’s bradley/Trapp vs Adams/McKennie/canouse/Morales/anyone. Why can’t we see McKennie man the DM spot without either Bradley or Trapp in this tournament?
On Mihailovic, anyone advocating that is confusing an isolated play with the sort of consistent performance and production that a NT needs. Many of us could probably on a one-off run a wall pass and put the ball in the corner of the net (or not, but my point is many of us have some such story). What separates an international level player is making that happen every night, or at least getting close. Since he did that I haven't seen an impactful thing I remember. That makes him better than "bad/no impression" Trapp but not really what a NT needs. Kind of like when a keeper makes one nice save. I have seen youth club keepers take a ball out of upper 90 diving across, one time. The difference is doing that all night or doing that when some great player is shooting it. You know, Keller vs Brazil. Most pros or even college kids are capable of an isolated nice play or two, or sustained professional mediocrity at least, or they wouldn't be where they are.... That's why I like Lewis. He may be rough around the edges but he gets to the endline, creates separation, puts a ball in, against the right level teams. All you have to do now is drill him on when to cross and where to put it. I think that can be coached, and he has unique tactically useful skills. But kind of meh most of the time but occasional technical sharpness is actually probably functioning at close to max and not really impacting. You can help Dempsey learn to shoot. You can't give Baird speed and the ability to even get a cross off.
Good post. I'd go a step further: This is by any standard the best first-round numerical performance of any Gold Cup since 2002 (and I didn't follow the MNT before that so may be the best one ever): 9 points (more than when we won in 2005 or 2017); 11 goals (most we scored in the first round ever, tied with when we won in 2013: +11 GD (highest ever); no goals allowed (never done before at least not since 2002). I know I know: The team sucked in the friendlies, was edgy in the first half v Guyana, and underwhelmed even in beating Panama last night. But hey going into this tournament there was zero reason to have any confidence in the team. I sincerely worried that they'd get out of the group (after Jamaica losing to Panama and tying T&T seemed plausible, then it's down to GD). Now for all the negativity the conversation has totally changed. There's a sense of inevitability about getting to the semis (and if we lose to Curacao then we'll truly have reached a new low), and some reasonable confidence in thinking we'll get to the final. The team is by no means looking brilliant or playing inspiring soccer, and things could go south in a minute. But ffs people the team has exceeded all expectations and numerically performed about as well as could be hoped. This is our team. No one's suggesting this is an amazing accomplishment or that they've righted the ship that's been taking on water for years, but it's a good place to be and it exceeded at least my expectations so let's give the guys some credit.
i thought lovitz and lewis were both (negatively) effected by tactics last night. i STILL dont have any clue if lovitz can defend, but i damn sure know he shouldnt be pushed up the wing crossing very badly. a lot. the fact that he was really marginalized lewis, though. lewis was left with very little opportunity to use space on the left, and whatever he was supposed to be doing (playing very pinched in, as almost a left sided striker?) he definitely didnt do very well.
As a left back, I think so. I know for a fact that Morrow can take space and provide danger from there. Ream, I don't see it.
Yep. Like USA Basketball at the Olympics (except for Rio 2016, where a bunch of guys declined the selection). They give Coach K the best 12 players by position with a US passport and Coach's job is to maximize them as a team.
Two more things: (1) Giving the team credit for achieving good outcomes in the first round is not the same as saying that they're playing a high or even acceptable level, and it certainly doesn't mean you support or even like what GGG is doing. It just means that you acknowledge the indisputable and happy reality that the team did better numerically in this GC first round than any before, which is clearly a good thing. (2) Contra at least one post above, we have never *ever* waltzed past the first-round competition in the GC with a B-team. In 2005, we needed late goals to avoid a draw against Cuba, beat Canada largely due to an Atiba Hutchinson OG, and then drew CR in a dreary affair. In 2009, we won 4-0 against group minnow Grenada, and then topped Honduras 2-0 before needing a late Holden wonder goal to avoid losing to Haiti. Even with the A team, we've never had numbers this good in the first round, and have had a lot more close scrapes--3-2 vs Martinique in 2017, 1-0 v. Guadeloupe in 2011, 1-2 to Panama in 2011, 1-1 v Panama in 2015. Again, not an uncritical endorsement of the team or of Gagg but just a fact-check on the notion that we're performing less well in the GC first round than we used to.
He is working his way back from an injury, though. I think it was legit of Berhalter to ask, and fair enough for Jozy to either say what he did OR ask to sit out the 2H or the last 30 minutes if he thought that would help him recover.
Yeah, I'm not claiming my coaching situation to be analogous but was actually using that analogy to agree with your point about the importance of team dynamics and how it's impossible to know unless you're on the inside. I appreciate your perspective and think we have a respectful disagreement so I'm curious to hear your perspective on a few more things. To your first point, I get that no one will have the same best 23. For me, the Gall vs Morris decision is close enough that I'm fine with it either way though I think both should get chances. Same with Amon/Lewis though I'd lean towards Amon. It's the obvious decisions that bother me. Not a single person on BS was able to defend bringing Ream and Lovitz as our two left backs. In fact, in my depth chart of left backs, neither of them make the top 5. Yet they have played every minute under Egg except for one appearance by Robinson which was apparently enough to get him kicked off the national team despite the whole team performing poorly. And Omar? Come on. We actually have a lot of quality prospects and veteran center backs that are currently better than Omar. There is no justification for bringing him to the Gold Cup. To your second point, I think you are willing to give a lot more credit to there being a larger plan than I am. We can definitely agree that World Cup qualifying is the most important thing on our agenda over the next three years. What I'm not seeing is how our current Gold Cup roster is solving our most glaring problems. Left back is a massive problem, we have two guys who will not help us and will likely actively hinder us against hex teams. Forward is a problem, we have one guy who isn't fit and another who is going to be the exact same player in six months as he is now. We have no depth at center mid, so we called in all of the same players we've already seen that can't outperform the Panama B midfielders. If this Gold Cup is to set us up for qualification and the results aren't of the utmost importance as we keep hearing in the soccer media, then why aren't we trying to solve our most glaring problems instead of sending the same guys out who have already proven they can't get it done. If somehow Lichaj and Robinson are worse than Lovitz and Ream, send them with a one-way ticket back to England. Lovitz and Ream will still be playing mediocre soccer ready to rejoin the team whenever. Same with Sargent v Zardes, etc.
I think you have 2 differing views here. I believe those talking about it, see it as a massive liability moving forward. EX:Team A won the game but got dominated in quality chances and on target chances by Team B. So projecting that performance out to WCQ or WC indicates a losing record. So during a victory and a group win, you get the yeah but thing. I actually have no problem with either side saying their opinion. I can see both sides. Enjoy the win, talk about the performance of the players that were there. Or project that performance and discuss what that means going forward. And as far as harping, its just a matter of fanbase discussions. TLDR: I get your frustration about talking about the same point over and over, I also get why people want to talk about the same point over and over.
1. these guys have all played a bunch together already...familiarity is a total non-issue and non-excuse. doesn't matter if they are "starters" or not.....most have played in many camps together and should be able to perform without any consideration to cohesion. 2. I think you are aggregating a bunch of complaints that aren't being made by the same people as if BS is one blob-minded entitty. GB brought in some of his pets...but i don't think many are clamoring for trapp, lovitz, djordje, ream, gonazalez etc...NO ONE is clamoring for these guys.... their inclusion doesn't cancel out the "make better callups" complaint in the least....... 3. he's trying some fringe players and should be given a bit of benefit of the doubt...but when you really look at it...he's being extremely conservative in how he goes about it....and giving time to a bunch of re-treads and players who havent looked good in their chances so far....so its not about results (from eveyone) it really is about process. 4. i agree ablut roldan....although he played pretty well compared to some of his other games imo......i dont think he should just get unlimited chances to show that he is international quality....