I've wanted to type something like this for weeks. It's like only the BS Illuminati have been thinking about footie and watching players on tape and considering future possibilities, especially seeing that our talent wave is (still) VERY young. Do people think GB has sat around for nine+ months thinking, "Oh yeah, Tyler at RB, that's what I'm going to do"? That what the spittle on the lips reactionaries around here must think. We've been on pause. We'll see. He will get the chance to show us, no matter how everyone feels.
By any usage of English, that's smoked by Jamaica ... unless you, know, it's a new form of a comma. If you'd just like to admit we weren't smoked and it should have been in the lost section and this is just poor phrasing, I'm good. We did not get smoked by Mexico twice. As for Venezuela, since I was commenting about your distortion of facts, you can safely assume I do think we got smoked by Venezuela. It's a matter of semantics. Am I going to be frothing at the mouth over Long getting starts? No. If CCV or Miazga got a start next game, would I be upset? No. I think Long is still probably the best of those three, but it's well within a margin of error. I also fully I admit I haven't seen enough of Richards or EPB to really weigh in with any certainty. These guys have all been into camps. There's a ton of club play, and for several of them, a ton of USMNT play to look at. I've seen Miazga make a slew of bad decisions over 2019 in a USMNT jersey; enough that that combined with his speed makes me prefer Long. I'm simply not going to get worked up over the idea that the coach prefers one and wants them to build some cohesion with the other defenders in our games.
Of course no one literally said forever. But quite a few people thought he was locked into a starting job for WCQ and Qatar 2022 if we made it. In particular, I think it's an example where Berhalter neither plays as strong favorites nor is as inflexible as people like. ------------- Has Berhalter 'grown?' I kind of hate the phrasing -- no offense -- it just seems condescending. Has he learned things and changed perspective? No doubt. Here's where I think Berhalter was and is, because I have a fundamentally different viewpoint of Berhalter than most of you. Here's more or less what I think: Berhalter had a specific overall style of play in MLS, but was actually pretty tactically flexible overall, changing with differing personnel and opponents. There's been games where he's outcoached Tata, for example, with far inferior talent. US Soccer and Earnie wanted to play a possession-style of offense. They also wanted a program builder in the sense of a high detail person (not JK), who would work with all arms of US Soccer (not JK), to build something lasting top to bottom rather than just manage the USMNT. I know you like JK, but Gulati hired him with an idea that he'd take the Federation to the next step, and JK is at best an ideas guy, not a builder. Was there nepotism in the hire? Maybe. I could see a scenario yes and a scenario no. I do think that Berhalter checked a lot of boxes for what they wanted -- some smart and some dumb -- for the job. I think the job description for US Soccer is different than most fans. He came in knowing we had 20+ months to WCQ and a group of younger, more talented players more suited to playing his style of play. I think he's been waiting quite a bit for some of these kids, and wanted to build a structure for them to step into. I think that's informed a lot of his choices. He's made clear that friendlies are for practicing, even to the point of losing, and that he does want to win competitions, even if the Gold Cup is kind of pointless. He spent a lot of time thinking about how to train and integrate people. What's the best way to teach in a short period of time. I think he's probably a step change better than most of our coaches in terms of keeping in touch, tactical instruction, etc., even when they aren't in camp. He's more Bradley than Arena in that way. He spends a lot of time scouting and has done well with recruiting. Despite how people want to portray him, he's found people like Boyd and Johnny Cardoso, he recruited the hell out of Dest, etc. If he bristled early on about youth dual nationals, it seems the organization has found a solution. His staff spends all weekend watching games and gets together during the week with detailed scouting reports. He knows guys are out there. He's been pretty pro-youth for a coach. He's brought in a bunch of guys, played a bunch of guys, and even in the wrong decisions -- like leaving Sargent off the GC team ... he's given him a ton of time after. People don't give him enough credit for decisions that often get criticized in the moment but aren't unreasonable. I love Sargent, but Zardes outplayed him with the USMNT last year. He's still giving Sargent time, but Zardes was better and deserved to play in Canada 2, for example. People shit on Berhalter for starting Morris over Boyd at the GC, and that was right on. I think injuries screwed our team more than anything this last year. We're not even going to recognize gameday rosters two years later, but people act as if our entire healthy pool was there for selection every game. Where has he been mistaken and/or changed? I think he probably tried to teach too much, too quickly. Just a feel. I think he put too much emphasis on cohesion and the system over talent. Sticking with subpar talent actually hurt overall learning, I think, because even if you feel you don't have a better option than Daniel Lovitz right now and you're just waiting for others to develop ... he still holds you back. I think he tries to get too cute sometimes with choices. I know why we wanted a stay at home LB, especially when there were a lot of options. But at some point, it's overthinking it. The defense was trash. I predicted back in March 2019 or so that he would eventually drop it, and the primary reason we were using it was so to focus in camp on the offense. I have no idea if I was right in terms of motivation, but I was right in result. He's changed the defense. If for some reason he goes back, he should be fired. The defense was by far my biggest issue with Berhalter. So yeah, I think he's learned some stuff. I think the day of the successful Klinnsman / Arena style roll out the ball and let them play, just stay in your lanes style of coach winning are over. So there's a whole group of coaches I don't particularly think will help a team succeed anymore. I think Berhalter's tactics will work better with a better talent base (duh) but disproportionately. Is he the best man for the job. No, and I'm not even sure he's the best man that US Soccer could get. But I also don't think he's a MLS-loving, tactically inflexible, youth-hating, dumpster fire of a coach, either.
So I didn't say smoked by Jamaica, you read it as smoked by Jamaica, and then point out the part where I didn't say anything about getting smoked by Jamaica. I'm sorry you read it as such, and I could see how you did. But certainly unintended, since a one goal loss is rarely getting smoked, except against Belgium. Then you go on about how I distort facts, even though the fact you claim I distorted (apparently only one) wasn't, in fact, distorted. You follow that by creating a weird mix of final results and quality of performances, simply where it suits your idea of how the team performed. Bizarre stuff. I'm gonna call it quits on this one...
Not sure what Egg has been doing, but in his last interview he mentioned Yeuill/Bradley/Trapp as players that have done really well in his #6 position. This was like last week. Only one of those guys should even be near the 23, and not likely as a starter. We all hope he's changed his mind (or else we'll continue to see subpar results), but that quote rings alarm bells. In the absence of anything else, yes - we need to discuss what we think he'll do vs. what we hope he'll do. That's why we're posting on a soccer message board.
I agree that, overall, I'd have expected better overall results from Berhalter than his team has produced. The results and how the games were played aren't worthy of the scorn you have, however. And, given that we're not Mexico (firing coaches left and right after a few games), and also given key injuries (lots of them), I think it's reasonable to give a new coach a year to get it together. That's what he's had up to now. Granted, the coronavirus has thrown a real wrench into things this year, but that's life.
im a big miazga fan, support his being a starter etc. we can argue all day about that sort of thing. but i strongly disagree with "headcase", and agree with "attitude" and "fight". i think whatever team we put out needs that, badly. i remember a stretch, maybe it was the gold cup? when mckennie picked up a couple of yellows, got in a couple of scuffles and people were talking like he was out of control, a liability. its a very little bit different in mckennies case cause cause we need him to not pick up so many cards hes missing matches- but those scuffles were in shoving off concacaf hacks going for pulisics ankles, standing over him. im not calling for a hockey enforcer here, but captain bradley just turns and walks away and its freaking embarrassing. i WANT guys who are going to shove guys off, crowing our guys after getting hacked down. pulisic and reyna are going to be going to be absolutely brutalized in concacaf play. to an extent thats just gonna happen cause concacaf. but its also how much we allow it to happen. i want mckennie, and miazga getting in there when the panamanian and guatemalan refs are twiddling their damn thumbs. i also want more of this... to be clear- i think hes currently our second best cb. but that fight is a big positive on top of his play.
Two more kids to keep an eye on. Critical year for both. They either need to advance to the PSV first team or be loaned out. I don't think another year with Jong PSV does either of them much good. Richie Ledezma & Chris Gloster with the PSV first team for training camp. https://t.co/eLdSqTlWbi— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 3, 2020
If your point is that Berhalter started making better decisions after 11 months and some historic losses, then ok. Interesting that you highlight McKennie on that GC goal. This is the pattern. Pick out one mistake by a non-MLS player and use that as a reason to exclude them or excuse an MLS player. Even if you have to go back to 2018, that is good. Ignore that Lovitz's first play for the USMNT was to throw in the ball right to an opponent for a break away and then really never improve on that. Or Roldan being overrun in midfield, wasting any opportunity to score (Wes had 5 goals and 4 assists), passing back between CBs to offside opponents, crazy. On the Mexico GC goal, Wes isn't alive because he doesn't realize he is 1 v 2 because MB90 has charged out of position and done nothing. Every player makes a mistake or two. But Gregg played some guys that consistently underperformed all year. He brought back the Human Gaff Machine in Omar. He has shown zero consequences for bad plays by one set of players.
I think Long and Miazga were close in the beginning of 2019. But Long has not played well in MLS for awhile and he has not played particularly well for the USMNT since Ecuador. It seems as if it takes Gregg a loooonnnnngggg time to realize these things. He is like that guy that stays with the girl even after she has cheated on him several times. Maybe it is the data and the data is flawed. Great segment on Scuffed where they tried to figure out why Roldan continued to be called. They similarly, didn't really understand why Long is preferred. Even in MLS, leaving anyone in Europe aside, Miles Robinson is better. I doubt Long leaves MLS ever. As a NYRB fan, I worry that his meteoric rise will be answered with a meteoric fall. He has only played worse with every game and was particularly awful in the last NYRB that eliminated them.
No. Gregg has changed his mind and now sees Adams as an up the field 8 like Tab used him in 2017. Which is funny, since Adams says the way Tab used him was the first time in his life he was asked not to play defense and he didn't care for it. The idea might have been to have a DLP type #6 during qualifying to break down lesser teams. Before Covid, there was going to be a long stretch after qualification before the WC. Since a DLP against better teams seems suicide (at least the DLPs we are using), possibly the thinking was we would then pivot to Adams at the 6 in the lead up to the tournament. Now, qualifying is pushed back and there won't be much time between qualifying and the WC. Can we really go three years playing a system to beat bunkered minnows then use that in the world cup? Or do we go the Sampson route and change everything in one prior window?
Can you point out these bad decisions? I dont recall Miazga making many bad decisions, but can think of quite a few that Long made.
Another youngster to keep an eye on in this transfer window. Where did he play in the US? For FC Dallas of course. Add him to other FCD academy players to keep an eye on in the window.; McKennie, Richards, Cannon, Cappis, Shaq Moore, etc. Already had Zendejas move to Necaxa and Nico Carrera to Holstein Kiel. “I wanted to help keep us in the division but we didn’t get the chance & we’ll be looking to bounce back. I’ll be looking to score as many goals as I can to help us back up.” 🗣Charlie Kelman (18) on Southend.Several clubs are reportedly interested in the USMNT prospect 👀 pic.twitter.com/aAEpBfHE1n— OneGoal (@OneGoalUS) August 2, 2020
Another player to keep an eye on in this transfer window. It just seems like its not going to happen for de la Torre at Fulham. Where does California native Luca de la Torre (22) stand at Fulham? The team is one game away from promotion to the EPL. An update on the USMNT prospect 👇👇👇 #USMNT #OneGoal @drockIee27 https://t.co/GOiFyFkVyK— OneGoal (@OneGoalUS) July 31, 2020
fossey, as well. weve got a few guys in the colaship and under, and its just wait and see. are sunderland/gooch still league one? i know rotherham/olosunde were promoted- thats vaguely interesting in that hes in the team and theyre going in the right direction (though rb isnt the easiest road to the nats). other than gooch these guys are all u23, i think, but its hard to have a ton of hope or know which (if any) of those guys may someday be even a faint blip on the usmnt radar.
Jay's Brother's ridiculous scheme which sacrifices so much to get the occasional long diagonal is Exhibit 1: 1a) So you get an occasional long diagonal ..... so what? The ball takes a long time to get there and the opposition knows it's coming. So, the ball flies through the air to the left winger (it only works to the left, btw, making it even more predictible). The defense shifts. The winger has to make a world class trap. Then, we have the ball on the wing, with the defense adjusted. What is the big deal? Exhibit 1b) in order to get this, he is having the team overload the right (never actually penetrate on the right, mind you). Everyone is pushed up into zone 15. When we inevitably lose the ball, because we're not actually trying to score from there - there is 30 to 40 yards of empty space for the opposition to attack into. A defensive vacuum. So, at the end of the defensive vacuum, what do you find? A superstar ball winner right? If the plan is to leave that guy on a defensive island with the entire opposing offense running at him several times a game, it's got to be a defensive warrior, right? But, no. This is Jay's Brother's scheme. We're going to put in the least defensive "defensive midfielder" we can find. "Traffic cop" is too generous of a description. Crossing Guard is more like it. Or maybe spot marker. Which leads to Exhibit 2. He is STILL talking about Bradley and Trapp in that role - Still! There is nothing that he has done as head of the MNT that doesn't indicate he's crazy. Not crazy like a fox, but crazy like a homeless man or woman sidling down the sidewalk saying "long diagonal, long diagonal, LONG DIAGONAL!" As a bonus, I think his and the Fed's disrespect of the NT fan is despicable. To schedule a friendly against our rival, just so you can run "passing out of the back" drills - to the extent that your opponent quickly realize that you're not even trying to play the game. And, then say we played well afterward????? He shat on all the people who made sacrifices to attend that match. I don't know why anyone would pay money to see the U.S. play a friendly after that. Don't Do It!
Thanks for your very detailed response. You seem to have opinions on what was going on in GB's head. Interesting stuff. The question was not meant to be condescending but I will use your phrasing; "...he [has] learned things and changed perspective..." instead of he has grown. I hope that you really don't believe that Arena or Klinsmann just rolled the ball out and let them play?
Has Fossey every really gotten over his significant injury problems? I mean, he only appeared three times for their reserve team this season. De La Torre has actually played for the Fulham first team. He's played 14 games for them. And then it all kind of stalled. I think he might be out of contract. He's one I can see returning to MLS........... a la Sebastian Lletget and Emerson Hyndman. He does have a Spanish passport, so that helps a lot as he seeks opportunities.
It takes guts to pick a lower level team and say I can help them get promoted but for all that people wrote off Olosunde he wasn't just a regular he was a star for his side and got them to the Championship. I have no doubt de la Torre doesn't want to go down to league 1. Neither will Fossey but playing time matters. Pick a good situation, be it a relegation battler in the championship or a promotion contender from league one but leave Fulham and play. It really is now or never because if they don't they'll run out their contracts and basically disappear.
Here this is again. How is WM pushing a player who hacked down CP going to stop it from happening again? Has anyone ever fouled a player and got pushed by another player decided to later not tackle someone? This narrative is so foreign to me. Players don’t cower because someone pushes them. If anything it just escalates the physicality of the game.
Yeah, the 'grown' thing is just a personal pet peeve for me. Others may not see it that way, but it always feels weird to say/hear it. I, of course, am extrapolating a lot in my POV. But much of it is backed up from what I see on the field or what Berhalter says in interviews. It is undoubtedly hopeful and optimistic relative to others. I hope I am right. As to Arena and JK, it's a bit of hyperbole. I do think at the end that JK was not putting together anything resembling a real tactical plan, but we've gone back and forth on that. Bigger picture, I think there is generally a schism in coaches: those who believe that a team should simply play a simple game and win by out-executing and those who fundamentally believe you can gain an advantage through outscheming an opponent. In American football, the former was Marty Schottenheimer and the latter Bill Belichek. Belichek's teams do out-execute their opponents, but he looks and schemes for any advantage. Marty would line up how he wanted and make it a war of execution and desire, and if his team lost, so be it. Not every coach who has a detailed scheme or looks for coaching/tactical advantages are better than the executors. But I've seen this happen in every sport I follow, pretty much; the best coaches are the ones who do both, and you can't be the best without finding ways to give your team an advantage in the gameplan. It's an old guard versus new guard thing. It's not motivation/execution versus tactics geek; it's motivation and execution versus motivation and execution AND tactics geek. Arena and JK fall into the former camp. Arena is almost textbook here - it's not that he doesn't know tactics, etc., I just think he moves to the simpler and focuses far more on effort level and execution. I don't think these types of coaches will succeed nearly as much in the future. I think being prepared with detailed scouting reports, systems that move more towards complexity, etc., eventually will win out. That doesn't mean you can't overcoach. It doesn't mean you can't be too inflexible. It doesn't mean that man management isn't important. It doesn't mean Berhalter is a better coach than Arena. I just think this is the clear direction coaching is moving: Pep, Klopp fall into this camp.
I would be more interested in a guy who can legally or at least sneakily dish out punishment without getting a yellow card. The shoving just gets you a yellow.