I really liked seeing how effective the USMNT can be in a high press vs Switzerland...they were befuddled in the first half.....but for it to be effective, it has to be all players rowing together..... Fits: Aaronson, Pulisic, Sargent, McKennie, Zardes, Adams, Musah, Weah, Caden Clark, Richards, Yedlin, Hoppe, Arriola, Doesn't: Altidore, Bradley, Trapp, Ream, Brooks, Miazga, Some of my hot takes.....^^^^ There's a bunch of players in the pool I have no clue about a la pressing in international soccer..... This isn't the same as asking who are the best 23? Brooks is clearly one of the top USMNT players...he just doesnt really fit a high pressing wide open game with little defensive cover the way a more mobile agile player would. So who do you think in the pool is most suited to playing in a high press....and who doesn't? (Strictly fit to high press not a player comparison in terms of quality or who is better than who) What is your best 11 high press for the USMNT????
Here on BS there is a crowd that assumes guys like McKennie must be "pressing elites" when the fact is that McKennie is a really bad presser. Aaronson isn't bad but tends to "chase shadows". I'm pretty sure we'll have him acing the course before long. No worries. Sargent presses well on the edges; Weah is a far superior presser vs. the gk. Zardes can press. Not an ace, not bad either tho. Adams is good at knowing when to press and when to hold according to his erstwhile manager and I agree. However, if we are to turn him loose on that project we have to realize he will miss 1 in 10 and 1 in 10 means 1 goal because Adams is last man back in Berhalters DLP 6. I believe Musah can press but he just turned 18. Weah is our best presser, He gets lost on the wing when it comes to the rest of his game and his best pressing comes very far forward at the tip of the spear, Problem is Berhalter just does not get it. Clark is a good "presser" if that is what you want to call it. Arriola is ok but is just ok okay? Yedlin - not sure why he is in convo. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Richards is a cb. I hope he can press. Isn't that the job description for a cb? Hoppe - don't really connect him to pressing ; I would play Weah at the 9 for fh and Hoppe 2nd half.
well...I am not very clear in terms of exactly who is and isn't good....i really dont think I personally have a great read on where the players stack up against in other in terms of this skill or overall.I just think if there is going to be a strategy...then it has to fit the personnel. I like the high press for the players and their strengths. But to me they all have to be on the same page....throughout the game and be able to orchestrate adjustments together...something I think American teams and players havent always excelled at. you can say wes for example isnt good but thats crazy I see him flying all over the field for schalke and juve busting up the other team and getting a lot of interceptions and tackles etc....maybe his positional discipline or awareness isnt perfect (im sure the coaching has something to do with that) but compare him to the other players in the pool and he fits it better than almost everyone at his position. theres players that can and players that cant. i dont see the point of dismissing my list when that wasnt the point of my post really..... IF the USMNT is going to high press (i think they will use it in competitive matches) well then who should be on the field ...when they do? Thats basically what I was getting at...not that I am a master ranker of the pool.
Watching a few of those teams with a high press back three, I’ve noticed that a big lumbering centerback doesn’t quite work. Especially if the FBs are always up. I think Richards could play the left side of the back three like he did at times with Hoffenheim and Brooks would work as that central role. The other person more suited to play that right side in a back three would probably be CCV. To attempt a back 4 just causes your CB’s to have to move side to side to cover. Three in the back seems more fitting to the style of play but he has to get the right players in the right positions which is Adams at 6 to cover and fall back when needed, Richards to work the wing and help out with passing in the back, and CCV as a durable db who can cover the vacated space on the right and still play CB when defending deep. Berhalter still also has to get potential reserves suited to that style of play as well which is why he probably has been toying with the lineup. Maybe a Reynolds when he is more developed.
Of the Swiss match....GB said “It was very positive,” said Berhalter. “The attitude of how we want to play, and the positioning and the intention to be very aggressive, very high-pressing, pinning them in, dealing well with balls that came out, that's what I envision this group being able to do. So....yeah I can see a 3 CB setup working to get Brooks out on the field.... ----------------------------gk------------------------------ -------------------------brooks-------------------- ---------------richards--------------CB------------------ dest-----------adams----mckennie--------jedi ------------------------reyna----------------------------- ----------- ----weah----------pulisic-------
If Berhalter wants to play with a back four then I think he should go with Robinson at LB and Dest at RB. Robinson will stay back if it’s part of the game plan as he did with Fulham. I’m convinced that Berhalter wants the LB to be the emphasis of the fullback attack which is why he plays Dest out of position. Because Berhalter does that he chooses a more defensive orientated RB like a Cannon and probably an Adams when he is healthy. So he’s basically playing people out of their strength positions to fit his preferred method of the system. players are athletic enough to make the switch but as a coach I think I would adjust my schematics to fit my players abilities even if I thought my scheme was genius. I think against Mexico we will see both our strengths and weaknesses. They like to trap and press themselves. If we can’t build from the back against them than the whole system is pointless.
but robinson as a stay at home left back makes no sense.....his strength is getting forrward and his weakness is staying back and defending...same with dest as bad as you might want both out there...and they might be the best 2 fullbacks....playing them as stay at home fullbacks plays to their weaknesses....which doesnt make sense...and i am not convinced either one would be the best stay at home fullback at their respective spots.....
I want a back three with them in really a back five but showing more of a 3-4-3 with MCKennie and Adams central but Berhalter won’t play it that way.