Seriously, I get it's cool to blame the players here, but are we ok with this performance? Are we ok getting outpossessed 51-49 to El Salvador? We're all now hoping that Mexico ties Jamaica? They had 73% possession and 27-5 shots (7-1 on target). CONCACAF is hard? Seriously? I can't believe anyone here could be ok with that.
I need to watch a Barca game. I find it unbelievable Dest plays for them. I get the wrong side thing, but that doesn’t explain enough for me.
hmm we need more direct speed dribbling and on the pitch at all times that's puli or konrad can't keep playing three 8/10 hybrids
Honest question, why are we rating Konrad? Not just you, this is the third mention I've seen in the first 20 replies. I thought the left side was an absolute disaster and while I give him a bit of a pass for a poorly constructed left side, he did nothing to elevate himself in my eyes. Him, Dest, and Aaronson were all quite poor for me.
My takeaways... 1) I finally will admit what many have been saying: Sargent doesn't play like a striker. When he's playing, it's as if we are not even playing one. 2) We need to pump the breaks on the "golden generation." High potential? Absolutely. But they are still very young players. But their current play does not merit "Best Ever" status. It just doesn't. These guys need to earn that status. 3) Qualification will - as predicted - be a slog. Lots of nervous nights coming our way guys. 4) Too many guys trying to be heroes. I don't know how many times our players were trying to dribble 3 or 4 players instead of making a pass. We need some selfishness, but this was disjointed and sub-optimal team play. Nevertheless, happy to walk away with a point.
Talent sure, but still young and definitely inexperienced in playing in an away qualifier. This performance doesn't surprise me at all. But I also think that had the U.S. played this way in Couva, they would have qualified for Russia. I think anybody expecting a 3-0 rout of ES in an away qualifier with such a young team and only two practices together in Nashville isn't being very realistic.
I said this spring when everyone was almost universally cheering the idea of bringing a second team to the Gold Cup that we would regret not having this group more competitive matches together in advance of qualifying. this is exactly why I was concerned. They looked like a team unfamiliar with each other, who had rarely faced any adversity together. We will be almost halfway through qualifying by mid next month. Not a lot of time to figure it out. but at least we figured out how to properly rank players 25 through 40.
Maybe this is a reactionary take, but perhaps next time we start off a window with a road game we should start most of the MLS guys. Our European guys almost all disappointed. They lost 50-50 balls, were tentative with the ball and didn't make enough off the ball runs. My guess is the time zone change, all the travel and the short turn around left them somewhat dead legged. Regardless this was a real missed opportunity. And because of the size and construction of our roster, we really don't have attacking players that are going to be fresh for game two. All our midfielders and forwards save Pepi and Pulisic played in this game.
Transfermarkt, the vast majority of global managers and scouts, and just about everyone on this board would disagree with you. If you mean they're young and somewhat inconsistent, then I would probably agree with you.
Anyone who totally ignores a good defensive effort is just pushing a presuppositional agenda and needs an eye exam. El Salvador created nothing and that was because of us. See? I can do it.too.
I hope that Berhalter realizes that Pepi is our best striker on this roster. Sargent is simply not at the point where he can create goals at the international level. And Pefok isn't the answer either. Hope we can get Pulisic back ASAP and get Pepi some PT.
not a joke. The US has more talent than El Salvador. They are not nearly as more talented as you and others imagine.
How anyone can be confident of a good result against Canada after that is beyond me... I'll try and stay optimistic but yeeeeesh.
How tf are we experimenting in WCQ? Dest at LB, Aaronson at CM, Acosta at RB? McKennie was flat out bad. The midfield being disconnected has been a recurring theme for GB’s USMNT.
Maybe it would have been a terrible idea, but in these matches I favor Roldan/Ljet/Acosta to start. Bring the speed guys off the bench after the brawl.
What striker has played well under Gregg in the last 9 competitive matches other than Martinique? What striker blew golden chances tonight? Pepi would do the exact thing as Sargent/Pefok, which is be invisible. Because this team creates nothing offensively. This isn't a player problem. Sargent didn't just get bought for 10 mil because Norwich likes how his hair matches their unis.
Ok. I think they have a talent advantage. It just isn’t nearly as big as you think. Transfermarket prices marginal differences. It isn’t linear with talent.
However many months ago I said, if we lose Pulisic to injury we are going to struggle immensely vs most of C'CAF. While Puli was out due to COVID and not injury, nothing I saw today changes my mind. He largely carried us in our last WCQing and tonight we didn't generate a single solid SOG. Lot's of that is due to he schmuck we have coaching this team but I accounted for that schmucktitude in my original statement. Now we have an early must win vs Canada.
These are the standings in terms of points lost, based on the win at home, draw on the road strategy : México 0 USA 0 Honduras 0 Costa Rica 0 Jamaica -1 Canada -2 Panama -2 El Salvador -2
I think it's telling that (IMO) Ream, Miles Robinson, and Adams were the best players. The center of the park locked everything down, it's just that nothing consistently worked the way the team wanted on the sides or going forward. The U.S. dominated XG (1.68-0.29) - I don't really care about the U.S. side of that because players have to finish their chances and the U.S. should have created even more, but I think it clearly reflects that the defense did its job. Put me on the disappointed side, because 3 points was in the team's grasp.