Pre-match: USA vs Honduras WCQ 9/8/21

Do you mean “One Little Victory”?

 

He could get hurt in a club in and he isn’t an every day lock starter at RB. He can play the 3rd game. It’s not unusual for clubs to play this amount of games in quick succession he will be fine.

 

Could you imagine being coached by Koeman, Tuchel, or Rose in your day job, then having to come play for….Berhalter?

 

Expect a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 tomorrow

 

I'd do something like this. Keep it old school:

---------Aaronson - Pepi
--Konrad ---------------- Pulisic
---------Adams - Acosta
Jedi---Brooks-Miles---Yedlin
-------------Turner--------------

I haven't watched enough of everyone to know, but Pepi looks like the striker most likely to drag the defense around with runs behind or into space in the wide areas and having a strike partner allows him to vacate the box. We desperately need this to create space right below the 18 where Konrad, Aaronson and Pulisic all like to play. Otherwise, I'd keep Konrad and Pulisic wide where they can receive a long ball on the touchline and run at defenders on the dribble, either to score or cross into the box. On defense, Aaronson and Aaronson only drops deep to link midfield and attack; I don't think Pulisic is great at this and doesn't need to check to the ball in this area of the field when he can create more danger being found in space (and I think Aaronson is a better passer in this regard; more likely to find Pulisic running above him if he checks deep than vice-versa). Almost every time CP gets the ball in midfield, he does a big u-turn to give himself time to look up and see the field and slows things down dramatically (even happened on the goal, but he got fouled on the play, causing the correct play -- the pass to Adams -- to occur even though CP was in the process of failing to make it. )

Saying that, I doubt Pepi gets his first cap in a start in such a game. But mainly having two strikers resolves a lot, IMO.

 

I mean, the English are coached by Gareth Southgate and the Dutch are coached by Frank De Boer. It’s a huge step down, even for the countries with high profile teams and domestic leagues. If our players stop trying this quickly because they think they’re too good for the coach, then we really can say that the era of humble, hard-working USMNTs is over.

 

The Dutch dumped De Boer after the Euros. It’s Louis Van Gaal now.

 

The English commentary is perfectly fine.

 

I did not know that. The point still stands though in that the players had to play for him.

 

Lets just hope WM and Friends (unnamed team members who went out partying with him) take qualifying a little more seriously moving forward.

 

Seems like there is a fair amount of near-PTSD left over from Couva around here. Understandable. What a huge disappointment the last two games have been for the U.S. team and us fans after all the hype/improved pedigree of the last few years. A rash of injuries to key players in the last few weeks has hurt the team. McKennie needs to get his head on straight. Berhalter hasn’t helped with his recent in-game adjustments -- substitutions way too late, etc. And I usually don’t understand about 10-15% of his roster choices -- and now Yueill again?!? But unlike many of you, I’m not calling for Greg’s craggy, Nordic head quite yet.

There are still 12 games to go in this WCQ for the U.S. An inauspicious start, to put it mildly, but there is time to make up points and get into the top 3.

I’m really concerned about having fresh legs to start in Honduras. The short turnaround time and travel from the Canada game is crazy. I’ve only read about 100 or so posts into the thread far but noticed a couple of you have stated this concern also. Here’s the starting lineup (3-5-2) and substitution plan I wouldn’t mind seeing. I’ll leave it to you smarter folks to lay out some tactics that might possibly work with this...

---------Pefok------Sargent---------
----------------------------------------
---------KDLF-----Lletget----------
----------------------------------------
Bello-------------------------Roldan
----------------Sands-----------------
----------------------------------------
Zimmerman-Brooks-M.Robinson
-----------------------------------------
----------------Turner-----------------

My thinking is to get enough quality guys out there to “hold service”/stay in the game until the second half. Maybe even we get lucky with a goal out of those topmost four. Bello has looked good for us this summer. I think he’s up to this. And I seem to rate Roldan a bit higher than many of you, but he’s a fighter and has shown some versatility. Not sure he has the wheels to play wingback well, but you tell me. Miles has a lot of those in his legs at this point in the tournament, but he is nearly an “write-in-pen” guy now, and I hope he will hold up.

Keep us in the game, let Pefok and Sargent wear down the Honduran defenders and then bring on
more creativity, semi-rested and hot feet (Pepi) in the second half. Pulisic for Lletget (46’), Adams for Sands (46’). Around 60' or so, pop off KDLF for Aaronson, with Pulisic moving to the left center and Brenden going right. Also about then, Pepi makes his USMNT debut on the road in CONCACAF, replacing Pefok. Save the 5th sub for an injury or if one of the wingbacks or defenders starts looking gassed around 75' to 80‘. My choice *order* for the 5th sub would probably be Yedlin for Roldan, then Antonee for Bello or McKenzie for Miles.

Acosta has not impressed me this window, but I would understand possibly putting him at dmid to start instead of Sands. I could also see starting Antonee at LB instead of Bello, but he just went the full 90‘+ against Canada and would be on short rest (after also making a late appearance in El Salvador).

Ream and Yueill should not see the field unless desperately needed due to injuries.
We could have used some Hoppe energy and creativity this window, but I understand letting him get signed and start to settle in at Mallorca.

This lineup and sub scheme probably has too many backups starting for many of you, but I think this rotation could work. Yeah, it’s a gamble, but I think this plan is more likely to succeed then starting tired top guys like Pulisic, Adams, Aaronson, ARob and then seeing them gassed late halfway through the second half if we need a goal (we will) and then having to bring on backups to save us. Man, I wish we had Musah right now. If so, I wouldn’t be half-joking about starting Roldan in a right wingback spot.

But finish strong. Get the 5 points this window.

(fwiw, I had hoped/thought we would smoke El Salvador 3-0 to open this round of qualifying). Hope springs eternal, as does naivete.

 

I imagine that Pulisic et al are fully aware by now that World Cup Qualifying is indeed a serious matter.

If they aren't aware of it by now, everyone around them is making it known to them.

 

It’s definitely unusual for a MF to play all three this close.

 

The Pulisic presser was Bellicheckian.

I'm cool with that.

 

he is under marsch, and sure. he could be struck by lightening too.

blah blah something about a baby and bathwater blah...

 

If there's a whiteboard for the starting lineups I'd like to thnk that Adams comes in early and writes his name in sharpie right in the middle of it before the coaches wake up.

 

De Boer won the Eredivisie 4 times as a manager and is also a Dutch legend as a player.

That gives him a little extra cachet compared to a guy who spent the majority of his career in the 2.Bundesliga.

Not disagreeing with your overall point, just not sure that De Boer is a great example, clownish as he may be.

 

Don't expect anything with GGG. He has no logic.

 

It makes me think, do we need to pull Pulisic and Reyna back into the 8/10 roles? This will let them get the ball more often and they both seem that this wouldn’t be a shock to them. Also, this compensates for the lack of talent in this area (I.e. Lletget, Roldan, and pulling Acosta from the 6).

Furthermore, although, we don’t have a standout goal scorer.... we do have some legit options at wing and forward even if we pull Pulisic and Reyna back. For example,

Our Target Forwards types: Ricardo Pepi, Gyasi Zardes, Jordan Pefok, Daryl Dike. (add: Wright, etc)

Our Inside Forward types: Matthew Hoppe, Niko Gioacchini, Josh Sargent, Jesus Ferreira, Cade Cowell (Add: Balogun, etc)

Outside Winger types: Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, Konrad de la Fuente, Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris (injured) ...(Add: Boyd, Mueller, Sabbi, etc)

That means Pepi, Pefok, Zardes, and Dike are fighting for two target man spots.

And Aaronson, Hoppe, Sargent, Weah, Konrad, Gioacchini, Arriola, Morris, Ferreira, and Cowell are fighting for four inside forward / winger spots.

...In other words, I think that’s enough legit depth that we’re not robbing Peter to pay Paul. Meanwhile, I don’t think Sargent or Hoppe or any of the other inside forward types are suited for Berhalter ball at the 9. The way Berhalter wants that player is to be the Lukaku type who can bully center backs. Hoppe and Sargent aren’t bullying anyone. But they do a damn good job running off someone who can.

...Also, if we drop Pulisic and Reyna back into the midfield. That solves a depth issue that we have at this position. For instance, none of us should feel thrilled to have Sebastian Lletget or Cristian Roldan earn so many minutes. Gianluca Busio still needs time in the oven. Plus, Paxton Pomykal is always injured and we don’t know what kind of player Richie Ledezma will return as. Eryk Williamson is out for awhile. We’re still waiting on Caden Clark and Cole Bassett to develop. Luca de la Torre and Julian Green don’t seem to be rated by Berhalter. . Add: Djordje Mihailovic and Alan Sonora too. That leaves bad boy, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah as guys who can play the position at a high level.

When we throw Pulisic and Reyna into the mix, that gives us Pulisic, Reyna, McKennie, and Musah...

with Busio, Lletget, Roldan, Luca, Green, Clark, Ledezma, and others fighting for a spot. (Cappis, Mihailovic, Pomykal, Mendez, Sonora, Holmes, Sullivan, and Bassett are on the fringe)

And we could always move Reyna and/or Pulisic back to wing, if need be.

....Now, for the #6... our main 3 would be Tyler Adams, then Kelyn Acosta, then James Sands.

I love Acosta and I think he can fill in at the 8 in an emergency, but his best position is at the 6. In a sense, he should only be playing if Adams is out. Then, I would go with James Sands... which essentially converts us to a back 5 with Sands playing the advanced CB.

(For depth, there’s Yuiell, Tessman, Perea, Nyeman, Otasowie, Durkin, and Johnny)

 

Not when you don’t have other viable options which we don’t.

 

Cool so if the trainer tells me he’s good to go the player tells me he’s good to go I’m not going to worry about games a month from now. I’m gonna have him play. Especially when the drop off from him is massive.

 

In short, I think our best midfield / forward group (cuttting our defenders)

A team:
——————Zardes(?)——————-
Hoppe——————————-Aaronson
————Pulisic——Reyna—————-
———————Adams———————-

B team:
——————Pefok(?)———————-
Sargent———————————Konrad
————-McKennie—-Musah————-
———————Acosta———————-

C team:
——————Dike/Pepi————————
Gio/Ferreira——————————-Weah
—Luca/Busio/Roldan—Clark/Green/Seb—
———————-Sands————————-

...Of course, I’ve also wondered if Dest needs to be converted to midfield too?

 

Watching it again, there are other answers that throw shade on coaching decisions. It makes me think that if we don’t beat Honduras, there may be direct player appeals to the USSF. He seems frustrated with more than just the result.

 

I respectfully disagree.