Well, I don't have Yedlin as a lock, but that is neither here nor there. Everyone gets beat. But defenders who are going to have like two days of camp period are even more likely to get beat. WCQ is a lot about managing risk and odds. Like I said, bringing Scally in to camp to get him situated, etc., and an an emergency bulwark seems smart. I just see a lot of people ready to anoint him as an answer, and I think he's a pretty risky one. But as you note, on the left, aside from Robinson and maybe an injured Vines, they all come with questions.
Reynolds is very raw. I agree with Mourinho when he says he looks the part but we really need to see it over 90 with Roma in a string of games. We have little to go on with Reynolds who barely arrived at Roma. Scally has been in development for Bundesliga basicaly since the u17's (in 2019) when scouts took interest. I dont think we have time for Reynolds now but by that late Jan window 2022 he may have proved he deserves consideration.
Credit to @Eleven Bravo from the USMNT fitness thread for this list, only changes I made are moving Weah and Dest to the in side as reports say they are both fit OUT: Sam Vines (November) Aaron Long (out past November) Jordan Morris (out past November - back in training) Richie Ledezma (out past November - return is past due) Eryk Williamson (likely out through all of WCQ) Christian Pulisic (10 days) Gio Reyna (October) Josh Sargent (undetermined) Zack Steffen (back spasms, Covid) IN Daryl Dike Yunus Musah Paul Arriola Gyasi Zardes Tim Weah Sergino Dest
The excitement is that he can fill in at LB if needed and just earned several "best of" citations in the soccer media (team of the week/month, motm.... whatever). I don't know how that happens with an "inexperienced, unintegrated talent". What's more, we are told that our attack is lacking. If the mids are not getting the ball to our leading lights in the attack, maybe a fresh fullback can solve some problems.
re Sargent. When he arrived back in Norwich, they scanned Sarge and saw a tiny ham strain so they benched him for the weekend's game with the intention of not letting a small tear turn into a big one. He would certainly be on schedule to be fit and in form by October window, barring additional injury.
Thanks, I hadnt heard the news about Weah, but here is the update Some good news on #USMNT injury front, Tim Weah, injured in training on Aug. 28, should be ready to go Saturday for Lille in its derby at Lens, reports L’Equipe in its Thursday edition. It needs him. He was Lille’s best winger before he was hurt, and it faces 6 games in 20 days.— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) September 15, 2021
Want to add load management to the thought process. For; Pulisic, Adams, Dest, McKennie, Robinson X2, Brooks. The guys who are the #1s at their spots, I think the workload should be; 1 game start and go 90, 1 game start and go 65-75, 1 game off the bench if needed for 15. If Gio is on the roster, maybe 1 start and 70 then off the bench as needed for one more, for now, I assume he is out. That is a lot of minutes to fill in, and that doesn’t even account for yellow card accumulation or injuries/covid (3) GK Turner, Horvath, Steffen. Turner starts all three or at least 2/3 (6) RB/LB RB: Dest (1 90, 1 70, 1 15), Yedlin (1 start, 1 sub) LB: Robinson (1 90, 1 70, 1 15),, Bello (1 start, 1 sub) Backups,2 of; Scally, Moore, Reynolds, Cannon (6) CB CB Brooks, Robinson (1 90, 1 70, 1 15), CB Mckenzie Richards Ream (2 starts, 2 Subs) Backups, 1 or 2 Sands, Zimmerman, Miazga, Che, (2*) CM6 Adams (1 90, 1 70, 1 15) Acosta (1 start, 1.5 sub) absolutely do not play both at the same time! (6) CM8 Mckennie (1 90, 1 70, 1 15) Musah LLetget (3/4 starts , 3 subs each) Roldan, Luca de la Torre, (maybe 1 start and sub minutes) Backups: 1 of Busio. Pomykal, Green (6) Wingers Pulisic, (1 90, 1 70, 1 15) Aaronson, Weah, KDLF Hoppe combine for (4 starts, 4 subs) Backup 1 of Gioacchini, Ferreira (3) CF Pepi (1 90, 1 70, 1 15) Zardes/Hoppe (1 start, 2 subs) Pefok
I thought they were fine together in the second half against Honduras, the difference between previous outings being they were used more as a double pivot than Acosta as an attacking 8, if anything Adams was getting forward more of the two. If Mckennie and Musah are available we probably don't need to use Acosta and Adams together, but I think we can get by if we do.
That combo can only work if the US presses and the opponent has to venture forward themselves. It was the situation, after the first and second US goal, when that duo was semi-functional for the US in Honduras. And even then Acosta was pretty whack in possession. The crowd were showering us with oles when Kellyn shanked 2 straight passes for TO's. Technically he's weak in the possession game. Couldn't cut it at home v. Canada. Adams and Acosta simply can't build up effectively against an organized defense or mid-block. Neither can McKennie and Acosta really. It's got to be Musah, Pomykal, LDLT with Adams. Adams is the #1 player whose absence causes problems, then Miles Robinson. Everyone else, individually, we can afford to lose. Then it just depends on issues en masse.
I am clear on your view of Lleget. Mine differs. You have “asked” me about that in a way that rules out the possibility that my preference could be at all a reasoned one. If you want to discuss this, I will be here. But meanwhile you can take your insulting framing of the question and stick them up one of your orifices.
For the bring in a lot of players to the next window I get it. Just remember that at some point you have more bodies standing around than you can have quality training sessions for. I don't know that that number is but it needs to be considered. Now that said for this next window the one new guy I would probably call in would be Scally. And I'd hope that one of the mathces presented a good opportunity to get him a few minutes.
That’s likely 40+, nobody is saying bring that many. 30-32 can easily train without a bunch of guys just standing around
I have no problems calling in an inexperienced player like Scally, even if I won't be angry if he's left off. It's easier to integrate somebody when you've got an experienced team, and September's adventures have helped the team gain some experience. The US national team has 24 players* who are realistically in the player pool right now who have played in the Hex before (the 22 who played this month + Arriola and Morris). All 24 have played in a road match in the Hex, so that can't be used as an excuse to avoid integrating talented young players either. *Zardes would be 25, but technically he hasn't played in the Hex, even if he did play important qualifiers in 2015 and 2016.
While I agree with @thedukeofsoccer comment, aside from that we have 2 guys I’m comfortable playing the 6 in Gregg’s system, Adams and Acosta. We have ~285 minutes of soccer, split those minutes between them. My thought is about 190 for Adams and 95 for Acosta.
thought I saw on reddit Ledezma recently got an assit for Jong PSV…. Obviously I don’t think he’s a factor for WCQing rosters until he becomes a first team regular but he appears to be playing again
Right with all this. Plus, if someone isn't "integrated", then integrate them. Start bringing them into camps and at least train with the teams. To leave them out because they haven't been brought in before is just compounding an error.
Roldan is not a CM. Why are we limiting ourselves again? That worked out horribly. Has Berhalter ever explained why he limited his roster to 25, then didn't call in anyone as guys got injured? What was the point? Call all those guys you listed. Why not?
Agree. Acosta should just back up Adams in our 4-3-3 until we find someone better. He is has only been effective against teams that want the ball and we let them have it (i.e. Mexico). He is good defensively outside his own box, will hit some long passes, but will routinely turn the ball over otherwise if we try to possess with him. What he was doing at the end of that Honduras game is baffling. Just passing up easy short passes to shank balls to the opposing GK. To me it all comes back to Berhalter. Every lineup seems to be a mix of transition defenders and ball possessors in the back 7. Are we going to press and bypass midfield? The Turner and Acosta are ok. But then why is Brooks in the center of your backline? Are we going to possess the ball? Then why is Turner in goal and Miles Robinson and Acosta in the spine of the team?
There are quite a few guys that need to be included. How many are added or replace other players is up to Gregg. However, Gregg had too few players last window and it hurt the team. He should never look down his bench and see no options to put in a game we need to win. In no particular order: Joe Scally Julian Green Chris Richards LDLT Yunus Musah Have to be brought in. The young guys in Italy are more speculative. You have to bring them at the start or you can never use them if needed. Domestic options can be left out of the initial roster because they can be called up with a phone call. Leaving Sargent out and bringing in Zardes is a wash for me. Again, the prudent thing is to bring both. But if you are never going to play Sargent, then don't bring him.
I don't think we'd call in Scally if Cannon, Reynolds, and Moore were actually playing regularly. And of course the injury to Vines hurt left back depth. So I don't know why anybody would have an issue with Scally being there for LB/RB depth. Will he play? Probably not. But that's OK for a first camp. Saying that, if Araujo is willing to commit.................then I call him up first. He can also play that same versatile defender role. We don't NEED Scally. One can argue that we NEEDED Pepi. Not just to be in camp, but to play a role. [By the way, Jonathan Gomez has had a couple of rough games in the USL. Probably his worst stretch as a pro. So Scally is waaaaaaaaaay up the depth chart over Gomez for me. We can't call up a guy having a rough stretch in the USL to the frickin' USMNT. These are WCQers. I don't care what his ceiling is.]