Your post adds some much-needed nuance to the discussion. I agree with most of your points. I'll just make the point that my current ranking reflects both quality and form. The latter obviously depends on whether a player is playing with his club. This is the main reason I have Konrad above Hoppe (not playing much) or Arriola (injured and maybe not in top form by the next window). My rankings are a little inconsistent in that regard. For the really talented guys (Pulisic and Reyna) I have them at the top even though their availability is questionable for the upcoming window, while I'm taking into account match sharpness for the lower rated guys like Konrad, Hoppe and Arriola. My excuse is those three are pretty close anyhow so you go by things like form and match fitness in deciding which one to call up for the next window. Assuming Reyna and Pulisic are out, this is a potentially important call on Berhalter's part.
I'm actually with you on Scally but I haven't seen him yet. I think the mistake that we can easily criticize is not bringing Scally at all. Is Scally (a rb), better than Bello? perhaps. One thing Arriola does that Weah doesn't do is he provides a lot more running and tracks back. That is important because it helps give Dest a bit more freedom to go forward. Against Costa Rica, whose attack was pretty anemic that may not make a difference, but against Mexico, for instance, it might be important. He also, imo, presses better. Weah obviously has a better pedigree than Arriola or Lletget and if he continues to develop, will reach heights neither could come close to but so far, with the USMNT, I have not been highly impressed. He has been mostly invisible. He got the winning goal and deserves credit for that but for my money has not been impressive. A better example, for my money, would be Hoppe. Of course both Arriola and Lletget are different players than Weah and it is also true that they both received similar playing time this past window. (Arriola would have had more if he wasn't injured).
makes sense. My one hesitation with regard to Hoppe has been (like you) lack of use (both club and wcq) Agree that the others are pretty close and I regard their inclusion/exclusion from any particular lineup to be more based upon situational requirements than a static depthchart. Pulisic, Reyna and Adams (and to a lesser extent Hoppe) would be the written in stone top 3-4. The others would depend upon what Berhalter is trying to do and who the opponent is.
A single eye-witness account, subject to bias and interpretation, doesn't equate to data. Surely you're aware of that. I watched some of his matches too. He looks tidy, but physically out-matched still, which gets worse w/ what they allow in CCAF, and how wide space of a match we often play. I could foresee problems until/if he fixes this. It's not very relevant either way. We just saw a comparative sample for the NT, which is the most relevant piece of info. Lletget was much higher rated in the metrics. Take that for data. Lletget's not playing for a bottom Serie A club to compare. Otherwise he may have his moments too, in the less relevant sample. They don't even play the same position. Lletget should be your 10. He's competing w/ the likes of Ferreira, not Busio and LDLT. They don't add goals and assists. That may indicate your bias you didn't produce any domestic options w/ much better production in that or comparable leagues. I had him starting too. So what. Should I bring up my loaded BS fantasy team from a couple years ago for cred? LOL Many of those players are playing regularly for us - Adams, MRob, Zimmerman, Morris, Turner, Sands, etc. Heck, one of them was LDLT himself. I make mistakes too, like Roldan. How long were you stumping for Sargent, who's had 0 good matches above Cuba level? I don't know if this was your faux pas (it was a lot of people's), but if not I'm sure you've had many others. All you have is one, flawed opinion. BTW, Musah was healthy, just ramping up fitness. And it was in a better role than he plays for his club. They should take note from Gregg. Musah is one of his biggest successes as manager, for both recruitment & utilization.
Berhalter didnt bring Scally up bc he didnt want to ruffle feathers in regards to playing time with Gladbach. GGG needs to call up players regardless of their club situations.
I said this in the thread about 8/10 depth.... I think we should look at them combined with the wing. I also think they should be combined with the #9s. Most of our top players can play at least two of these front five positions. I think when looked at like this that we have enough depth of quality players that we need to rely on weaker veterans. I see seven players that nobody is questioning and eight that people are interested in but some are concerned (I don't necessarily agree with the concerns and the first group is bigger). That gives us 15 or 3 deep so see no reason that we don't try to get those seven on the field together while rotating the other eight to further figure out the depth/situations where players are useful. There is no need to waste time on guys below this level as even more will be popping up in the future. - Pulsic, Reyna, Pepi, Mckennie, Musah, Weah, Aaronson, - Hoppe, Pefok, Sargent, Konrad, Gioacchini, Dike, Busio, de la Torre
There is no circumstance that Arrola should be ahead of Weah. If Arriola runs, tracks back or whatever more than Weah, the difference is small. Weah works incredibly hard on both sides of the ball.
The only players that GGG sees as guys who can play multiple positions are Acosta, Roldan and mayyyybee Aaronson, although I think he sees BA as a winger. I mean he just refuses to play Hoppe as a #9. Not even in Gold Cup. GGG is very stubborn with this.
I am pretty sure I implied but think it is worth stating explicitly. If one of the the back up 9s don't step up, move one of the guys who have been used as a winger up top and the same goes if the back up 8/10s aren't cutting it, move a guy further back, instead of falling back on these veteran weak links. We need to stop wasting minutes on guys who won't be with us going forward and need to get our top players together as much as possible.
So, if Pulisic and Reyna are out again, what do we have for winger depth? 1. Aaronson 2. Weah 3. Konrad 4. Hoppe? 5. Musah? 6. Sargent? 7. Arriola I put Hoppe, Musah, and Sargent with question marks because winger would not be their ideal position, but I still would have them ahead of Arriola, should the need arise.
True, but at least two things complicate that stat. 1. there were more than 5 players that should have been subbed in that game....somebody's got to be left out. 2. Berhalter (imo) sub based partly upon his planned lineup for CR, and partly to get back in the game and salvage a point. Some of those that he subbed to save might (probably) would have struggled with exhaustion later as well so those (Arriola, Weah) probably made sense for both reasons. Musah, I felt was far more effective than Arriola and Weah but I'm sure that he was taken out for precautionary reasons. (save for CR). For what it is worth (nothing), here is a list of subs that I think might have been better: (in) Pepi---> (in) Pepi---> Zardes-->(out) (in) Hoppe---> Weah-->(out) (in) LDLT---> Lletget-->(out) (in) Aaronson---> Musah-->(out) (in) Roldan---> Arriola-->(out) As I said, I think there were more than 5 that deserved to be subbed, so some will be left in regardless but that is one list. Your list may vary but the point is that leaving 2 or 3 on the field isn't the same as giving them a vote of confidence. If it was unlimited subs AND there were no other complicating variables, and they were left on than it would be a vote of confidence.
Timo’s work rate was really high in the NL final against Mexico when he was subbed in. He played a ton of defense in that game. He is no slouch in that department.
I guess so. I have no idea why some fans have such a loyal affinity for talentless hacks. It is getting hard to say Arriola is even good enough for concacaf. I cant think of a time he has played well for the usmnt. His veteraness sure didn't help in Panama. Weah didn't play well either but I would look for a veteran to step up before a young back up. I domt blame the front three in that game as not much they can do given the messs in the midfield created by Acosta and Lletget.
To quote what I said earlier: "One thing Arriola does that Weah doesn't do is he provides a lot more running and tracks back. That is important because it helps give Dest a bit more freedom to go forward. Against Costa Rica, whose attack was pretty anemic that may not make a difference, but against Mexico, for instance, it might be important. He also, imo, presses better. Weah obviously has a better pedigree than Arriola or Lletget and if he continues to develop, will reach heights neither could come close to but so far, with the USMNT, I have not been highly impressed. He has been mostly invisible. He got the winning goal and deserves credit for that but for my money has not been impressive. A better example, for my money, would be Hoppe. Of course both Arriola and Lletget are different players than Weah and it is also true that they both received similar playing time this past window. (Arriola would have had more if he wasn't injured)." Obviously, you disagree. I have felt for a long time that Weah has something special about him and I hope that he maximizes his potential, but right now I see him falling short in a few very important areas. The first is that he has been very inconsistient (the only thing that he has been mostly consistet is that he has been invisible). Perhaps he just needs more time to adjust and get to know his teammates, perhaps it is a confidence issue (knowing where he fits in with the team), perhaps it is something else...I have not idea. All I know is that for my money, he has not contributed very much to the first team. IF he can change that, I see him vaulting past SEVERAL players (including Arriola, KDF and possibly Hoppe) and competing with Hoppe for 4th on the depth chart. If he improves his consistency and steps it up a level, he could be competing with Aaronson and possibly Reyna (although he is a much different player than Reyna).
Thing is if you had Busio starting in place of Acosta and LDLT in place of Lletget, you don't have any of these issues you allude to regarding burning players for Costa Rica, and you still have the flexibility to make the subs that were actually made in the match. And imo you have a better team out there against Panama.
Arriola is not good enough for WCQ. Look at last WCQ cycle and this WCQ cycle. What does he do? Work hard and do nothing in the final 3rd. No thanks.
This is simply a false suggestion. There are numerous times when leaving a player at the club makes more sense especially long term. Scally and the last window was one of them. Just like Hoppe was for the first window.