Alert: USMNT Instagram posted 4 club highlights in last 240 posts: ALL FOUR of Zardes Roldan & Arriola

Why can't we we start a team of 19 yo, when that is of course an exaggeration? What value have these so called veterans brought? I dont really see any positives along with slowing the integration of new players and delaying players who will ac t ually being on the team taking over those leadership responsibilities. The veterans didn't help in 2017 and haven't helped this cycle. It is a nice theory, but it apparently doesn't fit our pool where these kids are just so much better than these MLS lifers.

There is no reason Antonee Robinson shouldn't have been a regular in this team since early 2019. There is no reason Sargent shouldn't have been at the 2019 GC. We still have Zardes taking minutes away from finding our second and third striker. The bottom of the roster should be used to rotate players and figure out who will ultimately get those spots instead of wasted on the MLS veterans over and over.

 

How long has Gregggg been manager?

He's had plennnnnnnty of time to develop depth on the team. Who's fault is it that he had a roster where he was forced to play two guys that have zero creativity in a position that demands it?

Greggg gave the Gold Cup minutes to Busio. Then, he's not going to trust him in a WCQ, to the extent that he plays guys that can't play the position? That's Gregg's fault. LDLT wanted to play in the GC. Greggg said no. Whose fault is that?

 

Oh, duh. Divide both sides by one of the coefficients. Thank you.

Ya, that's pretty observant. I don't know how smart I was, but ya, lot's of right answers with skipped steps.

 

I would have thought that 2017 was such a bad look for the league that this would have ended. Since it hasn't, i think it is fair for people to as brutally honest and open about how bad most of the MLS players have been and how much of a negative impact they have had on the usmnt.

A lot of fans are very angry about this (and assume at least some players as well). I know I talk much more about how MLS has negatively impacted the usmnt over the last 5+ years than the improvements they have made in developing young players. My view of the league will always include the history of all the bad decision, missteps, poor treatment of players and especially the interference with the USMNT.

 

How is he supposed to develop depth (or continuity with a first choice 11) when those players aren't even professionals yet? It all has to happen over time, and that's the reality of relying on a pool that's as young as ours.

 

I don't see how MLS can be blamed for Tim Howard getting old/hurt or Liga Mx's Omar Gonzalez. If you want to blame MLS for Arena, then no objection.

 

Liga MX Omar Gonzalez was heading back to MLS (and the USMNT for some reason). So was Villafana. Nagbe was right in the middle of the disaster. Players weren't included because "we have players who play that position in MLS".

 

My point is, the logic at the heart of this theory -- that MLS at large or individual clubs gain lots of capital from association with the NT in 2021 -- is what's flawed to begin with. Particularly the fixation on qualifying rosters is something I'm not convinced anybody that's a would-be stakeholder in MLS really cares that much about. More broadly, the MLS "perception problem" is a projection from a small but vocal segment of the USMNT fanbase who just hate MLS regardless; all evidence points to MLS' growing relevance in regional and global soccer despite them, a trend that is probably not dependent at all on the make-up of the USMNT roster. Given the USMNT did not even play in a WC at all and this did not seriously blunt MLS' growth, why does anyone think anybody cares about rosters for qualifying, which is even less relevant?

Conspiracy theories are usually projections of the belief and ego of the theorist. It's a way of bridging their desired reality with actual reality. In this case, the projection is that MLS is somehow leeching off the "success" of the USMNT, dragging the latter down in the process. The idea that these USMNT fans represent the majority of stakeholders (or the "broader" fanbase) or that enticing them to like MLS is a chief concern of Don Garber is also a bit of an egotistical projection. It's really something that, again, a small but vocal segment of the USMNT fan base cares about, which is why pinning the last WCQ failure on Arena and Omar Gonzales or whatever keeps coming up.

But that's the exact point thing -- nobody cares, which is why it's a dumb theory. Like, let's just say for sake of argument MLS caused the USMNT to fail to qualify in 2018. The literal worst case scenario for MLS, right? The league is literally better off in every way from that moment. It didn't hurt MLS at all. Zlatan and Carlos Vela didn't look at the league and go "wait, wait -- you started Omar Gonzales in a must-win qualifier. No way I'm signing here." Bayern's not looking at Ricardo Pepi going "We want to sign him, but there aren't enough players from this league in the NT". Because that's dumb, and nobody who really makes decisions in this sport obsesses over such things.

 

What players aren't even professional yet?

 

It was actually LDLT who said no to the Gold Cup. He thought it was more important to go to preseason with his club.

 

I thought that was Green. Or was that another time.

 

It was reported that Green wanted to go and the club asked Berhalter if they could keep him for preseason. Berhalter did not have to but he let them.

 

Ok, doesn't change the overall point. Gregggg has had 3 years to develop depth. And, he ended up playing 2 guys with no creativity, as 8's, together. Whose fault is that?

 

I mean almost all the potential options weren’t options till the last year or so.

LDLT started playing regularly last year, Musah only committed last year, and Busio also only started establishing himself in the last year.

He called up Pomykal in 2019 but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Green is more of a winger in his system (and it’s where he was listed when called up and on the Gold Cup preliminary roster).

I’m just not sure who else he should have been calling up. He’s basically been calling guys up as soon as they establish themselves.

 

Green's skillset should have him playing centrally. Did anyone ever solve the mystery of Duane Holmes? He was one of very few who looked good against Jamaica in 2019, got selected for the GC but had to withdraw due to injury, and has never been called up again. Since then, Berhalter has gone back to Yeuill, Lletget, Roldan, and Acosta after having been dropped. Why not give another shot to a player that actually impressed the one time he was in camp?

 

How is this thread news and analysis?

 

It was news to me that USMNT Instagram top three players being pushed are guys who don't belong in the USMNT. I for one, would love to get the straightener why we continue to see such poor player selection. If it is just Berhalter, then he should be fired. I dont know what the other reasons would be so cant tell you what I think the solution is.

The analysis is all over the place. Id guess that is because folks are so perplexed by the news. There a are tons of opinions, conjecture, etc thrown is as well.... just like most threads in N&A.

 

A big part of our player pool have only become established professionals relatively recently. Pepi, Konrad, Richards, Hoppe, Dike, Scally, Musah, etc. Meanwhile, guys like both Robinsons, Aaronson, Busio, Bello, etc. were very young professionals and playing at levels that made them questionable at the international level.

The fact that our roster is the youngest in the world is a huge deal. That youth presents big challenges currently -- much more so if you go back a year or two.

 

Wait, so part of your beef is that Julian Green and Duane Holmes aren't getting opportunities?? Want to throw Kenny Saief in there, too? Were you mad about Alfredo Morales?

 

It cracks me up that it's an "alert."

 

Gregg is not very good with the "managing" part.

 

I can see how ignoring the realities of the player pool can lead you to create conspiracy theories and reach whack conclusions.

 

My recollection of this was that he called in Pomykal and didn't really play him. Put him in with 5 minutes left in a friendly and stuck him on the wing. Then didn't Paxton kinda mouth off to the press a tiny bit, something about there were players that were in camp that shouldn't be, I could be wrong about that though?? In any event, I don't get the feeling Gregg rated him too much.

It will be interesting to see if Polmykal gets another look going forward. The player pool seems to be dictating to Gregg that he has to move on from his 8's that don't really press the issue from an attacking perspective, so it will be interesting to see if he brings Paxton back in at some point. Seems to me he would be a good fit with the team and should at least get another look.