bsky you said "Berhalter called in 28 players for the first window of the year that only included 1 LB." So maybe something got lost in the translation here. Ok so you were responding to another post but sure looks to me like you said what you said.
Is this your first World Cup? Be honest. With a 26 man roster, Gregg is going to bring 3 GKs and 2 players at each field position. That totals 23. He can get cute with the other 3 players. It's called risk management.
I think you and bsky may be talking past each other. You are both correct, its a bit of interpretation. Berhalter clearly sees Dest as an option at LB. So does that mean when he only calls in Jedi that he has only called in ne LB when he has called in Dest? Or do you only consider a callup a "true" LB however you define that. Scally has a total of 7 appearances at LB in his pro career yet he has 20 as a RB. So if Scally is called in his he a "LB" or is he another "RB". In fact Dest has more LB appearances than Scally. The point being that just because a Scally or Vines isn't called in does not mean he has only called in one "LB". Shoot Acosta has 11 appearances at LB including 5 for the USMNT albeit its been awhile. There is always more to the story than a simple looking a list of players and making concrete claims.
There's usually 2 players or so who are injured for any WC and unable to play. The chances are equal for any one position. (Both Altidore and Johansson were out for 2014 finals). Ergo our starting RB and LB could both be the ones who are out. Heck, it could be both Acosta and Adams. The moral of the story is: Think 3 deep at each position.
It is interesting, with there being no break between the pause in club play and the wc, I suspect there will be more injuries than usual. Imagine being the guy who picks up a 2-3 week injury on the last game and gets bumped from your country’s roster. In summer world cups, guys have a good 4-6 weeks between the end of club season and the World Cup. Berhalter has to be ready to make some very tough last minute decisions. once we get to the World Cup, though, I don’t think we need to worry too much about depth. I’m hoping we play at least 4, and possibly 5, but more than that would be a huge surprise. If we are down to our third string player at almost any position that quickly, then I kind of feel like it wasn’t meant to be. We aren’t beating Argentina or whoever in the knockout rounds with Acosta at right back.
We can agree that if we don't have both Jedi and Dest, we are in a bit of trouble. Scally plays RB at MGB, so naturally, he's a candidate for RB. But we have Yedlin there as backup, so Scally becomes an option at LB. Dest at RB is a weapon, and I believe you keep your weapons. The way he can cut in from right and shoot with his left foot makes him a threat on goal. I don't think he is quite the same threat on the left. So if Dest is available, you play him at RB. If Jedi is not available, then we drop down a level. Clearly, Berhalter thinks about using Scally as a backup LB. If you play Dest at LB and someone else on at RB, then I think you have no weapons down the flank. Yedlin is a bit past it to be a weapon. And Scally is not there yet. At a WC, I don't believe you fk about and just throw players around from side to side. You have to give them consistency at a position in both training and in game. If you don't do that, you are asking for trouble. That's why I believe in having a ranking of players at each position and preparing that way. If we all thought exactly the same, there wouldn't be much point to the message board.
Dest is a very good left back. The overarching principle should be to choose the 11 from available players that give you the best chance of getting a result. There will be circumstances where Dest at left back will be the correct call.
I think Dest is out best right back, 2nd best left back, and could also be pretty high up on our right wing depth chart too. Remember that stretch where he played higher up the field at Barcelona? As far as Scally goes....................if he makes the roster it'll be one of the final slots as RB/LB depth. Not outside the realm of possibility. I know he faded in the 2nd half of last season, but that doesn't diminish the ability he showed in the first half. Folks can remember other cases of young players that faded in the 2nd half of their first Euro seasons. Reyna and Musah for instance. Its a grind. This board went from demanding Scally play in WCQers after 10 first team appearances, to now seemingly discounting him for the WC squad. There's a happy medium in which Scally makes this roster as depth.
gotta have more street smarts. This is the big dance and players want to look their best. Sure you could get some clod who doesn't care but that guy isn't going to do us much good no matter where he plays.
If you asked soccer fans who the vainest man on earth is, I'm sure the answer 9 times out of 10 would be Ronaldo.
Ugly guys either don't play sports or they play basketball for Pat Riley. He used inferiority complexes for motivation.
He sure is. It sure is. Yes, if both Jedi and Scally are unavailable (injuries, cards, fatigue), then you are forced to play Dest at LB. He mostly plays on the right side for Barcelona. He's right-footed, but his left foot is good, too. If you play in a wide position, you generally want your stronger foot on the outside, as that will be the direction you will go most often (down the sideline). You should play players on the side of the pitch that they are most comfortable and in the position where they have gotten the most reps. Repetition is the key to success in most endeavors (thank you, Malcolm Gladwell). If you play a player at a position that he is not used to playing, then he may hesitate or overthink. This is where "oh chit" moments come from. So now you might be thinking, "Doesn't this apply to Scally, as well?" It sure does! He plays RB (mostly) at BMG. The key difference is that Scally will be a substitute who may not play a single minute in the World Cup. Secondly, in the September window and in training at the WC, you should play Scally exclusively at LB to get him used to playing that position. You don't do that for Dest, because he is the presumptive starter at RB. Scally played LB in the Uruguay friendly, so Berhalter has already started this process. Sam Vines is obviously also an option. It seems also possible that Berhalter could go to a 3-5-2 or some variation (3-4-1-2) against England, for example. https://www.footballcritic.com/sergino-dest/player-positions/213445 Every night before bed I recite Psalm 23.5: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Qatar, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy Jedi and thy Dest they comfort me.
I mentioned later in the post that Berhalter might try a 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 in some game(s). I'm saying if you play 4 at the back and Jedi and Scally (or whomever) are unavailable, then it makes sense to play Dest at LB. I will also repeat that the WC is not a place to fk about with players and positions. Everything should be well rehearsed.
Especially this one. One week of prep right before the games is nothing. There's a good chance it's going to be a very choppy World Cup with everyone trying to minimize mistakes even more than they normally do.
Yes, that's why the September window is as much about World Cup prep as it is about making the final selections.
I think that depends a ton on whether or not someone normally thought of as a LB earns a callup. Bello (merely as an example). You only have 4 halves of time. Jedi has to be out there for a minimum of 2 and probably closer to 3 of those halves. So you likely have a few minutes one match and perhaps one half. That would have to go to the guy you brought in to try at LB.
It might. Would have to hope we don't make our own though and being so young that could be a problem.
He wasn't in the summer window and has catch up to do at rb, imo. I'd play him at rb for a full 180, or close thereto, to get him caught up. Don't see how it makes sense to practice what we are less likely to do over what we know we want to do.
So what excuse will Gregg come up with when he calls up both Yedin and Cannon over Scally? Joe Scally vs Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/idcpOPiYoD— Kranks (@dis_possessed) September 28, 2022