Home against El Salvador in January had 10 of 11. Reyna didn’t play, and he’s never played striker for us. I’m not sure he’s played on the same field as Weah as they might have been subbed for each other at points.
Dest and Weah were teammates on the U17 and U20 squads that made quarterfinal runs in ‘17 and ‘19. They don’t have an ideal number of senior level caps together but they’ve been playing and practicing together at various levels going back to at least 2016 or 2017 so there is comfort there especially considering both played key roles on those two youth teams especially the U20 team that beat France and Nigeria and should have tied the eventual tournament winner.
Decided to check, and it looks like their first appearance together (Dest and Weah) was at exactly the same time, lol, the 71st minute of a 5-1 demolition of Turkey in December 2016 (Nike Friendlies I guess?), Weah actually scored the 5th, 15 minutes after coming on. So yep, they've basically been teammates going back 5 and a half years. Dest missed U17 qualifying while Weah played in it, but 2 years later, it was Dest who played in qualifying and Weah who missed it, but come U20 WC in '19, Weah started all 5, and Dest started 4 of 5. So they definitely have a good chunk of reps together as teenagers. I'm more worried about the CB pairing since Miles went down, and avoiding Steffen in goal, in terms of the XI then really any other issue by far other than health. I definitely think the CB pairing should be Richards-Zimmerman, but they have a miniscule amount of reps and that's a huge problem especially considering Richards wasn't able to make a go of it in June when he could have gotten a couple of starts together with Zim. It is what it is unfortunately, this has been a team that's been riddled with injuries non-stop since Adams went down with the bad hammy several years ago, we're do for some luck.
It's so important to note stuff like this. Some of these things were forseeable. Circa 2018 there were clear guys that were already relevant to some extent to the senior team: Pulisic McKennie Adams Steffen Some guys were speculative like Weah, but with reasonable expectation that he would climb into relevance, others like Reyna seemed further away but if you turn back the clock a little bit more all the way back to 2017, then there is a giant pile of guys none of us had any idea about (or only a slight one). Jedi at LB Dest at RB (played sparingly at the U17 WC right after couva) Turner: just a year removed from playing at tiny Fairfield, where odds would have been 100,000-1 that he'd be USMNT relevant. Musah: Key starter with Englands U17 team after their triumph at the '17 U17 (and U20 for that matter) World Cup. B. Aaronson: Just another youth development player who couldn't even make the rosters for the U17 or U20 world cup teams in '17 or '19. Pepi: two years away from wrestling the starting gig for the U17's from AOC. Ferreira: two years removed from an injury riddled '19-'20 that derailed much of what he was trying to accomplish, largely irrelevant. It's not an exact science at all. I remain completely flabbergasted at where Sargent was in 2017 and where he is now. A reminder for the billionth time that choosing the right team really, really, matters for your development. He may not have made it anyway, but his stock was over the moon in terms of teams looking to sign him four years ago, not so much now. It will be very interesting to see what players come through the U17/U20 programs and their clubs over the next 2 years in the run up to the Olympics, possible Copa America, and the WC. Sounds like the crop of prospects with the '04's and '05's was pretty light but that things look better with '06's and '07's in no small part due to the covid shut down in 2020-2021 really harming development for guys in those prime early-mid teen years. Need to do some researching to figure out just which classes were the down ones, I can't remember, but it was very specific. Okay, found the discussion of it, it's on the Scuffed Podcast circa November 5th, 2021.
As referenced earlier in that twitter thread, we can have this team (hopefully healthy), or we can turn back the clock and look at a team radically inferior that was the likely team four years ago. The negatives of this team are simple enough: lack of reps and familiarity, and almost unparalleled youth means mistakes will happen and results will probably be volatile, kind of like qualifying. The positives are this team is infinitely more talented than the team that seemed likely a few years ago, and that what has become most important in the evolution of the international game in recent years: Fitness, physicality, pressing, athleticism, is on this team in spades, and w/its youth, our teams will generally be far more capable of handling 90 minutes of madness possibilities in 2022 and 2026 than a great many of our opponents and competition. Hopefully they're up for it, and healthy when the WC window opens four months from now, but there aren't many teams better built to handle the physical demands of Qatar '22 than ours, so that's a huge plus, the negative as always, is that lack of reps. We need to come out like we did in '02, like a house on fire, and just demolish Wales, and shock England, I think we can do both, before being smart and clinical against a potentially good Iran team. It will be interesting. 2026 is even more interesting: what will we do for competition? Thanks to our mostly backups curb stomping the region in U20/U23 World Championships last month we've got the Olympics in '24 as training for the youngest of our kiddo's, how will we play the Copa America tournament? Will we join it? I'm praying we will, the Olympics will interfere in those efforts, maybe Copa America is pure senior team and Olympics is pure U23's that aren't yet key players on the senior team? We'll see, but the Copa America will be basically the best training possible for our WC host duties two years later, I pray we do it, and don't prioritize, say some Nations League Horse ---- over it. Copa America+Olympics that Summer can paper over a lot of the loss of qualifying in 2025.
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'll take getting our top players on the field over a bunch of backups who have had time together. But, ideally you want a team to have both and this one doesn't. And with a shortened pre-Cup camp its not likely to change between now and Qatar, there are very few chances to get them working together. For me, this is why the remaining games should be pretty exclusively focused on getting the top team together and letting them work together. Maybe a striker or left back gets a shot in the remaining games, but I tend to think the biggest thing the team lacks is game time together and would consider getting them additional time together should be the top priority at this point. We've had 4 years to look at options.
This is why I cringe when I see guys saying we need to bring in so and so or joe an schmoe and more like at least 30 players into this last camp. There just isn't time to really vet any new guys. Short of somebody coming out over the next 2 months and setting the world on fire this camp MUST be to take what are the top 27 or 28 and work the crap out of them and get some solid first team minutes in the two friendlies. Not ideal but it is what it is. We are out of time. And before anybody turns this into another well Berhalter's had many months. Blah blah blah. This roster has turned over a bunch. Slow? Maybe but you could also say methodical. This is the time to wrap it up into a nice neat package. Sure there is room and time for one or two guys to get another look (Pepi, Sargent, Brooks, Scally) but that's about it.
1549382429735018496 is not a valid tweet id I'd have Valencia or Leeds in there over Juve but that's me.
Referring to players by their clubs (or making graphics with club crests substituted for players as that account did) is just about the only thing weirder than not recognizing that McKennie is undoubtedly a top five USMNT player currently...
yeah, but what if the best sports franchises in america were mls clubs? los angeles lakers in goal...
I think that when people criticize player selection, it has to do with whether players need to play well with their club in order to be selected. I think this last interview Greg gave was the most honest one yet, when he referred to players “who understand what we’re trying to do” or something to that effect. All the past references to being “in form,” or having this or that skill, were misleading or confusing because those aren’t really the driving factors here. He wants the guys he trusts to execute the dominant system, and that is the deciding factor — right down to the last roster spot. Guys like Cannon and Yedlin don’t have to be playing well to be selected because he trusts them to understand and follow all the instructions. He has devised what he believes is a plan to maximize the probability of a best outcome, and he wants to see that plan executed as well as possible. Lots of coaches are system coaches (especially right now), so it’s not all that odd. System coaches don’t see a lot of value in players who “make plays” or “create a bit of magic.” That idea seems too ephemeral and unmeasurable to them. Dependability is the primary value. Nor is tactical flexibility particularly highly rated. And why should it be if we believe we are the system maximizes the probability of success.
Listing by club selection is fine to show the level of professional attainment of the players. I prefer Brandon Vazquez over Ferreira. Vazquez is a true striker who is also an elite presser. He'd be more likely to get onto the end of chances Ferreira has been failing to convert for the US.
---------------------------Weah--------------------------- Pulisic------------------------------------------Aaronson ---------------------------------Reyna------------------- -----------------McKennie------------------------------ ---------------------------Adams------------------------- Robinson------Richards--------Thor----------Dest -------------------------------?---------------------------
With our apparent ability to advance the ball through the midfield to the attackers (Yunus, Aaronson, LDLT), I cannot see why a front three that puts Reyna centrally behind Pulisic & Weah is anything but the obvious choice. Is a pressing CF soooooo crucial?
i dont think thats at all the case, or at least it wasnt thought qualifying. 2 things improved our offense- jedi finally being used in the second window and then weah in the third. musah has obviously been on an upward trajectory (mirrored by luca behind him) in terms of physically advancing our position on the pitch in central positions but it rarely results in anything (due to their not being especially deadly final third players and our absolute lack of a st). aaronson (and presumably reyna) used centrally add a much more (secondary) attacking ability (creating actual chances) but again- no st so ultimatly its one of the surrounding 5 players that have to finish plays as well as create them. so while weve improved in that area, and (much more recently) with the use of actual attacking mids central its a fair assumption we are moving towards that to say it is now- much less has been- simply doesnt match the reality. jedi and weah wouldnt have had such outsized impact if that were the case.
Agreed. My bolded observation was based entirely on more recent play of those players, plus LDLT’s play during qualifying.
That's a hard one for us to know. I'll guess the theory is that the pressing masks what is not a great defense and helps contain the ball in the other teams half. Scoring is supposed to happen after forced turnovers. The usage of Reyna in midfield or as a #10 in a 4-4-2 diamond or 4-2-3-1 would help offensively but just have to guess at what cost defensively. I'm hoping that after a lot of film study the coaching staff will assemble a lineup and formation for each opponent that mixes it up. There are more than eleven starting candidates and keeping players fresh is a good idea as was shown in the U20/U23 qualifying. So the total defensive pressing machine may not be needed against Wales or Iran.
Yup, the big question about getting Reyna into the midfield is who does he replace or do we change the formation? We stick with three midfielders and we consider Reyna a midfielder, we have to sit one of Reyna, McKennie, Musah or Adams. And that's not even mentioning Aaronson who looks to be pretty key to the midfield at Leeds. I think there is a decent chance that if Musah plays a central midfield role this season, a pretty serious battle for playing time could develop between Musah and Adams with Adams being the better defensive option and Musah being better at moving the ball. For me, if he's healthy and ready to play, Reyna is the most talented and best attacking passer of the bunch so I want him in there with Aaronson the obvious next choice. McKennie is the most versatile two way guy and adds a lot to our attack. Then you need someone to play deeper and centrally. That's always been Adams, but if playing Adams means Musah sits, that may not always be the best decision. I don't think it's crazy to say we may be best served moving away from three in midfield but I don't know if US soccer has any interest in playing anything but 433 for some reason. The home stretch and getting to this team's final form is going to be interesting for sure. I'm honestly undecided if moving to a different formation makes sense timing wise with only a couple games left, but personnel wise it looks a lot more interesting to me. A 4231 setup would allow for Pulisic..Reyna..McKennie .......Musah..Adams Pulisic already tends to come deep anyway and clears out for Jedi a bit, McKennie plays wide effectively a lot at Juve and could slide centrally as Dest comes up the right wing as needed. You'd only really want one of the fullbacks coming forward at once. Reyna is the best passer and all around attacker of the bunch and you get to play both Adams and Musah behind. The biggest issue for this to me is we still lack a 9, but that's no different than sticking with plan A. Then, I do hate to leave out Weah, who has been mostly excellent through a lot of qualifying but I can't see how you sit anyone in that 5 to get him on the field, unless you try him at the 9 although I feel lie if this was a possibility we'd have seen it by now with all the struggling to pick a 9. We'd be less reliant on playing direct down the wing, which fits our personnel anyway. But our pressing would sit a bit deeper since the biggest pressers would be in the second line and have guys in front of them so not everything is rosy. But, the lack of even trying these sorts of alternate options is why I think just mindlessly sticking with 433 regardless of the personnel is less than ideal and is a self-imposed limiting of what this team could do with more freedom to move the pieces around.
Personally would keep MMA (too solid) and then play Aaronson-CP- and Weah/Reyna. I think our players have progressed to where we don’t need CP deeper and on the ball as much. Weah - meh, would be much worse as a 9. Reyna - too late to experiment. but recent Greg comments seem to indicate he wants a focal point badgering the CBs. Lots of options for 3 different opponents.
That formation makes it really easy on the defense in terms of width unless you are really pressing your fullbacks up on both sides. In which case, it is pretty crowded. We're going to be trying to cram the ball into a really small space when we're in possession. It would be pretty good defensively, but I'm not sure McKennie is going to be better than Weah in offensive transition, either. I think as a change of pace, McKennie flying through the air their might be interesting if we're just lobbing balls into the box, but it seems limited in terms of how you'd attack the box.
I don't know what you are saying here. This seems to say you are happy with our ball progression with existing players in the midfield. I can't tell if Aaronson is supposed to be a Reyna proxy or you are saying we don't need him there.... Here you are saying Reyna should be definitively in the midfield... And this only seems relevant if you are playing Reyna as a false 9, not in the midfield. So ... ?
So here's some treats for those who love offensive midfields- Musah at the 6 with Reyna and Aaronson at the 8/10's. Could be beaten defensively but could be the ball never leaves the opponents side as we just kill them with skill. Would be fun to try in a friendly but too late for this cycle.
We also need to have some difference makers on the bench. Think this board would have a meltdown if the only offensive sub available was Ariola or Roldan.