Another plus for Vazquez is he has his history with some of the players. He has played in youth teams with Pulisic, Mckennie, Adams, De La Torre. So, he won't be a stranger to some of our core players.
I think Ferriera has pretty much a locked in a spot with no real worry about his club form since he's in MLS where we know he can keep humming along nicely. As long as he stays healthy, he's going. But, after that everyone is pretty much a question mark up top. Pepi will need to get on the field now and then or he could be in danger of losing his place. Dike's injuries keep happening at horrible times for him to get a shot. PeFok looks a god bet if he keeps things up and I actually rate him higher for a bigger striker option than Dike anyway. I'll be surprised if he's not in the squad although I don't think his chances of starting many games are high. Sargent isn't looking like he's likely to regain his scoring mojo even a level down. Hoppe still hasn't played in a long time, maybe his move will help but nothing but question marks there and the clock is ticking. Who else is there really? Zardes? Eboisse? Hard to see either of them as having a stronger case than Vasquez. Playing Weah up top, which we've had plenty of time to see and never have, seriously doubt that's likely at all. Playing someone else as a false 9 or changing the setup? Not likely at this point in time. At this point, I'll be pretty shocked if Vasquez isn't in camp and surprised if he doesn't get significant minutes in the last pair of friendlies. It's pretty much the perfect opening.
If Dike is hurt, it certainly feels like it is Pefok, Pepi and Vazquez for a maximum of two spots. And if Pepi doesn't get any playing time...
Only other wild card I can think of is Balogun if he commits but really I kind of feel like he would have been better off switching before now if he was a serious option.
WC roster is 26. Many believe we will be taking 3 CFs. One spot is probably locked for Ferreira. The other 2 are up for grabs.
I think the current pecking order goes Locks 1. Ferriera Currently on the plane 2. Pepi 3. Pefok Coming on strong 4. Vazquez Injured 5. Dike Work to do 6. Wright 7. Zardes 8. Sargent Seems out of the picture 8. Hoppe 9. Ebobisse Not till next cycle 10. Balogun
I think the names and order is pretty spot on. But I would have it condensed more like this: Locks: Ferreira Currently on the plane: Pefok Pepi Coming on Strong: Vazquez Work to do: Dike (get back from injury quick or he's done) Out of the Picture: All the rest
Is that your opinion, or your perception of Gregg's? Because I don't think he rates Pefok as high as you. He didn't play him in the final two games of qualifying, after he bombed v. Mexico. And then he wasn't brought to June friendlies. Berhalter has held a grudge when players have laid an egg in a big game. Lletget & McKenzie didn't play after Panama. Sargent & Brooks didn't post the first half in Honduras. I tend to think Pefok's in this boat. He could shovel some water out with a strong league performance, but he's still going to be taking some on until he gains the nat'l team boss' trust.
While I don't agree with the grudge thought time will tell. But as for Pefok he has2 goals in 2 matches in B1. Pretty good start.
I don't know the veracity of that report. Of course there's been all sorts of excuses as to why Brooks has been excluded. Regardless, benching him for the last two matches of WCQ'ing, after his calamity, is telling.
If Pefok is not currently on the plane, who do you think is in his place? Or are we only bringing two? I think Berhalter will value his scoring if he continues, and I think there's been some differences in effort level perception with some of the comparable players that I don't think Pefok has. But yes, his fit isn't great, so he's definitely at risk if he's on the current plane. I don't think the Mexico miss has much to do with it; I think the mobility/defense does.
Yes. Nat'l team is the proving ground. And there, Pepi has been the best performer at the position. That buys a lot of good will.
I think 3 are taken, but only 2 are probables on the plane, while the 3rd spot is totally up in the air. Pefok shouldn't be considered a favorite because of his na'tl team performances & lack of fit that you mentioned. I don't think Berhalter is going to so heavily value goal-getters. He mentioned physical tools. Pefok is tricky in that regard, because he's big, but that's about it. Vazquez might get the next shot. But he's a blank slate. So I wouldn't make him the favorite either. Maybe Dike gets back healthy and then he's right in the mix. Same thing if Hoppe can get off to a good start at Boro. He's actually not been bad for the NT.
Wasn't a report, it was a direct quote from Berhalter (though it doesn't mean Pefok would have been called up if healthy -- it just means that Pefok was called up to the last camp he was healthy for). Gregg may give unsatisfactory answers about what he doesn't like about Brooks' game, but I've seen no evidence that he's ever lied about a player's injury to justify excluding them from a roster.
My own opinion as to where things currently stand in the pecking order, but as others have pointed out Pefok was injured in June and he’s playing fairly well at current compared to other options.
I think if the plane left today he would be. But if that continues and Vazquez comes to September camp and shows well than Pepi’s spot will definitely be in jeopardy.
My sense is that Pepi doesnt make it unless Ferreira is not available. Reason: Pepi has the kind of link up play and pressing that Ferreira provides so might be a good double for Ferreira. But if Ferreira is available, the question is who is 3rd after Ferreira and Pefok (the latter based on him continuing to do what he is doing for Union Berlin in BL). At that stage it seems more likely Vazquez goes over Pepi if Pepi has not improved over last year. It's hard to see how Berhlater divides the p.t. in Sep camp if Ferreira, Pefok, Pepi and Vazquez are all in camp. Thfore, it is possible he limits himself to 3 cf's and goes Ferreira, Pefok, Vazquez. I'd bring Pepi in, just in case, even if he doesn't get p.t. in Sep v. Japan and SArabia. Somebody in front of him might take a knock and Pepi knows the system in any case.
Berhalter actually liked Pefok a lot. There's always a question of how a candidate is best developed: 1) by coming into camp and playing with the national team or 2) going back to club with the instruction to keep competing at club and get to the next level. As much as Berhlater liked Pefok, you can't bring in a 9 who compromises what the team needs to get done in terms of work developing all xi players. Ferreira presses gets back on defense, clears space for the other players, etc. That develops the whole team, not just one #9. Now that Pefok has developed to the point of starting for a BL team and scoring a nice goal in his debut, we can use him economically.
Gregg reporting to the public is indeed a report. You don't have to lie. You can just embellish to manufacture an excuse to not bring a guy you just don't rate. Just tell a guy to nurse a minor injury. You're always going to have them by the end of a season. As the saying goes, nobody's 100%. But he didn't play the last couple of games for BSCYB's, so maybe he couldn't go, or not. Either way, it still goes back to the point that Pefok didn't play the last two qualifiers, so he'd be on a similar path out of the rotation as so many before who bombed key matches, like the aforementioned.
Do you want Gregg to give a full scouting report on how bad Brooks is so he makes sure Brooks never gets paid again? Would that be "satisfactory"?