Folarin Balogun’s one-time switch to USA approved

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by Dr. Gamera, May 16, 2023.

  1. RossD

    RossD Member+

    Aug 17, 2013
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    I don't think Flo is going to turn us into a top 5 team but I do think he can have a massive, outsized impact. With as low scoring as soccer is, a capable 9 has way more impact than an "all world" defender or midfielder. I think we have very good, though not great, players at the other spots. The weak spot has been the 9. So getting someone in there who simply is "good at their job" will make everyone else better and take a lot of the load off Pulisic, Weah, and the other guys we've needed to score because the 9 was a black hole.
    It of course will raise the bar for the other guys like Pepi and Sargent to get better and push themselves.
     
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  2. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    If nothing else, he lets us test out the theory that this is a really good team only lacking a 9. If we throw him out there and after some getting to know each other still struggle to score goals or otherwise be a more dangerous team, we can start to look at what else we need to improve. It's been said over and over that if we only had a 9 we'd be a much better team. Now we have a pretty good one, let's see what it gets us.
     
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  3. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  4. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Who is Cesar Romero?
     
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  5. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    That joker will never make a starting XI
     
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  6. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That chart does give England a reason to doubt how good players in lesser leagues will do in the PL. Pefok gives the Bundesiga similar skepticism.
     
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  7. Ray Shoesmith

    Ray Shoesmith Member+

    Valencia
    United States
    Nov 14, 2021
    He is just another piece. I think he will be a good one for us. It makes us better but does little at the highest ends of the spectrum.
     
  8. Ray Shoesmith

    Ray Shoesmith Member+

    Valencia
    United States
    Nov 14, 2021
    Seen metrics that has the Bliga dropping rapidly. Serie A has probably overtaken them already with all the new investment. At least that makes our players even more desirable for them (Bliga) in a lot of ways.

    The EPL monster is interesting. I‘m not sure what will happen next. A couple more super billionaires/state owned teams and who knows what the continental knock on effect/shift in thought might be.
     
  9. Bob Morocco

    Bob Morocco Member+

    Aug 11, 2003
    Billings, MT
    What metrics?

    Lots of talk of a UEFA spending ceiling in addition to a revenue based limit.
     
  10. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
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  11. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    More assists for the wing players for sure.
     
  12. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
  13. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When MB90 set the record the list looked like this:

    1. 2007-08 Michael Bradley 19 Heerenveen
    2. 1990-91 Earnie Stewart 18 Willem II
    3. 2007 Charlie Davies 15 Hammarby
    4. 2006-07 Brian McBride 12 Fulham
    5. 1992-93 Eric Wynalda 12 Saarbrucken
    6. 2005-06 Brian McBride 11 Fulham
    7. 2001-02 Earnie Stewart 10 Breda
     
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  14. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    Maybe so, but the guys who performed at the higher levels had very good World Cups and could be better in the next one: Pulisic, Weah, Dest, Adams, McKennie, and Robinson. If Reyna can get his head on straight and guys like Zendejas, Musah, etc, continue to improve you’re looking like a pretty strong set of players who can do some damage and have already been through high level learning experiences.

    Where the home turf provided a major advantage for our 1994 group, who were very serious about proving the US could perform and who parlayed the advantage into their performance, it’s tough to say how it effects this group. American culture is very different now.
     
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  15. NietzscheIsDead

    NietzscheIsDead Member+

    NO WAR
    United States
    May 31, 2019
    NO WAR
    …as an 8/6. Trailblazer.

    Dude is criminally under appreciated.
     
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  16. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #366 xbhaskarx, Jun 3, 2023
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2023




     
  17. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    Anyone remember about how many of those xGs he didn't convert were saved vs off target?
     
  18. Bob Morocco

    Bob Morocco Member+

    Aug 11, 2003
    Billings, MT
    He had 23.6 xGOT
     
  19. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Coming right before Ivan Toney getting an 8 month suspension and now Tammy Abraham doing his ACL, Balogun’s one time switch was perfectly timed…

     
  20. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Probably.

    Our attack had three primary issues, IMO. We wouldn't spring a counter attack until our team found its shape (clearly a managerial preference of Berhalter), we didn't get the ball to the 9 often enough except from the wings, and we when we did, they rarely finished.
     
  21. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    Likely and hopefully. But, we will have to figure out how to help him get chances. I didn't think we so much struggled with strikers getting chances from the wings and missing them. We seldom got our strikers chances. Hopefully, we can figure out how to get Balogun the ball in scoring positions more than we have with our other strikers. I think his running and getting into open positions will make that part easier, but guys will still need to deliver those balls to him in good spots.
     
  22. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  23. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
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  24. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here's the 2/2. Everyone, please take note he's signed his message Balo. Perhaps that's what we should call him?

     
  25. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Winoman repped this.

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