It’s a tough trip to Guadalajara and then back overseas. After seeing USSF cut 30 jobs last week, it makes you wonder how much they are willing to send guys home who they don’t plan on playing just to save some cash.
Those job cuts were part of a reorganization as the USSF is moving from Chicago to Atlanta. Not all staff is relocating. Its been known for a while. I don't think the cost really is part of the reasoning here. Its more of an acknowledgement that if guys aren't going to play, then there's no point sending them on the trip to Mexico. Just let them return to their clubs.
I think this is a great call by Poch. Pulisic did look tired against Panama .... Pepi scored and now he can get back to Eindhoven to try and get in the lineup (Dejong is not getting any younger) ... the one that has me scratching my head is why he did not even sub Wes in for the second half against Panama .... maybe he just wanted to see Wes in training - but that is a heck of a flight just to go through the training sessions ... maybe Poch has already talked with Motta and plans to fly there to watch and talk more with Wes?
We apparently has a minor injury. I guess all of the guys being sent home do. Just minor things and a precaution.. But Poch wants to send the guys back to the clubs in good shape. We're going to see a lot of this during the cycle. We see it all the time with the bigger European teams for friendlies. Not risking the health of the players for these things. Anybody with any little issue isn't risked.
I wonder what his minor injury actually is - don't remember hearing anything in the news from Juve ... the good part of this is that I imagine this is just about the worst total injury situation the USMNT has been in in a long time .... kind of like bottom of the barrel right now ... over the next 9 months should steadily get better .... Poch will probably spend alot of time on the road observing the players with their clubs.
doubt it, it will probably be a boring stalemate but I won't be surprised if Mexico loses at this point. The Valencia game from a fans standpoint was disappointing but analytically Vasco and team tried different formations and finally moving away from the 4-3-3 this team has been used to playing. I know there is a lot of emotional reactions from Mexican media but they won't talk about this info, just more drama that sells.
Where was the Valencia game played? I couldn't tell what stadium it was. Mexico getting ole'd in Mexico was a little surprising given that they were up 2-1 at the time, but it is becoming not so uncommon.
Thanks. It was probably around the 72nd minute. I only watched for about 15, but it was clear during one Valencia possession before they tied it.
I heard somebody say we beat Mexico in Mexico once but I'm not sure when that was. Do you know? What I'm not looking forward to is Mexico realizing that USA up 1 goal on them in the 75th minute means it's time to admit failure and start singing dirty songs that stop the game.
Some background on Aguirre who is Mexico's current manager Can Pochettino, Aguirre breathe new life into USMNT-Mexico? (msn.com) Aguirre's secret to success stems from coming in and emphasizing order to struggling sides, solidifying the defense and working from there to right the ship. Last season, Mallorca allowed just 44 goals in 38 matches -- only four LaLiga sides allowed fewer -- as he secured first-division play for another year. The mantra is clear: If they can't score, you can't lose. The result is often tight, unspectacular play that emphasizes efficiency and concentration in the back, while making the most of counterattacks and limited buildup opportunities for offensive players.
If we lose badly, I wonder if Poch will get the stick that Berhalter got in that infamous 3-0 drubbing five years ago. Much like Pochettino seems to be taking it now, Berhalter treated it like any other friendly. After we lost, people lost their freaking minds and there was a lot "it's Mexico, you never punt against Mexico!" (Of course, soon after we started beating Mexico, those same people were like "it's just Mexico.") The lineup we're going to be putting out will have max three starters and two of them will be very borderline guys. Sending home players isn't quite the same as the building out of the back "my team is on the floor" moment, but it's a similar decision. I actually expect a pretty pragmatic gameplan from Pochettino this game. Oh, Wright (who I expect to take Puli's spot) can do the endline run and cross but is he going to be any good coming back for the ball with the give and go? It was such a big part of the build up -- also playing off longer balls to Jedi.
And "minor injury" does a lot of work with the soccer media. I don't fault Poch for sending players home. Color me skeptical, though, that injury is the reason for all of them.
So often for road games it’s later for time zone reasons. For tomorrow’s game it’s a two hour difference for EST so they are kicking off at 8 pm local.
South American qualifying will also be done as of next fall so we could in theory get an Argentina friendly on the books.
Maybe Wright forces the Mexico rb to be conservative or get punished. Haji's strength is on the counter. He can carry the ball distances or run onto a longer one from a d-mid (Busio/Tessmann or McKenzie/Ream?). That should be the "pragmatic" gameplan is to hit him on the counter. We can concede plenty of the ball while still viewing it as the best d is a good o. I wanted to get back to playing a high-line in this window. We could have done it the 1st match but acquiesced to old man Ream. This game it makes more sense tactically to have a lower line given all our attrition. We played a high line up until late in the wcq'ing match in Mexico where we were just trying to secure a draw at that point & may have been tired. Shouldn't be tired here w/ virtually unlimited subs but we may not have the horses with the unavailable players. Though, going back to Ream, I also just don't think he should be played here because of his tenuous projection in '26. It's the time to test out Miles-McKenzie. As far as "pressing" up higher, it should probably be selective traps w/ Josh & maybe Brenden at wing, or whoever. Hopefully a chance on occasion would be carved out from that. Brenden's press did create a few chances, IIRC the one for Josh where he cut in & fired w/ his left.
I think we have to look at each case individually. Fossey and Steffen spent much of their time in camp 'on the bike,' training separately. Pulisic was definitely in 'load-management' mode in Milan right before the break. Pepi played v Panama and might have tweaked something, or he might have been asked to hustle back to PSV, who have three games this coming week, including a CL match @ PSG next Tuesday. With McKennie, who did not play v Panama, I think it's fair to be skeptical, as possible explanations - plausible and less so - run the full gamut.
Poch could probably come out of the Nations League without the trophy without much consternation from most fans so I think he’ll be fine if this friendly isn’t the best result.