Order a flux capacitor off Amazon, hop in an 81 DeLorean, set the date to May 20, 2025, drive it to 88 mph, and text Poch the following: “Super excited for the Gold Cup!!!”
Be useful sometimes rather than look good retaining posession? Better question would be why does he need to be back on the team?
He has been very good this year. And he was solid last year (in an obviously much, much more competitive and challenging league than some of Poch’s picks). He’s one of our best players.
That’s also my feeling and evaluation of talent. I’m Wondering if Poch won’t take him for other reasons. Not fitting a specific role on the team or just a perception he’s not passionate for the program… In terms of talent, we know he can hang with top European and South American players. We don’t really don’t know that about some of the newer players who appear to be favorites. I’m rather hung up on it, because he’s so much better than some of these other players.
Musah turned down the Gold Cup camp for personal reasons much like Pulisic. Poch is making an example of Musah.
He's more talented than many of our players, but I would not place him as better or one of our best players right now. The point of soccer is to score goals and to prevent goals. Musah is very athletic and he can hold a dribble, but his decision making and skill set means that he really struggles to do anything that generates goals in really any way. He isn't particularly effective in creating space or gaps in the opposition via off ball movement. He doesn't capably eliminate defenders via the pass. He can eliminate defenders via the dribble but does so rarely. When he does get the ball in a dangerous position via a dribble or defensive play, his decision making is often so slow and biased to the dribble that he allows the defense to set. Are all these things theoretically fixable? Yes. But they are the reality today. Should Poch bring him in in an attempt to help him get there? Maybe. Ball security is useful, but in and of itself, it's far more a defensive skill than offensive skill.
Very thoughtful analysis. And I suspect Poch sees it exactly that way. His ability to hold and protect the ball does seem valuable if we are trying to protect a lead or neutralize the athleticism of some of our opponents in the pinch. Some of the teams we will play will have those freaks of nature athletes. Musah is one of the few guys on the team who have that elite athleticism to keep some of those players somewhat neutralized. He’s also one of the players who is far more press resistance than the vast majority of our roster. And I guarantee, given our defensive line, we are going to experience a fast and relentless press from some of our opponents. They’ve watched the tape on Ream and will know exactly where and how to expose our backline. Makes me shudder just thinking about, because I could see us coughing up a couple of goals early this way. Given what you’ve described, along with my described use case, I’m hopeful Poch brings him as a situational player, at a minimum.
Ream is pretty press resistant. He got out of a lot of jams against SK. Jedi and Richards are weaker on the ball. Dest is a cheat code. Overall that 4 + a competent GK don’t seem to invite the press. The issue comes if the GK is weak and if Tyler and Wes are in the double pivot. Then we could be vulnerable. Balogun’s movement into the channels and Malik’s ability as an outlet should help us bypass teams if they overcommit.
[QUOTE="gogorath, post: 43271874, member: 335509"]He's more talented than many of our players, but I would not place him as better or one of our best players right now. The point of soccer is to score goals and to prevent goals. Musah is very athletic and he can hold a dribble, but his decision making and skill set means that he really struggles to do anything that generates goals in really any way. He isn't particularly effective in creating space or gaps in the opposition via off ball movement. He doesn't capably eliminate defenders via the pass. He can eliminate defenders via the dribble but does so rarely. When he does get the ball in a dangerous position via a dribble or defensive play, his decision making is often so slow and biased to the dribble that he allows the defense to set. Are all these things theoretically fixable? Yes. But they are the reality today. Should Poch bring him in in an attempt to help him get there? Maybe. Ball security is useful, but in and of itself, it's far more a defensive skill than offensive skill.[/QUOTE] Not more talented, better skilled. He is a rare case, more often this happens with wingers (KDLF is a classic case) who look so talented: fast and skilled. And than they don't know what to do with the ball after beating a defender first on the way to the end line, and again on the way back. Hard to tell whether it's fixable, but Poch doesn't have enough time to try to squeeze water out of stone.
100% agree. It's the Yedlin thing. For years, DeAndre was in the EPL. He wasn't even necessarily the US' best RB as a complete player, but he had the pace to keep up with EPL wingers, so that made him valuable to them. He'd still make too many team defensive mistakes and he wasn't much to speak of on the ball. But he had value in the EPL and in certain specific situations. And Musah definitely has that. He's not going to get out-athleted the way that some of the other options might. I would say that if he was more consistent in his work rate and focus, that would almost certainly be enough for Poch. I know what you mean, but I'm going to disagree a bit here. The best way to beat a press is through quick passing, not through dribbling or being able to control the ball against a tackle. Though when most people say press resistant, they do mean close in ball control, which is what Musah excels at. But the better move is simply to move it on before the press even gets there. And Pochettino's build out is generally built to beat the press with numbers and coordinated patterns of play. Which means smart decision making and coordinated off ball movement. Again, none of this means that Musah can't pick stuff up -- certainly a Musah who is passing quickly and moving off ball is more press resistant than Aidan Morris. But we've seen situations where someone is too confident in their dribbling against players and it backfires. I've seen it backfire on Musah deep in our territory and I've seen if backfire on Johnny, for example. Sometimes, the results are better if you simply make the easy pass. I do think that if Poch can find the time, it would be good to see if he can unlock a better version of Musah. Which would have been much, much easier at the GC. Which may be part of Poch's frustration with him. I am certain Poch sees the potential, just because it's obvious. What I don't know is if Poch has written him off because he doesn't believe in his mindset or ability to change or whether he's really holding the summer against him ... I don't know any of that. I will say that I think the midfield call ups for this window are perfectly fine and don't tell me that he's necessarily given up on Musah. I doubt we have any disagreement on McKennie being a better player overall? Tillman, Zendejas and Luna are playing attacking roles, so is Weah, so I assume there's also little angst on them there versus Musah. I straight out think Tanner Tessman is a better player across the board. He's perhaps not quite as athletic, but he's an athlete. He's a very good passer and we need those. His biggest struggle has been his defensive aggression and he's seemed to fix that. His top end speed isn't the greatest, but overall, I think he's affecting games more than Musah. Which leaves Aidan Morris and his older, more domestic doppleganger, Cristian Roldan. I'm aware this likely all comes down to Roldan, but I really don't have any issue bringing him in. Why? Flashback to last window. Our defense melts down against South Korea. The press is ineffective and in the low block, we give up two goals because we fail to pressure the passer even a little bit, allowing easy entry passes to Son. People look passive and straight out confused as to who is supposed to do what. In the Japan game, the issue isn't really "fixed" so much as Poch throws Cristian Roldan out there and has him basically run all the way up as press alongside the forward half the time, then sprint back and cover. He also does a pretty decent job of doing what Poch wants in the build up -- move the ball. Nothing spectacular. A few turnovers, but much of the time he one touches the ball to Pulisic or Zendejas. They do the work and get the credit, but that's what Poch wants. When he does turn it over, he counterpresses like hell and gets it back. The defense works, even if a bit insane. The team wins. What message does it send if you don't bring him back, and for a guy who took the summer off? Even beyond the message, do you need this role? The defense hasn't worked without it. Morris played it in the this last game, though because it wasn't Zendejas and Pulisic ahead of him, he could just play midfield destroyer. (It's going to be interesting to see if our counterpress is as effective with Pulisic instead of McKennie or Tillman there.) I think Morris was a bit better than Roldan -- he's just very good at tackling, but he did also miss on the goal. But perhaps we need that tactically? Can Musah do that ... I mean, he can, but will he? There's a level of aggression and work rate needed. And we don't always get that out of Musah. Or perhaps the simplification and challenge brings it out of him. Who knows? What I am okay with is rewarding a guy whose work rate and intensity and effort was key in the prior match when everything was falling apart, and I'm okay sending a message that that level of intensity and focus is rewarded, and I'm okay sending a message that if you decide to take off the summer, you may not get back in -- you need to value this time especially if you aren't the player you could be, and I'm especially okay evaluating Aidan Morris in that role because he's a great fit for it.
Another well written post! Will come back later for more banter, but i do need to say I feel it’s criminal to bring Roldan over Musah!
Maybe but as the 26th man again he is learning to become a future national team coach. He will take over at Seattle someday and compete against the other former national seamers as coaches along with the former assistants.
I heard it was having a kid, same with Auston Trusty. Baby brigade has taken its tool on the American psyche for in favor or not. I feel like Atalanta is a good fit for Musah. His spot on this US team depends on if he can surpass any of the other deep 6s. It’s getting deeper by the minute to the point where Poch is considering players that give it their all as part of the scout team. Like Roldan or even considering specialist who fill in, in key moments. Musah is just going to have to elevate his game and work hard, if he wants a spot.
I was impressed with Freeman in his time versus Ecuador. So much so that I’m willing to put the Scally talk to bed. Dest will be the man. We have a tendency to over work our flanks in WC competition. If we do a tactical change to a back five to rest our busy FBs and freeman has coverage, I wouldn’t mind seeing him in that spot
IIRC, Musah went on the Hajj this last summer. For either reason, he should not be banned for missing the NT events this summer, IMHO.
Musah is a devout Muslim. Good for him. He shouldn’t be punished for it. But then, he didn’t necessarily have to make the Hajj this year, either. The March window is during the height of Ramadan / Eid. I’d say if he doesn’t play lights out for club and make the November callup, he won’t be at the WC.
I’m sorry, but none of Weah, Wes, or Scally is anywhere near the athlete that Freeman is. Watch Freeman bolt up the line with guys bouncing off of him like Tecmo Bo. He’s clearly in a different category.
I watched him get beat badly multiple times defensively and be a turnover machine both for USMNT and Orlando City.
I was at the game in Austin. Whatever his athletic prowess, he isnt a very good soccer player at this level. Yet.