Gimme Roldan or Berhalter over Johnny or Musah in any of those scenarios. I had high hopes for both Johnny and Musah, but for whatever reason, they have had bad errors in possession for the US. Those turnovers expose you to the counter and usually lead to goals at the World Cup. Roldan and Berhalter simply don't make errors at the same rate. That is the #1 reason why I think Johnny/Musah have a big hill to climb to make the roster. It's interesting to me that both Johnny (Brazil) and Musah (England) didn't grow up playing the game in the US. Central midfield is a position where knowing intuitively and constantly where your supporting teammates will be, even before you receive the ball, is critical. Wonder if that's somehow subtly a factor.
I’m still on the fence with Roldan. His last Nats games were outstanding, but his previous record left a lot to be desired…
Disclaimer: I haven't seen Reyna's games but have just been going by his past (recent) history. Based on that, I agree that the results are encouraging but still have a hard time saying he is a lock at this time. He's got three games under his belt with a decent amount of time on the field. In those three games he has 1 assist and averaged 60ish minutes (69, 57, 65). For me...that's a start. He has almost a month to prep for the second half of the season. Let's see what happens from here. I expect to see him in camp this coming March and that will give a clearer picture. I want to see him playing regularly and do what he needs to do in camp.
I know it’s not a fact but I have a very strong opinion that musah plateaued a couple of years ago and has not come close to the level I expected of him. It’s possible he has regressed. I would take Roldan over Musah right now…in a heartbeat. So what about Johnny? Either he is vastly over rated or he has under performed with the national team. Period. Some of the mistakes he has made with USMNT would not give me confidence trying to hold a lead. Again, I’ll take Roldan 7 days a week. I have given up on Musah. Johnny, I still have hope for.
Honestly if it were me and there are 2 spots I'm going Musah and one of the latter 2, probably Roldan... I don't trust Johnny at ALL.
This is not an unpopular opinion, what's being missed is that other people don't think this is the issue. Poch directly quoted this part of this movie.
Could you provide some data that supports the idea that Roldan and Berhalter make errors at a lower rate than Musah or Johnny? Johnny has made poor passes that led to a goal but so did Roldan, see the L0-1 v Jamaica in 2019. it happens. We have seen Musah start and play 4 matches at WC2022 and was one of the main reasons the US progressed. Musah's press resistance in world class and will be very important against tough opponents just as it was at WC2022.
I really want to believe that Musah will take another leap forward, and consequently be a factor in the next cycle, when he'll be prime age. As of now, it's not hard for me to select Roldan over him, and I'm virtually certain that Poch will. Buuuuuuuuut.... Musah is playing again (mostly as a sub). Which means that maybe this cycle isn't totally dead. But I still choose Roldan's recent form, style, and fit with this side over Musah's.
I believe he is extremely talented. As @TheHoustonHoyaFan said, he has been extremely press resistant. In my opinion, the two major areas of superiority he has displayed in the past is press resistance and even, what I would call breaking of lines on the dribble. Perhaps some would consider them one and the same. Where I have felt he was lacking, and has failed to improve, is his ability to do anything with the ball once he breaks a line. His vision, in my opinion, has been subpar.
His passing vision and accuracy are both suspect and always have been. The ball sticks to his foot, and he can dribble 50+ yards with relative ease. He can win the ball, too. He wins duels all the time. If his passing were even average, he'd be a significantly better player. This season, in fits and starts, he's shown glimpses of improvement, but it hasn't yet been consistent. It's both technical and mental.
' 'Fluid' does a massive amount of lifting. The roles chosen and types of players chosen for those roles tell the tale.
I mean, I could ask you for data to support your claim that Musah's press resistance is world class, but I don't think that data exists beyond the eye test and subjectivity. My view on 3 of these 4 players (Johnny, Roldan, Berhalter) comes from what I've seen in their most recent opportunities with the USMNT. I don't view what Roldan did over 6 years ago under a different coach to be relevant. Lots of data points for Roldan and Berhalter. Johnny made that big mistake within Poch's system recently, and it led directly led to a goal. His confidence looked shot for the rest of his minutes in that game. Is that overly harsh to project based on one game? Maybe. But I think that's probably why he's not getting callups. Until Poch sees Simeone trusting him with regular starts in La Liga in central midfield, I'm guessing he will not get callups for the US. For Musah, it's more difficult because he simply hasn't gotten any callups under Poch recently. I did watch a fair amount of AC Milan the last couple years to see Musah and Pulisic play. Musah has gone from playing fairly often in central midfield roles (both more advanced, and defensive / holding roles), to playing less often, to mostly not playing, to getting loaned out. During that decline, he made a few big errors in possession that led to dangerous opportunities for the opponent, and it seemed pretty clear to me he lost the manager's confidence. The above is where I'm coming from. And OK if we disagree on the eye test and our subjective assessments.
While in general I agree with the sentiment that a single mistake shouldn't hold back Johnny, it's hilariously on brand for you to be obsessed with an error made in 2019. I swear you stop watching the US when COVID hit, the amount you seem to think 2019 matters now. No, he wasn't. Musah did little of note and wasn't in the Top 5 reasons the US progressed. I doubt it. It wasn't very important in 2022 since we weren't pressed a ton. If really, at all. Musah's impact was primarily as a solid defender and little more. He generated little to no danger on offense, frankly, as most of our chances came through Wes or Christian or Dest. Some Jedi. I don't think Australia or Paraguay will press us. Maybe someone else will. More importantly, Pochettino wants to attack the press by attempting to pass quickly through it, not by holding the ball and shielding it, which is Musah's most likely move. Our coach would rather see aggressive errors than safety through conservatism. Musah's press resistance is a plus for him, but you and many others wildly overrate its utility and his talent gap even in this space to other players.
@SamsArmySam repping the above because it’s well thought out, but I think you’re wrong. I certainly hope you’re wrong. Assuming Adams is out for March and Johnny is playing regularly, not even necessarily starting, I think Poch will call him in. Johnny has been injured quite a bit since Poch took over, and (importantly) Johnny changed clubs over the summer. I think Poch rates Johnny, and Poch should obviously kick the tires one more time in March. Musah dug his own grave and buried himself alive, but (surprise!) I am digging him out. If Poch has any imagination, Musah will be called up in March (with the same provisos: healthy, playing, not nessarily starting). I’ll come back later and describe what I can imagine …
Please imagine a "Why" for Musah that actually feels like an upgrade to the players we are playing. I'm all for one last chance for Johnny for a variety of reasons, but Musah getting the last thirty minutes of games isn't some material change in what he brings. At best, he's the same dude people used to get mad about couldn't generate offense with MMA. At worst, he's that dude with defensive mistakes and a disappearing act. The success of the team in the fall coincided with a defense that exhibited aggression and effort in the counter-press and an offense that took risks, pushed the ball quickly forward and didn't resort to slow possession. It'd be wonderful if someone could "fix" Musah to become that player, but he's not currently. He's not showing that at club, either -- just getting minutes is not showing he's improved on his weaknesses. So are people betting that Poch can solve that issue with Musah in one camp? That it is worth keeping someone else home and not playing them, that it is worth bringing someone in who has been seemingly exiled for very good reasons? The proviso for Musah attending shouldn't simply be playing. It should be both something demonstrating commitment to the team (Poch's choice) and it should be some piece of evidence that he has improved his game rather than simply "oh, his team is playing him as a sub when they are up late."
Thanks, I thought there was analysis to support what seemed to be an objective claim Roldan and Berhalter simply don't make errors at the same rate. I was interested in looking at those numbers and perhaps a few other players. Error rate is an interesting concept and there have been attempts to define it using several industry standard events. I won't argue with your subjective eye test, its yours.
I get it....................but both Adams and McKennie were unavailable in November. We still didn't call in Johnny or Musah. Or Sands for that matter. They were all healthy as far as we know. Johnny was on the Gold Cup roster and was barely used. His last start for the USMNT was the Switzerland debacle. Yunus Musah hasn't started a game for the USMNT since the Nations League semifinal debacle against Panama. We will shortly be approaching a full calendar year since Musah's last call up. With these two players we can read the tea leaves.................................
Johnny got hurt at the GC, for the record. His lack of use was not necessarily due to play or evaluation.
One of the things that, for me, is most important is that near the beginning of his tenure, Poch seemed to really have a strong like for Musah. He seemed to see a lot of potential that was worth nurturing but then gave up. He never called him again. Reversing one's opinion about a player's potential takes more, imo, than that first awakening. Once an opinion is formed, Newton's law takes effect: a body in motion stays in motion.... Of course, I could be very wrong but I don't think I am.
It's always tough to tell from the outside, of course. But the facts as we can see them fit nicely into a story of a high potential player who Pochettino tried to make work in a couple of roles, much like he did with Malik Tillman. But Tillman came into the Gold Cup and basically did everything Poch asked, and Musah opted to stay home. That definitely seems like a situation where Poch might have just said ... okay, he doesn't want it enough, why am I trying so hard? I'd love for Pochettino to be Musah's club coach. But I do wonder if he simply doesn't think he can change him enough in a couple of camps. But that said, Poch is also a guy who thinks he can coach guys up, so it wouldn't shock me. I think we'd have seen him again if not for the Gold Cup opt out. I also think people seem to forget that even when Poch played him, he never played him centrally.
It was just a funny apocalyptically bad one off performance for a guy who needed to make his mark as Tillman later did. It would be the equivalent of Sargent getting in the way of two goal bound shots against South Korea, blocking both of them, and then utterly shanking a 1 inch finish, and failing to score. That was what Johnny's performance was lol. I know he isn't the player that was that --- that day, that clueless, but man, it was nearly as momentum killing as Sargent's fart in church performance against South Korea.