It doesn't seem like Reyna could be in 90 (maybe 120) min game fitness. I'm sure he could go 60+, but that's a factor to me. On the other hand, as I think about it, he conserves so much energy when he plays, on both sides of the ball, that I think he could go 90 or 120 easily. So if he doens't start it will be for some other reason.
How many times do people have to say it? People don't dislike Reyna. People don't dislike Weah. People aren't "crazy" for wanting to start a guy who's performing well right now for what looks like one of the best teams in the history of the Eredevisie. One of the few USMNTers starting in the group phase of the Champions League this year. Reyna has started zero league games this season. Its OK for somebody to say "I'm not sure about starting him. I wanna start Tillman and Weah." That's not my opinion, but its fine.
so let me get this straight- we not only need at least 2 defensive-minded cms, and even then we cant afford reyna/tillman in the middle? against jamaica? am i reading this right?
Tillman has been dreadful in every usmnt appearance. How does anyone who is pro-Tillman answer for that?
I still have hopes for Tillman, but this is hard to ignore. The midfield has some apparent depth, but not actually with players that are both good with culb and have shown well for country.
It's been months since Tillman played for the US and since then he's played really really well for his club. So that is an argument to start him. Not that I'm saying he should start though. I'd love for Reyna to start. He is one of the few difference makers we have on the team. The worry is he won't have the legs and will get run over by Jamaica. And if you start him and it's obvious he doesn't have the legs than what do you do? They can do a lot in camp to determine his fitness level but huge difference between what you can determine with tests and once the game starts. And if Jamaica has anything it's speed.
It's just a silly argument. You can sit anyone. The question is. Should you? The attack is significantly more productive with Reyna on the field. Period. That's why you start him. Same thing with Weah. They may not be having quality seasons but the attack is dog ---- anytime they play anyone half decent w/o either of them. The team has actually been more productive with Pulisic of all people away than with Weah or Reyna away. Bizarre, but true, in fairness, Pulisic and Weah have often been away at the same time, so that could explain it too.
Since Berhalter's return, Tillman missed the Germany/Ghana series with injury. Other than that, he's played in every other "A" team game during this time. He started against T&T in the Nations League first leg already. And the idea that he might start against Jamaica in the semi sounds "crazy" to people? He's clearly been a part of the squad in Berhalter's second term. Starting some games and coming off the bench in others. Of Pulisic, Reyna, Tillman, Weah, Aaronson, and Paredes........................I'd put Tillman second on the "form" chart. Form doesn't mean everything in the decision on whom to start, but it can't mean nothing. Tillman is a 21-year-old starting in the knockout phase of the Champions League. And people are acting like posters are suggesting we should start Jackson Yueill.
There is no issue around Reyna's fitness. He simply hasn't played many minutes. But he has been getting some minutes. He should be fine to start for the US. Tillman should do well as a left mid, center mid, or attacking mid in the US setup. He is not a right mid, which was where he last started for the US. Depth is nice. We'll have players with UCL or/and Top-4 experience to come off the bench.
Berhalter has the opportunity to work on some defects with no Dest, no West. Instead of clogging up Weah's space with Yedlin + Wes or Dest + Wes, he can go with DeJuan or Scally + Johnny. Striker: -------------------------Pepi Right Side; ---------------------------------------weah ----------------------------johnny ---------------------------------------scally Left Side: --------puli--- ----------------brenden --------ARob In Defense: --------------------------musah ------------ream----------------------miles 2nd Half we can put Balo and Gio on for Weah and Brenden and add DeJuan Jones for Scally. Ofc subs all depend on how things are going on the ground. Sub Kevin in for Pulisic. Sub Lund in for A Rob. -----puli--------pepi-------weah -----brenden--musah---johnny --ARob---ream-----miles--scally -----------pepi------balo ------------------gio* -----kevin----musah--johnny- ---lund----ream--miles--DeJuan *Luna could play this but I'm going to assume Berhalter will not take him in the 23.
Serious question. Let's say they determine Gio isn't 90 minutes fit. What do you do? Start him with a planed substitution or use him as a sub?
Now that I think about it, I think Richie Williams was Ankle Biter and Chris Albright was OTC. But I could be wrong.
He wasn't playing enough minutes last spring, he then walked into the lineup and provided the key assists to win the freaking title. He wasn't playing enough minutes this fall, then walked into the lineup and grabbed a couple of goals against Ghana and T&T. I'm not arguing it's good he isn't playing, it clearly isn't, but until he shows the effects of the layoff in an appearance, I'm betting on him continuing to be the most effective attacking player we have alongside Pulisic, Pepi, Weah and Jedi.
I'm sure it's crazy, but I'd like to see Dest at Right Winger and Scally at RB with Cordosa also on the field.
Well, its pretty easy, he's barely played at all, hasn't hit 300 minutes total ever, that's 3 starts and change. He played in the June window of '22, a half and a sub appearance if memory serves in games playing with guys he'd never met before, so totally understandable why he was whatevs then. He then got a 70th minute sub on versus japan and an 80th or so minute sub on versus Saudi Arabia in the notorious, "Oh, no, we suck again!" meme friendlies of September '22 (you know, the game where literally every single guy on the field was total --- and it scared people ---- less). 9 mins against Uzbeks at the end of the game? Not time to really do much. He did get a start against Oman, no counting stats, but the player ratings suggest he was good, just not on the scoreboard. I don't remember it at all, so I imagine it was meh to above average. Apparently sucked against T&T at home, but solid away. So, he hasn't been dreadful in every game, he's been more anonymous than anything, and I can't think of a game where he'd qualify as "suck" where the entire team largely also wouldn't quality as suck. He sucked in September of '22? Well, so did everyone else. He sucked against T&T, well I recall the entire message board wanted to napalm the team for its efforts home and away against T&T. He was fine to good in September, well, can't knock him for being fine. He was meh in his first call up, well, never played with any of those guys. None of this exculpates so much as explains. It's totally explicable why his performances have been largely meh, and sometimes just poor. It also kind of connects to my view of the player himself, I tend to see him as an up and down guy, who turns invisible too much, like how I saw Weah circa '17-'21 pre Ocho. We'll see going forward. Would I start him? Nope, I'd start Reyna. He could sub on, game model/situation permitting.
Yes. He needed 1 half to destroy Canada so thoroughly they went with breaking his freaking leg as a tactical strategy to get back in the game. Yeah, I'd start and sub him.
I was at the game in Austin Tillman started in November. He was absolutely dreadful. Tillman has had 8 caps. They range in quality from dreadful to a highlight of "anonymous." He has not had one goal contribution. He has not showed or performed well in any of his caps. Not a single performance anyone would describe as "good" Should we banish him to the shadow realm? No, but it's wild to suggest we start him based on what we've seen so far. 8 caps and 300 minutes is not a tiny sample size. I still follow him. I watch PSV games. I don't see him as difference maker for the USMNT at this time. If he shows me something, I'm happy to change that opinion, he didn't kill my dog, I just don't see why people believe in him.
How is it in poor taste? Am I missing something? Time to stop treating Reyna like a baby. He is an adult professional.
I agree that Tillman hasn’t been impressive for the usmnt, but he’s a young player who is improving. Also, he can only really be evaluated in terms of the rest of the pool. Musah, Adams, and Mckennie are the only midfielders who are really established with the national team. Adams might get called in, but he almost certainly won’t be ready to start. Mckennie might not be available either. then, when you look at the other options, Reyna has performed well as a midfielder in a few appearances, but his fitness and sharpness are questionable. Then you have LDLT, who is limited, and cardoso who is a bit like Tillman in that he hasn’t been that great for the usmnt, but is improving. I would start Reyna over Tillman (assuming good fitness), but I don’t think it’s crazy at all to say refer Tillman, given his form with PSV. And that’s the key point. It’s one thing to disagree, but you are acting like it’s completely crazy to start Tillman.