Some of you state you will play Robinson over Cannon at LB because it allows Dest to play his best position, but then go on to line up other players out of their favored positions in order to get all the most talented players on the field at the same time. Would it not be better to have one of Adams, Musah, McKennie or Reyna on the bench so that they aren't all jammed into a formation that doesn't suit them or us? I know we are not used to having nice things, but in the unlikely event all those guys are healthy and in form for a major tournament in the near future, it's OK to have one be a sub. In fact, I'd argue you aren't ever going to be a serious competitor for a major tournament if you don't have more deserving starters than you have spots available in the lineup.
I don’t know if you’re referring to me but I literally said in the post that I rate Cannon and Robinson equally. Also who is out of position in most of these projected lineups? Reyna has been playing more winger than CAM for Dortmund lately. Everyone else is essentially in their primary role.
However, you can surround kick-ass talent with prospects. It's great to have a world class XI. But I'll settle for a world class, oh, IV supported by competent prospects. Through in a dash of precocity, a bit of fearlessness, cockiness...
The soccer world has gone "young." Roberto Carlos didn't leave his country until he was 22. Cafú, until 25. Now, players are starting to leave their countries at 15 and 16, to go to the big European academies. Meanwhile, smaller academies, whether in Europe or elsewhere, languish, with fewer talents and smaller budgets. I'm not sure there's reason to celebrate. Young people who get rich too quick seldom end well.
People who go from poor to rich often struggle whether they get rich at 18 or 48. It's a big change that they are often not prepared to handle. But my concern as a fan is that these kids playing so many matches that matter at such a young age will eventually lead to a regression in ability across the entire sport. Compare the 80s NBA to the early 00s NBA and I think you can see there was a drop in play resulting from too many guys getting drafted into the league at 18/19 instead of 22/23. I also think we're going to have way more Michael Owen types (praying Pulisic isn't going to be one) who are incredible at a young age and then the miles and injuries pile up until the player is a shell of their former self at an age when players used to be in their primes.
I wasn't referring to any one person. I've just seen a lot of posts lately talking about the need to figure out a way to get all our top players on the field at the same time. I've probably made a post like that myself at some point. But there is a limit to how successful that can be when maybe six or more of our best 11 players in the next couple years might be central attacking and/or defensive midfielders.
Sargent had a good game yesterday. It wasn't great but good (+). He could have finished better, and likely will if he gets more chances and builds his confidence and a couple of sloppy touches. That being said, if he can play like this, he will fit in real well with this team. 1330196432658329602 is not a valid tweet id
Agreed. I’d like to see him get a little ruthlessness to his game...wanting to score every chance, wanting to square guys up right when he receives the ball, etc. You can see that he’s starting to understand the game better at this level, however, which is a positive development. It’s not easy to do and many guys never do it.
He definitely needs to improve in that area and think he has it in him as we've seen him do it at lower levels. It isn't surprising that it isn't there now as he is focusing on doing so many things and not getting many chances.If Bremen as a whole can start playing like they did in this game, the chances will come. He will then need to bury some, gain confidence, and then find his rhythm. This could take years or happen over night. I dont see him as highly as some of our prospects, but his potential is much higher than how he has been performing. Things will be much easier for him with Pulisic, Reyna, zmusah, Mckennie, Dest, etc around him.
Each team has piano players and piano movers. RIght now Dest is a piano player. There are very limited reasons to move your piano players. You want your best players in position to play their best.
Actually, I believe the tag on Musah is that the ball can get away from him on the dribble and maybe it is better to give him more space on the wing while he is accustoming himself to senior play.
Just because we were having the discussion on Sargent I watched the game this weekend. Went in not expecting too much out of him. Not because I don't think he was good but because it was against Bayern. I was really impressed. He didn't score and he should of, but if he can do the things consistently that he did in that game he will be just fine. He stayed high enough and battled and was dangerous. Was dangerous enough in behind and running at people 1 vs 1 and created a goal for his team. I was on here last week wondering if he floated into the midfield too much, but I was really impressed with him. Having said that Zardes was good for Columbus on Saturday as well. (Not exactly against Bayern Munich though) End of the day we will need both of them and more but it was a good day for 2 of our 3 US National Team Forwards. (Counting Altidore as the third on that one day a year he is healthy)
I don't know if that video was every touch but damn, he was pushing grown men around, winning so many battles, great touch, great passing, created a goal against BM... so close to having two of his own. I would be shocked if he doesn't break out of his scoring slump and start lighting it up.
Our piano players are Pulisic and Reyna. There aren’t many sides who can accommodate three. Dest is just fine offensively on the left. He and Reyna were shredding Panama. The problems in the flip are defensive, and I’m not sure that he’s much worse if at all in this respect compared to the anticipation-challenged Robinson. Dest is an asset through one-touch link play and splitting runs with the ball through the half spaces- not humiliating designated markers near the touchline. His technicality allows us deploy him on the left. Let’s use the luxury. I know that I’m not without disagreement here, but I think Cannon is clearly superior to Robinson. This also fuels my rationale.
yeah I agree. Its not that sides cant accomodate more than 2 its that they usually dont have more than 2. A team full of technical dangerous players should be the goal....not some arbitrary limit based on the notion that that can't be the case. From what Ive seen its the teams that have the highest number of technical dangerous players tht are the ones that win tourneys.
Where to fit Reyna is the #1 problem for Berhalter. Listening to Gregg on the US Soccer podcast, you get the sense he wants the wings balanced with a stretcher and a dropper. Reyna is a dropper, we learned that in Wales, but should have known it already. Berhalter basically says that Dest can only be a stretcher on the right. Pulisic can do both, but I don't think Pulisic providing width is his most impactful. Robinson is a stretcher and Cannon is a stretcher, but you can't sit Dest. So, listening to Gregg, if you are going to play Reyna, you have to play Dest/Robinson if Pulisic is in the lineup. If CP is out, I think Reyna plays the LW anyway, which also leads to Dest/ARob. If Cannon plays RB, you have to play a dropper which eliminates Morris. But you can put Reyna on RW and Morris on LW if CP is out. So, you can do either of these: ----------CP----CF----Reyna Robinson--------------------Dest Or ----Morris-------CF--------Reyna Dest---------------------------Cannon or ----Reyna-------CF-------Weah/Uly Robinson---------------------------Dest
Berhalter on the US Soccer podcast sort of said that Dest can improve, but he is more dynamic with multiple ways to beat people on the right and one dimensional on the left. Reyna and Dest against Panama did do some nice combos, but in non-dangerous areas. Murrillo burned Dest bad 1 v 1. You have to squint very hard and want Cannon on the field in a big way to not see Dest is better on the right. But we haven't seen anything with CP, and Dest will get better. But it looks like Dest will be at RB for Barcelona for the next two months, so it will be hard for him to work on his left footed crossing.
If this was the case, Man City and PSG would have more trophies. Look at Bayern Munich, arguably the most consistent mega side in the world the last five years besides perhaps Real Madrid (who gets a ton of criticism from their own fanbase regarding their ruthless pragmatism) They consistently started arguably the world’s best deep-lying midfielder (Kimmich) at RB. They’ve played Mueller literally everywhere. Coutinho became an expert at stretching. I cannot describe a single player who regularly features in the 11 who isn’t feverishly task-tical. Starting Dest at LB wouldn’t be the equivalent of BM starting Lewandowski at RW. And it’s certainly not Sevilla starting Dani Alves at LB back in the day.
you're talking about the team that put alphonso davies at left back! (where he killed it) How about spain in 2010...would you say they only had 2 "piano players" on that team? Or Germany in 2014? France 2018 was definitely a more defensive structured team...a very conservative approach that lead to a title ...but the challengers that year were a bit weak, imo...there was no dominant team...and at the end of the day they were favorites because of TALENT....and because they could put more of it on the field than the opposition. that should be the idea. it always wins.
I would argue that Spain only had one. Iniesta. David Silva, Fabregas were supporting players with defined roles. Villa and Torres occupied the CBs. Xavi ran so much when they had the ball it’s hard to say that he was supported by others. That’s what’s most under-appreciated about him- his sheer work rate to keep the tiki-taka going. Those Spanish teams were not offensive juggernauts. They just suffocated teams with possession. Germany had two full-time piano players- Ozil and Kroos. I’m sure that there were minutes that some combination of those two, Schurrle, and Gotze were on the pitch at the same time but it wasn’t for much. Talent does matter. It’s never a bad thing to have quality anywhere. But superstars like Fabregas, Silva and Torres fit into lifter roles to carry Iniesta. We don’t need Dest at 100% potency if we have Pulisic and Reyna at 100% potency. Especially if it allows to sit Robinson, who at this moment is very much a project with some discouraging traits.
I think the issue is more that you need a piano mover in the midfield. It's the Lampard/Gerrard problem. Someone's got to do the dirty work.