I guess it would depend on roster for what type of game. GK: Steffen as #1. Guzan as #2. #3 up in the air. S. Johnson probably #3 now. Horvath. Miller. Defense. Dest, Long, Brooks, F. Johnson as starters. Miazga, Ream, Yedlin, and Cannon would usually get camp calls. I'd want a look at some guys in more advanced spots given how thin we are on the wing (Dest, Yedlin, F. Johnson). Still a little light at LB and CB. So I'd look some at 3rd tier/up and comers. Lovitz, Lima, Chandler, A. Robinson, and Lichaj on the outside. Opara, Zimmerman, CCV on the inside. Perhaps Alvarado, M. Robinson, and Richards as well. CM/CAM. Adams & McKennie in some configuration for certain. I think Lletget is our best CAM at the moment. But can see McKennie there vs teams where we won't have the ball as much. If Weston is up the field than we need a regitsa type in the back, and Yueill and Bradley would be my picks at the moment. Morales would be my 6th CM. Next tier down in various spots: Holmes, Trapp, Roldan, Pomykal, Ledezma, Mikhailovic (spelling). Hopefully the young guys improve/prove themselves where I do not need MB there anymore. I would also try to lure Nagbe back. Wings. Pulusic & Morris. Very thin here. I'd think about sone FBs here (Dest, FJ, Yedlin) as reserves. I guess I'd go with Arriola & Weah. And I'd flirt with Arriola as a LWB, LB as well. Boyd would be next in line. Forward: Altidore, Zardes, Sargent. ----------------- So, I guess if I had to call 23 for a Group Stage right now, with everyone healthy, it would look like: GK: Steffen; Guzan, S. Johnson FB: Dest, FJ, Yedlin, Cannon CB: Brooks, Long, Ream (CB/LB), Miazga CM: Adams, McKennie, Lletget, Yueill, Bradley, Morales. Wing: Pulisic, Morris, Arriola, Weah. Striker: Altidore, Zardes. Last in: Zardes, Arriola, Weah, Bradley, Cannon, S. Johnson. Last out: Sargent, Nagbe, Horvath, Opara, Boyd. Could easily axe Arriola, Cannon/Yedlin to free another attacking spot.
Forgive me for paraphrasing, but I'd say that you have the following autocalls: GK (2): Steffen; Guzan FB (4): Dest, FJ, Yedlin, Cannon CB (4): Brooks, Long, Ream (CB/LB), Miazga CM (5): Adams, McKennie, Lletget, Yueill, Morales. Wing (2): Pulisic, Morris Striker (1): Altidore So, of the 18 autocalls, 7 are MLS. Here's a list of players in competition (with your preferences): GK: S. Johnson over Horvath FB: CB: Opara CM: Bradley over Nagbe Wing: Arriola, Weah over Boyd Striker: Zardes over Sargent of the 10 players in competition, 6 are MLS. Overall, of the 28 players in your "pool", 13 are from MLS. I may disagree with a couple of points (drop Ream/Yueill/Lletget/Fabian to the in competition mix from autocall, take Bradley out and add Holmes, Pomykal, ARobinson, Aaronson) but I understand where you're coming from. It does highlight how heavy Berhalter's MLS choices are.....
Based on what I saw this year: ------------------------Morris-------- -----------Pulisic-----------------------------------Yedlin-------- ----------------------Holmes----- ---------Morales------------McKennie-- ------------------------------------------------------Dest---- ----Ream-----Brooks--------Longs------ -----------------------Steffen-------- Altidore isn't getting any younger, lighter in weight, or any less injury prone. Sarge hasn't done enough. And if pressing from the front is a major priority, Zardes or Morris would be better suited. Yedlin would have a touchline role to functionally play as a deep-lying winger. He might be better suited as a super-sub. Alternately, Dest could be moved into the attack, Yedlin to the bench, and Cannon to RB. Ream is a placeholder until others matriculate into the setup. Morales would help support Ream, in addition to providing Pulisic cover.
Yeah... it is just about keeping Lovitz off the field (addition by subtraction) and the fact that we have two other good options at RB (Yedlin and Cannon). I actually like the idea of all of them being on the field at once... Yedlin at RB, Dest at LB and Cannon at left-mid. Add CP at left-wing and that is a lightning quick left-side attack... especially if we have Adams at CDM.
I'll do it as a depth chart, and not listing any player at multiple positions: GK 1. Steffen 2. Horvath 3. Gonzalez 4. Guzan LB 1. Dest 2. Robinson 3. F. Johnson 4. Acosta CB 1. Brooks 2. Alvarado 3. Long 4. Ream CB 1. Miazga 2. CCV 3. Zimmerman 4. Robinson RB 1. Yedlin 2. Cannon 3. Lima 4. Moore 6 1. Adams 2. Morales 3. Parks 4. Yueill 8 1. McKennie 2. Holmes 3. Hyndman 4. Roldan 10 1. Green 2. Pomykal 3. Lletget 4. Aaronson LW 1. Morris 2. Arriola 3. Boyd 4. Gall 9 1. Sargent 2. Altidore 3. Novakovich 4. Ebobisse RW 1. Pulisic 2. Weah 3. Sabbi 4. Gooch By league: 1s - BL 5, PL 2, Holland/Championship/BL2/MLS 1 each 2s - MLS 4, Championship 3, BL/Belgium/Ligue 1/LigaMX 1 each 3s - MLS 7, BL/Serie B/Turkey/Denmark 1 each 4s - MLS 7, Championship/League One/Segunda/Sweden 1 each
Plenty of players on the list shouldn't be mentioned on "best anything" ever. Who are Acosta and Moore?
Here's a fun lineup to take advantage of our speed and athleticism. ---------------------Pulisic----Morris------------------- Dest/ARob--Morales--Adams--Wes--Dest/yedlin -------------Brooks-----Long-----Miazga -------------------------Steffen Speed: Yedlin Long Morris Pulisic Disruptive: Morales Adams Wes Aerial: Brooks Long Miazga Wes Pulisic(?!) I think this team could be pretty good at defense and has plenty of ability to attack. I have my doubts on ARobinson but we could hide his defensive limitations next to Morales and Brooks. I like his speed and crossing abilities up the left side. I'd still think of Dest on the left and Yedlin on the right as the speed of Yedlin and Morris would be something opponents would have to be mindful of.
Brooks and Long would have to switch. Brooks isn’t idea in space and Long isn’t good on the ball. Switch them and it better suits their skills. As far as the front two that team would have to be against a top team where the plan is to counter cause they’d struggle to hold the ball up.
the CB switch is fine with me, I was just trying to use long’s speed. Agreed on the use of the top two. I think our play is into space with this group as opposed to holdup. If we really wanted to hold up, we’d have to use altidore and I’m loath to take off Morris at this point - he’s been playing great.
If Reyna emerges, Weah and Adams get healthy and in form then this gets really exciting... GK Steffen RB Yedlin CB Brooks CB Miazga LB Dest M6 Adams M8 McKennie 10 Reyna RW Weah FW Sargent LW Pulisic B team GK Guzan RB Cannon CB Long CB Zimmerman LB Robinson M6 Morales M8 Nagbe 10 Lletget RW Morris FW Altidore LW Arriola On the horizon: Horvath Carter-Vickers Richards Ledezma Llanez Soto
I wish that I could rep you twice... Currently, I would still put Morris in over Weah. That dude has been flat out producing. I would also like to see Paxton and Sabbi on the B Team... and I am absolutely bullish on Llanez. BTW... your entire 1st team is playing in Europe. Word.
How is Sargent bad in the press? Guy consistently makes interventions- his feel for closing out defenders is pretty uncanny. It’s one of the strengths of his game and his fitness has greatly improved over the last 18 months. Morris does not have the lateral movement or fitness to be “the pressing alternative”. I do believe him to be at least a part-time starter at the moment. But it’s not because he’s great in the press. Zardes can run all day but his movements are so predictable
I’d likely drop Morales. I think Wes and Adams could hold down the midfield on their own. Their range is crazy. Now once we actually see it that may change but for the time being I’d gamble on their defensive chops combined being enough.
I know you said in form and I know Morris hasn’t shown it against the best of the best but he’s been in such good form that I’d leave the edge to Morris for the time being over a healthy in form Weah but that could change and I would need to see what type of form we’re talking about. I’d also drop Miazga for Long. Miazga might be better overall player (im not sure he is but I’d entertain the debate) but Long is the better fit next to Brooks. Since you’re asking for some IFs I get not wanting to add too much more but I’d include hoping Cannon goes to Europe and continues to develop or AR takes the next step and pushes Dest to the right. Reyna will be a massive ? But you could list a lot of young 10s I’m Europe that look promising. Just need 1 to pan out right now. You’re also missing Holmes
the defensive drop from morales to Morris is quite large - I wouldn’t make that trade off against a good team just to get hold up play but YMMV. I’d love for our opponents to be scared of giving up corners.
I don't know if my Best XI has changed materially since I posted a while ago, except Dest. A couple of things I think I'm coming around on: I don't really have a place for the Center Attacking Mid / Left Wing (wherever Pulisic is not playing) to be a player who does not actively defend, at least against quality opposition. So for me, whether it's dreams of Ledezma or Reyna (who I don't think is anywhere near despite the hype), they are firmly behind players like Pomykal, Holmes, Weah, maybe less so Lletget, etc. Because of the above, I think I prefer Pulisic on the wing, though that could change with opponent, etc. For this, it's easier for me to play him in the middle to squeeze more talent on the pitch. But I'm not sure that's where I'd really play him. I think we need to press and counterpress; as such, a Brooks/Miazga/Ream, etc., centerback grouping is asking for too much trouble. Long or Miles Robinson should start. We need some speed there. For now, Dest has to be my left back. The drop off is so much bigger there. Cannon is my right back until Yedlin shows me something. Weah was in my original Best XI, but it's tough to keep him in when he's both been out forever and we've seen Morris perform so well this year. I'm not sure he's the best XI choice in six months, but if I had a match tomorrow, I'm riding the hot hand. GK Steffen / Guzan ( I would like to say Horvath, but he hasn't played in forever) RB Cannon / Yedlin RCB Long / Miles Robinson LCB Brooks / Miazga LB Dest / Ream? Robinson? You got me. CM6 Adams / Morales CM8 McKennie / Pomykal CM10 Pulisic / Holmes LW (Pulisic) / Weah / Llanez CF Altidore / Sargent RW Morris / Weah / Arriola I may be jumping the gun on Llanez, but I think he's the most ready of the "not playing regular first team minutes" crew right now. And he's also, at wing, less likely to be a problematic defensive issue. In reality, I would probably put Pomykal all over the pitch and bring someone else along - maybe Yeuill.
A wide mid coming off a season's long layoff, to go get 13 goals and 8 assists in 27 games worth of MLS minutes, along with 5 goals and 6 assists and a drawn pk in 8 games worth of national team minutes is not a 'pressing alternative' at forward? OK. At this point, Morris is a lock starter in the attack. Even lateral thinkers can't ignore that kind of production. What is the evidence Sargent is good in the press? Numbers? Coaches enthusing about his work rate?
The other option is Lovitz only in Gregg land. This is where the media particularly fail, even the best like TSS. They only look at the players Gregg brings and don't think of all the players out there. There are plenty of LBs as good or better than Lovitz, whether Gregg brings them to camp or not is another issue. There are American LBs in MLS that would sell for more than $50K in TAM. Why aren't they called in? There is an American LB in the EC that just made TOTM, why isn't he called in? There is another American LB in the EC that has been a steady to good performer for half a decade, why isn't he called in? There are left footed CBs with more quickness and 1 v 1 defensive ability than Ream, why are they not tried? Gregg has never tried, really tried, all the options at LB. He selected one that is not good enough and played him a bunch. When he needs a result, he plays a CB out of position there. But that isn't the whole talent pool there and that is ignoring YNT options at that position.
Morris is the conundrum that Gregg has himself in. He has produced, probably saved his job, but he is not able to consistently play the possession style Gregg is trying to implement. He has improved, but his first touch is not consistent enough and his passing is not consistent enough. He produces and he has been moved out of the possession part of the game plan. He is doing what Baird did in January, being the guy the ball is switched to in the final third with space. Even there, his first touch has been lucky on the Canada goal (bad enough to draw out the GK but not so bad the GK should have come out) and the goal against Cuba (wasn't as poor, but a good GK would have been on top of him). If you have 9 other guys that can do what Gregg needs, then he can be carried. But Gregg really, of the players he continues to call, only has 3 players that can actually control and pass the ball at a consistent clip (Pulisic, Brooks, Dest). Morris has been most productive in the games where we have abandoned possession and played more direct.
Not sure what Gregg things is relevant on this thread. It should be what you think is the best option at LB.
Even using Gregg's tactics, whatever you think they are as it is hard to tell what he is trying to do, there are still better LB options. Falling back on, "Gregg hasn't called him", is just not relevant. Again, hard to look at the Mexico games, the Canada games, the Ecuador and Chili games, and really be able to say Gregg is doing anything consistent or purposeful. The only consistency is in personnel, and Lovitz is one, and he is not in any Best 11 or 23 that is valid. He very well could be in USL or out of professional soccer entirely at this time next year. He was sold for the MLS equivalent of a sandwich with a cup of coffee. If MLS had not expanded, he would be calling USL teams or moving on to whatever career he studied in college.
Look, I get the whole MLS angle, but is it really accurate to call guys like Guzan, Bradley, & Altidore MLS players? Yes, they play in MLS, but have also played and excelled in Europe (Jozy in the Netherlands, Mikey in Italy, Guzan in England). I mean, the vast majority of national teams are going to consist mostly of players from their domestic league. This is not shocking. The exceptions are mostly going to be teams with no functional top tier league (Canada, Lichtenstein), or teams whose players have EU passports and can easily play in Europe (Brazil, Curacao, Algeria, etc).
It certainly makes a huge difference to MLS! My point is that we've now had two USMNT coaches in a row who are favoring players because of the league that they play in ("we have players who play that position in MLS") and therefore are lowering our odds of winning/advancing by choosing lesser players or at least not looking at a sizable portion of the pool. More specifically related to the guys you mentioned, MLS continues to be the home for big name declining players who are then dropped from their national teams. Recently, MLS has tried to woo USMNT and Mexico players in their prime. It's worked out terribly for the USMNT and I hope the same for Mexico.... I don't know the answer but look at the top 20 teams outside of the Big 5. How many Brazilians, Argentineans, Dutch, Belgium play for their domestic leagues? I don't think we should care about teams that don't make the World Cup on a consistent basis