I don’t think anyone expected our second best player to out play our best player. I do think some of us wanted our second best player to play as well as a second best player on any other team and Guti didn’t.
Honestly, watching this shows me exactly why the players respect and have such confidence in Berhalter. None of that profanity infused rah rah stuff- just quiet, calm, encouraging, mature, patient and in complete control of the locker room. No wonder they are on such un upward trend.
I think you're projecting, I think you expected him to outplay Shaq, I never saw anyone expecting him to do that other than some delusional Guti fanatics, but that's on you guys.
One of two things 1) You do not know the meaning of trolling. We've been here a lot longer than you. We have been both exalting and criticizing players for our team on Big Soccer for over 20 years. and/or 2) If anyone here is trolling, it is you, not me...your entire reason for participating here was to crap on Xherdan Shaqiri. Nobody expected that, but you constantly said that. I don't think anyone here is displeased with young Brian G. As I have said consistently in this thread and others, I see him as a success at this point in his career and a player who has the potential to get better. We just need to temper the slavish praise and allow him to continue to develop.
Expecting an 18/19yr old HG making 100k to be the team's second best player is clear example. Lots of critique matching that expectation was laid at Guti's feet...while the same type/level of critique was not shared on the 8mil flop DP. It was there and out of balance. I'm a Guti fan but have never placed/stated expectation of him outplaying Shaq, let alone any veteran making 10x his salary. Tenure doesn't mean anything, word choice does. intentionally antagonizing others online through disruptive, inflammatory, or offensive content, with the goal of provoking an emotional response and engaging in a fight or argument nonsense, some people, their guy, post this crap, f'ing meaningless, ridiculous, f'cking stupid You conflate a) the timing of my participation here b) my "entire reason" and c) critique of Shaq's massive under performance. I'd love to move on from Shaq, but 'some of you' just can't. I have not...and your view that my sharing positive articles, tweets, etc is not 'expectation of Guti to play at DP level'. 'Constantly' is hyperbole and absurd. There's enough snark posted here that it can be interpreted as 'some are displeased'...it's not much of a reach. Not sure why the links containing praise are so upsetting to you. There's increasing attention on him and the links to those views being posted in the Guti Nutridder thread seems about as 'on topic' as possible. MOTM & TOTW are a new career pinnacle for Guti! It should be fun to witness the growth from here in whatever time he has remaining with the club!
I didn’t expect anything. He just was because he was better than all but one other player on the team. Why did you use the word “expecting” when clearly no one ever expected that of him?
Because of words like should have, needed to, stagnation, By giving Guti the biggest Home Grown contract ever, he must be “explicitly expected by the organization, the league and the fans to be ‘the guy’", I am beginning to worry Guti has reached his peak, etc etc. Tone is difficult in forums. Words can carry varying weight by how they are heard, and the only context is via 'in response to' and 'bias'...I've heard lots of expectation. For me a HG that is still growing in their career should not have the same expectation as someone with twice as many professional minutes and being paid millions. As Guti approaches that level of experience and salary his performances should absolutely garner more expectation. Not there yet, but the trajectory is quite encouraging.
What you fail to understand is that it wasn't Guti's fault that he was our second best player. Someone in that spot absolutely needed to do better. Putting a 19 year old kid in that spot isn't the kid's fault. It's not even a criticism of HIM. It's a criticism of the organization and team. The team needed more support, skill, talent, etc., than it had and more than our two best players combined could provide. You need to stop defending him from that reality.
I agree with all that except the last...that is where you (not me) apply the expectation of the 'second best player' onto him. The only "defending" I'm likely to do is with regard to comments about performance that are unreasonable for 'this point in his career arc'. For example, it was reasonable for an 18yr old with very little professional experience to 'disappear for stretches of the game'....sadly Shaq did it more than he did. Guti is growing/maturing in regular strides and is at the point he can be a key player! But he is not at 'best player' level...would be cool if he does get there.
There is only one reason I can think of why Gutierrez is taking PKs and not Cuypers… Pete (thinks the plan is to pad his stats and try to sell him for big money)
Turns out there is another reason…it was reported (think it was Joe Chatz) that Guti ‘won the right’ in some kind of competition during practice
That is one possible reason. There may be others- Cuypers feeling blue, to invigorate Guti would be another, as a reward for his stellar play in this match. But…to promote a sale works too.
My first thought was “That’s kinda shitty, taking the golden boot chances away from a teammate” but then I realized no, the competition is a great sign. Guti’s never missed so it’s not like he’s a liability there.
Guti didn't make the Gold Cup roster. Behind players like Sebastian Berhalter and Jack McGlynn. A shock to some, I would have liked him to make the roster, but I just don't think he's as highly rated as some here think he is.
Not really a shock per se, and now that Pulisic just said he can't come and Zendaja may do the same....there is still a chance he gets the call.
You just wrote 10 minutes ago, that it was a "lock" that Gutierrez was getting the call up. No, there really is not. The roster is set and still has be trimmed. At least 1 and possibly 4, of the players on the current 27 man roster will be cut. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/22/usmnt-gold-cup-squad-christian-pulisic Who will make the final cut? The training camp roster consists of 27 players, with Gold Cup regulations requiring a final roster size of between 23 and 26 players with at least three goalkeepers. In sum, that means at least one and up to four players will be trimmed from this list ahead of the 4 June deadline.
I think this is good for Gutierrez and good for the Fire. He will receive plenty of playing time with the Fire. That is not likely and certainly not guaranteed with the USMNT in the Gold Cup. The only part where it is not good is if he made the team AND played AND played well, it might enhance his salability if he is planning on move to Europe. Which, again, I hope does not happen, for the sake of the Fire, but I would be fine with if it, if that is what Brian G wants.
Lots of competition for his position! Not unusual for couple new players to be called up who will not play, just to see how they fit in, how they practice. Could actually be a positive for Gutierrez if he takes it as a challenge to improve- and he ups his game.
Agree with all of this. Even if Gutierrez received the call, there is no guarantee he would play. He could have been one of the "new players called who will not play." His only two caps were this winter.