He doesnt need to be a "string puller" to play centrally, and I am not saying he couldnt play that role. I've posted his numbers for the US whenndeployed centrally and wide, but people wanted to ignore that data. He played his whole life centrally and then was put out on the tough line so BVB could get him on the field as a 17 year old when they had plenty of veteran central midfielders. People stupidly claimed that he needed to get smarter because he would just dribble into trouble. Of course, it was likely what the team had asked him to do and in the process, they didnt get rid of his instinct to take people on (of course there are videos of him showing a good understanding of the game/team mates when he was 10 years old). At Chelsea, he has been more of an inverted Winger that starts more centrally and cuts in more. People like to say that he is best when he is out wide with space. I'd say he is most dangerous running at defenders and doing so centrally will create more goal scoring chances. Nothing is more unsettling to a defense than a player getting beat and other defenders in more dangerous positions have to step to the ball. An attacker than can draw 2+ defenders centrally is likely to draw a foul in a dangerous spot, beat the defenders or find another open attacker. To keep it even more simple, he is our best player and should be allowed to roam however he likes. In the near future we should be able to put CP and two other players who can play wide and centrally on the field at the same time such that they can interchange as they wish.... Reyna, Ledezma, Llanez, Holmes, Pomykal, de la Fuente, Weah, Ferriera, etc. That remaining advance midfield position could go to more of a two way player like mckennie or a distributor type like Yueill or Mendez (not sold on the first and the second isnt ready).
I agree with that. I said during the last Hex we should have played like TFC with Pulisic having the Giovinco free role with TFC with an AM and multiple ball winners behind to let him focus on scoring and creating goals. I said that since the striker and DM were from TFC, might as well put them and Puli in their best roles. Bradley got lots of protection at TFC, unlike for USMNT. The attackers iat TFC had a string puller keeping them supplied etc. TFC's Championship team was usually Altidore Gio Victor Vazquez (10) Jonathan Osorio (8) Marky Delgado (8/DM) Bradley The US could have easily copied that idea Altidore Pulisic Benny/Nguyen/LLeget Nagbe Bradley/Bedoya Dax
Pulisic has played centrally against Mexico only twice. He played out wide in the away Hex game and the last friendly. In the first Hex game he played in a free central role underneath Wood and Altidore for the first 30 mins before being pushed out wide. In the second half came inside a lot more. He didnt connect, but was causing a lot of problems for Mexico's defense nearly on and in the second half. Looking at from a similar but slightly different angle, CP's worst games for the US have been when he has been deployed out wide. Some of that has to do with it was often done against better teams but I think more to do with the rest of the players on the field. He didnt get service from a poor midfield and other teams were easily able to double and triple team him. His best moments in those games were when he drifted centrally. Here are his first and last games against Mexico. He did very little in traditional wide positions and created most from central positions.
You lost me with Benny, Nguyen, LLeget, Nagbe, and Dax. Feilhaber is the only one that potentially was up to the level and seems to be getting bonus points for not liking Klinsmann. There is a reason why he wasnt a starter for Bob and Bruce pretty much ignored him. I think the front three of Wood, Altidore, and Pulisic was the best option. They complemented each other very well. The issue was the midfield and back line. Cameroon's injury meant that Gonzo played. Dropping Gonzo for a hard working midfielder like Bedoya probably would have been enough to allow Johnson/Chandler/Yedlin to get forward.
It doesn't work that way. The 10 in a 4231 can move to left or right wing anytime he likes and avoid a fullback marking him 24/7. Having said that, we should be thinking how we will get Reyna and Pulisic on the pitch at the same time. ---------------puli----------sarge(morris) ----------------------reyna -----arriola--adams---delgado---dest ------------brooks--long---miles ---------------(ream)--(sands)--(miazga) (not sure how the cb pool shakes out). If you have ESPN+ you can watch a good 4231operating in Toronto's last game of 2020 vs. NYFC which is a team as good/better than most of the concacaf opponents we will face. Osorio and Delgado played double 6's with Pozuelo as a 10 and Jozy as the 9, a Div I winger on the left who scored (Achara) and Gallardo on the right. If you go to opta you can see where Pozuelo (10) was during the game by looking at his distribution chart and you will see he was all over the place. https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2020-03-07-toronto-fc-vs-new-york-city-fc/boxscore
Reyna is the first guy to come along since Donovan whom I would say is a "true 10" as I understand you to use the term.
You seem to assume a lot about where at least I learn to rate players for the national team. I start watching in Dallas Cup when they are 15-17 against international teams, then U17 qualifying, UC WC, U20 qualifying and WC, U23 qualifying the Olympics (back when T Rex roamed the earth and we actually made them) then how they progress with their club teams to how they play with the full team. Having watched since JOB was at Dallas Cup I have picked up on the guys that might make it to the next level. Some players do better later and only through club teams but most of our best players have made a progression through the U national teams that I have witnessed that makes it easier to spot others who may do so. I have of course missed on some and hit on others. There are a record number coming up that just recently showed that they are close to ready for the full team by their play in U20 and U17 and if they are grinding at MLS or UXX whatever in Europe I still expect a bunch of them to punch through. So no I don't get excited from just seeing a few games of a player in MLS.
So you limit yourself to subset of players after the coach systematically reduced the pool to try to emulate how an MLS team played? Wierd excercise.
Then I probably wasnt talking about you. What I see most with people propping MLS players that they dont seem to be doing a lot of analysis to determine if the player can make the jump to the next level. If we just look at the three players I listed in my post... Long has some serious deficiencies and hasnt shown he has the brain for the higher level. Why is Pomykal considered by so many on here to be ahead of all the other central midfielders? I dont think he outperformed his peers with the u20s. I think he is a nice prospect, but he has way too much time and space in MLS to have any idea what he will do when that disappears. Morris has always had the physical tools and made good runs. For many, he wasnt good enough until he went to MLS and ju,ped to the top. I have seen a player that always had the potential and has steadily improved. I still question if he is a starter, especially given the system Berhalter is forcing. That being said, he is in my 23 without any question and foung to take a lot to push out because he has some special, rare strengths.
First start against Mexico was at amid in a 3412 in WCQing. He wasn't ready. And JK had botched the tactics. 2nd was at left-forward in a 343 at Azteca. The team was playing on very short notice to accommodate's Mexico's schedule for the Confederations. Good draw and tactics under the circumstances. 3rd was amid in a 433 in the GC loss. In a 433, CP should be playing wing when in a 433. This was Gregg during his experimental phase. 4th was on the wing in a 433 in the debacle friendly loss. Again, Gregg was in his experimental phase. What is your def of a 'true 10'. It is not necessary to win midfield, if tactics don't depend it.
I honestly don't know what games you were watching at the U20s. PP was clearly our best CM, Mendez and Durkin looked athletically limited while he was not out of place against any of the competition. I had no idea who he was going into the tournament and he stood out as clear as day.
i remember thinking Paxton looked like a fighter, Uly was very impressive, de la Fuentes was just ok, dest and Richards looked really good. Anybody know where I can re-watch some of those games?
Pax played like a Captain. I'd like to see him get out of Dallas but movement in MLS is aboriginal level. Edit: I bet Jesse Marsch would like to have him.
I dont think any of the the more attack minded central midfielders was clearly better than the others. Pomykal, Mendez, and Ledezma all showed strengths and weaknesses. Durkin shouldnt be mentioned with any of these three The only category I would Pomykal ahead of the other two was aggressive defensive play. Mendez physical limitations were over played and he showed well against nigeria and Ukraine. Mendez and Ledezma's passing was more incisive and had more final passes or attempts on goal. Here are the clips I could find. Nothing about Pomykal's clips suggest he was clearly ahead of the others.
It looks like the nigeria, france and Ecuador games are on here... https://footballia.net/competitions/u-20-world-cup?page=4
@bsky22 I agree that Richie looked good as well. I also agree that PP's defensive aggression is what set him apart.I don't think it's coincidence that Mendez was suspended against France.
Players move on from youth tournaments. When fit, Pomykal has been a revelation in senior professional league play. If the other guys have also been great in senior professional league play then that's the relevant comparison.
To me KDLF looked like he was getting the ball too far out wide. He was quick enough and good enough on the ball the beat a defender or two. But, he wasn't fast enough to capitalize, when he was several yards outside of the box. If he was getting the ball on the edge of the box, he looked like he'd be very dangerous.
@bsky22 I watched the videos and saw about what I remembered. Mendez looks skilled but slow and I don't see him breaking up play and winning balls like PP. I forgot that it was PP flying into a challenge in our end that lead indirectly to the goal to beat France. After watching us get run over in the MF on the senior team, I am very much looking for this sort of pain in the neck to play against.
A "true 10" was in the mold of Maradona or Zidane. A MF that operated between the defense and midfield and was the main playmaker linking defense to the forwards. In most of world soccer, that kind of luxury player is not common. A "playmaker" does exist but can line up anywhere. De Bruyne is usually lined up outside, as is Messi. The float in plenty. Players like Pogba and playmakers from deep are more common. I think the Classic 10 does exist in MLS because of the money spent on offense vs defense and the DP structure allows for a team to have a few exceptional players that are so much better than everyone else. In the friendly, Pulisic started on the left in the 433 but on defense was one of the front two forwards. In transition, he was the furthest forward most times as Zardes was defending near the box. Same thing against Canada in Toronto. Wherever Pulsic starts, he is going to be in that pocket between the midfielders and defense. The rotation is part of GB's plan. I think the rotation will work with the kids coming up better than it has with Arriola. Arriola has been good at moving for Pulisic, but he adds nothing offensively except poor finishing and lack of vision. Reyna, if he comes good, is the complement GB must be searching for. I think Ledezma and Holmes also have promise. Strangely, the latter has not been tried.
That is very different than Pomykal being clearly better. All three play similar position but do it very differently. I dont think speed is a strength of Mendez, but dont think it is nearly as big of an issue as you and others make it out to be. He got caught on the ball once against Nigeria, but also brokenuo some plays and wasnt consistentlybrun off the ball. What is also clear from the videos is that his vision, accuracy of passes and ability to test the goalkeeper are all much better than Pomykal. Ledezma was the odd one out but when he got his chances it was clear that he was best at getting the ball, running a defenses to put them under pressure and finding the final pass. It doesn't sound like you think he was better but you prefer his style of play. Your reasoning is kind of amusing though. People used to hate midfields that included Bradley, Jones, Beckerman, Bedoya, etc. and thought that Feilhaber/Nguyen were the answer. Now that Arena and Berhalter have mismanaged the team, your most important criteria for a central midfielder is defensive aggression. if I am assuming that Adam's and Mckennie are two of our three central midfielders, then I think Mendez is better third option to distribute the ball or Ledezma to attack defenses. I think Pomykal is an interesting prospect, but have to see much about him that stands out offensively.