Pre-match: Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals @ Jamaica (Nov 14) & v Jamaica (Nov 18)

It's unfair, but the truth is that if you have a national team manager with a world-class reputation won at the absolute best clubs in the world, then they can be a little more patient with dual nationals.

Players will want the opportunity to play for Pochettino.

 

I think players will go where they expect to get the most PT (within the set of teams they expect to qualify). I think that consideration dominate all others. If they expect to play a lot on all the teams for which they are eligible then they will choose the one that they expect will progress the furthest in the tournament. But for most it’s about playing.

 

We got good CB play from Ream & Zimmerman in the WC, Zimmerman & Miles in wcq'ing, & historically have had some good cb's; so I don't know what you mean by "never".

 

On the surface, I think this argument makes perfect sense. What it is lacking is context. Hamstrings can be difficult but I would be surprised if Richard's hamstring issue compares with back surgery.

I don't know the typical timetable for Adam's back surgery but given the fact that he has been out for several months, combined with his injury history, I doubt it is quite so simple. In addition, we don't really know how much Poch communicated with Adam's coach but I assume he did. It is quite possible that he was only given a 60 minute run because he new he would have the window to recover (after speaking with Poch), and then to continue building up his fitness during the window.

 

He will definitely get a good look in January and Pochettino will be able to decide from there if he warrants further inclusion.

 

Not a decision I agree with. Just like I didn’t agree with every Berhalter roster choice. But I’ll judge more on the results, but still some leeway there given it’s still early.

The Gold Cup next year is the point I hope to really start to see things coming together.

 

We've been playing 3 in the back. Jedi has been an out and out winger, while Scalley has been a 3back RCB

 

He's had a natural build-up. The 2nd game he played 31 minutes. And it went well, so he progressed to 45+22 (67). It's much more likely this is the explanation.

If there wasn't an int'l break, what would he be doing now? I doubt he'd just go sit for 2 weeks. So he'd be playing somewhere; why not here?

It's also not inherently better to rest. At some point you need to stretch out and get match fitness. So he may have been better served by playing.

Getting on a plane isn't wearing vs. playing some midweek. People react to getting injured on int'l duty, but I don't know if there's logic or empiricism that suggests it's more likely.

So I'd have started him 1 match (maybe sub him out, to his remonstrations again), and brought him off the bench the other. Similar to what he'd have done at Bourney.

 

the same squad that looked terrible splitting with pan and mex plus wes, weah at home and our hand being forced into starting the correct choice (pepi). um, cool. a couple of tweaks totally moves you from terrible to passable...right?

all indications are we will play generally the same with jedi, a pseudo-3 back with wes or yunus- then presumably weah- on the right. no fb backup is weird, but unless theres an injury it wont really matter- though 2 matches in 4 days, what could possibly go wrong, amirite?

ream and a just back richards adds zim to the "poch sure doesnt seem to give a f" list with maloney, cause while im certainly not clamoring for him being back in the team if its not richards zim is the first guy id turn to to anchor that backline (does jamaica have any 5'6 forwards to repeatedly beat miles in the air?).

i am underwhelmed, and actively concerned about the contradictions. let tyler heal (fully agree) but bring richards? replacing some players (cowell for haji- speculating) and not others (lund)- not that i care about him in particular but no tolkin or wiley? starting a non-playing keeper? the roster construction is just weird. weve got like a dozen cms and the plan is to use them wide too? do we need more evidence brendan cant play centrally at this level? does malik finally show something? anything?

but whatever. weve got all the time in the world...

 

Training under close supervision by the Bournmouth trainers who know him and his problems. With other players not going with Nat teams. It makes good sense to me.

 

yeah, I dont agree. He is Pochettino, he isnt going to beg. Well, maybe for a Messi he would.

 

Are you saying we've been playing well?

 

Sure looks like a 3-CB formation roster to me. I have been asking for it for a while but I would have preferred to see it in a friendly first.

EDIT... I guess we have seen a 3-CB formation a bit under Poch w/ the way Scally has been playing RB. (More like a RCB).

 

Yeah. That certainly makes it possible for him to be emergency fill in, but I have imagined that role is different enough from a 4-3-3 FB that it worries me to have it as the principal backup idea. Just seems like a third FB for two games was the way to go.

 

I think he thinks wingback is Musah's best position and I can see that. The best performance of his life was vs. Real Madrid and he played more or less wingback the entire game. Wingbacks have a lot of freedom

 

I admit I have no idea where Musah is best. His ability to resist press and progress with the ball at his foot seems more suited to the middle. I think of wingers needing more one touch and sprint to their game, and that hasn’t seemed like Musah. But Milan knows more than I do, so must be other things that make it make sense (positive things —- not just “his mistakes are less fatal on the wing”).

 

I don't think it is that easy to come to that conclusion.

Impossible to say without inside info (which is part of my point), but my guess is that he might have gone 45 instead of 60 with the goal of 60 for the next game

After each game (including the last one in which he went 60), the docs evaluated him fully and depending upon their diagnosis that would determine his next step. Of course that next number also depends upon the recuperation and preparation he can do before the next game. He would not be able to get that same level of rest/preparation with a transatlantic flight.[/QUOTE]

I definitely don't believe that Adams will be relaxing....feet up on the couch. He will be working hard to get back to full fitness. Of course at some point they have to let him go for the full 90 but even 60 with the added burden of international travel is a pretty big risk imo. There are several questions that have to be answered: 1. What is better for Adams long term 2. What is better for USMNT short and long term? 3. What is better for Bournemouth short and long term? If we are saying that Adams can go 60 but hasn't yet shown he is 90 min fit so he should be with the USMNT because the games vs Jamaica are games that count then I say we are going with what is best for USMNT without regard to Adams, Bournemouth or USMNT long term.

I'd say there is both logic and empiricism. I think all of us that have traveled have experienced exhaustion to one degree or another when crossing international time zones. It has been shown that rest is a key factor in recovery to full fitness. We know that athletes that push themselves and/or play with injuries can be more susceptible to injuries. (some of the previous I think is logic and some has been shown to be true in studies...although I won't search it up).

In addition, there has been some research done on travel impacts on performance and injuries. Of course we are speaking about injuries here but logically, it seems that the two are related.

Here are two:

The Negative Influence of Air Travel on Health and Performance in the National Basketball Association: A Narrative Review - PMC

One thing I noticed in the second article that I found interesting was the recommended pre and post flight prep: "In the seven days prior to travel, modified training routines with reduced training volume and intensity should be adopted7, and the adjustment of training times to the destination time zone can be considered....Evidence also exists that shifting the sleep schedule at one hour per day towards the destination time zone is effective to assist with phase advance or -delay, but may be impractical7,15." and "The fastest rate of adapting to the new destination time zone is approximately half a day per time zone crossed when travelling west, or 1 day per time zone crossed when travelling east".

Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal - COPING WITH JET LAG AND PROTECTING ATHLETE HEALTH WHEN TRAVELLING

The fact that Adams has not been deemed fully 90 min fit, the severity of his injury, knowing his personality, the complications based created by transatlantic travel across 6 time zones, combined makes me believe that using Adams would create a best case scenario of maintaining current fitness. The worst case scenario would be reinjury.

Of course I really don't know as much as I need to know to be able to make an accurate assessment, so it is always possible, but not likely imo, that Adams is much more fit than I think. Maybe he is ready for 4 flights (to and from US and to and from Jamaica) and two games and will be fit and sufficiently rested. Of course Kingston and Chicago are in the same time zone, so there is that...

Edit: As far as Richards goes I'm not going to argue that one way or the other. I think that when it comes to injuries, decisions can't be cookie cutter one size fits all. I think Adam's case is far easier to argue. I have no idea about Richards but I do agree that it at least seems surprising that he got called in without playing recently...especially knowing how conservatively Poch has treated players so far. I would be interested to know the reasoning behind it.

 

I'm a bit bemused that some are against this roster and bring up if Berhalter had done only two backs. I thought the idea was to see how a great international coach would differ?

Adams may be on a long flight restriction right now if that was deemed to have been part of his problem the last time he got hurt.

Quite remarkable to be missing 3 out of 4 best center forwards.

If Poch intends to play the amoeba like back four - back three combo I wonder if he's comparing Scally and Richards who has played right back before. Left back has Ream and Trusty available. Seems like not great attacking options but we used to play Bocanegra at LB for years.

 

This is a good time for this approach.

 

I’m not bothered by a more hands off approach where you simply offer a call up if warranted and see what happens.

 

That approach is both honorable and also likely too naive for the modern world. NCAA coaches that don’t adapt to NIL have laudable principles and lose more games.

 

Minor detail missing-- I think we have to beat Jamaica.

 

1. We don’t need the best of 1vs1 defender J. Moore to constrain Vini Jr. Both Scally and Musah showed they can do. So back up for Dest is no longer an issue, I guess.
2. For Jedi’s backup, Waley has better chance, but now looks like Ream is Jedi’s back up as in Fulham.
3. Many of you want Luna but Luna is a Busio’ s style player. Or you can say Lucas DLT. Does Luna has more offensive ability than Busio and ALSO more defensive ability than Busio? Question mark.
4. Haji’s injury brings in Cowell (instead Cole). Many of you don’t rate him high, but a strong/fast/can score Cowell as a sub in 30 minutes against leg tired defenders is not so bad.
5. Adams is ready for at least 60-70 minutes of play, but his back is not good for a short time long flight.

 

This group needs to be reminded why they are there and what the purpose of this whole exercise is.

 

I’m pretty pleased with that roster. I think the back line looks solid, Despite all the lack of faith here in our CBs. I also like the inclusion of Vasquez. He deserves another shot and it will be interesting to see how he does. Hope he gets some time at the nine.