How we can move to next level?

Shaster · Feb 11, 2004

After Mexico killed us in our so-called "the best U-23" team (just a reminder of our best U-20 team in 2001), we cannot just simply blame on inexperienced defenders. If we have all our National team defenders in the game, can we beat Mexico U-23? Maybe, but we still cannot beat Brazil U-23 even with all those experienced backs. We are not losing this game because the defense, we are losing at the MIDFIELD.

So the problem is that we are not a good technical and possession team. The currently success we enjoyed that due to two factors--we have some better and younger attacking talents and a great tactical coach in Bruce Arena.

Before that, what we have?

1) Very good goalkeepers who normally can reduce a 0:3 loss to 0:1.

2) Solid and disciplined defense AND with numbers. We used to play at least with 4 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders. Our both wing midfielders come back to help and our forwards, such as McBride did a LOT of defending in the first 1/3 of field.

Adding Donovan, Beasley and Convey, that raised the deadly counter attacking ability of our team.

So in our game, we just have one way to beat other people--great goalkeeping, good/compact defense, quick transition, and deadly counter attacking.

Now, even with this, we still cannot absorb the 90 minutes pressure, so we still need some of possession to relieve our pressure. So we have one and only Our beloved Captain Reyna. Without him, we are totally not good. See the evidence in the Confederation Cup.

Come back in World Cup, 2002, even though we lost two games against Germany and Poland, we did play a good possession game against bunked defense. Of course, we have three good skilled center midfielders there in Reyna, JOB and Mastro. But even with these three, we still cannot match up our possession ability with Mexico. We are lucky to have Ramos and Reyna in the past, but what we have in the future? We do have enough energy guys in the midfield, but where is our possession guys? Also, for a possession game, we need to have 10 guys who can control/pass the ball because if any ball have to pass to Hedjuk, then a boom! The possession is gone.

Can we have a good possesson midfield in 2006? It is tough. But how about in 2005 U-20? Maybe. At least we have 4 players who have the skill to be those kind of players.

Adu, Szetela, Nunez, and Memo.

But is our youth coaches up to the tasks?

dna77054 · Feb 11, 2004

Originally posted by Shaster
After Mexico killed us in our so-called "the best U-23" team (just a reminder of our best U-20 team in 2001), we cannot just simply blame on inexperienced defenders. If we have all our National team defenders in the game, can we beat Mexico U-23? Maybe, but we still cannot beat Brazil U-23 even with all those experienced backs. We are not losing this game because the defense, we are losing at the MIDFIELD.

So the problem is that we are not a good technical and possession team. The currently success we enjoyed that due to two factors--we have some better and younger attacking talents and a great tactical coach in Bruce Arena.

Before that, what we have?

1) Very good goalkeepers who normally can reduce a 0:3 loss to 0:1.

2) Solid and disciplined defense AND with numbers. We used to play at least with 4 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders. Our both wing midfielders come back to help and our forwards, such as McBride did a LOT of defending in the first 1/3 of field.

Adding Donovan, Beasley and Convey, that raised the deadly counter attacking ability of our team.

So in our game, we just have one way to beat other people--great goalkeeping, good/compact defense, quick transition, and deadly counter attacking.

Now, even with this, we still cannot absorb the 90 minutes pressure, so we still need some of possession to relieve our pressure. So we have one and only Our beloved Captain Reyna. Without him, we are totally not good. See the evidence in the Confederation Cup.

Come back in World Cup, 2002, even though we lost two games against Germany and Poland, we did play a good possession game against bunked defense. Of course, we have three good skilled center midfielders there in Reyna, JOB and Mastro. But even with these three, we still cannot match up our possession ability with Mexico. We are lucky to have Ramos and Reyna in the past, but what we have in the future? We do have enough energy guys in the midfield, but where is our possession guys? Also, for a possession game, we need to have 10 guys who can control/pass the ball because if any ball have to pass to Hedjuk, then a boom! The possession is gone.

Can we have a good possesson midfield in 2006? It is tough. But how about in 2005 U-20? Maybe. At least we have 4 players who have the skill to be those kind of players.

Adu, Szetela, Nunez, and Memo.

But is our youth coaches up to the tasks?
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You make good points. Perhaps we should look to send some of our players to Mexico. Surely they would benefit from a Liga that puts the utmost emphasis on techinal ability and ball possession. Most of our players that do get to Europe are defense oriented. Our midfielders who cannot get to Europe might do well in Mexico. That is of course if Mexico will have them.