If you had to put together a starting XI for Qatar 2022, who would be in it?

What about Ghana, man? There's a lot of Ghanaian talent in Europe. How do you anticipate them lining up?

 

That's the bet and gamble ... we need a lot of players to grow up fast.

I suspect that Chris Richards will not grow up that fast, but he has the talent.

 

Yeah, Richards is on a tight timeline. But we have CCV, EPB, Miazga, Miles, McKenzie, and Long. I'm anticipating at worst two will make the jump.

 

Somuch of this writes itself, easily. All healthy you have the following locks:
..........Sargent
Pulisic..............RW
..........Reyna
...McKennie Adams
LB..Brooks CB..Dest
...........Steffan

That's 8 of 11 players, all getting minutes at top level eams when healthy and all playing in their natural positions. Start there. Then, you let Morris duke it out with Weah once healthy for the right wing spot. I expect Weah to win this one, but Morris has the advantage as of right now.

The midfield is a no brainer, especially projecting a couple years out to let Reyna get some experience.

The biggest mess is on defense. You have Long (poor ball skills, but good marker), Miazga (not very agile and maybe not the best partner for Brooks), Alvarado (theoretically a decent match with Brooks, but hasn't gotten any time). None of these choices are really inspiring. I think a lot in the middle gets solved if Richards steps up. We've got some time to wait here so hopefully that works out. Otherwise, get ready to have a weak central defense.

And then, there's left back. I'm coking to believe switching Dest to left back is a bad idea. Sure, in theory or video game world, his skill set is fine over there and we get another decent option for the right. But, reality is he plays on the right, is right footed always shines over there and is one of our top players. Just stick him in his position and let him do his thing. Messing around with a guy at the top of your player pool is generally a foolish idea (see Adams). So, who goes back there? I think alot of hope rests on Robinson fulfilling his potential or trying to swap Yedlin or cannon to the left. I think you lose a lot less swapping players who give you little skill on theb ball going forward than swaping out a giy who relies on his skill on the ball so I think either could be possibilities, especially Yedlin. But, my hope if Robinson coming good over the nbext couple years.

In goal,
Antonee Robinson

 

Solid post. I think Ledezma has the potential to push Gio to the wing and I think it’s a very realistic possibility. Unfortunately, history has shown us for certain that a few players will be hurt or fade away because of injury 2 years from now, so this problem may solve itself.

I generally agree with you about Dest. I went back and looked at the first messages I ever sent about him during the ‘17 U17 World Cup and my first impression was something like “very good as a right back, meh as a left back.” Unfortunately, meh may be about as good as we can hope for by 2022. The one thing I think he has in his arsenal that he hasn’t displayed yet is a cannonading right foot that can cut in from the left. We’ve seen it a bit at Ajax and, if you remember, he had that one laser that turned into a Rennicks garbage winner vs France in the u20 World Cup. Also, I don’t see how putting him on the same side as Pulisic could ever be considered a bad idea.

 

If Tyler Adams continues to be a RB / RWB for RB Leipzig -- let's stay that becomes his permanent starting spot for the next two years, where do you play him?

Do you start him at RB then? Bench two of Dest, Cannon and Adams because they all basically play RB?

Is it smart for Canada to stick Davies at LB instead of LW (where he's been great for their national team) just because he plays there at Bayern?

It's very common for players to play a different role with their national team based on needs and fit. There's no universal answer here; there's always tradeoffs.

 

Oops, got cut off.. Anyway, I take Robinson on the left with a big hope that he continues to progess. Stefan goes in goal if healthy, but goal is far weaker for the US than it has been in decades, even with ab healthy Steffan. Plays out in the end like this...

....................Sargent
..............Pulisic......Weah
.......................Reyna
..............McKennie Adams
Robinson Brooks Robinson Dest
.....................Steffan

Not bad all in all. Lots of crossing fingers for guys to stay healthy enough to develop well over the next couple years.

 

Adams is most effective in central midfield. In MLS, when used at RB or RWB, he could physically dominate the touchline. He can't do that in the B1. And he doesn't have skillset to make up for this. In MLS, he could equally excel at central midfield and rb/rwb. At higher levels, he is a center mid.

 

I agree that is true. And, in the case of Adams I would play him in midfield regardless. I think you often lose a lot with moving a wing player to his off side, so Dest I feel differently about. With Adams I want his mobility maximized in midfield and we are weak there without him. It's all always a player-for player decisions and tradeoffs abound.

 

I agree on Adams. I think there's plenty of opportunity on Dest to play him over there and see who is right.

Our options at LB are not great right now, and Cannon has been pretty good and improving at RB (to say nothing of Yedlin). I think it's worth the risk to try Dest out; if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

But I think the gap in player quality at LB is so significant compared to RB, that's where I'd start.

 

Weah has to make it back from 2 ruptured hamstring muscles.

 

LB should be simple enough to fill.

1. Antonee Robinson. Will likely be playing in a top-5 league, next season.
2. Ryan Hollingshead. The veteran MLSer who hasn't been given a shot. He's certainly better than Chase Casper, Lovitz, and Tim Ream.
3. Kyle Duncan. A young RB who when called upon has excelled at LB.
4. Sam Vines. An actual left-footed LB. The long term plan.

Dest should play in midfield or at rightback.

 

I agree Weah's injuries put a giant question mark over his name. Morris has shown well in that spot if he never does so. I'm fine with him out there if Weah never gets going. I think Robinson stepping up on the left and the other Robinson progressing enough to get on the field are much bigger concerns. We have fewer replacements that that make me all that comfortable.

 

————Sargent———-
Pulisic——————-Weah
————Reyna————
——McKennie—Adams——
Robinson———————Dest
——-Brooks—-Richards———
————Steffen—————

Bench:
Horvath (GK)
Ochoa (GK)
Cannon (RB)
Miazga (CB)
Long (CB)
Kobe Hernandez-Foster (LB)
Holmes(CM)
Pomykal (CM)
Ledezma (CM)
Llanez
Morris
Soto

If European soccer continues and is not further hampered by Covid-19, then I expect the following to all break out into Bundesliga/Eredivisie teams by Summer 2021:

KHF
Ledezma
Llanez
Soto

I expect Ochoa to be starting in MLS, Cannon to be starting in the Bundesliga, Miazga and Holmes to be starting in the EPL. Horvath will be in a Top 5 club somewhere.

 

I do not envision any scenario where I’d be okay with Adams as a right back, unless all of Cannon, Yedlin, and Dest were injured and none of the other up and coming RB prospects emerged. Even then, I don’t see how our midfield would be strong enough to move Adams to the right

 

There are still plenty of question marks at this point. We have so little depth at certain positions and we desperately need prospects to emerge and stay healthy before I’d feel even a little optimistic. Injuries have long been one of our biggest obstacles and I don’t see how that has changed.

 

Attack:
---------Morris--------
Reyna----------Pulisic
---Pomykal--Wes---
Dest----Otasowie----Adams
-------Brooks--Long----------
-----------Horvath-------------

bench - Altidore, Weah, Aaronson, Sargent, Richards, A. Robinson, Steffen