Pre-match: International Friendly: USA vs Paraguay March 27th, 2018

Why do you keep talking about formations? What does AC Milan have to do with this?

Nagbe finds himself in a 3v1 50 to 60 yards from goal because the rest of the midfield has been sucked over to the right side of the field. The only impending danger is if a player gets behind him. If he can’t win the ball (which he couldn’t) the simplest thing to do is contain the attackers. Nagbe takes a few steps back and a little to the left and none of the attackers can get behind him.

The center of the field is generally more dangerous, but not when 55 yards away from the goal. If the attacker dribbled forward, Nagbe could have closed him down or Bradley might be able to recover.

 

From when they are 5, soccer players do 2 v 1 and 3 v 1 drills. Certainly, you don't get far if you stand there and let everyone go. Or if you start the drill picking one player to close and leaving the other open for the easy pass. Fundamental defending. Nagbe is not fundamentally sound defensively.

 

The only correct pre game prediction! Congrats..[emoji898]

 

Well, no. Formations describe defense, not offense. Trinidad has the ball. Where's the 10?

People here have facile ideas about this game. If you want to say PUlisic is playing forward then don't put the #10 on him in this situation.

Arena was arrogant about playing a 4132. Pulisic was going to be the 10 creator and we were going to drown the other team in goals. I always said he was not a 10- Pulisic is a forward who scores goals. If that had been clear from the beginning there would not have been any problem.

 

The last word I'd associate with the USA's (and Paraguay's) style of play is "entertaining."

 

I think Altidore has dropped back to help the build up. Pulisic has probably switched positions with him at that point. Altidore loses the ball and the rest is history.

Too much was put on Pulisic, it was ridiculous. He actually delivered, at least comparatively. He is not his best on the road on CONCACAF on bad fields. Until Pulisic plays CAM for his club team, he shouldn't be there for the USA (home games against lesser teams seems to work well though). Let him play where he is excelling for his club.

 

At bottom I'm blaming Arena. But my point is that people's conception of the "10" and the "creator" role is a fantasy. We need goals. As people here have pointed out, Pulisic scored goals for us. Why tell your goal scorer to play the 10? Tell other people to create more goals for Pulisic. Don't tell PUlisic to create goals for Wood, who hasn't scored in forever while also taking over defensive duties in the middle third in the middle of the pitch.

 

Makes sense to me

 

The #1 problem with usmnt is that we have a scarcity of quality strikers/forwards. Jozy is good most of the time, but he can be taken out of the game if the ref is not calling it when he is fouled. We have no one even close to Jozy as a replacement. We have other problems too, but this is the most serious.

 

On paper the Aussies shouldn't be better than us, but they are. I think it's in great part because they got two intelligent men in midfield: Jedinak and Mooy. They organize their team well, something no one does for us (Bradley should have been the man to do it, but he didn't).

 

Pulisic is approximately 10 yards in front of Bradley. He had stepped up to pressure the guy who made the pass to the guy who got the assist.

 

Jamaica has a pretty solid chance of qualifying for the World Cup within the confines of Weah's playing career, especially with expansion coming in 2026. Unlike Liberia, Jamaica has actually been to the World Cup before.

That being said, there's no chance in hell he ever represents the island.

 

So you're saying everybody that had him in his squad is wrong in their vision about his abilities....and deliberately derail their own chances to have their team perform as a winner? Because...? SadoM tendencies?

 

Maybe he brings bad luck like Adu.

 

This isn’t the first time either. I think he could put together 5-a-side squad of “world beaters” that have been discriminated against... just in the last decade.

 

This is exactly correct. The scenario is a simple one. There is only one correct course of action for Nagbe, and we have outlined it clearly. Nagbe didn't take that course of action, unfortunately, and a goal ensued. And yes, Bradley and others were out of position and didn't offer any support. Nothing more needs to be said.

 

He must have grown up with a lot of islanders in Pembroke PInes. I heard him talk and thought he had some Jamaican in there. I believe he played in a Jamaican league or something when he was just first starting.