In a nutshell, the only player likely to play #10 for us is Christian Pulisic, even if he’s suited for wing better. The #10 position is mostly outdated, and most center midfielders need to be able to defend. Most 10’s are hybrid 8/10’s.
That is Roldan. Trapp also has zero production in more minutes. But, in fairness, plays further back.
I see what you are saying -- I'm talking more about a hybrid 8/10 like Berhalter, or really any modern CAM -- there's very few traditional 10s around who have the ball run through them at all times and don't try on defense. I think Ledezma can be the "most attacking centermidfielder in a three man central midfield" if that makes sense.
I agree we should have potential call-ups for the proverbial cup of coffee. That said, I'm 99% sure Kayo is there simply because a) USL wasn't great to get ready for Europe to begin with b) he's not under contract at the moment yet and this is a nice way to get him into playing form before heading over. It's a favor to a high potential player and USYNT player ... I don't think this is the same as Pomykal or Aaronson's or even Llanez's call-up in January.
Not going to make a prediction. Just because I don’t know the pool like you guys do. With that being said, it needs to be their best players. Absolutely no experimenting whatsoever in this camp. They should treat this like it’s the World Cup. It’s their second to last camp before arguably the biggest/most important World Cup qualifying ever for the United States. So crucial for them to get off to a quick start in the hex.
My prediction for turnover: Injury driven: Adams and Weah are invited Pomykal would have been but is with Olympic Qualifying Hopeful: We see a surprise LB inclusion I think there's an outside chance we see Reyna ... who is released for the senior team but not the Olympics ... especially with Pulisic possibly still hurt. But generally, very little screwing around.
If Reyna is with the Dortmund 1st team in March, he has to be with the senior team. And there he needs to remain until he gets sent down to the U19s again (if he does). We have 2 players, possibly 3, who could earn a spot with Dortmund. Frankly, if he is with the first team, he is basically a lock starter with the US team in my opinion.
Big interview with ESPN and Pulisic today. It is very good. One thing that doesn't seem to be on Pulisic's mind at all is the Olympics. Certainly not Qualifying in March. Even in their hemming and hawing recently, the USSF brass has talked about whether they can get him in August. Pulisic is laser focused on World Cup Qualifying. As everyone should be! There were hints, not long ago, that since OQ was in the FIFA window, mostly, that it might have been possible to have all the Euro U23 guys for Qualifying but not for the actual Olympics. That seems to have been a pipe dream. If they are going to try at all to qualify, it probably does mean that Yueill, Pomykal, and Cannon will be with the Olympic team in March. If Gregg thinks either of them could start our first Hex game, I would keep them with the senior team. But they should all be #2, or further, at their position.
I'm just trying to get myself used to the idea that we're not going to qualify for the Olympics. We got a really tough draw, and our best U-23s are already integrated into the full USMNT and/or likely to be unavailable for qualifying. I don't know if this is true or not, but if Mexico and Costa Rica have most of their best U-23s playing in North America and available for qualifying, I don't see our B/C team of U-23s getting the job done, especially in Mexico.
I think we should qualify, even with the roster we can get released from MLS. The problem is the format, with the one game to decide everything. It introduces a lot of randomness into the equation. Remember, the USA crushed the group stage last time then had a bad game against a very good Honduras team. Unlucky some and we have seen the midfielders on that team turn out to be not good or soft or both. Honduras intimidated them and that was a big reason for the result. A Yueill, Pomykal, Aaronsen midfield, if anything, will not be intimated. All those players, if not the hardest nosed, never back down. Pomykal and Aaronsen are particularly tenacious, might be their best quality. Servania and Cappis are probably more physical players than that. The only problem is scoring with this group. If they could wrangle someone from Europe, that would be helpful. Soto or Reyna or Llanez...
im curious to see how we play under kreis. these players all came up under ramos- who i dont think is a ridiculously great coach, but did have a general system he had implemented through the youth program. moving past that stability/familiarity weve had for almost a decade i just hope we dont too strictly implement a completely different system. i cant imagine we will have any euro-based players, but i agree we have a tough, experienced group. i think being intiidated, or less experienced, or fully coming unravelled have been issues far more than a lack of consistent (forward) scoring in the past, imo. i think the club, but more importantly the sr team experience, of cannon, yueill, etc could be a big factor for us in that sense. i think its more important for every available domestic player be in the team than any possible euro additions (meaning no "cannons with the sr team now, we arent going to send him 'down'" nonsense). ...not that id turn away soto or whoever, of course.
Aaronson and Yueill never played for Ramos, did they? I do agree with the idea that it is not a time to have a training exercise in Gregg's System. I think you can be more flexible in March. WCQ'ing has to be priority 1, 2, 3, 4, then U20 qualifying and then maybe Olympics. But, all the players that might be involved in the Hex, but could be with the Olympic team in March, are all spending a month with Berhalter. So, even if Pomykal, Yueill, Cannon miss the camp in March, they have had four weeks already. I do think though, if Pomykal is going to be a starter in the Hex, he can't go to the Olympics in August. He also has to play with the team in the LON in June. Same with the other two. No one who is going to be important in the Hex can go to the Olympics, imo, if we qualify. I do think Mendez will be available in both windows and he seems keen on being on the team. Hard to see who else will be available in the Summer, if the opportunity is secured.
-------------------Steffen --Dest---Robinson---Brooks---Ream ------------Adams----McKennie Weah------------Pulisic-------------Reyna --------------------Sargent Robinson is the only MLS player I would fly to Europe for these games. The bench can be made up of young players in Europe.
You like Miles over Long? What do you think are the trade-offs in choosing one over the other? Thanks.
In a must-win game, I might choose Long. Is one really that much better than the other? Probably not. But Robinson is 4.5 years younger and has what appears to be a far higher ceiling.
I was thinking about this more, and while I have no idea what Berhalter will do, I think the focus should be on finding out which fringe-y Euro guys can help the team in 6 months once qualifying starts. I wouldn't go overboard with calling in guys who are almost certainly too young and/or inexperienced to help in the short-term, but it's OK to do so to make up numbers without hauling some mediocre MLS guys over. That means I'd start with the Euro core group--Pulisic, Adams, McKennie (if healthy), Brooks, Dest, Yedlin, Steffen, Miazga, Ream, and Sargent. Then, for the fringe-y guys who we haven't seen much of, I'm thinking Holmes, Morales, A. Robinson, Horvath, Sabbi, Weah (I'm calling him fringe-y not because I doubt his ability, but just because we haven't seen him with the USMNT in the Berhalter era, and he hasn't really played at his club this season), and Boyd (he has more recent caps than these other guys, but his spot is pretty tenuous given his recent play). We'd need another forward, so I'd call Soto to give him a boost, if he's not at Olympic qualifying. We'd need another couple CMs, so, again, if they're not at OQ, I'd bring Ledezma, Reyna, and Otasowie. That group is short at RB and CB, so I'd call Richards to provide cover at both. I have no idea what to do for a Euro 3rd GK, so I'd bring Turner as the youngest MLS GK who seems to be in contention. That would give the following roster: FW: Sargent, Soto Winger: Pulisic, Sabbi, Weah, Boyd CM: Adams, McKennie, Holmes, Morales, Ledezma, Reyna, Otasowie RB: Yedlin LB: Dest, Robinson CB: Brooks, Miazga, Ream, Richards GK: Steffen, Horvath, Turner If any of the Olympic-eligible guys do get released for qualifying, they can be replaced by MLSers.
The other thing (and I didn't really take this into account in my roster I just posted) is that even friendlies against Euro teams can put guys in the shop window. I know Long has Euro aspirations and rumors swirling around about a move, but Robinson, because of his relative youth, seems more likely to actually get a good Euro move, and a solid performance in one of these friendlies could help that quite a bit.
Looking at this again... honestly, this might be the most interesting roster to date with all the new faces emerging. If I can only pick 23: GK TBD (Steffen rested, Horvath for reps, and the best 2 out of January Camp - Hamid? Turner?) CB Brooks, Palmer-Brown, Alvarado, Miazga FB Dest, Robinson, Chandler, Lichaj MF Adams, Morales, Holmes, Lletget, Ledezma, Otasowie W/F Morris, Reyna, Vassilev, Boyd FW Sargent, Siebatcheu Vs Netherlands —————Sargent————— Reyna————————Morris ———Morales—Lletget———- —————-Adams—————- Robinson———————-Dest ———-Brooks—Alvarado——— Bench: GK, Miazga (Alvarado) 46, Lichaj (Robinson) 70, Otasowie (Morales) 80, Holmes (Lletget) 60, Boyd (Morris) 70, Siebatcheu (Sargent) 70 Vs Wales —————-Sargent—————— Reyna—————————-Morris ———Holmes——Lletget———- ——————Adams—————— Dest——————————Chandler ————Brooks—-EPB————— Bench: GK, Miazga (EPB) 46, Lichaj (Chandler) 70, Morales (Adams) 80, Ledezma (Holmes) 60, Vassilev (Reyna) 70, Siebatcheu (Sargent) 70 Injured/Rested: Weah, Steffen, Yedlin, Pulisic MLS/Save: Long, Zimmerman, Arriola, Zardes Didn’t make the cut: Moore, Novakovich U23/close: Llanez, Soto, Konrad, Richards, Cappis, Sousa, Gloster, Durkin, Johnny, Sands, Hamalainen, Carter-Vickers, Yuiell, Mendez, Sabbi, Malone, Wright, Pynadath, Saucedo, Gioacchini
I don't envy Gregg having to figure out how to sort through the newbies with limited time and caps. .
I want him to be very experimental in this March group because it’ll be one of the last times he’ll get such an opportunity and we have so many potential difference makers emerging. Come WCQ, he has to be ready to start getting the best 23 in order. He’ll want to have made contact with them before those games start.
Just kibitzing here...…..I've been trying to figure out just how our talent in the back line fits together and I'm not real knowledgeable about cb's. Robinson is a great 1 v 1 defender in midfield so I'd stick him in somewhere on the right to cover for Dest who will likely be stranded forward frequently. I'd use Brooks on the left as our deep lying distributor on that side. Long seems to be good at reading and moving qujickly to put out fires so I"d make him the sweeper type in a 3 cb line. I think Miazga can back up Robinson (or start if he is better than Robinson) and Ream can back up Brooks (when Brooks is injured) because he can distribute and can play lb if needed. Robinson doesn't have the vision of Long yet so I wouldn't think of Robinson as a replacement for Long yet. Did I miss anybody?
I liked this from over a month ago. I made three changes in blue. I would also add Vasilev, Otosowie, and Ledezma to the camp for a total of 26. GK: Steffan, Horvath, Klinsmann/Ochoa RB: Dest, Yedlin, Cannon LB: ARobinson CB: Brooks, Miazga, Long, Alvarado CM: Adams, McKennie, Morales, Holmes, Pulisic, Reyna W: Weah, Morris, Boyd F: Altidore, Sargent, Siebatcheu