Post-match: Mexico 3-US 0 9.6.19

I will say too that even though Steffen obviously struggled distributing with his feet, I don't totally fault him. Why is the coach insisting they play out of the back every single time when a) it's rainy, b) it's windy, c) they laid down crappy sod over turf, and d) your keeper isn't that comfortable with the ball at his feet? Who does that? Mexico's keeper had no problem just playing long if he felt the slightest bit of pressure.

And why are the CBs constantly dumping the ball back to Steffen in these conditions? You're the field player. You should be the one who has the confidence and skill to play out of tight situations instead of farting around with the ball until all of the passing options are taken away and then passing back to Steffen and expecting him to do something better.

 

I’m sorry, but I’m going to give a pass to every player including Zardes which he is not even good enough to play for El Salvador. This falls right at GB, I’m not going to blame a single player going forward, they are not being put in good position to accomplish anything. Zimmerman completed every pass to that Right Touchline and even him gets a pass from me.

 

Someone needs to explain to Aaron Long that he wouldn't have to make so many good defensive plays if he would learn to pass the ball forward.

 

They waited more than a year to make this shit hire. It's just so depressing because you know they won't fire berhalter for at least a year or so. I can only hope that people stop buying tickets.

 

We have a pretty poor player pool outside of 5-7 players.

But Berhalter is misusing this pool more than any coach has in the modern US era. By modern I mean since, tv's were in our living rooms. This crap is just atrocious. Did Zardes collect and play a pass even once? Midfield overrun. Trapp's best quality, passing, is a detriment at this level and his game as a whole is levels below being an international, yet he's a lock starter. Mids have zero clue how to move off the ball and make themselves available.

Barely a single pass to Pulisic in space running at Mex.

Massive gaps in and around our 18 as our DM is non existent.

McKennie being misused, high as a striker and covering our CB's just seconds apart.

This team will quit on this coach.

Bradley had a very strong stretch for a few years before it went south in his 2nd cycle.

Arena had a very good 1st cycle. Was decent to start his last stint.

Jurgen had the longest win streak in NT history and won a GC, finished top of the Hex leading into Brazil. Went poorly his second cycle.

GoodGodGregg has been awful from the jump. He's getting worse. His favoritism unparalleled.

 

We're in agreement, Dave.

If you're always playing it out of the back, you'd better be able to beat their high press. If not, I agree that you'd better have a plan B.

Berhalter insisted on playing out of the back and didn't have the plan or players to pull it off. That's poor coaching.

 

I m waiting for post game comments. Please post them.here.

 

Balboa making the comment that when Tata went to 4231 Berhalter had to make an adjustment to his tactics but didn't. I wasn't paying all that much attention but I'll take his word for it because it seems Mexico pressed and scored on us.

 

Now watch the soccer press do nothing and ask no tough questions.

Just a reminder to GB...Barcelona, with once in a generation talent pool, still were countered successfully by high press and direct physical p!ay. But hey, I am sur e our mlsers can do it.

 

Steffen is going home.

 

This is the truest part about the team in our best days. The exact opposite is true now … we are much worse than the sum of our parts. I don't expect these guys to be worldbeaters, but the talent is not THIS poor. Unfortunately, nothing is going to happen to change this.

 

I now understand what GB meant when he got hired that we would have a new identity. We are a sh*t team, worse than before.

 

So pumped for the Uruguay 3-0 on Tuesday.

 

It would be hard to cover all of Berhalter's mistakes, he made so many.

So just some mostly player-centric notes:

- Cannon and Pulisic were the lone bright spots.
- Would have liked to have seen Roldan off the bench again given he helped the U.S. gain a foothold last time v. Mexico. Pomykal could have had that effect in cm where we were beat again and had a tough time playing out of pressure.
- Robinson and Long are too passive of passers right now to play out of the back w/ or maybe period together. I like them individually, but they should complement a better ball-playing cb. Things were bad enough when it was Zimmerman-Long.
- Steffen also doesn't fit the tactic of playing out of the back. Don't know which gk does though.
- Morales' ball-reception was a big problem. Lackadaisical approaching the ball from deep.
- McKennie has been underwhelming so far in his US career.
- Dest had a shaky debut. But it was a debut.
- Boyd invisible like he's been for Besiktas.
- Don't know the point of Zardes, Trapp, and Lovitz. They will be the death of Gregg.

 

Greggie ball is stupid.

The players are mostly soft. I miss the days when Frankie Hejduk would go in for a two-footed tackle before he’d let someone nutmeg him for a goal.

Watching Wonderboy with this team is like Lebron with the 2010 Cavaliers.

 

Does the windshield have a rivalry with a bug?

Current status of the "rivalry":

One of our young "stars" gets nutmegged to set up a goal and another young "star" gets a penalty kick stopped.

Our actual star spends most the game yapping at the referee and then passes off the penalty to a kid with a fraction of his caps.

We keep trying to jam the square peg of possessing and passing out of the back into the round hole of players whose skill is incapable of it.

We play a Winger on the right, and have him come inside to allow an "attack" by a fullback who can't dribble.

A talented young player like McKinnie is placed by the coach in a role where he spends 90 minutes aimlessly chasing the other team's fullbacks and goalkeeper to "pressure".

Our goalkeeper, attempting to play out of the back, keeps passing to guys in the second row. Unfortunately, when he kept one on the field, it went to the other team.

We keep throwing the same lousy players out there in key positions. Everybody, but Berhalter knows who they are.

We sub in a MLS lifer and they sub in a $70 million player.

Out talented, outplayed, out hustled, and outcoached.

The highlight might've been Morales actually showing some grit and fight, and, of course, he gets injured.

 

I can guarantee I’m not watching Tuesday’s game.

 

Tata has 11 games without a loss and is going for the Mexican record of 14 but you don't know that because he doesn't speak English.

 

Liked Sarge's header back to Fredo for a shot on the post.

Morris burst thru the Mexican line forcing a pen.

Pulisic was wonderful but what was he doing helping Dest on the goal. Oh, yeah, he;s the BS winger of the week so that's his job. Smart. Not.

Liked Dest a lot.

Cannon a bright spot? Make him a cb and fine, I'll agree, but he's supposed to be a fullback.

Stop worrying about Wes. He'll never beat Mexico so there's nothing to worry about.

 

Yeah, I think I will be in your boat. I can't keep giving up my evenings for this dreck.

 

Stefan’s weakness is due to Greg’s dumb tactics. He’d be fine if he played on his own intuition.

 

Glad Zardes, Trapp and Lovitz played so much. We sure learned a lot there.

 

Yep. Folks need to watch how these guy play with their clubs. Steffen does not attempt crazy ass passes in the Bundesliga.