MLS 2024 Flavors of the Week

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by OWN(yewu)ED, Feb 7, 2024.

  1. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don’t know what international quality means when we play midfielders who can’t hit a pass to the right foot consistently or others who don’t know how to defend at the position.

    He’s been on the fringes of the team since 2017 and hasn’t grabbed a spot. Barring anything strange, I don’t think that will change. He’s had a better fringe player career than most, he even got to watch the World Cup from the bench.

    I don’t bring him up much because I think he’s out of the picture. I also think he’s pretty clearly better than a lot of guys who get mentioned.
     
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  2. Mahtzo1

    Mahtzo1 Member+

    Jan 15, 2007
    So Cal
    Roldan is definitely a tricky one to rate for me. He clearly has had an excellent career with his club in MLS. A league which is at a pretty good level...lower than the top leagues in Europe, without question, but probably much closer to or even at a higher level to more leagues in Europe than some would like to admit. His Performances with the USMNT have been pretty mediocre.

    When a player with a better pedigree had a poor performance under Berhalter, he often got a pass (it was Berhalter's fault) but not the players. That courtesy was never extended to Roldan (rightly or wrongly).

    What if those blaming Berhalter were correct about the Europeans with a pedigree? Wouldn't it follow that it is at least possible that Roldan's problems were also due to Berhalter's system or the way in which he was used?

    I don't really believe that will turn out to be the case but who knows? Maybe Pochettino will be able to unlock Roldan's quality...or not. One thing for sure, whether he belongs in the team or not, Roldan will give (us) his best effort...I am confident of that.
     
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  3. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Eh. I’d say that Roldan received more than his fair share of chances, much more than many European based players have been afforded (perhaps, simply, just because he was more available with being part of MLS).

    Remember, Roldan has 37 caps! If you’re not adapted to the team by then, it’s just probably not going to work out with you (of course, excluding an extraordinary circumstance; ie such as Tim Ream late resurgence).
     
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  4. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    I've been griping about our managers for decades. Since the end of Arena's first tenure. We finally made what appears to be a high quality hire. Until he proves me otherwise, I'm good with whatever Poch does. I'm tired of being cynical complaining guy. Super happy that Cone appears to have nailed this hire almost as well as she did with Emma. If he calls in Roldan, I'm good with that.
     
  5. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When it comes to Poch, as it stands now, I will say that I’m going to try to reserve a definitive judgment about him until the Gold Cup.

    If he wants to experiment, with some trial and error, in the meantime…. Go ahead. But if we look flat in the Gold Cup, I’m going to start getting worried.
     
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  6. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    I'll be worried too. But, at that point, for me, I gotta just say it's the player pool.
     
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  7. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That really depends on if he's doing his do diligence, making decisions based on what we all see in int'l matches, & what the magnitude of failures are. Because we shouldn't be losing to Panama at home w/ our a-b team.

    If Spain gets an invite & we lose 3-1 it's whatever though, same thing w/ Uruguay again. Then sure, maybe we just aren't at the level, even at home, & have to adjust expectations accordingly.
     
  8. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Roldan is playing better ball than a number of players who have been getting calls. Hopefully, the new coach will not be so badge centric.
     
    50/50 Ball repped this.
  9. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is great. Neal facing international level attackers in league now means CB's can't hide in MLS anymore.

    And that the guys that hit like Bombito are worth it.

    Keeping an eye in Neal.
     
    gomichigan24 repped this.
  10. melatoninlol

    melatoninlol Member

    Seattle Sounders
    United States
    Oct 27, 2019
    Near Boston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Neal was helped a lot with a tactical adjustment they made at halftime (Doyle's article about the weekend talks about it), but he's largely been good/improving and having a super experienced pro like Yoshida (Japan's former captain iirc?) next to him is great for development
     
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  11. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    37 caps but how many starts with the first team? None since about 2019. Berhalter even said he probably deserved more starts coming off the 21 Gold Cup and then proceeded to give starts to everyone else in his range of performance.

    As I said, he never grabbed a spot and got more chances than a lot of people but he got a lot of scraps. Lletget,Arriola, Acosta, Busio,Sands and even Konrad all started WCQ games
     
  12. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
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  13. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Three teenage* goalkeepers got starts last night. Andrew Rick(8.2)2nd, Chris Brady(6.5)16th, Gavin Beavers(6.9)6th

    * = as Jan 1, 2024
     
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  14. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I had nearly given up on Flach becoming any more than a DM Destroyer option off the bench for a good MLS Team... but his passing and decision-making w/ the ball has become so much better. It is remarkable. Philly would be wise to extend him IMO.
     
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  15. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I thought his was interesting. Henry claims MLS players in MLS were better in the past than today, not the leagues overall but specific the American players. And I'm not sure he's wrong, mostly because any decent Americans now get chances abroad and the ones who stay in MLS are mostly leftover from that process with a few exceptions.


    The comments start around 4:24
     
  16. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    I think he's clearly right about that but since that was a national team discussion I'm not really sure what the national team implications are of that observation. He didn't really clarify at all.
     
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  17. BMWDeuce

    BMWDeuce Member

    AC Milan
    United States
    Aug 15, 2024
    MLS in the past had more national team quality players, but as you said most of our young players go to Europe. Have to remember, MLS has shifted more to being a developmental league. There are some good American players that aren't prospects, but... yeah just different mindset for what the league will be
     
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  18. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So Henry was in MLS 2010-2014. Just looking at all star games and best XI lineups (which are not perfect but give an approximation) the best Americans during that time period were Nat Borchers, Omar Gonzalez, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Kasey Keller, Chris Wondolowski, Todd Dunivant, Brek Shea, Brad Davis, Matt Besler, Chris Pontius, Mike Magee, Bill Hamid, Bobby Boswell, Chad Marshall, Lee Nguyen, Kyle Beckerman, Heath Pearce, Jonathan Bornstein, Brian Ching, Kevin Alston, Bobby Convey, Nick Rimando, Sean Franklin, Nick LaBrocca, Tim Ream (2011 was his last year in MLS), Juan Agudelo, Geoff Cameron (who left MLS in 2012), Tally Hall, Jay DeMerit, Eddie Johnson, Ramiro Corrales, Justin Morrow, Michael Farfan, Dan Kennedy, Kenny Cooper, Tony Beltran, Corey Ashe, Jack McInerney, Deandre Yedlin, Clint Dempsey (who came back in 2013), Michael Bradley (who came back in 2014, Sean Franklin, Maurice Edu, Michael Parkhurst, Bobby Boswell, and Kyle Beckerman.

    And Altidore came in 2015 so wouldn’t have overlapped with Henry.

    If you took the same list of all Americans who appeared in an all star game or best XI list over the last four years (including guys who have since gone abroad), I don’t know if Henry is right other than Landon Donovan (and Bradley and Dempsey coming back at the end of his time in MLS).
     
  19. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    That's fair. I realize I'm probably thinking closer to 20 years ago rather than 10.

    But anyway, to your question, here are all of the (USMNT eligible) Americans who have made an All-Star roster or Best XI in the past 4 years.

    Mark McKenzie, Walker Zimmerman, Brenden Aaronson, Jordan Morris, Matt Turner, Miles Robinson, George Bello, James Sands, Sebastian Lletget, Cristian Roldan, Ricardo Pepi, Cade Cowell, Sean Johnson, Deandre Yedlin, Darlington Nagbe, Paul Arriola, Brandon Vazquez, Jesus Ferreira, Aaron Long, Tyler Miller, Ryan Hollingshead, Matt Miazga, Tim Parker, John Tolkin, Aidan Morris, Justen Glad, Keegan Rosenberry, Diego Luna
     
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  20. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jordan Morris had a brace last night. Keeps it rolling. He needs to be called back up.

    Quinn Sullivan had an assist off the bench.

    16 yr old Peyton Miller rb started & had an assist as well. It was a b.s. one though.

    Duncan McGuire bagged another.

    BJ Callaghan w/ back-to-back wins for Nashville. May have turned things around.
     
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  21. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    McGuire's was truly classy. What a chip. Morris is unconscious right now. Such a streaky player.
     
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  22. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Morris has been consistently outstanding, when healthy. Didn't know if he would be again. His career & what he's overcome, has been remarkable. Should be a fan fave here.
     
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  23. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
  24. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Team of the Midweek

    ------------------------------Morris(8.4)MOTM---
    ----------Ferreira(7.4)1st--LAcosta(7.4)5th--Lletget(7.4)1st
    ---------------MRodriguez(7.9)3rd---Bedoya(7.5)5th
    ----Miller(7.1)3rd*------------------------------Dorsey/Moore(7.2)3rd--
    ------------------Edwards(7.7)1st-------Robinson(7.7)3rd--
    ---------------------------------Rick(8.2)2nd*-----

    Player the Week: Morris Rick Rodriguez
    U23 Player of Week: Rick Schulte Berhalter
     
  25. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Miles is back
    Morris is now up to a career best 13 goals
    Peyton Miller(7.1)3rd is back starting on the left. Being a 17 y/o regular starter on the back line is pretty special.
    BJ has won 2 on the trot with Nashville
    Ferreira continues his transition to playing the wide positions.
    Bedoya continues to roll on at age 37
     

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