Pre-match: NATIONS LEAGUE: US vs Panama (03/20) & vs Canada/Mexico (3/23)

Champions League game from a couple of months ago should give a good idea of his game. Very talented player that is just starting to put things together.

malik tillman, psv vs. sporting (ucl league phase)pic.twitter.com/y2ITQx4r62

— twofeetelite (@twofeetelite) October 2, 2024

 

I don't have any real argument with that. I think Reyna is good enough to be penciled in at this point. The only question is how Poch wants to handle him.

I also agree that I would put Aaronson as fighting in that group you listed. My main comment is that he is a much different type of player than the others, so depending on what Poch values from Aaronson (I definitely believe he sees something or he wouldn't have used him as much as he has), I could see guys with similar skills eliminating each other and Aaronson being included because he isn't directly competing with anyone.

I think Tillman has to be under consideration as Reyna's backup and would see most of his competition from Tessman and Busio (LDLT would be in the group also, but I don't see him making the final cut). Morris an Johnny are the two that seem to me the most likely backups to Adams at this point. I don't really see Aaronson fitting into either of these groups, so his only chance is if Poch values his unique qualities enough. I'm not going to guess what those qualities are, just that they most likely include work rate and to say that based upon how much he has used Aaronson thus far, he has a good chance to be included in the March roster and a slight chance even in 2026.

As for that "unproven kid Philly", (I assume you mean Cavan Sullivan), I think you are over projecting quite a bit. A few people have wishfully speculated on whether or not it is possible but I think that the number of people that believe it will be true is miniscule. Who knows though?

 

I think you are overstating how much he has used Aaronson. In general, Poch has done a good job getting minutes to a lot of players. This tells me he is in the pool of players he wants to look, but not necessarily come to any conclusions yet.

The context of the minutes matter. The majority of his minutes came in the first window where Weah was out and CP left after the first match. Also of note from the first window is that Poch started Sargent over Pepi in both games. I dont think that is a set depth chart, but lends itself to the idea that he could carry 3 forwards who can all play in the wing. This last window, he was barely used as a 69th min sub for CP in a game that was over. More interestingly to Aaronson is that he had Musah on the wing for both matches. So we already have a situation where Aaronson is on the outside looking in with the three forwards, CP, Weah, and Musah being the 6 attackers.

I think that is the best role for Tillman, but he can play any of the front 5 spots.

I have been watching these nut jobs opinions of players swing massively in weeks. The noise if he plays in MLS next year will explode. As long as he doesn't look out of place, MLS fans will be screaming for him to be in the side. Your response on the topic is right in line with how this board works.

 

Not sure how to take this comment. Are you inferring that I believe Cavan Sullivan will be competing for a position on the team in 2026 if he plays and is not "out of place" in MLS? Where does that come from?

 

I think that Tillman is a borderline starter for the US, depending on what we do with our wings. Pochettino may decide to put Musah at wing and have Pulisic central as his base formation.

 

Why do you think fotmob scored paxten as motm for his side v. Tilman's side yday? He didn't score and they have him at left mid in a 433
FC Utrecht vs PSV Eindhoven - live score, predicted lineups and H2H stats

Tilman played left mid for PSV and had a 7.2 v. 8.2 for Paxten.

How much difference would Paxten have to prove to be "close" to Tilman?

 

That is quite the compelling argument.

 

I was definitely not inferring that.

Go back and look at what you wrote. "Not sure how I should take that comment."

 

Paxten Aaronson is worthy of a USMNT look too.

I don't really understand why Tillman has become such a focal point of angst
He's a young player tearing it up in Holland and playing well in the Champions League.

Yes, its now Pochettino's job to figure out how to put Tillman in a position to succeed with the USMNT. Will he be in the USMNT for this series in March? I don't know who would bet against it based on his current form.

We need to keep building depth and depth and depth and depth. So we should all want Tillman, Reyna, both Aaronson brothers, etc. to excel. We should want competition for all places. At times posters on this board seem to pick sides and tear players down to try to build up their favorite guy. No, we need them all to play well. Injuries, etc. are inevitable. I don't understand the insatiable desire to pit them against each other is about.

 

What angst about Tillman. The opinion has never been higher of this guy on here.

What do you mean that Paxten is worthy? Do you really think he could have an impact on the USMNT in the next few years? If he is worthy then there a ton of other players are worthy. He probably in a group of something like 50 players who arent in the pool who somebody could justify getting a look. Starting a post claiming he is worthy might contribute to this pitting of players against each other that you were just complaint about.

 

Paxten Aaronson has been called up multiple times and is a capped USMNTer. So there's that. He was called up to the Nations League quarterfinal last year.

He played VERY well against PSV this past weekend. Easily Utrecht's best player this year. The team currently 3rd in the Eredivisie table.

Yes, I think he could be in the squad in March based on performance level.
I don't have any issue if posters want to suggest that. He's one of the options.

But as we know, we have 3.5 months until the next camp. We'll see how the guys are performing in mid March. A lot can change.

I'd be happy to bet that Paxten Aaronson will be called up in 2025 in some capacity.

 

Look at you describing his usmnt inclusion in as positive light as possible. Yes, it seems you contribute quite a bit to how people discuss players on here.

Paxten has been called up twice and played in one January camp game while sitting on the bench for three other matches. His last call up will have been two from the next window. The lineup for the game he played was atrocious even for a January camp. The March 2013 camp he was called into didn't have CP, Weah, Adams, Tessman, Busio or Johnny and Tillman was played out on the wing. Reyna started as the amid and Brendan came on as a sub.

It is almost as if some folks are not updating their views on the quality of the USMNT players and depth. We have seen Tillman and CP play as an amid under Poch and Reyna has just returned from injury. Reyna and so other than thise three Adams missed the past camps due to injury and Poch has used Mckennie, Musah, Tessman, Johnny, and Busio. So playing well against PSV is going put him ahead of a few of those guys. Sounds just like someone hyping up a former MLS guy.

 

I think off the top of my head Paxten should be back in Bundesliga next year. I think he'll do well there and when he does he will be a definite prospect for call up. I always feel like it's good to get ahead of the curve with USA call ups so I'd call Paxten in with his brother in March provided they both continue doing well and improving. The same would go for Cole since he is in Bundesliga and looks to be on the cusp of getting more minutes with Dortmund. This is actually first time I'm thinking of Paxten as USMNT ready. Brenden is also on an upward trajectory with Leeds and looks like odds are better than even for Brenden to be playing in EPL next year.

We were fortunate, on balance, not to have too many injuries going into Qatar 22. We may not be so lucky in 2026. Suppose we lose Pulisic and Weah to knocks. Who plays striker/wing fwd for us? Imagine what Qtar would have looked like without Puli and Weah.

 

nations league results couldnt be more irrelevant. the results literally dont matter. wins are nice, but this should be about the worldcup and only about the world cup. players like ream shouldnt be in consideration for the world cup because they are past their expiration dates....ream wouldnt have left the epl if he was still world cup quality...plain and simple. also he was always a bit slow and unathletic...he didnt have any steps to lose as it was.....he is toast...playing him in these games would be a mistake. poch would only play him if he cares more about his 2025 image than the world cup results. or if he vastly overestimates reams potential for 2026.


im not saying i have all the asnwers o the player pool....but i presonally think we should be giving chances to the players that the coach thinks will be best by 2026.

i thnk its going to be a problem if the best players in 2026 have no experience with the team.....which seems very likely to me at centerback and goalkeeper....the two most important and weakest positions for poch to address.

i also think jedi is one of those players who is great for club but meh for country because he doesnt mesh well with this player pool. he is a great player...but his strengths dont match what the team needs imo...and thats another thing to address...either he adapts and changes his game or another option is found there, imo

 

good chance paxten is better right no for usmnt than brendan.....he seems way less spazzy and more clinical, more skilled.

as to tillman,,,,really? he has been a shadow of his psv self with usmnt...he literally has done almost nothing with the team.....he has been poor. PSV tillman is amazing. usmnt tillman sucks.

you dont understand the angst??? any player with tillmans resume has almost ALWAYS been a good/great usmnter...but somehoe tillman is invisible or poor when in a usmnt shirt.

im not saying give up on him or dont call him up....but he needs to do something in a USMNT shirt before he earns a legit spot on the team...idc what he does for club, its irrelevant until he does something ANYTHING for usmnt.

 

Winning it doesn't matter?

 

no, nt really. already qualified for WC.

its nice to win, of course.....


but have to prioritize prep for WC not winning these meaningless ccacf matches.....esp if that means not giving playing time now to the players who will be on the WC roster.

 

Its possible to have an eye on both goals at this point in the cycle.
One eye on winning a competition like the Nations League and one eye on World Cup preparations. There are very few players in this pool who don't have the ability to make the World Cup roster. We have a young pool for the most part.

An ambitious coach like Pochettino wants to win every damn tournament.

As far as Tillman goes, this is why we hire a coach with the pedigree of Pochettino. To figure out how to unlock him for the national team. If a guy plays in the manner Tillman does for PSV, there's no reason he can't do that against friggn' Panama too.

With Tillman it's just a matter of time before he has a signature breakout game for the USMNT. I really believe that. Could I be wrong? Yes, but I don't think so.

 

The play book you reading from is usually right, but when the federation ********ed around for 1.5 years in a shortened cycle, I'm not so sure it holds. He should obviously try to win this incredibly insignificant trophy, but shouldn't compromise a long term plan to prep for the WC.

 

And has actually said that. He wants to win so they get used to winning. Expect to win. Fight to win.

 

You should ask Clint how he defines an ambitious coach. Have we had one before?

 

id like to see ledezma in the midfield for the usmnt....i think he could be better than some of the other players getting called up now.....have to be careful mimicing what clubs do as far as positions

 

I was a big Ledezma fan and still rooting for him, but I dont see a spot for him in our midfield. Even if I am wrong, I think he is going to initially need to get back into the pool as a RB.