Well a coach got fired last night but not the one so many were hoping for. Costa Rican federation's executive committee "unanimously, together with the sporting directors, has taken the decision to remove Ronald González as manager of our senior national team" https://t.co/r3KGlFYt8B— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) June 10, 2021
I honestly think he's done a great job building this team with a couple blind spots. I've had my doubts and I still do think he needs to find better midfield solutions in a lot of games and I'm not at all a fan of Dest on the left. But, we just had one of the most successful windows you could ask for. We just won a trophy by beating Mexico in a final they were absolutely playing all out for and we just showed that we can easily control Costa Rica. Yes, he has a crap ton of top players the likes past coaches have never had, but they are all extremely young and they do need to be molded into a cohesive team. Gregg seems to have done that and the spirit and heart in this team, along with a healthy swagger and a bit of aggression, bode very well for the future. Even the midfield issue found some solutions this window. Against Mexico he went with two deep midfielders against a stronger opponent and against Costa Rica I saw the 8s drop deep to receive the ball and give the defense more options to pass out. There is still hope this spot gets fixed by the World Cup, and even as is we're good enough to qualify with relative ease. I do think his rejection of RObinson is a negative, but we still have some time for that to shake out. And, in the end, I have to admit having exactly two main issues with how this team is setup is pretty minor considering all the decisions and work that go into building a team. And, I always think we place too much emphasis on Xs and Os here and the less tangible aspects of building a team seem to come naturally to Berhalter. Overall I still have some very specific issues and I think the idea he was most qualified when hired is absurd. But, it really is awfully picky to decide he's not doing the job because I basically disagree with two decisions he's made. This window largely won me over. I get that much of the credit goes to individual players, but even if his biggest trick is just getting out of the way, he's managed to let these players shine. I'm no longer worried about qualification and we'll see what things look like down the stretch when Qatar rolls around, with the different timing and all the other weirdness this cycle, it really could be a wild one.
Newsflash. Every coach will get some things wrong. You will always find something to b#&$+ about. We are not playing a video game our opponents are focused, committed, smart and have their own strategies. We as a fan base continue to downplay the commitment of the teams in this region and that is precisely the issue we had last cycle. So far, Berhalter has done a great job in fixing the culture issue. You keep saying that the players are carrying Berhalter. Instead I see a young group that nearly screwed it up against Honduras and admitted as much. On the Orange Slices podcast, Mark McKenzie details that Gregg focused specifically on their mentality, the issues in C'CAF qualifying and the intensity levels that are beyond what they expect. This is obviously what carried the day and this is obviously what we needed.
The Gold Cup will be interesting in that it seems we have a higher percentage of players from our A team in Europe than anyone else in Concacaf. We have no choice but to go with a B team since everyone from this past roster should take the summer off and do a preseason with their European clubs. Other countries might have a B+/A- team for the Gold Cup. This will test our depth and should be useful in determining whether anyone else in MLS can contribute to qualifying.
Can we lay a Gregg Berhalter myth to rest? One in particular is that Gregg will dogmatically stick to playing out of the back, or to what people perceive as "his system," varied as that is. We've now seen multiple times, in competitive matches (Canada 2, Mexico and to a smaller extent, Honduras, as well as 2019 Gold Cup Final Mexico) that he will absolutely keep some principles, but won't dogmatically play out of the back, will adjust his defense, will play direct as needed, and will even abandon controlling the midfield if opponent and personnel dictate. I don't really want to hear about the 3-0 friendly loss to Mexico. We attempted to play out of the back at all costs as a training exercise. Berhalter said that, and he's proven that it was a training exercise against the best press we were going to face probably until the World Cup ... because we haven't done it in competitive matches. Yes, he may still play Ream, discount Robinson and make other choices in the midfield because he prefers the possession skillset. But holy cow, can we retire the "he won't adjust to the competition" or "he's too rigid and is going to force us to play out of the back?"
I think this is insulting to Berhalter. You must just think him incapable. I'm more interested to understand why Berhalter would start Yueill. I could have told you it was a mistake before he did it. It was obvious after. But why did he do it? Is it a culture thing? I think you might be on to something. So, instead of attacking me for pointing out the mistake, explain why that mistake had to be made. If you are saying Berhalter is making it harder on the players to make them toughen up, say it. Say that he is on purpose making things harder. You kind of did, but just do it.
Has anyone said that? Certainly not after the game on Sunday. Even on Ream, he played him last night and he looked fine. But he was a CB and not a LB, of course.
Berhalter is making a name for himself after leading the US to Nations League glory: I asked some guy last night if he was a soccer fan or just came to the Austin FC game cuz it was the place to be. His response"Do you know the men's national team? I'm the coach"— Banana Sunset (@BananaSunset) June 21, 2021
GGG's starting lineup vs haiti is very trollish I wish he was actually trying to identify useful players who might help in a world cup....I have no lcue what he is trying to prove with his vets.....
I feel like he wants to play as wide array of players as possible and put out a lineup that can just barely beat the opposition, just to show the US has a 50 man pool and not 18 best players
i feel like he picks players based on lockerrroom fit and how much he likes their personality. like hes the coolest camp counselor in the world. and he gives his faves chance after chance even when they arent good. cuz he likes them.
I personally would've picked a different lineup but I am still pretty pumped to see my favorite team play another meaningful real game! Hope it ends with a good result!!!!!
Berhalter seems to be out on an extreme ledge in team building with these roster selections. He is more focused on group stability than worrying about contingency planning and bench depth it seems. Not saying this is right or wrong, just that he seems to prioritize it more. I just can't wrap my head around the Gold Cup roster and the play of Yueill and Lewis any other way. Starting to hear gossip that this is now hurting dual national recruiting and alienating players not, "in the Family". For example, it seems Araujo never sees Gregg dropping Cannon so he is waiting for Mexico. It isn't all dual nats, Canouse is one that felt like he was not dropped for talent nor Duane Holmes. In general, it seems that when players get comfortable in their spot, they get super conservative in their play. Lletget was much more swashbuckling to break into the team and is now happy to complete high percentage passes in any direction. Yueill seems paralyzed by fear of making a mistake. Does he think as long as he doesn't make any glaring mistakes he won't be dropped? Again, maybe Berhalter is on to something as this isn't club soccer, but then maybe this is another extreme experiment that is having negative consequences that were not foreseen. Some vets that played in Europe said the USMNT was a welcome change from cutthroat Euro soccer locker rooms. If Gregg feels that having certain guys, at the bottom of the roster, that make CP and SD happy, is that crazy?
There's nothing wrong with building a family atmosphere around the national team, but Gregg's problem seems to be that he treats his crazy ass cousins like they are his brothers. Sometimes you have to kick a cousin or two out of the reunion before the entire family ends up in jail.
The family atmosphere is important. Look at Italy. And we were building that in Nations League against Mexico. But this Gold Cup should be about identifying players 15 to 30 for the roster. The camaraderie will be strengthened through the thick and thin of qualifying. Ultimately, locker room guys need to be able to execute when needed on the field. Lewis can't. Yuiell can't.
Whatever people think of me the players really do seem to buy into him as a manager and appreciate how he's helped him. He really is clearly trying to build an environment that players want to be a part of. Which has definitely helped with dual national recruitment I think. From two interviews posted today, the first with Paredes and the second with Cannon. http://www.americansoccernow.com/ar...ed-training-with-the-usmnt-u-20-team-and-more "Gregg taught me so much in the short few days I was there. He taught me so much and the belief and the strength that he gave to me, it was unreal. Gregg is a big help. I didn't feel like I was the underdog, I felt I felt comfortable. I felt like this is where I belong.” https://www.onegoal.us/articles/reggie-cannon-boavista-transfer-usmnt-aims "But Gregg has really taken me under his wing over the past few years and he has taught me a lot. How to play different positions to gain more value to my game and become the best I can be."
Source? You said something similar before Nations League, that the team was turned on Berhalter. Then McKennie scores a header and sprints right to him. Do you have a source or are you making it up like you usually do?
random observation: seems berhlaters appraoch on offense is very centered around getting as many corsses into the box as possible...and this strategy doesnt produce. combination play...quick movements through the middle dribbling, etc is much more effective on producing goals usmnt run of play goals vs decent comp have been putrid under gb
The Zonal Marking podcast talked about how ineffective repeated crossing is a few months ago. https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/...sodes/we-need-to-talk-about-crossing-89627825
Just want to note that Berhalter may have finally abandoned the deep playmaker taking up the 6 role. I still want to see more variety in moving forward (the 8s coming back to show against Jamaica was a good step) but we saw Busio forward at the 8 and Acosta deep, using his physicality to control that space. With Adams as the starter and Acosta behind him, we can move past the soft, no-defense playing 6s. Yueill hasn't been getting so much time and got no time in the last game and I don't know that I can think of another of that type who could get shoehorned there. I think most thought Busio would take that role and he's even got the 6 jersey. But, Berhalter saw his lack of fight and pushed him more forward. I think the reality of competitive games has shown that the first priority in that spot needs to be defensive and the rest you get is more a bonus rather than the other way around. You never know what will happen so maybe this all gets swapped back around at some point, but right now it looks like this space on the field has evolved and for my tastes in a positive way.
I'm not a Gregg tactical fan by any means but this Gold Cup team, and the Nations League team both play with bite and intensity. That is a good thing that Gregg should probably get some credit for, the players really put their heart out there and play.