I had Aiden, Johnny and Musah starting in mid in my last lineup (due to injuries) and Brenden, Sarge and Puli up top. Initially I wanted a half of Johnny + Musah and a half of Johnny + Aiden (with Gio healthy). Wasn't going to happen under a Gregg regime. Musah 90'. The only MMA guy to show up got the time. It's so hard to get Berhalter's guys to try anything new. No Gio? Tilman is next man up because he ticks the 10 box but nobody thinks about all the problems with his game and how it affects the other players. The grief Johny gets is pretty typical here. I did a 2nd watch and he was ok apart from the mistake but I've seen him do that before. Adams will just go stand next to a mid in build up to force guys in the back to pass somewhere else. I'd do the same. Johnny is still a little naive. Let's see what Poch does with our build out.
I mean, Tillman has still played less than 500 minutes in a US uniform. People do know.............right...................that Malik Tillman is younger than Johnny Cardoso. He's quite young still, and had 24 goal contributions across all competitions for PSV last season. Both deserved a chance to start. Both deserve chances to fail. That's what friendlies are for. If both continue to perform like they do in club soccer, they'll keep getting chances.
I don't get why people think giving minutes to somebody is free so why not just give them a chance? Because the worst thing about a bad player is what he does to the rest of the team. Good players can be bad teammates. If you go to 64' of the game clock, you'll see the scoring sequence for USA. Tilman had just left the pitch minutes earlier for Aiden. The play starts because Aaronson presses Fonz who has to back pass to his cb who clears to Scally and from there you get a long passing sequence ending in Lund feeding Puli who goes to the end line and cuts the ball back across the 6m box and it goes to Scally wide in the box who centers the ball to Aiden at the top of the box and Aiden kicks the door down on zone 14 which gets the ball to LDLT for the score. Essentially everybody did what they were good at and it worked for a goal. Amazing what can happen if guys actually get a chance to play. I said after Aiden's first game for us that he's a 10 and I didn't have any takers. In the meantime, he is getting better at getting the ball out of the back.
They guys who don't show intensity have to stop getting playing time and/or calls. That is how you fix it. Pretty soon after everyone who is getting calls/PT will bring it. Snap to or p!ss off.
BTW, I am also wholeheartedly in camp "these guys are mot as good as many say they are" for some time. 1994, 2002, 2010 WC teams mop the floor with these guys.
Would someone mind creating a New Zealand pregame thread (so we have additional room to whine about the team)? Thanks in advance,
Exactly this. Bench the guys who half-ass it. I hope Poch shows zero tolerance for guys who are just going through the motions. Not acceptable!
I don't know who they mean, but ... I love Weston, but he certainly chooses when to bring it. And was pretty low energy at the Copa. And he certainly isn't always locked in. Johnny, Tillman, Musah, Dest, Richards, Wright, Reyna and Scally are all guys who struggle to bring intensity and focus all the time. I'd add Balogun there as well -- it's not every game, but there's definitely much more standing around, not defending, etc. I think if you ensure the majority of the team are guys with higher focus and work rate levels, and then you go back to an aggressive defense, the mindset of most of the team changes. But the combination of a passive gameplan plus a team half full of guys who simply will be very static without the ball ... it just feeds on itself.
I am not saying that Cardoso or Tillman needs to be exiled from the national team. But I also think it's pretty damn rare to see players develop stronger work rate, either on offense or defense, in their 20s. It's not impossible, but it is rare. If there's a national team coach that can trigger that, Pochettino has to be high up on that list. But at this point, people generally are who they are in that respect. A lot more guys add a better shot from distance or something than suddenly become an active off ball player. The way they played in this game had nothing to do with youth, though. There needs to be a standard for intensity -- which, we had, not too long ago. Neither have shown that. And while both can play a role without it (especially Cardoso, I think), I don't think you can have both in the same midfield.
Wes was hot garbage for nearly all of the second half of the '23-'24 season, seemed like he was satisfied w/his awesome run in the fall and winter, and began to take the rest of the year off in spring and summer '24. He was utter ---- at the Copa America. He's an extremely odd player, can be ALL IN intense, and can be totally lackadaisical and basically Brad Pitt in True Romance style. I've never gone as hard a 180 as I've gone on him first from frustration in '21, to excitement in '22, to back to total frustration in '24. I'm kind of beyond over it as well, and he is a guy whose good for mellowing things, but when things are too mellow, he's probably exactly the opposite of whats needed. Until he gets his ---- right, I wouldn't even call him up. He was an active negative in June in particular.
For some weird reason I am watching the game again right now. The first half is just coming to an end and I can't help but mention that Tim Ream and Cardoso were far worse than I remembered -- and I thought they were terrible as I watched in real time. Wow. I am gobsmacked by how bad they were. I am mid 50s and Ream would struggle to keep up with me. He had numerous terrible turnovers under zero pressure and lost 2 or 3 runners while he stood around watching the grass grow under his feet. And I have not gotten to his terrible 2nd half turnover that led directly to the 2nd Canada goal. The less said about Cardoso, the better. Save yourselves and do not rewatch this abomination.
We're not so deep that regular starters in La Liga and the Eredivisie are going to be discarded any time soon. Yes, Pochettino will have to work to get the best out of them. Just like everyone else. And if they don't improve on performances like that, then others will get the chances. In central midfield we also have players in Ligue 1 (Tessmann), Serie A (Busio and McKennie), Bundesliga (Maloney), and the Premier League (a healthy Adams-in theory) that weren't at this camp.
just a perfect storm of disinterest, coupled with a side order of softness and lack of leadership: 1. Cone needs to get off her axx and get Poch under contract - now. 2. Varas is not going to accept the blame as interim ... and he is the last of Berhalter leftovers. So publicly trash our players ... wow. That is great leadership. He just should have said "no comment" about the result. 3. Jedi is the only player who has consistently performed at a high level - for club and country - since Dempsey? 4. Our players are soft - just saying what is obvious - Pulisic is great but still waving his hands around when he is planted on his axx. And no US players coming to the defense of other players. I still remember Gooch Onyewu and Jermaine Jones being more than willing to wipe out an opponent. Do we have a SINGLE player like that now? Nope - not one. Chris Richards has the size but does he have the balls and guile? As our tech skills have gone up - our courage and mentality and focus has actually gotten worse. 5. Who is our team captain and exactly what is expected of them? 6. Our entire squad (Jedi excepted) acts like they are entitled ... in the past we did not have the skill to act like that ... now we do ... and softness prevails. It is sickening and it is part and parcel of our culture now. 7. Every player needs to re-earn their position. 8. No pro player wants to get injured on the international break with a quasi meaningless friendly. 9. Jesse Marsch remains a tool. 10.Cone - get it done now .... I hope Poch fires them all up .... and give some of the best MLSers to start and play - even if lower skill - if they have the mentality and willingness and toughness and courage.
I would still call him up, especially since we have a new coach. Given his abilities, you've got to see if Pochettino can get him to be more consistent. When the US was at its best, Weston was the intensity and heartbeat. Especially when Adams is out so much. But as you say ... for whatever reason, he seemed to actually fall back as a team leader over time.
Like many of us, I want to see effort and desire. I guess Brazilians want to see the “beautiful game” and expect that from their team. As an American, I want to see determination, will and tenacity. Yes, I also want to see the guys show their technical ability… Watch almost any National team today. The vast majority come out playing with intensity. It’s disappointing, based on the feedback from some close to the team, that element of desire is missing. I’ll say it again - Not Acceptable!
Well, one, my literal first sentence was that no one is getting discarded yet. But the league is largely meaningless to me in this discussion. Because it doesn't really matter their club play if they do not bring effort and intensity for the national team. No one here has the skill to make that up. I don't give a crap that Cardoso is in La Liga if he performs like he did for the US. And frankly, you shouldn't need a coach to get you focused and intense for any match, but much less one for the national team. I hope Pochettino will help, but no one on this team is good enough to be called in if the effort level is like the Canada match. Period.
I’ve been saying this for awhile, but I think Weston has been living the high life in Europe for awhile. I just think the dude lost his fire… just stating what seems obvious from watching his play and attitude…
I'd argue every good team plays with intensity and focus. Some styles may not run as much, but they still put a ton of effort into positioning and moving with and without the ball. I don't think the US is suited to that, but a quick look back at our defense reveals very little movement by the CMs, for example, in defense, even as the ball and Canadian players moved. If you are going to play a passive defense that is compactly guarding passing lanes ... you actually need to play the passing lanes. They move as the ball and opponents move ... you need to be constantly adjusting position even if it isn't running across the field. It's the same on offense. Watch a Spanish team progress the ball. Players are finding open spots in the defense, and if they aren't, they move to find them. They may keep a general space unless they switch with another player, but a few feet in each direction is often the difference between open or not. And again ... you can see Ream just holding the ball and his central mids just. stand. there.
As for your comment on wrongly attributing this to youth, I am in full agreement. Let's be clear here -- it is not as if Canada has some super-veteran squad. The ages of their starting squad, front to back? 29, 24, 24, 26, 27, 25, 23, 24, 23, 25, 29 (Larin and the goalkeeper are 29). This was not a team of grizzled veterans. Yes, we were slightly younger across the board (Ream excluded), but age had nothing to do with this performance.
I hesitate to get too much into psychology. Perhaps this summer was just someone who was really tired as well. But it is possible, and I would say that he used to be the guy who brought the fire ... and now he's jogging everywhere.
And when was the last time a 23 year old developed a high work rate out of nothing? I think Gio committed more to defense for about six months post - WC but ... Brenden Aaronson was Brenden Aaronson at some young age, Christian Pulisic was Christian at like 4, and expecting Malik Tillman to suddenly become a ferocious counter-presser ... it's possible. It's unlikely. Can you get him to passable, though?