His point was that the prior poster listed Hoppe as playing in 2.BL (who hasn't, yet) but not Sargent, whose team also got relegated to 2.BL.
My take on the forward position is that it's very unsettled, but Sargent and Dike will have the inside track. As others have pointed out, we don't have any forward in a top 5 league as of right now. I think Sargent and Dike are the most likely to land in top 5 leagues for the coming season, so they'll get a chance to show that they can score at a higher level. Of course, playing in a top league is not a guarantee of anything. If, say, Sargent goes to Gladbach or Frankfurt (two of the teams rumored to be interested), he'll probably have a much shorter leash, as they have other options. So he could wind up stuck on the bench, if he scores at his Werder pace, and that might not help his standing with the nats. Then I think Zardes and Pefok are the high floor/low ceiling guys who could get the call if the younger guys don't pan out. And finally, Hoppe is the wildcard. I'm still not sure what to make of him. If I had to bet, I'd say he's more flash in the pan than legit forward in a big league, but I'm not too confident in this judgement. It also wouldn't totally shock me if he gets a move back to a top 5 league this summer and puts up pretty good numbers next season, and if that happens, he's right in the mix for the WC roster. And that's pretty much it. I suppose there's some chance other options pop up: Soto gets into Norwich's first team; Haji Wright gets a move to Serie A; Balogun commits to the US; Pepi scores 15-20 goals in MLS this year; etc. But I don't think any of these scenarios are terribly likely.
Certainly not a prediction. More of a dream that our young high-potential guys are outplaying all our old guys during the next year and deserve the call. Youngest roster in WC history? Ages during the WC. Steffen - 27 Horvath - 27 Turner - 28 Dest - 22 Robinson - 25 Scally - 19 Brooks - 29 Richards - 22 Miazga - 27 Zimmerman - 29 Robinson - 25 Adams - 23 Busio - 20 McKennie - 24 Musah - 20 Reyna - 20 Aaronson - 22 Pulisic - 24 Clark - 19 De La Fuente - 21 Balogun - 21 Cowell - 18 Weah - 22 --------------------Steffen Adams----Richards----Brooks----Dest -----------Musah--------McKennie ---Aaronson-----Reyna------Pulisic --------------------Balogun
You are missing one very important factor. Berhalter selects experience above all. Is sort of a catch-22. Yueill, Acosta, and Lletget have too much experience to not select them.
The young guys will definitely have to play way better than the old guys. Hopefully they get that chance to show they can. It will be hard to resist guys if they are playing regularly for clubs like Arsenal or RBL.
Acosta was out of the team for 18 months, worked his ass of and just got re-incorporated under a year ago. Yueill replaced Wil Trapp and Michael Bradley, two guys I was also told that Berhalter would never replace. There were a slew of people who SWORE Bradley would get the caps record and nothing would stop it! It's the same story but the names change. I suspect most of your don't even realize you are doing it.
You make sense. But with Berhalter, those guys are his men. Bradley and Trapp weren't. The new guys will need to play way above Berhalter's guys to make it. Acosta had a terrible game vs NI, yet he continued to get the call. Pay attention to the new players, and see if they still get playing time after one bad game. Gioacchini is his boy, let's see how many chances he gets.
To me, this just highlights the difficulties rating strikers. At every level there are players that score prolifically but can't keep it up at the next level and are passed (in scoring rate) by players whose stats were inferior at a lower level. I like Sargent and believe he will prove his doubters wrong but you just never know. My feeling on our striker pool is that it is wide open and literally anything could happen in 1-1.5 years. Just as is true at virtually every position, the best talent is young (21ish and younger), the actual world cup is 2 years away, young players can improve an amazing amount in 1-1.5 years. NONE of our forwards have proven anything at the highest levels, we'll see what happens in the time between now and wc 2022. Whether we are talking about Sargent, Hoppe, Pepi, or whoever, all of those players will likely be much different players in two years.
I think if the World Cup were today that Lleget is definitely on the plane to Qatar. But there is alot of time between now and next December for some of the up and coming players to surpass him. I don't think we should ever write anyone off for good, but I cannot that Yueill will be part of the first choice group after this Gold Cup, unless he goes back to MLS and raises his game to another level. Acosta seems like the best bet to be there just because his versatility is some helpful in a tournament setting. If the World Cup were tomorrow I imagine the roster would look like the Nations League roster, plus some of the guys who were hurt (like Richards). The question between now and next November is whether players like Clark, Pepi, Busio, etc are going to be able to take the next step and break into that top group.
I really want Clark to make it, but he seems to be close to the game of Aaronson, and I don't know if he would take them both.
In #9, currently Sargent is the first. He is most completed player in the pool. And he can also play in the wing. #2 will be fought between Pefok and Dike. Right now Pefok has right age and experience (25 years old) and also play in an adequate club (Swiss champion), and more like a Brian Ching/Zardes role in the team when you need to push for a goal. Dike has the potential but still very raw here. Then there is one more spot left which may need someone who can play #9/wing both. Hoppe and Geochini are fight for this spot now. On the wing, order is set already: Pulisic/Reyna with Arronson/Weah. Also Sargent can play here too if needed. In the midfield, #8 pretty much go for McKennie and Lleget with Musah (if he resumes the staring role in the club and will get ahead of Lleget). It also depends on how fast and good Caden Clark to turn out. For #6, depends on Adams’ fitness, if he is healthy, then probably Acosta will beat Yuiell for this spot. Center back is also one spot wide open. And if I am Reynald and Scally, I probably will ask my club to play me in left back.
Boy I sure hope you are right about that #9 depth chart. Not only do I see GB including Zardes, but he might even be near the top. Question: why would Hoppe be ahead of Weah on the “wing who can also play CF” list? P.S. Busio is right now better than Yuell at every aspect of that #6 position IMO.
Zardes doesn’t give anything more than Pefok can give. Pefok also has better first touch and know how to combine inside the box.
Also Hoppe is outside to look in right now. It is very difficult for him to break in the team for 2022. But who knows with few more years of top 5 league experience, he may become a prolific striker with double digits goals. He then probably be starting striker in 2026. For Busio, really depends on how good he performs in Séria A. With the current MLS setup, the coach has no pressure to include him.
GK = 3. Steffen (lock); Horvath (In a battle), Turner (Bubble). D = 7. Brooks (lock), Dest (lock), Richards (Good bet), A. Robinson (Good bet), Cannon (Bubble), McKenzie (Bubble), Ream (Bubble). M = 6. McKennie (lock), Adams (lock), Musah (Good bet), Busio (In a battle), Acosta (Bubble), Lletget (Bubble). F = 6. Pulisic (lock), Reyna (lock), Aaronson (Near lock), Sargent (In a battle), Weah (Bubble), Dike (Bubble). That is 22. 1 wild card. Very much in contention: Guzan, Yedlin, Reynolds, Long (health), Miazga, Zimmerman, Morris (health), Arriola, Pefok, Zardes, Altidore. One of these CBs making it would bump Ream and might necessitate another FB going. Though Acosta could be your #4 FB if he makes it. Now, there are certainly other youngsters who could push their way in, or older guys who could fade (Ream, Guzan, Yedlin, Altidore). Beyond the 7 locks (McKennie, Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, Brooks, Dest, & Steffen) and Aaronson, I could see anyone on my 23 easily not making it. Though I think Busio could nail down a spot after Gold Cup.
(3) GOALKEEPERS-We’re pretty much set with Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, and Ethan Horvath. What we’re not set on is which will be our #1. Each has a good case, and what was once Steffen’s to lose is now neck and neck. -David Ochoa, Brad Guzan, and Sean Johnson will be the alternates. I wouldn’t bet on anyone else, and they would only fill in if there’s an injury or drastic drop in form. (4) FULLBACKS-Sergino Dest is the only true lock, and we don’t know if he’ll be a left or a right back. We’ll have to wait and see for everyone else. Antonee Robinson would be the next safest bet because he’s our best natural left back. Then, I’m going to guess it’s DeAndre Yedlin and Reggie Cannon; which will commit Dest to the left. Yedlin because he has WC experience, and Cannon because Berhalter likes him. -On the Right, Joe Scally could surge up the charts if he starts playing for Gladbach; same story for Bryan Reynolds. I believe Julian Araujo shot himself in the foot for this cycle, and Shaq Moore might keep rising. I wouldn’t count on Kyle Duncan, even though he’s playing well right now. -On the Left, Sam Vines needs to prove he’s international level, and I believe he actually needs Jedi Robinson to demand a starting spot to get in - because I don’t foresee Vines ever being our best left back option. The rest are a bunch of prospects who will probably be primed for 2026 but too soon for 2022: George Bello, John Tolkin, Jonathan Gomez, and Kevin Paredes. There’s still time left, but they need to be good enough to get bigger clubs to notice and to prove they’re ready for this level. -Lastly, if Kik Pierie accepts a call up, then, he could sneak in as one of our left backs, especially because he can cover for center back too. (4) CENTER BACKS-We know John Brooks is a lock, and I think we should most likely consider Chris Richards a lock too. After them, it’s a crap shoot. If it were my decision, I’d select Walker Zimmerman, because I like his leadership, reliability, and aerial ability, and I’ll take the bet that Cameron Carter-Vickers makes a good move and makes his case to be on the roster. -Who missed out? I was not impressed by Mark McKenzie, but he’s probably the one who just missed out. Matt Miazga seems too erratic but could be an option if no one else steps up. I believe Miles Robinson is too prone to mental lapses, and I would advise against him in preference to someone more steady. Erik Palmer-Brown needs to play at a higher level. It’s probably too soon for Justin Che, and it’s too late for Tim Ream. Actually, I wonder if James Sands has a better chance than we think, but he has a lot of work to do. Aaron Long is going to have to prove himself all over again, and I believe/hope others will have surpassed him by then. -I sincerely doubt Donovan Pines or any of Ventura Alvarado, Justen Glad, Auston Trusty, Henry Kessler, or Mauricio Pineda are legit options. And I don’t think there’s a point right now to consider anyone else. (4) MIDFIELDERS-We know Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are locks, and I wish Berhalter would nominate McKennie as the captain. We can guess that Yunus Musah has closed down a spot. Then, it’s a bit of a guessing game. Ultimately, I’m going to predict that Gianluca Busio pushes out the others. -I came so close to selecting Kelyn Acosta because he’s playing like a man on fire right now; and his versatility is a bonus. Honestly, I basically flipped a coin between Acosta, Cannon, Yedlin, and Busio, and Acosta was the one he lost out. That’s how close that was. -After Acosta, it’s a guessing game, and all the other options need to do more. I am excited about Tanner Tessman’s move. There’s still Johnny Cardoso and Owen Otasowie. Leon Flach is playing well, but he’s probably one for next cycle. Personally, I believe we’re in trouble if we If Richard Ledezma comes back strong, he would be in the picture. Same story with Jordan Morris. need Eryk Williamson or Cristian Roldan. Jackson Yuiell still exists. I’m still somewhat excited about Luca de la Torre, but he’s got to improve his defensive bite to take that next step. Andres Perea has sort of fallen off, but he’s still young. Moses Nyeman’s stock is rising fast, but it’s probably too soon for him. Christian Cappis and Chris Durkin are still worth monitoring, but I doubt they’ll do enough to get in the picture. I would not bank on Taylor Booth, Frankie Amaya, Danny Leyva, Josh Atencio, Jacob Montes, or anyone else. (6) ATTACKERS-Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna are unquestionable locks, and the whole success of the team depends on them. Then, I’d say Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah are safe bets. Now, I’ll throw a wild card out there and say that Konrad de la Fuente and Caden Clark round out the team. Those guys are still a bit of a prediction, but the signs are positive and if both are playing in the UCL for a top 5 league, you can’t ignore that. -Sebastian Lletget is the guy I predict, who will be that guy who gets us through WCQ and then cut from the main squad. If Richard Ledezma comes back strong, he would be in the picture. Same story with Jordan Morris. -You could say Paul Arriola has more of a shot, but I don’t think so, with the emergence of Konrad and Clark. But I think he’ll be important during WCQ. -The rest of the guys have a lot more ground to make up. Caden Cowell should get a shot in WCQ, but he might be used more as a forward due to completion. Could Julian Green get back into the mix? Don’t count him out. -I doubt Cole Bassett, Paxton Pomykal, Djordje Mihailovic, Alex Mendez, Tyler Boyd, Duane Holmes, Chris Mueller, Jonathan Lewis, Niko Gioacchini, Dante Sealy, or Alex Mighten (England dual) have much of a shot. FORWARDS-Right now, this spot is the most open. If someone comes out and scores, they’ll get noticed. That includes some of those attackers, if they can double for the main #9. -As of now, I’ll bet on Josh Sargent and Daryl Dike make the cut but I certainly wouldn’t carve their name in stone. Both these guys are skating on thin ice, and they need the best club situation and they need to score goals. But at the moment, they’re the two who have the most promise. -Jordan Pefok, Matthew Hoppe, and Ricardo Pepi are my main contenders for the top 2 spots. Folarin Balogun too if he commits and becomes a first team player for Arsenal. I truly hope all of these guys make Gyasi Zardes irrelevant, because we will be hurting if we go into the WC and need Zardes to score goals. Then, there’s still Santiago Munoz, who I think we should poach, since Mexico is trying to poach our guys. How excited can a person be about Haji Wright or Andrija Novakovich? Obviously not too excited but I am still watching their progress. Jesus Ferreira is still one worth watching. Rubio Rubin seemed excited at the start of MLS but he’s back to his inconsistent self. Sebastian Soto has fallen off the face of the earth, and I believe Jozy Altidore is damn near already retired. -Malick Sanogo is probably the one guy who could emerge *out of nowhere* and break into the squad if he shows well. But that’s a lot to ask of him for this cycle. And he would need to commit. CURRENT PREDICTIONSGK Steffen, Horvath, Turner FB Dest, Robinson, Cannon, Yedlin CB Brooks, Richards, Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers MF Adams, McKennie, Musah, Busio AT Pulisic, Reyna, Aaronson, Weah, Clark, Konrad FW Sargent, Dike ——————Sargent——————- Pulisic———Aaronson———-Reyna ———McKennie(c)—Adams———- Dest———————————-Yedlin ———-Brooks———-Richards——— ——————-Steffen———————- Bench: Turner (GK), Horvath (GK), A. Robinson, Cannon, Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers, Busio, Musah, Weah, Clark, Konrad, Dike
Easily the most talented pool since I started really following the program. Berhalter is going to have some very tough decisions. It's good that they're casting a wide net and bringing a lot of guys in for these different camps. You can kind of get a sense of who they rate, and then are the obvious locks like Puli, McKennie, etc. Everybody on here knows these names obviously, but Clark and Cowell are two guys I expect to make a strong push for a spot. Clark would've been on the plane in 2014 for sure in the Diskerud role. The issue now is that we suddenly have several players of that ilk (Reyna, Aaronson, Clark). How many can we carry? Still, I like this type of player who can pull a rabbit out of their hat sometimes if needed. It's a useful option off the bench. As for Cowell, I just think he brings certain traits that add value to the pool. Bob took Findley to South Africa because he wanted at least one speed threat in his tool box. Brek Shea and Eddie Johnson had some stretches with the NT in the 2010s where they did damage running down the flanks. In 2014 Yedlin had a notable sub appearance where his running caused some problems for Belgium. Cowell appears to have good technical ability and presents a unique size/speed combo for the pool. He strikes me as a useful player to provide that late game energy against tired legs. A 70th minute special. The midfield talent is exciting. Good players will be cut from the squad. Good players will start matches on the bench. Defense is still a bit of a concern. McKenzie should not be written off on the basis of one bad performance in the USA shirt, but has some work to do before the trust factor is there. Right now it's Brooks + 1 in the starting CB slots, and maybe we don't know who that other guy is just yet.
IF everyone was healthy a 3-4-3 seems pretty solid with only LWB and striker as positions up for grabs. Well I guess you could argue about the back 3 I’d go with Brooks, Richards Zimmerman. Dest at RWB then ? Arob at LWB Adams and Weston in the middle With Pulisic Reyna and either Dike or Sargent
If everyone's healthy, including (in particular) Adams, then we're a 433 team without any second thought. 343 or any other 3-back setup is looking like the concession of choice if we can't field Adams.
How is this based in reality when the NL roster, you know, the first team, was one of the youngest we have ever fielded?
fwiw efrain and ayo both got locked down this tourney. under the heading of SMH akinola has a sub appearance in 2 games and efrain has 2 subs.
we flushed like 8/11 of the TnT XI. it was always going to be "younger." it's a question of where the talent actually lies, which is generally "youngest." with the exception of keeper if you are fielding someone in their mid to late 20s they tend to be frustrating. this is not normal but is just how development played out this decade. the chunk ahead of this chunk couldn't qualify. the elder statesmen checked out. nagbe retired. that leaves zardes jozy bradley etc. the existence of that development donut hole is why 2018 happened. normal service-plus has been restored so you have a pile of players U23 or younger that have most of the talent. i mean, what drives the average age up is ream or brooks or acosta that don't even belong out there. you think it's young but it could easily average about 20-21 and be competitive. i was ticking off a list of players to watch to my college roommate the other night. both NL and GC. with the exception of the keepers the list was basically 22 or less. i can think of some guys about 24 but they are people like green or CCV or holmes he won't even play. i can also think of some guys nearing 30 like AJ and wood. but given who he considers his pool, it's the kids who can play. i thought haiti vs martinique showed that dramatically -- canada played them to the same exact score twice.