Pregame thread: US vs NZ friendly 9/10/24

WHINE WHINE WHINE WHINE, BERHALTER SUCKS, TATTOOED MILLIONAIRES, WHINE WHINE WHINE

 

I don't think we've talked about the tattoos for a minute. I'm against them. The millions I'm okay with. Berhalter didn't so much suck as he was mediocre and unequal to the task.

Mexico just comfortably handled New Zealand, 3-0, so we should be able to bounce back, with a meaningless victory, as opposed to a meaningless defeat.

Ideally, our interim manager will give us a better look at some of the reserves this time.

 

Will NZ do the Haka pre-match? I sure hope the US's scrums, mauls, and rucks are solid...

/joking

 

No joking, please.

 

Watch USA-New Zealand in an international friendly at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. ET (TBS, Telemundo, Universo, MAX, Peacock, FDP Radio)

US Soccer preview

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/09/usa-vs-new-zealand-match-history-five-things-to-know

 

From the Canada match, here's who we have to work with ...

USA (v Canada): 16-Patrick Schulte; 22-Joe Scally, 3-Chris Richards, 13-Tim Ream, 23-Kristoffer Lund; 6-Yunus Musah (19-Haji Wright, 71’), 15-Johnny Cardoso (8-Aidan Morris, 62’), 17-Malik Tillman (14-Luca de la Torre, 62’); 10-Christian Pulisic (capt.), 20-Folarin Balogun (9-Ricardo Pepi, 82’), 11-Brenden Aaronson (7-Cade Cowell, 77’)

Substitutes not used: 1-Matt Turner, 18-Ethan Horvath, 21-Diego Kochen, 2-Auston Trusty, 4-Mark McKenzie, 5-Caleb Wiley, 12-Marlon Fossey, 24-Josh Sargent

Head coach: Mikey Varas

 

My lineup ... playing like I think Poch will likely do.

GK - Schulte, unless Kochen has earned time.

CB - McKenzie and Trusty. I think this is likely a disaster, but I don't care. Ream was awful, and Richards needs to start asserting himself more.
LB - Wiley, because I just want to see him. I also want to see someone who will get forward.
RB - I am not a Fossey believer, but would be okay. I'd really just tell Scally he needs to be two way, and see if he can even do it against New Zealand.

CM - Morris, Luca and Brenden. Brenden at the 10, Luca and Morris in a double pivot. I think Johnny is probably a better option than Luca here, but sending a message.

LW - Christian
CF - Sargent, but Pepi is also acceptable. I simply want to counterpress the hell out of whatever CB has the ball.
RW - Tillman is the right offensive fit here, and perhaps you give him a shot and then pull his ass if he's not working. Tillman + Scally is likely a terrible idea on the right since if neither steps up, it's just a giant black hole. But sometimes you've got to give guys a chance. Alternate is Cowell, because he's who is left. He's not much of a defender and he's not really a Poch RW, but he will work and I like that.

Play aggressive. Counterpress. Attack with the fullbacks. Play out of the back but no one should be sitting six yards from the CBs not moving. Though I don't think NZ presses.

Don't protect the back line anymore than you should -- make guys like McKenzie and Morris make or break. If we lose, we lose.

 

Yeah, Tuesday. In Cincinnati!!!!

No better place on earth, amirite?


What's the over/under on attendance to this thing?

 

Hopefully not, our softies would have heart attacks.

 

The Haka isn't so intimidating when its 10 balding, skinny white guys from the Wellington Phoenix and the one guy of Maori ancestry.



Did they actually do it before their Mexico friendly? The All-Whites typically don't do it. There are strict FIFA guidances when it comes to pregame activities and timing. At least that's the reason I've heard for why they don't do it.

This has all the earmarkings of a meaningless morale-boosting 4-0 victory to balance out our meaningless morale-destroying 2-1 loss.

 

I wish we’d just try something new…. Have fun with it. Get out of the one dimensional box.

————Sargent—Wright————-
——-Musah—Morris—Luca———-
Wiley————————————-Scally
——Trusty—Richards—McKenzie——
——————Schulte————————

Subs:
1. Fossey (Scally)
2. Lund (Wiley)
3. Tillman (De la Torre)
4. Pepi (Wright)
5. Balogun (Sargent)
6. Cowell (Richards) ~ slide him to R/LW

 

so you completely leave Pulisic off the roster? Or has something happened like an injury or a request to go back to Italy that I have not heard? I do not really object to that idea but I would find it hard to understand as Pulisic is a huge draw and very important to the team. That lineup, if not forced, would be a huge departure from pattern and a message to New Zealand that they are not worth playing our best against. That last may be true but it is not, I believe, a message we want to send.

 

If we want to send a message to New Zealand, we'll use Western Union. If we want to send a message to Pulisic, we'll let him watch this one from the bench.

 

But the roster did not include Pulisic even in the subs.

 

I would be all for the formation... although I would play Tillman as a legit 10... not an 8/10 hybrid. Tell him to play it like he plays it for PSV. And I would probably pair Sargent or Wright up w/ CP or Balogun.

-------------------- CP -- Sargent
Wiley - Musah - Tillman - Morris - Fossey
----- Trusty—Richards—McKenzie
---------------------- Schulte

Subs:
1. LDLT (Musah)
2 and 3. Balogun (Sargent), Pepi (Tillman) --> CP moves to CAM
3 - 5. Scally (McKenzie), Cowell (Fossey), Cardoso (Morris)

 

EB just presented his lineup and prepared subs, not a full roster. Pulisic would be an unused sub. If you insist, we'll allow him to warm up frequently, to get the crowd's hopes up.

 

Assuming we stick to 433/4231:

-------------------Schulte--------------
Fossey--McKenzie--Trusty-- Wiley
------------LDLT--------Morris---------
Wright------Aaronson----Pulisic
-------------------Sargent--------------

 

While that may be true, but i do not really believe it, I would find it very hard to believe that anyone would list a roster where Pulisic was available and not include him at least among the subs.

I tend to believe that you are correct but the lack of Pulisic's mention makes it hard to understand.

Personally, after the last fiasco, I would bench everybody and call up a bunch of second team MLS players and the message would be sent to everyone that participated in the earlier standing around match that their performance was totally unacceptable.

But, still on a personal note, I did not think the USA under performed as much as Canada over preformed. Canada is a very scrappy physical team and the refined airs of Europe may not have the players prepared for physical play they encountered. The one positive thing MLS has going for it is it is very physical. Except for smaller leagues like in Scotland the physical play in Europe is not usually near what is found in MLS.
Physical in Europe often means some holding and occasional kicks while in MLS it means tackles start at the rugby level and go up from there. MLS is NOT highly skilled, although there is some skill, but it is great preparation for CONCACAF which is why we have dominated CONCACAF. Now that the USA is drawing more and more from Europe we may have more trouble with mid level CONCACAF teams.

BTW: I do not think anything should ever be done to primarily appease fans. Fans at soccer matches are a necessary evil but they are not really important.

 

All I know is Christian Pulisic is 25 years old and already has 72 caps......

I think we will get major rotation, but it won't surprise me if Pulisic is one that starts.

Sometimes I think people on this thread just try to write the most outlandish formation and player selection that they know isn't going to happen.........................just to get a rise out of people.

 

no. That was just a bonehead miss on my part lol

I would play him as a 10, sub Luca out.

 

I don't think this a game for the 352. It could have been a strategy for last one where we could have attacked on the outside & over the top to beat their press.

I imagine v. NZ we won't have a problem playing thru them, if they don't sit back, therefore attacking from the wings, w/ a take-on guy & overlapper makes sense.

----------Sargent--------
Wright-------------Pulisic
----------Aaronson---------
------LDLT------Morris-----
Wiley------------------Fossey
--------Trusty--Mac-----------
-----------Schulte--------------

This game is much more proof negative than positive, so don't eff up your roles.

 

Then complain when Lalas does exactly that.

 

Anything Lalas says or does is simply, to borrow from Bill, "... a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"

But presented much less eloquently.