Mostly agree with this. GK - Turner is still the #1 if we had a competitive game tomorrow, but the door is open. I'd like to see both Schulte and Slonina get a look, provided the latter is starting for a club this fall. Kochen is still young and inexperienced, I'd replace him with Matt Freese. Schulte, Slonina, Brady, Freese, and Celentano should get at least 1 callup apiece between now and say March. CB - I'd flip flop McKenzie and CCV and add Neal to the depth chart (at the bottom for now, but we'd do well to start integrating him into the senior team IMO) Attackers - Zendejas is only expected to be out about a month I think, as long as he picks back up where he left off the injury shouldn't have much of an impact for the US. Want to see Cowell get a look as well and Wright can best serve the team as a winger IMO. Agree that Yow and Paredes both need to get a look with the senior team ASAP, those 2 along with Tessman are the big takeaways from the Olympics. F - I'd have Pepi over Wright
This summer’s results 1-5 L vs Colombia 1-1 D vs Brazil 2-0 W vs Bolivia 1-2 L vs Panama 0-1 L vs Uruguay 0-3 L vs France 4-1 W vs New Zealand 3-0 W vs Guinea 0-4 L vs Morocco …Not a good summer for US soccer.
Just wait for the lowlights in 2026 when the MNT embarrasses itself in front of the entire country and world.
What a weird take. My recollection was that team absolutely sucked in 2019. It wasn't until Berhalter finally HAD to get rid of a bunch of inferior MLS players. Id think you would remember this as you spent awful lot of time defending Lovitz, Zardes, Trapp, Yeuill, etc. I thought the issue with the second cycle because the culture they talked about building for years turned out to be really bad. We actually played better in 2023 and 2024 than in 2019 and 2020. The only reason there might be the perception we were worse is because we played Colombia, Brazil, and Uruguay.
When are people going to realize we have too small of a pool of quality players to have hard line rules. The only thing implementing a rule that players must be playing would do is make the team worse, provide the wrong incentives on club careers, and creating a chance to stuff MLS players on rosters (which is often the motive of MLS fans). The only rule our coach should have is to pick the players that make us the best team. This includes not selecting a bunch of players to sit at the end of the bench because the coach like their vibes. The timing of this silly idea to really weird. We just got to watch Gio play in the Copa after barely playing in the previous 6 months. He was clearly one of our best players and has a skillset that nobody can replace.
My expectations for the 2026 World Cup are very low. The US does not have the talent or grit to compete against the serious teams in this sport. USSF is small time and has no interest in fielding competitive men's teams. They're content with mediocrity and just making it to the World Cup every 4 years. It makes me wonder how the MNT still has much fan support at all given how average the MNT is. Truly a perennial disappointment.
What’s crazy is I still don’t think we’re that bad when it comes to talent disparity. We aren’t France, England, Brazil, etc. But we should feel comfortable anywhere in that 11-25 range on talent alone. But it must be the grit factor. We seem to always lose against better or equal teams. We seem to consistently struggle against teams that are clearly worse than us on paper… and then we give horrible excuses. Oh, we’re down a man. Oh, we’re playing away from home. On and on. No accountability to achieve results. At the same time, there is a very loud section of the fan base who not only seem asleep at the wheel to call out that we’re underperforming, but they’re actually antagonistic towards anyone who expresses disappointment in the program. It’s puzzling. I also have grown to have less and less confidence in this team. They just don’t seem to have the mentality that they want to achieve more. There’s a lot of talk. But not a lot of show. Honestly, I would put my money on Japan. On paper, I’d say they’re a step down from us. But on the field, they get things done.
I don't want to talk people out of their despair. This summer wasn't a lot of fun, but I don't really see that they say much about how things will go in 2026. The US had two good Copa America runs in 1995 and 2016. Right after these, we had the two worst World Cup cycles since we've had since before 1990. Who knows how things will go in 2026, but there's no reason to start doom casting. Hopefully, the coaching hire goes well. Hopefully, we get some luck with the draw and with player health. A successful run in the tournament still depends on those last two things, too.
i think zim needs to show a little "grit" and say what hes trying to say. you cant just lob a grenade that vague. is it dual nats? the guys at big clubs? is it a wes, jedi, moore, luca clique? is it the big three, or the guys getting looks based on playing in youth teams with them? are the vibes about something other than the fight?
Keep in mind he hasn't really been in the mix much with the senior team since the WC. It's also very possible he's been more direct within the team, I don't expect him to call individuals or even thinly veiled individuals out publicly. I don't think anything he said is a surprise to fans of the team, I also don't think there's any reason to think Pulisic is one of the people he's talking about... quite the opposite actually, he's one of a few guys who IMO (and obviously as an outsider) seem like they would have fit in grit wise on the old 90s/00s US teams....Turner, ARob, Scally, Pepi (not an exhaustive list, just the first few names that came to mind) are others. Almost makes me think the new coach needs to bring in someone like Dempsey or Onyewu as an assistant.
That poster predicted we'd miss the 2022 World Cup the day Berhalter was hired, then claimed we'd lose in the group and so on. Pretty much every post is "we're terrible and never going to win anything." Of course we're fine. We're in a big bucket of talent in that second tier between the low teens and high twenties. The senior team had a shitty Copa, and yes, some growth is needed to meet their potential, but we aren't bad. The Olympic team is somewhat irrelevant. What people can't seem to connect is that a team that isn't Top 10 also isn't terrible and destined to "do nothing." Unless, of course, you see no value in anything unless we made a semi or something. I guess if you only want to be a fan of a team when they are the very best, you are screwed as a US fan. But that's not really my definition of fan.
Why do people think they get to decide what a fan is? The definitions i see thrown around here wouldn't hold up around the world or in states for other sports. Get over yourselves.
The poster that claims people don't meet his definition of a fan relentlessly defended Berhakter at all cost, especially when we were playing our worst. I also don't believe all the people who put pressure on the Fed to get rid of Berhalter wouldn't meet said posters definition a fan. I think that definition is ********ed and people like him are a much bigger problem than the ones he worries about.
Your posts are so ignorant. The US will only be embarressed world wide if people world wide care about how well we will do. THEY WON'T. Please show me the online discussions South Americans are having about how "embarrassing" our Copa performance was. There aren't any. Because they don't f'ing care. The arrogance of American fans is astounding. Do you think Spanish fans are talking about how boring Southgate was as a manager? Really? Or how Croatia is over the hill? Casual US fans will tune in in 2026, watch, then afterwords go about their lives. That's it. They won't be "embarrased" because they won't give a damn enough to 'get embarrassed". The federation has zero control over how talented our player pool is. Zero. As long as our top 9s are playing in the Championship or lower levels our team will be terrible compared to the top teams in the world. The USSF's budget is around $150 million dollars, which is basically the same as 3 middle of the pack MLS teams. No idea why you think they can do anymore then they already are doing. When someone makes ignorant comments they just show they really don't understand the topic at hand and everyone who does blows them off.
List of new faces for the national team we need to see in the next year (less than 5 caps, not part of the Copa, or did not miss out due to injury, not part of the team in over a year): Walker Zimmerman, CB - Not a new face to us. We know. But he’s been somewhat on the outs and was not at the Copa. So let’s get this out of the way. First, Tim Ream needs to be moved out. He had a decent enough Copa but no way should a new coach hold on to a man who will almost be 40 at the World Cup and who seems to have already lost his starting job with his club. Move on. That said, while Zimmerman will be on the older side, he won’t be too old. And the Olympics showed that his leadership and bite could still be valuable for a team that lacks both on the backline. Kevin Paredes, LB or WG - Paredes needs to be introduced to the senior team, sooner than later. We’ll need to see how he develops, and where he develops (left back or winger), but either way, he needs to be part of the team, although he’s not a lock on the 23/26 yet. We still need depth options at both left back and wing. Tanner Tessmann, CM - Captain of the Olympic team. Destined for big Serie A move. Seems only a matter of time before Tessmann needs to become a part of the senior team. And with Adams’ injury, and with the possible need to move McKennie, Musah, and/or De la Torre further up the field, it would be a good thing to have Tessmann make his claim. He looks ready for a bigger role. Lennard Maloney, CDM - Maloney was my big snub for the Copa America. With Adams’ injury and his breakout 23/24 season, you would have thought he would have already played a bigger role. Either way, Maloney should get a call up or some call ups to see if he could be a good anchor for our senior team. He’s a true blue defensive midfielder type, so he’s a bit of a specialty type player, in this way, but he seems to be a natural back up type for Adams. Griffin Yow, WG - No one surprised me more at the Olympics than Yow. He’s got the dynamic potential to be a good player for the senior team, even if it is as a reliable super sub. And until Tillman, the Aaronson brothers, and/or someone else steps up, there are openings on the wings. Gianluca Busio, CM - Unfortunately, Busio’s Olympics came to an end, and we arguably could have really used him against Morocco to better hold onto possession. We’ll see how he does back in Serie A this year. But he’s on my radar for a call up. In other words, he’s not locked in for a call up, but I’ve got a close eye on him. John Tolkin, LB - at the Olympics, Tolkin, at times, look ready to claim the back up left back spot, and other times, looked like he needed work. Either way, I thought he looked good enough to be competitive for that spot. We’ll see. But he needs to get out of NYRB and MLS, and see what he’s made of in Europe. Caleb Wiley, LB - Wiley didn’t really feature at the Olympics, and has seemed to be a step behind Tolkin on the depth chart. That said, I would probably rank him ahead of Lund. And if he breaks out this season, he could quickly claim that back up left back spot. We’ll see. Jonathan Gomez, Nathaniel Brown, George Bello, and Kristoffer Lund, LB - We’ll see. Back up left back is so open, all it would take is for either of these player to take the next step forward to be competitive for the senior team. That said, all are on the outside looking in right now. Patrick Schulte, GK - Schulte did enough at the Olympics to look like he could compete with Matt Turner for the number one spot. Speaking of Turner, he’s really at a crossroads in his career. Either he’s going to turn it around, or he’s going to become another Steffen, who is completely out of the picture (at this point). So, we need options. And Schulte isn’t the second coming of Buffon. But he’s got the potential to at least be a decent international keeper. Gabriel Slonina, GK - I thought Slonina was locked in to be the starter at the Olympics, so either Schulte was that good, or something is wrong with Slonina. Hopefully, it’s not the latter. Because we desperately need Slonina. Hopefully he can find the right club situation and emerge as a real #1 goalkeeping option. We can’t go into WC 2026 with what we have now. We’ll get killed. Matt Freese, Roman Celentano, etc. GK - Somebody, Anybody! Can you play goalkeeper? One of these guys should get a shot at January Camp. From there, who knows? It shouldn’t be too hard to beat out Turner and Horvath. Noahkai Banks, CB - If Copa America exposed anything, it’s that we need some center backs. Even Chris Richards looks suspect. It’s bad enough, that if Banks breaks out this season with Augsburg, he could, in theory, jump ahead of everyone and become a very needed starter. Bryan Reynolds, RB - With Dest’s injury, all of a sudden, right back looks like a position of weakness. There’s still Scally, of course. But we need depth. Could Reynolds be a next man up? We’ll see. He wasn’t ready in the last Gold Cup. But he’s older and more mature now. Marlon Fossey, RB - Like Reynolds, we need depth, and he should get a look. Especially since he was so overlooked by Berhalter. We need to see if someone is better than Shaq Moore. He’s experienced enough at Standard Liege that we should feel confident enough to give him a solid look to see if he could hold Dest’s spot until he’s returned from injury. Rokas Puktsas, MF - Maybe or maybe not, he’s ready. I don’t know. But signs point to him being a ready candidate. That said, even he’s going to have to probably wait. Paxten Aaronson, MF - Pax was okayish at the Olympics. But I don’t think he was quite good enough to force himself to be in the picture. Still, he’s one to keep an eye on. Taylor Booth, WG - Unfortunately, Booth did not make an impression at the Olympics. But he’s still young, and seems to be at a good situation with his club, and we still need wingers, he might get a look, if he plays well this upcoming season. Diego Luna, WG - We don’t want Luna to get away. He’s maybe not ready. But he deserves a look, even if it’s a friendly gesture call into camp and not much else at this point. Luca Koleosho, WG - If he’ll switch, he should get a call. We need depth on the wings. And last year, before his injury, Koleosho looked like a very promising prospect. We need that. Brandon Vazquez, FW - I think he deserves a look. At least call him in. Let him meet the guys. Jordan Pefok, FW - Maybe buried on the depth chart. I don’t know. But if Pefok is a 10+ goal scorer in the Bundesliga next year, and others struggle, he should be called in. And a new coach should mean a new opportunity. Auston Trusty & Mark McKenzie, CB - Not really new faces but they should be getting a look given the situation at center back. Jalen Neal, CB - at January Camp, he should get a look. James Sands, CDM - He was arguably the best player at the disastrous Gold Cup. Shame he never got a call back. But it’ll be a January Camp type deal right now. DeJuan Jones, RB or LB - Strangely, we need him on the right a lot more than the left. January Camp should be almost locked in right now. Jack McGlynn, Daniel Edelman, Cole Bassett, etc. MF - January Camp. From there, who knows? But they’ve got a lot of work to do. Damion Downs, Kahve Zahiroslalem, etc. FW - They’re young. If they score at a good rate. Watch out.
Move on!!! The Olympics continued to show he is a limited soccer player. His mjstake against Morocca was way worse than one of the ones that people hold against Brooks. I've seen people (obviously not on this MLS forum) suggest we could get him in the mix with Matarazzo. His leadership is overrated and actually gets in the way the true leaders stepping up. Kids on the Olympic team likely had lesser roles so Zimmerman, Robinson, and Mihaelovic could act like international soccer players. The downside of his bite is it borders on recklessness and occasionally crosses the line. It is amazing that folks can remember every time Brooks has taken a wrong step, but forget that Zimmerman recklessly raped a guy in the box at the WC to cost us points.
I took a lot of heat because I was a Brooks defender. Now, I’ll say he needs to find a club and make a statement to reclaim his spot. At the same time, Walker is one of the few MLS lifers who has value to me. Yes, he messed up in the Wales game. But 9/10 times he’s solid. He’s a stud in the air. He strong in the tackle. He’s good at commanding his position. And he offers some value on set pieces. Until someone better comes along, I’ll advocate for him. And I think my record is pretty good at not calling to hold onto players who are way past their sale date…. Especially compared to others on here.
First off, there should have never been a need to defend Brooks and certainly shouldn't have taken heat. Agreed! He can't play the ball out of the back and that should have limited his time last cycle (same going forward if the coach wants to play that way). The Wales game wasn't the only time his reckless play hurt the USMNT. When has he played well against a team above CONCACAF level? He was a mess against Wales, England, and the Netherlands and wasn't better against France and Morocco at the Olympics. He is an MLS player that doesn't have the ability to elevate his game. Richards, CCV, Mckenzie, and Trusty would be where I start and would be looking to give Brooks a shot before I'd even consider Zimmerman. It might just a coincidence, but I believe his presence has an impact on his partner. Robinson didn't start playing well in the 2021 GC until Zimmerman got injured. We have enough decent players that we should be moving on these average MLS players that will never be any good and spend our time looking for ones can raise our level.
Watching Pulisic play centrally for Milan in preseason makes me hope the rebuild includes a formation that allows Pulisic to play as a #10. Get our most dangerous attacker by far involved as often as possible, please. Build the team around your best and Pulisic being the best on this team is glaringly obvious.
Maybe play a diamond mid??? A team: ————Balogun—Weah————— ——————Pulisic——————— ————Reyna——McKennie——— ——————Johnny——————— Jedi————————————Scally ———Richards——Walker———— ————-——Turner——————- *Adams, Dest injured B team: ————Pepi—Sargent—————- ——————Tillman——————— ——B. Aaronson——Musah———— ——————-Maloney—————— Paredes——————-————Fossey —————Trusty——Miles————- ———————Schulte——————- C team: —————Vazquez—Wright—————— ——————P. Aaronson——————— ————Busio————De la Torre———- ———————Tessmann———————- Tolkin—————————————-Reynolds ————McKenzie———CCV—————- ————————Slonina———————— Honorable mention: Celentano, Freese, Brady, Kochen, Callender, Steffen, Moore, Jones, Yedlin, Harriel, Banks, Dietz, Neal, Ream, Wiley, Lund, Gomez, Bello, Brown, Morris, Sands, Bassett, Puktsas, Edelman, McGlynn, Yow, Booth, Luna, Cowell, Zendejas, Gutierrez, Cremaschi, Mihailovic, Pefok, McGuire, Downs, Zahiroslalem, Ferreira