The USMNT 26-man roster for World Cup 2022 announced p80 #1991

Pulisic and Ferreira also. Just more sort of shticker shock.

 

As a coach, Gregg’s problem is not sending signal consistently. For example, he named Wright and Moore in the squad that caught everyone in surprise.
Why? First of all, you throw Wright under the bus after that terrible NL game in El Salvador, and you didn’t call him back at Sept. camp.
For Moore too, why he wasn’t called up in Sept. camp?
Which show the way Gregg evaluates talents inconsistently. For example, at one point, he marveled about CDLF and another point about Busio. Then they just totally disappeared.

 

(aaronson is listed as a mid, in case anyone reading this is interested in facts)

 

Because players get in form and fall out of form all the freaking time. Why is this so hard to understand? Sometimes staying with their club and building some confidence and getting on a run is more valuable than a call up to freindlies.

 

We're taking quite a few players who are not in-form or are just returning to form: de la Torre, Turner, McKennie, Dest, Reyna, Pulisic.

Were we to start our most in-form guys, it'd be:


-----------------------Horvath---------------------------
Scally----Zimmerman----Ream-----ARobinson
-----------------Adams--------Musah-----------------
Weah---------------------------------------Aaronson
-----------------Wright-------Sargent-----------------

 

.
Wondo was put in a bad position by Klinsmann.

A foot closer to goal would have been better.

 

There's a point at which class, form, and tactical utility all trump one another. One simply has to make good decisions as to when and where. Being "consistent" for the sake of fans arguing on a message board isn't good team management.

 

The irony is that so much of the fanbase that reflexively thinks that Berhalter's embrace of a couple of "glue guys" who aren't exactly one of his best 23 or 26 is proof that he's an idiot would be willing to publicly debase themselves if it meant that Roberto Martinez would be our manager.

 

Anyone know the deal with selecting a captain? Does each team have to pick one and a vice, or can they go the committee route?

 

According to the rulebook, captains are set when the startsheet is turned into the 4th official 85' before a match (this also locks in shirt numbers and which 23 you want on the field... maybe I'm looking at an outdated booklet, but it looks like teams will only be allowed to dress 23 players). You don't have to pick one for the entire tournament.

EDIT: I was looking at the handbook for Qualification... I'm struggling to find the handbook for the 2022 World Cup Finals, so this might be wrong?

 

Okay, found the rule book for the finals, it's basically the same. Captains are noted on the signed start sheets turned into the 4th official 90' before kickoff, and you are allowed to dress all 26 players. The armband can change hands from match-to-match.

 

Berhalter has said in the past he'll likely pick one captain for the duration of the World Cup. I assume we'll get that announcement before the first game.

 

well, case closed then.

 

I think we will see a 3-4-2-1 against England and that it's one of the reasons Ream was taken to Qatar.

-----------------------------Turner
-------------Long------Zimmerman------Ream
Dest-------------Adams----------Acosta--------Robinson
----------------Aaronson-----------McKennie
------------------------------Pulisic

 

If we were going to play 3 CB formations we would have brought more than 4 CB's.

 

It's why it will be all the more surprising to Southgate. CCV will be on the bench. And McKennie can be the emergency CB.

 

Ok nice idea but its not happening.

 

We'll see I guess. Whether it's a 3-4-2-1 or something else, he will do something completely different against England than he does against the other two teams. I think Acosta will be one difference. But the formation is also likely going to be different.

 

Centerback is our weakest position, why would we put more of them on the field than we have to?

 

Really? By that logic lets just not play any. If you are really worried about your center backs and getting beat on counters then playing 3 across the back makes a ton of sense.

 

Good podcast from Mark McKenzie about what it was like to be left off the roster, his conversation with Berhalter, etc.

NEW EPISODE OF ORANGE SLICES IS LIVE 🍊🎧@MarkMckenzie4 opens up about just missing out on the #usmnt World Cup roster with @heathpearce insight from his similar experience a few cycles back.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://t.co/cU6JBZUiWD pic.twitter.com/JRR26ogA70

— Orange Slices (@sliceofsoccer) November 18, 2022

 

Kind of lame. He’s proud of his performances? Come on, Berhalter was dying to pick him but he couldn’t stop passing to the other team,

 

He went through the "grind"--all the travel, training, getting prepared, being in the stadia. He just only played 180 minutes in 2 games. He was on the bench for 9 others. He only was absent the final window.