PBP: United States vs Haiti; 7/11; 9pm

Shaq Moore and Jonathan Lewis get the start, while Cannon starts on the bench. The other starters look like the expected group.

TIME TO GO! 🇺🇸😤

Here’s the #USMNT Starting XI for tonight’s @GoldCup opener vs. 🇭🇹.

LINEUP NOTES » https://t.co/wfGpekUQl9 pic.twitter.com/IC2jrxFi62

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) July 11, 2021

 

Well, im excited to see Moore start, at the very least

 

You made that graphic yourself? Fooled me, very well done

 

No interest in watching this game.

 

Pretty stunning lineup to be honest. I actually like Zardes a lot an have spent a ton of time defending him on the internet, but I wanted Dike.

Lewis should not be anywhere near the 23 let alone XI, and I would have rather had a converted 9 play his role with Hoppe or Gioachinni. Lewis's major asset is running against tired legs off the bench.

I'm excited to see Shaq for the first time in a few years, but you're really gonna start him over Cannon?

 

Defender Reggie Cannon has experienced right hamstring soreness in the last 24 hours and is being held out of tonight's squad as a precaution. His status is day-to-day.#USAvHAI | #GoldCup21

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) July 11, 2021

 

Well that excuses one eyebrow raiser

 

Well, on TNT, Thanos just traveled from the past and blew up the Avengers HQ, but all of the Avengers miraculously survived and are about to throw down with the Titan demigod. Should be quite a fight.

 

It might be possible to construct a worse lineup but I'm not sure how at this moment. Woof.

 

How many subs are allowed in the Gold Cup? Things might be interesting if there are 5.

 

5 in the group stages.

 

GGG really messed up this line up by not starting Guzan.

 

Genuinely feel as though our bench would comfortably outplay our starters

 

It lasts longer, anyway.

 

Least interesting/inspiring lineup I’ve seen in a long time.

GGG is approaching JK and Sarachan levels of “who gives a sh!t” amongst every diehard NT fan I know.

 

Zzzzz. I figured this would be a boring XI though. We’ll see if I stay awake for when the interesting players play. Literally, the ONLY two players I care about is Vines and Turner. Jonathan Lewis exudes failure.

 

Did Cade Cowell decline the call up? Does anyone know that for sure? I just don’t get how Lewis is the best we got.

 

One explanation would be Gregg's passive aggressive and not really a nice guy like he comes across. if you tell him something, he's inclined to do the opposite. That's close to what this lineup is.

But I think more likely he puts system and familiarity far over talent and personnel experimentation.

He says everything before wcq'ing is prep. If he's telling the truth, that means he's close to set a depth chart, and everything after is a matter of getting reps with it to drill the system. The only thing that can change plans are absolutely dominant/ pitiful performances internationally or breaking thru at a big club.

 

I don't get why you're mentioning Cowell and not Chris Mueller. Cowell is an understandable exclusion, though not favoring Lewis.