Pre-match: US v South Korea, Sept 6 2025

I bring it back to the Uzbek friendly that people (combined with/Oman) suggested was a weak opponent, and then they played us largely heads up, that being said, if one prefers to go back to the T&T head to head, you must add two further elements to underline just how bad that window was.

#1 That was the fake revenge for Couva match (as if the nations league could make up for missing out on a freaking World Cup) and they literally lost the next match we played in T&T after that humiliation. What in the actual <expletive>? Way to put it together boys.

#2 In the home match before that, we were up a man for nearly an hour, and 79 minutes into the match before Pepi finally broke the deadlock AT HOME.

The scale of suck involved in #2, #1, and then in their very next match, losing to Jamaica at home in the NL Semifinals, only to get just enough time from the refs to win said match (a lot of us would accuse concacrap of a similar crime if El Tri had been gifted 9+ minutes to find a goal in injury time to equalize the match after ----ing themselves for 90 minutes) is just so enormous it beggars belief, and it all precedes the 1-5 defenestration against Colombia, or the humiliation at Copa America itself. The players seem to have completely forgotten all of these horrors and continue to pretend the bad form has just been March, and the Copa America was just a bad red card, rather than a putrid window featuring only 1-2 decent and good performances (Bolivia and Brazil Friendly).

 

That is certainly an argument that can be made. It's close, in any case, so decisions either way (if that's the final deciding factor after all else is accounted for!) are reasonable.

 

Really? I see these guys absolutely eviscerated, sometimes to a ridiculously excessive extent, sometimes to a fair extent, on social media/twitter as well. I don't think opening social media for them is an auto-warm embrace at all, as some of those guys found out in summer '24, March '25, Summer '25.....Social Media as we know is poison. Just look at the silly, tone deaf tweets from USSF right now about the "Great Vibes" We mean it, really, we mean it!!!" the past 2 days.

There is no consistent warm or poisonous embrace, it's all things, all the time, bad and good, tilting one way or another based on what's going on in a given moment.

 

I continue to be baffled by the claim that these players are complacent, don't care, etc. We've had a bad run of results, but there's a long list of concrete issues at play: Dest's injury, Weah's red, Reyna's health/stagnation, a string of temporary/compromised managers before Poch was hired, etc. We can explain poor or frustrating results without impugning anybody's character.

 

I think you’re taking it as a blanket statement for the whole pool. Poch has come out and literally said that the seriousness wasn’t there for some, which I believe is why you see some there, and you don’t see some there in this camp. It’s okay.

 

I mean, right in this thread you can find these criticisms of (not verbatim, but close enough) "most of our best players," "we," "the team," "the best Euro-based players," etc. It's common to claim that some fog of laziness has descended over entire swathes of the roster, not just a specific player or two. I just don't see it. It's possible to be talented and hardworking and still struggle. Soccer is a frustrating sport.

 

I don't know how you don't see it.

Vs T&T up a man for nearly an hour, zero goals.The B/C teams in Gold Cups put 5 on them. Took them until minute 79 to wake the blank up.

The revenge match at Couva: THEY GET BEAT!!! This was supposed to be the bogus revenge story for the worst defeat in 40 or 50 years for the USMNT, and instead, lol, THEY LOST, AGAIN!!! Which, honestly, when was the last previous loss over there pre couva? The Eighties? These guys did it twice, in '17 and again in '23 (admittedly only Pulisic played in both that I can remember, and he was actually good in the first one).

The loss to Jamaica at home in NL that the refs gifted us a late own goal equalizer for?!?!

The 1-5 loss to Colombia in a friendly just two months later.

The tepid win over Bolivia at home.

The loss to Panama at home w/everything on the line.

The response which was a 1 shot on goal horror show performance in a do or die game vs Uruguay next.

The loss to Panama AFTER THAT LOSS in the Copa America.


You think they were playing 110% Fall '23 to Fall '25? I think they were coasting, thinking they could win easily w/o much trouble and finding out an ugly truth again and again and again and more w/o changing their approach FOR YEARS (and no evidence of change yet).

I don't know if you classify that as not caring, not trying, or coasting, or lazy, or unmotivated or what, I just call it "sucking" and not remotely playing up to their talent level under 2 coaches.

Injuries, sure, but injuries don't excuse playing like they have, it's been monstrously inept and gutless, repeatedly, and nothing seems to wake them out of their stupor beyond Mexico.

 

True but to me the problem has been missing BOTH. Bad with one or the other out but our entire structure and attack is toast when both are missing. Which I think is exactly why Poch has been taking solid looks at Arfsten and Freeman. Trying to find some replacements that offer some of that wide attacking ability.

 

Agree. As a general thing, I don't think it is an easy thing to fix, either, if it's not something that is fixed super quick. Sure, there's the times where the coach has completely lost the locker room and they kind of hate him and a new coach changes all that. This ain't that, clearly.

It could be a million and one things. I do think with the club success, money, media scrutiny and all these sorts of things that the prior generations did care more. Just the fact that Champions League is a really big thing now even in the US means that it occupied more childhood dreams than it used to versus the World Cup.

I think some of the issues comes back to how much the world tells them that they are much better than the guys on Panama, for example. There's a lack of respect, and then there's massive frustration when they aren't that much better.

There's a ton of frustration, too, I'm sure, with the physical play that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL allows. Some of that is legit, some of that is that our crew is largely pretty damn soft.

I think it's also super hard for Poch to really instill the fear of missing the World Cup in the top tier of players because the talent gap for the Top 9 or so is very, very large and the fanbase and media apparently will be perfectly fine criticizing their effort and then criticizing any punishment for them.

There's only so much you can do from outside a person to make them full commit. They either want to or they don't.

One thing I would consider is going back to a much more aggressive defense. I really do think forcing them to commit to a high effort game would bring a lot along with it.

 

Weston has long been my favorite player but he's been one of the larger culprits. His game runs on fire and intensity and he hasn't had it for the US for a year. In the Copa, I somewhat dismissed it because there were rumors of a nagging injuries and a long season, but he's not been the same player.

I want the guy who was willing to go toe to toe with Mexico with a hand on his neck back. I'm not sure we'll get him.

Likewise, we're a long way from Christian crying on the field at Couva. Again, he's grown up, he's got different priorities. It's not necessarily bad for Christian that he could walk off the field bummed at Copa America but not devastated... but...

The real sign for me is that we showed very little fire in either Nations League match despite one being a revenge game for Copa América. How do you not want to prove something?

 

We just might

@ Poch’s presser right now. Has praise for Noahkai. I’m kinda getting the vibe that he might see minutes. He specifically cited the fact that the CB pool isn’t deep right now

— scuffed (@scuffedpod) September 5, 2025

 

I think there's clearly something leftover from the broader culture though, that making it in soccer is now just "being in Europe." I think it's less with some of the top guys and more with the younger set, but I remember Joe Scally popping off about call ups, mad that older MLS guys were getting called over younger guys in Europe. I also remember Tyler Adams commenting, quite rightly, that the team didn't take El Salvador seriously in WCQ, and claimed they got a wake up call.

You see it with the higher level players, but differently. Dest's red card absolutely came in part because he thought he should be able to skin some dude from Trinidad, but while he didn't have Dest's skills, he was athletic and wasn't taking shit. I'm sure there was a ton of holding, but also ... part of him and Weah I think is this idea that these dudes shouldn't be able to keep up. I see it with Christian and the near-constant MLS level CBs he can't beat one on one in CONCACAF. Maybe try something new, Christian, because you aren't as good as you think you are.

I don't think they took Nations League seriously despite losing to these teams repeatedly. And you see it in our fanbase. We can't beat Canada, Mexico or Panama at this point and you still see people saying we're above these tournaments.

I think the players feel that way. I'm in Champions League! They want to play in the World Cup, but they have no interest flying to the US to play Panama. Except ... they aren't as good as they think they are.

 

He has to play, right? He’s a lefty who can pass, basically Ream but 20 years younger. He lacks experience but not worried about him being a worse defender than Ream right now, Ream is fine when facing forward but turn him or get him one v one and he’s cooked.
What I want to see is some semblance of what Ream brings: calmness on the ball and incisive passing without bad giveaways.

 

I think sometimes the conversation devolves to a very binary thing: they care or don't care. I don't think it's that.

I simply see a real lack of intensity across the board in many games. And yes, it's actually more likely it's across the roster -- cultural stuff like this spreads quickly. The better players aren't pressing hard or aren't taking a drill seriously, so the younger and lesser players do the same.

There's also just been a lack of focus. It's not just the idiotic red cards, it's the defensive mistakes, it's the missed chances. No one is perfect, but this team doesn't look sharp and a ton of the time it's because players aren't ready to pass or don't make the off ball run. When we look super static, we blame the coach, but I've never heard a coach want to be static. And frankly, in those games you can see Berhalter or Poch screaming for people to move.

One good example that has a counter was the Gold Cup. I think it was Saudi that was bunkering, and for whole swaths of time and after players made a few runs that weren't delivered ... they stopped making runs. We really just sat static for about 10 minutes.

Then, eventually, Tillman and a couple of other guys started making runs and kept making runs even if the pass didn't come. It eventually did and we scored, but that willingness to make 10 runs even after it seems like no one can get you the ball is vitally important. And it's a level of extra effort I don't always see from this team. It's why Berhalter liked Arriola. It's why Poch loves Luna and exhorted Tillman to do that sort of thing.

Somewhere along the way some of our guys developed the more European casual play -- you actually see it a ton with Wes with the lazy, unpressured pass back. Others seem to be incredibly frustrated very quickly with a lack of service, and of course, the fanbase rewards them by blaming the lesser player who didn't hit the pass. It's okay they stop making runs; that donkey MLS player didn't hit them perfectly.

But it's not okay. Especially against the bunkers we face.

And it's really not going to work with Pochettino.

 

He's 18. I'm excited by the potential, but Tim's level of composure comes largely from the fact that he's been a pro as long as Banks has been alive. I don't really know that we should expect that from an 18 year old.

 

Of course but I don’t think it would be hard to tell for some, and Poch has said so himself

 

I wish we'd play a three CB back system. Richards Ream and Banks. Banks and Richards play a 3 back system with their clubs, Ream is there for his excellent distribution from the back and has two other CB's there to mask his more defensive/athletic liabilities.

Dest and Arfsten as your Wingbacks which is prolly what Poch will do.

Adams and McGlynn in the middle. I don't rate Berhalter and LDLT. I'd like to give McGlynn a chance in his more natural position rather than on the outside. Tyler is the destroyer and McGlynn is the more forward thinking passer. I'd also love to see him arriving late at the top of the box taking shots on goal with that wicked left foot.

Pulisic and Zendejas as the dual 10's creating and combining with Balogun up top.

 

My expectation is ‘some semblance’ of what Ream brings. An 18 yo center back starting in a WC is almost unheard of, so I think my expectations are in check, not to even mention it’s fairly common for a newbie to struggle in their first cap.

I only hope there are signs this is a player we can use, because there is so much uncertainty in the CB core.

 

The pre-Copa America friendlies and the Copa America itself (at home no less) was rock bottom, in my opinion. Every player involved should be sufficiently embarrassed by that month that they do not need any outside motivation to compel them to put in the work required to never let that happen to them.

One also has to wonder if the players understand that it’s not just themselves they embarrass, but it’s the people who advocate for them who get embarrassed. They may not think that those people make a difference, but those are the people who will buy tickets and show up wearing the kit, waving the flag.

The players need to give supporters a reason to show up, which is really hard when it looks like you didn’t want to show up yourself. Who wants to pay out the wazoo and bring your family to a miserable experience where the players play like they’re mentally on the golf course and the team gets embarrassed to the degree that opposing fans heckle you on the way out of a stadium in an American city?

 

Neither Pulisic nor Zendejas are central playmakers. Zendejas is more of that kind of player, but Pulisic is purely a wing attacker.

Pulisic needs to be allowed to play to his strengths and other players need to be in positions to support him to where he can focus on breaking down defenses and attacking the goal.

 

That's not true at all. Pulisic has played playmaker more for the US than probably any other role.

 

I think this set up is well thought out and could work, though I am very sketical of Zendejas in that playmaking role.

I'd far rather see Luna or Weah with Pulisic in those. Not just offensively, but that's a very small and weak frontline across the board. Add in Dest, Arfsten and McGlynn and you're putting an insane amount of stress on Adams. It'd be just so easier to out physical this team.

But offensively, it makes a decent amount of sense.

Longer term, I think the broader issue with a 3 ATB is that CM is very much a strength. With the current roster, I understand why people want to dodge it, but that's unlikely to be true in future rosters.

 

Pulis

puli is a great floating player. He isnt just a winger these days at milan

 

I could see that formation, give Zendejas a shot and evaluate what he can bring. Then also play Pulisic underneath 2 strikers. Only thing with that is asking Pulisic to defend more in the middle of the park.

 

He does very little “floating” except to pinch in from the wing and combine. Modern wings have to do this. They don’t just run up and down the line from touch to touch anymore. You have to be able to pinch in and shoot or combine.