Pre-match: USA vs Bolivia May 28th, 2018

This whole discussion is silly. You call in the group of players who based upon observation, form, potential have a solid chance to be a part of the next qualifying stage and WC 2022. Who give a damn who they are playing for today or if they are riding the pine? You never know who will rise to the occasion just like you don't know that a guy who is killing it for his club just doesn't cut it with the NT. Use all the information you have at your disposal and make your picks.

This whole "earned a callup" is dumb. If they are or appear to be good enough for a shot then give it to them. Really what do you have to lose. Trying to compare this situation to Julian Green is ridiculous. This is a camp for meaningless matches. Julian Green was called in for a WC. Apples and oranges.

 

I think the difference between Germany/Europe and the US is that we have a U21 (which is more of a U23) where you can put players in the meantime. And it's a never ending thing.

The US outside of the Olympics have nothing beyond the U20. So calling them up to the senior level makes sense in that regard.

although I'm not a fan of calling up players who aren't regulars to the senior level. Different continents have different settings to work with.

 

lol
its a meaningless game a year away from any actual games that matter. i'd call in efra if he said he'd switch if he got called up.

 

We're not Germany

 

That sort of forward thinking decision making has no place in USSF!

 

I enjoy my anger!

And less sarcastically, I post out of frustration at USSF's leadership's inability to start addressing the the MNT's structural problems.

 

In case people need to have a reason to watch this game..........................
Seems Keaton Parks is gonna get an opportunity.

DFW has central midfield covered. (McKennie and Parks with other like Kellyn Acosta and Emerson Hyndman waiting in the wings) The rest of the country can worry about the other positions.

Some pre-game news regarding a Texan abroad, reports from Portugal claim that Benfica midfielder Keaton Parks is set to be called up by Dave Sarachan for the three friendlies the #USMNT will have (Bolivia, Ireland, France) https://t.co/mT2wO31rwU

— Arman Kafai (@ArmanKafai) May 12, 2018

 

midfield shaping up nicely;

-----McKennie/adams----------Delgado/Parks
------------------------Trapp / Roldan


and our back line has resources to work with; unfortunately the forward line is up in the air and looking meager. I have all the hopes in the world for Carleton and Sargent but they are unproven and Weah just looks really raw in his few minutes at higher level. That being the case I'd probably go diamond for now and with Jozy injured I guess Sargent should get a run out at the 9

-----------------------Sargent----------Pulisic(Weah)
--------------------------------mcKennie
-------Adams(Roldan)-----------------------Delgado(Parks)
-------------------------------Trapp(Roldan)

Edit: Just remembered Sean Davis has been playing really well, too.

 

Pulisic isn't a forward in 4-4-2 diamond mid. He's a very good attacking player but that doesn't mean pencil him in wherever. He'd have to play at the top of the mid in that system.

 

------------------sargent
---------mcKennie---Pulisic
---adams--------Trapp-------Delgado

Happy now? Merry xmas.

 

Not at all. McKinnie doesn't fit. And depending on the rest of the set up neirther does the mid.

 

Gall/Amon---Novakovich-----Pulisic
-----------Degado-----Adams----------
------------------Mckennie---------------
Robinson---Brooks---Miazga---Yedlin
----------------------GK?---------------------

If healthy, Saief

Subs: Sargent, Parks, Weah

 

I’d get Puli off the right. I’ve to have attacking options though. I’d have Adams and McKennie as attacking mids and put parks at d mid because I want to attempt to score 15 goals every game.

 

On the ball after entering left half-space (JB->KS->TA->WT->CP):
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------JS--------
KS--CP--------------------
--TA--------WM----------
-------WT-----------DY---
-------------MD-----------
-----JB---------MM------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------

After Pulisic's turn:
------------------------------
------------------------------
KS------WM----JS------
------CP--------------------
-TA--------MD-----DY---
--------WT-----------------
-----JB-------MM--------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------

The space Pulisic moves the ball into dictates the next options.

 

More reports that the lineup for the friendly is going to feature many Euro-based youngsters. The article does mention that MLS youngsters that are critical to their first teams are unlikely to be called in. Like for instance Tyler Adams.

https://www.metro.us/sports/source-usmnt-to-feature-non-mls-youngsters#.WvmU3mVea9Z.twitter

Metro has learned that several of the usual suspects have been or will be called up for the match. Christian Pulisic, whose inclusion in the squad has already been released, will be present. So too will FC Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie, a regular in the Bundesliga who is set to turn 20 years old this summer.

The source also told Metro that defenders Erik Palmer-Brown and Cameron Carter-Vickers are both included in the squad, which should be released in the coming days. So too is Andrija Novakovich, who is on loan from English club Reading in Holland’s second division. Novakovich, a forward, made his national team debut this spring in a 1-0 win over Paraguay.

 

Roster release this weekend?

 

In spite of the stakes being as low or lower then any of the opponents in this camp, we'll find a way to be the last team to announce the full squad. It's not for promotion anymore even because they've been releasing it on Facebook or some crap recently.

I would have wanted to see the European and MLS core mixed to find out how they complement each other and who emerges over a multiple game camp finally. Under this restrictive criteria I'd now go:

FW's: Wood, Siebatcheu, Novakovich, Sargent, Weah
A-Mids: Pulisic, Saief, Lletget, Mueller, Amon
C-Mids: McKennie, D-Will, Lletget, Gooch, EPB, Hyndman
Backs: Brooks, Miazga, CCV, T. Parker, Yedlin, Lichaj, A. Robinson, Villafana, Lima
Keepers: Hamid, Horvath

 

But they watch their seniors play live in Europe from the stands, that deserves a call up.

 

Guess today...

GK Hamid, Horvath, Klinsmann
(...Scott, Dos Santos)

DF Brooks, Carter-Vickers, Miazga, Palmer-Brown, Ream
(...Cameron)

FB Yedlin, Moore, Chandler, Lichaj, Robinson
(...Villafana)

MF McKennie, Adams*, Scott, Parks, Morales, Hyndman
(...Stanko, Torres)

AT Pulisic, Tillman, Saief, Amon, Corona, Gooch, Manneh
(...de la Torre)

FW Wood, Sargent, Novakovich, Weah, Green, Siebatcheu*
(....Wright, Rubin, Boyd)
(Johansson out injured)

————Siebatcheu and Adams are called in but depends if they [can] accept or not.


Vs Bolivia

——-Weah—Wood———
———(C)Pulisic————-
—Saief—McKennie—Parks
Robinson————-Chandler
——CCV———-Brooks——
—————Hamid—————

Bench: Horvath, Palmer-Brown, Lichaj, Scott, Tillman, Amon, Sargent


Vs Ireland

——Novakovich—Green——-
————(C)Pulisic——————-
—Corona—McKennie—Adams—
Robinson————————Moore
———Miazga——-CCV————-
——————-Hamid——————-

Bench: Horvath, Palmer-Brown, Lichaj, Hyndman, Gooch, Manneh, Sargent

Vs France

——Weah—Siebatcheu/Green——
————(C)Pulisic—————-
—Saief—McKennie—Adams—
Chandler——————-Yedlin
———Brooks—-Miazga——-
—————Hamid—————-

Bench: Horvath, Carter-Vickers, Lichaj, Morales, Amon, Novakovich, Wood

 

They didn't say it would be exclusionary of mls players, rather vital ones. Hard to make a legit exclusive abroad or mls roster. Performance really suffers. So expect exceptions.

BTW, forgot Parks in my projection. Add him. Already had been officially I think.

 

RedBullls dont need Adams. Toronto dont need Delgado because they brought in the Athletico Bilbao mid who can play for him and Bradley can move back into mid. They've got mids up the gazoo in Chapman, Osorio, Vazquez, Aktexe, Bradley. et al.

Redbulls have so many mids they arent getting the p.t. they need to stay sharp . They have the Rat who gets paid a lot and doesnt play, Valot, Sean Davis, Gamarra, et al.

Trapp was on the bench for Columbus on Saturday so he's available. Rico Clark filled in for him.

I"m not sure how official (FIFA) the Bolivia game is. But it would be fun to see 1) the core from Paraguay game stay in place for the FH of the Bolivia game, with McKennie and Pulisic and Sargent in front of CCB-Miazga-Trapp-Adams-Delgado ;2) start substitutions with the second half (Parks, Weah, EPB, Nova, Saief) ; 3) reconfigure the squad after the game for the 2 Euro friendlies based on results, exigencies of MLS, Euro off season etc.

 

When is the roster going to be announced?

 

Presumably this weekend. They’re going to announce the roster for Bolivia where hardly any MLS players will be involved, during halftime of an MLS game. For promotional reasons.

 

So I will get to see Amon, Siebatcheu, and Parks at the end of the month? Or will Sarachan put them in with 3 minutes to go?