Any analysis that doesn't acknowledge that he was RB Salzburg's best player in the Champion's League matches, was sold for €35 million, looked like he belonged for a stretch in the PL and was likely (I'm too lazy to look it up) a MOTM against Liverpool and/or Chelsea suggests "try hard" is not his "one skill". That's just hyperbole. Any analysis that doesn't include that his confidence was pretty shattered as he struggled with the physicality of the Premiership and the lack of quality of his team - isn't balanced. He seems to have worked through some of his issues and is on an upswing so it will be interesting to see how/if he improves. Many Yanks go through some tough adjustment periods when they make a leap to higher levels. Who knows - it will be interesting to see how he holds up in the Championship.
You’re right, they did. But I still would argue we do have some positive data points from Malik’s performances in Europe for PSV when we’re trying to assess if he can do it for the national team against good competition. Most of his production was in the league, but there were good moments in Europe, he didn’t disappear as much they way he did at times for Rangers in Europe.
What did he announce? CL? I had no idea he ever announced anything, he's basketball, period, isn't he? There's definitely a hubris with both announcers and networks, that they can cover whatever....Nope, you've got to know the sport. Definitely Dave O'Brien was my rock bottom. A Baseball guy, with baseball radio/tv voice doing WC '06 still irritates me every time I think about it. Just so utterly out of his depth, stylistically and informationally, and to be fair to him, its hard to imagine anyone being accepted when the fans know that they're essentially being 1000% disrespected by the hire/duty post, w/the network figuring a familiar, but stupid and ill informed voice, is a better way to draw soccer fans, than a knowledgeable one.
Everything is choices, and the discussion would be better if we all acknowledged that. Some of the same folks who park the bus also lament that we don't generate enough offense ... even though a part of that is that we don't overload the box or a side with players to avoid getting into the same defensively unbalanced position. Choices should be situational, even within a ballgame. We parked the bus against Wales and Iran in the World Cup after about 65', but we didn't against England, though we didn't press as many people forward and maintained discipline. The other things is this: you don't need to stay back as much if you can get back. The better the guys who are who stay back, the better the recovery speed, the better counter pressing, the more you can commit forward with less risk. You can play a low block or a mid block with players back and still progress forward if you can still defend effectively against the counter. The whole discussion is way too much of a dichotomy -- it's either tiki taka or route one; the idea that our players could made decisions with each possession is often ignored. It's either park the bus or high press. I mean, someone tried to tell me every low block is parking the bus, but that's not even true. There are degrees here, and choices. And they can be made at every moment of a game.
Also, I just don't think Brazil applies nearly as much pressure as Colombia. Even in competitive matches.
That second half was enormous. Can't be underestimated. I didnt think he was horrible in the first half, he made some good saves, and then made a catastrophic pass directly to a Brazil counter....but to come out after that and save what, 7 or 8 different shots, and a point blank beautiful Basketball style block? Beautifully done. It might just be what he needs to be "right" for the tournament, or it might just be 1 game, but it's sure as ---- better than where we could have been after wednesday night. Hopefully he plays it more simply, and doesn't worry so much about distribution after that one...
I am like 95% sure that the network was like "People like latin soccer announcers because they get so excited! Who do we have that gets so excited? Gus Johnson!" Gus made his money really getting into the NCAA tournament and he's great at it. I'll be honest, though, I can barely follow the discourse on soccer play by play announcing sometimes because there is absolutely no consensus on what good is except for if you are announcing in a foreign language or a British accent, you are good.
I'd say there's mounting evidence that like a lot of keepers, Turner needs some play time to be sharp. I keep seeing things like "where in the Top 5 league can Turner start" but I think the question should just be "where can Turner start." He's an excellent shot stopper when sharp, and he can work on the other stuff. But two years out, I would not risk the former for improvement in the latter.
The easier part for him to learn should be (a) how to be more aggressive with those dribbles and attack more and (b) when to pass and give up the ball. The harder thing is that I don't think he has the passing vision and while that can be improved, it's not very common.
We have a lot of data points on Malik, but I think as usual, the truth is in the middle but the dialogue moves to the edges. Tillman has great physical tools, good technical skills and a pretty mediocre motor. I think his passing vision is one of the better ones on the team, and his short passing touch is pretty damn good. Also, like McKennie, even though he has more of a midfielder's game, he's got this extra dimension of better good near goal. I also think that his skillset is a great add to our team because he's very much of a receive and pass guy -- we have soooo many guys who get the ball and dribble is their first, second and third option. Whereas Malik looks for the immediate pass even before the ball gets there. He lacks intensity and aggression at times, so he *can* be a liability on defense and disappear on offense. And yes, being on PSV helps him a ton. A lot of guys who can make and receive those short quick passes he does well with. A ball dominant team that rarely needs him to be strong on defense. A lot of chances, a lot of touches. It's less for me about the gap between Malik and his opponents than it is between PSV and their opponents -- it plays to his game so well. There's a middle road between Tillman is a paper tiger playing against shitty competition and Tillman is a plus player in the champions league that we are misusing. He's a talented player who has struggled at times with the US and been okay at times, and if you look at the former, a lot of those are the physical, drag out fights on shitty fields or against people who will knock you around. He's not that kind of player.
To me you're take is the nuance, and mine would just be that players go into and out of form, he was very good and sometimes great from what, '19-'22, he wasn't from early winter '22 through early winter '23, he found his form again in late winter and spring '24. Theathletic had a great write up on him they posted around May of '22 or thereabouts talking about what he'd bring to Leeds and I think one of the biggest problems is that people simply did not realize what he wasn't going to be at Leeds, and getting that goal on day 1 against Chelsea made that even worse. He's not a huge stat bucket filler, never was. Not even at RBS, I can't make 1/10th the argument theathletic piece did, Link: Brenden Aaronson: why Leeds pushed hard for signing and what USMNT midfielder will bring - The Athletic (nytimes.com) "Skillcorner’s analysis shows that in a typical 90-minute game, Aaronson will cover an average of 10.7km, ranking him in the top five midfielders in Austria’s Bundesliga to have played 10 or more games this season. That is in line with some of the best 90-minute distances registered by players in the Premier League and the numbers impressed Leeds, who consistently rack up more kilometres than any other team in England’s top division.....Aaronson is a committed and active presser and 27.2 pressures per 90 minutes, as calculated by Statsbomb via FBref, is on a par with the very best of Europe’s attacking midfielders — in the top two per cent across the big five European leagues.....His high-speed running is relentless too. He is not an especially great defender, but his energy, as part of a deliberate press, suggests his running off the ball helps team-mates to position themselves and step in rather than relying on specific interventions from Aaronson himself..... Aaronson is a low-involvement player in the sense that there are others on the pitch who touch the ball and pass it far more than him. An average of 30.5 passes per 90 is low for a player in his position...Aaronson’s progressive passing is also limited....he prefers neater, shorter passes leading to a high volume of link-up play — again, like Klich. Klich has never been a prolific carrier of the ball and does not make an especially high number of progressive passes either, but he is very good at receiving them — a strength Aaronson possesses too. Klich’s style is as much about making himself available for forward balls as it is about supplying them; laying the ball off, then offering himself as an outlet in advanced spaces....." It's well worth reading if you have an athletic sub, really does a nice job of illustrating what Brendan did for RBS, and why it allowed his valuation to jump into around 20 mill level before Leeds over spent by about 35-40%.
I think Argentina has a higher ceiling than Uruguay but I actually think Uruguay produces more consistent quality performances lately. It will be really interesting to see how this plays out as the bracket basically was: A/B Side: #1 ranked Argentina #6 ranked Ecuador #7 ranked Canada or El Tri or Venezuela C/D Side: #2 ranked Uruguay #3 ranked Colombia #4 ranked Brazil #5 ranked USA Our side of the bracket is flat out stacked to the gills, so theoretically, Argentina is already in the Copa America Final unless they step on the biggest of ranks. They will not have to play a top 5 team in the tournament until the tournament final (assuming they make it). So do Uruguay or Brazil or Colombia get battle tested by this gauntlet and just thrash an Argentina that basically got a vacation for nearly a month in North America? Or are they too tired for the final? That's my question. I have no idea. It will be interesting, and I will freely admit to being incensed at the stupid --- pot design for the draw last december. They got it laid out completely and totally wrong and as usual rankings are just straight up horse ----. Do recall, El Tri, the craptacular Mexico that were owned by Canada and the US in WC Qualifying, s--- their pants in a WC group of life with only 1 top 30 opponent in the world (Poland sucks, and the Saudi's are even worse), and then got thrashed by the US in NL the following June are somehow, totally and inexplicably ranked ahead of Uruguay and Colombia for Pot seeding purposes?!?!?! I would not put El Tri, even back in December, in the top 7 for this tournament, but in their set up, El Tri was 4th. That is why we drew Uruguay, and our side of the bracket also got Colombia: because they totally botched the seedings of the top 7 teams underneath Argentina. In some ways this is Colombia's fault because they didn't qualify for the WC, but it still doesn't really explain how on earth Mexico jumped over Uruguay.
Not sure if it's been said yet, but Berhalter deserves credit for making this call and taking this risk. You've got one friendly left with a keeper who just turned in a stinker. It would've been easy and probably the conservative call to give the game to Horvath, but it would've shattered Turner's confidence. Berhalter rolled the dice to see if he could get a solid performance out of Turner (against Brazil, of all opponents) and it worked.
Playing tight is the easiest strategy to coach and has the most in common elements from coach to coach, system to system, and club to international side. Players have tons of reps and experience in it. So beyond the diminishing returns, the gains from playing it against a weak team to prepare to face a strong team are minimal. Their individual quality, tactics, and ball movement are going to be pale imitations of a top international side. That is if they even are willing to try to play an attacking, expansive style in an even game state in the first place. So are you going to commit to playing all those guys behind the ball against another, weaker team trying to do the same? Do you want to play a series of 2-4 v 9s with a bunch of low % long passes at 0-0? Some think trying to break down a block is grueling, now imagine doing it with half as many players in attack.
Look, his numbers don't lie. He's a forward who has never provided his club's with >5 goals in a season. As a forward/AMF, thats kinda-sorta his first job, to score goals. And at that, in watching him, a significant amount of his chances at goal are out of his "try hard/press hard" types of efforts. And yes, he scored a measly 5 goals for the one team in Austria with any sort of money, in a rather MLS-y level league. That is no insult to him, thats merely his level of accomplishment. Insofar as his nice (and transient) run of form in the CL, good on him. But, he hasn't replicated a like run of form for any extended period of time. And I agree. He just hasn't shown an ability to accomplish much at levels that are much higher than MLS. He's ACTIVE, but then we shouldn't confuse "activity" with "accomplishment." I do hope he plays well in the Championship. But there are others at his same position that are simply better at the game than he is in the USMNT pool. Given this, he could maybe help his national team more, if he took his VO2 max and "try hard" to another position, with fewer options ahead of him.
TL/DR: He's a high VO2 max "try hard type." TL/DR: He's an AMF/Fwd who doesn't do many "AMF/Fwd-type things" on the pitch. Yup, Leeds overpaid a bit, but perhaps they had him in mind to supplement other players who have since moved on prior to his arrival. None of what the Athletic wrote is "bashing," and none of it is much different than what we see in his game. He's a "try hard" type, who may be better suited either at a ~MLSy level at his current position, or perhaps he can play at a higher level, but further back in the formation.
im sure this is going to piss off people who just want to argue, but i think malik is currently the player (with the nats) people act like gio is- or at least what people thought he was at the point of greggs return. he hasnt found his fit in the team yet because we dont use any spot in the middle as a pure/heavily attacking player. i think hes a better passer, combining with others, than he can show in how we play. while hes shown some growth with his club teams hes not nearly physical enough to play in the middle. and i mean play, not even getting to defending. so thats the comparison to reyna- that was the book on him that has turned out to not be the case at all. for malik, to this point- it is. i think we can use him on either side or centrally off the bench, but hes not ready to start for us at this level. im not sure hes ready to start at mid-concacaf level. so for me its just a matter of time, and the time for a substantial role in the copa is up. no one (with any sense) is saying hes just out. and ill add that i think a sneaky great way to use him would be as a late game sub- at whatever "position"- to get on the end of crosses in the box. thats a real strength of his ive seen, and its a bit of an outlier for his overall profile. in a position needing a goal and we are throwing the kitchen sink out there id call him a low-key specialist in that scenario, both in the air and just in a more all out attacking flow overall).
I think "parking the bus" was Pepi coming back more often to nip in and steal a ball, because that's his instinct to get involved. Then it rubbed off a little on Balogun. But I don't think we were doing it as a strategy. Maybe the fb's stayed back more unless they were carrying the ball fw or it called for an overlap. The line of confrontation was rather high frequently. We didn't sit in our own end, w/ 11 behind the ball, for much time. Obviously Brasil is great at making you chase & defend for periods. As for playing out of the back, it just wasn't typically off dead balls. Sent those long. Otherwise played short to a man. There was just more variance/flexibility than Colombia. The lack of it likely contributed to the struggles there. Against Brasil we were more balanced, practical. I don't know if you want to call it "pragmatic". These aren't all binaries. Well, I guess everything is to start, but this broke off into more sub-sets of them.
Aaronson is one of two national team players who get way too much credit in a very small sample of Champion's League matches. The other is Pefok. For any player, it is much better to assess them on the much larger sample of matches they play in their team's main league. The jump from the Austrian League to the Premier League is a pretty big one. Similarly, the jump from the Swiss League to the Bundesliga is a big one. I'm not too surprised by how things turned out for both of them.
And w/ that in mind, Aaronson was successful there too, outside a yr long funk in between, coming out of the WC. The fact he succeeded for a few months at the beginning and end of seasons indicates the struggles weren't a byproduct of a league figuring him out either. Outside that 1 yr, he's been consistently successful, across levels/comps, whether it be the EPL, BL, UCL, Europa, nat'l teams, MLS, ABL, etc. That's the actual far bigger picture.
He was successful except for the periods when he was unsuccessful. That's true of every player. What matters is the ratio.
Donovan was rarely sloppy or disappeared (on the field at least) for the national team. That’s just a poor description of him as a player. Jermaine Jones spent his first 3 years on the team playing like he was above it and should be the attacking fulcrum, hitting ill advised home run balls whenever he could, roaming wherever, until he locked in during the run up to the WC. Chandler had to be the biggest club to international play disappointment in our history and it sounds like he didn’t really care. Donovan valued international play above club play and largely brought it for the U.S. Overall and due to his tendencies as a player (high volume creator, created a dozen chances against Brazil in one of these games, the one where Jones hacked Neymar because Brazil hacked LD) I found that his average level of consistency was higher than Pulisic’s (who relies more on a couple big plays and less on passing). That’s to be expected because Pulisic hasn’t had his prime and players usually become more consistent. It was at club level where LD was inconsistent. MLS’s low level and a desire to save it for the USMNT saw Donovan coast much more with SJ and LAG. Especially in the regular season. His loan stint at Everton is where it clicked for him. The more competitive, single table environment requires more consistent competitive focus than the American playoffs/big tournament competitive structure. After that he started bringing it more often at club level. Wes just has a consistent issue with focus and isn’t really a gamer. He doesn’t really like soccer and he doesn’t watch it in his free time. He can get competitive but it seems like he wants to have fun (we all saw how he was having fun with club teammate Danilo on set pieces). It sounds like the 22/23 season was kind of a wake up call to him. After that he started to take his diet more seriously and to lock in on the disciplined, defensive tactical play they demand in Italy. Juve still don’t trust him in build up because of his mercurial nature and are shipping him out. At Villa he is going to have to win a job, probably still as a chaos agent. To keep it he’s going to have to lock in.
When all is said and done, I think their club career paths will look pretty similar. Aaronson will be a good Championship level player. Big 4 league I could see him establishing himself with a bottom half of the table team, sort of like LDLT has with Celta.