And one more question on the very fringe of discussions. Was Djordje over Bassett even necessary? We shoulda just kept Cole maybe
I think Bassett lost out to Cremaschi. And both would have lost out if Morris were available. Mihailovic was competing against Luna or another 9.
The Dutch press reported that Pepi and Tillman were each given a choice by PSV on which tournament they wanted to go to.
No opinion on which U23 player so far from the full team should have been called in, but goddamn, your signature is funny as hell.
I can't help but think if Jalen Neal had more game time this season after coming back from his injury that you would have had your wish on that case. Coming out of the Gold Cup, I was really hoping to see Neal get an opportunity to take one of those center back depth spots. He was one of the few bright spots for me last summer, primarily because I thought the potential was there.
Yeah I think it made sense for Neal not to go. And although center backs are capable of logging more minutes than most field players, this format of playing games in quick succession on little rest would not be one I’d want him participating in given his injury history. It’s a situation that’s unfortunate, but not really anyone’s fault or something that could be changed imo.
It’s been said before, including by me, but I think the decision to take migailovic over Luna was really dumb. he MIGHT be marginally better, but it’s not like we absolutely had to take 3 over age players.
Who knows if it were to change the outcome but we left a weapon and x factor at home for an attack which was completely impotent today.
I assume you’re talking about Luna. If so, it’s completely insane to think he’d have made a difference today. And I say that as someone who thought taking Mihailovic over him was a horrible decision.
We lose either way but Luna actually is a versatile attacking player who can hold the ball, distribute, make the pass before the pass and make the pass, and score, he can do everything and he can do it from the wing and centrally, you don't need to fit the system to him, he'll find a way to do his thing. Mihailovic impacts the game on the international level almost exclusively through dead ball striking, something we already had with both Busio and McGlynn. We had no one, not one player like Luna, a genuine skeleton key type, or for that matter like the highly inconsistent Cowell (I think Griffin was probably the closest thing to him but Cowell is a physical monster in a way Yow and almost noone else is). Its not that Luna changes the game, its that Luna provides a tool, like Cowell, that this team was largely missing entirely, and would have helped a ton today. Mihailovic was completely invisible all day, like France (when he wasn't giving the ball away if memory serves), Luna wouldn't be invisible, he'd be a ball secure option the panicking players could lay the ball off to instead of passing back or passing it to Morocco which was what they kept doing instead. Does it mean we win? Nope. Before this tournament was played I viewed us as a dead letter in the QF's against Argentina, once the tournament started I viewed us as easy meat for this Morocco side. Luna doesn't change that, but he probably helps make it a touch less ugly, but I will own that's purely speculation on my part, maybe he's tired and useless, or more likely riding the bench for a coach that didn't want him in the first place.
I wander those folks who think the Olympic square has a better defense than full USMNT are still thinking the same way.
If you’re asking would I take Robinson/Zimmerman over Richards/Ream, I would take the former every time, but a better bet is a combination of the two like Zimmerman/Richards. I’m guessing the centerback pairing will be an open question right up to the WC, and the new manager has a lot to figure out there.
I agree with much of that. But it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Our fullbacks were overwhelmed (especially Harriel) and we didn’t have any threat from our striker. Luna is a good player, but we needed a few Pulisic, dest, and Pepi types to win that game.
In the upcoming senior friendlies, the following Olympians should be called up: - Kevin Paredes (projection: #2 Stretch W/#3 LB) - Walker Zimmerman (projection: Rotational CB) - Miles Robinson (projection: Starting CB) - John Tolkin (projection: #2 LB) - Griffin Yow (projection: super-sub w) - Patrick Schulte (projection: #3 GK)
I like it, though I’m out on Schulte, doesn’t have the requisite reaction time/quickness I want to see in a top keeper.
I think the advantage of Luna would have been an overage right back that helps mitigate some of those issues. Tolkin had his worst game which makes sense given he was up against Hakimi and Morocco ran a lot through him. Jedi is probably the guy who helps the most in terms of that problem but he was never coming as an overage option.
Why Miles Robinson is projected as starting CB? During all Olympic Games, Zimmerman is better than him. For Griffin Yow, he needs to go a better league to prove himself. I rather call Kelosheo to try out.
I’d add in Tanner Tessmann. If he breaks in, and the holding mid spots become crowded, De la Torre, Musah, and McKennie all could theoretically be moved into a more advanced position. Honestly, I wonder if McKennie would be more valuable to us in a more advanced position.
He's better than Turner. He's not flashy. But his positioning is very good. He is good with the ball at his feet. And he's more aggressive in coming out. If we had a game tomorrow yes I am still starting Turner, but I think Schulte needs minutes with the senior team to see if he can raise his game just a bit. I am over Turner.
Schulte is not the shot stopper Turner is nor is he the top American shot stopper in MLS this year (fourth amongst American goalies with Freese at number one).
It was a dumb move, given Mihailovic is a forward/a-mid but was used as a CM, which is Bassett's main position. Bassett would've added some badly needed athleticism and bite into that central midfield.
0-7 against the two proper teams faced. Pathetic to lose that way. Again, I don't understand the selection of that central midfield. There are plenty of examples of US central midfields that have proven competitive against good sides. And those midfields had characteristics that the U23 selection had lacked.
A reminder that even qualifying for the Olympics was more than we'd achieved in 24 years. Even when we make progross with the program, folks think its been a disaster. I know the final result was disappointing, but we've made progress. We qualified, made it to the knockout round with two good wins, and lost in the quarterfinal. We lost to two teams better than us. France and Morocco (which is apparently France 2.0 based on influence) were better than us. Folks can haggle about roster selections until the end of time. They were better than us and significantly better than us. It won't be surprising if we end today with a France versus Morocco final. Would it????? Lest we forget, Morocco beat Argentina. And they were the better team on the day. But anyway, there are positives to take from the event. The reason you want to qualify for an event like the Olympics is to test a selected group of players at the level. Some succeeded and some didn't. Kevin Paredes makes case for USMNT senior spot: Winners and Losers of the USMNT's 2024 Paris Olympic Games run | Goal.com US