Post-match: USMNT v Saudi Arabia (Gold Cup)

for as little as McGlynn was on the ball, he sure seemed to complete the most passes to players in dangerous spots. For those with access to advanced stats, It’d be interesting to see who completed passes in the final third and their passing percentages in the final third. Especially for the 1st half.

 

A lot of people touched on it including Donovan but McGlynn is wasted glued to the touchline. He’ll never dribble anyone and it’s just going to lead to back passing. Anyone can do that.
It was better later in the half when he ventured into the middle and started to combine.
McGlynn is not a plug and play type, Poch has to figure out where he helps the most and hurts the least. Work in progress.

 

Next question: are Berhalter and LDLT any better than Julian Green?

 

Don't we wish...

 

Ream 15
Berhalter 14
McGlynn 8
Freeman 6
Arfsten 5
Richards 5
LDLT 3
Luna 2
Tillman 2

 

Haha I have no idea haven’t seen Green play in a decade. He’s an old head now, maybe there’s something there but it seems his time with US has passed.

 

you’re just non stop with listing all these difference makers. Guys who have excelled at winning games for the US.

 

In the 1994 WC there were many games played in brutal midday heat, particularly in southern cities. The main reason for this was so European TV audiences could catch the kickoff after they got home from work. We'll see if FIFA will be so accommodating to them this time around.

 

I mean Green has scored in a World Cup. He’s older, but more experienced.

 

I can only assume game plan. Or maybe he had a poor decision making day. Or maybe the RB was quicker than him, though he didn't test it much. Or maybe the outlets in the box weren't in the right spot?

My best guess: the gameplan was to run the ball through the middle and overall play fairly conservative. And the team as a whole isn't going to be great at adjusting on the fly since the other players need to be thinking he might cross it as well and likely were looking to the pass to the middle.

Definitely should have adjusted and tried it more.

But I've seen enough Columbus to know (a) he's not shy and (b) he absolutely has nice left foot. The issue isn't technical ability, whatever it was.

 

I don't have real advanced stats, but Fotmob has him leading in chances created (2), xA (.46) and behind only Ream and Berhalter with passes into the final third (8). Berhalter is the only other person with any xA to speak of (.26).

xA isn't all-encompassing and there were plenty of nice passes that didn't lead to a shot, but still, it's a big lead.

 

Yes.

 

No.

 

this time many of the southern venues are in domes/climate controlled stadiums:

Dallas- climate controlled
Houston - climate controlled
Atlanta - climate controlled
Miami - Open air
Kansas City - Open Air

 

Getting conflicting reports here...

 

Is busio that useful?

 

Berhalter is an interesting case (if we can see more of him vs. strong teams, like moving to Europe). But a lot of our players in this spot are psychically not strong enough. Strong guy like Wes, Musah, Tessmann, etc are needed to fight big teams.

 

and he's a starter on a bottom half B2 team where he's scored as well....

 

To different questions, though.

 

Also, if you want to use McGlynn as a traditional, chalk-on-boots winger, he's on the wrong side.

 

Vince used the analogy of some hopeless NBA player who shoots 17% from 3, being sagged off of when he sets up for a 3. That's how their defense was treating ARF, and they were right, he did ---- all w/countless possessions, where they went to die over and over and over again, why on earth they'd keep starting Freeman but not use him like Orlando likes to.....yeah, it was just, patently obvious the Saudi's were totally fine with Arf having the ball out there, rather than Tillman or Luna.

 

The middle was definitely packed but there was very little movement...especially diagonal movement to open up and create space for a runner to follow. That type of movement and space where a US player could have run onto a ball in space instead of a static player receiving a ball in is more dangerous imo. Arfsten and McGlynn played wide and the crosses, to some extent, created a little extra space when the defense shifted but those spaces opened and closed relatively quickly and when the ball was passed into those spaces defenders were able to close it down from 360 degrees.

 

it was a joke

 

well you have seen him in Ohio and I have not.

so must have been the game plan.

he was on the side of the pitch next to Poch so I wonder if Poch told him not to be brave and just take it to the end line?

 

I did think in the 2022 cycle that we could've used Green, agree that by now his time has passed though