Pre-match: USMNT v T&T Gold Cup Game 1 Sunday June 15th

from the gc discussion thread, omitting some overall talk at the end:

i think some things are very clear- start freese. its not out of the realm of possibility that brady could play at this level, but turner is out of the question. i dont care what matt was or will be, but he loses games for us now. actively.

richards, mckenzie and as little miles as possible in the middle (and thats putting a lot of faith in robinsons only non-terrible match in a year and a half). zim could sit between chris and mark in a back 3- which says everything about us that we need that in concacaf- but absolutely not in a back 4.

the most obvious thing is we have to sit adams on top of the backline. every minute thats not the case we are in peril.

outside id like to see tolkin more than i dont want to see arfsten- its not likely maxs no d/all cross style will be prohibitive in the first 4 matches (fingers crossed we get to 4), though im still waiting for all that sexy danger to translate to anything tangible at all. i think a solid, set base of freese/richards/mckenzie/tolkin/adams is our best, and frankly, only shot on any success here.

then again, i dont know what the goal is anymore.

on the right i fully agree with most everyone that harriel doesnt belong anywhere near this team, but i dont know how much we can realistically expect from freeman. weve put both of them in completely shit positions. the kid has started 12 matches. im sure not interested in talking about freddy adu, but if you want an example of putting too much on a "kid" too soon its freeman, with only harriel behind him.

i think we have to use both tillman and luna centrally, whether thats as a midfield 3 (adams 6/malik 8/luna 10) or more feasibly a box 4. we already knew we didnt have any width in this team, and for lunas developmental sake we need to stop minimizing him by having him in wider spots.

for the 4th spot just hold a lottery before each match. i mean, if we care about competing here in this gold cup luca is the guy. hes also a sign we arent playing for anything that will carry over.

i do not know how agyemang has absolutely nothing-ed his way into being somewhat of a consensus choice, but whatever. i hope we can see what downs can bring, and that thats anything at this point.

for the opener, i would go with downs and wright (and just ignore everyone arguing over what that shape is).

very roughly

________freese________
___richards__mckenzie
freeman___________tolkin
_____adams
_____________luca
___tillman_
__________luna
__________________haji
___downs

sometimes the midfield is a box, sometimes a diamond. tillman shades right, haji left. sometimes that diamond has luna or malik as a false 9 between downs and wright spread further (in case we accidentally win the ball and decide not to immediately play backwards).

miles (a not awesome but viable option at rb minutes), zim (only in a back 3), arfsten give us minutes in the back.

ba (8, 10, "wide"), pax (8, and only 8) and seb (6, 8 only with adams) in the middle.

mcglynn as an offensive spark (gag) and pat can eat some minutes (assuming downs isnt just as terrible as our other options).

 

---------------------Big Pat--------
------------Luna-------------McGlynn---
---Tolkin------DLT-------Adams------Freeman
----------McKenzie---Miles----Richards----
-----------------------Freese--

Luna: false 9. he has the chops for it.
Tolkin: has been excelling as a wingback in the B1.
Richards has been excelling as an RCB in the EPL
McKenzie has been holding his own as an LCB in Ligue 1
Miles plays in a back-3 at club level
Freeman plays wingback/rb with Orlando
Freese all the way from here.

Give Tillman a rest. Rotate Johnny.

 

The scary thing is that lineup is probably the best we can do with what we have and it is no better than a B- team and maybe as low as C-.
There is nobody that can really defend and no one that can attack and our GK situation is the absolute worst it has ever been. We will play these matches and some/most of the players will play hard but there is not enough quality to be secure against even a poor CONCACAF team.
We may well win, after all we are playing T&T at home, but, with this group of mediocrity it is far from assured.
Also Poch has shown no ability at all to get strong effort out of any team.

But this is only the Gold Cup and the only thing of importance to win is personal pride and that is sorely lacking in this group of USA wannabes.

 

not to veer off track, but how much of tolkin have you seen with holstein? im not asking in a dick-ish way- i havent seen any of his bund matches.

from what i know (knew?) he plays most comfortably/naturally like a left-sided dest, which isnt exactly a "wingback". and thats only an issue here because we dont have any width outside of the other 3 outside backs and sullivan.

we did see him get into advanced positions on the left side against switzerland. i think hes a far better defender, and player overall, than arfsten im just not sure about fit if we arbitrarily go like-for-like (which isnt something poch has shown any concern for whatsoever).

so im just asking you- or anyone who wants to chime in- if hes grown in that aspect (playing more down the line), if thats what his role really is with holstein, etc.

 

I’m nervous about T&T, it feels like the US could lose that, and then it’s picker up time against the Saudis, and this team has not shown that kind of fortitude at all.
If we have to go without Adams I’m doubly troubled.
My hope is T&T sucks and we can muddle through that with a win, assuring advancement through the group regardless of the Saudi result, because I can’t in a million years see anything but a win against Haiti.

 

Two matches. He passed the eye test, surprisingly. And he's got a lot more bite in his game than does Dest.

 

If we come out strong and motivated we will beat T&T fairly soundly regardless of who plays within reason.
But i have not seen much motivation from the USA since the last WC.
If we come out flat and let T&T have a chance then the match may well turn into effectively an away match and we could very well lose to an inferior team, again.

 

Turkiye was ELO 22, Switzerland ELO 18.

We are currently ELO 45. We are playing T&T ELO 104, Saudi Arabia ELO 63, and Haiti ELO 81. We should easily get out of group with 7 to 9 points.

Our first real test will be Costa Rica ELO 52 in the knockout rounds.

 

If only we had Jesus Ferreira for this one........................

In all seriousness, I fear for T&T.
The USMNT is going to release some frustration in this game.

Levi Garcia, now of Spartak Moscow, has given us some tough moments in the past.
Soca Warriors' 26-man Gold Cup squad confirmed - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

 

All things considered I personally think this makes a lot of sense.

Mostly I'm interested to see if the cold shock of the past 2 friendlies and (seemingly) resulting media brouhaha will have an impact on things like intensity, focus, and whether it will actually make it last over a full match against an "inferior" opponent.

As gogorath said, this is really the tune-up for KSA.

 

I would take a healthy and in form Ferreira on this team for sure.

 

I think if he play something close to the Turkey lineup we should be fine.

 

Spot on. From a macro level, I expect and want us to continue with this 4231 shape the whole way through. I’d prefer the 6 splitting the CBs more than the RB pinching in when in possession, like we did early in the Turkey game.

I’d just hope we swap out the player next to Adams in the pivot and that player on the right in the band of 3 depending on opponent.

I just hate these striker options so much. Not cause I bear any of them Ill will, but because 3 of them depend on service from wide and we don’t have wingers or play that way and the 4th is a dude none of us have seen from the second Bundesliga.

Im pretty chill and interested in seeing this group in the GC, but the forwards situation is frustrating as hell.

 

This is like an ominous "THREE DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT" title card from a horror movie

 

If it was Brenda instead of Malik I’d agree.

Calling motm and 2 goal contributions for Tequilla Tillman.

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@bakayoko.goat/video/7507021927492357398

 

Malik we need to cook

 

——————PAT—————
——Luna—————Tillman——
——————LDLT——————
———Adams——Soccer———
Tolkin—————————Freeman
———Chris R—McKenzie———
——————Freese——————

 

IMO, you go with a first-team lineup on Sunday against T&T and you go for the jugular. If all goes well, pile on the goal difference.

You go again with the first-team lineup as much as possible against Saudi Arabia next Thursday.

You largely rotate against Haiti, unless we still need a result because we didn't get the job done in games 1 or 2.

 

I think that's the strategy. Win the first 2, then rest.

Best we can do is???

---------------------Wright------------------------
-----------Luna----Tillman-----McGlynn-----
----------------LDLT------Adams---------------
Tolkin---McKenzie---Richards---Freeman
-----------------------Freese---------------------

If Adams can't go then fuuckme.

Like @gogorath said, I too am trepidatious (is that not a word?) about McGlynn so would be ok with an Aaronson brother or Sullivan brother instead of him.

If you want to start one of the other 3 CB instead of McKenzie so be it.

Just start FREESE PLEESE

 

The Gold Cup: Just because you're hosting doesn't mean you're welcome!​

​

 

I would rest Adams' turf toe for a few more days against ELO 104 T&T.

Ageymang
Luna Tillman
Arfsten LDLT Cardoso Freeman
McKenzie Robinson Richard
Freese​

The modern tree (3-4-2-1) suits this roster. The magic square of Luna, Tillman, LDLT, and Johnny should be able to dominate the middle and generate chance after chance in combination.

I would use Robinson as the CB for both aerial game and his recovery speed since T&T only chance of scoring will be something over the top of our high line or on a set piece.