I think 2-3 starters depending upon how you see the 11 played vs Panama, and 1 to 2 played against El Tri. I also think that both sides of the argument with Pepi and friends over the weekend are valid: #1 Beating up on a crap team isn't terribly meaningful but.... #2 How bad would be not taking your chances in that game? And that happens too and... #3 Player confidence, and finished chances are basically a feedback loop for the good and for the bad for most attacking players. Pepi piling in goals in rare starts is typically good for his forward momentum, no matter who he's scoring against, just as negative momentum can be bad..
Sometimes good club players over-perform when they're elevated to the Nats and vice versa. But you won't know if you don't try them.
Well to be clear my response is more about Johnny but can include people like Tillman and the Championship players. But with Tillman I am pretty much in the mindset of him being a recipient of PSV just being that much better than the rest of the Eredivisie. I do think players like Tessmann, McKenzie, and even Trusty and Morris becoming starters and being solid to good though is worth monitoring as I do think they have skill sets that do translate well to the USMNT. Obviously not all will work out, but I'm also one that believes there are other players who if nothing else deserve a chance with the Nats.
You should watch Johnny's 90' v. Atletico and skip the hilite reels. Very nice game. Atleti may not have been at their fiercest but you'll really get the whole picture with Johnny if you watch that game.
True story. The USMNT is not as good when Wes, Weah, Dest, Reyna, Balougn, Johnny, Adams, Richards, etc. aren't available. We don't have the type of depth that a France or Argentina has. Yes, as those guys are becoming healthy...........they're doing well in European club soocer. No surprise. Maybe a player like Weston McKennie is really important to our group. I don't know why I should need to say that to a USMNT fan, but I guess I do. If people say "why can't this USMNT plays as good as the sum of its parts,".............my answer is THAT'S WHY WE HIRED MAURICIO EFFING POCHETTINO!!
To beat a dead horse... Pepi's on a team substantially better than the FC Dallas team he played for in MLS. He's scored a ton of goals this year against teams ranked worse than the Rapids, New England, the Fire, and a team that would, according to Opta, be the worst team in MLS. Last year, he had a monster year and scored against that last place team, 2 relegated teams, Quakes, New England, the Fire, 2 against Inter Miami equivalents and Atlanta United. He also scored against Sevilla and had an assist against Arsenal, which is great (not sure both were A teams). But overall, he's largely played an MLS schedule on an elite team. And he's scored like NUTS, which is great. He's also got about 1 goal contribution per 100 minutes for the US ... so like, is this really some surprise? What are people expecting out of these folks? Balogun gets the same weird thing where people keep insisting he's been bad for the US ... but he really hasn't once you account for assists.
By the way, with that win.................Real Betis moved up to 5th in the table. Its not like Johnny is playing for a bottom of La Liga shrapnel team like Luca de la Torre was. He's playing with a team that finished 7th last season and has ambition to finish higher this season.
They are all worth monitoring and getting PT. And I'm very hopeful that Pochettino can unlock something. It's just for some people the idea of playing in Europe or for a bigger team as some higher level of play has become such a bedrock assumption that they can't question it. Player plays well for PSV, then doesn't play well for the US. This happens repeatedly and with multiple coaches. There's objective data telling us that maybe wracking up stats in the Eredivisie isn't that impressive. We've seen a ton of players playing MLS competition not translate, and we have no issue saying that there's a difference between that and international play that does not always translate. We also have a ton of evidence that playing in the Eredivisie or the Championship does not always translate, but for some reason, that equivalency is completely unassailable as an assumption. It MUST be an issue with the National Team; it can't be that the Eredivisie is being overrated by people. Or that just getting time or being on a roster is overrating people. This is the simplest explanation, and the potential that maybe we're just overrating these accomplishments is ignored. And then when those accomplishments happen again, they are only evidence that people that think those accomplishments are overrated if you can't fathom that yes, those accomplishments are overrated. "Look how well this dude plays at club but he plays poorly or ok for the US." "Maybe playing that well at club overrates him." "Him playing exactly the same back at club means you are wrong that that overrates him." What?
It's not about skills that translate to the international game. It's about how well the players on the national team play with each other. I'm speaking now of what the problem is with translating the skills fm club to international game. It's also about having as many skills as possible on the pitch - i.e. don't put 3 mids on, none of whom can pass and expect the rest of the team to "translate". At club, a certain limited number of players can be put in their "sweet spot" to perform and add to the G+A ledger. When they come to the national team (with different personnel and skills) and are expected to cover more than their sweet spot, they just bring the rest of the players down as they struggle outside their domain for a different coach playing different players.
I am very happen they all did well. It's better than doing poorly. I'm just saying it doesn't prove anything. Doesn't signal improvement. Doesn't mean they are all that good. Doesn't mean the US coaching staff has been holding them back, etc. And I really like Pepi. And I'm not nearly as down on Malik as some. But beating up on the equivalent of the Chicago Fire with a stacked team is not making me question why they've been very good but not elite (Pepi) or poor (Malik) for the USMNT. I have some questions about Malik and why even my adjusted expectations don't translate ... but I see a lot of potential reasons and I don't nearly see the gap others do in performances. Some gap ... but like, scoring an unmarked goal against the bottom of the Eredivisie is whatever. Djordje Mihailovic put up 11g/10a in < 2,500 minutes this year playing MLS competition. Malik put up 9g/10a in < 1,600 minutes (last year) playing on a much better team against roughly MLS competition. Pepi has like 12g/2a combined over the last two years in < 900 minutes. Malik and Pepi's numbers are much better, rate wise, and I think they are both better players, especially Pepi. But like ... not so much better that Malik should be performing like Pulisic to Mihailovic's ... Mihailovic. Should he not be booting so many balls? Yeah. Is it a shock when he disappears and doesn't impact the game for long stretches? Not if you've watched PSV. I guess my point is .. if you are continually baffled about translation of players who are in second tier leagues in Europe, or players who are simply getting PT at bottom half clubs but making no real impact (and often out of position or lose their jobs quickly) ... maybe it is time to adjust expectations of what that really means?
yes because paying attention to fixtures this was our second easy game of the season, the other being Hellas Verona. Our opening fixture list was nothing short of diabolical , and now is the time to make up points.
I genuinely think that classifying the Champo, Eredivisie, Belgium, and Portugal as third tier leagues has utility. The gap from the EPL to the BL/Serie A is the same as the gap from whichever one is in fourth to Ligue 1 and maybe just a bit smaller than the gap from Ligue 1 to the 5th best league. Then leagues 5-10 or 15 (which includes MLS) are all grouped as tightly as the top 4. Players from third tier leagues frequently fail to translate to higher levels. I think keener observers can spot the pitfalls these guys could face or single out the ones who are more sure bets (ManU’s now former manager apparently isn’t one of those). Then just straight up look at the pool on a badge FC basis and we are 20-30th best (it you weight towards club quality lower, if just looking at top 5 minutes then higher). Basically outside of two red cards and a freak own goal against weaker teams that’s who we’ve been, even in a down period. Player form fluctuates. Wes was in poor form this summer, his new coach wanted to dump him, he picked it up, and now he’s a key player again. Johnny ended last season a little weakly, didn’t do well in the summer, had a fitness issue, didn’t start for his club, didn’t play as well as he did on average last season, then picked it up and has returned to form over his last two matches. Our starting GK has been in a funk and that position has outsized influence on results. Our best CB is on his way out after a nearly miraculous late career peak/plateau. Our most accomplished striker’s form dropped last season, played about as expected over the summer, and turned around his club form this season just in time to get injured.
Is there a competitive league ranking where we see % total wins by let's say top 6, or top 33% of teams?
What I like about Pepi is his accuracy seems to be back. At his best he hits shots to places the keeper can't get but lately he hadn't been doing that. He seems to be getting that back now as the extra minutes are helping.
Yes, Pepi gets the advantage of playing for a fantastic team against shrapnel. He also performed well when playing for a terrible team against the best Eredivisie teams. Hence why one purchased him. I just think Pepi needs a chance to play regularly and gain momentum. I have faith in him. Still really young.
Cole Campbell for Dortmund pic.twitter.com/tZFfwlSE8j— Deggio Youth Backup (@GolazoTV161998) October 29, 2024 Cole Campbell in his second Dortmund 1st team appearance:- 7.1 FotMob rating ✅- 43 minutes played- 0.02 xG- 0.03 xGOT- 0.03 xA- 2/5 (40%) accurate passes- 1 chance created- 1/1 (100%) shot accuracy - 18 touches- 2 touches in opposition box- 2/2 (100%) successful… pic.twitter.com/NLuzgTkcyA— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) October 29, 2024
The US pool is so deep we're even getting goal contributions from Konrad de la Fuente and... Michael Hoyos?? 🇺🇸 This Konrad de la Fuente assist from earlier today 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/gIkP57IIKs— USMNT NATION (@USMNTvsHaters) October 30, 2024 California native Michael Hoyos with a nice goal for Independiente del Valle tonight in Copa Ecuador action. pic.twitter.com/crTcL9ttQr— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) October 29, 2024
Johnny totw 🇪🇸 La Liga Team of the Week pic.twitter.com/tNSepGNcrr— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 29, 2024
Mihailovic vs Tillman? They had once played in the same league. Mihailovic played for AZ who finished 4th. They were a good team. And he didn't do anything. That's not to mention Tillman's UCL play. These players are not remotely similar in terms of quality.
Milan Napoli, le PAGELLE della partita di Serie A | Sky Sport I SUBENTRATIO DEL MILAN DAL 62' PULISIC voto 6
Looks like better chances for Gio and Cole Borussia Dortmund put five recognised stars on their 'cut list' of up-for-sale players - including ex-Liverpool man - as pressure ramps up on manager Nuri Sahin According to Bild, Dortmund are willing to let Donyell Malen, Emre Can, Julian Brandt, Niklas Sule and Marcel Sabitzer leave the club.
It's probably time to talk about the fourth guy on this list. Castañeda is a 2004 Tampa product who took an offer in 3rd division German offer did well and was snapped up by 2 BL club Paderborn. As a 19 year old he has started every game of the season on a team that has only one loss. A big midfielder at 6'2" Yanks in the German Cup today- Joe Scally STARTS for M’Gladbach at Eintracht - Timmy Chandler on the BENCH for Eintracht - Lennard Maloney STARTS for Heidenheim at Hertha BSC- Santiago Castaneda STARTS for Paderborn vs Werder— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 30, 2024
Rokas Pukstas... too bad he didn't get that Seria A move 🇺🇸 Rokas Pukštas scores his first goal of the season in a cup match 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IGeEpFE53g— American Ultras Talk (@ameriultrastalk) October 30, 2024
Wes crashing deep in the box from the far post, Weah cuts back on the left and finds Wes with the cross, Wes stretches and heads it down, rebound goes to Vlahovic who shoots over.