This is good to see, especially with how young those guys are. Hopefully they can bring some of that hard work to the US. They are still going to have to out run and out work their opponents. Something that the last wave of US talent seemed unwilling to do.
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Interesting development for the USWNT as Catarina Macario, Stanford’s Brazilian-born electrifying goal scorer has become a US citizen and has accepted a camp call up. Still needs some paperwork approved before she could play. From Andonovski’s comments, she has a significant chance of being on the Tokyo roster, which is impressive given that it is smaller than during other tournaments.
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More good recruiting news for the US
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MigratingOsprey
Thank You Paul!
That was a fun draw. Still missing that piece up front and I'm not sure that the players who couldn't get there are that piece
Will be nice to get Pulisic in there. I think he'll enjoy the group. He had had some chemistry with McKennie and I could see him working well with Dest.
In prior years it looked like he's get frustrated as there weren't players that he could run with.
Some of the excitement and swagger from the various U teams showed up
Obviously a long way to go and s lot of work to do.
Not sold on Gregg as the coach
I really want to see them continue and build continuity and familiarity with these young players
Bradley should be done - not someone who should have any influence on this club - bad leadership, poor attitude and mediocre play that doesn't fit in with the style of what is coming up
Should be really selective which older players get run
The future is coming and I think it will at a minimum be entertaining
Will be nice to get Pulisic in there. I think he'll enjoy the group. He had had some chemistry with McKennie and I could see him working well with Dest.
In prior years it looked like he's get frustrated as there weren't players that he could run with.
Some of the excitement and swagger from the various U teams showed up
Obviously a long way to go and s lot of work to do.
Not sold on Gregg as the coach
I really want to see them continue and build continuity and familiarity with these young players
Bradley should be done - not someone who should have any influence on this club - bad leadership, poor attitude and mediocre play that doesn't fit in with the style of what is coming up
Should be really selective which older players get run
The future is coming and I think it will at a minimum be entertaining
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Reyna had a tough night. I was really impressed with Adams and Musah in the middle. We have a pretty good midfield for the first time in a long time.
Stout
Hold onto the ball, Murray!
Did we have a striker that scored a few goals? I just peeked at the score line.
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Couple of thoughts, overall pretty good pair of games considering... well everything 2020. The on the field product for the most part matched the pre-game buzz caused by the young, heavily uncapped roster. One of the most exciting things about US soccer right now is instead of thinking about how to fill glaring roster holes with marginal talent (as has traditionally been the case for the US), we now get to think about how to best fit already quality players onto the same field. Do you play Dest at his preferred RB or do you play him on the left so you can get Cannon on as well? There’s an obvious argument to be made for playing your best players at their best position, but at LB he’d get to link up with one Christian Pulisic at LW (Pulisic himself has played all over for the US, but seems to perform best for Chelsea on the left). Not a trivial decision!
We saw a lot more from Reyna against Panama than we did vs Wales, quite a bit of that I think is simply attributed to this being the first time many of these guys have ever played together with only a couple days practice. In that Wales game, it looked like he and Lletget were too often stepping on each other positionally. Using a false 9 is great if you have somebody that can collect the ball from deeper midfield and go on breathtaking dribbles AND make incisive passes to cutting wingers AND poach goals once in the box, but the US doesn’t (and there’s no shame in Lletget not being that guy, it probably was a mistake to ask). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Reyna played better once the US went with a more traditional forward, what a boon it would be for the US if he could be the CAM in a 4-2-3-1 type formation with Pulisic and another speedster crashing in from the wings. And dropping pretty free kicks as well.
Brooks was a beast defensively with outstanding ball distribution as well, we just don’t have anybody else like him. That other CB spot is wide open. I don’t watch Miazga often but when I do, I don’t get the impression that he has progressed much since moving to Europe a handful of years ago. Carter-Vickers is still only 22 but has bounced around England a lot after looking like a top choice future starter. Chris Richards probably needs to find some playing time on loan. CB is an area where MLS can help as Zimmerman and Long can probably be trusted, and breakout player Mark McKenzie looks destined for a European transfer soon.
The internet analytics types swear up and down that New England’s Matt Turner should be getting games. I don’t have anything to add to that, other than he should get his chance next month (MLS based camp vs El Salvador), and that I’m not sure it’s sustainable to have Steffen as the guaranteed #1 if he doesn’t get game time at Man City. That MLS camp might be unusually exciting, got a few players looking for spots in Europe.
That Panama game got real messy once fatigue set in and both teams changed half their players, so it’s hard to draw any conclusions other than there being quite a few players we’ll be wanting to keep an eye on. Thinking Gioacchini, Ledezma, Llanez, and Soto. Ledezma created a boatload of chances in his 20 minutes or so. Good to see Weah back after injury, he needs his club situation sorted out. There was a Tyler Adams shaped black hole that opposition passes fell into, particularly against Wales. Cardoso is interesting after replacing Adams, maybe the only notable US player playing outside of North America/Europe (and he has the guts to wear first name only on the jersey). Mckennie has that Jermaine Jones energy that’s been missing from the US and I’m all in favor. Goes without saying Yunus Musah is a trajectory altering dual (actually quadruple) national.
We saw a lot more from Reyna against Panama than we did vs Wales, quite a bit of that I think is simply attributed to this being the first time many of these guys have ever played together with only a couple days practice. In that Wales game, it looked like he and Lletget were too often stepping on each other positionally. Using a false 9 is great if you have somebody that can collect the ball from deeper midfield and go on breathtaking dribbles AND make incisive passes to cutting wingers AND poach goals once in the box, but the US doesn’t (and there’s no shame in Lletget not being that guy, it probably was a mistake to ask). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Reyna played better once the US went with a more traditional forward, what a boon it would be for the US if he could be the CAM in a 4-2-3-1 type formation with Pulisic and another speedster crashing in from the wings. And dropping pretty free kicks as well.
Brooks was a beast defensively with outstanding ball distribution as well, we just don’t have anybody else like him. That other CB spot is wide open. I don’t watch Miazga often but when I do, I don’t get the impression that he has progressed much since moving to Europe a handful of years ago. Carter-Vickers is still only 22 but has bounced around England a lot after looking like a top choice future starter. Chris Richards probably needs to find some playing time on loan. CB is an area where MLS can help as Zimmerman and Long can probably be trusted, and breakout player Mark McKenzie looks destined for a European transfer soon.
The internet analytics types swear up and down that New England’s Matt Turner should be getting games. I don’t have anything to add to that, other than he should get his chance next month (MLS based camp vs El Salvador), and that I’m not sure it’s sustainable to have Steffen as the guaranteed #1 if he doesn’t get game time at Man City. That MLS camp might be unusually exciting, got a few players looking for spots in Europe.
That Panama game got real messy once fatigue set in and both teams changed half their players, so it’s hard to draw any conclusions other than there being quite a few players we’ll be wanting to keep an eye on. Thinking Gioacchini, Ledezma, Llanez, and Soto. Ledezma created a boatload of chances in his 20 minutes or so. Good to see Weah back after injury, he needs his club situation sorted out. There was a Tyler Adams shaped black hole that opposition passes fell into, particularly against Wales. Cardoso is interesting after replacing Adams, maybe the only notable US player playing outside of North America/Europe (and he has the guts to wear first name only on the jersey). Mckennie has that Jermaine Jones energy that’s been missing from the US and I’m all in favor. Goes without saying Yunus Musah is a trajectory altering dual (actually quadruple) national.
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Pretty much agree with all of this.
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Friendly today on Fox.
I enjoyed the friendly today. A lot of quality showed by the US team in holding the ball and moving forward in creating chances. They only lacked the final touch or pass on several occasions that gave NI the opportunity to draw in the end. There were a few lazy moments that almost gave away a goal in the first half, but the 3-4-3 is a very daring formation and I commend berhalter for instilling that confidence in the young players. When you play against an inferior squad, you should absolutely adjust your tactics and take chances with your players. The second half showed a lot more stability and there were moments of magic touches from pulisic in the attacking midfield. For me that’s such a great sight for my sore USMNT eyes, considering the young talent that is around him. Dike and Robinson should have both scored goals. Robinson deserved one, I thought he put in a Man of the match level performance if not for pulisic. Also Aaronson, for all the talk about Reyna and Mckennie, aaronson looks very promising. And the young player list goes on, today musah, became locked into the side. There seems to be something emerging in the US culture of these young players wanting to come together and battle with each other.
I think I’m most concerned about the 2 centre back positions. I’m not sure of the depth there and the goal keeper’s ability to distribute the ball from the back. We have been spoiled with goalkeepers athletic ability over the years, but that is something that needs to be there if you are going to be a top level squad.
I think I’m most concerned about the 2 centre back positions. I’m not sure of the depth there and the goal keeper’s ability to distribute the ball from the back. We have been spoiled with goalkeepers athletic ability over the years, but that is something that needs to be there if you are going to be a top level squad.
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Woah, excellent post. I loved reading this especially after watching today. Looks like you are spot on with this team and it looks like there has been some progress with this team which is promising. Particularly with pulisic, he looks willing to play any position in the final third, whether it’s a false 9 or an attacking 10 or a traditional winger on both sides or center forward. That is promising because it means berhalter can confuse opponents and mutate his tactics within a match. The goal for any attacking squad should be to change tactics so that your opponent cannot mentally focus on your tactics. The key with pulisic and the other talented players will be chemistry. Having versatile talent around one another and the players being able to communicate on the pitch. I’m very happy with the performance today, but they need to be more clinical in the final third. A couple of positions I’m unsure of? Who is playing in front of the center backs? Is that mckennie and/musah? Is it just a given that we are hoping Brooks and Miazga are the center back pairing or are their young players coming in there as well?
On another note I really hope the Olympic qualifying squad gets the job done so that we can see more of these younger players at the olympics. I know for men’s soccer the olympics are not necessarily an indication of what a team will do at the World Cup, but given that the two tournaments will be so close to one another this time, maybe it will be good for the men to have more experience under their belt.
gmabel830
It's football season!!
The USA keeper with one of the biggest blunders I’ve ever seen in the Olympic Qualifier.
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I missed it. I’m watching now, he almost had another blunder. Lewis’ miss was awful. And the referee robbed the US of a quality chance.
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Thanks, much appreciated @lorenzotexan. I hope the US generates some buzz and makes this a happening place.
I think you’re spot on that we could see Pulisic move around with Berhalter wanting to throw out multiple looks (this was one of the rationale he gave for throwing out a 3 CB line against Northern Ireland though I don’t expect to see a ton of it).
In their current system, you can count on Tyler Adams playing the 6 ahead of the two CBs as much as possible. McKennie and Musah are the favored dual pressing 8s. They’ve looked much improved since going to this more aggressive setup, though haven’t had a real significant test yet.
Barring catastrophe, Brooks is locked in. The not too distant future (as much as these things can be predicted anyway) looks to belong to Chris Richards who’s now starting for Hoffenheim after getting a couple games for Bayern Munich then going out on loan. He’s early in his career though and CBs need a lot of reps. As of right now you’ve also got Aaron Long as probably the best MLS option, then younger but unproven quantities in Miazga (never looked super convincing but apparently doing alright for Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht), Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien), and Cameron Carter-Vickers (always somewhere on loan in the English Championship). Huge spot up for grabs.
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First and foremost, how great is it to actually get excited about watching an MNT match. May can’t come soon enough. Few thoughts mostly on Northern Ireland given they were a step up from Jamaica (though I think Jamaica was well organized defensively in the first half considering they had many replacement players due to a dispute with the federation).
It is noteworthy that Dest was able to combine better with Pulisic on the left than with Reyna on the right considering that is his natural side (even when accounting for the opponent). Played very well against NI, plus good entertainment to see him carry the ball across the field beyond the (imaginary vertical) center. Seeing how he builds chemistry with Reyna is something to watch going forward.
Pulisic was (obviously) both dangerous and not quite sharp, so what I like is that in his second game in three days he got stronger as the 2nd half went on. Both he and Reyna freelanced repeatedly, not just finding space centrally but switching sides as well. Good stuff, made life difficult on Northern Ireland beyond just the goals (deflection or not, have to love Reyna slipping his mark). Maybe just a touch too much freelancing for the whole team as there were a couple of times near the box it seemed like there were a dozen bodies within about three feet. Not worried, that will sort out with reps and chemistry.
I’m not quite sure what to make of Jedi, he got the ball in dangerous places a few times but either the final pass or decision was achingly off that little bit. If he’s got the ball low along the paint of the box a hundred times, how many of his centering passes are a little better (and thus in the back of the net) and how many are a little worse than seen Sunday? Don’t think we know yet.
John Brooks might be the most indispensable member of the pool to replace, there’s just nobody close behind him (especially not left footed, which is preferred but not mandatory). So I try not to make too many presumptions but Tim Ream’s name was the one that made me wince when I saw the starting eleven. Ream does offer good distribution, which we saw on the Reyna goal. And an even better one that looked to have sent Siebatcheu on to goal had he not been bear hugged. The obvious “but defending...” on display with him and Miazga standing in the same spot trying to head the ball that wound up being NI’s goal.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that little came down Long’s channel during his time on the field vs NI. His positioning allowed him to quietly prevent attacking plays before they started. He generally offers zero in distribution and the same was true in these two games... except for one time dropping a gorgeous diagonal ball right onto Reyna’s chest at the penalty spot. Go figure. Hasn’t claimed it but in the mix for more starts.
Musah already looking like a recruiting coup. Yeah I’ll go with the “he plays like a vet and not a teenager” cliche for when he smoothly carries the ball 30 yards. There’s definitely going to be more impact multinationals choosing the US in the future. Just the way international soccer is now (though there’s always been an element of it, with the way global communication and information spreads now it’s basically supercharged) and the US is well poised to benefit.
Whiplash in quality between how Acosta played vs Jamaica and vs Northern Ireland (different role but should have been a more comfortable one). Very clear roster hole of being the backup to Tyler Adams and not a lot of candidates.
Daryl Dike: the goals will flow. Very excited to see what happens at the end of Barnsley’s season.
I don’t think there’s a better marriage of prospect to club in the pool right now than Brenden Aaronson and RB Salzburg.
Not a knock on Steffen but I would like to see Matt Turner play with the A team to see if that shot stopping prowess actually does carry over.
Josh Sargent showed a pretty hefty tool box, lot of the stuff you want to see when paired with Reyna and Pulisic instead of being hung out to dry like in Germany. Combines well in and out of the box, nice hold up play, meaningful movements off the ball.
It is noteworthy that Dest was able to combine better with Pulisic on the left than with Reyna on the right considering that is his natural side (even when accounting for the opponent). Played very well against NI, plus good entertainment to see him carry the ball across the field beyond the (imaginary vertical) center. Seeing how he builds chemistry with Reyna is something to watch going forward.
Pulisic was (obviously) both dangerous and not quite sharp, so what I like is that in his second game in three days he got stronger as the 2nd half went on. Both he and Reyna freelanced repeatedly, not just finding space centrally but switching sides as well. Good stuff, made life difficult on Northern Ireland beyond just the goals (deflection or not, have to love Reyna slipping his mark). Maybe just a touch too much freelancing for the whole team as there were a couple of times near the box it seemed like there were a dozen bodies within about three feet. Not worried, that will sort out with reps and chemistry.
I’m not quite sure what to make of Jedi, he got the ball in dangerous places a few times but either the final pass or decision was achingly off that little bit. If he’s got the ball low along the paint of the box a hundred times, how many of his centering passes are a little better (and thus in the back of the net) and how many are a little worse than seen Sunday? Don’t think we know yet.
John Brooks might be the most indispensable member of the pool to replace, there’s just nobody close behind him (especially not left footed, which is preferred but not mandatory). So I try not to make too many presumptions but Tim Ream’s name was the one that made me wince when I saw the starting eleven. Ream does offer good distribution, which we saw on the Reyna goal. And an even better one that looked to have sent Siebatcheu on to goal had he not been bear hugged. The obvious “but defending...” on display with him and Miazga standing in the same spot trying to head the ball that wound up being NI’s goal.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that little came down Long’s channel during his time on the field vs NI. His positioning allowed him to quietly prevent attacking plays before they started. He generally offers zero in distribution and the same was true in these two games... except for one time dropping a gorgeous diagonal ball right onto Reyna’s chest at the penalty spot. Go figure. Hasn’t claimed it but in the mix for more starts.
Musah already looking like a recruiting coup. Yeah I’ll go with the “he plays like a vet and not a teenager” cliche for when he smoothly carries the ball 30 yards. There’s definitely going to be more impact multinationals choosing the US in the future. Just the way international soccer is now (though there’s always been an element of it, with the way global communication and information spreads now it’s basically supercharged) and the US is well poised to benefit.
Whiplash in quality between how Acosta played vs Jamaica and vs Northern Ireland (different role but should have been a more comfortable one). Very clear roster hole of being the backup to Tyler Adams and not a lot of candidates.
Daryl Dike: the goals will flow. Very excited to see what happens at the end of Barnsley’s season.
I don’t think there’s a better marriage of prospect to club in the pool right now than Brenden Aaronson and RB Salzburg.
Not a knock on Steffen but I would like to see Matt Turner play with the A team to see if that shot stopping prowess actually does carry over.
Josh Sargent showed a pretty hefty tool box, lot of the stuff you want to see when paired with Reyna and Pulisic instead of being hung out to dry like in Germany. Combines well in and out of the box, nice hold up play, meaningful movements off the ball.
Ok cool, thanks for the info. I have to get caught up on a lot of those CBs, it’s good to see many of them playing in Europe in situations where they are expected to bring the ball up and play out of the back against quality opposition that are putting them under pressure. I think that’s probably our next step now that we have some attacking players who seem to be taking that next step.
Great analysis for each player. I want to talk more about Jedi because I thought he stood out for me, for the guys that played the full 90. He seems to be everywhere and I feel like that’s a good sign. Unfortunately he leaves some desire in the final third. I think several players did not have that final touch in that match, but watching him at Fulham, I’ve noticed that he’s had that issue in the games that I’ve watched.
I wish I got to see Sargent play with that team, but I was pleased to see Dike bully the CB almost every time he got the ball. He could really be the 9 in a formation full of attacking players. And again I was also very impressed with Aaronson.
Not a Chelsea fan, but it was awesome for US Soccer to see Christian Pulisic come off the bench in a UCL Final. Although he missed a chance to seal the game early, he provided a spark and was able to hold the ball playing more of a center role, which I think suits him as well. He was also pivotal in getting Chelsea past Real Madrid.
Also don't want to take away from Steffan, but he may want to leave City to get some match time.
Also don't want to take away from Steffan, but he may want to leave City to get some match time.
I watched the second half of the friendly vs Swiss, overall I enjoyed the mentality of the players. they were bold and trying to play on the front foot against a very talented team. they have a lot of players that are interested in attacking and getting forward. they also look comfortable on the ball which is good. they were really sloppy defensively and Brooks looked unfocused in defense for the 10 mins that I watched him play. the handball to dest was harsh and glad the penalty was not converted. but US could have lost by 2 or 3 goals with how poor they defended at times. It looks like the weak spot of the team for me are the center backs and holding midfielder(s). If you are going to be able to attack in numbers, your center backs and holding midfielder cannot be your weakest players, they have to be your best players. It is a concern for me with them being able to contend at the next level. can musah fit that role? is it Tyler Adams? who is going to be in front of the centre backs. with that being said, it is nit picking, this team is on the up swing, they just need to get their players more time together. I am also interested in darrell dike from Barnsley(who were on the verge of being promoted to the premier league), he is a bull and hopefully will be a better version of jozy altidore. the USA have a lot of quality attacking players. Of corse the crown jewel is pulisic, thankfully with the amount of talent they have in the attacking end, he should be able to play multiple roles within a match to adjust to the opponent.
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gmabel830
It's football season!!
Going to be fun to see how these young Americans develop!
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You picked the wrong half to watch, they were better in the first half. There were sporadic moments of unfocused play, but it became more apparent once the subs came on.
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