The Official US Soccer thread

[Stout]

Last night's game was crazy. The first half was one of the worst performances I have ever seen by USMNT. Worse than losing to Trinidad and Tobago. They somehow woke up in the 2nd half and kept the coach employed.

It is clear how much this team has missed McKinnie and Adams in the midfield.

Oh, and don't even get me started on how I had to sign up for a 7 day trial of Paramount+ just to watch the game.

Yikes, really? I got to watch it, but once again, I had to watch with Spanish commentary.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yikes, really? I got to watch it, but once again, I had to watch with Spanish commentary.

yeah, I saw it was on Telemundo and looked for other options...

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Serie A moved to Paramount + / CBS this season, so they already have my money

I was out of town and accidentally saw the score.

So I sat down last night to watch the details and they weren't great

With such short camps and rosters that aren't set, they'll need to figure out a lineup and formation soon - they just look lost about what they should be doing

Pepi was involved in multiple goals, held up play nicely a couple times...... But had an overall first hour where I don't think anyone would have complained if he was in the 65-70 minute substitute off

Team looked bad down the center - Sands was better in mid-field than he was in playing CB his last time out...... But still not sure why he was in there and he didn't look good in either post

The last 2 games with Aaronson sure why he shouldn't have started as a midfielder against El Salvador

Need to get some consistency going into the next window and start utilizing the roster to it's strengths

I think they're on the path to qualification, warts and all - that does give some ability to explore and test your roster and start separating who will be there in 22 ....... They just look rag tag right now

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It's a complete lack of direction and leadership - basically USMNT Soccer as a whole.

 

[Stout]

That was an abysmal game on all levels, and it begins and ends with the head coach. Okay, after the Jamaica win, I can't say he has NO clue, but he is, at the very best, wildly inconsistent. And he CERTAINLY has no clue how to approach WC qualifying road games. Seriously, ringing in a ton of changes and putting out a WTF lineup like that literally set us up to lose from the get-go. Completely took the wind out of our sails and left us inconsistent, choppy, without an identity, and seemingly without a game plan. I mean, really, what was the actual game plan? I can't begin to guess, from watching the match.

Acosta...why does he ever even get a shout, let alone get 19 straight games played? That's a major sin. The dude just offers nothing but bad fouls, worse free-kick deliveries, and mouthing off to the ref for a yellow or almost a yellow every game.

Berhalter's comments after the game were freaking disgusting: "It was the hope that we get out of there with a point." You HOPE to get a point from Panama away? No wonder the players didn't play well and there wasn't any sort of organization--you coached scared, you chickenbleep! Coaching scared is catching, and rubs off on the players, who can sense it.

Of course, Panama cheated rampantly, wasting time in every conceivable way, and the referee was abysmal, eating it up at every turn and rewarding the behavior. 7 minutes of extra time was a little less than half of what was really warranted. Then the ref sternly waving the watch around and pointing to it with a further 5 or so minutes of time wasting in extra time, including refusing to even pick a ball up for a throw in, streakers and extra balls on the field, and then awarding a whole 7 SECONDS of time above the 7 minutes showed me all he cared about--getting out of there as quickly as possible. Disgusting, and he should never ref another qualifying match again. Even so, it made no difference. We could have played a whole extra half and never come close to drawing that game.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I missed the first two in this cycle, aside from "highlights"

I'm confident the team will qualify, but not sure what they will bring during the competition

There are so many parts and so many flashes, but aside from Adams I'm not sure I really know what to expect or actually trust anyone on this team - from the sidelines to the reserves

Team selection, formations, all of it

Just wildly inconsistent and leads to a team without identity and a young roster that isn't growing together

How McKennie played last night is part of why I like him. Winning the mid-field, pushing forward with decisive well placed balls out wide accompanied with a run to stress the defenders. I'm just not sure if his maturity and discipline to consistently do those little things well.

I think I can add Aaronson to the list of know what to expect - he's still developing but brings pace, energy and pressure every minute

Just so hard to figure the rest out. Some guys shouldn't be getting the run they are.

Joe Scally needs to be in the next camp - I like Bello, but he hasn't shown a strong performance, doesn't have a ton of experience and doesn't have the attributes of Scally.

I can see the reason for Shaq Moore, but Scally is just better

Scally has played both left and right side in Germany

Recently, they've had him as a right wing with a 3 in the back formation and he's done really well

First time they tried it he had to drop back to RB due to injury

He's really only had one really off game and a couple moments early on where pace ate him up.

The kid is aggressive, calm and has a bit of swagger where you aren't going to shake him

Unfortunately, the worst part of his game is his delivery/crosses in. Which is a US problem as well.

He makes the right decision, does it say the right moment & tempo..... He just overstrikes them a lot

When he gets it right though, which he does a handful of times throughout the game, it's almost always dangerous

Young talented player, holding his own against Bayern and Dortmund - but can't get a look over George Bello because Concacaf is just too intense?!?

 

[Lorenzo]

I missed the first two in this cycle, aside from "highlights"

I'm confident the team will qualify, but not sure what they will bring during the competition

There are so many parts and so many flashes, but aside from Adams I'm not sure I really know what to expect or actually trust anyone on this team - from the sidelines to the reserves

Team selection, formations, all of it

Just wildly inconsistent and leads to a team without identity and a young roster that isn't growing together

How McKennie played last night is part of why I like him. Winning the mid-field, pushing forward with decisive well placed balls out wide accompanied with a run to stress the defenders. I'm just not sure if his maturity and discipline to consistently do those little things well.

I think I can add Aaronson to the list of know what to expect - he's still developing but brings pace, energy and pressure every minute

Just so hard to figure the rest out. Some guys shouldn't be getting the run they are.

Joe Scally needs to be in the next camp - I like Bello, but he hasn't shown a strong performance, doesn't have a ton of experience and doesn't have the attributes of Scally.

I can see the reason for Shaq Moore, but Scally is just better

Scally has played both left and right side in Germany

Recently, they've had him as a right wing with a 3 in the back formation and he's done really well

First time they tried it he had to drop back to RB due to injury

He's really only had one really off game and a couple moments early on where pace ate him up.

The kid is aggressive, calm and has a bit of swagger where you aren't going to shake him

Unfortunately, the worst part of his game is his delivery/crosses in. Which is a US problem as well.

He makes the right decision, does it say the right moment & tempo..... He just overstrikes them a lot

When he gets it right though, which he does a handful of times throughout the game, it's almost always dangerous

Young talented player, holding his own against Bayern and Dortmund - but can't get a look over George Bello because Concacaf is just too intense?!?

Concacaf is more intense than one would expect. Especially when you factor the amount of travel that is required and the hot/humid weather. Traveling in Europe is easier and they don't deal with hot weather. that is why so many European teams struggle in warmer climates where there is more travel. Also many of these Concacaf players play in MLS and some play in Europe as well. In fact Canada might have the best player in Concacaf.

It kills me when I look at the European qualifying tables. All of the top teams are paired with the weaker teams in Europe that have 0 chance to succeed in the WC. I never want to hear them make fun of CONCACAF again.

I have not heard of Scally, and I don't get to see Bundesliga games, which is unfortunate. But It appears that I'm finally moving to Germany in the future, so that is going to change...Fingers crossed. I think the Bundesliga is a great league for American players.

As far as this group of players and this round of qualifying I have many thoughts to get out. One is that the team is very young. Even our very best staring 11 are still very young. There are going to be learning moments. It's actually a huge positive sign that we are doing as well as we are with players who basically have no experience in WCQ. Another positive is that we got 6/9 points without our two best attacking players being available.

One thing that stood out to me is the lineup against Panama is not capable of winning a WCQ match. Clint Dempsey said that none of the players deserve a spot in the starting lineup of a USMNT. I tend to agree for the most part barring maybe a few players, but I did not see the game. I think Berhalter needs to get the selection hammered down, we should not have players like Zardes on a WC campaign..to me that was an emotional selection.

Against Costa Rica, the team looked very energetic and dominated the game. maybe that had something to do with Berhalter's decision to rest players vs. Panama. Costa Rica looked like it had no chance in that game, but I would also be concerned with the lack of goal scoring compared to the chances created by the US team.

I think Dest's goal vs. Costa Rica shows his unique ability. Aside from the goal he dominated on the right side and looked comfortable coming into the middle of the final 3rd. I would consider moving Dest into the midfield, but if Pulisic and Reyna are healthy, I cannot imagine Dest being anything but a right back. I like Antonnee Robinson on the left. He is very good going forward. The central defender pair is interesting. If they go with a back 3 I think Brooks would be the one I put in the middle with Adams in front of him. If they go with a back 4 maybe Brooks out because he doesn't seem to work as well with another player, but to be fair he hasn't had much time to pair with any one partner.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I agree with most of this.

Where I get frustrated is berhalter gives this quote:

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George Bello is months older, doesn't have a long MLS record, has only a few senior team appearances (where he hasn't been great) and has much fewer US U17 appearances than Scally

Yet he's been through it enough to start qualifying road matches (and get pulled at half.....) and Scally can't even get invited into camp that has under 30 players involved

It's the "we need players with experience to help us now, but watch as I play a young roster with limited experience while keeping you away from camp where you would be able to integrate and start to learn the environment"

It just doesn't make sense

Konrad is similar - what would it hurt to have him in the camp?

Just really narrow and erratic thinking - if he would have said "he's off to a great start and is someone we are tracking and excited about. However, for this window I feel he's best served continuing to train and develop with his club to further integrate there and be ready to continue to grind through a tough bundesliga schedule"..... I'd be a little less confused...... But he Gregg'd it

 

[Stout]

Dest is a winger, not a RB. He scored 1 and gave 1 up in the game--his man had a free run down to the touch line. He's got great ball skills, but his defending is Yedlin-esque.

 

[Lorenzo]

Dest is a winger, not a RB. He scored 1 and gave 1 up in the game--his man had a free run down to the touch line. He's got great ball skills, but his defending is Yedlin-esque.

I agree he is a better suited for a more forward position. I guess we will see, but right now it looks like he will be the preferred right back.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Anyone know if he's getting run at Barca and how they are deploying him?

He seemed to be struggling with confidence as last year closed

 

[Lorenzo]

Anyone know if he's getting run at Barca and how they are deploying him?

He seemed to be struggling with confidence as last year closed

I have not watched any Barca matches. I imagine they are not as concerned about his ability to stay back and defend as we are. I think if US are going to be a legit attacking team at the WC they need to deploy their wing backs without fear of giving up goals. you have to play on the front foot. with that said I'm not asking for careless play, they need to run back and cover one another.

 

[Lorenzo]

I am concerned that Pulisic and Reyna will not be fit for the next round of qualifiers. Neither have recovered from their injuries. Yesterday Thomas Tuchel said that Pulisic is still injured, apparently he suffered an injury setback. And Reyna was hoping to break into the lineup today vs. Mainz, but he was not there.

 

[Lorenzo]

Anyone know if he's getting run at Barca and how they are deploying him?

He seemed to be struggling with confidence as last year closed

so last weekend he was at right back and he had an assist. by most accounts he played very well which is good to hear. let's see if he gets into the team tomorrow against Real M

on another note Pulisic is still injured, looking highly doubtful for the Mexico match. but if he is healthy in a couple of weeks he might have a higher chance of getting minutes on the national team. his #1 concern right now has to be not to fall out of favor at Chelsea. Also Reyna won't be available in November. this is a massive blow for the team, but a huge opportunity for some of these other younger players that looked very energetic vs. an old Costa Rica team.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Yeah. Missed opportunity to get some continuity with Pulisic and Reyna.

Long term this could impact Pulisic at Chelsea. The fans like him and I think the club likes having a prominent American. There does seem to be frustration and fatigue about talking about his injuries more than his play

The good news for him is that no one is really stealing that position. Mount hasn't been great, Ziyech isn't in favor, Werner is a frustration, Havertz doesn't get consistent play or performance

Will be interesting to see how this develops

 

[Lorenzo]

Yeah. Missed opportunity to get some continuity with Pulisic and Reyna.

Long term this could impact Pulisic at Chelsea. The fans like him and I think the club likes having a prominent American. There does seem to be frustration and fatigue about talking about his injuries more than his play

The good news for him is that no one is really stealing that position. Mount hasn't been great, Ziyech isn't in favor, Werner is a frustration, Havertz doesn't get consistent play or performance

Will be interesting to see how this develops

yeah I agree. Hudson Odoi appears to be one who has taken advantage of Pulisic's absence. after watching Chelsea over the years, their sum of parts are what get the job done. they have developed and acquired a lot of young players, but they will also buy players like Lukaku when they come available. this is why Chelsea win trophies. being a spurs fan it is frustrating watching spurs grind out the same two or three guys and basically refuse to bring in help.

I actually think Christian is one of their top attacking forwards because he runs directly at people with confidence and with quality and it is something that very few players can do. his first step is brutal to defend, which is why he gets fouled so often, especially in the penalty area. he is also the type of player that can be out of the match for long periods, but in one dashing moment his quality changes the outcome. I think USA soccer need to be careful about overusing Pulisic. Obviously you want him there for the qualifiers, but the key is to have the depth to be able to qualify without him and help keep him heathy for the World Cup. It sounds like Reyna is also far away from his return, which is sad considering the form he was in.

 

[Stout]

Good game so far. Love our pressing, although Mexico have had chances. Head scratcher to start Steffan, but it's working so far.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I was a little dubious on Steffen, but he played solid.

Walker Zimmerman doesn't always excite, but he was fantastic

Pulisic was immediately impactful and McKennie with the seal for dos a cero

Miles Robinson wasn't great and for sent off.

The referee was awful all night - just inexplicably poor

That was as impactful as I've seen Weah

 

[Stout]

Dos a cero!!! Dos a cero!!! Dos a cero!!! I mean, I kinda didn't want them to get the third. I think, at the end, those El Tri biotches would have been glad for the game to end 2-1 just to avoid that humiliating scoreline.

Great performance tonight. Solid coaching. Steffen did well, and he was my only big question mark decision. Our players hunted in packs and left Mexico uncomfortable the entire game. That El Tri thug had better get a retroactive red, because JFC. And JFC, how could the ref miss THAT or mistake THAT for a mere yellow card? Then Miles Robinson gets sent off for a second yellow for apparently breathing heavily on another player? Ridiculous.

Anyway, I can't stop chanting dos a cero!

 

[Lorenzo]

Dos a cero!!! Dos a cero!!! Dos a cero!!! I mean, I kinda didn't want them to get the third. I think, at the end, those El Tri biotches would have been glad for the game to end 2-1 just to avoid that humiliating scoreline.

Great performance tonight. Solid coaching. Steffen did well, and he was my only big question mark decision. Our players hunted in packs and left Mexico uncomfortable the entire game. That El Tri thug had better get a retroactive red, because JFC. And JFC, how could the ref miss THAT or mistake THAT for a mere yellow card? Then Miles Robinson gets sent off for a second yellow for apparently breathing heavily on another player? Ridiculous.

Anyway, I can't stop chanting dos a cero!

the ref seemed to be looking right at the "claw" so that should have been a red. the Mexican player deserved a yellow for trying to pick Aaronson up off of the ground, so for me there were two infractions there, one yellow and one red, yet two of our players get yellows because the ref is incompetent. I mean Steffen saw it from 70 yards away. you know I was not in favor of VAR at first, but the awful officiating in CONCACAF has moved me, mostly because I don't trust that CONCACAF can protect their players from injury and dirty play. If I were the USA I would be taking legal action or looking at other options for associations.

the scoreline is fitting. but for me more important than the scoreline is how the US played on the front foot for the entire game. USA made some mistakes in the first half with the ball, and that gave Mexico some chances, but Steffen was solid and the Mexican players, like always can't finish their chances. Mexico could not play out of the back because of the constant pressure that the American players put on them. Mexico were out of gas after the first half. for me after this match it is clear that the USA are a lot better than Mexico.

 

[Lorenzo]

I was a little dubious on Steffen, but he played solid.

Walker Zimmerman doesn't always excite, but he was fantastic

Pulisic was immediately impactful and McKennie with the seal for dos a cero

Miles Robinson wasn't great and for sent off.

The referee was awful all night - just inexplicably poor

That was as impactful as I've seen Weah

From my understanding the difference with Steffen is his ability to play the ball out of the back. Obviously he's not getting a lot of time at his club, but I'm sure he trains in a way to have that mentality to deliver the ball correctly and that is a huge part of building the attack. on the flip side, we saw Ochoa really struggling to play the ball correctly, part of it were his teammates not being able to link together and handle the pressure that the American players put on them. This is the first game I can recall vs. Mexico where the U.S. really dominated them in every way....and playing on the front foot for the entire match. almost all of Mexico's chances came off of mistakes or counter opportunities. These young USA players are very talented...it seems like they are really building some chemistry together. and Gio Reyna and Sergio Dest weren't even available. I like where this is going.

 

[Stout]

I'm dying to know our lineup! I'm hoping we keep up the press, even without McKennie!

 

[gmabel830]

I'm dying to know our lineup! I'm hoping we keep up the press, even without McKennie!

Didn't realize we had a game... lol. Looks like we kept things fairly static aside for the midfield.

 

[Stout]

That was a lackadaisical effort and a hugely disappointing performance. We should have lost the match--well, we DID lose the match, but the refs gifted us the draw by chalking their goal off for a phantom foul. Why the hell is Berhalter so damned inconsistent? One game he coaches them up and has the team going balls to the wall, and the next is just a dump on the field. WTF?

 

[Lorenzo]

That was a lackadaisical effort and a hugely disappointing performance. We should have lost the match--well, we DID lose the match, but the refs gifted us the draw by chalking their goal off for a phantom foul. Why the hell is Berhalter so damned inconsistent? One game he coaches them up and has the team going balls to the wall, and the next is just a dump on the field. WTF?

Well there just wasn’t enough depth in this squad. Finally the USA got off on the scoreboard in the first half, and they played a poor second half. Usually they get stronger as the game goes on. I agree that Jamaica deserved that second goal. And again it proves why concacaf needs VAR because the referees are sub par.

I still think the referee in the Mexico game screwed the USA by not sending off the Mexican player, yet had the awareness to caution two American players that came to the defense of their teammates. This is why concacaf is so dodgy, it’s almost unrecognizable from football that you see played in Europe. The players are subjected to dangerous outcomes.

It was a quick turnaround and a drastic weather change to go from Ohio to Jamaica. The American players looked exhausted at the end of the game. Not an excuse because everyone else will inevitably have to deal with the same travel, but I just think in the future having some of those guys that were not in this squad because of injury will be a big help. Also pepi really struggled in this leg. I think we need to give Darryl Dike a look with the top players who can get him the ball. His gold cup performance was not a fair situation.