US Men's National Team (13 Viewers)

[NewlyRetired]

I don't know about this 60 minute thing. Jozy's coming off of injury and clearly wasn't game fit... I think GG did a decent job getting him minutes to shake the rust off and resting him when possible. his touch came back to him yesterday, even if that left foot showed the same rust it did in his first game back. would've been asking a lot for him to go 90 here- but when he's fit and healthy (obviously not a given), 90 minutes hasn't been a problem for him. at 26, I still have confidence that jozy can be our guy- if at least through WCQ. 

Jozy is not 26.  He will be 30 this calendar year.

Much of my comment was based on what happened after the game.  Jozy had ignored the media all tournament.  Last night he specifically went up to the media to tell them he was fully fit and that his legs felt fine and had no ideas why he was subbed.

 

[El Floppo]

Striker:

Yeah not good.   By far and away our top player is built like an NFL line backer with the same amount of wind and then nothing......

Altidore: By default he has to start.  When fresh and healthy, he can provide a solid outlet out of the back, occupy the CB's, play good balls and normally is a good finisher.   The main problem is that we know he is not going to stay healthy (he never does) and that Berhalter only trusts him to go 60 minutes, which given our depth is awful right now.

Zardes: Berhalter likes him more than fans do.   If the rest of the supporting cast was excellent (say slightly below Pulisic) he might be functional but as we know it isn't, which makes Zardes look even worse since he depends on the service of others to produce.

After these two, it goes down hill fast.  You want to know who the two highest scoring American forwards are in MLS?  Brace yourself.    CJ Sappong and Wondolowski.   Yeah, I kid you not.

I think we need to put our hopes on the kids, specifically Soto(not a fan) and Sargent, both of whom are out of the club youth ranks but not yet getting a ton of time in the first teams.  I was really hoping the ageless Claudio Pizzaro would finally retire this summer at 40 but he is coming back and will likely be taking minutes from Sargent.

We could also hope for a resurrection project like Bacon or Wood but I find those low odds of succeeding. 

what about novocaineitch? and there's picachu in france (granted, he's said he wants to play for france and hasn't ever mentioned wanting to play for the US). 

TBH I think gio has the dempsey-sized cajones, along with the physique and skillset to turn into a top-notch forward. 

 

[El Floppo]

Jozy is not 26.  He will be 30 this calendar year.

Much of my comment was based on what happened after the game.  Jozy had ignored the media all tournament.  Last night he specifically went up to the media to tell them he was fully fit and that his legs felt fine and had no ideas why he was subbed.

oh- wow- 30 is a different beast altogether.

tbh, I know he was slowing down- but I didn't want him off the field yesterday. would've preferred roldan for caillou, boyd or even zardoz for morris, and then throw out either of those guys for whomever in the last 10 to go for a goal.

 

[NewlyRetired]

what about novocaineitch? and there's picachu in france (granted, he's said he wants to play for france and hasn't ever mentioned wanting to play for the US). 

oh yes!  I forgot about mini me Crouch...and I like him too.  He is only 22 as well.

Berhalter has yet to call him(I think his 3 caps came under Sarachan) but maybe he can force Berhalter's hand with a good season this year.  I don't know if he will be loaned again or has a chance to make the main squad at Reading.

 

[Christo]

Y’all are crapping in Bradley, but he played his part fine. 

Insanity.

 

[Bonzai]

I thought Weah projected as a CF?

 

[NewlyRetired]

I thought Weah projected as a CF?

he has not looked good in a single striker setup at either club or country.

He has looked good on the wing though for both.

I think he would be a nice fit in a 2 striker set up but that appears to be out of vogue at the moment for many coaches.

 

[TripItUp]

I gotta believe somebody will emerge at striker...like Andy said, there will be guys we’ve never heard of pop up.  Let’s hope these guys are strikers and LBs. 

 

[TripItUp]

he has not looked good in a single striker setup at either club or country.

He has looked good on the wing though for both.

I think he would be a nice fit in a 2 striker set up but that appears to be out of vogue at the moment for many coaches.

He’s a pure winger imho.  Deadly in open space where he can utilize his speed and and beat defenders.

Hell never be strong enough to play single striker.

 

[Christo]

I gotta believe somebody will emerge at striker...like Andy said, there will be guys we’ve never heard of pop up.  Let’s hope these guys are strikers and LBs. 

It just floors me to see someone like Rose Lavelle break through for the women the way she did but there's nothing like this on the men's side.

 

[B Maverick]

I guess it was a day for name recognition.  Rapinoe wins golden ball as best player in the WWC, and Bradley gets a place in the Gold Cup best IX.

Madness I tell ya.  Hey maybe Bradley won for being the best defensive pylon?  Or maybe they gave points for his ability to start the opponents counter attacks.  Hes a good passer when he has no pressure.  He is afraid to shoot, can't defend (problematic for a DEFENSIVE midfielder) and when pressured he gives away easy balls.  Best IX?  cmon man

 

[El Floppo]

I guess it was a day for name recognition.  Rapinoe wins golden ball as best player in the WWC, and Bradley gets a place in the Gold Cup best IX.

Madness I tell ya.  Hey maybe Bradley won for being the best defensive pylon?  Or maybe they gave points for his ability to start the opponents counter attacks.  Hes a good passer when he has no pressure.  He is afraid to shoot, can't defend (problematic for a DEFENSIVE midfielder) and when pressured he gives away easy balls.  Best IX?  cmon man

Lol...Caillou got best 11?

I get Rapinoe way more than him.

He did start a lot of the USs productive attacks though with those long diagonal balls. Also started a lot of MExs productive attacks.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I gotta believe somebody will emerge at striker...like Andy said, there will be guys we’ve never heard of pop up.  Let’s hope these guys are strikers and LBs. 

Yup.  We have talked about before but in the space of a handful of years, Aaron Long went from being cut by three MLS teams and not playing much for 4 different USL teams to a starter on the national team.  That is just nuts.

None of us knew anything about Boyd and he might be the second best offensive winger we have already.

I am confident players will emerge.  It seems like barely a week goes by when we find out yet another player has been seeded in Germany no one knew about and many of us follow this pretty closely too and we still get surprises.

Whether anyone breaks through at striker or lb is unknown but I remain convinced that we could see a 50% turn over once we get to the hex (or what ever the equivalence of a hex is this cycle).

 

[NewlyRetired]

Lol...Caillou got best 11?.

Yeah.  Him, Long and Pulisic were the three American's on the team.

 

[Bonzai]

he has not looked good in a single striker setup at either club or country.

He has looked good on the wing though for both.

I think he would be a nice fit in a 2 striker set up but that appears to be out of vogue at the moment for many coaches.

I get he's too small now, but once he fills out I thought that's where he was supposed end up.  He's still under 20. I see on transfermarkt he has more games at CF than anywhere else which is a good sign. We really need someone to fill that spot.  

I need to start paying closer attention to some of these guys.

 

[Bonzai]

I'm sure this is covered elsewhere, but why isn't Pulisic playing on the wings?  Granted he looks good where they have him, but I've always seen him play on the wings with his club.

 

[Rustoleum]

I'm sure this is covered elsewhere, but why isn't Pulisic playing on the wings?  Granted he looks good where they have him, but I've always seen him play on the wings with his club.

I could  be remembering wrong, but I thought the reasoning was with the U.S. there isn’t anybody else to put there who could get him the ball and he would be prone to get isolated and starved out of the game.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I get he's too small now, but once he fills out I thought that's where he was supposed end up.  He's still under 20. I see on transfermarkt he has more games at CF than anywhere else which is a good sign. We really need someone to fill that spot.  

I need to start paying closer attention to some of these guys.

I am not good a predicting these things so I can only tell you what I see currently.

The strength of his game is facing his opponents and attacking them.  His back to goal skills are marginal at best (at this stage).  I don't think it is a size thing.  I am not saying he could not develop the skills but they are not there yet.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I could  be remembering wrong, but I thought the reasoning was with the U.S. there isn’t anybody else to put there who could get him the ball and he would be prone to get isolated and starved out of the game.

that is about right.  We also don't have a natural attacking central midfielder either which is the other half of the problem.

This is one of the reasons we hope that Pomykal hits since he can play a more forward and may allow Pulisic to play more wide.   

I honestly think we may have to go old school with Christian and give him a role that allows him to be free with a much smaller defensive role.   I know luxury players are a thing of the past but he is our only real offensive threat.  Let him find the game himself and take some of the defensive shackles off him.

This only works if all the other midfielders are very strong defensively which continues to loop back to Adams, Weston and Paxton together.

 

[Bonzai]

that is about right.  We also don't have a natural attacking central midfielder either which is the other half of the problem.

This is one of the reasons we hope that Pomykal hits since he can play a more forward and may allow Pulisic to play more wide.   

I honestly think we may have to go old school with Christian and give him a role that allows him to be free with a much smaller defensive role.   I know luxury players are a thing of the past but he is our only real offensive threat.  Let him find the game himself and take some of the defensive shackles off him.

This only works if all the other midfielders are very strong defensively which continues to loop back to Adams, Weston and Paxton together.

Makes sense.  Having Pulisic and Bradley in a three man midfield is a no go.  McKinnie left to do waaay too much work defensively. 

 

[NewlyRetired]

ok now that time has gone by for the Sargent affair, we should probably recap it and look at what a cluster #### it turned out to be:

1) Ramos and Berhalter decide together that Sargent is ready for the senior team and will play at the Gold Cup.  As such Tab does not pick him to go to the U20 WC

2) Berhalter has 3 strikers in camp who all appear like they are going to make the squad.  Altidore, Zardes, and Sargent

3) Lletget get hurt in a "serious" enough fashion that he is sent home to LA and will miss the Gold Cup.

4) Before the Gold Cup even starts, Lletget is back in LA's starting lineup (oops)

5) Because Berhalter sent Lletget home, he decides he needs another wide player and calls up at the last second Jonathan Lewis

6) He makes another last second decision to cut Sargent and keep an extra midfielder because the "hurt" Lletget was going to be covering multiple positions.

7) Sargent now misses both the U20 WC and the Gold Cup.

8: Lewis is a non factor in the Gold Cup, not playing a second in 5 of the 6 games.

9) Berhalter obviously was not comfortable with how many minutes Jozy could play, which left us with an overload of Zardes because we had no other striker on the squad.

Just beautiful.....

 

[The Z Machine]

ok now that time has gone by for the Sargent affair, we should probably recap it and look at what a cluster #### it turned out to be:

1) Ramos and Berhalter decide together that Sargent is ready for the senior team and will play at the Gold Cup.  As such Tab does not pick him to go to the U20 WC

2) Berhalter has 3 strikers in camp who all appear like they are going to make the squad.  Altidore, Zardes, and Sargent

3) Lletget get hurt in a "serious" enough fashion that he is sent home to LA and will miss the Gold Cup.

4) Before the Gold Cup even starts, Lletget is back in LA's starting lineup (oops)

5) Because Berhalter sent Lletget home, he decides he needs another wide player and calls up at the last second Jonathan Lewis

6) He makes another last second decision to cut Sargent and keep an extra midfielder because the "hurt" Lletget was going to be covering multiple positions.

7) Sargent now misses both the U20 WC and the Gold Cup.

8: Lewis is a non factor in the Gold Cup, not playing a second in 5 of the 6 games.

9) Berhalter obviously was not comfortable with how many minutes Jozy could play, left us with an overload of Zardes because we had no other striker on the squad.

Just beautiful.....

Look, mistakes have been made, ok?

 

[encaitar]

ok now that time has gone by for the Sargent affair, we should probably recap it and look at what a cluster #### it turned out to be:

1) Ramos and Berhalter decide together that Sargent is ready for the senior team and will play at the Gold Cup.  As such Tab does not pick him to go to the U20 WC

2) Berhalter has 3 strikers in camp who all appear like they are going to make the squad.  Altidore, Zardes, and Sargent

3) Lletget get hurt in a "serious" enough fashion that he is sent home to LA and will miss the Gold Cup.

4) Before the Gold Cup even starts, Lletget is back in LA's starting lineup (oops)

5) Because Berhalter sent Lletget home, he decides he needs another wide player and calls up at the last second Jonathan Lewis

6) He makes another last second decision to cut Sargent and keep an extra midfielder because the "hurt" Lletget was going to be covering multiple positions.

7) Sargent now misses both the U20 WC and the Gold Cup.

8: Lewis is a non factor in the Gold Cup, not playing a second in 5 of the 6 games.

9) Berhalter obviously was not comfortable with how many minutes Jozy could play, which left us with an overload of Zardes because we had no other striker on the squad.

Just beautiful.....

Don't forget.... USA U20 team loses out in the quarterfinals partially due to an inability to put away chances in the game.  A top quality striker like Sargent would've likely made a difference.

 

[El Floppo]

We were just talking about bacon...

After four seasons with Werder Bremen, Aron Johannsson is reportedly moving north to Sweden.

According to SportExpressen, Johannson will sign a three-year deal with Hammarby on Wednesday. He had been linked to a move to the Seattle Sounders just two weeks ago.

Despite a lot of promise after breaking out with AZ Alkmaar, Johannsson never really caught on at Bremen. Injuries were a major problem for him throughout his four years there. Last season he played for all of three minutes with the club thanks to picking up an ankle injury over the summer and needing surgery in said ankle in November.

Overall, he had five goals and one assist in 30 appearances for Bremen.

He has 19 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team with four goals, but hasn’t been called into the team since 2015.

He joins a Hammarby side that finished in fourth place in the Swedish Allsvenskan 2018 and currently sits in seventh place through 14 games this season. They are 12 points back of leaders Malmo and five back of a Europa League position

 

[Scienceguy]

Makes sense.  Having Pulisic and Bradley in a three man midfield is a no go.  McKinnie left to do waaay too much work defensively. 

It’s the same setup that drove me crazy at the U20 WC. The Mendez, Pomykal, Durkin midfield has two guys that don’t play defense in it. Same set up with the senior team (Bradley, McKennie, Pulisic). I think Bradley’s a better defender than Durkin, but it’s the same idea. The D in d-mid needs to be a more important part of choosing who that player is imo. 

 

[NewlyRetired]

It’s the same setup that drove me crazy at the U20 WC. The Mendez, Pomykal, Durkin midfield has two guys that don’t play defense in it. Same set up with the senior team (Bradley, McKennie, Pulisic). I think Bradley’s a better defender than Durkin, but it’s the same idea. The D in d-mid needs to be a more important part of choosing who that player is imo. 

To be fair to Tab, that threesome in the U20 was configured to have two defenders.  We knew Mendez was not going to play any defense but Pomykal was fabulous.

Durkin let people down which was a bit of a shock because he was the true 6 out of the group and the one guy we figured was going to play some defense.

 

[El Floppo]

It’s the same setup that drove me crazy at the U20 WC. The Mendez, Pomykal, Durkin midfield has two guys that don’t play defense in it. Same set up with the senior team (Bradley, McKennie, Pulisic). I think Bradley’s a better defender than Durkin, but it’s the same idea. The D in d-mid needs to be a more important part of choosing who that player is imo. 

Adams appears to be tailor made to be the kante style DCM imo. Let swag play more box to box and defensive more in terms of controlling passing lanes...and depending on the opposition. Let CP CP and not have to chase back unless needed 

 

[NewlyRetired]

Adams appears to be tailor made to be the kante style DCM imo. Let swag play more box to box and defensive more in terms of controlling passing lanes...and depending on the opposition. Let CP CP and not have to chase back unless needed 

it has been at least 24 hours since I posted a possible line up, way too long   Lets look out 18 months and pray we get some hits on the prospects

................................Steffen

Dest.............Miazga............Brooks..............Gloster

...............................Adams..........Swag

......................................Pomykal

Weah............................Sargent.............................Pulisic

 

[NewlyRetired]

it is cool to see the young academy kids play like this.

https://twitter.com/ussoccer_da/status/1148420712236847105

 

[TripItUp]

it has been at least 24 hours since I posted a possible line up, way too long   Lets look out 18 months and pray we get some hits on the prospects

................................Steffen

Dest.............Miazga............Brooks..............Gloster

...............................Adams..........Swag

......................................Pomykal

Weah............................Sargent.............................Pulisic

Yedlin?

give me Jozy or zardes over Sargent 

 

[NewlyRetired]

Yedlin?

I am not a Yedlin fan.

 

[TripItUp]

I am not a Yedlin fan.

Wow

 

[NewlyRetired]

Wow

you have the temerity to say "wow" when you just requested that 18 months from now we use Zardes over Sargent....

 

[Moe.]

it is cool to see the young academy kids play like this.

https://twitter.com/ussoccer_da/status/1148420712236847105

Scroll down - the next goal was even better 

https://twitter.com/ussoccer_da/status/1148438408823336960?s=20

 

[Moe.]

Ever since you posted that article about Dest getting a call from KNVB that's all I've been able to think about. I know nothing about his situation but I'm refusing to get excited about him, and I'm worried that if he goes nuts at Ajax this year we are toast. 

 

[NewlyRetired]

Ever since you posted that article about Dest getting a call from KNVB that's all I've been able to think about. I know nothing about his situation but I'm refusing to get excited about him, and I'm worried that if he goes nuts at Ajax this year we are toast. 

It has to be an extremely small chance that he breaks through this summer.  I could see him getting a chance at some Cup games and maybe a league game or two after the winter.   

We just need to wait it out.

And to be specific, the item I posted was not the KNVB contacting Dest.  It was a reporter who was suggesting that they give him a call.   That might be semantics but I just wanted to make that clear.

 

[NewlyRetired]

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/soccer/soccer/2019/07/08/pareja-returns-stalemate-xolos-fc-dallas

Ryan Hollingshead is the current starting left back, but Reynolds may develop as a solid back-up for either spot when chasing the game until the likely time that Reggie Cannon moves on. Oh, he's also being linked with a $5m winter move to Olympique de Marseille on the back of his Gold Cup performances.

 

[JaxBill]

it has been at least 24 hours since I posted a possible line up, way too long   Lets look out 18 months and pray we get some hits on the prospects

................................Steffen

Dest.............Miazga............Brooks..............Gloster

...............................Adams..........Swag

......................................Pomykal

Weah............................Sargent.............................Pulisic

And two of the players who made favorable GC impressions- Cannon and Long - are on the bench.

 

[Ned]

give me Jozy or zardes over Sargent 

  credibility to zero

 

[TripItUp]

you have the temerity to say "wow" when you just requested that 18 months from now we use Zardes over Sargent....

Berhalter and I are clearly in this thread’s minority.

 

[El Floppo]

we're in deep #### if by 2021, sargent (or somebody else)  hasn't progressed and we're still forced to use zardoz.

 

[NewlyRetired]

we're in deep #### if by 2021, sargent (or somebody else)  hasn't progressed and we're still forced to use zardoz.

Zardes isn't a kid anymore either.  By this time in 2021 he will be pushing 30.

 

[NewlyRetired]

No surprise here, but Fortuna makes the Steffen loan official today

https://www.f95.de/aktuell/news/profis/detail/24239-fortuna-leiht-torhueter-zack-steffen-von-manchester-city-aus/72824651686f104c380b2deb1d46a9b0/

 

[NewlyRetired]

RBL announced today that Adams still has not joined the main team.  He is training by himself, still working through the abductor issues.

 

[NewlyRetired]

RBL announced today that Adams still has not joined the main team.  He is training by himself, still working through the abductor issues.

Over the years we have bemoaned a lack of consistent health on many of our players.  It gets me thinking whether staying healthy is almost a skill now.

You look at Bradley and I can't remember the last time he was out for even a minimal amount of time, and then you have many other players who get hurt year in and year out.

I am not saying Adams is one of the perennially hurt guys but his injury has made me consider that I have not given enough worth to guys who can actually stay on the field when I think of their skill sets.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Sargent's coach had a lot to say today, about the mess this summer and Sargent in general.  This is translated but it will give the general idea.

========

"I do not feel like he's completely down. It frustrated him, of course, no question, "said Kohfeldt after the first days in training camp. When the time was out, Werder coach grabbed the phone directly, followed by a long conversation with his young attacker. "I offered to give him a little more holiday, after all. Just do not forget that he is really far away from home and his family. You do not even fly over to visit her in an international break or on a day off, "says Kohfeldt. "But he refused. There is now more of a defiance reaction with him, by focusing his attention fully on Bremen. "

Josh Sargent has her with him, this typical American way of thinking. This "we create that" mentality, the irrepressible will to outgrow oneself and counter precipitation as fast as possible. "That suits him well and he has come back very fit", praised Kohfeldt. The results are visible. "He has done a tremendous job in basic science, which is very important to him. After all, we constantly demand the intensity of him over a longer period, even in the defensive area. "

At Werder they are trying to see the situation of Josh Sargent positive. "He is fresh here and attacks," says Florian Kohfeldt. Nonetheless, ignoring it took its toll on him too. "After the prehistory, I already had the feeling that he has a very good chance to ride." As a criticism of US coach Gregg Berhalter, but he does not know understood. "That's not what I'm referring to." Especially as the success was right. Berhalter led his team to the finals of the tournament, but defeated there Mexico on Sunday (0: 1).

For the personal development of his striker Florian Kohfeldt would still have wished for a different outcome. "I would still have liked it if he played the tournament because, like Maximilian and Johannes Eggestein or Marco Friedl, I say that it can be a very important experience for young players." Josh Sargent's conviction In any case, the messed-up summer has not changed any of the qualities. Not at Werder anyway - and probably not on the other side of the pond. "Gregg and I have already been on the phone," says Kohfeldt. "Josh still has a very high regard in the US and the national team. I do not think that's going to make it sustainable now that he's not nominated anymore. "

 

[encaitar]

Over the years we have bemoaned a lack of consistent health on many of our players.  It gets me thinking whether staying healthy is almost a skill now.

You look at Bradley and I can't remember the last time he was out for even a minimal amount of time, and then you have many other players who get hurt year in and year out.

I am not saying Adams is one of the perennially hurt guys but his injury has made me consider that I have not given enough worth to guys who can actually stay on the field when I think of their skill sets.

There's something to be said for it absolutely.  Also don't discount how quickly guys can recover from injury either.  Look at this past year.  McKennie got hurt and was supposed to be out 2-3 months.  He was playing again a month later.  Pulisic got an injury and was supposed to miss a few weeks.  It took him 5-6 months to be fully healthy again.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Doug Roberson‏Verified account @DougRobersonAJC

Hyndman will start for #Atlutd on Wednesday

 

[Ned]

Over the years we have bemoaned a lack of consistent health on many of our players.  It gets me thinking whether staying healthy is almost a skill now.

You look at Bradley and I can't remember the last time he was out for even a minimal amount of time, and then you have many other players who get hurt year in and year out.

I am not saying Adams is one of the perennially hurt guys but his injury has made me consider that I have not given enough worth to guys who can actually stay on the field when I think of their skill sets.

Its as simple as you're only as good as you are when you're there.  

I was watching some NBA show and one of the young guns was talking about how he was learning about how to be a good pro when it came to recovery.  It's an often overlooked thing in every sport by us armchair QBs.

 

[El Floppo]

Doug Roberson‏Verified account @DougRobersonAJC

Hyndman will start for #Atlutd on Wednesday

Last I saw, another attacking MF to add to our mix. Or is he playing out wide...been a while since seeing him play