encaitar
Footballguy
I got your back.Wanted to give that one a along with the thinking.
I got your back.Wanted to give that one a along with the thinking.
If this is GGG's influence, then I'll take back everything bad I've ever said or thought about him. I still don't think he's a great gameday coach, but if he can land us all these top dual nats, then his time in charge will have been worth it.I don't know what is in the water but I hope every one keeps drinking
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scuffed soccer
@scuffedpod
Hearing Efra Alvarez, the promising #LAGalaxy attacker who has represented Mexican youth national teams since he was 15, will be in December USMNT camp
I'll be happy with just trying to land the dual US/Mex nats that we seemed previously on target to be losing without a fight.If this is GGG's influence, then I'll take back everything bad I've ever said or thought about him. I still don't think he's a great gameday coach, but if he can land us all these top dual nats, then his time in charge will have been worth it.
Araujo called up too.I don't know what is in the water but I hope every one keeps drinking
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scuffed soccer
@scuffedpod
Hearing Efra Alvarez, the promising #LAGalaxy attacker who has represented Mexican youth national teams since he was 15, will be in December USMNT camp
He is doing exactly what we hoped/demanded be done and that is take the 5 minutes when available and talk to these kids.I'll be happy with just trying to land the dual US/Mex nats that we seemed previously on target to be losing without a fight.
Just saw an article on espn about those two getting called up from "sources"is there a list?
Three things I saw in the video:Read the whole article to see the amount of dirty work Sargent is doing. I will just clip this one small part below indicating why he is getting so many minutes even with out scoring
Josh Sargent: maturing into Werder Bremen's main man
Those are questions best answered by his coach, Florian Kohfeldt.
"I stand by the comment I made before the season started: I haven't thought about playing a starting line-up without Josh Sargent in it for a second," said the 38-year-old at the end of October.
"He can't ease off, not even a millimetre. It's unpleasant to play against us and it's difficult to find space. That's had a lot to do with Josh over the past few weeks. He's in great shape, he can go for the full 90 minutes."
I think McBride is a pretty good comp for Sargent. McBride was not a prolific goal scorer but always did every thing else well enough to get himself minutes and help his team.I've been in the camp that sees him as having great technique but having a lower physical ceiling than other strikers we're hoping to see break through soon, so hopefully his improved footspeed isn't just an illusion. Even if it is, I think with talented wingers making runs and/or creating, he still can get in the right places at the right time and should still be a regular call-up at least.
OneGoalThis was an interesting article
https://www.espn.com/soccer/mexico-mex/story/4232568/usmnt-has-brighter-future-than-mexicosays-pumas-saucedo
I bolded the part I care about most, particularly because the increased level of talent popping up now.I think McBride is a pretty good comp for Sargent. McBride was not a prolific goal scorer but always did every thing else well enough to get himself minutes and help his team.
Sargent is obviously light years ahead of where McBride was at the same age (as McBride was still in college) but that doesn't always mean Sargent is going to end up a better player.
McBride has a bar named after him in craven cottage for a reason...and not just because he was a hard worker. The guy came out of college with legit skills and more, a nose and guts for scoring and helping score goals. His instincts and soccer sense were phenomenal. And while he wasn't going to win every foot race, he was excellent in the air and excellent using his body to win the ball.I bolded the part I care about most, particularly because the increased level of talent popping up now.
I've only followed the USMNT since about '08 or so, so I really only know a small number of names; I've heard of McBride but haven't seen any highlights. Because we're the USA, our players have always had to rely on hard work and grit to compete, and now that we're closing the talent gap, I fear we're losing those other qualities, or maybe they skipped a generation. It just seems like every US team until this new group relied heavily on tactics over individual skill and played with a sense of fear of making a mistake instead of playing all-out. McKinnie was the first one I saw play aggressive and work at bossing the MF; what I took from that was what he lacked in experience and finer skills he made up for with hard work and grit, which is why I want him to take over as the leader of this current group.
The other trait it seems we're closing the gap on is speed of thought; at least that's what I thought I was seeing in the match against Panama. Believe it or not, I think that was one of the early traits I saw with Sargent, and why he's been able to play above his perceived physical limitations. At worst, he's a placeholder for the next 10 years until a bona fide must-start striker arrives.
This is an interesting point. McBride played most of his career in a dual striker setup but these days that is hard to find any more.I don't yet see sargent as thriving in a lone striker role without those abilities coming to the fore, but he's obviously offerening a lot of intangibles with his work and smarts off the ball.
I guess my point was more that mcbride was able to allow for hold up play in a way sargent hasn't yet shown.This is an interesting point. McBride played most of his career in a dual striker setup but these days that is hard to find any more.
Brooks just leveled it. With an OG....
Why can't we have nice things?Grrrrrrr
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BarçaTimes
@BarcaTimes
Sergiño Dest has muscle discomfort and is doubtful against Osasuna on Sunday. Koeman thinks of Mingueza to replace Dest on the right side
This clip of Sargent's 1st goal for the Nats isn't about his running ability, but I decided to post it anyway. I was looking for the highlight of him feeding a breaking Jonathan Amon in one of the post wet and bumpy friendlies but couldn't find it. I didn't see this until now, but my first thought was that's the most Zlatanish thing I've seen any US player ever do. Can we start a GoFundMe campaign to get Sarge the same karate instruction Zlatan has and make him a true ginger ninja?I’m stating the obvious here but the ability to run your ### off all match is often overlooked when people start talking about physical traits. Similar to foot speed I don’t think it’s something you can just choose to do - it’s an innate skill or talent. I think Sargent fits so well with the rest of our group but we shall see.
It's not as obvious as you think. Most England fans seem to dislike Mason Mount, but his best quality is exactly that. He runs full out for 90 minutes. His pressing is insane. It's unlike anyone I've ever seen, yet because he doesn't dribble through the defense or flick crazy passes behind the defense all the time, he's criticized for being a nailed on starter for both England and Chelsea.I’m stating the obvious here but the ability to run your ### off all match is often overlooked when people start talking about physical traits. Similar to foot speed I don’t think it’s something you can just choose to do - it’s an innate skill or talent. I think Sargent fits so well with the rest of our group but we shall see.
It is like a karmic balance is always in place where we are not allowed to have our players healthy at the same time. We finally get Pulisic back but have to lose Dest and Sargent in the trade :(Why can't we have nice things?
Seems like it would be the easiest thing to chose to do if you put in the fitness work. Maybe the insanely stupidly long soccer season makes that difficult.I’m stating the obvious here but the ability to run your ### off all match is often overlooked when people start talking about physical traits. Similar to foot speed I don’t think it’s something you can just choose to do - it’s an innate skill or talent. I think Sargent fits so well with the rest of our group but we shall see.
How is that even possible? have we even played 4 games in that time?I can't wait for the Nations League next summer. Mexico moved into the top 10 (#9) in the world this month.
Since Tata took over, Mexico's record is an amazing 19-2-1
One of the draws they ended up winning on pk's.
The only loss is to Argentina.
Tata took over beginning of 2019 and his first game was in March of 2019. We have played 19 games in that time frame, so three less games.How is that even possible? have we even played 4 games in that time?
It seems like it would be easy but it really is not when you consider how few players do this (at the extreme level).Seems like it would be the easiest thing to chose to do if you put in the fitness work. Maybe the insanely stupidly long soccer season makes that difficult.
There's a selflessness to it that runs psychologically counter to the typically selfish (by necessity) goal scorer.It seems like it would be easy but it really is not when you consider how few players do this (at the extreme level).
This is a good point.There's a selflessness to it that runs psychologically counter to the typically selfish (by necessity) goal scorer.
That recent doc about Barcas run under Pep included some commentary by Henry who talked about it taking a while for him to get used to what was expected of him...to make run after run after run that would more often than not get unrewarded. And that was still on the offensive side of things. And for Barca.
Theoretically, but I know you bike...there’s a reason there are sprinters and endurance racers, etc. The Sagan’s and Cancellera’s of the world are exceedingly rare. There’s definitely some inate ability to recover from sprinting quick enough to last 90 minutes or in the Paris-Roubaix.Seems like it would be the easiest thing to chose to do if you put in the fitness work. Maybe the insanely stupidly long soccer season makes that difficult.
Amazing the volume of games played in non covid timesTata took over beginning of 2019 and his first game was in March of 2019. We have played 19 games in that time frame, so three less games.
Isn’t a lot of the body size and how skinny you can get?Theoretically, but I know you bike...there’s a reason there are sprinters and endurance racers, etc. The Sagan’s and Cancellera’s of the world are exceedingly rare. There’s definitely some inate ability to recover from sprinting quick enough to last 90 minutes or in the Paris-Roubaix.
It seems like it would be easy but it really is not when you consider how few players do this (at the extreme level).
Interesting. Conservation has its place depending on game volume and the bench depth. The soccer season doesn’t lend its to periodiztionThis is a good point.
And while the modern game has all but eliminated the complete luxury players of a decades ago, there are still a ton of highly talented offensive players who conserve as much energy as possible with out being useless, and that usually comes when they don't have the ball.
9th Update:8th Update:
Combined G/A/Pk's drawn:
Sargent: 4
Reyna: 7
Pulisic: 2