NewlyRetired
Footballguy
These numbers are crazy.
Concacaf is SO much higher than Conmebol and that is with Mexico contributing a big fat donut to these numbers.
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US Men's National Team (6 Viewers)
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Concacaf is SO much higher than Conmebol and that is with Mexico contributing a big fat donut to these numbers.
El Floppo
Footballguy
thanks! just turned it on to see the clear PK/red card and venezia tie it up. I don't think they have any points yet....could be a turning point.
Busio playing as a 6. I'm liking his defensive movement covering space.
El Floppo
Footballguy
solid points, both of you. totally agree.
I'm just remembering Jozy scoring bushels of goals there and then *poof* when he tried to take it to England... where he of all US players seemed a good fit.
Native
Footballguy
This was my first thought as well. Not as excited as others here, particularly if playing time cannot be guaranteed.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I read on twitter that the thought is that Ajax will be forced to play him (until he proves he is a bust) given his likely cost to buy.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Venezia is 3rd from bottom with 4 points but the 3 teams above them only have 5 points. Plenty of bad teams down here.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Richards makes Kicker's Bundesliga team of the week
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FATT4D4X0AUi8Pk?format=png&name=900x900
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FATT4D4X0AUi8Pk?format=png&name=900x900
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
=========
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Chelsea will be without Reece James, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic for Wednesday's Champions League tie.
Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Chelsea will be without Reece James, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic for Wednesday's Champions League tie.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Assuming Adams, Gio and Pulisic are all out, and that Weston will not have any more residual punishment, here is my starting line up against Jamaica
====================
...............................Turner
Dest............Robinson..........Brooks.............Robinson
..................................Acosta
...................Musah.....................McKennie
Aaronson.....................Pepi...............................Weah
================
*Even considering that we are missing arguably the three best players, this is still a lineup that should get 3 points IMO.
*I think this will be really close to what GGG uses, with the one change of Lletget for Musah.
*I would consider staring Scally and Richards in place of Dest and Brooks when away to Panama.
====================
...............................Turner
Dest............Robinson..........Brooks.............Robinson
..................................Acosta
...................Musah.....................McKennie
Aaronson.....................Pepi...............................Weah
================
*Even considering that we are missing arguably the three best players, this is still a lineup that should get 3 points IMO.
*I think this will be really close to what GGG uses, with the one change of Lletget for Musah.
*I would consider staring Scally and Richards in place of Dest and Brooks when away to Panama.
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El Floppo
Footballguy
Need a big body to match up with Jam's Antonio, who has been on form to start the season. Brooks or maybe even Zim.
Acosta... I guess. We're back to the same problem pre-summer, unless we're all convinced by him (I'm not).
I'm a big Musah fan and hoping he gets the shot... Lletget... meh- I guess. At his best, he's a decent link up guy, but will we get his best? or maybe even Roldan, who has been playing great for club (and for country, tbh). Zardes has to feature this time as well.
I think the main problem remains the US spacing in this formation, as Sammy has repeatedly been pointing out. I keep saying I don't think it's the formation that's the problem, but how they're playing it. They just need to be smarter about shape, whether they press higher up with numbers to force things, or sit deeper (since Jam's going to be most dangerous as a countering team). The forwards have to create good defensive spacing and not allow those easy passing lanes. MFs need to do the same and combine with the CBs to read that space in the seams and either close it off or get tighter to the man.
And I hope the US can maintain some width going forward- move the ball quicker short, short and then long or wide.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Was looking forward to some Yank v Yank action tomorrow. Maybe in the return game in London.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
It will be Acosta, Sands, Busio or Yueill. I don't think we can be convinced of any of them but I would lean towards Acosta in a Concacaf game since he brings some intangibles to play in this environment.
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Sammy3469
Footballguy
FWIW, I don't necessarily know if we have the depth to continue to play a 4-3-3 in these 3 games in 7 days windows especially with Panama still being a red country for at a minimum the UK.
I know that's GGG's preferred formation, but frankly, unless everyone is healthy, I don't think we have the bodies to play it as the we seemingly have more of the 20-30 best guys being more comfortable in the center of the pitch. Point being that Panama game is going to be a slog.
Here's a reasonably deep, on form, depth chart which makes the point above. We effectively have 2.5 on form wingers in (Konrad, Weah, and whatever position you want to give Aaronson). After those 3, its forwards out of position (and this would include Sargent) or guys with no national team experience. https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2021/9/27/22696160/building-a-usmnt-october-world-cup-qualifying-roster
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Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
As a six? Completely convinced. He's as good as anyone we've ever had there not named Tyler Adams IMO.
As an eight? Ok, sure, whynot, someone has to play there.
prefontaine
Footballguy
Not sure about that. He only called 4 mids last time (though he played Aaronson as an 8 and Sands as a 6). We basically swap Adams out for Musah this window. Also there are decent options in Green or de la Torre who didn't get called last time.
Busio is getting minutes and you could reach on Caden Clark or Pomykal (or use Roldan). Another option is Alan Soñora who is breaking out for Independiente in Argentina.
Most of the ones not getting called are more attacking in nature which does not appear to be what Berhalter wants, but we should be okay.
Sammy3469
Footballguy
It's not what he wants, but it's what he has. One of GGG's big problems is trying to fit a 23 or 26 to a set formation when those 23/26 don't naturally fit that formation. That makes tactics much harder in these compressed periods. I don't know which numbers they actually are in the pecking order, but most of the A/D central MFs are our 23-30th best players these days (and I'm guessing we call 27 in with CP/Adams/Gio out). You either call them in and fit them into a square hole (4-3-3), call them in and figure out a new formation, or bypass them for lesser players to fit into the formation.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Ok, maybe I'm giving Adams the benefit of the doubt by assuming that sooner or later he'll put in a run of 6-8 games like Acosta did this summer, but work with me here. Adams is almost certainly better.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I don't think Floppo was questioning Adams. I thought he was questioning Acosta being better than anyone we have ever at the 6 had not named Adams meaning players like Claudio Reyna, Dooley, Pablo, Jones etc.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Oh, he knew, I'm pretty sure. He was trying to be witty about it meaning that Acosta is that good at the 6 spot.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Reyna wasn't really a six though. IMO he was closer to 10 than a 6 even. Not quite a 10 in terms of impact going forward, not enough work rate for an 8, not enough bite for a 6. And not enough pace to play wide in a 4-man midfield. A really good US player though -- better than Acosta for sure.
And I think Acosta is as good as Pablo, Jones. For whatever reason people elevate these guys after they're done playing. Acosta had two of the best three games I've ever seen from a US d-mid over the summer (Armas vs Argentina).
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Oh, and I always forget Dooley was a d-mid before moving to CB. Not sure if it was just before I started watching or my memory is jacked, but he was such a classy player.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
The thing with Acosta is those two games you mentioned were incredible, I totally agree. But he has never before, or since, come with in a country mile of those performances.
So like Floppo questioned this summer, are we more likely to get the average Acosta or the guy who looked like he should be starting in a top 5 league team pushing for UCL spot?
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
He moved to CB once his legs went in his 30's. But for his prime, he was DM in Germany.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Some goods news! Adams is available as a sub today.
TripItUp
Footballguy
You give him the benefit of the doubt IMHO. I don't rate club performance as much as it appears most of this thread does.
I care much more about how you perform when wearing the stars and stripes. It's why I never bought the "Sargent is our striker" narrative than many were pushing and why I support guys like Hoppe, Acosta and Turner...who have seemingly played their best for the USMNT.
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El Floppo
Footballguy
exactly.
Acosta's blue moon ceiling is solid. but his day to day floor is meh.
I'd say I prefer Beckerman as a pure 6 to Acosta- a guy who understood space and shape incredibly well and had really nice vision, bite and skills (just not foot speed), not to mention all the rest mentioned and certainly including Caillou when he dropped there (but before the wheels fell off, obviously)
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Huh?
We are talking only about his US performances. The game he played against Mexico in the final was one of the best individual performances by a US player in history. Many of his others have been meh at best.
No one is talking about his club play in this thread.
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prefontaine
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
Sargent came out of the youths as their legit top guy and into the Senior team with guns blazing before settling into where he is now (hopefully off the team).
Acosta has put in more mediocre performances for the US than I can count- before and after his couple of incredible games this summer.
This is a strange narrative.
El Floppo
Footballguy
I got to see Becks play live a couple times- his sense of shape and understanding passing lanes is unparalled for the US players I've seen. He knew how to partner and combine on both sides of the ball in ways I haven't seen from Acosta. But his foot speed would always get in the way.
of course
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Owen is on the bench for the opposing team. If he subs in, it would be his first UCL game.
prefontaine
Footballguy
Beckerman was a good MLS player but he was always a liability as a nat. It wasn't just his footspeed but his speed of thought. He never was really able to turn on an international stage and when he played as a lone 6 we lacked any ability to play through the midfield (not entirely his fault as we had a lot of limited players around him).
I'm not a huge Acosta fan mostly due to the huge variance in what we get, but I'd still put him above Becks. But to be fair that may be recency bias.
El Floppo
Footballguy
gotta say, seeing him live- and I don't know if you ever got to do that- was something that gave me a lot more respect for him. I was a 8/10 through college and semi-pros, so the central MF is something I always pay more attention to than the other spots- and I hadn't been a fan of his at all prior. His speed of thought was definitely there- he had a really good understanding of the game and flow, including the next several steps. But yeah- he wasn't the optimal ball-control, always receive the ball from the defense type of guy... especially if the opponents pushed high into him, and CONCACAF teams generally did.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I think he had one bad game this summer and was good otherwise. I lost track of how many games we're talking about now, but it wasn't just the two uber-elite top-drawer god-tier games. He was really good across the whole run up to WCQ.
El Floppo
Footballguy
hope he's digging his way out of the doghouse. that was a guy I was kinda-sorta hoping would play a role over the next year.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I mean, Beckerman had a pretty great 2014 World Cup. Which is why I’m still pissed JK played Cameron there against Belgium.
El Floppo
Footballguy
See- I think you guys are taking those games from this summer and transferring them into your memory of how he played previously. Amidst some positive moments, he hasn't been terribly good or consistent.
And I'm not saying he shouldn't play a role here- I don't see who else has been better. He's also really good delivering set pieces and has shown his versatility by playing outside back.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Ok, yeah -- Bradley too. He's another guy I think of further forward.
Though his touch, and giving the ball away in deep spots, really was a problem (and I say that having defended the guy for years).
Though his touch, and giving the ball away in deep spots, really was a problem (and I say that having defended the guy for years).
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
The Beckerman -- Jones -- Bradley midfield was amazing. And IIRC it more or less came together at the last minute too? Like no one had that as the choice and then suddenly they're killing it when it mattered.
El Floppo
Footballguy
I know I saw Becks and Caillou play together before that- and their understanding was fantastic. Don't think Germany was with them though.
Adams, Snacks and Musah... I think is already better, and could get WAY better. Just need to have them all on the field at the same time.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Yeah, ok. And maybe this is idiosyncratic, but...
He was really good 3-4 years ago. Like breakthrough, get you excited, good. And then he got hurt(?) and/or fell out of favor with his coach(?) and stopped getting called up. And then he got called up again and has been the same guy I saw 3-4 years ago. So I chalk up the in-between stuff to bad luck or bad coaching or just a flukey run of bad games. Basically a bad narrative.
Good players almost never stop being good until they're old. And my baseline for him is "good player".
El Floppo
Footballguy
I remember him breaking through initially and getting the jumpy&quo... and I could have this off- but I remember him sinking down to earth before getting hurt.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Damn -- you're right! I'm thinking of the 2016 Copa.I know I saw Becks and Caillou play together before that- and their understanding was fantastic. Don't think Germany was with them though.
Adams, Snacks and Musah... I think is already better, and could get WAY better. Just need to have them all on the field at the same time.
TripItUp
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
The thing with Acosta is that he really hasn’t played much as a 6 for the Nats outside those Nations League/Gold Cup games.
He came up as an 8 and was then an experimental RB. Fast forward two years and he’s brought back in and has those performances as the 6. But in WC qualifying, he was an 8 again. Adams (and Sands in Honduras) were the 6s.
He came up as an 8 and was then an experimental RB. Fast forward two years and he’s brought back in and has those performances as the 6. But in WC qualifying, he was an 8 again. Adams (and Sands in Honduras) were the 6s.
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