USMNT 2021

[ztejas 43,418]

28 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

I was born in '84, and i grew up playing soccer and watching the USMNT, and as i recall it was generally Eddie Pope, Cobi Jones, and 21 white dudes, with maybe a Mexican-American or two thrown in. I think it's really, really cool, that black and brown kids across this country can tune in to a match and see a bunch of faces that remind them of their own.

now if only we could get those faces a coach with a fucking pulse and a clue. 

Had the thought during the Panama game that we were playing a VERY black team. It is cool - and it should put the rest of the world on notice. What's made this country great for awhile now is starting to make our NT great. Our biggest star is a 100% red-blooded American white kid from bumfuck Pennsylvania. Our emerging first option at the 9 is a dual-national with Mexican heritage from El Paso. Our lockdown 6 has a biological black father yet grew up in a very white household. Our starting 8 is a black army-brat who spent formative years in Germany.

Our most naturally gifted players are a Surinamese-American, Dutch-born naturalized American and a kid that has one of the stupidest futbol-friendly backgrounds ever with an Argentinian/Portuguese father and a USWNT/NCAAW standout mother (and I'm telling y'all now and will continue telling y'all - this is the chosen one who is going to flip the script). 

And to top it off - our keeper is a gangly white kid from New Jersey that didn't pick up the game until his teen years. 

This team - and player pool - can and should fuck. The remaining questions are can we get them on the pitch together and can we get a manager with a set of nuts that knows how to optimize this raw talent.

We prove that we're about it every 4 years in the Olympics. Anyone that thinks we can't compete at the highest stage in another sport is overthinking it. Our society is infatuated with competition across the board like no other. 

Just hoping we figure it out soon enough for a regular Joe like me to enjoy it. 

Edited October 14, 2021 by ztejas

[shnsajax 3,591]

49 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

now if only we could get those faces a coach with a fucking pulse and a clue. 

Considering most of them play in Europe and with big clubs with higher profile coaches, I do wonder what their thoughts are on Gergg. I mean he must be selling something at the very least decent to recruit Musah, Pefok, Dest, etc. while keeping Pepi as well. Herc Gomez said it well that we keep talking about the youth and inexperience of this team, yet the single most inexperienced person is Gergg. 

[shnsajax 3,591]

This is funny

[ztejas 43,418]

18 minutes ago, shnsajax said:

This is funny
 

Yeah. He's a stud. So put Reyna in the mid Gerg you fucking shit eating donkey.

Edited October 14, 2021 by ztejas

[shnsajax 3,591]

How do we lineup against Mexico? I really don't know what to expect any more but assume everyone is healthy.

                           Pepi

Aaronson                                Pulisic

                          Reyna

Weston                                  Musah/Dest

                         Adams

A. Robinson                          C. Richards

                        M. Robinson

                        Turner

 

[ztejas 43,418]

5 minutes ago, shnsajax said:

How do we lineup against Mexico? I really don't know what to expect any more but assume everyone is healthy.

                           Pepi

Aaronson                                Pulisic

                          Reyna

Weston                                  Musah/Dest

                         Adams

A. Robinson                          C. Richards

                        M. Robinson

                        Turner

 

Who the fuck is Pulisic? Do we have a scouting report on this guy?

[shnsajax 3,591]

Just now, ztejas said:

Who the fuck is Pulisic? Do we have a scouting report on this guy?

Supposedly an heir to Hershey Chocolate Empire.

[ztejas 43,418]

Just now, shnsajax said:

Supposedly an heir to Hershey Chocolate Empire.

I don't trust him. Sounds like an MLS favor. Better start Arriola.

[gsoda3 3,254]

If he's healthy I'd like to see JAB rather than Robinson but other than that let's roll.

[Napoleon 8,666]

5 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

I was born in '84, and i grew up playing soccer and watching the USMNT, and as i recall it was generally Eddie Pope, Cobi Jones, and 21 white dudes, with maybe a Mexican-American or two thrown in. I think it's really, really cool, that black and brown kids across this country can tune in to a match and see a bunch of faces that remind them of their own.

now if only we could get those faces a coach with a fucking pulse and a clue. 

 

Tony Sanneh, David Regis, and Earnie Stewart, don't want to pull the race card, but they will if they have to.

A little kid by the name of DaMarcus Beasley was probably easy to overlook, because the 2000 Olympic Team didn't get much TV coverage in the USA. Just print, so it was not easy to know that DaMarcus was the name of a player of color. 👀

...DaFuck...?

 

5 hours ago, shnsajax said:

This is funny

1) This looks like Brenden's little brother Paxten to me. 

2) Also, I like how our All-American kid from Pennsylvania started his professional career playing as a Croatian...

 

 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

i love Beasley. he was one of my favorites, until his performance in the 2006 WC (along with w we hike else) was so terrible that o was incensed. then, when he had his redemption arc and ended up as a starter on the 2014 WC team...man, what a story. love that guy. just didn't mention him because i consider him to be after the time of Pope and Cobi Jones. 

[Braff Zacklin 13,556]

7 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

You’re nuts. A back pass is an indirect free kick not a PK, even in the box.

[dieucla98 2,942]

Aaronson has turned into an auto-start, it's amazing how quick he has ascended. Both him and Adams have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, just on different ends of the field. 

A. Robinson, as has been said before but worth repeating, is finally our answer at LB. He doesn't have the attacking prowess that Dest and Yedlin do on the right, but he's pretty damn reliable and dependable. 

Adams is great at putting out fires, but so is McKennie, Musah, and Busio. It's so great to finally have a midfield that can reliably play the entire pitch.

Our CBs still do mind blowing boneheaded things at times. At least it was only one thing this time?

We're a work in progress, have yet to play more than 45m straight of solid futbol, still make mistakes and yet sit 2nd in the table. All that with Gergg at the helm. I'll take it.

 

[alincoln 2,371]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

Tony Sanneh, David Regis, and Earnie Stewart, don't want to pull the race card, but they will if they have to.

A little kid by the name of DaMarcus Beasley was probably easy to overlook, because the 2000 Olympic Team didn't get much TV coverage in the USA. Just print, so it was not easy to know that DaMarcus was the name of a player of color. 👀

...DaFuck...?

And Clavijo, Ramos, Balboa, Hugo Perez, Mastoreni, Reyna and Llamosa.  Probably not brown enough though.  Maybe Derka just watched the USWNT in his youth.

 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

21 minutes ago, alincoln said:

And Clavijo, Ramos, Balboa, Hugo Perez, Mastoreni, Reyna and Llamosa.  Probably not brown enough though.  Maybe Derka just watched the USWNT in his youth.

 

i make a post about black players during my time watching the USMNT, you retort with some snarky BS listing a bunch of fair skinned latino dudes whom i've never even heard of (save Tab Ramos) or seen play because they all played before my time. really dope post. i'm sure every young black kid in America was deeply inspired and saw a glimpse of themselves whenever they watched this guy:

 

as opposed to the guys Napoleon listed:

 

but don't let being wrong stop you from getting offended or being an ass. 

Edited October 14, 2021 by shadow_operative

[alincoln 2,371]

Game thoughts:

The new Crew stadium is fantastic.  There was a sprinkling of Costa Ricans in attendance but the atmosphere understandably lacked the intensity of a US-Mexico game.  I live around 20 minutes from the stadium and was home 25 minutes after the final whistle.        

McKennie and Dest were dire the first 10 minutes but then settled into the game and we controlled the game from there.  Dest dominated his flank even when he was giving the ball away early.  Costa Rica had no answer for him and he was loving it.  Constantly pumping up the crowd and his teammates.  Great to see from him.

The Costa Ricans were noticeably slower everywhere on the field than their American counterparts and we actually used our speed to our advantage.  I do think that we could press even more aggressively with our front three.  We have the youth, legs, and depth to put the slower CONCACAF defenders under more consistent pressure.  

Musah is a beast and compliments Weston and Adams very well.  He has continuously carried the ball forward from defense to attack and no one in the pool (other than Puli) can consistently provide those driving runs.  Gregg clearly likes him and it will be very interesting to see if he maintains those three as his first choice MF.

Puli obviously slides right back into the lineup for Weah but I'm not sure where Reyna goes.  Aaronson works so hard for the team and does so much dirty work in pressing and winning the ball back that I'm not sure Reyna does.  I also don't know if you want to disrupt the MF that started against Costa Rica.  Fortunately we have a brilliant manager more than capable of resolving this difficult issue to everyone's satisfaction.

[alincoln 2,371]

7 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

i make a post about black players during my time watching the USMNT, you retort with some snarky BS listing a bunch of fair skinned latino dudes whom i've never even heard of (save Tab Ramos) or seen play because they all played before my time. really dope post. i'm sure every young black kid in America was deeply inspired and saw a glimpse of themselves whenever they watched this guy:

but don't let being wrong stop you from getting offended or being an ass. 

As suspected, not brown enough for Derka.  Perhaps refrain from providing history lessons to a group of people infinitely more educated on the subject at hand than you.  The USMNT has never been a bastion of whiteness as you claimed (21-22 white guys on 23 man rosters is laughably inaccurate), and your fantastical recollection of its history (which you admit above that you have zero knowledge of) required correction.  The USWNT, on the other, does have an entirely different history in which rosters were overwhelmingly white.  Instead of lashing out when encountered by your own ignorance, try educating yourself on a topic you purport to have an interest in.  Otherwise, it's just more worthless Derka diarrhea.        

[shadow_operative 15,932]

24 minutes ago, alincoln said:

As suspected, not brown enough for Derka.  Perhaps refrain from providing history lessons to a group of people infinitely more educated on the subject at hand than you.  The USMNT has never been a bastion of whiteness as you claimed (21-22 white guys on 23 man rosters is laughably inaccurate), and your fantastical recollection of its history (which you admit above that you have zero knowledge of) required correction.  The USWNT, on the other, does have an entirely different history in which rosters were overwhelmingly white.  Instead of lashing out when encountered by your own ignorance, try educating yourself on a topic you purport to have an interest in.  Otherwise, it's just more worthless Derka diarrhea.        

okie silly dilly dokie oh. you're right. there were a shit ton of black dudes playing for the USMNT in the 90's! yeah, that's the ticket! way to take an uplifting post and find a way to get upset about it and then shit all over it, loser. 

Edited October 14, 2021 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15,932]

vs

 

but hey, go ahead and fucking cry some more about how i need a history lesson. our team tooootallly looks the same as it always has. 🙄 

[MissingInAction 25,029]

Berhalter is the greg Davis of soccer.

[alincoln 2,371]

A 1994 starting lineup including 3 latinos and 1 black guy doesn't exactly support your recollection of 21-22 white dudes on a 23 man roster.  You are entirely incapable of admitting when you are wrong even when presented with incontrovertible evidence of your ignorance.  You consistently spew nonsense on topics you admittedly know nothing about.  I'm not disputing that the team isn't more diverse now, which it obviously is based on facts.  I'm disputing your attempts to portray the USMNT rosters of yore as bastions of whiteness which they obviously weren't again based on facts.       

[Zepol87 9,185]

RIP Clavijo, solid ass guy. Don't forget about Oak Cliffs Omar Gonzalez also, but he is light skin so probably doesn't count

[alincoln 2,371]

Multiple myeloma is an awful disease.

[El Pollo Loco 6]

3 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

i love Beasley. he was one of my favorites, until his performance in the 2006 WC (along with w we hike else) was so terrible that o was incensed. then, when he had his redemption arc and ended up as a starter on the 2014 WC team...man, what a story. love that guy. just didn't mention him because i consider him to be after the time of Pope and Cobi Jones. 

I wouldn't put his 06 WC performance on him (although he pissed me off a lot around that time). From what I recall he was very out of form and Arena started him on the right against Czech and then central/left midfielder against Ghana. Arena just couldn't leave him off the field regardless of his form for some reason. Beasley was one of the best players when he game on a sub in the wide open Italy game though. 

[UDontKnow 10,443]

1 hour ago, alincoln said:

Game thoughts:

The new Crew stadium is fantastic.  There was a sprinkling of Costa Ricans in attendance but the atmosphere understandably lacked the intensity of a US-Mexico game.  I live around 20 minutes from the stadium and was home 25 minutes after the final whistle.        

McKennie and Dest were dire the first 10 minutes but then settled into the game and we controlled the game from there.  Dest dominated his flank even when he was giving the ball away early.  Costa Rica had no answer for him and he was loving it.  Constantly pumping up the crowd and his teammates.  Great to see from him.

The Costa Ricans were noticeably slower everywhere on the field than their American counterparts and we actually used our speed to our advantage.  I do think that we could press even more aggressively with our front three.  We have the youth, legs, and depth to put the slower CONCACAF defenders under more consistent pressure.  

Musah is a beast and compliments Weston and Adams very well.  He has continuously carried the ball forward from defense to attack and no one in the pool (other than Puli) can consistently provide those driving runs.  Gregg clearly likes him and it will be very interesting to see if he maintains those three as his first choice MF.

Puli obviously slides right back into the lineup for Weah but I'm not sure where Reyna goes.  Aaronson works so hard for the team and does so much dirty work in pressing and winning the ball back that I'm not sure Reyna does.  I also don't know if you want to disrupt the MF that started against Costa Rica.  Fortunately we have a brilliant manager more than capable of resolving this difficult issue to everyone's satisfaction.

Our USMNT would be a lot more effective if Gergg deployed players at their natural positions. This is a very simple strategy that more respectable national teams do because these players ultimately spend more time training with their clubs as opposed to their national team squads. 

Gio is mostly used as a midfielder with Dortmund, so it would make sense to have him in midfield to help create. I would like to see a starting midfield of Reyna, McKennie, and Adams with the likes of de la Torre, Musah, and Busio spelling those three, respectively. I feel this midfield lineup would have the capability of being able to move around outside of traditional position zones on the pitch making for a faster and more sustained attack.

Start Aaronson, Pepi, and Pulisic up top and can spell those three with the likes of de la Fuente, Sargent/Pefok (defense vs size in the box), and Weah, respectively. 

I think that would make for a potent attack, but WTF do I know? I'm just a Surly asshole and Gergg has been anointed by the USSF. 

[Napoleon 8,666]

2 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

vs

 

but hey, go ahead and fucking cry some more about how i need a history lesson. our team tooootallly looks the same as it always has. 🙄 

@alincoln does have a point . . .

I had never noticed before how much Weah resembles Eric Wynalda and Dike resembles Alexi Lalas.

🙄

 

. . . don’t know why he’s so intent on dying on that hill.

Its like saying that the USWNT and the WNBA are carbon copies of each other.

[RamjetFDO 10,575]

Jesus.  Here we go.

 

[HornOnTheBayou 8,919]

22 minutes ago, RamjetFDO said:

Jesus.  Here we go.

 

Why? What's the point of pouring gasoline onto the fire?

Edited October 14, 2021 by HornOnTheBayou

[Captain Ron 12,872]

[ztejas 43,418]

8 hours ago, Napoleon said:

2) Also, I like how our All-American kid from Pennsylvania started his professional career playing as a Croatian...

 

Huh? Pulisic never played for Croatia unless I'm missing something. And his dad was born in New York. 

[The Dog 44,020]

13 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Huh? Pulisic never played for Croatia unless I'm missing something. And his dad was born in New York. 

I think he's referring to the fact that Pulisic got a Croatian passport in order to play in Germany without a visa (due to his grandfather being from there). So he technically "started his pro career in Europe as a Croatian". 

[ztejas 43,418]

Just now, The Dog said:

I think he's referring to the fact that Pulisic got a Croatian passport in order to play in Germany without a visa (due to his grandfather being from there). So he technically "started his pro career in Europe as a Croatian". 

Yes, well, I'm not sure how formative a beaurecratic loophole like that is to a kid's upbringing. I actually figured he was more of a Croat than he is. 

From what I know I don't think he ever even entertained not playing for the US. 

Anyway, aren't we supposed to be discussing the melanin content of some Hispanic JAG that played for us in 1993?

[alincoln 2,371]

1 hour ago, Captain Ron said:

Derka thinks the USMNT/US Soccer just discovered minorities while:

10 years ago: Tim Howard, Nick Rimando, Timothy Chandler, Michael Orozco, Oguchi Onyewu, Omar Gonzalez, Fabian Johnson, Edgar Castillo, Maurice Edu, Alfredo Morales, Ricardo Clark, Jermaine Jones, Jose Torres, Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, Hercules Gomez, Teal Bunbury and Edson Buddle

15 years ago: Howard, Marvelle Wynn, Cory Gibbs, Gooch, Bocanegra, Clark, Edu, Mastroeni, DMB, Lee Nguyen, Brian Ching, Charlie Davies, Robbie Findley, Freddie Adu, Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson

20 years ago: Nick Rimando, Howard, Eddie Pope, Regis, Balboa, Robin Fraser, Bocanegra, Llamosa, Stewart, Mastroeni, Sanneh, Reyna, Cobi Jones, Brian West and Jeff Cunningham

25 years ago: Balboa, Fraser, Pope, Sanneh, Ramiro Corrales, Mark Chung, Ramos, Reyna, Jones, Martin Vasquez, Dante Washington. 

Less players also got called up in the 90s and early 00s (around 40-45 a year compared to around 60 now). 

As previously noted, the diversity of the squad has increased as the USMNT and U.S. soccer has evolved from a predominantly white sport consisting of former college soccer players to a multiracial professional one, but to claim that the USMNT used to consist of 95% white dudes misrepresents the history of the USMNT and ignores and erases the contributions of dozens of minority players who have played for the USMNT for decades.    

Tons of people now in their 30s, 40s and 50s in the Midwest learned to love the game of soccer watching the Crew's African-American forward line of Edson Buddle, Brian West, Jeff Cunningham and Dante Washington in old (then new) Crew Stadium win the Crew its first major trophy (2002 Open Cup).  Derka has no idea and doesn't give a fuck that these guys existed or inspired tons of kids in the Midwest of all races to play/love soccer.  Believe me, these dudes (who are all now in their 40s) would slap the donut out of Derka's gaping maw if he cavalierly denied their existence/influence/achievements in their presence.  It pisses me off that incredible US soccer history like the early 2000s Crew forward lineup is ignored/forgotten so that a bunch of poseur ignoramuses can pretend that their current experience is more groundbreaking than it actually is.   

I will now move on.

[ztejas 43,418]

Pro tip as I'm just now finding out - both paramount plus and watch espn have easy accessible replays of every match. Not sure about games on FS. 

[Ted Lange 16,084]

I don't recall us running out an XI that featured only one white guy like we did last night.  Maybe we have, I just don't remember it.   Its no big deal, but I did find it interesting as well.

As for the match, It was one of the more enjoyable ones I have watched under Greggg, well after the first minute at least.  The MMA midfield makes such a big difference, from last night

	Completed Passes	Opponents 1/2	In Own 1/2
Musah	56	41	15
Adams	80	52	28
McKennie	86	58	28
	222	151	71

For reference, vs Panama the entire team completed 130 passes in the opponents half.

While Robinson didnt play as great as he has been, he and Dest make such a huge difference in going forward.    Im dying to see these 5 guys playing with a healthy Pulisic and Reyna.   Next window is only 2 matches vs Mexico and at Jamaica. with 3 dyas rest b/w matches instead of 2.   We shouldn't have to do much if any rotating.   

[dieucla98 2,942]

12 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Next window is only 2 matches vs Mexico and at Jamaica. with 3 dyas rest b/w matches instead of 2.   We shouldn't have to do much if any rotating.   

So Arriola plays 180 minutes. 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

35 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

I don't recall us running out an XI that featured only one white guy like we did last night.  Maybe we have, I just don't remember it.   Its no big deal, but I did find it interesting as well.

As for the match, It was one of the more enjoyable ones I have watched under Greggg, well after the first minute at least.  The MMA midfield makes such a big difference, from last night

	Completed Passes	Opponents 1/2	In Own 1/2
Musah	56	41	15
Adams	80	52	28
McKennie	86	58	28
	222	151	71

For reference, vs Panama the entire team completed 130 passes in the opponents half.

While Robinson didnt play as great as he has been, he and Dest make such a huge difference in going forward.    Im dying to see these 5 guys playing with a healthy Pulisic and Reyna.   Next window is only 2 matches vs Mexico and at Jamaica. with 3 dyas rest b/w matches instead of 2.   We shouldn't have to do much if any rotating.   

One thing I’ve learned is never to expect a healthy lineup with this group, especially where CP is involved. He takes plenty of knocks in league play and has a massive bullseye in concacaf. Dest seems injury prone as well. It’s great that we have viable alternatives emerging, because they will be necessary throughout the rest of qualifying. If we can field more than 80% of our starters for an entire window I’ll be amazed. Losing Pepi scares the shit out of me, because it’s a steep drop after him. 

[Mittens 8,259]

USMNT's World Cup qualifying: What's working, what's broken and the problem with playing it safe

 

Spoiler

We're through two qualification windows for the U.S. men's national team, and they've had two must-win matches to end each one. The USMNT has scraped and stumbled and suffered from a number of self-inflicted wounds. Gregg Berhalter & Co. have wasted points with an over-matched and overthought lineup in Panama. They've suffered poor breaks in a draw in El Salvador. They've suffered the full weight of CONCACAF, its rough pitches and its occasional rough-and-tumble tactics.

And yet, after two windows that felt in danger of spiraling negatively, the U.S. has 11 points and is on pace for 29 points over the 16-match qualification, well more than what they will need to qualify. (Up next? A home date with Mexico on Nov. 12 in Cincinnati, live on ESPN2.)

With things having swayed so dramatically back and forth between good and bad, let's take a big-picture look at what's going well, and what isn't, through six matches.

 

What's going well

Well, the U.S. is on pace so far

We'll start with the most important part. The top three teams from the eight-team group qualify automatically for the 2022 World Cup, with the fourth entering the intercontinental playoff (from which two of four teams qualify). As up-and-down as these first two qualification windows have been, the U.S. sits second in the table, three points ahead of fourth-place Panama and five ahead of fifth-place Costa Rica.

Tim Weah's 66th-minute shot against Costa Rica on Thursday night in Columbus, which turned into an own goal by Leonel Moreira, gave the U.S. a 2-1 win and flipped what could have been a pretty jumbled table -- the U.S. would have been in third place, only two points out of fifth -- into one of relative comfort.

They are also clearing the bar, just slightly, from a points-per-game perspective. The goal for automatic qualification is somewhere around 24 total points, or about 1.7 per game. The USMNT is at 1.8 right now. (A loss to Mexico in their next match on Nov. 12 would drop them back to 1.6, for what it's worth.)

The big-picture stats look mostly fine (though not spectacular)

The U.S. has been almost unrecognizable from match to match, oscillating between possession principles -- lots of shorter passing, high pressing, etc. -- and the old-school, American "goalkeeping and counterattacks" approach. This isn't necessarily a good thing, as we'll get to in a bit, but it makes it worthwhile to step back and look at the stats as a whole through six matches.

• They have possessed the ball 57.8% of the time, second in the group behind Mexico (59.7%). Their possession rate has been as high as 71% (vs. Canada) and as low as 47% (vs. Honduras)

• They have completed 82.2% of their passes, second behind Mexico (85.7%) again. Their completion rate in the attacking third is 80.1%, third behind Mexico and Canada

• Their 9.2 chances created per 90 minutes (assists and key passes that lead to shots) rank third as well, behind Mexico (12.3) and Honduras (11.0). Predictably, then, their 11.7 shots per match also rank third

• They average 0.13 xG per shot attempt, second behind Canada (0.15). They have put 34% of their shots on target, which ties for second with Mexico, again behind Canada (35%)

• They are allowing 8.0 shots per match, second behind Mexico (6.5), and opponents are averaging 0.10 xG per shot, again second behind Mexico (0.09). Opponents are completing 75.6% of their passes (second behind El Salvador's 74.8%) but are at 77.1% in the attacking third (fourth)

• They are making 53.8 ball recoveries per match, first in the group just ahead of Panama (53.0) and Canada (52.5)

This paints a pretty clear picture of a team that is... the second-best team in the group, give or take. They haven't played Mexico yet, and a poor performance could end up with them having looked like the third- or fourth-best team. But despite a couple of particularly disappointing performances, they haven't been incredibly far off of the standard most set for them on average.

When the shots are on target, the U.S. wins

Because their style has shifted so dramatically from match to match, it's hard to draw many correlations between a specific stat (possession rate, completion rate, etc.) and success. But one obvious statistic has determined the USMNT's fate thus far: In three wins, they have put 20 of 41 shots on target (49%), and in losses and draws, they've managed only four of 29 (14%).

Really, both of those numbers are noteworthy: the volume and the accuracy. They've attempted 13.7 shots per match in wins and they've placed them well. Ricardo Pepi has played 245 of 270 minutes in the wins and has led the team in shots (nine), shots on target (six) and goals (three). Fellow forward Gyasi Zardes has put two of three on target in these matches, and a collection of wingers (Brenden Aaronson, Weah, Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola) has combined to put six of 13 on target.

In the losses and draws, the U.S. has averaged only 9.7 shots per match, bottoming out with an inexcusable five-shot, none-on-target performance against Panama. In these three matches, Josh Sargent and Jordan Pefok placed zero of seven shots on target, and the only goal came from Aaronson against Canada. Zardes played 67 minutes against Panama and attempted no shots.

In CONCACAF tournaments, you run into a number of teams that pack their defenses tight and force you to win with moments of individual brilliance. (Canada does this, but it also explodes into counterattacks with players like Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David of Lille.) Against the three teams that have allowed the most shot attempts thus far and try to keep matches a bit more open -- Jamaica, Costa Rica and Honduras -- the U.S. has thrived. Against their more stingy opponents, the U.S. has created almost nothing.

The youngsters came to play

It was easy to be concerned about the inexperience levels for some of America's most talented players. Pepi, winger Giovanni Reyna and midfielder Yunus Musah are only 18 years old, midfielders George Bello and Gianluca Busio are 19, Aaronson and full-back Sergino Dest are 20. Hell, even guys who feel like veterans at this point are still young -- Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie are 23, Tyler Adams is 22.

For this reason, it was fair to assume that manager Berhalter would attempt to assure that a certain level of "veteran-osity" remained on the pitch for the U.S. throughout. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta (26 years old) has played 302 minutes thus far, even if it has meant fielding him somewhat out of position and giving him more attacking responsibilities than what suit his skill-set. Midfielder Sebastian Lletget (29) has recorded 229 minutes as well, and attacker Paul Arriola (26) played 135 minutes in the second window of matches. Defender Tim Ream (34) played all 90 minutes against El Salvador, and midfielder Cristian Roldan (26) has made four substitute appearances.

It might behoove Berhalter to ease up on the caution moving forward, as the youth have come to play:

• Pepi has scored three of the USMNT's eight goals and is creating 1.3 chances per 90 minutes

• Reyna created three chances in his only match before injury

• In 150 minutes against Jamaica and Costa Rica, Dest hypnotized down the right wing, constantly displaying the speed that led to Barcelona acquiring him. He assisted on Pepi's first goal against Jamaica and tied the Costa Rica match midway through the first half on an absolute screamer

• Musah might have been the team's best player in October's three-match window, completing 91% of his passes (95% in the attacking third) and progressing the ball as well as anyone over his 200 minutes. And when Busio was finally given a chance, subbing in for Musah late in the win over Costa Rica, he completed 18 of his 20 passes (six of six in the attacking third) and showed the prowess that has quickly made him a mainstay in Venezia's midfield in Serie A

In the second window of matches especially, youngsters carried the United States. McKennie and Adams played well, too.

What isn't going so well

Set pieces have delivered nothing

In the USMNT's brilliant summer run of eight wins and no defeats in the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup, they scored 15 goals, five of which came from set pieces (two from Miles Robinson, one from Weston McKennie). An average of 0.62 set-piece goals per match is unsustainable -- last season in Europe's Big Five leagues, only one team (Monaco) averaged more than 0.45 -- but regression-to-the-mean has struck with a vengeance. The U.S. has zero set piece goals through six matches, and they allowed one off of a corner kick versus Panama.

There's almost certainly some randomness baked in here, but if this prowess would return somewhat, it would make life much easier.

The rotation desperately needs tightening

With 16 qualification matches tightly packed into international breaks -- three matches in seven days in September, three in seven in October, two in five in November, etc. -- it was a given that rotation would be a must for the U.S. and everyone else. And to date, every team in the group has given 70+ minutes to at least 17 players. Only Panama has given 500+ minutes to more than three players.

In theory, this favors the two teams, the U.S. and Mexico, with the deepest rosters. But while Mexico has given only one player over 500 minutes (keeper Memo Ochoa) and played 22 guys at 70+ minutes, no one has logged more than 488 minutes for the U.S., only two have played in all six matches (Adams and Aaronson), and 30 players have recorded at least 69 minutes.

Some of this massive rotation was forced on Berhalter. Reyna and Pulisic have combined for just 242 minutes due to injury and form issues, while McKennie missed two matches due to suspension and missed the Panama trip because of a minor injury. Throw in some issues with travel limitations -- full-back Antonee Robinson (Fulham) and keeper Zach Steffen (Manchester City) didn't go to Panama, for instance, because of the UK's "red list" of COVID-19 countries -- and it was clear Berhalter would have to play a ton of players. Even accounting for that, Berhalter's massive rotations have seemed like more than what's required.

Of the eight players who were most excellent (to my eye) against Jamaica -- Aaronson, Adams, McKennie, Musah, Antonee Robinson, and center-backs Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman -- only two started in the next match against Panama. When McKennie was unavailable for that match, it seemed a no-brainer that Adams would have to start for stability reasons, even if it meant he was available for fewer minutes against Costa Rica. That didn't happen. Instead, Berhalter started a lineup with no more than two players from what you might call the first-choice XI at this point: Musah and keeper Matt Turner. They were playing for a draw from the start, and they didn't even manage that. Then there was another nine-starter whiplash change for the Costa Rica match.

They've gotten away with it -- again, they're on pace to qualify -- but Berhalter's purposes would be served greatly by tightening the rotation moving forward, and he probably will, considering there are only two matches in the November window and no more until late January.

So who should be in this tightened rotation?

Even though we're still dealing with small samples, it's pretty clear which players have stood out thus far. (Note: this isn't intended to be a comprehensive list of who should be on the next U.S. roster -- instead, it's more of a broad look at who should be the first priority.)

Forward: Pepi has been the most likely American attacker to both generate a shot and put it on target. He is generating 0.71 xG per 90, and while Zardes generated even more in a small sample and remains one of the best American attackers from a movement standpoint, Pepi's finishing stands out, both in his brief time in a U.S. shirt and during his 2021 MLS season with FC Dallas. (And while regression to the mean has come for Daryl Dike after a torrid run earlier in 2021, his current form with Orlando suggests it wouldn't hurt for him to get back in the rotation.)

Attacking midfielders/wingers: When available, Reyna and Pulisic remain obvious first-choice options, and Aaronson's steady play in qualification has earned him a permanent spot in the rotation. The U.S. has opened every match in a 4-3-3 formation with a pretty narrow midfield and two wingers. These three players could occupy a large majority of minutes, especially in a two-match window. While Weah struggled mightily against Panama, he was otherwise strong in this window and would provide a solid fourth option, especially considering how well he has performed as a substitute for Lille.

Midfielders: Adams, McKennie, Musah. The U.S. completely controlled the midfield against both Jamaica and Costa Rica, and it's not a coincidence that these three -- along with full-backs Dest and Antonee Robinson, who provide excellent width -- were on the pitch when they did it This should be the three-man U.S. midfield whenever possible.

Acosta should be a fill-in only for Adams in the defensive midfield role, and Busio proved his Musah-esque capabilities when he finally got a chance to against Costa Rica. You could fill most of a three-match window's minutes between these five.

Berhalter has shown clear admiration for Lletget and will inevitably keep him in the rotation, but there's a case to be made for one more ball progressor instead. Luca de la Torre has seen just 13 minutes against Jamaica thus far, but has completed 90% of his passes in the attacking third and won 56% of his duels -- with high ball recovery rates -- for the Eredivisie's Heracles this season.

There's also always a case for the ever-overlooked Julian Green, whose progression abilities and set piece delivery (another necessity at the moment) helped Greuther Furth get promoted to the Bundesliga last season for only the second time in team history. (Green's form has dipped in recent weeks as Furth has struggled to get its footing, but his sureness on the ball remains.)

Regardless, the top three names are clear, and Busio has earned more minutes than he has received.

Full-backs: On the right, it's all about Dest. He sprained his ankle against Canada and has played in only four of six matches, but even with the general defensive limitations you often see from attack-minded fullbacks, his speed is one of the team's best match-up advantages. He also came up huge for the team in this October window.

On the left, Antonee Robinson has recorded 341 minutes in qualification -- the fifth-most on the team. He's clearly Berhalter's first choice, and the fact that he leads the team in chances created (eight) shows why.

Center-backs: It's dealer's choice here. The U.S. has done a great job of preventing counterattacks for the most part, at times at the expense of offensive aggression, and Adams' presence in itself cuts off a lot of counters before they begin. With John Brooks suffering back issues, Berhalter showed a preference for Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman in the October window, and both played well. Chris Richards struggled in his qualification debut against Costa Rica, but whether he, Mark McKenzie or Ream is the No. 4 choice, we know who the top three are, and they're solid.

Goalkeeper: Back spasms and a positive coronavirus test kept Zack Steffen out of the September window, and he finally made his debut against Costa Rica. In his absence, Matt Turner, the best raw shot-stopper in the player pool, filled in well. Turner's ball-handling abilities are just shaky enough to perhaps affect the team's ability to build from the back, but they did still dominate the ball against Jamaica and Canada with him between the posts.

Either way, goalkeeping has not been an issue in qualification, even if the goal Steffen allowed against Costa Rica was a bit on the scruffy side.

---

A personal plea: Stop showing CONCACAF so much damn respect

Over most of his time as USMNT manager, Berhalter has shown a clear preference for ball possession and steady buildup. In 35 matches -- friendlies, Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League -- the U.S. had a possession rate of 60% or higher 18 times, and fell under 50% primarily against teams against which they didn't have an obvious talent advantage: Mexico, Chile, Switzerland, etc. (They also had just 47% possession in an odd 1-0 win over Curacao in 2019.) They were over 60% against Panama and well over 50% against El Salvador.

Considering that the past three years have all been geared toward this specific tournament qualification cycle, it was fair to assume these tendencies would continue. But they managed just 51% possession against Panama, and 46% when the game was tied. They were at 47% against Honduras, 50% when tied. They were at 50% against El Salvador.

At times, the U.S. has been afraid to overextend itself and pressure high up the pitch, too. While they started 15% of their possessions against Jamaica in the attacking third, in three road matches they averaged only 5%. They have matched opponents' caution with their own.

On one hand, this makes sense. The U.S. has suffered plenty of frustrating, chastening defeats to smaller nations in qualification over the years, but the caution hasn't paid off. They generated just one combined point at El Salvador and Panama, and needed a late binge (three goals in 15 minutes) to avoid a draw at Honduras. They let inferior opponents control these matches in a way they didn't in previous pre-qualification matchups.

A plea: Stop it. You could have pressed as hard as possible and played an extremely high defensive line against El Salvador and Panama and still scrounged a point. Play your game. Berhalter spent three years establishing certain principles, but in the matches that matter the most, they have shifted their identity from match to match. Lineup changes, both intended and unexpected, have certainly played a role in that, but their abundance of caution on the road has not paid off.

No matter what happens in two matches against Mexico, the U.S. could all but lock up qualification with strong performances against the lower-rated teams on the coming schedule -- at Jamaica on Nov. 16, El Salvador on Jan. 27, Honduras on Feb. 2. The best odds of that come with playing with a tighter rotation and with the identity the team is most familiar playing.

 

 

 

[Mittens 8,259]

16 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

Because the shot isn’t on goal. If the keeper isn’t there, that isn’t going in, it’s bouncing out into the field of play.

 

This guy is missing the hit on the post first...

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by Mittens

[Jive Turkey 12,594]

22 minutes ago, Mittens said:

A personal plea: Stop showing CONCACAF so much damn respect

this is my biggest takeaway.  playing for draws on the road is stupid.  we can beat any of the other 7 teams on the road, even Mexico, with the guys we have.  Gregg needs to stop acting like it's 1999 when he was on the USMNT, and start coaching like it's 2021 when we have guys on our team who play/played for Chelsea, Barcelona, Man City, Juventus, Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Lille, Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig, etc.

[ztejas 43,418]

Never an OG.

[dieucla98 2,942]

If the keeper doesn't deflect it, it doesn't go in the goal. That's the very definition of an own goal.

Hits post. If keeper isn't there, it bounces back into play. But he is there and redirects it back into the post and then it carroms with spin into the goal. Without the keeper there, it's not a goal.

Edited October 14, 2021 by dieucla98

[ztejas 43,418]

Some thoughts save the last ~15 mins:

- Richards didn't do a great job on the first goal but ultimately I think it's on Steffen. You have to get a hand on that ball. Maybe if Dest was a grizzled, Italian CB that had played in Serie A for 12 years he manages to get back into the play and play that dude offsides but that's asking a lot of a 20 y/o. 

- Twellman is a fucking idiot. He literally didn't know the offsides rule on Dest being OB. 

- Maybe a little sloppy to start but night and day compared to the Panama game. A lot of pretty ball movement especially down the right side. The pace combination of Weah and Dest is brutal to keep up with. Overall quality is undeniable. 

- Richards was bad. But - first cap. 

- On top of having little quality Arriola looks like a fucking tool. 

- Love that our "vets" that hold it down are 22 and 23. We are so much better with Adams and McKennie out there. McKennie especially was brilliant again. He needs to keep his dick in his pants going forward. 

- Aaronson's IQ is off the charts. He did half the leg work on the Dest goal - coming back into the play to intercept the ball - then having two nice back passes to keep possession. He then springs himself down the left side and leaves a perfect ball for Weah to cross. Musah also had a brilliant trap to get the ball down and quickly get it to Dest. 

- The pace of this XI overall is just dumb. These guys are going to punish people when they mature a bit and play a bit cleaner. Even someone like Adams is deceptively quick. Pepi doesn't have elite speed yet but he runs like a deer. And our fastest player on ball didn't even play this window. 

-  We could have easily put 2 or 3 in the back in that first half. So many dangerous touches and balls in and around their box. Pepi just missed getting on the right end of a couple. 

- Dest doesn't really play RB - he just floats up the pitch and comes back when he has to. I wonder if it's maybe a disservice to the rest of the back line to slot him there. I don't want Gerg to hurt his brain trying to implement a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 but ultimately that might be our best look. Antonee is also a ready-made WB. 

- Props to Miles for getting back into the play and making the tackle on Ruiz after the giveaway. Not sure wtf he or Richards were doing on that one.  

- CR is old and not good. They're lucky this wasn't 4 or 5 to 1.

[TXSG8R 3,362]

Still annoyed that Dest chose Barca over Bayern. His skill set suits Bayern’s style of play so much more IMO.  They make superstars out of FBs and playing opposite Davies would have been amazing to watch. 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

5 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

I don't recall us running out an XI that featured only one white guy like we did last night.  Maybe we have, I just don't remember it.   Its no big deal, but I did find it interesting as well.

 

the team, both racially and skin color wise, historically has never remotely resembled last night's starting XI/the current roster of American players. alincoln is on some bizarre, butthurt mission to be upset about it. 

[goatsaag 279]

20 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Herc Gomez said it well that we keep talking about the youth and inexperience of this team, yet the single most inexperienced person is Gergg. 

Do people really believe stuff like this? Berhalter is the least experienced person involved with the team with his 17 year playing career mostly in Germany (12 years with the national team) and 7 year coaching career before getting the USMNT job? I get that Herculez Gomez said this, but it's fucking stupid.

[dogbreath 434]

4 hours ago, ztejas said:

Some thoughts save the last ~15 mins:

- Richards didn't do a great job on the first goal but ultimately I think it's on Steffen. You have to get a hand on that ball. Maybe if Dest was a grizzled, Italian CB that had played in Serie A for 12 years he manages to get back into the play and play that dude offsides but that's asking a lot of a 20 y/o. 

Disagree. Richards and Jedi had their guys marked. McKennie was slow to react and didn't mark the guy who scored. You are right. Steffen should have made the save.

- Twellman is a fucking idiot. He literally didn't know the offsides rule on Dest being OB. 

- Maybe a little sloppy to start but night and day compared to the Panama game. A lot of pretty ball movement especially down the right side. The pace combination of Weah and Dest is brutal to keep up with. Overall quality is undeniable. 

- Richards was bad. But - first cap. 

Disagree. Richards was fine. He was lucky with no call on the slide but he didn't make contact with player. His distribution was ok too.

- On top of having little quality Arriola looks like a fucking tool. 

- Love that our "vets" that hold it down are 22 and 23. We are so much better with Adams and McKennie out there. McKennie especially was brilliant again. He needs to keep his dick in his pants going forward. 

Disagree. McKennie would have moments of brilliance but was sloppy, expecially when advancing the ball and giving it away.  He's not sharp like he was in May against Mexico. Sloppy McKennie still deserves to be on the field.

- Aaronson's IQ is off the charts. He did half the leg work on the Dest goal - coming back into the play to intercept the ball - then having two nice back passes to keep possession. He then springs himself down the left side and leaves a perfect ball for Weah to cross. Musah also had a brilliant trap to get the ball down and quickly get it to Dest. 

Thought Musah saved that play. The pass had topspin and was in danger of skipping out of bounds.  Love seeing Dest making the run seconds before and then retreating to get the ball for the fantastic shot.

- The pace of this XI overall is just dumb. These guys are going to punish people when they mature a bit and play a bit cleaner. Even someone like Adams is deceptively quick. Pepi doesn't have elite speed yet but he runs like a deer. And our fastest player on ball didn't even play this window. 

Pepi made some nice unlocking passes, but the possessions didn't amount to anything.  We weren't precise enough with runs or passes.

4 hours ago, ztejas said:

-  We could have easily put 2 or 3 in the back in that first half. So many dangerous touches and balls in and around their box. Pepi just missed getting on the right end of a couple. 

- Dest doesn't really play RB - he just floats up the pitch and comes back when he has to. I wonder if it's maybe a disservice to the rest of the back line to slot him there. I don't want Gerg to hurt his brain trying to implement a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 but ultimately that might be our best look. Antonee is also a ready-made WB. 

- Props to Miles for getting back into the play and making the tackle on Ruiz after the giveaway. Not sure wtf he or Richards were doing on that one.

Shitty square pass by Robinson. Hard to blame Richards for that, although my first instinct was for him to meet the ball.  But it was just a bad pass. Lucky it was Ruiz and Robinson made nice run to intercept without fouling. 

- CR is old and not good. They're lucky this wasn't 4 or 5 to 1.

Our zonal marking on corners makes me nervous.  Let's see how it plays out against Mexico.

Our three wins are against a disorganized Jamaican team and two teams on the third game in the window.  One who is too old and one who made poor substitutions. 

We've been out coached and out played in the other games.  No third game for the next window, so let's meet and beat Mexico's quality at home and hope that Jamaica still sucks. 

 

[Captain Ron 12,872]

8 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

So Arriola plays 180 minutes. 

Gergg would play him 270 minutes if could. 

[Napoleon 8,666]

8 hours ago, The Dog said:

I think he's referring to the fact that Pulisic got a Croatian passport in order to play in Germany Xwithout-a-visaX [NO… “in order to go train at the age of 16…”] (due to his grandfather being from there). So he technically "started his pro career…[SNIP]… as a Croatian". 

 

8 hours ago, ztejas said:

Yes, well, I'm not sure how formative a beaurecratic loophole like that is to a kid's upbringing. I actually figured he was more of a Croat than he is. 

From what I know I don't think he ever even entertained not playing for the US. 

That Croatian loophole allowed Pulisic to go over to Europe TWO YEARS earlier than if he didn’t have that passport. 

That time in Dortmund was immense in speeding along his development as well as having a club like Dortmund decide to accept him into their academy.

Same for The Boy From Portugal, Gio Reyna.

I bet that Josh Sargent wishes that he could have gone to Germany at the age of 16 rather than dicking around a St. Louis youth club until he was 18. Perhaps he would have signed with Dortmund or Ajax or some other club known for developing players rather than a shit club that promised to get him on the field ASAP.

Because of his French passport, Timothy Weah went to Paris at the age of 14. The same age as Sargent, Weah looks like a future star and Sargent looks like ass on a shitbox club… again… but in a new country. 

But YES, Pulisic started his professional career as a Croatian.

[UDontKnow 10,443]

23 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

and Sargent looks like ass on a shitbox club… again… but in a new country. 

Is this factually correct? 

Fairly recent ('Ctrl'+F --> 'Sargent')

https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/canaries-ncfc-problems-to-address-premier-league-8400736