USMNT 2021

[UDontKnow 10,439]

35 minutes ago, dieucla98 said:

You gotta make some exceptions beyond GK - Dike for example, though he may be in Europe soon. Point being, there always seems to be a handful of MLS guys that are on the cusp of a move to Europe that are definitely worthy of a spot, probably more so than some of the guys playing at lower tier clubs in Europe. 

Dike is not a good example. There are four other strikers I would take ahead of him. 

Maybe this World Cup cycle we'll have MLSers for depth, but really should not by 2026. I would take the lower tier guys in Europe ahead of any MLSer who hasn't spent a decent amount of time training in Europe. 

[dieucla98 2,935]

17 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Dike is not a good example. There are four other strikers I would take ahead of him. 

Maybe this World Cup cycle we'll have MLSers for depth, but really should not by 2026. I would take the lower tier guys in Europe ahead of any MLSer who hasn't spent a decent amount of time training in Europe. 

Which four do you take ahead of Dike?

Sargent and ?

Hoppe looks like he was a flash in the pan. Weah is more of a winger in my books but if you want to consider him a 9, then ok. Morris? Zardes? The pool of 9's is pretty damn thin.

[UDontKnow 10,439]

1 minute ago, dieucla98 said:

Which four do you take ahead of Dike?

Sargent and ?

Hoppe looks like he was a flash in the pan. Weah is more of a winger in my books but if you want to consider him a 9, then ok. Morris? Zardes? The pool of 9's is pretty damn thin.

Sargent, Hoppe, Siebatcheu, and Soto.

I disagree that Hoppe is a flash in the pan. He's played on a terrible team and you take him because of his extensive Bundesliega experience. Siebatcheu just committed to the USMNT. You wish he would play in a better league, but he is scoring goals in the Europa League. Soto is being screwed by Norwich City because he was absolutely tearing it up when on loan. Why did Norwich City recall him if they didn't have a plan to give him minutes?

I see all four as having better technical skill than Dike who I feel is getting by more off of his size and strength. But he's relatively young at 20, he might be in conversation for next World Cup cycle. 

[Ted Lange 16,041]

 

cc @shadow_operative

 

[Schulz2.0 28,768]

25 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Why did Norwich City recall him if they didn't have a plan to give him minutes?

Injury issues. I believe they were down to one healthy striker when he was recalled. 

Dike scoring in the Championship is more impressive to me than Siebatcheu scoring in the Swiss League/Europa or Soto scoring in the Dutch 2nd division.

[Jive Turkey 12,568]

27 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Sargent, Hoppe, Siebatcheu, and Soto.

I disagree that Hoppe is a flash in the pan. He's played on a terrible team and you take him because of his extensive Bundesliega experience. Siebatcheu just committed to the USMNT. You wish he would play in a better league, but he is scoring goals in the Europa League. Soto is being screwed by Norwich City because he was absolutely tearing it up when on loan. Why did Norwich City recall him if they didn't have a plan to give him minutes?

I see all four as having better technical skill than Dike who I feel is getting by more off of his size and strength. But he's relatively young at 20, he might be in conversation for next World Cup cycle. 

don't forget about Jesus Ferreira.  he started as the #9 against T&T in January and was the man of the match (2 goals, 3 assists).  i'm not sure what his ceiling is, but Berhalter definitely likes him.

 

[Ted Lange 16,041]

Add Balogun, plz

[Napoleon 8,600]

5 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

3G Beerholder gets Yunus Musah to commit to the Yanks!

When addressing Gregg Berhalter's recruiting skills, I think that Slim Pickens sums it up best.
 

 

[Captain Ron 12,798]

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Generally speaking I don't want MLS players on the USMNT. With all this depth, there is also no need to.

GK might be the position where you can make an exception. 

No.

MLS keeper in a World Cup:

Spoiler

 

Julio Cesar was Toronto's keeper at the time

 

[Napoleon 8,600]

1 hour ago, dieucla98 said:

You gotta make some exceptions beyond GK - Dike for example, though he may be in Europe soon. Point being, there always seems to be a handful of MLS guys that are on the cusp of a move to Europe that are definitely worthy of a spot, probably more so than some of the guys playing at lower tier clubs in Europe. 

Dike does some nice stuff, but he's not ready for the first 23 national team yet. When he is, he'll be playing in Europe.

 

 

1 hour ago, shnsajax said:

I think Aaronson is ready to push for time now which we need with Pulisic's health being an issue. 

Aaronson is for real and is a more dependable defender than Pulisic as well.

When Christian is injured, I won't bat an eye. We can now just say "Next" and not give it another thought.

There are going to be a lot of guys who were predicted to be a cog in the USMNT midfield just 2-3 years ago who will never suit up for a meaningful match.

Pomykal
De La Torre
Busio

...and won't suit up for meaningful matches after 2021...

Lletget
Green

[shnsajax 3,589]

17 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Dike does some nice stuff, but he's not ready for the first 23 national team yet. When he is, he'll be playing in Europe.

 

 

Aaronson is for real and is a more dependable defender than Pulisic as well.

When Christian is injured, I won't bat an eye. We can now just say "Next" and not give it another thought.

There are going to be a lot of guys who were predicted to be a cog in the USMNT midfield just 2-3 years ago who will never suit up for a meaningful match.

Pomykal
De La Torre
Busio

...and won't suit up for meaningful matches after 2021...

Lletget
Green

 

I want to see Busio's next move. Really like his vision and the weight of his passing, but need to see him pushed more and in Europe.

Its also funny that we have a 19year old who was just given an extention at Barca who hasn't once been mentioned here either. Thinking Julian Green played a part of that for us and we finally have enough to where we can say if you are not playing 1st team minutes you aren't going to make it. 

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

On 3/11/2021 at 9:57 PM, Napoleon said:

Re: Finally, something to watch.

Schmiedlova vs Bouzkova women’s tennis is on The Tennis Channel and it is DEFINITELY something to watch. 

The tennis is up and down, as are the dreams of this viewer. 🤓🙏

pics are not loading

[Jive Turkey 12,568]

we're a far cry from the days when we pinned all of our hopes on Giuseppe Rossi choosing the US over Italy, and losing our shit when he didn't.

[Napoleon 8,600]

2 minutes ago, shnsajax said:

I want to see Busio's next move. Really like his vision and the weight of his passing, but need to see him pushed more and in Europe.

Its also funny that we have a 19year old who was just given an extention at Barca who hasn't once been mentioned here either. Thinking Julian Green played a part of that for us and we finally have enough to where we can say if you are not playing 1st team minutes you aren't going to make it. 

I'm thinking that we are recruiting off of:

1) Olympics

2) Almost certainly Qualifying for 2022

...and...

3) The possibility of unforeseen riches if the 2026 Team Could pull off a World Cup win AT HOME with a squad filled with 24 to 28 year-old studs. 

Having the core together for 5 years, through many tournaments will have the squad playing almost as well together as a club team.

And unless there is a complete catastrophe, I would think that Gregg is going to be resigned to lead all of these guys that he recruited on through to 2026. They will sell it as a Jogi Löw scenario where he shepherds the young charges through the 2010 World Cup straight to a 2014 Title.

[Napoleon 8,600]

4 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

we're a far cry from the days when we pinned all of our hopes on Giuseppe Rossi choosing the US over Italy, and losing our shit when he didn't.

I agree and I feel that many dual internationals should NOT choose the US at this point.

Toronto FC striker: Ayo Akinoa should absolutely choose Canada.

LA Galaxy midfielder: Efraín Álvarez should stick with México

Still don't know if Sebastian Soto will get a fair shake with the USMNT and should keep his Chilean option open.

There are going to be a lot of kids who were on track to get into some tournament & qualifier squads who will now get 1 to 5 caps against Grenada or Bulgaria's b-squad.

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:33 AM, Bottlecap said:

Question about the 23s olympic roster (qualifying vs olympic competition)

Is it like US Basketball where the bigger stars join the squad later for the actual olympic competition after quals since they will all be on summer break?

If i was pulisic or gio or dest or mckinnie or adams or seargent or whea, I mean, I'd like a chance at some international hardware, but I'm not sure if the squads named for qualifying are mostly set for the summer too. Its been so long since we've played in an olympics that i can't really remember the rules ... and back then we didn't even have the full side youth talent for that to even be a real discussion. I think i remember that a team can have a couple of overage players as well.

if we qualify we will be in the final on the 28th; i will ask the question on the 30th.  this is a new ground for the program.

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

On 3/12/2021 at 9:18 AM, Ted Lange said:

Adjust expectations....

http://www.americansoccernow.com/articles/analysis-kreis-names-20-player-roster-for-olympic-qualifying

other than listing him in the roster, the author does not discuss soto at all.

i think he could be a first-team #9 in qatar if he can get minutes.

norwich went 10 points clear yesterday for automatic promotion, so they don't need soto right now and in my opinion this could be reason we qualify.

[Ted Lange 16,041]

Olympics are in Tokyo not Qatar, thankfully.

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

On 3/12/2021 at 8:42 PM, Ted Lange said:

 

not good for the player but the first reason i've seen to care about the exhibition in 12 years

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

On 3/12/2021 at 10:50 PM, dieucla98 said:

Gotta admit, I'm kinda ragey at that. How much more can they expect and it's from a traditional top 6 club? Take a page out of FC Dallas and know when it's time to sell.

no, this is a good thing.  this will push prices up, and this will raise wages in the exhibition.

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

17 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

All good points. Still ragey.

The more 9's we have playing top flight European football, the better, especially given our current situation at 9. I'm selfish.

as napoleon noted, it's not even silly season yet

lots of value establishment this summer with qualifiers, delayed euro, olympics, etc.

the exhibition will never become a prem-ish league without regular valuation in line with the international soccer economy

tl/dr:

 

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

6 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

Move aside Belgium, it's our turn to have a golden generation.

4 - 5 (2-3) - 1 preferred formation now?

Dest / Brooks / Richards / Robinson

Adams/McKennie

Musah / Reyna / Pulisic

Sargent

Weah gets pushed to the bench but could easily slot in as a false 9 or in either winger spot. 

433

it's continental

[Napoleon 8,600]

ESPN has a good write up of the Musah recruitment. It sounds EXACTLY like college football recruiting. (Same age as well.)

Why Yunus Musah chose the USMNT: Kinship with stars, connection with coaches and belief in the project

The recruitment battle for dual national talents is one that every coach is familiar with, which is why March 4 may go down as a day to remember for the United States men's team. It was on that day that manager Gregg Berhalter received a text from Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah with a simple request: "Coach, can I talk to you?"

Berhalter said yes. At that point, Musah -- who, in addition to the U.S., was eligible to represent Ghana, England or Italy -- informed him that he would be pledging his international future to the red, white and blue.

"It was quite a happy conversation," Musah told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "I told [Berhalter] I appreciate everything and how he welcomed me to the team, and I just want to embark on this journey with everyone else and the USA."

Berhalter wasn't as composed. While this was the latest recruiting coup of a player with multiple international options, a list highlighted by Barcelona defender Sergino Dest, Musah is looked upon as another special talent.

"I screamed into the phone. I gave a loud 'Yeah!'" Berhalter told ESPN. "But it was good. It's not only judging him as a player, just as a person. It's great to have someone like that in your team."

When one country wins out on a player with multiple international options, the others lose. It is a zero-sum game that, in some instances, forces players to feel like they're torn in two. The 18-year-old's ties to England in particular ran deep, as he not only lived in London starting at age 9, but played extensively for the Three Lions at youth level, though never in official competition. Musah even took the field twice for England against the U.S. at the under-17 level, including the 2017 Nike friendlies in which England prevailed 1-0. In this case, the Valencia midfielder isn't walled off from the emotions that came with saying no to England. And there were other suitors as well.

 

"It was a difficult situation, as England have done so much for me," he said. "When someone's nice to you, you don't want to kind of leave them upside down. But at the end, you have to make the best decision for yourself.

"I was getting so many phone calls from a lot of different people, a lot of different organizations. And that sort of made it hard, and also the fact that I represented England in the past. That's why it was a really hard decision to make."

But he added, "This is just so exciting. I can't wait to get started."

Thus concluded a 20-month recruiting process by the U.S. to win Musah over, one that was pitch-perfect every step of the way. It started soon after Musah signed with Valencia in the summer of 2019, when the Spanish club notified Nico Estevez, a U.S. men's assistant (and former Valencia coach), that there was a player with a U.S. passport on the roster. Berhalter soon reached out with a get-to-know-you phone call to make Musah aware of the U.S. team's interest. That call eventually opened the door for a meeting with the player's family to discuss the U.S. program in more depth.

Like most recruiting battles, relationships played a key role, and the bond between Musah and Estevez took on immense importance. Musah says that from the moment the U.S. first made contact, he and Estevez spoke at least once every two weeks. Berhalter added that there were times when his assistant and the player spoke as often as every other day.

Estevez's knowledge of Valencia helped Musah navigate his way through his first season with the club's B-team, as well the player's initial foray with the first team in the 2020-21 campaign. He helped him adapt to life in a new country as well: Estevez would talk Musah through his games and send him video clips. Berhalter recalled that the level of trust between the two was such that Musah began soliciting advice and video from Estevez instead of the U.S. assistant being the one to reach out.

 

"We just speak as people, really," Musah said of his relationship with Estevez. "He didn't really treat it as player-coach or something -- more just friends, you could say. He talked to me about how my week is going. He helped me analyze and improve my game. He understands some of the things that I'm going through."

By the time Berhalter invited Musah to a national team training camp in Wales last November, much of the groundwork had been laid, but there was still work to be done. Fortunately for the U.S., a wave of talented players have entered the program in recent years, including Juventus' Weston McKennie, RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams, Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna and Dest. They made sure that Musah arrived to a warm embrace.

The positive vibes paid off, and if there was ever a telltale sign that Musah was leaning towards the U.S., it was evident in the pregame team photo ahead of his international debut against Wales last November. These photos are usually about players having their game face on, all intensity and concentration. That was largely the case here, save for Musah, who sported the widest of smiles.

"I told myself, 'Listen, just enjoy this moment, because it only comes once,'" he said. "And surprisingly enough, the coaches as well told me the same thing, the players told me the same thing and so what I was thinking about was enjoying the game. And as you can see in the photos, I was enjoying it already."

Musah delivered an impressive debut, helping the U.S. control the match from the center of midfield in what ended up being a 0-0draw. That role is a change from where he has been typically deployed with Valencia, where he's mostly played as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2. But the center of midfield is where he -- and Berhalter -- feel he's best-suited. It gives him the chance to show off his range of skills: his confidence running with the ball, his vision when it comes to connecting on his passes and his energy on defense.

"I feel like I can play in a lot of systems," he said. "But particularly with the U.S., I feel like we want to be on the field and express ourselves. And when you're on the field and trying to express yourself, I think the best version of yourself comes out. And that's really important."

Granted, it wasn't just about Musah choosing the U.S. The player also had to impress beyond what happened on the field, but Musah passed those tests with ease.

"He endears himself to everyone," said Berhalter about Musah. "He's such a good guy, such a friendly guy to be around; great demeanor, great attitude. The thing about him is when you're around him, you can just feel this warmth from him."... [click link for the rest]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/4338441/why-yunus-musah-chose-the-usmnt-kinship-with-starsconnection-with-coaches-and-belief-in-the-project

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

3 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

Generally speaking I don't want MLS players on the USMNT.

until the exhibition is aligned with the international calendar and economy (wages, rules, paper, competition (including pro/rel)).....

tl/dr you will not live to see it for 100% of fixtures.

full international tournaments? (world/euro/copa/gold) yes.

all qualifiers?  not happening.

[shnsajax 3,589]

Dest is playing right mid today, but Frenkie de Jong was also playing center back so I don't don't know. 

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

2 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

Dike who I feel is getting by more off of his size and strength. But he's relatively young at 20, he might be in conversation for next World Cup cycle. 

all he needs is a run of form in a real league heading in to the fall of '22.  he has 3 transfer windows to find the right roll of the dice.

when qatar kicks off he will be 22 years 5 months 2 weeks old.

 

"a rookie in soccer is 18"

- j. goppingen

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

2 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

don't forget about Jesus Ferreira.  he started as the #9 against T&T in January and was the man of the match (2 goals, 3 assists).  i'm not sure what his ceiling is, but Berhalter definitely likes him.

 

it is possible that kreis can find some canned magic with a Ferreira/Soto pairing

in my estimation their games are very complimentary and if they find understanding we will qualify

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

1 hour ago, Jive Turkey said:

we're a far cry from the days when we pinned all of our hopes on Giuseppe Rossi choosing the US over Italy, and losing our shit when he didn't.

and he paid for it with a metric fuckton of karma when the azurri told him to play in italy or else, and he fucked around and found out.

[Hagbard Celine 10,756]

48 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Olympics are in Tokyo not Qatar, thankfully.

not talking about tokyo.  he may be the #9 in tokyo.  i think he has a chance to be beerholder's #9 in qatar.

[UDontKnow 10,439]

This is Berhalter's next recruiting job. It'll be tougher than Musah, but definitely possible.

 

[UDontKnow 10,439]

Say what's up to Dike. It would be funny if Keane ends up replacing Dike. More American forwards in Europe is a good thing.

 

[UDontKnow 10,439]

And speaking of Dike

 

[UDontKnow 10,439]

Soto seems like he's locked in with the USMNT. Take that, Chile!

 

[UDontKnow 10,439]

Debate away with the starting XI. All of these players are now official.

[UDontKnow 10,439]

Will Hoppe actually be hopping to greener pastures with Schalke's almost assured relegation?

 

[Texasborn91 897]

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Debate away with the starting XI. All of these players are now official.

The most talented first 11 we’ve ever had. 

[shnsajax 3,589]

Will Hoppe actually be hopping to greener pastures with Schalke's almost assured relegation?
 

Came here to post this. Ajax would be fucking perfect. High goal scoring league/team, losing Lassina Traore and Brian a robbery in all likelihood. Play along side of Neres and Tadic.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Debate away with the starting XI. All of these players are now official.

This is certainly our most talented 11.   But I would probably start Weah in place of Reyna just because I don't think Reyna will provide the necessary width.  He kept drifting inside during the Wales game and it seemed to screw up the shape.   I would also like to see us give Aaronson a shot in a three man midfield with Adams and McKennie.  

[SimonBolivar 10,915]

40 minutes ago, Texasborn91 said:

The most talented first 11 we’ve ever had. 

You sure we can't find a spot for Jonathan Bornstein in there?

[dogbreath 431]

Surprised no MLS team tried to secure him.  Was it in 2019 that he tore up Reggie Cannon in a FCD-SAFC scrimmage?

 

San Antonio FC’s Jose Gallegos, 19, is headed to Germany for a two-week training stint/assessment with Bayern Munich ahead of a potential transfer, per a source. Gallegos was a finalist for 2020 USL Young Player of the Year.

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) March 15, 2021

[Napoleon 8,600]

1 hour ago, SimonBolivar said:

You sure we can't find a spot for Jonathan Bornstein in there?

Hoping to see Michael Bradley & Kyle Beckerman called back in to shore up the defensive midfield. Those guys are consummate pros. 

[Knoxtnhorn 5,929]

On 3/15/2021 at 3:27 PM, Napoleon said:

I agree and I feel that many dual internationals should NOT choose the US at this point.

Toronto FC striker: Ayo Akinoa should absolutely choose Canada.

Interesting decision.

Pick a country that may never make a WC or pick a country in which you might never make the WC squad.

[Napoleon 8,600]

1 minute ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Interesting decision.

Pick a country that may never make a WC or pick a country in which you might never make the WC squad.

Perhaps you should sit down. I have some startling news to share with you about the 2026 World Cup. 

(And all World Cups after that.)

[Schulz2.0 28,768]

2 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Came here to post this. Ajax would be fucking perfect. High goal scoring league/team, losing Lassina Traore and Brian a robbery in all likelihood. Play along side of Neres and Tadic.

Brobbey singed a precontract with RB Leipzig. Ajax did spend $25m buying Haller in January, however.

[Zepol87 9,171]

1 hour ago, dogbreath said:

Surprised no MLS team tried to secure him.  Was it in 2019 that he tore up Reggie Cannon in a FCD-SAFC scrimmage?

 

San Antonio FC’s Jose Gallegos, 19, is headed to Germany for a two-week training stint/assessment with Bayern Munich ahead of a potential transfer, per a source. Gallegos was a finalist for 2020 USL Young Player of the Year.

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) March 15, 2021

Damn this guy is really good, he should definitely get more looks in Europe. Leave and get better 

[Knoxtnhorn 5,929]

11 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Perhaps you should sit down. I have some startling news to share with you about the 2026 World Cup. 

(And all World Cups after that.)

Forgot.  Auto bid.

[Ted Lange 16,041]

Roster is supposed to drop this morning.    In case y’all missed it, no Gio, at least for the first match.

 

[Napoleon 8,600]

2 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Forgot.  Auto bid.

...for 2026.

Plus expansion to 48 teams starting in 2026.

Plus Canada has a Golden Generation in the same age range as the USA, so I would expect Canada to qualify for 2030. (Dual internationals will choose Canada due to 2026 and then stick around for 2030.)

[UDontKnow 10,439]

Decent, but it's too soon to start Dike. I think we'll see Siebatcheu given the timing of his commitment.

 

[UDontKnow 10,439]