USMNT 2022

[Captain Ron 12,883]

35 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I think these two friendlies have shown us that without his default options Gregg has no fucking idea which guys to put on the pitch and when. The whole 9 fiasco is really just the cherry on top - granted some of that is because we've been unable to find a 9 worth a shit and now the seeming best option is throwing someone unproven out there that's been hot for club for a handful of games. 

I will take some exception on this. 

A. Pefok hasn’t been hot just for a few games. He was the leading scorer for Young Boys last year and continued his scoring this year for a new club and league. 

B. Unproven only because Gregg hasn’t given him the chances he deserves with his goal scoring. He should haven been getting playing time throughout qualification. Instead he’s made 3 appearances, 2 last September and 1 in March.

His exclusions this far are a Gregg created problem. 

[ztejas 43,491]

1 minute ago, Captain Ron said:

I will take some exception on this. 

A. Pefok hasn’t been hot just for a few games. He was the leading scorer for Young Boys last year and continued his scoring this year for a new club and league. 

B. Unproven only because Gregg hasn’t given him the chances he deserves with his goal scoring. He should haven been getting playing time throughout qualification. Instead he’s made 3 appearances, 2 last September and 1 in March.

His exclusions this far are a Gregg created problem. 

Yeah I'm not absolving him of blame just saying it has yet to be very clear cut. He stuck with Zardes for way too long for starters. 

I think Pepi being hot right off the bat then disappearing for club really fucked a lot of it up, too. 

[Mittens 8,286]

I was so hyped on this team and the WC for the better part of the last 2 years, at least.  Now, I'm here:

 

[ztejas 43,491]

Well... we haven't played the games yet. My remaining vestige of hope is that whatever the fuck just happened in those friendlies flips in the other direction for Qatar. I thought both Pulisic and Reyna looked good in the first half today and played with effort and focus if anyone's looking for a silver microfilm. I'm obviously concerned like everyone about the 26 that we go with and the ensuing squad selections. I think more than anything M. Robinson getting hurt really fucked us.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Playing Acosta at the 9, never works.   Gregg keeps trying it tho.   Acosta is fine as a backup to Tyler, or if you need a late defensive sub but that is pretty much it.   Well that and shithousery in CONCACAF.

Nobody in our group is playing well.   IF (a HUGE IF), we can have a healthy Jedi, Richards, Zimmerman, Dest back line.   And MMA midfield, though at this point, Wes is the easiest to replace.    Then 2 or 3 of Pulisic, Aaronson, Reyna, Weah fit, I think we will look different.   I hope.

[alincoln 2,381]

The USMNT intelligentsia are increasingly calling for a 4-2-3-1 with Richards and Zimmerman at CB, Musah next to Adams, Gio as the 10, Pulisic at LW, Pefok at the 9 and Weah at the RW with Aaronson replacing whoever isn't producing at LW, 10 and RW.

 

[ztejas 43,491]

44 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Playing Acosta at the 9, never works.   Gregg keeps trying it tho.   Acosta is fine as a backup to Tyler, or if you need a late defensive sub but that is pretty much it.   Well that and shithousery in CONCACAF.

Nobody in our group is playing well.   IF (a HUGE IF), we can have a healthy Jedi, Richards, Zimmerman, Dest back line.   And MMA midfield, though at this point, Wes is the easiest to replace.    Then 2 or 3 of Pulisic, Aaronson, Reyna, Weah fit, I think we will look different.   I hope.

You mean the 6 or the 8. But, yes. Acosta is a total rockhead who is more likely to fuck something up in disastrous fashion than produce something extremely positive. He's not a terrible player but he should never be starting a game for us when TA is on the pitch. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6,061]

Just finished.

Not sure what I'd have thought 3 weeks ago if you'd told me the only achiever of my 3 favorite teams would be the Cowboys.

[Captain Ron 12,883]

On 9/23/2022 at 1:59 PM, goatsaag said:

Completely serious. There were 16 "plays" in the video you linked. Long made two bad passes and let his man beat him on a run once. He was mostly fine and definitely not outmatched. You're crazy if you're placing any blame on Long for the goal. But it's clear that no matter what Long did, he (and Berhalter for including him) were going to be at fault to you.

The team played like shit and lost. The worst offenders were the midfield trio of Adams, Weston, and Luca. Long's performance only stands out to anyone who was already going to scapegoat him regardless of what happened.

After watching ANOTHER game of Long looking like DOG SHIT, I had to come back to this because I watched the video AGAIN, and yeah, it's a WHOLE LOT more than "Long made two bad passes and let his man beat him on a run once." He wasn't fine and was out matched. 16 plays Broken down:

 

1. Basic clearance - GOOD
2. Horrible pass and follows it back aimlessly. Doesn't cover anyone while the attack gets a good shot off - BAD
3. Breaks up a pass - GOOD
4. Pass that starts what should be a scoring run - GOOD
5. Defense along sideline - GOOD
6. Corner - gets beaten, he doesn't even get a hair on the ball. It distracts the shot, but it was a clear shot - BAD
7. Misses deflecting a cross, goes for nothing, but could have been dangerous - BAD
8. Lets his man slip past him, who just misses a clean shot - BAD
9. Doesn't move into space for a return pass, results in a turnover and the first Japan goal (also guards no one when Japan was passing around) - BAD
10. Lets a pass get past him that Turner has to defend - BAD
11. Recovers well after letting a ball through - GOOD
12. Lazy pass that becomes a pseudo turnover, was called sloppy by the announcer - BAD
13. Clears a ball in defense, but it goes right back to Japan to keep up the attack - BAD
14. Just a pass - GOOD
15. Routine clearance - GOOD
16. just a header - GOOD

So we are talking 50-50 on this, 8 good, 8 bad. And a few of those gave up scoring chances and a goal. So yeah, he looked like shit against Japan and today we got this garbage:

 

So yeah, Aaron Long is dogshit. He has no business getting to be the fucking ball boy for the team, much less one of our defensive players in Qatar. If the man is on the plane to Qatar and not just to do laundry, Berhalter should be fired immediately, the guy is garbage. PURE FUCKING GARBAGE.

[Captain Ron 12,883]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

Yeah I'm not absolving him of blame just saying it has yet to be very clear cut. He stuck with Zardes for way too long for starters. 

I think Pepi being hot right off the bat then disappearing for club really fucked a lot of it up, too. 

Here are my two questions

• What is Pepi showing you that he somehow deserves to be on the roster?
• What is Pefok showing you that he doesn't?

Because when it comes to who should be considered between those two it seems extremely clear.

[Captain Ron 12,883]

 

[Trey3216 15,349]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

Yeah I'm not absolving him of blame just saying it has yet to be very clear cut. He stuck with Zardes for way too long for starters. 

I think Pepi being hot right off the bat then disappearing for club really fucked a lot of it up, too. 

But you said he brought us to competence, when 85% of our problems are lineup construction and tactical approach problems.   Which, in my book, means we have an incompetent slack-jawed slug for a manager.  

[ztejas 43,491]

12 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

Here are my two questions

• What is Pepi showing you that he somehow deserves to be on the roster?
• What is Pefok showing you that he doesn't?

Because when it comes to who should be considered between those two it seems extremely clear.

I don't really care who we play at the 9 because I don't think it's going to matter that much. I suppose Pefok has the highest ceiling only because he's the biggest unknown. I'm not a fan of taking club performance and translating it to implied country success - especially for a guy that has 1 goal in 9 apps for the NT. Good for him that he scored a bunch in the Swiss league and has a few goals in the BL through 6 games. That doesn't amaze me. 

If it were up to me I'd probably throw Weah out there or run something that doesn't call for a true 9 because all I've seen from that position in the past couple years has been uninspiring. 

[Trey3216 15,349]

2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I don't really care who we play at the 9 because I don't think it's going to matter that much. I suppose Pefok has the highest ceiling only because he's the biggest unknown. I'm not a fan of taking club performance and translating it to implied country success - especially for a guy that has 1 goal in 9 apps for the NT. Good for him that he scored a bunch in the Swiss league and has a few goals in the BL through 6 games. That doesn't amaze me. 

If it were up to me I'd probably throw Weah out there or run something that doesn't call for a true 9 because all I've seen from that position in the past couple years has been uninspiring. 

It’s better than someone who can’t fucking run fast enough to keep pace and has scored 1 goal in the last 13 months.  Playing well wherever you’re playing is a good indication of someone that understands how to play well. 

[dieucla98 2,942]

4 minutes ago, ztejas said:

 I'm not a fan of taking club performance and translating it to implied country success - especially for a guy that has 1 goal in 9 apps for the NT. 

Said it once, I'll say it again. Top league. Top team (or was, haven't checked in a bit). Top scorer.

How do you ignore that?

And a 9 is really fucking important when your only offense involves your wingers and full backs whipping in crosses to.... Your 9.

Edited September 28, 2022 by dieucla98

[ztejas 43,491]

Please someone explain to me what Pefok fixes in both of these past friendlies assuming he plays 90 minutes in both. Unless the answer is "the rest of the team miraculously wouldn't play like shit around him" then I'm not sure why his omission is the focal point in discussing why this team looks like fucking ass 2 months before the WC. 

[Ted Lange 16,110]

 

[Napoleon 8,690]

6 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Ream over Brooks. 

Ream is the captain & defensive pillar of a EPL squad and Brooks is riding the pine in Portugal. 

Richards is a starter if healthy. 

Zimmerman has been going downhill since the 86th minute of the Panama qualifier in Orlando. He got beaten on this play…

Goal! USA 5, Panama 1. Aníbal Godoy (Panama) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Éric Davis with a cross following a set piece situation.

…and has been poor ever since.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/commentary?gameId=606048

 

Only positive out of all of this is that it shines a giant spotlight on managerial incompetence. Hopefully that is enough to enact regime change. 

[Trey3216 15,349]

1 hour ago, dieucla98 said:

Said it once, I'll say it again. Top league. Top team (or was, haven't checked in a bit). Top scorer.

How do you ignore that?

And a 9 is really fucking important when your only offense involves your wingers and full backs whipping in crosses to.... Your 9.

But Pepi can back foot pass like no other!!!! 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

This has been a problem GGGs entire tenure. Tactics in the final third are non existent. Service to the 9 is non existent. We have a bunch of individual talent trying to make magic.  It would be great to have a goal hounding 9 in position to get on the end of possible magic. Pefok and Sargent are probably the two most in form for that role.  Pepi can be that guy, but I think his confidence is currently in tatters. 

This WC is going to be dog shit, but it would be great to get real 9s some time so they aren’t coming in green for the next cycle. Unfortunately Gregg is going to build whatever bullshit roster he thinks he can win the cup with, which will probably stunt growth for the next WC. 

[shnsajax 3,591]

Forgetting the shit show from earlier the U20’s are up 2-0 on Paraguay. Nice goal from Kevin Paredes who also has the assist too.

[shnsajax 3,591]

Said it once, I'll say it again. Top league. Top team (or was, haven't checked in a bit). Top scorer.
How do you ignore that?
And a 9 is really fucking important when your only offense involves your wingers and full backs whipping in crosses to.... Your 9.

And those 9 caps totaled I think 277 minutes (3 actual full games), and 7 out of 9 were in the last 15-20 minutes of a match. 1 goal in 9 caps doesn’t tell you shit especially when the guy is just now flourishing the past 2 seasons. It doesn’t always happen between ages 20-24, but 25-28.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

 

[shnsajax 3,591]

 

Despite this shit show of a weekend I would bet heavily against that.

Now injuries between now and then could change that too.

[kingkoopa6 8,371]

2 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Llegett tho.. ztejas fist pump haha 

[kingkoopa6 8,371]

We need to fall in the box and hope for pks. Get some good corners in for WM to bury. And just pray turner can be hero      
 

Greg’s game reminds me of Austin fc last year. And we was dead last. 

[Napoleon 8,690]

From the Twitters...

[Juicy 727]

10 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

Here are my two questions

• What is Pepi showing you that he somehow deserves to be on the roster?
• What is Pefok showing you that he doesn't?

Because when it comes to who should be considered between those two it seems extremely clear.

It is like Gregg only has long term memory. Pepi had that great debut..... nothing else matters. He is young, he will get more chances to play with the team, he can sit this one out, be a little butt hurt and either use that to motivate him or to keep sucking. IMO it doesn't really matter, but not only should he not be starting IMO he shouldn't even be on the plane to Qatar. 

[Juicy 727]

9 hours ago, ztejas said:

Please someone explain to me what Pefok fixes in both of these past friendlies assuming he plays 90 minutes in both. Unless the answer is "the rest of the team miraculously wouldn't play like shit around him" then I'm not sure why his omission is the focal point in discussing why this team looks like fucking ass 2 months before the WC. 

He scores the cross that JF couldn't get to.... So the US doesnt get shut out in back to back games.

[Juicy 727]

I do think that Gregg is a decent in game coach, I just think he has no fucking clue how to select a team. I know it would be completely unorthodox but having someone else pick the roster and force Gregg to just coach would alleviate a lot of his shittiness. Maybe. 

[A-Tex Devil 2,451]

Not sure why we have to decide between Pefok and Pepi. Ferreira is the one who should stay home. 
 

Agree with idea of putting Weah (if healthy) up there at 9 as well in a “best 11” move. But that won’t happen at least not against Wales. 
 

Agree we look like year one Austin FC.  

I struggle as to why Adams and McKennie played like such dogs hit though.  

I’ll take solace in fact we were 0-2 leading into 2002 and that our best in form midfielder wasn’t there (Musah).  
 

 

[Captain Ron 12,883]

12 hours ago, ztejas said:

I don't really care who we play at the 9 because I don't think it's going to matter that much. I suppose Pefok has the highest ceiling only because he's the biggest unknown. I'm not a fan of taking club performance and translating it to implied country success - especially for a guy that has 1 goal in 9 apps for the NT. Good for him that he scored a bunch in the Swiss league and has a few goals in the BL through 6 games. That doesn't amaze me. 

If it were up to me I'd probably throw Weah out there or run something that doesn't call for a true 9 because all I've seen from that position in the past couple years has been uninspiring. 

 

11 hours ago, ztejas said:

Please someone explain to me what Pefok fixes in both of these past friendlies assuming he plays 90 minutes in both. Unless the answer is "the rest of the team miraculously wouldn't play like shit around him" then I'm not sure why his omission is the focal point in discussing why this team looks like fucking ass 2 months before the WC. 

Reading this, it appears that your view is really - Berhalter has a garbage system out there and because of it it really doesn't matter who we run out there because the system is garbage and won't result in anything productive. You can correct me if that isn't your point, but I am working from that assumption.

And I kind of agree.

Except that last year's run via Nations League and Gold Cup tell me if he can put some semblance of real talent on the field, then yes we can have success DESPITE Gregg. I noted before what we see is individual talent that wasn't working well together. But IMHO if we put better players out there (for example Pefok > Pepi or Jesus), then you have greater talent that can do their own work to succeed.

I will say this when it comes to club performance - I would take that over non club performance. Pepi and Sargent did nothing when they cooled off at clubs and in fact looked lost for the USMNT. Sargent has been a USMNT exclusion for longer than even Pefok until this window. And Pepi got a TON of chances, laying goose egg after goose egg. After this hot opening, he's now gone 10 games for the USMNT and done pretty much nothing. Statistically he was a big 0, but beyond that he was a complete non factor, getting minimal touches. I know that some would say "he's not getting service" but real 9s that we see get the ball, they have a nose for it. And Pepi hasn't developed that, at this level. 

I'm also going to take you to task on the Brooks comment from a few pages back. You noted:

Quote

He isn't the best anything. He's a total JAG that has demonstrated that he isn't good enough to stay on the field for us. At least Ream is playing at a decent level in the prem. 

Given how badly Gregg has handled roster positions, you can't take any exclusion to mean anything. Brooks was an everyday starter for a Bundisliga team last year and is now trying to make his way into the starting lineup for a new team that he was a late signing for.

I don't see his exclusions to mean he isn't good enough to stay on the field, I like many others think Gregg just doesn't like him for some reason and keeps giving cryptic answers as to why he wont play him. And he keeps running Long out there to get beaten like a rented mule (insane we just witness his 6th straight start for the USMNT). I mean Brooks can't be that shitty. I mean at this point watching Long play, I think it's a crime anyone would pay him to play soccer at all, even an MLS team!

 

Given injuries and questions, IMHO you just run your best talent or hot hands out there and take your chances. Because the results can't be much worse.

 

1 hour ago, Juicy said:

I do think that Gregg is a decent in game coach, I just think he has no fucking clue how to select a team. I know it would be completely unorthodox but having someone else pick the roster and force Gregg to just coach would alleviate a lot of his shittiness. Maybe. 

You give him a lot more credit than I do. He has had a few moments of making good adjustments, but the more I watch, he has 1 plan and sticks to it hell or high water. And once or twice it has worked out. But when you look at our results, if we aren't playing ahead, we usually lose. And when you look at the games we did win from a losing position, was that his adjustments or our talent just overcoming?

Frankly what I see Gregg doing is crap and honestly, I don't see him doing anything of note in Qatar to show he deserves to coach in 2026. Hell, I think it's pathetic he's wasted this whole cycle on garbage like this

11 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

When he could have been setting this team up to play together for 2026. Put the youth/future of this team together and let them start to gel. Instead we gave time to these MLS lifers that was basically wasted time.

[Captain Ron 12,883]

11 hours ago, shnsajax said:

And those 9 caps totaled I think 277 minutes (3 actual full games), and 7 out of 9 were in the last 15-20 minutes of a match. 1 goal in 9 caps doesn’t tell you shit especially when the guy is just now flourishing the past 2 seasons. It doesn’t always happen between ages 20-24, but 25-28.

I will say sorry if I already posted, this, but ...

 

Quote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Juicy 727]

1 hour ago, Captain Ron said:

 

 But when you look at our results, if we aren't playing ahead, we usually lose. And when you look at the games we did win from a losing position, was that his adjustments or our talent just overcoming?

 

When he could have been setting this team up to play together for 2026. Put the youth/future of this team together and let them start to gel. 

I agree with 99% of what you are saying, but for your top point here. its tough to say if we lose it was because of him, and if we win it was despite of him about any coach. 

The bolded part is the thing that pisses me off the most. We have a ton of talent right now so this shouldn't have been a throw away cycle for any reason. And for as much talent as we have now, we (SHOULD) have even more top end talent in 2026 with how young our options are. Instead of getting them experience and letting them gel, we went with Gregg's army. I know 4 years is a long time, but getting the super young guys experience (even just being with the team in Qatar) would be better than giving dudes that don't deserve it curtain calls. 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

Ferreira could be fine in the right system, but it’s pretty obvious that what Gregg has these guys doing isn’t it. Most of our attack is a fullback or wing getting the ball wide and blasting crosses across the box with defenders sitting deep. Ferreira is too small to be effective in that kind of game, which makes Pefok or Pepi better selections on that point alone. If GGG was capable of change I would think he would have shown it by now, but he’s a one trick pony. He needs specific players to fit his specific system and our most talented, can’t-bench players don’t fit. So he’s stuck playing guys in a system they aren’t effective in, to the detriment of everyone. USSF is stuck at this point, but I expect after this WC we are moving on to another coach and starting over again. 

[Juicy 727]

27 minutes ago, TXSG8R said:

 Most of our attack is a fullback or wing getting the ball wide and blasting crosses across the box with defenders sitting deep. 

What is incredible about this, is it is like the noob FIFA strategy for online play. Pace up the outside then rip a cross in. 

Gregg's entire fucking game plan is what sweaty pacer dickheads use on FIFA. 

[Trey3216 15,349]

 

[Captain Ron 12,883]

2 hours ago, Juicy said:

I agree with 99% of what you are saying, but for your top point here. its tough to say if we lose it was because of him, and if we win it was despite of him about any coach. 

The bolded part is the thing that pisses me off the most. We have a ton of talent right now so this shouldn't have been a throw away cycle for any reason. And for as much talent as we have now, we (SHOULD) have even more top end talent in 2026 with how young our options are. Instead of getting them experience and letting them gel, we went with Gregg's army. I know 4 years is a long time, but getting the super young guys experience (even just being with the team in Qatar) would be better than giving dudes that don't deserve it curtain calls. 

 

I will note that I am not quite saying that. First, I am speaking of games where we found ourselves down, for whatever reason. Then you look at what did the team do to either win/draw or did they blow up and lose? And who is that on?

I think that our team front runs a lot and when we take the lead on squads, Berhalter plays as big a hand in that as anyone. 

Just going back to the Nations League as a stopping point I had this:

2 wins
10/13/21 Costa Rica - stayed the course and scored 2 to win
9/8/21 Honduras - wholesale halftime subs that resulted in the 4 goals in the 2nd half

1 draw
 9/8/21 Honduras - brought on Morris who scored the late equalizer

4 losses
9/23/22 Japan - looked like total crap
3/30/22 Costa Rica - looked like they just didn't want to lose by 6
1/30/22 Canada - looked like crap
10/10/21 Panama - he gave this game away with his starting 11

 

[TXSG8R 3,362]

First bullet says it all. 

[Napoleon 8,690]

2 hours ago, Trey3216 said:

 

The Group of DEARTH

[kingkoopa6 8,371]

 

[kingkoopa6 8,371]

That vid would be lit as fuk if we won both our games. 

[Captain Ron 12,883]

Be more lit if Beerholder wasn’t our coach. 

[LurkingHorn 1,066]

23 hours ago, ztejas said:

Please someone explain to me what Pefok fixes in both of these past friendlies assuming he plays 90 minutes in both. Unless the answer is "the rest of the team miraculously wouldn't play like shit around him" then I'm not sure why his omission is the focal point in discussing why this team looks like fucking ass 2 months before the WC. 

Pefok likely finishes the chance against Japan that JF didn’t even get on frame. Why don’t we just start there. 

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Yeah, but all the pressing Jesus did, checks note, lead to 0.00 shots on goal.  

[Mittens 8,286]

Edited September 29, 2022 by Mittens

[Braff Zacklin 13,626]

8 hours ago, kingkoopa6 said:

 

Horrible time to roll out a hype vid after the shit sandwich they made Tuesday and last Friday.

Not once, but twice!

[Hagbard Celine 10,876]

On 9/15/2022 at 10:58 PM, The Dog said:

the complaints about the fucking shirts our team wears are stupid. they look just fine. 

i was worried it would be something ridiculous like wife beater shit or something.

who fucking cares.

win. 

 

[alincoln 2,381]

Starting lineup vs. Costa Rica (10/13/21)

Steffen - horrible form/not starting for club

Dest - poor form/not starting for club

Robinson - injured/out of world cup

Richards - injured/not starting for club

Robinson - injured

Adams - IN GOOD FORM AND STARTING FOR CLUB!!!!!!

Musah - injured

McKennie - poor form

Pulisic - poor form/not starting for club

Pepi - horrible form/not starting for club

Weah - injured

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Jedi Robinson is not out for the World Cup, he is in training with Fulham now and expected to be back soon.