USMNT 2022

[alincoln 2385]

Here is the starting lineup against Wales:

GK: Turner

RB: Dest

RCB: Zimmerman

LCB: Long

LB: Robinson

6: Adams

Left 8: McKennie

Right 8: Musah

LW: Pulisic

9: Jesus

RW: Weah 

[alincoln 2385]

Worst CB pairing and starting 9 in the World Cup.  

[goatsaag 279]

Aaronson being listed with the midfielders is interesting. I think we see him get a start over Weston at some point.

I would have taken Pepi over Haji and Arriola over Morris.

No Steffen is a shocker but completely comfortable with Turner starting and either of the other guys playing if it comes to that.

The biggest worry to me with the roster is what happens if Musah can't play every minute? Acosta can be fine backing up Adams but needs to play out of his mind to do anything other than kill off a game as an 8 and Weston/Aaronson are great but I don't think pairing the two together would work at all. And Luca isn't playing and has looked bad lately and Roldan is Roldan.

[ztejas 43746]

9 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Jesus Christ.  Morris, Roldan, Long, Yedlin AND Jesus.  These dudes are all awful players.  No Pepi either

I'm not sure who exactly you wanted on the plane. Pefok instead of Haji I guess? Some other JAG midfielder instead of Roldan? 

The incessant hand-wringing about which 9s make the trip hasn't made any sense to me. None of them are very good and we're going to need goal contributions from other places regardless. Everyone's savior Pefok has had 0 goals and 1 assist in his last 600 minutes. If we had two legit 9s none of you would give a shit whether the 3rd one was Pepi, Jesus, Pefok etc. 

Also - regardless of who is on the pitch our tactics are going to be shit and not conducive to average players making an impact.

Let's be thankful that we have 12-15 studs out there and hope that they ball out and pray that we don't have to go through another cycle with Gergg. 

[kingkoopa6 8475]

29 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

lol @ yedlin calling this "the revenge tour". revenge against whom, exactly? yourselves?

i think he meant redemption tour.

[Skipper 6320]

9 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Worst CB pairing and starting 9 in the World Cup.  

LOL. As someone that doesn't follow USMNT/Soccer closely, but does follow UT football closely and constantly laughs at the incessant panic and irrational schizo posting on that board, I never know what to think when I read the takes over here.  I guess I'll just assume it's going to be a disaster (which based on the last time we saw this team compete won't be surprising) and hope it's really just a bunch of anti-gregg groupthink and we actually have a chance at competing.

[Bottlecap 1523]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[ztejas 43746]

I guess I would have preferred Tillman over Roldan but we really haven't seen anything from Malik yet. I mean Roldan should hopefully barely get any minutes. 

[Bottlecap 1523]

There are too many spares that will get meaningful minutes in qatar. theres just too many not to. 

[alincoln 2385]

Just now, ztejas said:

I guess I would have preferred Tillman over Roldan but we really haven't seen anything from Malik yet. I mean Roldan should hopefully barely get any minutes. 

It's not like our starting 8s and their primary backup are all returning from recent muscle injuries.  At least we have 4 RBs though.

[alincoln 2385]

1 minute ago, Bottlecap said:

There are too many spares that will get meaningful minutes in qatar. theres just too many not to. 

It's pretty clear that US Soccer insists on filling out the back of the roster with MLS players.  

[Bottlecap 1523]

I can live with call ups like Zim and Yeddy and Turner before he left to Arse bc they actually fill a key role or provide necessary depth. But fucking Morris. MORRIS?! ROLDAN?! They barely rate on their shitty domestic clubs tha fuuuck. Fuck Gregg. We can build a first 11 with the call ups but we have absolutely no depth so making a deep run in this tournament will absolutely take a miracle draw and maybe 7 red card suspensions for Senegal

[alincoln 2385]

9 of the 26 are from MLS. We can also dump the "youngest team in the world" bullshit with 10 guys at least 27.

[ztejas 43746]

2 minutes ago, alincoln said:

It's not like our starting 8s and their primary backup are all returning from recent muscle injuries. 

What does this have to do with the player pool behind them? 

8 minutes ago, alincoln said:

At least we have 4 RBs though.

Our LB depth is non-existent. We're going to either be playing awful LBs or RBs out of position. You seem to be getting upset about things that are beyond Gergg's control. 

[alincoln 2385]

Just now, ztejas said:

What does this have to do with the player pool behind them? 

Our LB depth is non-existent. We're going to either be playing awful LBs or RBs out of position. You seem to be getting upset about things that are beyond Gergg's control. 

You bring someone who could possibly contribute in a positive way like Djordje Mihailovic who earned a transfer to AZ in January or an emerging talent like Tillman. 

You don't need 5 FBs.  That's the point.  Cannon made sense as a 5th FB because he's actually a CB so he provides depth at both positions.  Bringing Yedlin AND Moore makes zero sense.  Just a waste of a roster spot.  Just like Morris.

[Captain Ron 12961]

1 hour ago, alincoln said:

As we all knew, greggg is the dumbest fuck on the planet and should be publicly executed.

This asshole is going to start Long and Jesus for sure. Group stage exit guaranteed

 

[ztejas 43746]

4 minutes ago, alincoln said:

You bring someone who could possibly contribute in a positive way like Djordje Mihailovic who earned a transfer to AZ in January or an emerging talent like Tillman. 

You don't need 5 FBs.  That's the point.  Cannon made sense as a 5th FB because he's actually a CB so he provides depth at both positions.  Bringing Yedlin AND Moore makes zero sense.  Just a waste of a roster spot.  Just like Morris.

Mihailovic and Tilman don't move the needle much for me. I'd take Tilman because he's talented and has some recent CL experience but he has extremely little intl experience and Mihailovic is an MLSer just like Roldan with less nat experience. Maybe he's a better player than Roldan - neither of them are anything but replacement JAGs when it comes to our midfield. 

Having an extra defender vs. an extra midfielder seems like splitting hairs. That player should optimally be getting very few minutes if any. If Aaronson is listed as a midfielder then I'm assuming the plan is to get 90 mins ×3 out of a combination of him, McKennie, Musah and LDLT. Those guys are so much better than anyone behind them that it's more about praying we can get those minutes rather than thinking about who the optimal 3rd stringers are. Reyna would be added into that mix if Gregg knew what he was doing. 

[A-Tex Devil 2465]

I thought Shaq Moore played well last summer (2021) but he’s not better than Cannon.  That seemed like an MLS roster spot and I am fully bought in on conspiracy that there has to be a minimum number of MLS players. 
 

Jesus over Pepi is laughable.  Set aside Pefok.  I just don’t get it.  
 

edited to add - with this roster just save the 9s for the second half and have Aaronson or Weah out there with Reyna/Pulisic/MMA and let it ride.  

Edited November 9, 2022 by A-Tex Devil

[Captain Ron 12961]

57 minutes ago, alincoln said:

It's pretty clear that US Soccer insists on filling out the back of the roster with MLS players.  

 

The cabal must be appeased.

[The Dog 44184]

[Juicy 728]

Give me Pepi and Pefok over Jesus and Morris and then Give me Tillman over roldan.

It probably doesn’t matter but it feels like it should.

And for the comment about Pefok with 0 goals ins his last 6 games. The thing is that most all players get hot and cold. If he gets hot he has shown he is pretty lethal. Jesus has shown that he is going to Wondo every shot he gets and still not even get to most of them.

[Juicy 728]

It’s been said ad nauseam, but our strengths are the MF and wing players. Any other coach would play to that strength and get those players on the field and let them make plays.

Instead Gregg will keep 2-3 of our top players on the bench and trot out Ferrara or Morris which just a complete waste.

I guess my only hope here is that we are all wrong and CP is going to play up top with Jesus and Morris as subs late. I don’t fucking know else we are going to score goals which at some point isn’t the tournament I would hope to do.

[ztejas 43746]

8 minutes ago, Juicy said:

It’s been said ad nauseam, but our strengths are the MF and wing players. Any other coach would play to that strength and get those players on the field and let them make plays.

Instead Gregg will keep 2-3 of our top players on the bench and trot out Ferrara or Morris which just a complete waste.

I guess my only hope here is that we are all wrong and CP is going to play up top with Jesus and Morris as subs late. I don’t fucking know else we are going to score goals which at some point isn’t the tournament I would hope to do.

Pulisic can't play the 9. He is small, isn't physical and can't finish in traffic. He's a borderline elite left-winger and he becomes just passable as soon as he's out of position.

We need to pray that one of the 9s can finish something or that we can get some scoring from the back 4 or midfield. Our backline and Turner are going to need to play out of their minds if we can't figure out how to put at least a couple in the net against Iran and Wales. 

[Napoleon 8710]

7 hours ago, kingkoopa6 said:

iight, i slept on it

This the squad that greg should play vs wales

since he a trash coach anyway, wouldnt hurt to save the guns for england.

but we gotta find a way for Greg to get a red card in the first match... any ideas?

We spike his drinks with Meth & Molly and get him arrested giving blowjobs on the beach, or by the pool at the resort the team is staying at.

Arrest for public display of homosexuality will have him off the sideline for the entire tournament in Tata.

 

 

2 hours ago, kingkoopa6 said:

i think he meant redemption tour.

No, Yedlin most definitely meant "Revenge Tour".

He and Gregg are going to get revenge on the American faithful for supporting the team over these last ~4 years since Gregg was hired.

 

 

18 minutes ago, Juicy said:

Give me Pepi and Pefok over Jesus and Morris and then Give me Tillman over roldan.

It probably doesn’t matter but it feels like it should.

And for the comment about Pefok with 0 goals ins his last 6 games. The thing is that most all players get hot and cold. If he gets hot he has shown he is pretty lethal. Jesus has shown that he is going to Wondo every shot he gets and still not even get to most of them.

"0 goals and 1 assist in 600 minutes".

It's more like 10 games, because he has been getting subbed out in between the 59th and 67th minute usually with a few appearances off the bench.

We're talking 2 months of being stone cold. Even Steffen hasn't been consistently shitting the bed for that long of a stretch.

PLUS- The "possibly picked up an injury" names that have not been confirmed are: Arriola, Pepi, Pefok 

We may learn more in the coming days, or we may never know who really was a healthy scratch. I'm just so relieved that Steffen wasn't selected, because now I don't fear Gregg overthinking anything and starting that guy.

[Bottlecap 1523]

10 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

 

PLUS- The "possibly picked up an injury" names that have not been confirmed are: Arriola, Pepi, Pefok 

We may learn more in the coming days, or we may never know who really was a healthy scratch. I'm just so relieved that Steffen wasn't selected, because now I don't fear Gregg overthinking anything and starting that guy.

This insinuates that no, GERGG is, in fact, a dipshit

 

[Napoleon 8710]

1 minute ago, Bottlecap said:

This insinuates that no, GERGG is, in fact, a dipshit

 

 

 

I'm fine with Haji Wright over Pefok, because he's scoring now and in all sorts of ways. Taking a hot striker is always a good idea. Which brings us to...

Ferreira over Pepi !!!!!

In my opinion, Pepi can do almost everything that Ferreira does as well or better, PLUS... he scores goals.

[ztejas 43746]

Newsflash: they all suck. The one that's hot is playing in Turkey. The one that had the best past 6 months plays in MLS. The one that was hot before the last intl window hasn't done anything lately and plays in the Eredivisie. The one that is playing better as of late is producing more because he got loaned out to a bad team in a worse league. 

None of them are proven for the NT. None of them are consistent. None of them are elite athletes. You could put Daryl Dike on the plane and I wouldn't blink twice. Y'all really need to give this a rest and pray to tuxedo-t-shirt wearing baby Jesus that the actual stars on the team pull some fucking magic out of their asses because the rest is just bullshit. 

[The Dog 44184]

 

[Napoleon 8710]

2 minutes ago, The Dog said:

 

I think that a Tim Ream (L) & CCV (R) center back pairing would be the only pairing we have that wouldn't get just absolutely abused by Gareth Bale & Harry Kane on set pieces.

If Berhalter starts Zimmerman & Long against Wales AND England, I would expect that the O/U goals from Bale & Kane to be set at 2.5, and I would take the OVER.

[ztejas 43746]

CP just posted "honored to be selected for the world cup" on his instagram. 

 

[Bottlecap 1523]

42 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Newsflash: they all suck. The one that's hot is playing in Turkey. The one that had the best past 6 months plays in MLS. The one that was hot before the last intl window hasn't done anything lately and plays in the Eredivisie. The one that is playing better as of late is producing more because he got loaned out to a bad team in a worse league. 

None of them are proven for the NT. None of them are consistent. None of them are elite athletes. You could put Daryl Dike on the plane and I wouldn't blink twice. Y'all really need to give this a rest and pray to tuxedo-t-shirt wearing baby Jesus that the actual stars on the team pull some fucking magic out of their asses because the rest is just bullshit. 

ferreira started a match within the last month where he blew a sitter and we ended up registering ZERO shots on frame over 90 minutes in a 2:0 loss. If that doesn't scream LEAVE HIM OFF THE PLANE FOR PEFOK OR DIKE OR FUCKING HOPPE OR LITERALLY ANYONE WITH A YANK PASSPORT i don't know what does. Its suggesting we should trot out brett robin instead of like, i dunno, selvin young to get a couple of yards on a crucial 3rd down. They're both pretty mid but I know who i'd rather see get the opportunity. 

[ztejas 43746]

3 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

ferreira started a match within the last month where he blew a sitter and we ended up registering ZERO shots on frame over 90 minutes in a 2:0 loss. If that doesn't scream LEAVE HIM OFF THE PLANE FOR PEFOK OR DIKE OR FUCKING HOPPE OR LITERALLY ANYONE WITH A YANK PASSPORT i don't know what does. Its suggesting we should trot out brett robin instead of like, i dunno, selvin young to get a couple of yards on a crucial 3rd down. They're both pretty mid but I know who i'd rather see get the opportunity. 

All of this logic just devolves into "this guy is bad but maybe this other guy won't be bad" even though none of them have a track record of performing for any extended period of time for club or country. If you have some tangible evidence as to why we should expect someone not on the plane to produce for us at a higher clip than Ferreira then please, let's hear it. But you don't have that evidence because it doesn't exist. It's like we're repeatedly going through the seven stages of grief to arrive at the conclusion that none of these guys is worth a shit. There's a lot of denial that none of them are quality. Believe me - international scouts would have figured it out before a bunch of guys on a message board. 

[Napoleon 8710]

I just watched the Haji Wright highlight reel from this season and some observations...
 

1) The defending in the the Turkish League is absolute trash.

2) Haji Wright can score in a variety of ways.

3) Haji Wright can dribble the ball and run at the same time. (Unlike Pefok)

4) Haji Wright is pretty good at diving & jumping in front of an onrushing defender and drawing fouls in dangerous positions.

This last talent is something that I haven't noticed from our other strikers. Ferreira's & Pepi's first instinct is to fight through the contact and get a shot off. While admirable, this is never rewarded by referees. In fact, it is punished.

I am okay with Haji being on the roster, I just hope that he doesn't stink up the pitch when he's on it.

[Bottlecap 1523]

5) Haji Wright GERGGs 3rd option at 9

He'll get 55 minutes total

[Napoleon 8710]

36 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

5) Haji Wright GERGGs 3rd option at 9

He'll get 55 minutes total

I would not have guessed that many, but will be happy if he does get that many. It would mean that he showed something in his initial 10 minute run to be subbed in 2 more times.

[Juicy 728]

All of this logic just devolves into "this guy is bad but maybe this other guy won't be bad" even though none of them have a track record of performing for any extended period of time for club or country. If you have some tangible evidence as to why we should expect someone not on the plane to produce for us at a higher clip than Ferreira then please, let's hear it. But you don't have that evidence because it doesn't exist. It's like we're repeatedly going through the seven stages of grief to arrive at the conclusion that none of these guys is worth a shit. There's a lot of denial that none of them are quality. Believe me - international scouts would have figured it out before a bunch of guys on a message board. 

It’s pretty simply logic. If someone sucks. You try something else. You don’t keep ramming a square peg into a round hole.

You don’t have to expect someone to produce more. When the production is zero it means you could literally put anyone else out there and get the same results worst case or maybe better results.

Zero production from JF is zero. None. It literally can not get worse than zero.

Playing JF is like a manager batting a guy who is .000 on the year as a DH in the bottom of the 9th of a World Series. You could literally run a fan out there and get the same results. So try something different.

[alincoln 2385]

Exactly. If they all suck, play and select the guys in form at their best position.  I have no problem with ggg picking Wright over Pefok because they are redundant in the Berhalter System and Wright is in form.  I do have a problem with picking Jesus (out of form and really a 10 not a 9) or especially Morris (move Sargent to the wing and bring in Pepi) over Pepi (in form and obviously a 9).  

11 hours ago, ztejas said:

Believe me - international scouts would have figured it out before a bunch of guys on a message board. 

Yeah, we are advocating for the guys international scouts have identified and moved to Europe over the guys stuck in MLS.

It's questionable whether ggg even made the worst decisions on this roster (4 RBs, Morris, Roldan) given that they all involved selecting an MLS player over a Euro-based player but all of those decisions are indefensible. The selection of every MLS player on the roster other than Acosta and Zimmerman is questionable.  The only questionable decision involving a Euro-based player is Wright.  

Edited November 10, 2022 by alincoln

[Juicy 728]

Great post Lincoln. You conveyed my thoughts in much cleaner form. Bringing up the fact that having MLS players on the roster likely played into it really makes a lot of sense. 

I am not a pepi fan at all, I think he is starting to put it together, but to leave him off for JF is insane. 

Maybe Greg will roll Sargent out there game one and bring in Wright late and I will be bitching about something that is irrelevant, but if that lineup card comes out and JF is the starter I am going to be disappointed, but not surprised. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6165]

I know they play different positions, but I can't get past a roster w/ Roldan and not Pepi or Pefok.

[eljinca 279]

Two indefensible call ups and absolutely fireable squad management imo.

The call ups are Long and Morris. Morris serves no role in this squad and plays our deepest position. Our top 4 attackers are all wingers (in order): Pulisic, Reyna, Aaronson and Weah. Just calling Aaronson a midfielder on the roster doesn't make it so. Morris is a far, far inferior option to those four in our deepest position. Even planning for Reyna to miss time with an injury or limiting his minutes, we've got options here. Hell, I'd rather have Sargent out as a wide F over Morris. Just zero value add, but he'll be brought on as a sub most of our games.

Long is well below this level, especially post achilles injury. Just does not have the foot speed to keep pace. Pairing him with already slower CBs in Zim and Ream is brutal. Especially when they have not been playing together routinely for the cycle.

The bigger point is squad management. Calling in CCV and Ream when neither has been with the team in years and creating no chemistry in our CB pairing all cycle. Running off John Brooks for seemingly personal reasons.

More broadly, Greg thinks he's smarter than everyone else and can will things to be instead of tweaking the system that plays to the strengths of the squad in attack. These should all be fireable offenses, and ones that we all saw coming over this cycle.

Maybe the issue lies at the Federation level and there's pressure to bring in MLS guys, who knows. I tend to think it's Greg's arrogance more than anything.

We're going to get JF as the starter at 9 with Zim and Long as the CB pairing against Wales. It will not go well. 

 

[dieucla98 2942]

Our selection at the 9 is questionable at best and yet our only hope is to score a ton of goals because we know we're porous as fuck.

Good formula for success right there.

CP, Weah, Aaronson, Reyna, and MMA have to ball out and of those 7, max 5 are on the field at the same time with two of the 5 not being particularly offensive minded (Musah to an extent and Adams for sure). 

Oof.

[Napoleon 8710]

2 hours ago, eljinca said:

Two indefensible call ups and absolutely fireable squad management imo.

The call ups are Long and Morris. Morris serves no role in this squad and plays our deepest position. Our top 4 attackers are all wingers (in order): Pulisic, Reyna, Aaronson and Weah. Just calling Aaronson a midfielder on the roster doesn't make it so. Morris is a far, far inferior option to those four in our deepest position. Even planning for Reyna to miss time with an injury or limiting his minutes, we've got options here. Hell, I'd rather have Sargent out as a wide F over Morris. Just zero value add, but he'll be brought on as a sub most of our games.

Long is well below this level, especially post achilles injury. Just does not have the foot speed to keep pace. Pairing him with already slower CBs in Zim and Ream is brutal. Especially when they have not been playing together routinely for the cycle.

The bigger point is squad management. Calling in CCV and Ream when neither has been with the team in years and creating no chemistry in our CB pairing all cycle. Running off John Brooks for seemingly personal reasons.

More broadly, Greg thinks he's smarter than everyone else and can will things to be instead of tweaking the system that plays to the strengths of the squad in attack. These should all be fireable offenses, and ones that we all saw coming over this cycle.

Maybe the issue lies at the Federation level and there's pressure to bring in MLS guys, who knows. I tend to think it's Greg's arrogance more than anything.

We're going to get JF as the starter at 9 with Zim and Long as the CB pairing against Wales. It will not go well. 

1) Cameron Carter-Vickers was with the squad in qualifying earlier this year (don’t know if he played), was with the team in June when he played in a friendly and started both Nations League matches and was called in for the friendlies in September, but missed due to injury. 

CCV has been a part of this squad this year, not just this cycle.

 

2) Tim Ream played in a qualifier for this World Cup. And he has played next to Antonee Robinson for the last 2-3 years, so NO PLAYERS TWO PLAYERS ON THE WORLD CUP ROSTER HAVE A BETTER RAPPORT THAN (1) OUR STARTING LEFT BACK & (2) TIM REAM.

Also, no defender knows our first two opponents better than Tim Ream. 
 

3) I was just listening to the Scuffed Podcast and they were mentioning that Haji Wright doesn’t really give you what Pefok does… being a physical force in the box. That’s when I started realizing.

Jordan Morris is here instead of Paul Arriola AND Jordan Pefok Sebatieu!

That El Salvador Nations League game that saw Arriola, whom Gregg had trusted, got bounced around like a rag doll and then got sent off within 10 minutes of being subbed on. But Morris mucked it up when the going got rough and then “Strong Like Bull” powered in a late cross to earn the draw. 

I think that Morris is Gregg’s bull in the china shop, not Wright.

4) Cutting Arriola and Pepi meant that Gregg isn’t bringing any Mexican-Americans. Such a fucking stupid move! 🤬

Roldán is Salvadoran/Guatemalan-American and Ferreira is Columbian-American. Dropping Pepi likely sends a shitty message to the Mexican-American kids playing all across the U.S. that didn’t need to be sent, even if there were valid concerns with bringing each guy, Pepi especially.

5) Still relieved that Steffen won’t be a temptation to Gregg in Qatar. Another guy that the Scuffed Podcast has been looking at analytics for over a year and continuously pointing out that he should not be “the guy”. Today they even mention that he is at best the 3rd best keeper, but probably it even that. 

I 💯% agree.

[Ted Lange 16157]

GGG spoke highly of Sargent In his press conference.  Especially his familiarity with teams in our group.   I think he starts at least 1 and probably 2/3.  Jesus starts the other and Wright is used as late sub

wings, a rotation of Pulisic/Weah/Reyna/Aaronson.

Mids.  MMA with Aaronson/LDLT and Acosta as late defensive sub

Back 4 🤷‍♂️
 

I don’t see Roldan getting any minutes unless there is a rash of injuries.  

[alincoln 2385]

Here is The Guardian's expected Starting 11 for Wales (5 EPL, 2 Championship, 2 Ligue 1, 1 Serie A, 1 MLS):

Hennessey (35): Nottingham Forest

Ampadu (22): Spezia

Rodon (25): Rennes

Davies (29): Tottenham

Roberts (27): Burnley

Williams (21): Nottingham Forest

Ramsey (31): Nice

Allen (32): Swansea City

Bale (33): LAFC

James (25): Fulham

Johnson (21): Nottingham Forest

[Bottlecap 1523]

I was listening to GERGGs presser today and he mentioned that versatility was a factor for call ups, then specifically mentioned weah at the left or right wing BUT ALSO up top. Would GERGG dare? GERGG doesn't have hanging nuts does he?

[Captain Ron 12961]

 

[kingkoopa6 8475]

39 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

I was listening to GERGGs presser today and he mentioned that versatility was a factor for call ups, then specifically mentioned weah at the left or right wing BUT ALSO up top. Would GERGG dare? GERGG doesn't have hanging nuts does he?

Weah at the top...

Golden boot winner is a lock

[kingkoopa6 8475]

       CP WEAH GIO

   AARON ADAMS MUS

JEDI REAM ZIMM DEST

            TURNER

 

- WES SUPER SUB

 

[eljinca 279]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

3) I was just listening to the Scuffed Podcast and they were mentioning that Haji Wright doesn’t really give you what Pefok does… being a physical force in the box. That’s when I started realizing.

Jordan Morris is here instead of Paul Arriola AND Jordan Pefok Sebatieu!

That El Salvador Nations League game that saw Arriola, whom Gregg had trusted, got bounced around like a rag doll and then got sent off within 10 minutes of being subbed on. But Morris mucked it up when the going got rough and then “Strong Like Bull” powered in a late cross to earn the draw. 

I think that Morris is Gregg’s bull in the china shop, not Wright.

4) Cutting Arriola and Pepi meant that Gregg isn’t bringing any Mexican-Americans. Such a fucking stupid move! 🤬

Roldán is Salvadoran/Guatemalan-American and Ferreira is Columbian-American. Dropping Pepi likely sends a shitty message to the Mexican-American kids playing all across the U.S. that didn’t need to be sent, even if there were valid concerns with bringing each guy, Pepi especially.

Unless the china shop is the bench, Morris ain't much of a bull.

Silly me, I thought the goal of a USMNT manager was to win games and advance in the tournament, not send messages of inclusion to Mexican-American kids.

[Napoleon 8710]

1 minute ago, eljinca said:

Unless the china shop is the bench, Morris ain't much of a bull.

Silly me, I thought the goal of a USMNT manager was to win games and advance in the tournament, not send messages of inclusion to Mexican-American kids.

Grasshopper, you are short-sighted. You mostly can see the pebble in my hand, but can’t see the door to leave. 

We have 23 field players on our roaster. Around 18 to 20 will play. 

What are you doing with the other 3-5 guys?