USMNT 2023

[The Dog 43771]

10 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Huh? What is the problem with that quote? 

Rumors that Balogun not happy with GGG.

[ztejas 43244]

BJ - the guy talking to Greg on the sideline the entire game? 

I mean it's fine to criticize the coach but let's make it make sense at least. 

[ztejas 43244]

I mean I didn't see anything last night where I thought "gee I can't believe we're doing this instead of doing that". They looked composed and pretty sharp passing the ball and got a lot of nice looks. I thought the biggest negative was that we wasted a lot of chances in front of the net due to some sloppiness. 

[Captain Ron 12789]

23 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Huh? What is the problem with that quote? 

It’s been 3 1/2 months since Balogun joined the team. You would think that Gregg would have been crafting tons of plays for this guy.

Do you think Southgate waited until he had the players in camp to figure out how to use Saka? No. He was probably breaking tons of tape to know what he could do, how he played and getting ideas of what to do with him.

And with a guy like Balogun, it doesn’t seem that complicated: get him in front of the net, get the ball to or near him. He’s a striker, you can tell he has a nose for the ball. 

[goatsaag 279]

It's Tactical Manager who is basically just a troll at this point and Weston's "friend" who is regularly making shit up chasing clout. Everyone would be better off completely ignoring those two guys. The Berhalter is literally Hilter faction of the fan base (that is pretty well represented here) really makes following anything USMNT a beating.

If Balogun wants to be mad at anyone about the last game, it should be Weston. He's the guy who kept missing Balogun's runs (and had a great game otherwise). Which seems to be the whole point Berhalter is making. The "we" he's talking about isn't saying the coaching staff needs to come up with a plan and just started thinking about that when they got into camp. "We" is the guys on the field with him need to get used to playing with Balogun, see the runs he's making, and deliver the pass.

[ztejas 43244]

4 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

You would think that Gregg would have been crafting tons of plays for this guy.

Well, no, because I know who Gerg is. 

I think people just read what they want to. Saying that you're still trying to find the best way to utilize a player that just had his 4th cap seems like a very normal quote to me. Especially when he's surrounded by extremely talented players in their own right. 

I thought we could have got him the ball more last night but it was a weird first half with almost zero play off the counter. Pulisic was trying to figure out how to play with the guy behind him and McKennie kept reversing the field with nice balls to Weah and Dest's side of the pitch. Balo did his job by lurking in the box and putting one in the net off of one such play. 

Pepi didn't have any issues making his impact felt from the same spot in the 2H after the game had opened up a little. 

[Napoleon 8596]

7 hours ago, ztejas said:

…Pepi didn't have any issues making his impact felt from the same spot in the 2H after the game had opened up a little. 

Pepi’s game is perfectly suited for what the #9 was asked to do last night. Balogun’s is not.

Pepi excels at turning towards his own goal, waiting for king passes, and then flicking the ball to his teammates who are sprinting forward before he then turns around and runs towards the opponent’s goal, looking to be a late runner into the box.

Bringing the #9 back to link up before pushing forward was what appeared to be the directive and that’s why Balogun was probably pissed and why Pepi looked good.

PS- Berhalter is a worthless piece of shit.

[NoName 16271]

12 hours ago, The Dog said:

 

ive never seen someone who was happier to show they just didn't do shit for 9 months than GGG.

didn't reach out to dudes he had issues with - Reyna I at least get, but Pepi is inexcusable.

didn't do any game planning for how to use one of the biggest dual nationals to pick the US in recent history even though he made the decision to flip over to the US 5 months ago.

BUT GOOD NEWS GUYS HE WAS ABLE TO FILM A WELCOME VIDEO FOR MESSI!

 

[Captain Ron 12789]

13 hours ago, ztejas said:

Well, no, because I know who Gerg is. 

I think people just read what they want to. Saying that you're still trying to find the best way to utilize a player that just had his 4th cap seems like a very normal quote to me. Especially when he's surrounded by extremely talented players in their own right. 

I thought we could have got him the ball more last night but it was a weird first half with almost zero play off the counter. Pulisic was trying to figure out how to play with the guy behind him and McKennie kept reversing the field with nice balls to Weah and Dest's side of the pitch. Balo did his job by lurking in the box and putting one in the net off of one such play. 

Pepi didn't have any issues making his impact felt from the same spot in the 2H after the game had opened up a little. 

 

 

Frankly given the situation, I think Gregg has to understand that most of what he says will be scrutinized, both by fans and any media doing their job - especially the fans. I think he has to pick his word carefully.

As a whole, when I hear him say "we're still trying to figure out the best way to utilize Balo" It really shows me his cards as a coach. It tells me he isn't doing the things he needs to do in the weeks leading up to camp to prepare. In many ways, this is similar to the Pepi and Gio news.

I would expect him to say "once we got him in camp, we realized his athleticism and skills allowed him to do more than we planned" or "we realized we can expand our game plan with Balo in there" or a lot of other things that tell me he's planned something, but Balogun exceeded his plans.I can get that seeing Balogun up close and executing in practice is very different than watching him play.

It just continues to show me how worthless he is as a coach. Fuck, I would expect so much more from Bradley and Arena than this. it's really pathetic how we've saddled this team with such a shitty coach.

[gsoda3 3234]

everyone take a step back and breathe in.  gregg's use of the word "we" obviously meant the TEAM.  the players on the field aren't used to the runs he's making and by not anticipating those runs they're not getting the ball to him as often as they could.  that's what gregg is trying to say with a measure of tact.  

[NoName 16271]

28 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

everyone take a step back and breathe in.  gregg's use of the word "we" obviously meant the TEAM.  the players on the field aren't used to the runs he's making and by not anticipating those runs they're not getting the ball to him as often as they could.  that's what gregg is trying to say with a measure of tact.  

to me, that still rolls back to the coaching staff for not preparing them? like what have they been doing for the last few months? what has the head coach been doing?

do i dislike him? yes.

do i think he's not a good coach? i mean, yes. but his own record and stats well before the USMNT show that. he is exactly who he was before he was hired to run the USMNT.

was he a nepo hire the first time? absolutely.

do i think he should have been hired a second time? absolutely not, simply based on results.

do i think anyone who wants to advance into the knockout rounds of the world cup would hire him? no.

do i think he would be a good hire for anyone ahead of the US in the FIFA world rankings (ARG, France, Brazil, England, Belgium, Croatia, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Spain)? no.

do i think any top club would hire him? we know this is a no because none did.

he is who he is and has been as a coach going back well over a decade. that is: not a successful coach. and our sample size here is now over 300 games.

in a decade of coaching, and over 300 games, his best club result is winning the eastern conference championship in MLS in 2015. his best national team result was winning the gold cup in 2021, when the team won 1-0 in the knockout stage in all 3 games played! he managed the USMNT to a third place finish in the hex in 2022 with the most talented american team ever.

why people want to act like he is anything other than average AT BEST as a head coach is well beyond me. "but he is better than Jurgan Klinsmann!" - oh you mean the guy who was fired from the USMNT, went to Hertha, was fired after 10 matches, now is coaching South Korea and has won 1 of the 6 games they have played? "oh, he's better than Bob Bradley" - are we sure about that? Bradley has won 46% of the games he has coached in his career and has actually coached abroad and was hired by another national team. GGG is at a 43% win rate for his career and was at 38% in MLS. is he better than Bruce Arena? dude has won 49% of his games coached almost exclusively in MLS, so probably not.

results matter:

to all of this, let's add in that he is below average (being generous) at managing the player pool, he holds grudges unlike any USMNT coach of the last like 30 years and is below average (being generous) at in game management. he picked a fight with one of the 3 (again being generous) most talented players on his team WHILE AT THE WORLD CUP (why pick the fight in the first place? why be so shit at setting expectations going into the world cup for playing time until someone was literally on the ground in Qatar? why lie about it to the press?) and then shit on him outside the dressing room, which is a huge no no. his team was thoroughly outplayed in the knockout round of the 22 WC vs Netherlands. the US/Belgium game in the knockout round in 2014 was significantly closer.

why so much love for him? why ANY love for him? i. just. don't. get. it.

the USMNT is stuck with a below average coach going into the most important 4 year stretch in the history of soccer in this country. we have a guy who has shown who he is. and worst of all, we RE HIRED HIM.

[gsoda3 3234]

11 hours ago, NoName said:

to me, that still rolls back to the coaching staff for not preparing them? like what have they been doing for the last few months? what has the head coach been doing?

do i dislike him? yes.

do i think he's not a good coach? i mean, yes. but his own record and stats well before the USMNT show that. he is exactly who he was before he was hired to run the USMNT.

was he a nepo hire the first time? absolutely.

do i think he should have been hired a second time? absolutely not, simply based on results.

do i think anyone who wants to advance into the knockout rounds of the world cup would hire him? no.

do i think he would be a good hire for anyone ahead of the US in the FIFA world rankings (ARG, France, Brazil, England, Belgium, Croatia, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Spain)? no.

do i think any top club would hire him? we know this is a no because none did.

he is who he is and has been as a coach going back well over a decade. that is: not a successful coach. and our sample size here is now over 300 games.

in a decade of coaching, and over 300 games, his best club result is winning the eastern conference championship in MLS in 2015. his best national team result was winning the gold cup in 2021, when the team won 1-0 in the knockout stage in all 3 games played! he managed the USMNT to a third place finish in the hex in 2022 with the most talented american team ever.

why people want to act like he is anything other than average AT BEST as a head coach is well beyond me. "but he is better than Jurgan Klinsmann!" - oh you mean the guy who was fired from the USMNT, went to Hertha, was fired after 10 matches, now is coaching South Korea and has won 1 of the 6 games they have played? "oh, he's better than Bob Bradley" - are we sure about that? Bradley has won 46% of the games he has coached in his career and has actually coached abroad and was hired by another national team. GGG is at a 43% win rate for his career and was at 38% in MLS. is he better than Bruce Arena? dude has won 49% of his games coached almost exclusively in MLS, so probably not.

results matter:

to all of this, let's add in that he is below average (being generous) at managing the player pool, he holds grudges unlike any USMNT coach of the last like 30 years and is below average (being generous) at in game management. he picked a fight with one of the 3 (again being generous) most talented players on his team WHILE AT THE WORLD CUP (why pick the fight in the first place? why be so shit at setting expectations going into the world cup for playing time until someone was literally on the ground in Qatar? why lie about it to the press?) and then shit on him outside the dressing room, which is a huge no no. his team was thoroughly outplayed in the knockout round of the 22 WC vs Netherlands. the US/Belgium game in the knockout round in 2014 was significantly closer.

why so much love for him? why ANY love for him? i. just. don't. get. it.

the USMNT is stuck with a below average coach going into the most important 4 year stretch in the history of soccer in this country. we have a guy who has shown who he is. and worst of all, we RE HIRED HIM.

i agree with everything you've said. i just think that with all the reasons we have to dislike gregg that statement shouldn't be one to cause consternation.  it takes some time playing together to recognize those runs esp if you're used to playing with guys like pepi/fereira/sargent/pefok or whoever else we've thrown out there. 

[alincoln 2364]

The rehiring of the woman beater as our coach is among the most ludicrous decisions in American sports history.

[Captain Ron 12789]

34 minutes ago, alincoln said:

The rehiring of the woman beater as our coach is among the most ludicrous decisions in American sports history.

You sure about champ?

 

[alincoln 2364]

On 9/13/2023 at 8:17 PM, goatsaag said:

The Berhalter is literally Hilter faction of the fan base (that is pretty well represented here) really makes following anything USMNT a beating.

I seriously doubt Hitler would have benched Gio in the World Cup, started Jesus against Holland, left Pepi at home and pissed off his new star striker in his first camp in charge.  

[alincoln 2364]

Just now, Captain Ron said:

You sure about champ?

If my choice for USMNT coach is between Barry and Greggg, give me Barry.

[ztejas 43244]

Anyway.

Pulisic plays his first big one for Milan tomorrow morning against Inter - who are pretty big favorites coming in. 11 am central

Weah and McKennie play Lazio at 8 am.

Both on paramount+ (which I'd recommend getting for $5.99/mo - you get every Serie A match as well as champions league matches)

[Captain Ron 12789]

As a whole I look at it like this: We just played Uzbekistan and Oman

Sure we won, but that doesn't tell us anything. When you point out that Balogun had the same stats in this window vs the Nations league ... AND? There is a far cry from Canada and Mexico than there is from Uzbekistan and Oman. That he didn't have better stats is a little troubling.

Gregg still seems to show that he isn't full time on this job, only doing thing when the window is open, not in the times between.

 

But given the results, 2 wins, I will give him a pass - the next questions are:

• How does he fix the Gio situation?
• How do we play against real competition in the next window, Germany and Ghana?

So let's see how we look and what we do then.

[Ted Lange 15991]

So long Chicago!

 

 

 

This is a pretty big deal.

[Ted Lange 15991]

CHICAGO (September 15, 2023) - As part of U.S. Soccer’s ambitious strategic plan to grow soccer across the country, the Federation today announced that Philanthropist Arthur M. Blank has contributed $50 million to support building a National Training Center and expand opportunities across the soccer ecosystem.

U.S. Soccer plans to construct the nation’s first-ever designated National Training Center in the Atlanta area funded in part by the contribution from The Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta United owner. The facility will serve as headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation, creating a central hub for the entire soccer community, including coaches and referees, to access best-in-class training, technology and infrastructure to promote successful and sustainable playing environments throughout the country. For players, the National Training Center will provide the best environment, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to elite infrastructure for training, development, recovery and performance analysis – cultivating expertise and excellence in the sport on an international level.

While the National Training Center will be utilized by all 27 of U.S. Soccer’s National Teams, part of Blank’s contribution will specifically go towards the construction of facilities for U.S. Soccer’s nine Extended National Teams (ENTs), particularly in support of the Cerebral Palsy (CP), Deaf, and Power Soccer National Teams, including thoughtful design of locker rooms and training facilities to maximize accessibility for players.

Blank’s contribution will also fuel the Federation’s work to develop winning teams and grow the game across the U.S. This includes bolstering support of women’s youth national team camps and women’s coaching and mentorship initiatives. The National Training Center will also host youth tournaments, soccer community conferences and will be a gathering place for the broader soccer ecosystem.

Support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation will also provide community programming to benefit soccer-focused non-profits in Metro Atlanta, including Soccer in the Streets and GA 100 partners, that provide access, training and expert coaching opportunities to underserved communities. The Foundation and U.S. Soccer will leverage resources provided by the grant to create opportunities for community groups to be exposed to soccer through on-site experiences at tournaments and other events at the National Training Center and broadly supporting our membership.

“This National Training Center will accelerate the growth of soccer in this country and will represent a commitment to developing elite soccer players for decades to come,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “Investing in youth and adult programs as well as our Extended National Teams reflects our commitment to ensuring that players of all ages and backgrounds can find a home and thrive in this sport. These investments are a signal to our players, coaches, referees, members and fans that the future of U.S. Soccer is bright.”

“America’s top athletes deserve the best when it comes to preparing them for competition on the global stage and I’m thrilled U.S. Soccer has chosen metro Atlanta as its new home,” said Blank. “Atlanta’s incredible passion for soccer, corporate community and unmatched infrastructure make this a natural home for the National Training Center and I’m very confident our community will help America’s finest soccer players compete on a global level like never before. I’m also pleased to help U.S. Soccer with community outreach and soccer development among underserved communities as part of our contribution and know that it will benefit scores of young people through engagement with the beautiful game for generations to come.”

[The Dog 43771]

"If you’re an American and you’re playing in the Premier League, you better be good everyday. Not for a year, not for a game. Some people on the couch want to say the landscape changed for Americans, it has not. It think Christian Pulisic did a brilliant job when he was called upon in that Chelsea team. If he was Dutch or Italian or anything else, he’d still be in the team, he wouldn’t be the first one pulled off the pitch, he wouldn’t be a substitute. He’s that good, he’s showing that at Milan now, so as an American it’s tough. You have to prove it every day."

 

[ztejas 43244]

McKennie involved in both Juve goals in the first half.

Weah on El Pino. 

[Napoleon 8596]

Chris Richards with the start for Palace. So far (82’) Palace has a clean sheet vs my favorite keeper, Emi Martinez.

[Napoleon 8596]

6 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

Chris Richards with the start for Palace. So far (82’) Palace has a clean sheet vs my favorite keeper, Emi Martinez.

I guess I jinxed our Center Back because…

Seems like the center backs were beaten on this goal. 

Well shit!

[ztejas 43244]

Disaster start for Milan. 

This is probably the coolest derby in soccer. Reminds me of TX/OU.

Edited September 16, 2023 by ztejas

[Chips O'Toole 1316]

42 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Disaster start for Milan. 

What happened?  

[ztejas 43244]

 

 

[ztejas 43244]

CP subbed off at 56' - quiet game and not the best matchup for him. Wasn't good, wasn't bad.

[ztejas 43244]

Fun game still going on though. Leao got Milan within one not long after Pulisic was subbed. Rain is coming down pretty good. 

Aaaaaaand it's 3-1. Cfb time.

Milan just getting shit on now. 4-1 after a pen. Whatever CP did will go out with the wash.

Edited September 16, 2023 by ztejas

[The Dog 43771]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Fun game still going on though. Leao got Milan within one not long after Pulisic was subbed. Rain is coming down pretty good. 

Aaaaaaand it's 3-1. Cfb time.

Milan just getting shit on now. 4-1 after a pen. Whatever CP did will go out with the wash.

Yeah he wasn’t great but wasn’t bad. Several Milan players were BAD today.

[Napoleon 8596]

Pepi scoring goals!

[dogbreath 431]

And Balogun too. 

[Braff Zacklin 13399]

Pepi's goal came on a PK and I couldn't find a highlight of it.

Here is Balogun's (you'll have to click through):

 

[The Dog 43771]

The guys at r/ACMilan aren't pleased and think it should have been Chuk starting in place of Puli in the derby then Puli in the CL game since Puli had just returned from across the pond. 

Something I've read about before is the travel fatigue that western hemisphere players playing in Europe deal with during international breaks. Some handle it better than others but it's a thing. 

[ztejas 43244]

I'm amazed that anyone took Wes' time at Leeds seriously.

https://www.goal.com/en/lists/usmnt-star-weston-mckennie-leeds-boss-didnt-know-who-i-was-loan-leeds-juventus/blt4423468a325bafbb#csadd00803fd1020ee

McKennie has told The American Dream podcast of the issues that he experienced at Leeds – while stopping short of identifying the coach that appeared to be unaware of who he was and what his strengths were: “It kind of didn't help when I got there, I went there because of Jesse Marsch and then two weeks after I got there, he was sacked. I had four different managers in six months and I think one of my coaches honestly didn't know who I was. I'm not saying he should, but if a player is coming in on loan, you should know your squad. He put me outside of the box for corner kicks, and in my head I've scored 85% of my goals in my career off set-pieces and crosses.”

[dogbreath 431]

5 hours ago, The Dog said:

The guys at r/ACMilan aren't pleased and think it should have been Chuk starting in place of Puli in the derby then Puli in the CL game since Puli had just returned from across the pond. 

Something I've read about before is the travel fatigue that western hemisphere players playing in Europe deal with during international breaks. Some handle it better than others but it's a thing. 

Maybe Pulisic should try the pizza and ranch sauce as Weston didn’t have any trouble in his game. 

[Captain Ron 12789]

5 hours ago, dogbreath said:

Maybe Pulisic should try the pizza and ranch sauce as Weston didn’t have any trouble in his game. 

Except for the shitting himself after coffee.

[PittsburghTiger 6136]

On 9/15/2023 at 12:16 PM, Ted Lange said:

CHICAGO (September 15, 2023) - As part of U.S. Soccer’s ambitious strategic plan to grow soccer across the country, the Federation today announced that Philanthropist Arthur M. Blank has contributed $50 million to support building a National Training Center and expand opportunities across the soccer ecosystem.

U.S. Soccer plans to construct the nation’s first-ever designated National Training Center in the Atlanta area funded in part by the contribution from The Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta United owner. The facility will serve as headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation, creating a central hub for the entire soccer community, including coaches and referees, to access best-in-class training, technology and infrastructure to promote successful and sustainable playing environments throughout the country. For players, the National Training Center will provide the best environment, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to elite infrastructure for training, development, recovery and performance analysis – cultivating expertise and excellence in the sport on an international level.

While the National Training Center will be utilized by all 27 of U.S. Soccer’s National Teams, part of Blank’s contribution will specifically go towards the construction of facilities for U.S. Soccer’s nine Extended National Teams (ENTs), particularly in support of the Cerebral Palsy (CP), Deaf, and Power Soccer National Teams, including thoughtful design of locker rooms and training facilities to maximize accessibility for players.

Blank’s contribution will also fuel the Federation’s work to develop winning teams and grow the game across the U.S. This includes bolstering support of women’s youth national team camps and women’s coaching and mentorship initiatives. The National Training Center will also host youth tournaments, soccer community conferences and will be a gathering place for the broader soccer ecosystem.

Support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation will also provide community programming to benefit soccer-focused non-profits in Metro Atlanta, including Soccer in the Streets and GA 100 partners, that provide access, training and expert coaching opportunities to underserved communities. The Foundation and U.S. Soccer will leverage resources provided by the grant to create opportunities for community groups to be exposed to soccer through on-site experiences at tournaments and other events at the National Training Center and broadly supporting our membership.

“This National Training Center will accelerate the growth of soccer in this country and will represent a commitment to developing elite soccer players for decades to come,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “Investing in youth and adult programs as well as our Extended National Teams reflects our commitment to ensuring that players of all ages and backgrounds can find a home and thrive in this sport. These investments are a signal to our players, coaches, referees, members and fans that the future of U.S. Soccer is bright.”

“America’s top athletes deserve the best when it comes to preparing them for competition on the global stage and I’m thrilled U.S. Soccer has chosen metro Atlanta as its new home,” said Blank. “Atlanta’s incredible passion for soccer, corporate community and unmatched infrastructure make this a natural home for the National Training Center and I’m very confident our community will help America’s finest soccer players compete on a global level like never before. I’m also pleased to help U.S. Soccer with community outreach and soccer development among underserved communities as part of our contribution and know that it will benefit scores of young people through engagement with the beautiful game for generations to come.”

Mr. Blank’s son, Josh, played at Elon. He was an upperclassman on the team when the German cousin’s boy got there to play. I met him a few times, nice kid, and the family really does love soccer so this is really cool.

[APMP 685]

First episode of Kate and the USMNT boys drops today. Could be fun.

[PittsburghTiger 6136]

 

I like Kate, hubba hubba 

[ztejas 43244]

Arsenal/PSV CL at 2 pm central today. Paramount+

[dogbreath 431]

https://theathletic.com/4869977/2023/09/17/luca-koleosho-usmnt-international-future-burnley/?amp=1
 

C”mon Greg. 

[The Dog 43771]

 

[Mittens 8147]

3 hours ago, PittsburghTiger said:

I like Kate, hubba hubba 

Same.  Smokeshow.  

[Ted Lange 15991]

Pepi came in too late to really matter.  Tillman didn't do much in his limited time.   Dest started and went the full 90 vs Arsenal, I thought he played really well despite the scoreline.

[ztejas 43244]

Talk about a farm system. 

[Ted Lange 15991]

Is that Jedi's son on the right? 

[Napoleon 8596]

57 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Is that Jedi's son on the right? 

Yes

[Ted Lange 15991]

 

[dieucla98 2931]

His ball skills are off the charts. And he's fast as fuck. So fun to watch when he's really feeling it.