2021 USMNT Thread

[Forza Azzurri]

Dest as a winger.

I find this to be a highly astute suggestion.

In many respects, despite being a wingback at Barca, this is the role he plays for that team.

It would, contemporaneously, relieve him of much of his defensive responsibility and get him further up the pitch where he can use his devastating 1 v 1 skills to greater effect.

While I understand the idealism of having an outside back with the skills of Dest being able to combine with a skillful winger (think Spinazzola and Insignie), like Pulisic or Reyna (note: not saying Reyna is a winger but that is where Berhalter plays him), the reality is that we turn the ball over far too often in dangerous spots , and then fail to immediately win it back, for an outside back of ours to function in that manner.

I believe we need outside backs that can get forward when they have the opportunity but are defense-first backs.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Negative start away to El Salvador will bring out the knives in the sports media, despite the fact that I think Berhalter is doing a very good job.

After doing what I thought was an outstanding job over the summer, the bloom is clearly coming off the rose and there are some serious questions that need to be asked.

At the end of the day, winning the Nations League and the Gold Cup are nice, but they are the equivalent of the regular season in hoops. Qualifying for the World Cup is all that matter just like the tourney is all that matters in hoops.

And, these first three games, despite ending up right on track in terms of points, provided some worrying indicators:

Roster management - He clearly did not bring in enough guys. Unexpected things happen and he ended up having to start Bello in a must-win game and the kid failed to track Moya on the goal. I know that, technically, Moya would have been Brooks' responsibilty but, Brooks had stepped so the space was vacated and someone needed to track the run into that space. Bello was that guy.

Substitutions - We all saw what a difference subs make in the Honduras. One really has to question what he was thinking waiting until the 83rd minute to make substitutions in a game where, after the Canada equalizer, the US never looked dangerous.

Formations and players - the decision to change to a 3-4-3 against Honduras, put Adams on the right and Sands in the middle was almost disastrous. And, although Berhalter both changed formations and made the substitutions that changed the course of the game, and the outcome, I am skeptical about giving him too much credit. I think the format of these qualifiers clearly plays to the strengths of both the US and Mexico in terms of roster depth (assuming that the manager takes advantage of it, of course). Honduras started 8 of the players who started their first qualifier. We started four. Was it really the formation switch and the substitutions or did Honduras simply run out of gas?

And in the first qualifier against Panama, Berhalter set the team up in a 4-3-3 with Reyna up top on the right and Aronson on the laeft as part of the midfield triangle. Why? Reyna seems to like to play more centrally. As a result of that, Sargent, Reyna, Aronson and McKinnie were all on top of each other. That is easy to defend.

I think that both the biggest challenge, and biggest opportunity, for a national team coach is to figure out how to put the pieces together so that they are effective even if players are playing in a different formation or a different position or even something more subtle like playing the same position but with different responsibilities relative to their clubs.

The above are pretty serious errors in multiple areas in three games. So far, Berhalter, in my opinion, has not shown that he has that capability.

I cannot give him an F because we are right on track in terms of points but I give most of credit for the points to the 3 game format which, I believe, allowed our superior depth to gain those three points against Honduras. Superior depth is talent, not coaching.

We'll see what the next three-pack of games brings and what, if anything, Berhalter has learned.

 

[OrangeFoo]

After doing what I thought was an outstanding job over the summer, the bloom is clearly coming off the rose and there are some serious questions that need to be asked.

At the end of the day, winning the Nations League and the Gold Cup are nice, but they are the equivalent of the regular season in hoops. Qualifying for the World Cup is all that matter just like the tourney is all that matters in hoops.

And, these first three games, despite ending up right on track in terms of points, provided some worrying indicators:

Roster management - He clearly did not bring in enough guys. Unexpected things happen and he ended up having to start Bello in a must-win game and the kid failed to track Moya on the goal. I know that, technically, Moya would have been Brooks' responsibilty but, Brooks had stepped so the space was vacated and someone needed to track the run into that space. Bello was that guy.

Substitutions - We all saw what a difference subs make in the Honduras. One really has to question what he was thinking waiting until the 83rd minute to make substitutions in a game where, after the Canada equalizer, the US never looked dangerous.

Formations and players - the decision to change to a 3-4-3 against Honduras, put Adams on the right and Sands in the middle was almost disastrous. And, although Berhalter both changed formations and made the substitutions that changed the course of the game, and the outcome, I am skeptical about giving him too much credit. I think the format of these qualifiers clearly plays to the strengths of both the US and Mexico in terms of roster depth (assuming that the manager takes advantage of it, of course). Honduras started 8 of the players who started their first qualifier. We started four. Was it really the formation switch and the substitutions or did Honduras simply run out of gas?

And in the first qualifier against Panama, Berhalter set the team up in a 4-3-3 with Reyna up top on the right and Aronson on the laeft as part of the midfield triangle. Why? Reyna seems to like to play more centrally. As a result of that, Sargent, Reyna, Aronson and McKinnie were all on top of each other. That is easy to defend.

I think that both the biggest challenge, and biggest opportunity, for a national team coach is to figure out how to put the pieces together so that they are effective even if players are playing in a different formation or a different position or even something more subtle like playing the same position but with different responsibilities relative to their clubs.

The above are pretty serious errors in multiple areas in three games. So far, Berhalter, in my opinion, has not shown that he has that capability.

I cannot give him an F because we are right on track in terms of points but I give most of credit for the points to the 3 game format which, I believe, allowed our superior depth to gain those three points against Honduras. Superior depth is talent, not coaching.

We'll see what the next three-pack of games brings and what, if anything, Berhalter has learned.

Apparently not much based on his roster selection… only 27 players and not bringing in Scally and KDLF. Two players in positions of need. Hope he gets some questions about this.

 

[LPOrange]

Apparently not much based on his roster selection… only 27 players and not bringing in Scally and KDLF. Two players in positions of need. Hope he gets some questions about this.

That's just it, tho. Sports media (actually, entertainment media in general) is dead in America because they need access to cover things. If they ask uncomfortable questions they will be cut off from access. They become shills instead of being critical.

 

[OrangeFoo]

I find this to be a highly astute suggestion.

In many respects, despite being a wingback at Barca, this is the role he plays for that team.

It would, contemporaneously, relieve him of much of his defensive responsibility and get him further up the pitch where he can use his devastating 1 v 1 skills to greater effect.

While I understand the idealism of having an outside back with the skills of Dest being able to combine with a skillful winger (think Spinazzola and Insignie), like Pulisic or Reyna (note: not saying Reyna is a winger but that is where Berhalter plays him), the reality is that we turn the ball over far too often in dangerous spots , and then fail to immediately win it back, for an outside back of ours to function in that manner.

I believe we need outside backs that can get forward when they have the opportunity but are defense-first backs.

Even as a winger Dest will often be in a position where he is last man back… he needs to offer more resistance than tissue paper in those type of situations. That is all about desire and he hasn’t shown it w the USMNT yet. Also even as a winger Dest needs to be able to do basic things like control the ball and keep it in play or not dribble into alleys and hasn’t demonstrated the ability to do that either. Right now he’s a turnover waiting to happen on a team that already struggles to keep the ball.

I think Dest has the ability to be our most talented player but right now with the Nats he has a very cavalier attitude that makes him a detriment to the team. For the record McKennie also displayed the same attitude on the field the last 3 game set and Reyna seemed similarly disconnected.

One thought is when you have one player on a team playing poorly, it’s on that player but when you have three really talented players playing less than their talent level, there is probably a structural problem with the way the team is set up.

 

[OrangeFoo]

That's just it, tho. Sports media (actually, entertainment media in general) is dead in America because they need access to cover things. If they ask uncomfortable questions they will be cut off from access. They become shills instead of being critical.

I dunno… during the first half of the Honduras game there were a lot of uncomfortable questions being asked. I get the sense that triple-g doesn’t have the same level of support within the us soccer community that previous coaches had. Taylor Twellman was basically giving last rites to Berhalters coaching job, but he’s typically pretty tough on coaches. I thought Tony Meola going off after the Canada game was much more telling because he is a pretty even-keeled guy. I don’t think it will take too much for the torches and pitchforks to come out against triple-g if we get more uneven results. Sadly I don’t think there is anything short of missing out on qualifying again that will get Berhalter fired.

 

[OrangeFoo]

That's just it, tho. Sports media (actually, entertainment media in general) is dead in America because they need access to cover things. If they ask uncomfortable questions they will be cut off from access. They become shills instead of being critical.

And right in queue Scally scores a goal and has another solid match as a RB starter for a really good bundesliga side. He also offers positional flexibility because he can play LB as well. Why would we need a player like that to play 3 matches in a week when we can call in a mediocre 2nd division Portuguese player.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I find this to be a highly astute suggestion.

In many respects, despite being a wingback at Barca, this is the role he plays for that team.

It would, contemporaneously, relieve him of much of his defensive responsibility and get him further up the pitch where he can use his devastating 1 v 1 skills to greater effect.

While I understand the idealism of having an outside back with the skills of Dest being able to combine with a skillful winger (think Spinazzola and Insignie), like Pulisic or Reyna (note: not saying Reyna is a winger but that is where Berhalter plays him), the reality is that we turn the ball over far too often in dangerous spots , and then fail to immediately win it back, for an outside back of ours to function in that manner.

I believe we need outside backs that can get forward when they have the opportunity but are defense-first backs.

I agree. As long as we play 2 center backs and not 3, then our left and right backs have to be very solid defensively.

 

[IthacaMatt]

FIFA 22 USMNT player updates, all gathered together in one series of charts.

This is like another way of looking at the US men's player pool / depth chart.

USMNT player ratings in FIFA 22

Gamers and data nerds unite.

www.starsandstripesfc.com

 

[upperdeck]

FIFA 22 USMNT player updates, all gathered together in one series of charts.

This is like another way of looking at the US men's player pool / depth chart.

USMNT player ratings in FIFA 22

Gamers and data nerds unite.

www.starsandstripesfc.com

interesting stuff.. but how do we compare with other top 10-20 teams when built like this?

 

[IthacaMatt]

interesting stuff.. but how do we compare with other top 10-20 teams when built like this?

We have too many guys whose player scores (i.e. "talent") are in the low to mid 70s.
Maybe as some of these young guys get playing time at European clubs, their scores will continue to rise.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Even as a winger Dest will often be in a position where he is last man back…

This is simply not a true statement. In a 4-3-3, the only time he should ever be the last man back is if centerbacks are up for a set piece and there is a quick counter, then anyone who is able needs to get back.

And even if you are talking solely about the flank, it is also not true. The only time he would need to get back is if the outside back has made an overlapping or channel run and we turn the ball over. Then he would need to get back and cover.

That is all about desire and he hasn’t shown it w the USMNT yet.

Playing good defense is about much more than desire. It is about 1 v 1 technique, positioning , anticipating...many of the concepts that make for good defending in any sport.

And you keep asserting that he is lazy and doesn't try. I don't see it. I have games where he is ineffective but not a lack of hustle. You will have to provide some specific instances, or periods during games, in order for me to buy into this assertion.

Also even as a winger Dest needs to be able to do basic things like control the ball and keep it in play or not dribble into alleys and hasn’t demonstrated the ability to do that either. Right now he’s a turnover waiting to happen on a team that already struggles to keep the ball.

LOL. he plays for Barcelona and you claim he cannot control the ball. C'mon. Seriously? He may be the most talented 1 v 1 player on the team. He is certainly in the top 5.

He did do too much dribbling, with no apparent purpose against El Salvador but so did any number of others. Part of that was on him. Part of that is on Berhalter and his teammates.

But there have been times, in prior games, where he was absolutely scintillating on the ball.

For the record McKennie also displayed the same attitude on the field the last 3 game set and Reyna seemed similarly disconnected.

McKinnie and Reyna both played one game, not three. McKinnie played poorly. The team played poorly.

I didn't think Reyna played particularly well but there were media members who said he was our best player on the field.

One thought is when you have one player on a team playing poorly, it’s on that player but when you have three really talented players playing less than their talent level, there is probably a structural problem with the way the team is set up.

Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner. Can you tell me why you are spot on with this observation?

 

[OrangeFoo]

This is simply not a true statement. In a 4-3-3, the only time he should ever be the last man back is if centerbacks are up for a set piece and there is a quick counter, then anyone who is able needs to get back.

And even if you are talking solely about the flank, it is also not true. The only time he would need to get back is if the outside back has made an overlapping or channel run and we turn the ball over. Then he would need to get back and cover.


Playing good defense is about much more than desire. It is about 1 v 1 technique, positioning , anticipating...many of the concepts that make for good defending in any sport.

And you keep asserting that he is lazy and doesn't try. I don't see it. I have games where he is ineffective but not a lack of hustle. You will have to provide some specific instances, or periods during games, in order for me to buy into this assertion.

LOL. he plays for Barcelona and you claim he cannot control the ball. C'mon. Seriously? He may be the most talented 1 v 1 player on the team. He is certainly in the top 5.

He did do too much dribbling, with no apparent purpose against El Salvador but so did any number of others. Part of that was on him. Part of that is on Berhalter and his teammates.

But there have been times, in prior games, where he was absolutely scintillating on the ball.

McKinnie and Reyna both played one game, not three. McKinnie played poorly. The team played poorly.

I didn't think Reyna played particularly well but there were media members who said he was our best player on the field.


Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner. Can you tell me why you are spot on with this observation?

I think you are going really easy on Dest. There were multiple occasions in the last set of games where he lost the ball out of bounds through careless lack of focus. I agree he is the most talented 1v1 guy we have, which makes his loss of basic control even more inexcusable.

The trend of Reyna and McKinnie playing poorly goes back to the summer. They didn’t look that great in nations league. Weston is causing his own problems. Reyna seems disconnected from the rest of the offense and that’s on Berhalter for the most part, but it would help if Reyna let the ball do the running versus trying to dribble through the entire d.

I think I am spot on because Berhalter has proven he doesn’t know how to balance his squad and get the best out of all his best euro players… and I think they know that and try to do much to compensate. It’s a shame because, while I do think we will qualify, I think a better manager would really help set a foundation for success for all this talent in the World Cup and beyond.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Berhalter has proven he doesn’t know how to balance his squad and get the best out of all his best euro players… and I think they know that and try to do much to compensate. It’s a shame because, while I do think we will qualify, I think a better manager would really help set a foundation for success for all this talent in the World Cup and beyond.

Euro managers risk not making enough use of MLS players.

We would have to hire someone who sees MLS as a farm system for the national team to fill in the gaps where you don't have players from the better Euro leagues for those spots.

The Euro players are the future, and they reflect our best talent. But if we hire a more sophisticated tactical coach from Europe to try to get to the next level, I would look to coaches from England, Spain and Italy.

What kind of coach could we get for 2026, seeing this talent mature, more young guys break into European teams, and we are playing on home soil before much more knowledgeable and supportive crowds than 1994?

Who could we get?

David Moyes - fundamentally sound, hard working teams, good at the counter, underdog mentality, can coach reasonably sophisticated offensive patterns. He probably could get a grasp of MLS relatively quickly, and probably has scouts looking at players there for West Ham. Maybe not flashy, maybe a bit timid at times, but he is very competent.

Antonio Conte? He will likely be available at some point, and he couldn't complain to management about not spending enough money for players. LOL. I think 3 at the back suits the quality of center backs we have in the USMNT. John Brooks isn't quite the Virgil Van Dyke type of player we hoped he could be. I think the Syracuse kid is one of our two best, now. Conte could have us play sound defense, be strong in midfield, and would have us repeat patterns of play over and over in his camps. He's very strong tactically, as evidenced by his great work with the Italian national team.

Jurgi Low? After a couple years out of the game, he might be an interesting choice. Jurgen Klinsmann's concepts were not wrong; he just didn't have the chops to teach them, and didn't have Low to implement his ideas on the training ground. Low would be back in the spot light, as coach of the host team.

Unai Emery? He has won cups many times, and is the Europa League specialist. It would help us perhaps with recruitment of Mexican-American and other Latin immigrants to get them to join the national team. Having a Spanish speaker could be very useful. It might even help us in qualifying. He certainly would be more effective with the foreign media during qualifying. At least he would speak their language! Again, a guy who is maybe not a top 5 coach int he world, but is very good, and might be "gettable", given these unique circumstances for the next World Cup.

Who might you guys suggest as our next US MNT coach? I feel pretty confident we're going to qualify, just because I think Berhalter is basically competent, and manages the dressing room full of mostly young guys pretty well. Seems like he built a new culture, so he's going to be the man until after this World Cup is over.

I just wish Berhalter would integrate a few more of these guys into the rotation, so that guys are not constantly breaking down. You can't play all 3 games in 11 days for your country, and call that your International "break".

 

[OrangeFoo]

Euro managers risk not making enough use of MLS players.

We would have to hire someone who sees MLS as a farm system for the national team to fill in the gaps where you don't have players from the better Euro leagues for those spots.

The Euro players are the future, and they reflect our best talent. But if we hire a more sophisticated tactical coach from Europe to try to get to the next level, I would look to coaches from England, Spain and Italy.

What kind of coach could we get for 2026, seeing this talent mature, more young guys break into European teams, and we are playing on home soil before much more knowledgeable and supportive crowds than 1994?

Who could we get?

David Moyes - fundamentally sound, hard working teams, good at the counter, underdog mentality, can coach reasonably sophisticated offensive patterns. He probably could get a grasp of MLS relatively quickly, and probably has scouts looking at players there for West Ham. Maybe not flashy, maybe a bit timid at times, but he is very competent.

Antonio Conte? He will likely be available at some point, and he couldn't complain to management about not spending enough money for players. LOL. I think 3 at the back suits the quality of center backs we have in the USMNT. John Brooks isn't quite the Virgil Van Dyke type of player we hoped he could be. I think the Syracuse kid is one of our two best, now. Conte could have us play sound defense, be strong in midfield, and would have us repeat patterns of play over and over in his camps. He's very strong tactically, as evidenced by his great work with the Italian national team.

Jurgi Low? After a couple years out of the game, he might be an interesting choice. Jurgen Klinsmann's concepts were not wrong; he just didn't have the chops to teach them, and didn't have Low to implement his ideas on the training ground. Low would be back in the spot light, as coach of the host team.

Unai Emery? He has won cups many times, and is the Europa League specialist. It would help us perhaps with recruitment of Mexican-American and other Latin immigrants to get them to join the national team. Having a Spanish speaker could be very useful. It might even help us in qualifying. He certainly would be more effective with the foreign media during qualifying. At least he would speak their language! Again, a guy who is maybe not a top 5 coach int he world, but is very good, and might be "gettable", given these unique circumstances for the next World Cup.

Who might you guys suggest as our next US MNT coach? I feel pretty confident we're going to qualify, just because I think Berhalter is basically competent, and manages the dressing room full of mostly young guys pretty well. Seems like he built a new culture, so he's going to be the man until after this World Cup is over.

I just wish Berhalter would integrate a few more of these guys into the rotation, so that guys are not constantly breaking down. You can't play all 3 games in 11 days for your country, and call that your International "break".

Jesse Marsch… euro manager, mls manager, USMNT player. Checks off a ton of boxes. Only question is timing as I’m not sure he gets another year at Leipzig if they go out of champions league

 

[IthacaMatt]

Jesse Marsch… euro manager, mls manager, USMNT player. Checks off a ton of boxes. Only question is timing as I’m not sure he gets another year at Leipzig if they go out of champions league

Probably more likely than any of my suggestions, but he's not off to a great start stepping up this season. Of course, they sold his 2 returning center backs, so that's not ideal.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Probably more likely than any of my suggestions, but he's not off to a great start stepping up this season. Of course, they sold his 2 returning center backs, so that's not ideal.

And his best offensive player to their main rival.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I think you are going really easy on Dest. There were multiple occasions in the last set of games where he lost the ball out of bounds through careless lack of focus. I agree he is the most talented 1v1 guy we have, which makes his loss of basic control even more inexcusable.

The trend of Reyna and McKinnie playing poorly goes back to the summer. They didn’t look that great in nations league. Weston is causing his own problems. Reyna seems disconnected from the rest of the offense and that’s on Berhalter for the most part, but it would help if Reyna let the ball do the running versus trying to dribble through the entire d.

I think I am spot on because Berhalter has proven he doesn’t know how to balance his squad and get the best out of all his best euro players… and I think they know that and try to do much to compensate. It’s a shame because, while I do think we will qualify, I think a better manager would really help set a foundation for success for all this talent in the World Cup and beyond.

He did not play well in the Nations League game despite being deployed as a winger (the formation was a 3-4-3 but, with 3 centerbacks, Ream effectively played left back and Dest pushed really high and played as more of a winger). And he did not play well against El Salvador. (Need to edit: Note, that this statement applies to the Mexico game. I have already opined on why I think he did not play well against El Salvador) I cannot put my finger on why that is. he is too talented to play that way and we really need his talents on the field.

McKinnie may have best the best field player on the pitch against Mexico. He had a tremendous game. So I cannot agree with you that he was not playing well. He did not play well against El Salvador.

And, btw, if you want to talk about poor performances, Brooks was poor against Mexico and really poor during the three game qualifiers. Interesting that you have not said a word about him.

The media thinks Reyna has played well. I don't agree with that but I think that is structural. He is not a natural winger. He consistently wants to come inside and he both provides no width and creates a lot of congestion by doing so. This is on Berhalter and Berhalter needs to figure it out.

And, after these first three qualifiers, I agree with you. So far, Berhalter has not figured it out. We'll see if he does with this second three-pack.

The one thing I will say, after looking at the FIFA rankings is that I do tend to forget how young all these players are.

Part of our problem is that our most talented players are all so young and our more experienced players just are not as talented. It does create a conundrum for Berhalter and makes his job that much harder.

The more experienced players give us a higher floor but a lower ceiling. The reverse is true of our younger players. Trying to get the right blend of both is not an easy ask. But that is what he is getting paid to do.

I think I would agree that there is no doubt that a manager like Conte would get more out of this group than Berhalter will but I also think getting a manager of that caliber is a pipe dream and just not realistic.

 

[upperdeck]

how much does travel hurt our team vs some of the other Euro teams.. Most of the best Euro guys are within a short flight of the home team. Most of our best are a long flight away. I would imagine if the US league was really good many of these guys would be playing in the US and that would help with cohesion and recovery and training.. But thats never gonna happen

 

[OrangeFoo]

He did not play well in the Nations League game despite being deployed as a winger (the formation was a 3-4-3 but, with 3 centerbacks, Ream effectively played left back and Dest pushed really high and played as more of a winger). And he did not play well against El Salvador. (Need to edit: Note, that this statement applies to the Mexico game. I have already opined on why I think he did not play well against El Salvador) I cannot put my finger on why that is. he is too talented to play that way and we really need his talents on the field.

McKinnie may have best the best field player on the pitch against Mexico. He had a tremendous game. So I cannot agree with you that he was not playing well. He did not play well against El Salvador.

And, btw, if you want to talk about poor performances, Brooks was poor against Mexico and really poor during the three game qualifiers. Interesting that you have not said a word about him.

The media thinks Reyna has played well. I don't agree with that but I think that is structural. He is not a natural winger. He consistently wants to come inside and he both provides no width and creates a lot of congestion by doing so. This is on Berhalter and Berhalter needs to figure it out.

And, after these first three qualifiers, I agree with you. So far, Berhalter has not figured it out. We'll see if he does with this second three-pack.

The one thing I will say, after looking at the FIFA rankings is that I do tend to forget how young all these players are.

Part of our problem is that our most talented players are all so young and our more experienced players just are not as talented. It does create a conundrum for Berhalter and makes his job that much harder.

The more experienced players give us a higher floor but a lower ceiling. The reverse is true of our younger players. Trying to get the right blend of both is not an easy ask. But that is what he is getting paid to do.

I think I would agree that there is no doubt that a manager like Conte would get more out of this group than Berhalter will but I also think getting a manager of that caliber is a pipe dream and just not realistic.

I question whether Conte would be a good national team coach... he's a little bit like Mourhino in that he forces clubs to buy "his" players and if he doesn't get them he complains or leaves. The reason he left Chelsea after winning the EPL is because he wasn't going to get control of player acquisition. With a national team like the US, you get the players you get.

This might be a hot take, but I think the USMNT plays better this next set of three than the past because so much of the Euro talent is not available. I think Berhalter will find it easier to make the pieces fit together because the MLS-based squad has players who are easier to fit on the board. That's not to say the MLS players are better or worse than Euro players, but the Euro based players have a ton more individual skill, play in similar positions, and as noted Gregg has no idea how to put them together into a system where sum is great than individual parts.

Reyna needs to be in the middle, but it's not clear that he has the defensive aptitude for that at the International level. McKinnie needs to be in the middle, but it's not clear if he's able to create enough for others at that position and he's not dangerous enough on his own in the middle. Pulisic probably plays best as a winger or false 9, but given our lack of midfield skill he's too isolated as a winger and doesn't see enough of the ball at that position so he ends up dropping in midfield. Adams is perfectly suited as a 6... but Gregg seems to want to play him at RB. Dest is a winger for the nats, but so far has not played to his full potential there. Brooks seems to be a huge liability as a CB when we are not able to provide more cover for the D and turn the ball over so often in the middle of the field which we OFTEN do with Dest and McKinnie and Reyna playing as poorly as they did in the last set of games.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The more experienced players give us a higher floor but a lower ceiling. The reverse is true of our younger players. Trying to get the right blend of both is not an easy ask. But that is what he is getting paid to do.

I think I would agree that there is no doubt that a manager like Conte would get more out of this group than Berhalter will but I also think getting a manager of that caliber is a pipe dream and just not realistic.

Probably true, but as some of these great managers (like Mourinho, who has already said for his next job he would like to manage a national team ...) reach a certain age, and they want to do national teams. That's what Pep Guardiola is going to do next, try to get the Brazil job.

So, there are going to be quality coaches out there, better than we could usually get, because we are the host nation in 2026, and we should have probably the most talented roster we have ever had.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I question whether Conte would be a good national team coach... he's a little bit like Mourhino in that he forces clubs to buy "his" players and if he doesn't get them he complains or leaves. The reason he left Chelsea after winning the EPL is because he wasn't going to get control of player acquisition. With a national team like the US, you get the players you get.

IthacaMatt: I think a structured system like Mourinho and Conte teach could be adopted more easily, because the players would know exactly what he wanted them to do. Plus, it would be structurally sound in the back. You could count on that, and defense has been our biggest problems over the last couple coaches.

This might be a hot take, but I think the USMNT plays better this next set of three than the past because so much of the Euro talent is not available. I think Berhalter will find it easier to make the pieces fit together because the MLS-based squad has players who are easier to fit on the board. That's not to say the MLS players are better or worse than Euro players, but the Euro based players have a ton more individual skill, play in similar positions, and as noted Gregg has no idea how to put them together into a system where sum is great than individual parts.

IthacaMatt: I agree with this to an extent. Berhalter obviously knows the MLS talent pool well, and it's easier for him to stay on top of their performances that it is with a guy who is playing in Belgium or the Netherlands, or Austria - 2nd tier leagues for which the TV coverage is limited.

I think Berhalter should be considered like a guy who has the "on the field" ability to teach what Jurgen Klinsmann wanted them to do. Similar "modern" style of play that they are trying to employ, but Berhalter has the advantage of having more talented players, taught now in this kind of system at their European clubs.

Berhalter is doing his best to imitate that modern style - press to force turnovers high up the pitch, swarm and trap in midfield to try to win the ball back quickly; play from the back on offense; build-up play from the centerback to the holding mid to the wing, where they have options - diagonal ball, keep working up the same sideline with overlaps, cut inside and look for the open spaces in midfield. We are trying to do all this stuff. Now, compared to Klinsmann, we have the players who are better equipped to actually do this, although they are awfully young, and as you or someone said in this thread, the experienced guys tend to be the MLS guys who are less talented but more used to the dirty play that is common in CONCACAF (kind of like comparing the Championship and its level of physical play to Premiere League). So I think he's on the right track, but so far, there is clearly work to be done in the final third. But they are doing a pretty good job in the other 2 areas of the pitch.

Reyna needs to be in the middle, but it's not clear that he has the defensive aptitude for that at the International level. McKinnie needs to be in the middle, but it's not clear if he's able to create enough for others at that position and he's not dangerous enough on his own in the middle. Pulisic probably plays best as a winger or false 9, but given our lack of midfield skill he's too isolated as a winger and doesn't see enough of the ball at that position so he ends up dropping in midfield. Adams is perfectly suited as a 6... but Gregg seems to want to play him at RB. Dest is a winger for the nats, but so far has not played to his full potential there. Brooks seems to be a huge liability as a CB when we are not able to provide more cover for the D and turn the ball over so often in the middle of the field which we OFTEN do with Dest and McKinnie and Reyna playing as poorly as they did in the last set of games.

Berhalter is trying to get his best 11 on the field with this playing guys somewhat out of place. Personally, I think the "2nd stringers, a lot of them anyway, are good enough to plug into this team; maybe not carry it to victory all by themselves, but serviceable parts that are unlikely to make too many major mistakes. Play more guys, so they don't get hurt, Gregg. That's the biggest worry I have for the qualifying campaign. He limits himself to too small a rotation, and they wind up getting hurt in this compressed qualifying campaign.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Berhalter is trying to get his best 11 on the field with this playing guys somewhat out of place. Personally, I think the "2nd stringers, a lot of them anyway, are good enough to plug into this team; maybe not carry it to victory all by themselves, but serviceable parts that are unlikely to make too many major mistakes. Play more guys, so they don't get hurt, Gregg. That's the biggest worry I have for the qualifying campaign. He limits himself to too small a rotation, and they wind up getting hurt in this compressed qualifying campaign.

We're already there... Reyna and Pulisic are both still hurt

 

[LPOrange]

Brooks is already out for this qualifying window. Back issues.

 

[cusefan88]

Brooks is already out for this qualifying window. Back issues.

He's been on the bench for Wolfsburg. He's definitely not feeling right. His form the last month hasn't been great. Expecting Miles Robinson and hopefully Chris Richards to start.