2021 USMNT Thread

[Orangezoo]

Start the search for the next manager. Berhalter has to go.

It's unreal. It was an overconfident move it looked to me thinking you can just rest guys for Costa Rica and cruise to a result in Panama.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Didn’t see the match so I can only ask one obvious question…

Why start Zardes in place of Pepi?!?

Kid is 18 so he likely has fuel in the tank despite scoring two last game.

 

[SUfanNC]

the whole team looks bad. We are just pounding up the field. No structure. We had 7 min of stoppage

 

[LPOrange]

zero shots on goal

 

[crv1728]

F you Greg Berhalter! Just not acceptable!

 

[Alsacs]

Low energy Gregg great job buddy.
You better beat Costa Rica.

 

[SUfanNC]

tough weekend I’m struggling with these results

 

[Alsacs]

Jamaica helped out.
Canada has enough quality they should expect a win at the Office.
When we go to Kingston I expect a win.

 

[cusefan88]

At least Zardes scored a goal...for the other team

 

[IthacaMatt]

Didn’t see the match so I can only ask one obvious question…

Why start Zardes in place of Pepi?!?

Kid is 18 so he likely has fuel in the tank despite scoring two last game.

It was a conservative call to get the guy out there who has had bottles of pissed thrown at him in 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity before instead of the 18 year old kid.

Of course, Pepi has been involved in our last 5 goals, so Zardes could have been pulled at the half.

 

[LPOrange]

we can beat Costa Rica by 7 goals and the ELO stats will show the USA underachieved yet again this window.

 

[Alsacs]

It was a conservative call to get the guy out there who has had bottles of pissed thrown at him in 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity before instead of the 18 year old kid.

Of course, Pepi has been involved in our last 5 goals, so Zardes could have been pulled at the half.

Gregg Berhalter’s call to not start the team’s top players Pepi, Adams, Aaronson is just negligence.

WCQ road qualifiers aren’t where you experiment.

Coaching sucks.

 

[jncuse]

I really don't follow international soccer much as I don't like soccer in general.

But I have a bit of an interest in Canada making it. I am thinking Canada's tie at Jamaica was a pretty bad result for them if they want to make it -- but somebody let me know otherwise.

 

[LPOrange]

His starting linup sucked. His subs sucked. His squad selection sucked. He knew Antonee Robinson couldn't play in Panama. Why not call in Scally? Why play Roldan and leave Luca de la Torre on the bench? Why not even call in Konrad? Pefok?

 

[Alsacs]

I really don't follow international soccer much as I don't like soccer in general.

But I have a bit of an interest in Canada making it. I am thinking Canada's tie at Jamaica was a pretty bad result for them if they want to make it -- but somebody let me know otherwise.

You guys overachieved big time getting draws at USA and Mexico. Thus I would expect you guys to beat Jamaica on the road.
It’s not a killer at all it just would have given you guys a huge cushion at home.

Now you guys gotta win some home matches.

The result isn’t a major disappointment but you guys should expect to win at the Office they don’t have a hostile road venue.
I expect Canada and Panama to battle for the last automatic qualifier.

 

[LPOrange]

I really don't follow international soccer much as I don't like soccer in general.

But I have a bit of an interest in Canada making it. I am thinking Canada's tie at Jamaica was a pretty bad result for them if they want to make it -- but somebody let me know otherwise.

I couldn't see the game but I bet Herdman rotated his squad for Jamaica. Jamaica is the worst team of the group but yeah it's not a good result. Still better than a loss.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Today against Panama was lethargic. Part of that was down to 7 different guys in the line-up, but this is why we're supposed to have depth. You simply cannot play the same guys 3 games every window without a bunch of them getting hurt.

So, I'm not against what he did with the line-up, but wow, a bunch of guys had sloppy, low energy games. Let's name some names.

Poor game: McKenzie at the back, from the beginning. Not enough energy challenging Panama players in our defensive box. Similarly, Shaq Moore, who has been very good in the past, just was off the pace. He looked slow, sluggish and played way too far off his man. George Bello wasn't bad at the other back, but he didn't offer enough going forward.

I thought Acosta had to play between Zimmerman and McKenzie at the back because McKenzie and keeper Matt Turner was also shakey in distribution. Turner's shot stopping was really good, but why didn't we adjust on those in-swinging corners? They nearly put three of them in!

Zimmerman was a threat at a couple early crosses, but they all faded in energy. It must have been hot and muggy down there.

Tim Weah showed very little. Zardes was poor. Lleget has poor games from time to time. This was one of them. He didn't really manage the game in midfield at all. His passes weren't connecting. Paul Arriola offered nothing, and was rightly hooked early.

I thought Musah was pretty good carrying the ball forward, but he wasn't getting to the second balls. I would have kept him out there instead of Lleget, personally.

I thought the waves of subs were good, although I would have brought the 2nd group on at 60 minutes instead of waiting 75.

Yedlin made a couple mistakes in relief. He's not playing as well as he did a year or two ago.

The team was disjointed. They didn't follow those forward passing patterns that they usually use. Usually players are plug-and-play in this system, but these guys did not get it done tonight; Weah, Arriola, Moore, Zardes, Turner, McKenzie all were lacking tonight. Not enough fight at all.

 

[jncuse]

You guys overachieved big time getting draws at USA and Mexico. Thus I would expect you guys to beat Jamaica on the road.
It’s not a killer at all it just would have given you guys a huge cushion at home.

Now you guys gotta win some home matches.

The result isn’t a major disappointment but you guys should expect to win at the Office they don’t have a hostile road venue.
I expect Canada and Panama to battle for the last automatic qualifier.

Is the "Office" the Jamaica stadium. Not only was it not hostile, there was no crowd at all.

 

[Alsacs]

Is the "Office" the Jamaica stadium. Not only was it not hostile, there was no crowd at all.

Yes that is the nickname of the Jamaica’s stadium.
The stadium is not hostile even with fans.
They aren’t crazy like the other teams in CONCACAF.

You guys have a good manager and finally developing world class players.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Gregg Berhalter’s call to not start the team’s top players Pepi, Adams, Aaronson is just negligence.

WCQ road qualifiers aren’t where you experiment.

Coaching sucks.

You can't play Adams 3 games every window. You cannot do that, or you won't have him for months at a time due to hamstring injuries.

 

[Alsacs]

You can't play Adams 3 games every window. You cannot do that, or you won't have him for months at a time due to hamstring injuries.

Then you sub him off when you go 2-0 up on Jamaica last week.
You always prioritize the current game. We needed Adams this game over Costa Rica.

 

[crv1728]

Today against Panama was lethargic. Part of that was down to 7 different guys in the line-up, but this is why we're supposed to have depth. You simply cannot play the same guys 3 games every window without a bunch of them getting hurt.

So, I'm not against what he did with the line-up, but wow, a bunch of guys had sloppy, low energy games. Let's name some names.

Poor game: McKenzie at the back, from the beginning. Not enough energy challenging Panama players in our defensive box. Similarly, Shaq Moore, who has been very good in the past, just was off the pace. He looked slow, sluggish and played way too far off his man. George Bello wasn't bad at the other back, but he didn't offer enough going forward.

I thought Acosta had to play between Zimmerman and McKenzie at the back because McKenzie and keeper Matt Turner was also shakey in distribution. Turner's shot stopping was really good, but why didn't we adjust on those in-swinging corners? They nearly put three of them in!

Zimmerman was a threat at a couple early crosses, but they all faded in energy. It must have been hot and muggy down there.

Tim Weah showed very little. Zardes was poor. Lleget has poor games from time to time. This was one of them. He didn't really manage the game in midfield at all. His passes weren't connecting. Paul Arriola offered nothing, and was rightly hooked early.

I thought Musah was pretty good carrying the ball forward, but he wasn't getting to the second balls. I would have kept him out there instead of Lleget, personally.

I thought the waves of subs were good, although I would have brought the 2nd group on at 60 minutes instead of waiting 75.

Yedlin made a couple mistakes in relief. He's not playing as well as he did a year or two ago.

The team was disjointed. They didn't follow those forward passing patterns that they usually use. Usually players are plug-and-play in this system, but these guys did not get it done tonight; Weah, Arriola, Moore, Zardes, Turner, McKenzie all were lacking tonight. Not enough fight at all.

Good analysis. Completely agree that the team was disjointed. Also agree with analysis of individuals.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Then you sub him off when you go 2-0 up on Jamaica last week.
You always prioritize the current game. We needed Adams this game over Costa Rica.

That's what they did tonight. They gave another guy the start to see what he could do. I thought Kellyn Acosta and Musah were OK, but Lleget didn't give them the offensive creativity and ball possession. Acosta was in Adams' usual role, and he wasn't the problem. It was the other guys in midfield, not getting second balls, or too many loose passes.

Adams did a great job stabilizing the deep midfield and defense in the second half. If Berhalter had chosen Pepi instead of Zardes, or at least brought him on at halftime, that would have been fine. Like you say, he's a young kid; he can run for miles.

But strikers don't get stuck in for challenges the way a midfielder does. That's why you have to protect the midfielders, the fullbacks and wingers. They do the most high intensity running of anyone in the team. They are at the most risk of injury, from challenges and from exertion.

 

[OrangeFoo]

It’s like watching cuse football all over again. The talent is there, but the coaching isn’t and everyone but the powers that be can see it.

 

[Alsacs]

That's what they did tonight. They gave another guy the start to see what he could do. I thought Kellyn Acosta and Musah were OK, but Lleget didn't give them the offensive creativity and ball possession. Acosta was in Adams' usual role, and he wasn't the problem. It was the other guys in midfield, not getting second balls, or too many loose passes.

Adams did a great job stabilizing the deep midfield and defense in the second half. If Berhalter had chosen Pepi instead of Zardes, or at least brought him on at halftime, that would have been fine. Like you say, he's a young kid; he can run for miles.

But strikers don't get stuck in for challenges the way a midfielder does. That's why you have to protect the midfielders, the fullbacks and wingers. They do the most high intensity running of anyone in the team. They are at the most risk of injury, from challenges and from exertion.

The USMNT’s biggest problem
Right now is Gregg Berhalter.
I know you disagree but it’s what I think and lots of others agree.