2022 USMNT Thread

[Forza Azzurri]

Since Morris and Zardes came in it's been a mess.

I thought the midfield got tired. Musah should have come off earlier.

 

[Orangezoo]

With Pulsic constantly cutting inside, there is no place for Musah to go.

Once Aaronson came on, it opened things up for him a bit.

Yeah it sort of did but Musah was playing way too tight with Adams and Mckennie even when Pulisic wasn't cutting in. Ferreira didn't help either.

Aaronson came in and it helped some but then Morris and Zardes had the attack looking lifeless and disorganized.

 

[Orangezoo]

I thought the midfield got tired. Musah should have come off earlier.

Yeah that is true too. It was just a weird match overall. ES never threatened besides the one dangerous attack with Roldans shot. They were lifeless on attack otherwise.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I thought this was a sluggish performance tonight. The field looked like people's spikes were getting caught, too.

Pulisic was not very good tonight. Twellman complimented him on his service on corners, but I don't think he did so well. Plus he seem to lose he dribble to easily a few times, losing to not very difficult challenges, and he drove into 3 man dead-ends a lot.

Musah was much better in the 2nd half after being invisible in the first half. Too many people were all trying to occupy the same space, both in midfield and in attack in the first half. They spread out a bit more in the 2nd half, and you noticed that Musah's 2 or 3 good runs came from the left side of midfield.

Antonee Robinson not only scored the game winner, but he also had another excellent effort at goal that was well struck, and a third that was off target. So he active in attack, although better shooting than passing. His crosses often went nowhere, but I guess you could say that's statistically accurate for nearly all winger types.

Robinson and Chris Richards were shaky defensively, though. They didn't seem to talk to each other enough, and were not aware enough of the space around them. Most of the danger came from their side of the defense.

I was thinking around the 60 minute mark when he took out Pulisic that he should have taken out McKennie, too. I hope he isn't hurt too badly. He was very good tonight, maybe a bit too showy a couple times on the ball, but very skillful, clearly enjoyed his football especially before the goal was scored. He was linking really well with Dest, Musah and Pulisic.

Tyler Adams is brilliant defensively, and bailed us out a couple times, although I felt like he was getting a bit too deep, so we were almost playing 3 at the back, when we could have used him 10 yards or so more forward, so he could take the pass from the center back, turn and look upfield.

Ferreira, if I'm getting that right, was a zippy waterbug out there in the first half, but missed 2 or 3 chances, a couple of which were pretty good. He should have had 1 goal for those chances.

I thought Weah was pretty good in the first half but kind of drifted out of the game in the 2nd half.

Glad for the win. Too bad Mexico staged the comeback against Jamaica. We have to play much better to beat Canada on Sunday.

3 points is 3 points. Aren't going to play your A game everytime and to still get a win with less than stellar efforts from a number of key players is ok in my book.

Agree with just about everything although I thought Musah should have come off rather than McKennie.

I also think Robinson was higher by design to allow Pulisic to cut inside and that Richards having to cover in behind Robinson was intentional. It looks like defensive weakness but Berhalter was willing to concede that space since he wanted Robinson playing higher. Italy does the same thing with Spinazzola\Emerson and Insignie. Except Italy has Chiellini whose understanding of how to cover is at a different level relative to a youngster like Richards.

I think we play for a point on Sunday and then look to get 3 more on Wednesday.

 

[Orangezoo]

One other thing is that when Adams is not getting good service into the final third it makes a big difference. Weston is great with individual runs as are Robinson and Dest but Adams played a ton of poor balls and was way too tentative passing it last night. More than a couple easy through balls he didn't pull the trigger on.

Not to mention Pulisic as well was awful missing some easy balls he decided to try and dribble instead.

 

[IthacaMatt]

With Pulsic constantly cutting inside, there is no place for Musah to go.

Once Aaronson came on, it opened things up for him a bit.

Yep, Pulisic was over-anxious to get on the ball to make something happen. He came too far back, and too central. He got in other people's way too much.

Worrying for me, he didn't just dribble into traffic too many times; his handle didn't seem very tight. Guys won the ball with the easiest toe pokes against him several times. He's playing like crap right now.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Yeah it sort of did but Musah was playing way too tight with Adams and Mckennie even when Pulisic wasn't cutting in. Ferreira didn't help either.

Aaronson came in and it helped some but then Morris and Zardes had the attack looking lifeless and disorganized.

It can be tough to really see what is going on on TV sometimes since you cannot see what is happening off the ball. That is where being at a game makes such a difference.

I think Musah was forced deeper by Pulisic cutting inside. Then you had Ferreira who kept dropping deep between the lines trying to find the ball. Wish I had a heat map of the game to verify but it just seemed like guys were on top of each other a lot. And it didn't help that Pulisic just had a poor game.

And, of course, ES playing the soccer equivalent of 5 guys in the paint on D did not make it any easier.

I think ES is well-coached and disciplined, especially on D. Like we used to be, they just don't have enough talent.

 

[Orangezoo]

Yep, Pulisic was over-anxious to get on the ball to make something happen. He came too far back, and too central. He got in other people's way too much.

Worrying for me, he didn't just dribble into traffic too many times; his handle didn't seem very tight. Guys won the ball with the easiest toe pokes against him several times. He's playing like crap right now.

Like you noted as for going to spain- pulisic just needs a consistent run of play. He is still super talented but needs to be out there every match doing his thing to get into decent form. At 23 he doesn't have to be playing for a CL winner. No reason in 5 years he couldn't be better positioned to come back to the PL.

 

[Orangezoo]

It can be tough to really see what is going on on TV sometimes since you cannot see what is happening off the ball. That is where being at a game makes such a difference.

I think Musah was forced deeper by Pulisic cutting inside. Then you had Ferreira who kept dropping deep between the lines trying to find the ball. Wish I had a heat map of the game to verify but it just seemed like guys were on top of each other a lot. And it didn't help that Pulisic just had a poor game.

And, of course, ES playing the soccer equivalent of 5 guys in the paint on D did not make it any easier.

I think ES is well-coached and disciplined, especially on D. Like we used to be, they just don't have enough talent.

Guys being on top of one another is what I saw essentially too. Completely agree it's hard on TV when looking for certain things vs in person. I don't like the ESPN camera angles either. NBC does a far better job in my opinion. Much easier to see the action on the far side of the pitch.

I will also admit as a winger when I played I tend to be a little harder on the CBs and Center middies.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I also think Robinson was higher by design to allow Pulisic to cut inside and that Richards having to cover in behind Robinson was intentional. It looks like defensive weakness but Berhalter was willing to concede that space since he wanted Robinson playing higher. Italy does the same thing with Spinazzola\Emerson and Insignie. Except Italy has Chiellini whose understanding of how to cover is at a different level relative to a youngster like Richards.

I think we play for a point on Sunday and then look to get 3 more on Wednesday.

I think Brooks made a couple bad errors in his last appearance, 2 windows ago.

Richards is not a better player than even an inconsistent John Brooks.

Miles Robinson and Antonee Robinson combine better on the left of the defense. I'm pretty comfortable with Walker Zimmerman over Miazga. He, Brooks, Miles Robinson and Aaron Long would be a pretty formidable group of center backs. I don't think Berhalter can just write off Brooks to make a point, because Brooks is probably our best guy in the air on set pieces.

I like Miles at LCB over Mark McKenzie or Richards. I'm hopeful that Aaron Long can get back to health by the final qualifying window, to see whether he can be a contributor in Qatar.

Guys being on top of one another is what I saw essentially too. Completely agree it's hard on TV when looking for certain things vs in person. I don't like the ESPN camera angles either. NBC does a far better job in my opinion. Much easier to see the action on the far side of the pitch.

I will also admit as a winger when I played I tend to be a little harder on the CBs and Center middies.

I agree that NBC does a better job, but part of that might be that English stadiums have higher roofs / gantry than a lot of US soccer-only facilities, which have maybe half the capacity as those in England.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If we had a good manager who uses the pieces like we can. This team makes the KO round then its all about matchups and draw from there.

He's won his last 2 tournaments, and has beaten Mexico 3 in a row.
Who else has done that? Maybe 2 or 3 guys? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
He is creating the next generation of American football, and in broad strokes, it's coming along really well.

 

[Alsacs]

He's won his last 2 tournaments, and has beaten Mexico 3 in a row.
Who else has done that? Maybe 2 or 3 guys? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
He is creating the next generation of American football, and in broad strokes, it's coming along really well.

We have played poor
That Gold Cup we played well against Mexico but the rest of the tournament we played poorly.

The guy is just not going to take the USMNT where it needs to be.
He is a mediocre MLS cpach who used family connections to get the job.
I just want to qualify for the WC and then after this cycle replace him with a real manager so when we host we can do damage in 2026.

 

[IthacaMatt]

We have played poor
That Gold Cup we played well against Mexico but the rest of the tournament we played poorly.

The guy is just not going to take the USMNT where it needs to be.
He is a mediocre MLS cpach who used family connections to get the job.
I just want to qualify for the WC and then after this cycle replace him with a real manager so when we host we can do damage in 2026.

I've been telling you, this is Berhalter's tournament. He's got them right where they need to be, with a 4 point gap over 4th place, and several favorable games left. We will not miss the World Cup, so he isn't getting fired. I think this team is going to get there, and break our hearts a bit. That's part of the process.

But these guys will be growing into players of increasing in stature throughout Europe, and with the US hosting the tournament in 2026, that seems like the time to get a "Dream Coach" from Europe who is tactically more proficient, to lead us into that once-in-a-lifetime shot for this generation of players to make a deep run.

 

[orangenauburn]

So against Canada do we come out aggressive and attacking or will we sit back and play stall ball D?

Canada is going to push the pace and be aggressive all game, we might as well trust the back line and keeper to do their jobs and come out aggressive and push the pace ourselves.

 

[jncuse]

I don't really follow this until this year now that Canada is relevant.

Is there any advantage at all from finishing 1st instead of 2nd or 3rd. Other than pride of winning the group.

 

[Alsacs]

I don't really follow this until this year now that Canada is relevant.

Is there any advantage at all from finishing 1st instead of 2nd or 3rd. Other than pride of winning the group.

No.
Except it helps your FIFA rankings the more official matchups you get results in. Canada won’t get up to the top 7 which are the seeded teams in the WC draw + host natjon. The UsA is 11th so if they wkn all their WCQ matches msybe they could move up to top 7 but they won’t and it won’t matter. Canada would likely move up a lot if they keep winning WCQ but it won’t matter if they finish 1st or 3rd honestly just finish top 3.

There is no advantage to finishing first or third. All the CONCACAF teams will be in the same bowl durijg the WC draw.

Finishing firsf is just bragging rights.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I will also admit as a winger when I played I tend to be a little harder on the CBs and Center middies.

Understandable. Wingers need service. Good service. A winger who hunts the game because of a lack of service kills spacing.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

So against Canada do we come out aggressive and attacking or will we sit back and play stall ball D?

Canada is going to push the pace and be aggressive all game, we might as well trust the back line and keeper to do their jobs and come out aggressive and push the pace ourselves.

Cannot play the midfield and the forwards for 270 minutes.

And, although our depth is better, still not at a level to be able to take the game to a team like Canada, especially on the road.

Sit back, absorb pressure, try to hit on the counter but focus on getting a point.

Then, bring everyone back to get 3 on Wednesday.

7 points from this trifecta is a win.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

If we had a good manager who uses the pieces like we can.

Don't just say it. Tell us why. Give examples. Add value.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I like the squad but Berhalter is an incredibly average to subpar coach. Look at his record in Sweden and MLS. Really not very good. Jesse Marsch got fired by RB Leipzig but has a much better resume than GGG.

You too. Don't just say it. Tell us why. Give examples. What has he done over the last year to demonstrate that he is a subpar coach?

 

[PoppyHart]

Some people just like to feel like they’re heard.

 

[Alsacs]

Don't just say it. Tell us why. Give examples. Add value.

Berhalter insists on attempting tactics that don't fit the team, plays against players strengths, and wants to operate in an overly specific way that makes our best players worse. The team looks better when he rolls out a more vanilla gameplan.
Results this summer were excellent, but the performances sucked! How many 1-0 games did we win at the Gold Cup where we were thoroughly outplayed?
What cpold possibly justify Berhalter's insistence on starting Paul Arriola for 3 consecutive crucial qualifiers over Timothy Weah.
It can’t be said enough Berhalter should thank Tyler Adams like no other player. While Pulisic is our best player Berhalter’s system relies on Adams.
Starting Ferreria this past match just a terrible selection.

Berhalter’s system of pressing and playing from the back doesn’t fit the talent we have when we play good competition. Our back 4 is sloppy with the ball and when they get pressure have given up turnovers and goals.

Berhalter has beaten Mexico the last 3 times I give him that but the talent this team has never been higher and we constantly play down the competition. He will finish this cycle. I hope we do well at the WC and make a move for a manager that can unleash this talent.

I play Musah at 6,Reyna at 7, McKennie at 8, Pulisic at 9 and then play your top 2 options from the attacking grab bag. Personally i like rotating Pefok, Pepi, and Dike at 10.
Put Weah in the rotation.

We have talent. The manager we chose was hired because his brother was part of the process.

 

[cusefan88]

You too. Don't just say it. Tell us why. Give examples. What has he done over the last year to demonstrate that he is a subpar coach?

Sure. For me it's the goals and how they break down first-half vs second-half in World Cup Qualifying.

Goals in First-Half: 2
Goals in Second-Half: 11

4 Goals came at Honduras so the overall tally excluding that one is 9 goals in 8 Matches. Against the best sides in the world, the pressure cooker of the World Cup, those are not the stats that will get the USMNT where we all want it to be.

I also think the goals by half breakdown tells me GGG consistently is getting his starting XI and team selection wrong considering the very large disparity. Now, it seems he does make good tactical/personnel choices in the second-half but I'm concerned through 9 matches he doesn't really know how to setup his team from the jump.

Maybe I'm being too harsh but he was never the best candidate for the job and it was an inside hire from his brother, who later resigned at the Federation's COO. If the US wants to win a world cup some day, this buddy buddy system at the highest level needs to go away and merit needs to win the day.

 

[Alsacs]

Sure. For me it's the goals and how they break down first-half vs second-half in World Cup Qualifying.

Goals in First-Half: 2
Goals in Second-Half: 11

4 Goals came at Honduras so the overall tally excluding that one is 9 goals in 8 Matches. Against the best sides in the world, the pressure cooker of the World Cup, those are not the stats that will get the USMNT where we all want it to be.

I also think the goals by half breakdown tells me GGG consistently is getting his starting XI and team selection wrong considering the very large disparity. Now, it seems he does make good tactical/personnel choices in the second-half but I'm concerned through 9 matches he doesn't really know how to setup his team from the jump.

Maybe I'm being too harsh but he was never the best candidate for the job and it was an inside hire from his brother, who later resigned at the Federation's COO. If the US wants to win a world cup some day, this buddy buddy system at the highest level needs to go away and merit needs to win the day.

Exactly.
We could have hired a better manager but the old SUM/US soccer management picked him after a long search.
Now that group is gone even though the old US soccer president wants back in.

He will get the rest of the year but please don’t extend him for next cycle,

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don't really follow this until this year now that Canada is relevant.

Is there any advantage at all from finishing 1st instead of 2nd or 3rd. Other than pride of winning the group.

I think it helps determine your seeding once you get to the World Cup.