USMNT - Greg Berhalter Takes Over

[cusefan88]

Alex Mendez to Ajax — something like the 7th player from our domestic league to a Champions League side this year.

Hopefully GB and the Fed talk to him, Araujo, and Llanez to keep the communication lines open. Also no coincidence those three all came from the same youth setup. very impressive work.

 

[DeGrozz]

More good news: I guess Sargent missing the Gold Cup is looking like a net-positive in the long run.

 

[cusefan88]

More good news: I guess Sargent missing the Gold Cup is looking like a net-positive in the long run.

As long as it's hello Sargent goodbye Gyasi. Also keep an eye on Andrija Novakovich with Reading this season. Another tall and skilled CF.

 

[Alsacs]

As long as it's hello Sargent goodbye Gyasi. Also keep an eye on Andrija Novakovich with Reading this season. Another tall and skilled CF.

Zardes is going to become the new Wondo who wouldn’t go away from the national team.

 

[cusefan88]

Zardes is going to become the new Wondo who wouldn’t go away from the national team.

 

[DeGrozz]

More good news!

Pulisic netted two today for Chelsea.

Only saw the headlines/highlights. I have no idea how he played otherwise, but one can assume...

 

[Forza Azzurri]

More good news!

Pulisic netted two today for Chelsea.

Only saw the headlines/highlights. I have no idea how he played otherwise, but one can assume...

DVR'd and watched the MLS All Star game.

Only 5 of the 20 field players on the MLS roster were US-eligible national team players and two of those, Wondolowski and Zusi, are over-the-hill...

Disappointing.

 

[cusefan88]

I don't think the US is going to produce a conveyor belt of talent until the USSF reduces the cost/barrier for coaching licenses, actually accepts and works with the latino community, and participates in the global business via training compensation etc.

Sargent and Pulisic both developed outside the MLS sphere...

 

[Alsacs]

I don't think the US is going to produce a conveyor belt of talent until the USSF reduces the cost/barrier for coaching licenses, actually accepts and works with the latino community, and participates in the global business via training compensation etc.

Sargent and Pulisic both developed outside the MLS sphere...

The problem with our development is kids want scholarships to play in college. In the rest of the world 13-18 year olds become professionals and develop the skills for soccer. Here we don't do that and our game is way more physical and not as skillful.

Those players you cited didn't go to college they went overseas and developed.
USSF can't do anything about these problems.

 

[cusefan88]

The problem with our development is kids want scholarships to play in college. In the rest of the world 13-18 year olds become professionals and develop the skills for soccer. Here we don't do that and our game is way more physical and not as skillful.

Those players you cited didn't go to college they went overseas and developed.
USSF can't do anything about these problems.

Very true. Need more kids with the desire to be pros. And for that matter parents who understand/support that.

 

[DeGrozz]

I don't think the US is going to produce a conveyor belt of talent until the USSF reduces the cost/barrier for coaching licenses, actually accepts and works with the latino community, and participates in the global business via training compensation etc.

Sargent and Pulisic both developed outside the MLS sphere...

Sargent and Pulisic came up through the same system as the MLS academies, except they went to different for-profit teams. I actually think Sargent's team is associated with Sporting KC who helps develop the club's coaches and set training strategies. I'm not sure if Puli's team is associated with a pro team, but most of them are all intertwined in that same sphere.

I'm bringing it up because I think there is some misconception that those two are these unicorns who magically became top-5 league talents on their own. They were part of the same pay-for-play system, the only difference between them and Gio Reyna or Tyler Adams is they didn't live close enough to an MLS team to have a name-brand USSDA team.

 

[DeGrozz]

DVR'd and watched the MLS All Star game.

Only 5 of the 20 field players on the MLS roster were US-eligible national team players and two of those, Wondolowski and Zusi, are over-the-hill...

Disappointing.

I didn't even watch the All-Star game! (I hate the way the teams are selected, the rules around sitting it out, when it's scheduled, etc, ect -- the league does a horrible job with it, in my opinion)

There's definitely a lack of American attacking talent in the league right now. I think we've got a lot of defensive and goalkeeping talent in the league, but the farther you move up the field, the less creative talent you see. Luckily we've got more young attacking talent overseas than we ever have had right now.

There are also some young players who should get a lot of run in the tail end of the season that I think will make some noise. We don't have the next Tim Weah in the group, but probably some guys that are fringe players for the next decade or so.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

 

[cusefan88]

Love TT. Spot on here

I do think he danced around the pro/rel aspect of MLS. My main reason for it with regards to player dev is that our country is too large to have it covered even by 30-40 clubs. We need a true pyramid with the ability to merit your way up and down based on investment, talent id/dev, coaching etc.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Bedoya has always been a really intelligent and vocal player but this is still a really bold move. Impressive stuff by him.

 

[DeGrozz]

Ooof: Been a while since Andrew Carleton gets meaningful minutes. Gets them in the biggest game of the year in domestic soccer so far this year and... not good. Stinks to see for one of our best 18 and under prospects.

Let's hope he refocuses soon. Lots of natural talent. Lots of bad habits -- on and off the field.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Ooof: Been a while since Andrew Carleton gets meaningful minutes. Gets them in the biggest game of the year in domestic soccer so far this year and... not good. Stinks to see for one of our best 18 and under prospects.

Let's hope he refocuses soon. Lots of natural talent. Lots of bad habits -- on and off the field.

I hope he can turn it around as he’s at a club that seems to give youngsters plenty of chances. Bello is the ATL USYNT player I’m most excited about though.

 

[DeGrozz]

I hope he can turn it around as he’s at a club that seems to give youngsters plenty of chances. Bello is the ATL USYNT player I’m most excited about though.

I'm frustrated with Carleton because he's had a chance to develop under Tata Martino (has coached Paraguay, Barcelona, Argentina, Mexico) and Frank de Boer (Ajax and Inter Milan) and hasn't taken it seriously.

I think Bello gets run in the second half of the season, word is he's back to match fitness!

I'm also excited because I think the SKC youth get tons of minutes the rest of the way (their midfield and attack is old with tons of miles on their legs so far this year and they have some big-5 league potential that's 16-22 years old).

 

[cusefan88]

Carleton sucks and it's obvious he doesn't have the mentality to be good. His fault alone.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Carleton sucks and it's obvious he doesn't have the mentality to be good. His fault alone.

For whatever reason, i find that soccer fans are naive, oblivious, whatever, with respect to the fact that it takes both elite athleticism (however you want to define it), and elite skill, to be an elite player (in any sport). Maybe Carleton just doesnt have the physical ability to play at this level? I wonder the same about Alex Mendez.

 

[cusefan88]

For whatever reason, i find that soccer fans are naive, oblivious, whatever, with respect to the fact that it takes both elite athleticism (however you want to define it), and elite skill, to be an elite player (in any sport). Maybe Carleton just doesnt have the physical ability to play at this level? I wonder the same about Alex Mendez.

His problem to date seems to be totally with his willingness to be a professional and take the sport seriously. The criticisms against him are not physically related.

Mendez has a great mentality and hunger to be great. That's the difference.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

For whatever reason, i find that soccer fans are naive, oblivious, whatever, with respect to the fact that it takes both elite athleticism (however you want to define it), and elite skill, to be an elite player (in any sport). Maybe Carleton just doesnt have the physical ability to play at this level? I wonder the same about Alex Mendez.

We’ll find out really soon with Méndez. I think he has an incredibly high ceiling and if there’s a club who’s shown the ability to get the most out of young players lately it’s Ajax. He has all the ability and I think we’ll see a vast improvement in his stamina and athleticism with their training staff.

 

[DeGrozz]

For whatever reason, i find that soccer fans are naive, oblivious, whatever, with respect to the fact that it takes both elite athleticism (however you want to define it), and elite skill, to be an elite player (in any sport). Maybe Carleton just doesnt have the physical ability to play at this level? I wonder the same about Alex Mendez.

I disagree with a few things. First, you don’t need to be an elite athlete to be an elite soccer player. The average EPL player is like 5’9” 155 and would get embarrassed in athletic competitions against most main stream athletes in the US. I agree with you on the elite skill. Not really the point of the post though...

Carleton was still suspended for the MLS cup final because he was out partying the night before the game. Would he have made the 18? Probably like a 25% chance. There were matches he was called upon before Kratz and McCann during that year. It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t have the tools, he’s got questionable character and makes dumb decisions on the field.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

I disagree with a few things. First, you don’t need to be an elite athlete to be an elite soccer player. The average EPL player is like 5’9” 155 and would get embarrassed in athletic competitions against most main stream athletes in the US. I agree with you on the elite skill. Not really the point of the post though...

Carleton was still suspended for the MLS cup final because he was out partying the night before the game. Would he have made the 18? Probably like a 25% chance. There were matches he was called upon before Kratz and McCann during that year. It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t have the tools, he’s got questionable character and makes dumb decisions on the field.

Name an elite soccer player today, who is not also an elite athlete (please don’t harken back to guys like Blanco or Valderamma)? Maybe Iniesta? Guys like him are unicorns though.

 

[DeGrozz]

Name an elite soccer player today, who is not also an elite athlete (please don’t harken back to guys like Blanco or Valderamma)? Maybe Iniesta? Guys like him are unicorns though.

About 2/3s of Barcelona’s midfield the last decade have not been elite athletes. Do you really consider guys like Busquets elite athletes?