USMNT thread - 2018

[Alsacs]

The question is who?

Most of the "big" names that were considered candidates by us, didn't consider us destinations and there were very few that we even had a punchers chance with.

Osorio and Tata were our two (seemingly) most reasonable shots who have both managed on a huge stage and had a connection to the US. Neither of them really considered us. And God knows what the story is with Moyes.

I think there are really 2 issues:

1 - We are not considered a hot job right now. It's no secret that our infrastructure is a huge dumpster fire compared to most of our peers (be it internationally, or at the club level). I don't think many marquee managers really care about the responsibilities to help build out a reasonable infrastructure that comes with our manager position (although, I still contend our development infrastructure is quickly improving).

2 - The coaching market is on fire right now. World class managers like Lippi or Conte or Pep or whoever are naming their prices all over Europe. The US isn't unique in having deep pockets and the places with deep pockets are, quite frankly, significantly more attractive that the US is. Heck, if you think about Klinsmann money (though we could afford more), that still is bottom half of the EPL this year for managers and puts you right around with what Roy Hodgson makes.

Unfortunately, I think this just is who we are right now. We're kinda like a low-level P-5 basketball school. We might be able to pay for an Izzo or Self, but an Izzo or Self is looking for a top-level job, not one where they have to build out a recruiting base, lead a charge to upgrade facilities, etc...

Klinsmann was making 10 million per year. Plus incentives and bonuses.
If that is bottom half of the EPL money then damn soccer managers do really well.
I think we could get a pretty good manager for 10 million a year. This Columbus guy shouldn’t get more than 2-3 million per year and if the USSF is going cheap we will pay for it.

 

[DeGrozz]

Klinsmann was making 10 million per year. Plus incentives and bonuses.
If that is bottom half of the EPL money then damn soccer managers do really well.
I think we could get a pretty good manager for 10 million a year. This Columbus guy shouldn’t get more than 2-3 million per year and if the USSF is going cheap we will pay for it.

Where did you see those numbers? That sounds like the base for his 4-year extension and I think that would make him the highest paid national team coach in the world by almost 3-fold, excluding Lippi’s crazy deal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...records-offer-details/?utm_term=.250eb8acdbc1

 

[Alsacs]

Where did you see those numbers? That sounds like the base for his 4-year extension and I think that would make him the highest paid national team coach in the world by almost 3-fold, excluding Lippi’s crazy deal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...records-offer-details/?utm_term=.250eb8acdbc1

I was told USSF paid him 3 million and then Nike was paying him an additional 7 million.
He got the Pitino type deal from them so the federation only paid him 3 million.

 

[DeGrozz]

Not sure if anyone here saw MLS Quarters over weekend but games were highly entertaining. KC RSL. end to end. Atlanta with 70,000, NY RB with two scintillating goals by Royer in the 2nd half. ( Wasn't sure where to put this post , didn't see a generic soccer thread)

Really cool thing about the second (I think?) goal was the nice combo play by Adams in tight spaces in the box to set it up. Great development to his game.

 

[storange]

Really cool thing about the second (I think?) goal was the nice combo play by Adams in tight spaces in the box to set it up. Great development to his game.

Yep, RB had about a 8 pass sequence with Adams beautiful one touch assist to finish.

 

[upperdeck]

NY RB.. was barkley playing before he took the plane to SF?

 

[Alsacs]

What a wasted year for the USMNT.
Hire a freaking manager already.
I like giving the youth experience but what the heck. We need the players learning the new system already.
We look like Colgate to England’s Syracuse on the pitch.
Nobody expects the USA to dominate in Europe but their is no organization and England isn’t even trying that hard it’s s party atmosphere for Rooney.

This team needs a manager for January winter camp and if it’s the Columbus guy ugh.

I would already plan on buying tickets for the CONCACAF match in LA next October/November for the Confederations Cup qualifier.
As I don’t like the USA chances for the Gold Cup right now.

 

[DeGrozz]

The good thing is we wanted to get our inexperienced players experience, which we did. The bad thing is that they looked extremely... inexperienced.

Sarachin tried to play a compact flat 4-man midfield defensively with Green and Wood only lightly pressing the ball. This was supposed to be a bunker. Unfortunately Weah and Pulisic were constantly pulled out of position leaving Adams and Mckennie exposed. It's not a complex scheme and we really shouldn't have gotten ripped the way that we did playing it. Either terrible execution or our coach couldn't explain things any better than a DIII assistant. I'm guessing it's probably a growing pain for a midfield that was playing its first game together and had little time to prep.

Couple that with being completely outmanned against what may be the current best group of youth players in the world (let's face it, our best player is slowly being phased out for his English counterpart) and it was an all around recipe for disaster.

I think our midfield will figure things out, but the biggest concerns this cycle has to be our back-4 and goalkeeping. If we can figure out the MF, Brooks should be fine in the backline but who is gonna step up to play with him? We still don't have a left back. Yedlin pretty much is what he is on the right. And everyone we hoped that was going to step up centrally seems to be reluctant to grab the position.

We'll survive, but it could be painful for a bit.

 

[Alsacs]

Another lifeless performance by the USMNT. Italy dominated position and the scoring chances.
This program needs a manager.

 

[DeGrozz]

Rumors out there that Berhalter has been offered the manager position for the Galaxy.

MLS front offices are pretty tight with guys who have played against and known each other for years -- it might be possible that it's not Berhalter for USMNT after all.

There are also rumors that disgraced Spain and Real Madrid head coach Julen Lopetegui has recently reached out to USSoccer about the vacant position. Part of me thinks, holy crap, this guy went undefeated for 2 years with Spain. Another part of me thinks, if he can't get Benzema, Bale, Modric, Marcelo, Kroos, Ramos, Asensio, Isco, etc to play as a team, what the heck is he gonna do when it's Pulisic and 10 other guys who can't get playing time at decent Euro clubs?

All this after the USSF bid farewell to Sarachin yesterday. Kinda entertaining for going into a holiday weekend.

 

[DeGrozz]

 

[Forza Azzurri]

The below tells you pretty much all you need to know.

This has been a consistent theme from players either going overseas from the US to players coming to the US from overseas.

I remember Jermaine Jones being the first, at least that I read, who talked about the lack of tactical sophistication of US players. He said that US players don't see things developing that are second nature to foreign players.

Even the MLS Academies don't seem to be closing the gap.

Until this changes, little else will.

 

[Alsacs]

The problem is instead of trying to change the current structure of US Soccer as president we kept the status quo with Corderio who basically won because opposition to Kathy Carter was more vicious when they were the same candidate.

Our player development is inferior for the resources our country and national team have at their disposal.
These youth soccer programs care more about winning than development.
The coaches want to win to move the ladder. The players skills should be all that matter.
Our development should be like minor league baseball find the prospects and just develop their skills. Who wins minor league baseball games is completely irrelevant for the big league team.
The US P2P system hurts our kids.

When the rest of the world spends on the women’s game our women’s ream
Will eventually feel this effect.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

The problem is instead of trying to change the current structure of US Soccer as president we kept the status quo with Corderio who basically won because opposition to Kathy Carter was more vicious when they were the same candidate.

Our player development is inferior for the resources our country and national team have at their disposal.
These youth soccer programs care more about winning than development.
The coaches want to win to move the ladder. The players skills should be all that matter.
Our development should be like minor league baseball find the prospects and just develop their skills. Who wins minor league baseball games is completely irrelevant for the big league team.
The US P2P system hurts our kids.

When the rest of the world spends on the women’s game our women’s ream
Will eventually feel this effect.

I've lived it for the last 13 years.

Success, as you accurately point out, is measured in Ws and Ls.

When parents are paying the tab, and the tab can be very expensive, they want to win.

Coaches then need to put winning as the top priority because, if they don't, they lose kids.

Winning = $$$$.

It is a brutal circle.

Development never really enters into the equation.

 

[DeGrozz]

Brutal game tonight for some names that figured to play into our 2022 cycle.

Parker and Long were embarrassing, Adams (while he had a few flashes) failed to really impact the game, and Nagbe was the quietest of ATL's attack.

I kinda want to know what Julian Gressel's citizenship situation is. I know he is German, but he's been in the US for a while and will likely be back in Germany in a year or two to play professionally. It'd be awesome if he ever found himself available for the USMNT.

 

[Alsacs]

Zack Steffen in talks to join Man City.
Great move for him if he can be the Man City backup.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

This is not an American sport...it’s not football.
We gonna start a tread on pickle ball?
Just kidding

 

[DeGrozz]

The USMNT has turned me into such a pessimist the last two years. I used to get so giddy over moves like this, now I think "Great, he's moving to back-up one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world who is only 25 years-old. He'll probably never see the field and end up in Matt Miazga situation."

In reality, Steffen probably won't see a lot of the field in the near future if this goes through, except for lower level cup games and spelling for an injury. But if he spends a year or two training with Man City he will be forced to work on his distribution (which may be his weakest attribute) and he'll have the opportunity to get loaned out to a sister club like Girona or a Leeds United-type club that Man City has sent MLS product to for development in the past.

Steffen could potentially spend the next three cycles as our #1, so a few years of development before getting some real PT in a good league could work out very well for him.

 

[Alsacs]

The USMNT has turned me into such a pessimist the last two years. I used to get so giddy over moves like this, now I think "Great, he's moving to back-up one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world who is only 25 years-old. He'll probably never see the field and end up in Matt Miazga situation."

In reality, Steffen probably won't see a lot of the field in the near future if this goes through, except for lower level cup games and spelling for an injury. But if he spends a year or two training with Man City he will be forced to work on his distribution (which may be his weakest attribute) and he'll have the opportunity to get loaned out to a sister club like Girona or a Leeds United-type club that Man City has sent MLS product to for development in the past.

Steffen could potentially spend the next three cycles as our #1, so a few years of development before getting some real PT in a good league could work out very well for him.

City needs depth at GK.
Steffen is only 23. Keepers can play well into their upper 30s.
He is a tremendous keeper at penalties.
I think this move is great for him.
Man City plays so many matches between domestic cups, league matches, and Champions League.
Steffen could easily be their cup keeper and get good match experience and if Pep likes him he would send him to a spot to develop more.
Steffen going to Europe is great for him.

 

[DeGrozz]

City needs depth at GK.
Steffen is only 23. Keepers can play well into their upper 30s.
He is a tremendous keeper at penalties.
I think this move is great for him.
Man City plays so many matches between domestic cups, league matches, and Champions League.
Steffen could easily be their cup keeper and get good match experience and if Pep likes him he would send him to a spot to develop more.
Steffen going to Europe is great for him.

I get that he's tremendous at penalties, but a big club has never invested in a keeper because he's good at saving PKs. His entire skillset is almost exactly the opposite of what Pep expects his keepers to play.

Ederson is such a good fit for the system because he is an excellent distributor, can play with the ball at his feet, and has a natural ability for defensive positioning.

Steffen is almost the opposite. He's clumsy with the ball at his feet, poor in distribution, and often caught out of position. He makes up for it by being a fantastic shot stopper, which helps him stand out in the US, because we haven't had a well rounded keeper since the Friedel/Keller days. He's basically a younger version of Joe Hart (who Pep departed with because he couldn't play with the ball at his feet).

I'm not excited about this move because, to me, this feels like one of he's being used as a plug while Muric and Grimshaw develop into a stable backup. Man city doesn't invest in established players to try to develop them. Because he’s such a misfit he seems destined to bounce around loans and not spend too much time in Man City itself.

A worse case scenario than that would be he's an emergency backup that Man City immediately loans out to clubs who have no incentive to develop or play him and he rots away in key development years.

I'll happily eat crow if things turn out well for him though.

 

[creatorsgam]

Berhalter it is. Good luck...

 

[jordville]

Nice job, USSF, on your 13 month "search" to hire Berhalter... a guy you could have just hired 13 months ago. SMH.

 

[longislandcuse]

Over 5,000 at the outdoors watch party in Atlanta.

 

[DeGrozz]

Over 5,000 at the outdoors watch party in Atlanta.

Hopefully they are all saying a collective prayer that Kaku doesn't intentionally take out Miggy's knee this half.

 

[longislandcuse]

Hopefully they are all saying a collective prayer that Kaku doesn't intentionally take out Miggy's knee this half.

These fans are complete tools. Throwing stuff. Random woman screaming “*** you” at Parkhurst as he’s injured.