USMNT: To Rüssia With Love

InstaFace

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...ok Bruce, now get Pulisic and Cameron off the field before they get CONCACAF'd.

edit: well, Cameron only if you don't need to pull Villafana.
 

Titans Bastard

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...ok Bruce, now get Pulisic and Cameron off the field before they get CONCACAF'd.

edit: well, Cameron only if you don't need to pull Villafana.
Cameron was already taken off for Zusi.

Looks like Brooks will have to come off, though...
 

Jed Zeppelin

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For all the recent consternation surrounding the roster and overall program, Pulisic, Wood, Altidore, Johnson, Yedlin, and Dempsey (supersub in '18) is the foundation of a strong attack. Certainly some other areas to figure out, but Pulisic really does make things so much easier for everybody else because of how much attention he draws and how well he handles it.
 

McBride11

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CP. not even a contest. 18yo. He is so unbelievably good. Sometimes it feels the US teammates cant even keep up with him.

Regardless all else he did, a simple example. 60th min? Goalkick played out, cp
Takes 1 touch off inside foot and is off pressing the net. I cannot recall a US player doing that so cleanly.
 

trekfan55

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Next Tuesday the US plays here in Panama. I will be the only one (I think) rooting against the Gringos on this board. Just getting it out of my system now. Will try not to post too much negative stuff during the game.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Considering how much shit he (often deservedly) gets, Jozy deserves a shout...he was a big factor up front all night.
 

InstaFace

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The highlight of Altidore's night was that one-touch pass through to Pulisic at the start of the second half. A far better touch than we're accustomed to seeing from him.
 

67YAZ

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The highlight of Altidore's night was that one-touch pass through to Pulisic at the start of the second half. A far better touch than we're accustomed to seeing from him.
Jozy looked very comfortable playing with 2 other advanced players. Not expected to hold up or play with his back goal, he was moving into good spaces and showing off his excellent passing chops. I don't think the US can come so attack minded that often, but it suits Jozy.

US goal differential up to +1 in one night.

After watching last night, Panama is definitely going to focus on slowing down CP, probably with a lot of physicality and tight marking. It will be a good challenge for CP. He probably hasn't seen attention like at the senior level. It will be good to have crafty veterans like Dempsey and Jozy to exploit the gaps that open up.
 

Titans Bastard

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I'm really happy with the chemistry between Pulisic, Dempsey, and Altidore. Altidore was a bit overshadowed last night because he didn't get on the scoresheet, but his vision and passing really shone through.

There are quite a few changes to the US roster:

OUT: Lletget (left foot), Brooks (sinus infection), Morris (right ankle), Orozco (right knee)
IN: Paul Arriola

Jones is also back from suspension.

All these defensive injuries are killing me. Arena will need to decide whether he wants to slot Cameron back at CB and Zusi at RB or pair something like Ream/Gonzalez with Cameron at RB.

I don't like the idea of Jermaine Jones in a 4-4-2 diamond. He's not a #6, he's not a #10, and he's not remotely disciplined enough to play the dutiful shuttler roles that Bedoya and Nagbe performed. I thought Nagbe and Bedoya quietly had nice games supporting Bradley defensively, maintaining possession and providing a conduit to the attackers. That role is a perfect fit for Bedoya, actually, but not at all for the Jones Show.

So if Jones starts, I'd expect a formation change.
 

InstaFace

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That's really troubling about Brooks, for whom the dropoff to his replacement is dramatic as opposed to the others. Last night, Arena said this:

The only downside to the night was the early exits of Lletget, who was forced to depart with a foot injury in the 18th minute, and John Brooks, who Arena said had been battling a sinus infection. Arena said Lletget's status was unknown at the moment, but he expected Brooks to recover.

"[Brooks] is traveling," said Arena. "Whether he likes it or not, he's traveling."
Apparently not. Today the word was:

"[Brooks] wasn't doing too well today. They're working on it," Arena said. "They've got some blood tests on him today, so I don't know what the final evaluation was.

"But he's not doing well and it would be difficult to put him on a flight to Panama. And if he's not doing well then send him back to Germany. I think it's the right decision.
I guess he's traveling, all right. To Berlin.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Jozy looked very comfortable playing with 2 other advanced players. Not expected to hold up or play with his back goal, he was moving into good spaces and showing off his excellent passing chops. I don't think the US can come so attack minded that often, but it suits Jozy.

US goal differential up to +1 in one night.

After watching last night, Panama is definitely going to focus on slowing down CP, probably with a lot of physicality and tight marking. It will be a good challenge for CP. He probably hasn't seen attention like at the senior level. It will be good to have crafty veterans like Dempsey and Jozy to exploit the gaps that open up.
He's seen plenty of attention like that in the Bundesliga where BVB's attack often runs through him and Dembele.
 

67YAZ

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At Dortmund, he's running with various combinations of Aubameyang, Reus, Dembele, & Schurrle. He's more important to the US attack than he is Dortmund's right now.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Regardless, when he's in the lineup he's one of the primary facilitators for BVB, including in Champions League play.

He'll be hacked more often but defensive attention from mid-tier CONCACAF opponents doesn't figure to provide the same overall resistance.
 
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sodenj5

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I'm not sure if it's because the U.S. has lacked a real star since forever, or if he's really that good, but Pulisic really looks like he may become something special. It's hard to separate yourself from the hype, because most U.S. fans are so desperate for a star to come up after seeing so many fizzle out, but what he's doing at both the club and country levels at his age are probably the best I've seen out of a U.S. player ever. Is that hyperbole? I honestly don't think so.

Donovan went over to England and basically fell on his face. Dempsey is one of the few Americans to have some kind of sustained success outside of the U.S., but he did much later into his prime. Pulisic is getting invaluable minutes with a top-flight German team and seeing Champions League action. Not just seeing action, but thriving. He looks comfortable, like the stage isn't too big for him.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Jozy looked very comfortable playing with 2 other advanced players. Not expected to hold up or play with his back goal, he was moving into good spaces and showing off his excellent passing chops. I don't think the US can come so attack minded that often, but it suits Jozy.
Noobie question, but doesn't the 4-4-2 lend itself to a faster offensive pace?

Edit: and by noobie question, I mean that 98% of my soccer knowledge comes from Fifa video games and the world cup.
 

rguilmar

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Regardless, when he's in the lineup he's one of the primary facilitators for BVB, including in Champions League play.

He'll be hacked more often but defensive attention from mid-tier CONCACAF opponents doesn't figure to provide the same overall resistance.
It definitely looks like shutting down Dortmund's wide players has been the defensive focus all year. Some games have turned into a Hack-a-Pulisic, with last year's Shalke game standing out.

Obviously defending Dortmund is a "pick your poison" type of scenario, but most teams seem to want to stop the quick counters and the width provided by both Pulisic and Dembele.
 

Infield Infidel

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It's hard not to like how Dortmund plays him. In the last cup match he started on one side with Dembele on the other side but at halftime it was 0-0 and then they flipped sides at halftime and Pulicic quickly scored. A few of our midfielders are pretty locked into one side or in the middle, with Pulicic and Nagbe's ability to play left, middle, or right, it allows us to play others in their customary positions. It gives us some flexibility

My worry for the next match is Jones. I hope we don't see a double pivot, I know Bradley gets flack but a lot of that is Jones going wherever leaving Bradley out to dry. I saw a lineup on Stars & Stripes (I think?) with Jones on the right and Zusi at RB, which could work if a) Jones tracks back if Zusi overlaps, or b) Zusi never overlaps. I'd rather see Jones in a spot where he has as few defensive responsibilities as possible, maybe as the point in a diamond or as CM in a 4-1-3-2. With Pulicic and Nagbe's flexibility to play inside-out or outside-in, all we need is one guy (Bradley) behind those guys holding down the fort. Bradley and Jones in a double pivot, deciding who moves forward when, with the other covering, too often leads to confusion.
 
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Mr. Wednesday

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Donovan went over to England and basically fell on his face.
No, he went to Germany and fell on his face. He went to England and looked like one of the best wing players in the Premier League, but MLS didn't want to sell at a price that Everton was willing to pay.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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My worry for the next match is Jones. I hope we don't see a double pivot, I know Bradley gets flack but a lot of that is Jones going wherever leaving Bradley out to dry. I saw a lineup on Stars & Stripes (I think?) with Jones on the right and Zusi at RB, which could work if a) Jones tracks back if Zusi overlaps, or b) Zusi never overlaps. I'd rather see Jones in a spot where he has as few defensive responsibilities as possible, maybe as the point in a diamond or as CM in a 4-1-3-2. With Pulicic and Nagbe's flexibility to play inside-out or outside-in, all we need is one guy (Bradley) behind those guys holding down the fort. Bradley and Jones in a double pivot, deciding who moves forward when, with the other covering, too often leads to confusion.
I'm guessing you're not going to like what you see. I think it's going to be a straight 4-4-2 with Nagbe on the right and Pulisic on the left. It's a long time ago now, with water under the bridge, and the lineups are different, but I thought Jones and Bradley had it figured out reasonably well in Copa America playing together in the midfield.

Formation and tactics matter a lot, of course, but I think you need to find a way to get Jones on the field. Central America away in the final round are rock fights. I kind of like him in those games.

Edit: Sorry, scratch that -- Pulisic right and Nagbe left. Just guessing but that's my guess of what it will be tomorrow.
 

Titans Bastard

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Possibly 4-5 lineup changes, though Arena likes to bullshit about this stuff sometimes.

I'm pretty convinced that we will see a different formation - either a straight 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 if Arena feels that Dempsey doesn't have another 90 minutes in his legs and would serve the US better off the bench. If I were Arena, I'd be pissed that I had to burn all three subs on injuries and couldn't give Clint a breather on Friday.

Big decisions to be made in defense - does Ream replace Brooks in a straight swap or does Cameron come inside with Zusi at RB?
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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My guesses: 4-4-2 with defined role for Bradley and Jones being allowed to roam a bit more, Cameron stays where he was, Ream inside for Brooks, Beasley for Villafana.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Noobie question, but doesn't the 4-4-2 lend itself to a faster offensive pace?

Edit: and by noobie question, I mean that 98% of my soccer knowledge comes from Fifa video games and the world cup.
No, not necessarily. In fact, very few "formations" truly affect pace or strategy of play, as much as responsibilities within those formations do. 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 and 5-3-2 (as examples) or often then same thing with different names, and subtly different roles.