JUST came here to comment on this. It feels so bizarre - not a good look at all. Can't imagine this happening in other countries that missed out. No more Bruce Arena ever, please.
USMNT: Watching From Outside The Arena
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
The creativity is about what you would expect from this playmaker-less lineup, but I am enjoying this newfangled idea where the midfield has energy and presses
I've been saying that McKennie is underhyped.
He won't be a big goalscorer for club or country, but he shows signs that he's going to be able to do an awful lot as a box-to-box midfield.
He won't be a big goalscorer for club or country, but he shows signs that he's going to be able to do an awful lot as a box-to-box midfield.
I'm not hyped for him for all the sensible age and MLS related reasons, but that was pretty damn composed play from Sapong too.
Yeah, Sapong is a year older than Jozy.
He's not a particularly clinical finisher, but he does good Big Center Forward things. He'll never be a key player for the US, but I wouldn't rule out some contributions over the course of the cycle.
EDIT: As I was writing, he failed to see a great opportunity to hit a switch to Agudelo
Yeah, he's not the future, but we need as many mid-20s guys as we can get to be sharp to add to the competition at CF in the next few years.
Horvath is a player with little confidence right now. He's earned a rep in Belgium for struggling with crosses and has gotten benched for the last two games with Brugge.
I'm not sure it's possible to handle a cross worse than that. No pressure on him, either.
Well we don't have a keeper, but Weston McKennie looks like the answer to the eternal question.... "what kind of player would Paul Pogba be if he didn't shank 85% of his shot attempts?"
Yep. Huge howler.
Thus far he's one of those guys who can make some huge saves, but is way too inconsistent and is too nervy on crosses. He's not ready for prime time.
There's a lot of room for optimism at CM and CB this cycle, but GK is not looking like a position of strength, even though there are a number of alternatives to Horvath.
Random comment but I always have wished they would sell the long sleeved versions of all their jerseys.
Been impressed by our willingness to keep the ball on the deck and try to play it out. Caused more than one issue but theres more crafty, small intelligent touches going on than we usually see with usmnt
Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if Horvath isn't even in the top 3 when the permanent manager comes in.
I'm all in on Adams & McKennie so far. Put more creativity around them instead of just similar midfielders, and that's an engine room I can believe in.
I'd like to see the two of them centrally in the second half.
I'd like to see the two of them centrally in the second half.
Excited to see CCV. Don't think I've gotten to see him outside of a few minutes of shitty streams.
I was a little surprised that Horvath got the nod over Hamid, given Horvath's recent dip in form. I think Zack Steffen might have started had Columbus not progressed in the MLS playoffs.
Pulisic (19), McKennie (19), and Adams (18) really give us some nice pieces to the puzzle in midfield who should have long NT careers ahead of them. Two are already playing in the Bundesliga and Adams isn't long for MLS.
We haven't even had a chance to look at Jonathan Gonzalez (18), who Monterrey requested not be brought to this camp because he's already the DM lynchpin of their Liga MX-leading squad.
Now, we just need some wing options. Nobody is getting it done at the club level like our CMs yet, but fingers crossed for Nick Taitague (18) at Schalke and Andrew Carleton (17) at Atlanta. Arriola is decent enough for now; he's not elite, but does a ton of work defensively and off the ball so that he's fine as long as he isn't expected to be the centerpiece.
Both sides have created some great chances. International friendlies are a blast when the second strings get involved. Or maybe I'm just selling myself
In retrospect, Horvath's lack of male-pattern hair loss was probably the clearest sign that there was going to be an issue.
I feel like this is the first time I've said (or heard) "Movember" this year. Fine by me.
Pacienca is showing a positively Altidorean sense of slowing and killing offensive opportunities
Edit: congrats on showing tremendous foot speed and running length of the pitch Yedlin but we are immediately going back to the keeper lol
Edit: congrats on showing tremendous foot speed and running length of the pitch Yedlin but we are immediately going back to the keeper lol
Soccer won't make it in America until directors stop zooming in while something is actually happening on the field.
Yeah this has been really bad today. Usually it's an international feed but maybe we can blame FOX.
I still like Gooch as a Bedoya-esque squad guy but speedier.
Just needs to Snake Plissken himself outta Sunderland.
Just needs to Snake Plissken himself outta Sunderland.
And again on that last cross - they zoom in on the winger, he sends the ball in, then we miss where it goes. It's infuriating.
That last sequence highlighted the lack of creativity on the field. US needed someone to instinctively make a decision before Portugal could regain their shape.
In the end....we probably should've won. That foul on Miazga when Brooks scored was VERY soft, plus the two close calls from McKennie and Adams, PLUS the fact that their goal was trash. They probably did deserve one in the end, but still.
McKennie and Adams look like they won't need much time at all to adjust to this level even though neither are finished products yet. Very strong debuts, and I think they'll complement each other well.
Miazga and Carter-Vickers both looked capable (and brought back memories of the U20 WC in 2015). They will continue to get chances.
There are more very legitimate options at CM (Roldan, Gonzalez, possibly Durkin) and CB (EPB, Glad) coming up, too.
GK and creativity will be issues in the near term. We don't have any GK prospects that look like a sure thing, but we have enough decent irons in the fire to hope that someone emerges over the next few years. I have hope that more creative options will emerge within 1-2 years beyond Pulisic. There are very real candidates, but nobody I feel as confident about yet as I have been feeling about McKennie at CM.
Miazga and Carter-Vickers both looked capable (and brought back memories of the U20 WC in 2015). They will continue to get chances.
There are more very legitimate options at CM (Roldan, Gonzalez, possibly Durkin) and CB (EPB, Glad) coming up, too.
GK and creativity will be issues in the near term. We don't have any GK prospects that look like a sure thing, but we have enough decent irons in the fire to hope that someone emerges over the next few years. I have hope that more creative options will emerge within 1-2 years beyond Pulisic. There are very real candidates, but nobody I feel as confident about yet as I have been feeling about McKennie at CM.
I don’t understand how the goalkeeping pool could have thinned out so horrifically. Is training time too unfocused with the modern need to have goalkeepers so much more adept with their feet?
Everything about that goal was awful. It’s hard to see from the potato quality replays where his head was seconds before, but he was pointing for a defender to pick up a mark. Did the cross take him by surprise as a result?
I also couldn’t tell if it was raining, but the purpose of going into that type of collection is to get more of your body down to smother a skipping ball. It’s become far more popular lately as it also transitions into a time-wasting strategy. Personally, I’ve found that it limits my ability to react to directional changes in the ball, but these are professionals playing on fields that are far better groomed. In general, I don’t like it in any situation where the ball is hit directly at me. Your legs are far too spread and there’s less margin for error. If the ball is slightly off to one side or the other however, one leg will be covering the angle of the body coming across the ball, making it a far safer move (if no less embarrassing to have it trickle through the arms). On a cross like that, though, there’s no need to put your face in the mixer. Stay bigger, come through the ball on your feet, and collect with authority.
Everything about that goal was awful. It’s hard to see from the potato quality replays where his head was seconds before, but he was pointing for a defender to pick up a mark. Did the cross take him by surprise as a result?
I also couldn’t tell if it was raining, but the purpose of going into that type of collection is to get more of your body down to smother a skipping ball. It’s become far more popular lately as it also transitions into a time-wasting strategy. Personally, I’ve found that it limits my ability to react to directional changes in the ball, but these are professionals playing on fields that are far better groomed. In general, I don’t like it in any situation where the ball is hit directly at me. Your legs are far too spread and there’s less margin for error. If the ball is slightly off to one side or the other however, one leg will be covering the angle of the body coming across the ball, making it a far safer move (if no less embarrassing to have it trickle through the arms). On a cross like that, though, there’s no need to put your face in the mixer. Stay bigger, come through the ball on your feet, and collect with authority.
I think that what it comes down to is that the US goalkeeping pool was dominated by three high-level players over the last 20 years and nobody has appeared who can maintain that standard. I don't think the current pool is all that different from the past if Howard/Friedel/Keller hadn't existed.
GK quality will probably be a going concern throughout the cycle, but the standard will be better than what we saw from Horvath today.