USMNT: Hold My Beer

Titans Bastard

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If I was managing this team, I'd think about moving Reyna central so that he could combine better with Pulisic. The current setup makes it hard for the best attacking players to work together. All the best stuff has involved Pulisic and Dest combining on the left. If it was a 4-2-3-1 with Reyna central, then that trio of players could combine.
One of the interesting challenges for Berhalter is that we have quite a few attackers whose best position isn't clear. Certainly Reyna. Arguably even Weah. And definitely Aaronson:

View: https://twitter.com/Nicocantor1/status/1375177697110978565



I'm a little skeptical of building a formation around Reyna as a central attacker. I'm not sure it's his best position, and based on current form he might not even be Best XI when everyone is healthy and available. I fully expect that he will be soon enough, but he's 18 and is going through some growing pains, and we have other players doing well.
 

Titans Bastard

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All US so far. Northern Ireland is between WCQ and starting a team full of backups from the Championship, League One players, and SPL guys.
 

McBride11

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Hearing Musahs name a lot. Oh and he is freaking 18.
Is the laying down behind the wall a new thing? Certainly never did that and cant recall seeing it
 

Titans Bastard

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Musah is good on the ball and has the athleticism to drive forward into space out of the midfield. You can tell he's still learning the movements/habits of his teammates and some of his passes have been hit too far in front of or behind of guys, but the ideas are there.

The US has looked a little creaky defending on the counter.
 

McBride11

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I thought he should have shot it one touch earlier. The delay gave the defender that deflected the shot time to get into the play.



I think that's a YTTV problem, it's fine on my Fios.
Could be. The NBC hockey looks great at the moment. The lack of detail and the dark stripes on the long sleeves making it look like a video game. US Players appear superimposed
 

Jimy Hendrix

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And ya. Acosta was on the outside looking in and is not covering himself in glory. When full squad is available he seems out
Weirdly despite this game being awful I think this window’s been a net positive for him. Showing he’s possibly a depth option at the six where we’re thin outweighs how bad he’s been today. Still well on the edge of the squad though.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Not sure if a clever penalty that’s hard for a tall guy who’s not that good to get to, or a weak penalty, but back of the net either way!
 

Kliq

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Nice little play by Siebatchu to set Pulisic up for that, uh, contact in the box.

Not a great PK from Pulisic.
 

67YAZ

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Concerned about the aftershocks if Dike and one of the mountainous, lumbering CBs collide
 

McBride11

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Weirdly despite this game being awful I think this window’s been a net positive for him. Showing he’s possibly a depth option at the six where we’re thin outweighs how bad he’s been today. Still well on the edge of the squad though.
I agree solid depth at 6. Top 30? I believe Adams has that locked in? What you dont want from the 6 is turnovers and with my limited viewing Acosta seems too prone.

It is so weird (and exciting) having actual good players and depth
 

Kliq

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Two good games this week from de la Torre. Hard to see him right now finding a role in a crowded CM but it's nice to have options.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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That thru ball by CP and run by Dike followed by a poor finish gave me Altidore flashbacks
The internet tells me that Dike has 50 pounds on Jozy which seems impossible. Goddamn freight train.

He is doing it for me. This has and will continue to be a Daryl Dike bandwagon account. We have so many small skinny skilled guys, a Jozy-type bruiser/finisher up top feels like a natural fit.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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de la Torre has also quietly gone from “huh?” to having real potential as midfield depth. Says a lot about where the pool is going that a 22 year old getting Dutch minutes is such an afterthought.
 

Kliq

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Shot was a thunderbolt but really poor defending on that lofted ball in by the US CBs.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Dike with some nice touches around the corner as well as his runs at goal. Good show for how he can fit in this team, which I was not sure how that looks even as I like him a lot.
 

Titans Bastard

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The internet tells me that Dike has 50 pounds on Jozy which seems impossible. Goddamn freight train.

He is doing it for me. This has and will continue to be a Daryl Dike bandwagon account. We have so many small skinny skilled guys, a Jozy-type bruiser/finisher up top feels like a natural fit.
Also, Dike is a big man who plays like a big man, whereas Jozy plays "smaller" than his physique because he has natural instincts as more of a playmaking forward.
 

Titans Bastard

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Did anyone else get a satisfied feeling every time the broadcast displayed the names of the players on the bench? We're missing McKennie, Adams, Brooks, Weah, and a few others, but despite that there were still so many guys I feel good about coming in to change the game. Exciting times ahead.

I've always been a fan, but my enthusiasm for Brenden Aaronson is growing. He's good at pressing, and I love how aggressive he is in transition. I've never felt that he's the cleanest finisher, but he's going to get his goals and set up a bunch of chances too.

Siebatcheu didn't do enough for me. We have a lot of good forwards and I'm not sure he's near the top of the pile for when we get to crunch time.

Luca de la Torre came into camp very much as a fringe player but I think he's improved his stock to the point that he's earned a longer stretch of playing time at one of this summer's tournaments. Should we beat Honduras U23 this evening, LDLT would be just what the doctor ordered for this offensively-challenged U23 midfield.

Acosta had a real stinker, which is too bad after his renaissance story from last game. Our top three 8s are McKennie, Musah, and Lletget, and he remains in the conversation after that, but a claim to being 4th in the depth chart took a body blow. For now the Jamaica game shows that he could be an Adams backup, but overall he feels a bit like a placeholder.

I can't wait for Reyna and Musah to continue to grow into this team.

I think I'll be agnostic on Antonee Robinson forever. He's fine, it seems — no more, no less.

The 3-4-3 is an interesting option when Adams is out, and perhaps when Adams is present and we want him pressing a bit higher on the field. But for it to work, we need better CBs. Ream is a good passer, but prone to defensive mishaps. Long isn't a good passer, and Miazga doesn't do it for me. The formation would look better with Brooks in it. McKenzie is a good passer, but still defensively inconsistent at times, and Richards will be a starter soon. But the mediocre CB depth says to me that 4-3-3 will be the primary formation.
 

rguilmar

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The 3-4-3 is an interesting option when Adams is out, and perhaps when Adams is present and we want him pressing a bit higher on the field. But for it to work, we need better CBs. Ream is a good passer, but prone to defensive mishaps. Long isn't a good passer, and Miazga doesn't do it for me. The formation would look better with Brooks in it. McKenzie is a good passer, but still defensively inconsistent at times, and Richards will be a starter soon. But the mediocre CB depth says to me that 4-3-3 will be the primary formation.
Another option, and not necessarily one that I endorse, is 3-4-3 with Adams as part of the back three. RBL did that a few times (once with Adams as the CB?!?!). Richards and Brooks both play in primarily 3 at the back systems now. I don't see how the rest of the pieces fit though.

At full strength though, a 4-3-3 just makes too much sense because the lineup writes itself for the most part. The pieces fit together nicely. I am really looking forward to getting McKennie back in the lineup. He's such a handful to deal with defensively because of his off the ball runs, which open up space for other players. Assuming he is used similar to how Juve use him, Reyna and Yunus could see a lot more space as teams try to account for and track WM.

I agree with de la Torre looking much better than I thought he would and that he should be in play for a backup CM spot. Aaronson probably played his way into the conversation as well. Do we see him more as a winger or CM?
 

veritas

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Another advantage of the 3-4-3, is that Pulisic and Reyna are not true wingers, they both like to play pretty narrow. Pulisic is at his best being able to get into the box almost like a 2nd striker, and Reyna likes to be in the half spaces. If they are both in the front 3, I really like the idea of wingbacks providing the width in attack and letting both of those players do what they like to do best.

But the concerns about the CB depth are legitimate.
 

67YAZ

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Two thoughts on the 3-4-3 midfield:

I completely trust an Adams-McKennie pairing at the heart of this formation. McKennie could push a bit higher in attack, Adam’s could act more as a shield - but they could be fluid in the specific responsibilities and still boss all that space in the middle of the pitch.

But if one or both of them is absent? I can’t think of any other guys ready to step into those roles. I’d be afraid of getting overrun in the midfield.

Second, 3-4-3 might be better suited for opponent who are going try to low block us.I rink we have enough CB speed to cover the counter in those matches. But when we’re the underdog, the 4-3-3 keeps more bodies in good positions to transitions and press.
 

Titans Bastard

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The CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and final will be hosted at Mile High Stadium in Denver, per Steven Goff.
 

Titans Bastard

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Gold Cup venues...

They wanted to be sure they weren't in stadia that would get hit with a COVID-related capacity reduction.

 

Titans Bastard

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CONCACAF published provisional 40-man rosters for Nations League. The US must eventually choose a roster of 23 for their two games, but there's nothing stopping Berhalter from bringing extra guys to the friendlies before and after the CNL games.

GK: Horvath, Johnson, Ochoa, Steffen, Turner

RB: Cannon, Dest, Reynolds, Yedlin

CB: Brooks, Long, McKenzie, Miazga, Ream, Richards, M. Robinson, Zimmerman

LB: A. Robinson, Vines

CM: Acosta, Adams, de la Torre, Lletget, McKennie, Musah, Otasowie, Roldan, Yueill

AM: Aaronson, Arriola, Boyd, de la Fuente, Pulisic, Reyna, Weah

FW: Dike, Gioacchini, Sargent, Siebatcheu, Zardes


There aren't any surprise omissions IMO.
 

Titans Bastard

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Aaron Long out for the rest of 2021. Long felt like he was holding on to being the starter at RCB in Berhalter's eyes, at least for a bit longer. It will be interesting to see if this means a veteran like Miazga will move into the starting lineup, or if we'll give the reins to Chris Richards. Realistically, with such a busy schedule a lot of guys will get a chance.

View: https://twitter.com/KristianRDyer/status/1394447482554396673